The Perfect Tribute…

A few weeks ago, I lost a dear friend. Her name was Mary Elizabeth Beckman. We met at the Bazaar Cafe a few years ago – she played at the open mic I host. I fell in love with her soft, angelic voice and extraordinary songs. She had a true gift with lyrics and melody; as soon as she would begin to gently pluck her guitar strings, the room would fall silent. I loved her music, and since we had a similar musical style (slow, finger-picky, lyrical songs), we often shared gigs around the city.

In addition to being a great musician, she was beautiful (beautiful blonde hair, blue eyes and a huge smile), friendly, and caring. She always had encouraging words for the new songwriters that came to the open mic, and never had a bad thing to say about anyone. She was kindhearted and warm – she always hugged me as soon as she saw me and greeted me with an easy, southern-tinged “Hey girl, how’s it goin’?” – only, it wasn’t just a pleasantry, you could tell she really wanted to know. We spent time together away from music on a few occasions, but I wish I had taken more time to get to know her.

The owner of the Bazaar wanted to give something meaningful to Mary Elizabeth’s mom. We wanted a gift that would show how much we loved her and to show our support, but it’s hard to find an appropriate gift for something like this.

My friend and client Brian of PrintableMemories.com came through with a beautiful jewelry box which showcases Mary Elizabeth’s picture on the top. I wasn’t able to see it before it was given to her mom, but I did get to see a picture – it is absolutely beautiful. I know Brian went out of his way to create the box in a bit of a hurry and we are all very thankful, as he did an amazing job.

Mary Elizabeth, you are in my thoughts and believe it or not, I think I can hear you singing, still…

I’m *so* buying one of these for my mom.

Happy Monday!

Last week, I checked out PrintableMemories.com and looked at their selection of custom photo gifts. One of the coolest items they sell is their personalized photo blankets – they come in various styles that can suit pretty much any occasion. I’m thinking of buying a double-sided fleece photo blanket for my mom, my sister on one side and me on the other. My mom has dementia, and I can’t think of a better gift for her, something that will not only remind her of us when we can’t be there, but something that will keep her warm – inside and out.

custom photo blanket

The photo blankets are a really creative gift – you can buy single or double-sided photo blankets, and they also have photo collage blankets. These are such a cool idea! You can get friends or family together and pick your favorite photos while reminiscing about times past. Collage photo blankets are a great idea for class or family reunions, sports team celebrations, or weddings.

In addition, they sell baby blankets and art throw blankets. The art throw blankets feature your or your child’s original art on the front. A thoughtful, fun present that the whole family can make together.

That’s all for now – stay tuned for more great gift ideas.

Robin

A Story from Printable Memories

Hello and Happy Friday,

This week, I had the pleasure of getting to know Printable Memories a bit more. It is so refreshing to meet small business owners who truly care about their customers and the quality of their products. I spoke with Brian, the owner of Printable Memories, and he told me an incredibly moving story about a customer of his. As you know from my previous post, they specialize in custom photo gifts. They can combine a favorite photograph with an item of your choice to make a beautiful, unique gift.

Brian told me about a grandmother who came to them, inquiring about their services. She proceeded to tell him one of the saddest stories I’ve ever heard. She had two young grandchildren, a boy and a girl, and their mother had recently passed away from breast cancer. The father had also passed away a few years earlier. She wanted to surprise them with a special gift that would remind them of their mother and of happier times with family. Brian helped her and her family create amazing photo blankets for the children, covered in beautiful family photos, to comfort them in a time of great sorrow. It was one of the most moving stories I’ve heard, and you can read it here.

Brian told me how customers like this make his job worthwhile, and that they give him a sense of purpose. When I visit an online store, it can frequently feel impersonal, like there isn’t a real “person” behind the products. But Printable Memories is different – they have a real passion for what they do and as a result, they do it well. Their gifts are meaningful and made with care. It has been great getting to know them and I hope you will do the same.

That’s all for now. Have a great weekend!

Robin

Printable Memories: An Introduction

I recently began writing for a wonderful online store called PrintableMemories.com – they specialize in custom photo gifts. I’ll be writing about them often in this blog, as they have some of the nicest gift ideas I’ve ever seen. Their personalized photo gifts are perfect for any occasion and on their website, you will find the perfect gift for anyone in your family.

PrintableMemories.com is quite unique. They use only the highest quality materials and items when creating your personalized photo gift, and have a vast selection to choose from. They also deliver exceptional and personal customer service – they are happy to pick up the phone and speak to you about your custom photo gift in person. It’s so refreshing to find a web-based company that is so old-fashioned in their approach; when you call most companies these days, you’re put on hold immediately and never get to speak to an actual person, but they really seem to enjoy talking to their customers and getting to know them.

PrintableMemories.com has a huge variety of personalized items – they can print your favorite photo on pretty much anything but the kitchen sink (who knows, that could be next!). You can choose from a selection of items including some old favorites like mugs, t-shirts, and photo tins; in addition, they can even print your photograph on blankets, pillows, and purses. They can also create photo keepsakes that make a wonderful gift for anyone in the family, such as these personalized keepsake boxes (great for people like me, who tend to lose their keepsakes and need a place to put them). They even make photo jewelry, such as this cool photo personalized watch and this beautiful photo pendant. To learn about their amazing printing process, click here.

I highly recommend PrintableMemories.com for great personalized gift ideas for everyone you know. I’ll be writing about their products on this blog often, so check back soon!

Happy Friday,

Robin

Hello and Welcome!

Hello there,

I hope you enjoy this website. I decided to start this blog to showcase some of my favorite clients. As a freelance writer who specializes in writing web content and custom blogs, I’ve had the pleasure of discovering a wide variety of services here in the Bay Area and beyond. With this blog, I can write articles for them that serve to inform and attract customers while increasing web traffic to their websites.

Check in often, as I will be updating this page regularly. Thanks for visiting!