After the tinsel settles...

...it's back to work, blogging and scrapbooking!

Sometimes the line between the two gets so thin it threatens to disappear. What is a personal blog, really, but an electronic scrapbook? Photos, stories, the desire to share--just three of the essential elements found in both.

Do you have a blog? Have you ever thought of your blogging as scrapbooking? What about a family blog, where all members are invited to read, contribute, share? I've seen a few of these and loved them. In fact, my mom--the original technophobe--suggested the other day that we start one to let the far-flung members of our family communicate, sharing snippets of our lives from California to Washington, D.C.

Maybe that'd be a good New Year's resolution... and a much easier one to keep than the ones always at the top of my list: to exercise and lose weight!

Are you a scrapbooking blogger? Please feel free to comment with a link to your own personal or family blog. Show us what you're doing that's cool, unusual or just a lot of fun!

Calls for submissions

It's that time again--we're looking for reader submissions for the second issue of Digital Scrapbooking.

Guess what? The deadline is incredibly tight! It is next Monday! Wow!

But you are digital scrapbookers, and "speed" is your middle name. Also, you probably already have neato stuff sitting around just waiting to be submitted.

Here's what we're looking for... please note that you'll actually need to go to the Simple Scrapbooks site and fill out the form there to turn in your work.

Digital Scrapbooking: Reader Gallery Send us your layouts on any subject--we'll give special consideration to projects with a seasonal (summer) theme, but all styles and topics are welcome. If there's a special story or inspiration behind your layout, please share that with us as well. Submissions are due no later than Monday, December 11.

Digital Scrapbooking: Everything Wedding It's the season for wedding bells... and we need your help! Send us your layouts on ceremonies, bridal showers, bachelor(ette) parties, receptions or anything else wedding-related. We're especially interested in showcasing weddings with a unique cultural twist—anything from a Renaissance-garbed bridal party to a ceremony reflecting your ethnic heritage. Submissions are due no later than Monday, December 11.

Digital Scrapbooking: Kick It Up Calling all tech-savvy scrappers! We're looking for layouts featuring intermediate- to advanced-level techniques with clear instructions to inspire our readers. Send us your layouts and instructions no later than Monday, December 11.

Please feel free to share this call with your scrapbooking buddies, too. We're looking forward to seeing your work!

Wish list for digital scrapbookers

Ho ho ho, everybody! It's that time of year again... the "Charlie Brown Christmas" soundtrack is streaming from my computer speakers, there's an enormous fir tree taking up most of my family room and some dreadful person has filled my kitchen counters with COOKIES. Must... stop... eating!

So in the spirit of the season, I've collected a few goodies that I think any digital scrapbooker would be thrilled to find wrapped up with her name on them:

• Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0. This update to a longtime favorite is worth more than a few seconds' glance. Check out the new black-and-white conversion tool... it lets you choose from pre-defined settings like Landscape, Portrait and (my favorite) Urban/Snapshot for a truly artsy effect in seconds. Another fun addition: the Flipbook feature, which allows you to combine a series of photos in an animated sequence. Just like drawing on the corners of your math book in high school! And if you've got a family member who should be scrapping digitally but isn't yet, the new Layout tools might just make her a convert. All she has to do is pick a pre-defined design, add photos and choose a theme to create a good-looking scrapbook page in seconds.

• Leica D-Lux 3. Yes, it's pricey--but it's a Leica! This cute little 10.0MP package offers Leica's legendary lens quality, optical stabilization for razor-sharp images and the option of shooting in RAW format--a feature not available in your average point-and-shoot camera. And if you buy it in black, it will "brass" over time from wear, just like the classic Leicas prized by photographers from Sebastiao Selgado to Henri Cartier-Bresson.

• Breathing Color inkjet canvas. Deck your halls with personal works of art. This professional-quality printable canvas, available in four color/texture options, is perfect for turning a favorite photo or layout into a wall-worthy masterpiece. Plus, it's available in sheets or rolls, so you can make a print as large as your printer will allow.

• Herman Miller Mirra office chair. If you put in as many hours of screen time as most digital scrapbookers do, you know the toll it can take on your shoulders and back. The Mirra chair is roomy, fully adjustable, really cool-looking... and you can get it in red!

What's on your wish list this season? Let us know what you're hoping Santa sends your way!