Search Results for: blog the big dig

Digging for Freebies

I’m waiting for TLC’s Extreme Couponing to take on the world of scrapbooking. With places like Michaels and Hobby Lobby constantly offering coupons on their respective websites for as much as 40 to 50 percent off store items–including scrapbooking supplies–you’d think there would be a super saver episode in the works. Then again, with there being so many opportunities to obtain free materials online, coupon cutting is not really needed to save big when creating memory albums. Sites such as Free Digital Scrapbooking feature thousands of scrapbooking elements to crafters at no charge. I am especially partial to their collection … Continue reading →

Score Big Bling on Your Next Vacation

Have you ever dreamed of being showered with diamonds? If so, you probably figured the bling would come courtesy of your sweetheart, not a chain hotel. But that’s exactly where you can win a whole lot of sparkle beginning September 28th. Holiday Inn locations in the United Kingdom are celebrating their 60th anniversary by placing real diamonds worth nearly $40,000 under select guests’ pillows. The diamonds will be left in hotel rooms throughout Europe, including Spain, Germany, France, Turkey, Belgium and the Netherlands. What’s more, you don’t have to stay more than one night in order to win. As added … Continue reading →

Save Big By Traveling Smart

Believe it or not there are ways you can save on a dream vacation without having to sit in a plane’s cargo hold or sleep in a roach-infested motel. One way is to learn the importance of timing. Deciding when to book a trip is critical when you are traveling on a budget. For example, you will be hard pressed to find cheap airfare to Hawaii during the winter holidays; however, if you are able to vacation in early fall or late spring, you can save up to 50% on airfare to the “Aloha State.” Fall is one of the … Continue reading →

When to Ask the Big Questions

Last time I examined whether or not premarital counseling ought to be a considered option for couples before they marry. Today I’ll look at another part of the question: how much couples should know about each other before they approach the altar. The main reason why premarital counseling might be a good idea is because sometimes people don’t know the sorts of things they ought to know about each other before they get married. The idea was sparked by a girl who called into my local radio station to say that she’d signed herself and her fiance up for counseling. … Continue reading →

The Downside of the Digital Photography Revolution

Many of the videographers I used to work with when I was in TV news have branched out and are now making money taking still photos with professional-grade digital cameras. I had the chance to catch up with one of them Saturday night and discovered that the digital photography revolution has some hidden downsides most amateur shutterbugs may not be aware of. My former colleague’s biggest complaint is that digital cameras are so affordable these days it has created a wave of amateur photographers thinking they can make a quick buck. My pal claims that in an effort to generate … Continue reading →

Digital Documentation

With digital scrapbooking all the rage these days, there is a growing concern that the essence of what started out as a simple hobby is being compromised, thanks to high-tech wizardry. Creating a digital layout is not difficult once you get the hang of using a computer to scrapbook. However, there are some factors to consider if you are looking to preserve the charm of traditional scrapbooking using a high-tech tool. For starters, don’t go crazy with your computer’s cropping option. When I first experimented with digital scrapbooking I spent countless hours cropping every single one of my photos, so … Continue reading →

Are You Ready to Go Digital?

It’s going to take more than a few free kits to get my mom to experiment with digital scrapbooking. To say that my mother is set in her ways is a severe understatement. The woman wouldn’t even make a sample layout despite the hundreds of digital scrapbooking freebies that are available on the Internet. I, on the other hand, am all about free. This summer I have been taking a crash course in digital scrapbooking. My main objective is to see how many scrapbooking items I can accumulate without having to spend a penny in the process. As I mentioned … Continue reading →

Capturing the Big Bang

Independence Day is right around the corner, and if you’re planning to document the local fireworks show, then you better pack more than just a picnic blanket and some drinks. Over the years I’ve learned an important lesson when it comes to shooting fireworks: never leave home without a tripod. Regardless of how advanced your camera, there is little chance that you will be able to take decent photos of fireworks without a sturdy tripod. Leave your tripod at home and you will likely experience camera shake and blurry photos. If you don’t own a tripod, then at least find … Continue reading →

The Big Shred

Mail, mail mail. So much mail. While the transition to digital caused a lot of spam to pop up in our inboxes, computers also offered the ability to automate the identification an elimination of much of the spam we might receive. However imperfect those spam filters are, they are certainly a valuable tool simply because we don’t have to deal with all of the junk that comes in on a case by case basis. I’m willing to lose the occasional email to embrace that feature. The same automate process does not exist for your average physical mailbox. That wonderful system … Continue reading →

Go Digital

Scrapbooking is not a cheap hobby. I suppose it’s less expensive than gambling, but let’s face it; if you are an avid scrapper you can bleed through a ton of cash trying to preserve your favorite memories during the course of a year. Dealing with hefty scrapbooking bills is one of the reasons my best friend decided to go digital. Digital scrapbooking is the wave of the future, and believe it or not, it can be quite economical if you play your cards right. The biggest benefit when it comes to digital scrapbooking can be summed up in one word: … Continue reading →