I'm a Family Photo Keeper. Are you?

📸 Something different this month (and I think you'll like it)

Hi Reader, I'm doing something a little different this month, and I wanted to give you a heads up. In April, I'm switching into full educator mode. Why? Because I keep getting the same questions from people like you about photo organizing tools and services, and I realized I could help a whole lot more people if I just answered them all in one place. So that's what I'm doing. Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing what I've learned in 20+ years of doing this work—the good, the bad, and the...

1 day ago • 2 min read

Three tiny ways to enjoy your photos this week

Hi Reader, If your brain feels a little full lately, you're not alone. Mine does too🤯, and when that happens, the last thing I want is a big project. So this week, instead of tackling your entire photo collection, I want to offer three tiny, gentle ways to enjoy the photos you already have. No organizing, no decluttering—just little sparks of connection✨. 1. Choose one photo to keep in sight this weekWalk over to a box, an album, a frame, or even your phone and pick just one photo that makes...

9 days ago • 2 min read

Why it stays on the back burner (and what actually helps)

Hi Reader, Last week I told you about the thing we both keep putting off—organizing those photos 🙋🏼♀️. And if you're anything like the people I work with — and like me, honestly — you probably nodded along and then went right back to not dealing with it. 🤷🏼♀️ That's not a character flaw. I want you to understand that. Truly. Here's what I've learned after more than 20 years of helping family photo keepers: the reason this project stays unfinished isn't laziness, and it isn't that you don't...

22 days ago • 1 min read

The thing we both keep putting off

Hi Reader, Can I be honest with you about something? I have a collection of my own family photos that still isn't fully organized. Me—the photo lady. 🙃 And I have a couple of courses I started building for you that still aren't quite finished. I promised you certain things — bonus modules, extra videos — and life got in the way in a big way. My health (and my time) took a real hit over the past couple of years, and some things just didn't get done the way I planned. ❤️🩹 I'm telling you this...

30 days ago • 1 min read

Drives decoded: what to use + how to keep your photos safe

Hi Reader, Ever stood in the electronics aisle staring at “thumb drives,” “external hard drives,” “SSDs,” and “photo sticks” thinking, “I have no idea what any of this means”? 🤯 This one’s for you. Let’s talk about what you actually need to keep your family photos safe—without a tech dictionary. ✅ A quick story about “doing everything right” 💔 Back in the late 90s/early 2000s, a client of mine had one of the first digital cameras, so every photo of her two little girls was digital from day...

about 1 month ago • 4 min read

Stuck… again? Here’s the missing piece no one talks about

Hi Reader, Thank you for all your thoughtful replies to last week’s email. One big theme kept popping up: feeling stuck and not knowing where to turn for help. 🤝 “I start making progress, then I hit a roadblock and don’t know what to do next.” “I second-guess every decision because I’m not sure if I’m doing it ‘right.’” “I get overwhelmed and just… stop. Because who can I ask for help?” It got me thinking: why do some folks actually finish organizing their family photos while others get...

about 2 months ago • 2 min read

Psst…your January momentum called 📸🖼️✨

Hi Reader, Is it just me, or does February feel like the month where all those shiny January intentions start to…fade a little? 😅 I’ve been thinking about this because I keep hearing from people who started strong on their photo project. They cleared the dining room table, pulled out a few boxes, maybe even sorted a couple… And then life happened. 🤷🏼♀️ The boxes got pushed aside when company came. The tidy piles got “re-mixed” when someone needed the table. That fierce January motivation?...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read

🧩 Why good intentions aren’t enough (the missing piece)

Hi Reader, Wow—thank you for all your replies to last week’s email! 🥰 So many of you shared your photo organizing frustrations, and one theme kept popping up: “I start with good intentions…then I get stuck and give up.” Here’s what I’ve learned after helping families for years: good intentions aren’t the problem. Motivation isn’t the problem either. The problem is trying to build something without a blueprint. Think about it—you wouldn’t show up to build a house with a pile of lumber and hope...

3 months ago • 2 min read

📸 The 6 AM wake‑up that changed how I manage photos

Hi Reader, Picture this: it’s 6 AM on a Sunday, and I’m finally walking through my front door after an all‑night scrapbooking crop. I was exhausted but proud—I’d finished an entire album and started another. I'd only recently started scrapbooking, and I was really proud of my progress. But as I collapsed into bed, all I could think about was what happened around 3 AM. I was flipping through photos for that second album when I found them—random picture after picture that belonged in the first...

3 months ago • 2 min read

My Last Note of 2025 + What’s Next

Hi Reader, Every year I choose a word to guide the year ahead. Sometimes it shows up in October, sometimes in December. This year…NOT AT ALL 😅. Between medical appointments and website gremlins, it’s been a lot. I’ll spend the next couple of weeks listening for the right word. My word for 2025 was PROGRESS. I set big-picture goals in my personal life and my business. Personally, I made progress on 3 of 4 goals (including finishing the first draft of my novel 🎉). Business-wise, much less...

4 months ago • 1 min read