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Photo Preservation Resources
MAINTAINING YOUR IMAGE
Visit these sites for tips on preserving your family photos:
•George Eastman House
•Eastman Kodak Company
•Library of Congress
•Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Your Family Photographs (But Didn’t Know Who To Ask)
<www.city-gallery.com/photogen/handbook/mishkin_ 1-2.html>
•City Gallery
•Cyndi’s List — Photographs and Memories
<www.cyndislist.com/photo.htm>
•Ready, Net, Go!
<www.tulane.edu/~lmiller/ArchivesResources.html>
•The National Park Service Conserve-O-Grams
<www.cr.nps.gov/csd/publications/conservogram/conserv.html>
•The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works
•Seattle Film Works
<www.octet.com/~mikety/Projects/photocd8.html>
•Wayne Fulton’s Scanning Tips
<www.scantips.com> Includes section on genealogical photos.
POINTERS FROM THE PROS
Find an archivist or contact conservation preservationists for advice:
•International Directory of Photography Historians
<www.city-gallery.com/resource/hpg/>
•Northeast Document Conservation Center
•Solinet
<www.solinet.net/presvtn/preshome.htm>
•Conservation Online
RESTORATION SERVICES
•Image Systems Company
•Just Black & White
•Photo Renovate
•ReFoto.com
FOR KEEPS
These companies offer archival-quality photo and album supplies:
•The Archival Company
•The Attic
<www.atticalbums.com/theattic/index.html>
•Hallmark
•Light Impressions
<www.lightimpressionsdirect.com>
•Webway Albums
PHOTOGRAPHY MAILING LISTS
•Imagelib
<listserv.arizona.edu/lsv/www/imagelib.html>
•Genphoto
<www.city-gallery.com/photogen>
VIRTUAL ALBUMS
Share your photos with wired relatives on these password-protected sites:
•Ecircles.com
•FamilyBuzz.com
•FamilyPoint
•Family Shoebox
•GatherRound.com
•Genealogy.com
•HEYFamily.com
•Homestead
•MyFamily.com
•PhotoPoint
LONG LOST IMAGES
Find ancestors or relatives among lost-and-found photo collections.
•Ancestral Photos
<pw1.netcom.com/~cityslic/photos.htm>
•Cranny’s Lost and Found
<www.geocities.com/~grannys_attic/lostfoun.html>
•PhotoFind Searchable Database
<www.everton.com/photofind/phfind.htm>
•Photofind
At FamilyTreeMagazine.com, you can see how noted genealogist and photo historian Maureen Taylor analyzes old family photographs. In her Photo Detective blog, Maureen offers her expert insight into reader-submitted photos, from baby pictures to funeral portraits.
Writing Memoirs
• Family Tales, Family Wisdom: How to Gather the Stories of a Lifetime and Share Them with Your Family by Robert U. Akeret and Daniel Klein (William Morrow &. Co., out of print)
• From Memories to Manuscript: The Five Step Method of Writing Your Life Story by Joan Neubauer (Ancestry)
• How to Tape Instant Oral Biographies by Bill Zimmerman (Betterway Books)
• Living Legacies: How to Write, Illustrate and Share Your Life Stories by Duane Elgin and Coleen LeDrew (Conari Press)
• Nearby History: Exploring the Past around You by David E. Kyvig and Myron A. Marty (AltaMira Press)
• Oral History: From Tape to Type by Cullom Davis, Kathryn Back and Kay MacLean (American Library Association)
• Reaching Back: A Workbook for Recording Your Life’s Most Meaningful Moments to Share with Future Generations by Alice Chapin (Betterway Books)
• Record and Remember. Tracing Your Roots Through Oral History by Ellen Epstein and Jane Lewit (Scarborough House)
• Recording Your Family History: A Guide to Preserving Oral History by William Fletcher (Ten Speed Press, out of print)
• Video Family History by Duane and Pat Sturm (Ancestry, out of print)
• Writing Family Histories and Memoirs by Kirk Polking (Writer’s Digest Books)
• Writing from Within: A Guide to Creativity and Life Story Writing by Bernard Selling (Hunter House)
• Writing Life Stories by Bill Roorbach (Story Press)
• Writing Personal Essays: How to Shape Your Life Experiences for the Page by Sheila Bender (Writer’s Digest Books)
• Writing the Memoir: From Truth to Art by Judith Barrington (Eighth Mountain Press)
• Remember Me?
Family History Publishers
•Anundsen Publishing Co.
Box 230 Decorah, IA 52101 (888) 382-4291 <www.anundsenpubl.com> Specializes in short-run (35-600) books.
•Family History Publishers
845 South Main St. Bountiful, UT 84010 (801) 295-7490 <www.familyhistorypublisher.com> Provides editing and publishing services for your family history manuscript.
•Gateway Press
1001 North Calvert St. Baltimore, MD 21202 (800) 296-6687 <www.gatewaypress.com> Specializes in genealogies, memoirs and local history. Will guide first-time authors through the publishing process. Design for title page, copyright page and book cover is included. Minimum order is 100 copies.
Preservation Resources: Publishers & Scrapbooking
•The Gregath Publishing Co.
Box 505 Wyandotte, OK 74370 (918) 542-4148 <www.gregathcompany.com> Services include editing, design, layout, binding, indexing, e-books, Web pages, advertising, sales and distribution.
•Heart of the Lakes Publishing
Box 299 Interlaken, NY 14847 (607) 532-4997 Specializes in publishing genealogy and local studies.
•Family Tree Press/Publishing Services
5220 S. 16th, Suite 200 Lincoln, NE 68512 (800) 376-1736 <www.iuniverse.com/publish/family_tree/family_tree.asp> If you’re looking to mass-market your family history, iUniverse is very well-known in the on-demand publishing world, and your Family Tree Press book will be available for sale on the iUniverse site. Authors get one free copy and the first 25 graphics or pictures (black and white only) are included in the publishing package.
•Newbury Street Press
101 Newbury St. Boston, MA 02116 (617) 536-5740 <www.newenglandancestors.org/nehgspubssection/pubs_newbury.asp> For an hourly fee, get advice on your manuscript, including grammar, documentation and historical context from editors at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Newbury also publishes scholarly family histories, which are selected by a panel.
•The Reprint Co. Publishers
Box 5401 Spartanburg, SC 29304 (864) 579-4433 Reprints mostly local histories and genealogies, but also offers a self-publishing service to authors and organizations.
•Tennessee Valley Publishing
Box 52527 Knoxville, TN 37950 (800) 762-7079 <tvp1.com> Publishes family and area histories. Services include typesetting, manuscript processing, Library of Congress number, certificate of copyright, ISBN and bar code, printing, binding, marketing and distribution.
•Windmill Publications
Scrapbooking
There’s no way we could list all the great scrapbooking sites on the Web, so we concentrated our search on sites with lots of general information and layouts, plus a little something extra. Here are 13 we loved — be sure to check out their link pages and discover your own favorites!
•About Scrapbooking
<www.scrapbooking.about.com/hobbies/scrapbooking> Our favorite button on the About.com scrapbooking site goes to the “Free Stuff” page, which lists links to free clip art, templates, printable titles and paper samples. The site also boasts in-depth, illustrated articles on topics such as scrapbook quilting and getting started, plus product and book reviews.
•Crazy for Scrapping
<www.alysta.com/scrapbooking> A great all-around site that features how-to articles, product reviews, an “Idea Corner” of layouts, a large collection of “Scrappins’ Secrets” and a bulletin board for communing with fellow scrappers.
•Creative Scrapbooking
www.creativescrapbooking.com> Try Creative Scrapbooking’s almanac, which gives news, entertainment and sports headlines for the years 1940 to 1999. The site also lists links to other sites providing similar “milestone” information for your heritage albums. Articles discuss everything from canning and touching up photos to covering albums, plus there are chats, a retail directory and, of course, layouts.
•Dmarie
<www.dmarie.com> Has one of the Internet’s largest galleries of scrapbooking layouts. We also like the time capsule: Just enter a date and get a list of events and facts from that day. Check out the page titles and sayings, discussion groups, chats and shopping, too.
•Graceful Bee
<www.gracefulbee.com> This Webzine’s “New Bees” is one of the best places on the Web for new scrappers to start. Experienced scrappers will find lots of technique instructions and illustrated ideas for decorating pages, plus articles, contests, layouts and a bulletin board called “Hive Jive.”
•Jangle
<www.jangle.com> One of the largest scrapping sites on the Web, Jangle has layouts, tips, shopping, event listings, contests, a retail directory and a scrapping buddy sign-up. If you’re into other crafts, Jangle has added home decor and kids’ projects to its repertoire.
•Lots of Layouts
<www.lolsb.com> You’ll find new layouts twice a month. Search the archives by category and meet the ladies who started LOL by e-mailing their favorite layouts to friends.
•Scrapbook Addict
<www.scrapbookaddict.com> If you’re in the market for a scrapbooking product, check out this site’s product reviews. Scrappers just like you chime in with honest comments and ratings on everything from scanners to stickers. Or skip the stores and visit the marketplace to buy, sell or trade supplies. Tips, contests, a bulletin board and chat room round out the site.
•Scrapbook Idea Network
<www.scrapbooking.com> Visit this site for a state-by-state listing of scrapping stores, clubs, workshops and consultants. Ask a heritage album consultant your archival scrapbooking questions, learn techniques such as paper piecing and color theory, and try the monthly “Punchline” die-punch project.
•The Scrapbooking Resource Center
<www.geocities.com/wellesley/1720/index.html> Visit the “Tips & Tricks” link for great ideas and touching scrapbooking stories. The site also has great layouts, sayings to use when you’re tongue-tied and a bulletin board.
•Scrap Happy
<www.telepath.com/bcarson/scrap_happy> Has freebies, including alphabets to print on pretty paper and cut out, patterns, clip art and fonts. Computer novices can read the article on downloading and using clip art and fonts. The product and event news, list of swaps to join, sayings and embellishment ideas are also handy.
•Scraplink
<www.scraplink.com> Scraplink is just what it sounds like: over 1,000 scrapping links divided into 18 categories, including sites (general), clip art, heritage, suppliers and conventions. The links, contests and special offers are constantly updated, so stop by often.
•Scrapnet
<www.scrapnet.com> In addition to layouts, freebies, discounts, tips and a paper punch swap, Scrapnet has a growing ethnic section with clip art and die-cuts, Scottish and German sayings, an Australian listerv and more. It’s a good place to get and share ideas for incorporating your own family’s heritage into your scrapbook pages.
BOOKS
• More than Memories II and III edited by Julie Stephani (Krause Publications) Companions to the PBS series of the same name. Both cover scrap-booking basics — getting organized, page layout, journaling, etc. MTM II teaches techniques such as photo tinting, pop-up pages and stenciling, while MTM III builds on these lessons with creative matting and cropping, dimensional embellishments and memorabilia. Color photos and step-by-step instructions explain more than 100 memory projects in each book, including scrapbook pages, cards, album covers, even a ribbon-embroidered photo pillow (MTM II). Keep them handy because you’ll refer to them again and again.
• A Year of Scrapbooking by Debbie Janasak and Anna Swinney (Time-Life Custom Publishing) The editors of the Graceful Bee Webzine pack more than 200 imaginative and elegant scrap-book layouts into their book. Each month has a list of celebrations and ways to capture memories. Then you’ll find sections on every aspect of scrapbooking: theme albums, designing layouts, paper piercing, ribbon embroidery and more. The handy supplies index and resources guide mean no fruitless searches for scrapbooking supplies.
• Making Fabulous Scrapbook Pages (Hot Off The Press) The latest addition to HOTP’s scrapbooking series covers all the basic techniques, such as cropping and matting, plus new ways to make your pages fabulous. More than 200 new layouts demonstrate chalking, vellum, torn paper accents, tea bag folding, scrap-booking a memory when you missed the photo, special albums and more. Paper piecing patterns and easy-to-follow instructions are included. Look for Making Fabulous Scrapbook Pages in February.
• Memory Makers Wedding Idea Book from the editors of Memory Makers magazine (Satellite Press) Beautiful wedding albums start here. Basic how-tos are followed by more than 200 lovely pages that illustrate techniques such as creating stained glass and stamped backgrounds, using pressed flowers, making a wreath frame and heat embossing. The Wedding Idea Book also includes close looks at several inspiring wedding albums, ethnic and heritage wedding layouts, lettering patterns and a source guide.
• Decorating Scrapbooks with Rubber Stamps by Dee Gruenig (Sterling/Chapelle Publishing) See just how versatile rubber stamps can be. Use stamps, pens, brayers and colored ink pads to turn plain (and inexpensive) paper into striped and plaid backgrounds. Learn to create borders and titles, photo frames, embossed decorations and other embellishments. The easy-to-follow instructions and hundreds of inspiring scrapbook layouts will have you happily stamping out great pages in no time.
Preservation Resources: Scrapbooking
• Great Scrapbooks by the editors of Memory Makers magazine (Satellite Press) Memory Makers magazine has put together more than 100 artistic layouts and ideas that will inspire you to preserve your memories in your unique style. Easy-to-follow instructions explain paper piercing, puzzle pages, photo kaleidoscopes, punch art, photo mosaics, layered paper cutting, paper folding, pop-up pages and 3-D photos. The illustrated glossary of techniques, directory of suppliers, patterns and templates are great for beginning and veteran scrappers.
• Heritage Scrapbooks by the editors of Creating Keepsakes magazine (Porch Swing Publishing) You’ve researched your ancestors, collected stories and gathered photographs. Now what? Heritage Scrapbooks is a creative guide to presenting the story of your family in a heritage album. You’ll find advice for assembling information, creating pages, organizing your materials, journaling and personalizing the album. The book includes more than 100 layouts especially for classic photos, along with supply resources, useful heirloom products and instructions for creating a versatile monogram alphabet.
• Saving Our Scrapbooks by the editors of Creating Keepsakes magazine (Porch Swing Publishing) How should l store my photographs? What products are safe to use in my scrapbooks? These are among the questions answered in Saving Our Scrapbooks, an excellent reference book for safe scrappers. This guide to preserving photos and memorabilia presents thorough guidelines for using papers, inks, adhesives and plastics with your photos; plus instructions on preserving newspaper clippings, safe cropping, encapsulating documents and more.
• Scrapbook Storytelling, Step by Step by Joanna Campbell Slan (Betterway Books) Author Joanna Campbell Slan’s wise advice on gathering information, overcoming writers’ block, editing yourself and formatting your journaling helps you write what’s in your heart. But photos tell a story, too, so Slan includes ideas for page themes, layouts, using embellishments and taking pictures. An index to supplies and techniques accompanies each of 110 layouts. This book will, as Slan promises, help you capture the “sacred but ordinary moments” of life.
• Creative Scrapbooking by Sandi Genovese (Sterling/Chapelle Publishing) Warning: The fun-filled, colorful layouts featured in this book may cause a serious addiction to die-cuts and punch-outs. There’s plenty to keep you busy with more than 140 full-size patterns (including two alphabets) and instructions on techniques from basic matting and cutting to elegant embossing and engaging pop-ups. Creative ideas for projects such as cards and a recipe book are also included.
• The Metcalfe Family Album by Sallyann J. Murphey (Chronicle Books) This fictitious album, begun in 1835 and kept by six generations of Metcalfe women, is an inspiring example of how we can keep our own family traditions alive through scrapbooking and journaling. Murphey’s meticulous research, combined with the book’s authentic recipes, crafts and mementos, creates a moving picture of history lived by ordinary women.
• The Big Idea Book of Baby Memories by the editors of Creating Keepsakes magazine (Porch Swing Publications) This is an excellent book for parents and grandparents who have piles of baby pictures (and what parent doesn’t?). Over 360 scrapbook layouts featuring adorable children (none as cute as your own) include themes such as waiting for baby, formal portraits, favorite toys and activities, funny things kids say and more. Each layout is accompanied by a supplies list and notable ideas, making it easy to re-create. Photo tips, sayings, titles to trace, border ideas and a special alphabet are bonuses.
SCRAPBOOKING SUPPLIERS
•Canson-Talens
South Hadley, MA (800) 628-9283 <canson-us.com> Albums, papers, photo corners.
•C-Thru Ruler Co.
6 Britton Dr. Bloomfield, CT 06002 (800) 243-8419 <www.cthruruler.com> Templates, stickers.
•Chatterbox
Box 216 Star, ID 83669 (888) 272-3010 <www.chatterboxinc.com> Journaling templates, books.
•Creating Keepsakes
Box 469022 Escondido, CA 92046 (888) 247-5282 <www.creatingkeepsakes.com> Scrapbooking magazine and books.
•Creative Memories
2815 Clearwater Road St. Cloud, MN 56301 (800) 468-9335 <www.creative-memories.com> Scrapbooking consultants, albums and tools.
•Design Originals
2425 Cullen St. Ft. Worth, TX 76107 (800) 877-7820 <www.d-originals.com> Papers, how-to books.
•DOTS
1199 W 700 South Pleasant Grove, UT 84062 (888) 655-6552 <www.dotadventures.com> Rubber stamps and accessories.
•EK Success
125 Entin Road Clifton, NJ 07014 (800) 524-1349 <www.eksuccess.com> Pens, markers, adhesive, embellishments, tools.
•Ellison Craft & Design
25862 Commercenter Dr. Lake Forest, CA 92630 (800) 253-2238 <www.ellison.com> Dies and die-cuts.
•Fiskars
7811 Stewart Ave. Wausau, Wl 54401 (800) 950-0203 <www.fiskars.com> Scissors, software and other tools.
•Gaylord Bros.
Box 4901 Syracuse, NY 13221 (8oo) 634-6307 <www.gaylord.com> Archival storage supplies.
•Hot Off The Press
1250 NW Third St. Canby, OR 97013 (800) 227-9595 <www.paperpizazz.com> Paper Pizazz papers and embellishments, how-to books.
•Keeping Memories Alive
Box 728 Spanish Fork, UT 84660 (800) 419-4949 <www.scrapbooks.com> Papers, embellishments, adhesives, tools.
•Leeco Industries
8855 Cypress Woods Dr. Olive Branch, MS 38654 (800) 826-8806 <www.cropperhopper.com> Totes and organizers.
•Lineco
Box 2604 Holyoke, MA 01041 (800) 322-7775 <www.lineco.com> Archival storage products.
•Making Memories
Box 1188 Centerville, UT 84014 (800) 929-7324 <www.makingmemories.com> Papers, embellishments, books, tools.
•Marshall’s Photo Coloring System
Brandess-Kalt-Aetna Group 700 Corporate Woods Pkwy. Vernon Hills, IL 60061 (847) 821-0450 <www.marshallcolors.com> Photo coloring products.
•Mrs. Grossman’s Paper Co.
3810 Cypress Dr. Petaluma, CA 94954 (800) 457-4570 <www.mrsgrossmans.com> Stickers and tools.
•McGill
131 E. Prairie St. Marengo, IL 60152 (800) 982-9884 <www.mcgillinc.com> Craft punches.
•Memory Makers
475 W. 115th Avenue #6 Denver, CO 80234 (800) 366-465 <www.memorymakersmagazine.com> Scrapbooking magazine and books.
•Paper Aventures
Box 04393 Milwaukee, Wl 53204 (800) 727-0699 <www.paperadventures.com> Papers, albums.
•Personal Stamp Exchange
360 Sutton Place Santa Rosa, CA 95407 (800) 782-6748 <www.psxstamps.com> Rubber stamps and accessories.
•Posh Impressions
22600-A Lambert St. Lake Forest, CA 92630 (800) 421-7674 <www.poshimpressions.com> Rubber stamps and accessories.
•Preservation Technologies
111 Thomson Park Dr. Cranberry Township, PA 16066 (800) 416-2665 <www.ptlp.com> Archival Mist acid-neutralizing spray.
•Provo Craft/Creative Xpress
295 W Center St. Provo, UT 84601 (800) 563-8679 <www.creativexpress.com> Papers, tools, stickers, stamps.
•Sakura of America
30780 San Clemente St. Hayward, CA 94544 (800) 776-6257 <www.gellyroll.com> Pens, markers.
•Staedtler
21900 Plummer St. Chatsworth, CA 91377 (818) 882-6000 <www.staedtler-usa.com> Pens, pencils and markers.
•University Products
517 Main St., Box 101 Holyoke, MA 10141 (800) 628-1912 <www.universityproducts.com> Archival supplies and storage.
•Westrim Crafts
9667 Canoga Ave. Chtsworth, CA 91311 (800) 727-2727 <www.westrimcrafts.com> Albums, papers, adhesive, sheet protectors, embellishments.
GLOSSARY
•Acid: In chemistry, a substance that produces hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. Acids have a pH level below 7. Acid is often present in paper and can be absorbed by paper from the environment, causing the paper to deteriorate and discolor.
•Acid-free: materials having a pH level of 7.0 or higher. (Those with a pH of 7 are neutral, those with a pH higher than 7 are alkaline.)
•Acid migration: The transfer of acid from an acidic item, such as a newspaper clipping, to a less acidic item, such as a photo, through physical contact or absorption of acidic gases from the atmosphere.
•Adhesive: Glue or tape used to affix photographs and other memorabilia onto a scrapbook page. Use a glue that has no chemical odor and dries clear. Tapes should be double sided and made for use with photos. Use the least adhesive possible and make sure it can be removed or “undone.” Do not use adhesives containing petroleum products (such as rubber cement) or acid.
•Buffered: A paper to which an alkaline substance has been added, neutralizing acid that may be present. Buffering provides a measure of protection against acid that may migrate to the paper.
•Crop: To trim a photo, sometimes into a shape such as a circle or heart, to emphasize the subject. Never crop an irreplaceable photo, and don’t remove background items of historical interest.
•Embossing: A shiny, raised effect produced by stamping a design with special ink, applying a powder and heating the powder to melt it.
•Journaling: Writing on your scrapbook pages that identifies a photo’s subjects and events, describes your (or someone else’s) feelings about them and gives any related information.
•Lignin: A substance present in plant cells and in many types of paper, such as newsprint, that contributes to the deterioration of the paper.
•Lignin-free: Paper that contains no more than one percent lignin.
Preservation Resources: Scrapbooking & Reunions
•Magnetic album: An album with pages that are adhesive-coated and have lift-up plastic covers. These albums are harmful because they may contain acidic materials, the plastic cover deposits adhesive on photos, and photos may fall out or become permanently affixed as the adhesive ages.
•Mat: A piece of paper placed beneath a photo and trimmed, leaving a border around the photo.
•Page protector: A clear plastic sleeve for storing and displaying a scrapbook page. Avoid any containing polyvinyl acetate (PVA) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC), easily identified by their strong plastic smell. Mylar page protectors are safe for use with photographs.
•Paper piecing: a technique in which papers are cut and glued together to make an embellishment, such as a paper doll, for a scrapbook page.
•Paper quilting: Using patterned paper to create the look of a patchwork quilt on a scrapbook page.
•Pattern-edged scissors: Scissors with shaped blades that add a decorative edge to mats or photographs.
•Photo corner: A triangular pocket slipped over the corners of a photo to hold it onto a page.
•Photo-safe: A term often used to describe scrapbooking products. Because there is no standard or legally enforceable definition, call the manufacturer before using a product labeled only “photo-safe.”
•Punch-art: Decorating a page with craft-punched shapes used either alone or cut, folded and/or glued together to make more elaborate shapes.
Reunion Resources
•1-800 Partyshop 13300 US 98 Sebring, FL 33870 (800) 727-8974 <www.1800partyshop.com> Themed party favors from a national company with consultants across the country. Orders require a consultant ID number; call first to find a local consultant.
•Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland
25 Christmas Lane Frankenmuth, Ml 48734 (517) 652-9931 <www.bronners.com> Christmas ornaments.
•Chaney Instrument Co.
Box 70 965 Wells St. Lake Geneva, Wl 53147 (262) 248-4449 Customized clocks, crystal and glass items, including clocks, stained glass, paperweights, glass pitchers and wine glasses.
•Cookbook Publishers
10800 Lakeview Ave. Lenexa, KS 66219 (800) 227-7282 <www.cookbookpublishers.com> Self-published cookbooks.
•G&R Publishing
507 Industrial St. Waverly, IA 50677 (800) 383-1679 <www.cookbookprinting.com> Self-published cookbooks.
•Get In Print
14032 Vista Dr. #75 C Laurel, MD 20707 (301) 725-6479 <www.getinprint.com> Custom T-shirts.
•Hunter Manufacturing Group
201 W. Loudon Ave. Lexington, KY 40508 (800) 237-1869 <www.huntermfg.com> Personalized mugs, crystal and shot glasses, mouse pads, magnets and keyrings. Minimum order is 72-144 pieces, depending on the number of colors in the design.
•Mini-Song
209 Tabby Creek Circle Summerville, SC 29483 (843) 821-1390 <www.cchat.com/blue/sayit.htm> Personalized songwriting service; recorded on cassette.
•Mixed Nuts
221 Rayon Dr. Old Hickory, TN 37138 (615)847-8399 <www.kraftables.com> Photo framing kits.
•Party 411
(877) 514-8411, <www.party411.com> Personalized trinkets such as single-use cameras and soda or water bottles.
•Party Direct
2101 N. Webster St. Kokomo, IN 46901 (800) 548-7868 <www.partydirect.com> Themed and customized party favors and decorations.
•Party Sensation
6821 13th Ave. Brooklyn NY, 11219 (877) 259-3004 <www.party-sensation.com> Party favors from leis to glow necklaces.
•RMG Accessory Gear
Box 8476 New Haven, CT 06530 (203) 483-8757 <www.tagsandchains.com> Customizes keychains, “dog” tags, tote bags and laundry bags. Minimum quantity is 75.
•SHINDICZ.com
BOX 86 Larwill, IN 46764 <www.shindigz.com> Shindigz’s online reunions store includes photo frames and albums, mugs, keychains, glassware, candles and party favors.
•SongWorks
Box 5472 Santa Barbara, CA 93150 (805) 969-4550 <www.innerharmony.com> Personalized songwriting service; recorded on cassette or CD.
Walter’s Publishing
215 Fifth Ave. SE Waseca, MN 56093 (507) 835-3691 <www.custom-cookbooks.com> Self-published cookbooks.
WEB SITES
•Family-Reunion.com
<family-reunion.com> Help in planning and organizing your family reunion, from start to finish — how to pick the date, location and theme, ways to spread the word and ideas for getting feedback. Family-Reunion.com is also the home of Family Reunion Organizer, software that has a checklist for the entire reunion-planning process.
•Guide to Planning a Successful Family Reunion
<www.bhg.com/food/cookhelpers/reunion/reunion.html> Better Homes and Gardens offers advice for your clan’s gathering. You’ll find recipes, printable invitations, a checklist and tips on starting reunion traditions.
•Reunion Research
<www.reuniontips.com/index.html> Links to products and resources for reunion planners.
•ReunionsMagazine
<www.reunionsmag.com> Read articles from Reunions magazine online, plus a bulletin board and links to products and services.
BOOKS
• The Family Reunion Sourcebook by Edith Wagner (Lowell House)
• Reunion Planner by Phyllis Hackleman (Clearfield Co.)
• Family Reunion by Jennifer Crichton (Workman Publishing)
• The Family Reunion Planner by Donna Beasley and Donna Carter (Macmillan)
• Family Reunion Handbook: A Complete Guide for Reunion Planners by Thomas Ninkovich (Reunion Research)
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