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Pictures and Stories

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Salt Lake City, Utah
801.906.0609
your life. in a book.™

Pictures and Stories

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3 Steps to Writing a Story About Your Life

October 31, 2016 Alison Taylor
Writing a life story is easier than you think.

Writing a life story is easier than you think.

Writing a memoir or autobiography is a daunting, overwhelming task, one that requires hours/days/years of uninterrupted time. Not to mention a degree in English. And a trust fund so you can quit your day job. 

Wait, but...NO!.

It doesn't have to be that way. Writing a story can be really quite simple, like washing your hair. Three simple steps: Lather, rinse, repeat. 

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2 Comments

5 reasons to attend the RootsTech Conference (even if you're not a genealogist)

October 31, 2016 Alison Taylor

Here are our top five reasons to visit the RootsTech 2017 Conference this year, even if (especially if) you are not that "into" genealogy. Also, a chance to win a free RootsTech 2017 4-day pass!

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2 Comments

Book Highlight: A Tribute Book Close to Home

October 31, 2016 Alison Taylor
A tribute book is a great way to celebrate a milestone birthday.

A tribute book is a great way to celebrate a milestone birthday.

When my wonderful mother-in-law Joyce Taylor turned 90 this summer, Tom's sister and her daughters had a great idea for celebrating her birthday -- a neighborhood parade!

We also created a tribute book to celebrate her life. Here's how we did it.

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1 Comment

Save the Date - RootsTech 2017

September 26, 2016 Alison Taylor

If you haven't been, or don't know about the RootsTech conference, let me introduce you. 

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Comment

The Healing Power of Family Stories, Part Two

September 16, 2016 Alison Taylor
A tribute book about an extraordinary, ordinary man.

A tribute book about an extraordinary, ordinary man.

Some projects grab us emotionally more than others. This was one of those projects that left me weeping over my keyboard. And that inspired me to try to be a better human.

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In stories, book highlights
1 Comment

The Healing Power of Family Stories, Part One

September 6, 2016 Alison Taylor
Family stories have a unique power in bringing--and keeping--families together.

Family stories have a unique power in bringing--and keeping--families together.

Sometimes a project will come along that affects us deeply, that reminds us yet again why we do this. Working closely with families to preserve their stories gives us a window into family dynamics--sometimes poignant, often hilarious. Each family has their own special dance to which only they know the steps.

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In stories, book highlights
3 Comments

Apricots and Ancestors: 3 Steps to "Prune" Your Family History Stuff

July 29, 2016 Alison Taylor
Like an apricot tree, your family history stuff has to be pruned to be enjoyed.

Like an apricot tree, your family history stuff has to be pruned to be enjoyed.

If you don't "prune" your family history assets, the sheer volume of them will obscure the "fruit" that is worth keeping. Without care and pruning, you could lose the whole "tree."

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In pictures
3 Comments

Pictures and Stories to be Featured on KSL's "Speaking on Business"

April 9, 2016 Alison Taylor

We had a great time talking to host Chris Redgrave about our business for a "Speaking on Business" radio spot. The spot will air on April 16 on KSL 102.7 FM or 1160 AM at 7:22 am, 11:49 am and 5:22 pm. Check it out!

You can also hear it at the Speaking on Business website or KSL.com.

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Comment

Choosing Photographs: Advice from William Morris

April 9, 2016 Alison Taylor
How to choose which photos to keep? "William Morris" your photo collection.

How to choose which photos to keep? "William Morris" your photo collection.

"Have in your houses nothing you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." I was recently explaining to a client how to pare down the hundreds of potential photos she had set aside to put in her family history book. It struck me then that Morris' advice could also apply when choosing what photos and keepsakes.

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In pictures
2 Comments

Why I Am Addicted to Family History

March 11, 2016 Alison Taylor
Armstrong graveyard in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania

Armstrong graveyard in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania

A couple of weeks ago, I stood with my daughter, son-in-law, and week-old baby grandson on a windy, lonely hill in rural Pennsylvania. We could have gone to an art museum, or out to dinner, or stayed home with snacks and Netflix. But instead we drove two hours outside the city, newborn in tow, to look at the grave of a dead person we’ve never met.

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In stories
3 Comments
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See samples of our book by clicking on the cover photo.

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    • Oct 31, 2016 3 Steps to Writing a Story About Your Life
  • 2014
    • Mar 17, 2014 Using Documents to Illustrate a Personal or Family History

HERE'S OUR INSTAGRAM FEED

Thanks, London, for making us feel so welcome. We'll see you again someday. #epicfamilyhistorytour #rootstechlondon
Oxford, vertical edition. As much vertical as Instagram will allow, anyway. #theylookbetteronfacebook #epicfamilyhistorytour #rootstechlondon
A beautiful fall day at Oxford, landscape edition. #epicfamilyhistorytour #rootstechlondon
Final day at #rootstechlondon, then rush to the V & A for the last hour before it closes! Then a walk across the Millennium Bridge for a glimpse of the Globe and the city at night, plus a beautiful poetry/video art installation, projected onto St
Long, fun day at #rootstechlondon! 4 presentations down, one to go... Celebrated with dinner at a 500-yr-old pub where Dickens used to hang and which is now owned by Gandalf. #epicfamilyhistorytour
We're here! Tom's up first today, with "Capturing Family Stories in Video Clips" at 14:00. I'm here early to attend the first class, I'm so excited. What a great conclusion to our #epicfamilyhistorytour ! #rootstechlondon #picturesandstorie
Hello, London! So excited for Rootstech. #epicfamilyhistorytour #rootstechlondon #picturesandstories #yourlifeinabook
Our host showed us these amazing travel scrapbooks his mother made in the 1930s and '40s, complete with hand drawn maps and illustrations. We will miss this place! London, here we come...
Featured
RootsTech 2025
Mar 3, 2025
RootsTech 2025
Mar 3, 2025
Mar 3, 2025
Speaking at RootsTech 2024
Feb 28, 2024
Speaking at RootsTech 2024
Feb 28, 2024

We are so excited to be back at RootsTech live this year! Come by and see the Pictures and Stories booth (#1609) and see some of the many new books we’ve helped our clients create. Alison is giving two in-person classes: The Seven Deadly Sins of Building a Digital Archive, and Making a Genealogy Story Book. Hope to see you there!

Feb 28, 2024

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