Picaboo! I'll remember you!

Alright readers, this weekend, you're going to have some homework. Your assignment: a family scrapbook.

Windows 2000 and XP owners, get ready. You'll be using Picaboo, an online digital scrapbooking software and printer that will hook you in. Just minutes after I downloaded the free software, I knew I was hooked. Easy to use, you can actually create a themed book within seconds. Seriously. Just select the pictures for your book and a theme and Picaboo will drop the images in. For those of you who feel more creative or want to incorporate a story, there are numbers of free backgrounds, fonts and layouts--so you can select and drag-and-drop your images where you want them, as well as "journal" your book.

Love scrapbooking? Welcome to the world of digital scrapbooking. Using your photo-editing software, you'll be amazed at the pages you can create. And Picaboo has forums where you can show-off your books and pages, get inspiration, and ask questions from the pros. By the end of my first night, I had already created a page using photoshop that impressed the strongest of my graphic friends. Then, just drag-and-drop that page right into your book!

You can share your books with others (for free!) I made a class yearbook for my son's preschool class, shared it with the moms, and they were all able to order copies.

Books are bound and available in two sizes. The large book is an 11x9 hard-back book with a photo window that peaks into the first page. The medium books are 5x7 and available with a soft cover with the same window.

The cost is SO reasonable. To make a twenty page scrapbook at home, whether printing on your computer or making one by hand would cost, well, a lot. (I'd never dare take my husband down the embellishments aisle at a craft store--his math skills are way too fast!) At Picaboo, the scrapping and software is free--no membership fees. When its time to order, the large book is $29.99 with 20 pages and the medium is only $9.99. That's less expensive than prints! And for a limited time, when you order a large book, you get a medium for free!

So... here's your homework. Download the free software today and play around this weekend. Then, join us on our boards and post links to your books. We want to see!!! Just be careful. This is a dangerous assignment.

Its completely addicting.