There is a new picture frame out. You scan your pictures with computer scanner and then transfer to this thing. It holds bunches of photos, you can hang on wall or sit on a table or entertainment center and when you turn it on it shows photos one after the other. I know I am not being very plain, but cann't think what the heck its really called except "automatic digital picture frame" or something close. You can keep adding photos to it and they can be changed as grandkids come along. Walmart has about 4 different brands in photo section, Staples carries them and I am sure other places do too.

These gals have great ideas! I liked Crystal's idea of the coupon thing too! My suggestion would be that the album need not contain photos that the professional photographer takes. That way, you don't need to consult him beforehand or give any kind of list. Just make sure that you and a couple other guests have your own camera and just take lots of snapshots. Then you can give your prints to her and she'll have all the right photos to put in her album. I'm currently working on my wedding album, and it is all photos that were taken by my aunts and dh's aunt. Lots of stuff; our rings, our cakes, our head table, our harpist, signing the register, walking up and down the aisle, the receiving line etc. You get the idea. Then, if the bride wishes, she can add a studio photo or two just to finish off the album. Kelly

Great idea. Especially since she won't have to deal with putting the pictures together. I am just finishing our wedding album and I couldn't decide upon how to arrange a page until I saw the pictures I had available. Now for your idea. You need picture taking advice from my friends to get some hilarious shots. Examples of pictures we have include extreme close-ups of faces, a fire hydrant, the bartender, the cake plate from after the cake feeding, the groom and his attendants with pantlegs pulled up to show some leg, pictures from inside the bathroom using the mirror for self portraits, and pictures of other people taking a picture.

I found some really great "calligraphy" pens at Michaels. I can't remember the name or brand, but they have a pen tip at either end...for a smaller and larger calligraphy look. You have to practice some to learn how to hold the pen but I really love the look much much better than my plain hand-writing (which I HATE when I journal). They provide a more personal touch (look) to the page then printing calligraphy style on the computer (which is also a nice idea). Like Jill, I usually like to matt what I journal, depending on the page. If your cousin just graduated from Med school, could you somehow incorporate something from her "soon to be profession"? Perhaps you could make (scrape) a nice looking professional business card with her name, the date she graduated, her title etc.? I'm not too up on graduating med students so maybe she has to complete her residency, but maybe you could include smaller photos of where she will work or complete her residency on the page (in the background or superimpose photos of her on top of these smaller ones)? For something a bit more comical, maybe you could get a photo(s) of her with friends or family "using" her medical tools from her black bag with a humorous title page or a funny lyric or poem? I love to matt a lot of my photos and I also love to try (try being the key operative word here)and make up poems or rhyme when I journal. I think you could have a lot of fun and still have some very elegant and "fun" pages. Good luck! Send us a link for your completed pages so we can save the ideas...I'll need one in about 14-16 years!