Personal digital photo accomplishment!

I got something huge off my shoulders this weekend.

I am really bad at downloading personal pictures and then doing nothing with them. When we had Noah, I started off really well downloading and then ordering pictures through Snapfish. Once Maia came along, I started to slack. Granted, I was doubly busier, but I still shouldn't have slacked so much. I don't have a single print from my small digital camera (yes, this is coming from me, a professional photographer! . . . eek!) of Maia except for a few from the day she was born - she is almost 18 months old now - how embarrassing.

So this weekend I spent about 10 hours (yes, 10 hours!!) going through all the pictures over the past 18 months (about 2500!), sorting them on my computers ("computers" - plural - I learned something right there - to not download some on one computer and then some others on another computer - it makes for huge huge disorganization and lots and lots of stress!), deleting ones I had doubles of, downloading them onto disks, and then uploading them into Snapfish. Man was that a chore!!

I still have to order the prints (only a thousand, that's all - yikes), but I figure I'll order about 100 or so a week and do it slowly over time to save moolah. Once I finally catch up, my new plan will be the following:

(This is not just a list, but a lesson learned, not just for me, but for you, too!)

1) Download only onto one computer - still not sure if my laptop or desktop makes more sense, but I'll figure that out when the time comes.
2) Download into only one program (I had pictures scattered between 3 different photo programs on 2 computers - major unnecessary hassle and stress!)
3) The very same day I will upload to Snapfish and ORDER
4) Make a folder in my photo program of the date, so that when I have enough pictures to fill up a disk, I can know what I am saving and do it in a fashionable simpler manner!

Now I have to work on an organization route for when I receive the pictures back in the mail. That's another 10+ hour day, I'm sure, and another post that hopefully I can share within the year, and maybe that organization will entail actually putting them into albums? And I don't mean scrapbook them - I have learned there's no possible way for me to scrapbook because I am such a tedious person when it comes to my creative works, so I have to go the simple stress-free and inexpensive route: open the album, slide in and presto -- done! I cannot believe I just admitted all my downfalls that pertain to my personal photographs. It's kinda embarrassing. But I can truly say I am organized when it comes to my clients - I have to be.

So now, does anyone have any photography organization skills that you would like to share? I would love love love to hear!

My Organizational Finds

So, if you know me well, you know that I have a disorganization problem. Neil is convinced it stems from even before my mom (sorry, Mom, but I do have your genes), but also from my grandma W on the other side of the family, so I am blessed with this "disease" from both chromosomes. But I have to tell you, I am trying to beat this illness. I have gotten great packing advice from my biggest organizational inspirations, Sara, Alexis, Michelle and Natalie. I'm honestly not even sure why I like these girls because I am totally envious of their organizing and it drives me mad, but I keep thinking that maybe God placed them in my lives to help make mine flow easier. (hehe, we all know you are for more than just that, but it really is a good observation, eh?)

Anyhow, I stumbled upon something online today and quickly purchased it. I feel anything at this point, that helps aid in my organizational attempts, is a well-spent purchase. So this is what I ordered:And this organizing attempt for me has to begin somewhere, so I am starting with my purse. This here is basically a wallet on a strap so that if I want to run in someplace without my purse, I can do it and just throw it on my wrist. I love it and am so excited to get it!

And I couldn't pass this up, either, a diaper/wipe organizer. And I realize that Maia won't be in diaper for (I hope) much longer, but I am sure I can find other uses for it once she no longer needs them. (This would have came in really handy when I ran into a store with Maia having a dirty diaper in the dead of freezing winter, with a diaper in my purse but forgetting the wipes. Ughh. . . gross, toilet paper just does not cut it.)


These awesome things all come from Fanci Free, which can be found on numerous websites such as these: littledudesanddivas, ebags, and Bella Baby Boutique.

And then, this is how much Natalie knows me. For Christmas, Nat got me a cell phone carrier. It not only protects it from fatal crashes (like water!) but it also can hook onto most anything, like jean belt loops, purse straps or fingers. It's awesome! And this is it:
Isn't it cute? I love love love it. Although I have still found myself just dropping my $600 (I say $600 after having to replace it from stupid preventable accidents twice in 1 month!) cell phone in my purse. I need to now figure out how to stop myself from just spontaneously doing this and instead taking a whole 2 seconds to put it where it belongs. This, my friends, is where my problems begin. If anyone has any organization advice they'd like to offer dear Val, please please please don't hesitate to!

And you can purchase this lovely Phonepocke (above) at these fine places online: shoptrendigirl, strapya-world, and good ol' Amazon.