Many of us inherit a family recipe collection. What an opportunity! Your recipe collection is a great way to save and share favorite family recipes with family stories and photos. Like these books created by our clients, Liz and Anita.

Your legacy is now definitely digital -- Apple, Facebook and Google, to name only a few. What happens to your data when you die? Who will have access after you’re gone?

Scanning photos and memorabilia – I’ve said alot about it over the years. Spurred on by the contents of a client’s Samsonite suitcase, I thought I’d answer the seven most common scanning questions. But first, the story.

I remember her in a wheelchair, fully dressed every day, in that big apron with the pockets on the underside where she kept her snacks and her .32 pistol. When I was three or four years old, she was my babysitter while my mother was at work. She was also my protector when I misbehaved.

I’d called Ron to check in – we were in the first months of COVID. I’d worked closely with him and his cousin, Barry, the year before on an extensive family history book. Ron replied with an email, which included …

Help! My photos are taking over my phone! I scroll and scroll in Photos and I can’t find the one I’m looking for. Plus, I’m running out of storage space.

Had I seen these leather-bound books before? Five of them, each with “A Line A Day” embossed in gold on the cover? I must have during at least one of the four packing/unpacking sessions of my parents’ recent downsizings. But, I don’t remember them at all.

“Legacy” is following me. I see it everywhere – in emails, conversations, podcasts, articles. And legacy is not being at all sneaky, but making itself known at every turn.

“So, Jiffy, how do I work with you and Pixorium?”

Someone asked me that question recently. Someone I was sure knew the answer. Wow.

If he didn’t know, then I had explaining to do!

“Help me find my story. I’m not sure I have one.” Yes, you do. They’re hard to see in your own life. I often hear, “Really, what have I done? I’ve just lived my life.”

“Help me tell my story in a book that’s loved, not just sitting on a shelf collecting dust.” Sure thing! A loved book always has your reader top-of-mind. A loved book is intentional in all aspects – what you say, how you say it, how it looks, how it feels.

I love dogs. And, I love to have at least one dog in my family. As of this writing, I’ve had seven in my adulthood, often two (and once three!) at a time. No question – I am a dog person. It’s part of my family story.

Can I scan my photos on my printer? Short answer is yes, but should you?

What is DPI? What is PPI? Are DPI and PPI the same? If you’re confused by image size terminology, that’s no surprise. These terms from pre-digital image days are still used to describe our digital image world.

Ordering personalized photo gifts online doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it should be one of your go-to gifts every year. Anyone can give a new skillet, cashmere sweater, or tea pot—anyone. The most special gift you can give are creative gifts with photos.

Disaster struck and you weren’t prepared: your photos have been damaged by water.

Whether there was a flood, a leak, or a burst pipe, it is possible to salvage water-damaged photos, with just a bit of effort.

Most printed photographs, photographic negatives, and color slides can be cleaned, air-dried and saved in just a few steps.

“In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony.” Friedrich Nietzsche

While “Life is a Story. How do You Tell Yours?” has been Pixorium’s tag line since its founding in 2006, no one has embraced it like Drs. Barry Silverman and Ron Goldstein.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s: These are the times that families get together and tell stories. But conversations with family members can sometimes stay on a superficial level; it can take a few storytelling, memory-sharing, history prompts for family members to get to the good stuff.

This is Part Two of a behind-the-scenes look at my making of a photo book to celebrate 17 years of Maine summer vacations with dear friends. Quick recap of part one: How I chose the story.

In 2002, my friend (and former college roommate) and I, along with our husbands and children, began spending two weeks together on the Maine coast near Acadia National Park.