I'm always on the lookout for a huge new project, so when I found this post on Pinterest (you've probably seen it too--it's all over the place!), I knew I had a winner!!
I churned out my 2012 book pretty quickly and now I'm going back to 2011, then to 2010 and 2009. I'm stopping there for two reasons: 1) that is when I started getting super behind on printing pictures and 2) I don't think I can remember enough to make earlier books interesting.
I've been using a York Photo and I really like it. There are a few things that aren't great (there's no automatic spell check to catch typos and I missed a few in my proofread) but it's really easy to use and there is a HUGE library of fonts, clip art, backgrounds, and layouts--way more than other photo book websites I've used. I didn't really shop around for price, so I'm not sure how their prices compare to other sites. I had a 40% off coupon code and my 136 page book was $89. Gulp, it was expensive but SO WORTH IT. I got it this week and I may or may not have squealed when I saw the box on our front steps. The quality is wonderful! It's a nice thick book, with real substance, and it's bound very professionally. The images all look great and the cover is so nice. I am very pleased with the results.
The blog post I linked to at the top of this post has a great list of things to include. I tried to gather as many things from her list as I could, but since I didn't know I would be making this book, there wasn't as much as I would like. I've already started scanning stuff and stashing it in a "Yearbook2013) folder on my desktop for this year.
My book is organized monthly, with some extra pages at the back for family goals, house projects, favorite books, favorite songs, etc. I have recipes, handwriting samples, invitations, and scanned drawings interspersed throughout the body of the book. And of course, lots and lots of pictures!!
And look, here's my 2011 book in progress--halfway through July!
