Free Prints From Shutterfly

Oh boy, oh boy. This deal has got my juices going this morning. Now, what prints am I going to order? Hmmm.

TIP: Instead of ordering 101 prints, order 99 instead. I know, you'll be missing out on 2 free prints, but you will be saving $2.00 in shipping. 99 prints ship for only $5.99.

If you don't already, follow Shutterfly on Facebook to get all these great deals!

Busy Bee

It's been a busy few weeks for me which means very little computer time. Luckily I've had the chance to pick up my *new* (to me) camera a few times. Last week I traveled to San Diego to see my 13 day old Godson and this weekend I was in Dallas for the ASU/Notre Dame football game. 

Isn't he the cutest? 

And of course, what is San Diego without a little beach time at Mission beach?!

 

Photography: My History

I've always loved photography. On family vacations I always manned the camera and took the pictures that my dad would eventually show off to our friends and family when we returned home.

To me, photography is about memories and beauty; it's about remembering a moment in time that will be gone in an instant.

Today, I'm taking a trip down memory lane of some of my favorite photos. Buyer beware, I had no experience of training when I took these photos; many of them where taken when I was still a teenager. Some how, I figured it out and came up with these beauties.

 Arches National Park

 Fiery Furnace, Arches National Park

 San Diego, California

 San Diego, California

 Yosemite National Park

California

Shutterfly Wedding Book Layouts

Almost a year later I'm still in love my with Shutterfly Wedding Album (and my husband of course!). I started by using pre-designed layout pages and added stickers, backgrounds, and borders in our wedding colors to jazz it up. I love looking at our photos in this book. Here are a few of my favorite pages. What do you think?

This book wouldn't be half as amazing as it is without the beautiful pictures taken by Peoria, AZ photographer Shayla Lettman.

How I Shutterfly for {nearly} free!

I absolutely LOVE Shutterfly. My first experience with the website was when I made the guest book for my wedding in 2012 (you can see a photo of it here). I was so thrilled with the results that I made a book of our engagement pictures and eventually an album of our wedding day photos.

But, Shutterfly isn't bound just to weddings. I have also made custom mugs, magnets, cards, and good ole fashioned prints. I have never been unsatisfied with a project! They have all exceeded my expectations and brought a smile to the face of my recipient.

The only downfall is that Shutterfly can be a bit pricy. But, alas, I have found a few solutions to that problem too! 

1. If you sign up for their email list on their website, Shutterfly will send you occasional deals by email (usually once a month).

2. I follow Shutterfly on Facebook. They show up a few times a week on my news feed, nothing annoying, and occasionally a freebie pops up!

3. I also have an account at My Coke Rewards. It's free to sign up and if you drink CocaCola beverages there is no extra cost. Next time you have a Diet Coke look under the cap; that random looking code is a Shutterfly photo book in the making! In my mind, I already bought to soda and now I'm getting something extra! They have a large selection of prizes but my favorite are int he Personalized and Photo section.

Right now there are 28 options on MyCokeRewards, and the selection changes daily! Don't think it's worth collecting caps? I think of it this way: A 2x3 magnet costs 30 Coke Points. Each cap from a 2 liter is 3 points and the codes on a 12 pack of cans are worth 10 points each. If I have family over for a BBQ and buy 3 12 packs, I just earned a magnet!

Yes, with all these deals you still have to pay shipping but I'm okay with that.  For example, I'll use a code to get 12 cards (savings around $13.08 based on design) and pay $4.99 per shipping. It works out to be about $0.42 per card, and that INCLUDES envelopes. You'll never find a Hallmark card for that price, and those don't even have your amazing pictures on them!

I love having personalized photo products in my home and I love giving them as gifts. through my methods, I have been able to do this and stay on a tight budget!

D Wedding Photos

A few weeks ago I had the honor of helping photograph the wedding of my husband's cousin and his beautiful new wife. Well actually, before the ceremony we took these pictures at the Phoenix Botanical Gardens. We had gotten to know the couple over a few short weeks in Texas but it is obvious to us that they had the true love spark. I knew pictures were important to her, as they are to me, and it was so special to be a part of their day in this way.