My Favorite Person

Did you know that Blurb might give you $2,500 to read about your favorite person? All you have to do is make a book about a loved one filled with kind words, creativity, and insight, and if selected, you could win the grand prize!  For every book you make (there are seven different categories, so seven different chances to win) you will receive a 30% discount on the printed product.  Go to Blurb to check out the details of the contest to see what the categories are and when the entries are due.  The 30% discount on My Favorite books will be applied at checkout when you use the promo code: MYFAVORITE.  (And, even if you don't enter, you can still get 30% off on all My Favorite books or save 15% on all printed orders through April 30th!)

Not sure who to write about?  For some inspiration take a look at what some of the people at Blurb say about their favorite people.  Or, you know, you could always just write about me and how utterly modest and not egotistical I am.

 


Good luck!

p.s. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive compensation if you make a purchase after clicking on them.

Photo Shoot Tips

Fact: Many people who read fashion blogs are fashion bloggers themselves, so I know this next paragraph will most likely pertain to 98% of everyone reading this.  Have you ever thought about taking the gorgeous photos from your blog and compiling them into a book that you can pull out 20 years from now and say,  Oh, man, did I dress well.  Or maybe you want to make a book to sell; perhaps something along the lines of How to Dress Well (written by A Well-Dressed Blogger).  Whatever your level of vanity, there is a Blurb book just waiting for you to publish it.  And the friendly Blurbians (that's people who work at Blurb, if you didn't know) have put together this helpful little list of tips for a perfect fashion photo shoot.

1. It’s all about lighting. To make your fashion really pop, choose natural light or studio light with a soft box (you can even make one from a lamp and last season’s white t-shirt). If you’re using a flash, you’ll probably want to bounce it or stick a diffusion filter on it.

2. Make a shot list. This is a critical step, and even more important if you are photographing models. Even if your model is just your best friend who owes you a favor, they’ll appreciate it if you know exactly what you want to shoot. Think about the poses you want to capture, the outfits you want them to wear, and the details that you want to highlight in every shot. 

3. White balance (WB). Accurate color and skin tones come from making sure the WB function on your camera is set to your lighting situation. 

4. Choose the right lens/zoom setting. If you’re using a wide angle, you’re going to lose your beautiful lines. If you have a camera with different zoom levels, zoom out to minimize lens barrel distortion. 

5. Keep it stylish. It’s a fashion shoot, after all. Play music, keep things moving, try new angles. Attitude, attitude, attitude. 

6. Dress it up. Make your book as fashionable as the clothing featured in it. Choose a simple design that doesn’t upstage the clothing, but still looks chic. Pick a size and paper type that showcases the work brilliantly.

Start your Blurb book now and Save 25% on print book orders of $75+ at Blurb.

Blurb-spiration

Remember a few months back when we spoke about Blurb?  You know, that awesome place you can go to publish your own books?  Well, I'm here to share with you this little video about Kal Barteski; maker extraordinaire whose creativity knows no bounds. She’s a working designer, painter, storyteller, book creator, TEDx speaker, and calligrapher who can now add “video star” to her resumé with the first of Blurb's Canadian book-maker profiles. Here's the first installment in the Canadian Author video series with a look at Kal’s process.  Her energy and creativity is so contagious, you just might be inspired to make a Blurb book of your own. 

 
{Watch the video on youtube}

Now through the end of the month, Blurb is offering all new customers 15% off.  The offer ends on February 28th, so if you want to save 15% on that book filled exclusively with photos of your cat you've been meaning to make, or the scrapbook of wildly complicated macarons you have no intention of ever baking, you better act fast!

Compensation was provided by Blurb for this post.  As always, all opinions are 100% mine. 'Cause that's how I roll.

Blurb for the Holidays

I just booked my travel arrangements for Thanksgiving.  I'm going to stay with my sister in Florida again (happy dance!) and while we were on the phone yesterday discussing flights, our T Day menu, and the possibility of doing a costumed 5k Thanksgiving morning, we also decided to officially start the Christmas season by decorating her place, trimming the tree, and going to one of those winter wonderland drive thru light show thingies as soon as I arrive.

I guess you could say I have holidays on the brain.  Which brings me to my next topic:

 Christmas shopping.  (Is it ever too early to start?)

We all know there's literally tons of gifts you could give, but there's just something extra special about a photo book that you've custom made yourself.  Some people are amazing at scrapbooking, or even at printing photos out and gluing them into a book.  But I am not one of them.  I'd much rather choose pictures & captions, and then let someone else do the dirty work.  That's where Blurb comes in.  They have a whole line of fully customizable photo books for you to choose from.  Or for something a little different, they've got a Blurb Family History Book, a Blurb Baby Book, and even a Blurb Food Book.  Still stumped?  Then check out the Blurb Gift Center for lots of inspiration and even more ideas.


{And from now until Nov 11, you can save when you create at Blurb:}

Use code: MORESAVINGS to save 20% on orders of $40+

-or-

Use code: EARLYSAVINGS to save $25 when you spend $100+

(please see Blurb website for details)

This post sponsored by Blurb. I was provided compensation in return for this post, and as always, all opinions are 100% my own.