Simple Scrapbooks

Ladies and Gentleman, we have a NEW blog!

Simple Scrapbooks is pleased to announce that we have officially entered the 21st century, and we officially have a blog on an official blogging site. Officially. I can hardly contain my excitement. And yet I am refraining from overusing exclamation points. (Behold the restraint.) I will happily let my html skills sink into blissful oblivion as I embrace the glories of typepad.

The best part of this transition? You can now subscribe to this blog AND the Simple Studio Blog. Did you hear that? Subscribe. And we'll make it worth your while, if you know what I mean. Contests. Photos. Backstage happenings. Simple news and events. Funny stuff. Ideas and insights. Layouts. Tips. Project ideas. It'll all be right here for your reading pleasure!

Speaking of "reading pleasure," I have spent the better half of the day copying a plethora of past posts into the "archives" of this blog for your perusal. So feel free to browse through the 101 available posts from 2007 and 2008. You might want to revisit such memorable posts as: Stacy Week, the p-ness incident, the stick man, weirdo words,  and when ants attack. Or you might not. But just in case you do, it's all right here. (And it's ALL dated September 30, 2008, because that's when I transferred it all over. Good thing I told you that, or you might be thinking, "Wow, September 30 was an eventful day at Simple Scrapbooks magazine!" and "Wow, no one reads or comments on this blog!" I had no luck transferring the original comments into the archives.)

p.s. No, there was not a mistake in my blog title. I'm fairly certain that there's only one "gentleman" reading this blog, and he's probably my husband.

p.p.s. Want to spell a flickr word like the one above? Just go here and type something in the "spell" field. It's fun!

p.p.p.s. So, we might as well have a contest on the very first day at our new blog! Drop a little note to say "hi," and I'll pick three random winners to take home a cool prize package from the office.

Let the fun begin!

CKC in MN featuring our own CZ!

How many more acronyms can I fit into my post title? Here's the 411 on an upcoming CKC scrapbooking convention! Classes, crops, Cathy Z....what more can you ask for?

When: October 23-25, 2008
Where: St. Paul, MN (Cathy Zielske's hometown!)
Why: Well, it will be SO Much fun! And there will be a blank card and scrapbook supply drive to benefit the Children's Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota. Click here for details.
How: register here!
Tip: Register BEFORE October 5, and you'll get a free $10 gift when you arrive at the show! ~SWAK

We DID It!

Thanks friends! The SS Group is now officially the BIGGEST group on the new website! It was already the coolest, and now it's the biggest as well, with 240 total members (and counting). 240 was my goal all week long, and I'm thrilled to report that we made it with plenty 'o time to spare!

And really quick, I need to post one more beautiful layout inspired by the "time flies" theme in the group this week. Way to go jwinks! (Click around her profile to see more cool layouts.)

I LOVE you guys!

originally posted September 24, 2008

My favorite thing about writing this blog (or hosting the SS Group, which I'm also doing this week), is reading your cool comments and connecting with other like-minded scrapbookers. I especially loved reading about your recent successes on my "I love you, you love me" post. I just went back and reread my comments on that post, and I wanted to turn the spotlight on crafterbeth (the 20th commenter), who shared one of her recent successes. She was determined to get in shape, so she worked hard to lose 35 pounds, and now she runs half-marathons and competes in triathalons! How inspiring is that? Way to go Beth!

And this week in the SS Group, we're talking about how quickly time passes. I loved reading your responses to my editor's note. Some of you even turned your responses into layouts, which is SO cool. Here's one of my favorites, by Emilie Ahern:

p.s. Thanks to those of you who headed over and joined the SS Group after yesterday's post. We are now TIED for being the biggest group on the new website. Yeah! If there's anyone out there who hasn't yet joined us, come on down! Click here to start your profile, and click here to join the simple family. We SHALL prevail!

p.p.s. one more thing! You have until noon today (Thursday) to vote for your favorites in round 2 of our So You Think You Can Stamp? Contest! Click here to vote!

Miscellany

I have three miscellaneous things to report this week:

1. Elizabeth Dillow is teaching a 4-week class over at bigpicturescrapbooking.com! It's called "Red Letter Days: The Scrapbooker's Almanac Companion Class," and it includes really amazing content tied to her book. TODAY is the last day to register! (Register here.) The class started late last week, but there's time to catch up. Simple editors Jen Wozab and Carolyn Jolley are both in the class, and they LOVE it. The cost: only $18.

2. I'm hosting the Simple Scrapbooks Group this week on our new website! Yeah. If you haven't set up your profile yet and joined the group, please do. We've got polls, contests, challenges, an exclusive gallery, and more. With 234 AWESEOME members, we're currently the second-biggest group on the website. The biggest group only has FOUR more members than we do. Let's see if we can kick their butts this week, and get up to 240 members or more! Click here to set up your profile. Click here to join the group.

3. Attention all local ladies and gents: Making Memories is having a Warehouse Sale! October 1-3, from 10:00 to 6:00. Amazing prices, amazing prizes, the works! (address: 1168 West 500 North, Centerville, Utah 84014)

Say Hello to My Little Friend

This little guy (well he's actually quite huge if you think about it) lives on an enormous web just outside my office window. When I look outside, THIS is the sight that greets me. And my desk is situated so my back faces the window, so I spend half the day feeling totally creeped out that he's WATCHING me through the glass. And in no less than four meetings this week, the person sitting across the desk from me has said, "...because scrapbooking is really about sharing the...HOLY CRAP LOOK AT THAT SPIDER!" So even when manage to forget that he's there, someone inevitably reminds me. Since I'm not willing to dive into the bushes and practice "removal strategies" I guess I'll just have to get used to him. Might as well give him a name, since he's been here for more than a week now. Everyone, meet Stanley. Stanley, this is everyone.

Here's a view of him from the other side. Yes, I actually walked outside and circumnavigated his web to snap these photos with the iPhone. Brave, brave Angie.

p.s., we have a random winner for yesterday's post! Congrats to ksuekos...prize package on its way. (We'll contact you via your profile to get your address...or feel free to send a comment to comments@simplescrapbooksmag.com)

I love you, you love me...

So things have been a bit stressful around here lately, so we decided to hold a "share successes" meeting where basically the Simple team sat in a room with a pile of bagels and pumpkin cream cheese, and we talked about how great we all are. Not bragging, mind you, more like "I love working with Wendy because..." or "I'm really proud of us for getting that last issue out on time..." etc. It was a big love-fest, and we all walked out of there feeling grateful and pretty darn proud of ourselves. I thought I'd share a few of our successes with you!

• Our readers are always asking to see more reader pages, which helps them know that they have a chance to be published too! Our last issue was more than 40 percent reader-submitted pages! And our march-April redesign will offer even more ways for readers to get involved.
• Our readers also frequently request more multi-photo layouts. We're proud to report that in the last two issues nearly 70 percent of the layouts were multi-photo.
• Even though ad sales have been soft in the industry as a whole and we've had to temporarily cut some editorial pages (as have all of our competitors), we've found lots of ways to fit more useful tips and more layouts on the pages we do have. So you're still getting roughly the same number of layouts, projects, and tips you were getting when the mag was thicker. (and it will be fatter again one day).
• Our newsstand sales have remained very strong in a difficult market!
• Our subscriber base is increasing, while many of our competitors are struggling.
• Pretty soon (by October), we'll be launching the blogs in a new location, where there will be far better functionality and... RSS feeds!!!

So... What are your recent successes? Share your thoughts and I'll pick a random winner to receive a little goody bag from the office! Thanks for being a loyal reader and hanging in there through our website relaunch!

Ho Ho Ho!

One of the best things about having a photo studio on site is that lots of the "photo props" tend to be edible. Granted, certain items don't survive the hot lights and photo stylist manipulation very well. (Don't even get me started on what kinds of things we had to stick into a slice of pie a couple of years ago to keep it from crumbling and oozing apart. And you never, ever drink photo shoot lemonade.) But, for the items that escape unscathed, we have a designated "free treat" table in Simple Scrapbooks cubicle land, and occasionally beautiful goodies like this show up, free for the taking! It's the simple pleasures that count.

How Sweet!

The ladies at Sweetwater just sent me this adorable homemade pillow, PLUS a towel customized with a tag featuring my son's name. (He was thrilled about it! It's the only towel he'll use now, and he claims it's the softest in the world.) Wendy got a similar package with customized towels for all five of her boys! Karla, Susan, and Lisa just wanted to say "thanks" for the fun partnership we've put together this year, where our team members teach at a rotating series of Sweetwater House Retreats. (Still time to go to the last two!) You can see more of Sweetwater's fun new custom-order products here: http://www.sweetwaterstreet.com/home.html

p.s. I did get the question about where this blog will live on the new site. The answer: it's going to stay right here for at least a couple more weeks. I'll try to give you plenty of notice before it moves anywhere!

Another Jen!

Yes, we have added another Jen to our team! And we couldn't be more excited. Jen Wozab ("J.Wo") joined our over a month ago as our new Associate Editor, and I have yet to introduce her to you! (Bad, bad managing editor!) She's taking Rachel Gainer's position, who will be working part time from home. This is a photo of her at her inaugural team luncheon at the charming Thanksgiving Point restaurant, modeling with a dessert. Click "more" to see, that's right, MORE lovely photos of people posing with desserts.

p.s. Why call her "J.Wo"? Well, we already have:
Jennafer (our editor in chief Jennafer Martin)
Jen/Jenny (our former assistant editor Jenny Willden, now on the Digital Scrapbooking team)
Jenny (our ad rep Jenny Grothe)
Jenny (our copy editor Jenny Webb)

If you ever run out of Jennies (or accidentally misplace a Jenny) you certainly know where to look for an extra!

 

 

Jenny Willden

 

Jenny Hoeppner. I mean MEGAN! Megan Hoeppner. You can't blame me for getting confused.

 

Three more non-Jennys: Rachel, baby Shelby, and me