Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Here. Stare at my face!

Not really. I am not posting a picture of my face here. But, I would like your input on a project I have bouncing around my head.

Like many of you, I am sure, I have hundreds of pictures of friends and family. They are stored on my computer, my back up drive, my phone. It is great that we can catch just about any event in our lives, both ordinary and special.

I never look at these pictures. And if I thought to, the last thing I would want to do is park my butt in front of a computer or squint on a tiny phone screen in order to take a trip down memory lane. I never see the faces of the people I share my life with and I am not reminded of the goofy situations or fun trips captured in those digital tidbits.

I, personally, would love to have little albums - actual, physical albums -  chronicling each year.

It is so! revolutionary! It is like a photo album or something.

I bring this up because I am really considering sending out a small, annual photo book to family and a few friends. I imagine these little codices as a picture-book-holiday-letter. I would carefully select the photos and keep it to a small, tasteful size so that it can easily be stored in the bookshelf. 

I swear I would make these little guys ABRIDGED versions of our year.

Is that a weird gift? Does it seem - pushy? Conceited? All, "Hi! I am assuming you would like the opportunity to look at my likeness on paper! And have said likeness occupy space in your home! Here you go!"

Originally I was thinking of doing annual photo books of my little family (A., Buster, Belle and myself) and our year, so that we always have something to look back on. Because, come on. I am NEVER going to print off a bunch of pictures and make a traditional photo album. EVER. But, I'd like to have an annual catalog of our years together.

Then, I thought, that seems like a nice thing to share with family. (I would love books like these from family and close friends! HINT, HINT.)

What do you think? Would you want a photo book from a family member or close friend each year? Or would you groan and then be filled with anxiety/guilt about whether to keep it or toss it?


4 comments:

  1. If they were really a close friend or family member, yes, I'd like it. If it were from someone random who was clearly sending them to everyone they knew, maybe not so much.

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  2. I love that idea! I have been trying to think of something to do with all of our pictures, especially sending one to the grandparents in Florida chronicling all the baseball...but i agree with Jess, from someone random not so much...

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  3. From close friends and family, maybe. From you? DEFINITELY. :)

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  4. We did this for the first time this year, and after I got over the awkwardness of it, I think it is a good thing--after all, it is a small and easily put-away book, not a framed photo that Must Be Displayed. Obviously, the recipients must be selected with care. But I'm someone who enjoys Christmas letters with lots of pictures and who rather nosily flips through other peoples' photo albums when I'm visiting. I think the key is not to have a bunch of photos of people whom the recipient wouldn't know.

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