Dexter, Posing With His New Book!

In this picture: Dexter the Tabby stars in his own photo book!

I love taking digital pictures, but I almost never print any of them out. In the fall of 2012, I put together my first little photo book, a collection of some of my favorite digital pictures, just so that I would have something tangible to hold onto. I've made a total of 15 books so far, since then.

What I usually do is purchase discount vouchers online, for instance, from LivingSocial Deals, and then I make the books later at my convenience. For example, earlier this fall, I bought seven discount vouchers. Several could be applied to photo books, one to a mug, and one to a calendar for 2015.

I've used up all of those vouchers now but one. The little Dexter book arrived last Tuesday. It is smaller in format than any of the other books I've made so far. I was able to fit only 56 photos into it, which is far fewer than in most of the larger books, which usually include around 85 to 95 photos.

My final book of the year will be called Autumn Dreams, and I will order it sometime between the middle and end of November, as the voucher (a 20-page hard cover 11 1/2-inch by 8 1/2-inch photo book purchased for $7, plus shipping) expires on December 1.

In one of my earlier Blips, I outlined the process I use for making photo books. I have learned a lot since then, and have worked with a bunch of different vendors. When I order and receive my final book of the year, I'll post a photo of the full set of books (see a partial set here), along with an updated summary of the process, just in case anyone else may benefit from it.

As you can tell from this photo, Dexter was absolutely thrilled to see himself achieve such a marvelous level of fame and fortune. He couldn't wait to page through the book and admire all of the pictures of himself.

(To be more truthful, this shot was taken shortly after lunchtime, and all of that sunlight streaming through the window was making him nappish; the piles of blankies were not helping matters, either. Not long after this, Dexter rolled over and settled in for his major afternoon nap. Ah, fame. It's so exhausting!)

The cover photo should look kinda familiar; it appeared on these pages first, as my August 3 Blip. The back cover is also a full-page Dexter shot. And it's all Dexter in between! Since the book is so little, I should be able to take it along anywhere. If I go away, I could tuck it in my suitcase just for those times when I need a quick Dexter fix to get me through. :-)

If you love to take pictures but have never made a photo book of your own, I encourage you to try it. There is nothing quite like the thrill of opening up the mail one day and finding a book containing your very own favorite photos. I promise to include more updated details on the process and a photo of all of the books to date in a Blip later this year.

The soundtrack: The Monotones, Book of Love.