First Impression Portraits

Thoughtful Gifts for Teachers

Remember when a shiny red apple was all it took to show your appreciation to your teacher?
No, neither do I.
I love giving my kid's teachers something thoughtful at christmas and year end, but I'm easily stumped.
My team and I brainstormed some great ideas for teachers and we'd like to share them with you.
You can view and order from our teachers gift section on our website, or place the order in store. Either way, you'll have your gift the same day.
I'm a big fan of the motivational products right now, and the saying that I promoted for the Father's Day items actually works well for Teachers too.

We can customize this to say anything you'd like, and instead of having a print or poster printed you can put it on any of our products.
I gave Max's preschool teacher an 8x10 print, but I think for Charlie's kindergarten teacher I'll put it on a mug and fill it with a bouquet of fresh number 2 pencils and tie it all up with a bow!

And remember, one hour service is our specialty so don't worry that there's only a week and a half left of school!
A week and a half?? Wow! This year has flown! Hoping you have lots of adventures with your kiddies this summer!

Become A Fan!

FINALLY, I've got my facebook group up and running, and I hope you'll become a "fan"!
It's a great way to see what special events and promotions we have coming up. Sales, new props, info on your favourite photogs, and lots of other fun stuff.
Hope to see you there!

We're also on Twitter! My twitter feed is along the right column on this page. Follow me on Twitter!

So many great ways to stay connected, but don't worry - we're always there for you in the flesh when you need us. If you have a question you need an answer to right away, please email us at customercare@photogiftworld.com. While the facebook page is maintained on a regular basis, sending an email or phoning 780-435-7421 assures you a quick response!

Look forward to seeing you there!

Your Father's Day Gifts - Solved!

Did you know that Father's Day is our busiest season second only to Christmas?
That's because our customers are primarily women with children, and everyone knows that women are more creative and thoughtful with their gift giving. ;-)
Just the fact that you're on this page reading this means you're taking the time to find the perfect idea for your Dad and your Husband.
Need a little help deciding the perfect thing?
Check out our Ideas Center. Here are a few that have worked for me in the past:

1.Summer's well on its way, and if your dad is already firing up the grill then a BBQ Apron adorned with his favourite people's faces on it will be a sure-fire way to impress (and keep his summer threads spotless!). Throw in a bottle of his favourite BBQ Sauce or some new grilling tools and he'll be more than happy to cook you up a delicious meal this summer!

2.Your dad loves his ride, so what better way to spoil him this Father's Day then by giving him a voucher for a free car wash or two? Attach a personalized Photo Key Chain to your voucher to make sure dad never forgets this great gift!

3.For an on-the-go dad who loves his morning brew, a Photo Travel Mug is an awesome way to make sure you're always close by. Use it to serve him his coffee in bed on Father's Day - the perfect morning wake-up!

My favourites for this year, however, are the Motivational Posters and the Video Slideshow tribute to dear ol' Dad (or Grandpa).
This is our most popular motivational poster quotation:

If you can't read the small text, it says "A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child."
We can customize it to say anything you like, though, and of course - we use your photo.
The one I made for my husband has the title "Attitude" with the saying "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." I used a picture of my kids outside with their umbrellas. Too cute! He has it hanging in his office, and I made a copy for myself to hang in mine. (couldn't resist!)
Here's a sample of a Father's Day video slideshow (you can view this and other samples on our Videos page of our website.

Tea Cup Portraits

Ok, so I posted a couple of tea cup portraits in my last post, but they were overshadowed by our super awesome Mom Cards.
I'll do them a little more justice now.
For those of you who don't know, every month we promote a new feature themed portrait. Last month it was the live bunny portraits. This month it's Tea Cup portraits.
We have 3 different tea cups. Babies and Kids of all ages work great, boys or girls - it doesn't matter.
We'll choose a simple solid colour background (our specialty) and a simple prop so the focus is their precious face.

Here is little Liam in our smallest teacup in gender neutral colours.

Eloise thought sitting in the teacup was pretty silly and tried to get out, but not before we snapped some cute pictures first!

Our biggest size is large enough for all kids! Charlie picked the pretty purple backdrop herself before hamming it up for these pictures.

Come in for your sitting before May 31, 2009 and receive a free mug with your teacup photo on it with the purchase of any portrait package.
Your sitting doesn't have to be just of teacup photos. You'll receive a full sitting, and lots of proofs.
Click here to book online, or call us at 780-435-7421.

Mom Cards

It's been a long time since I've been this excited about a new product!
Using your favourite photo and a modern design, we'll create a set of business cards that Moms and Dads or anyone else can use to easily exchange info.
Scraps of paper and pens can be hard to come by while you're pushing your child on the swings, or doing up laces after preschool. And there's so much info to exchange now! Cell numbers, home numbers, email, facebook or twitter accounts, your address so they can make it to the playdate or pick your child up for carpool. Who has time on the spot to write it all down...TWICE! You take hers and she takes yours.
Charlie has had several playdates with the same girl from kindergarten this year, and EVERY TIME I've had to send a note through school to go home with the other girl with my info for her mom to call me because I can never find that piece of paper that I originally wrote her info on - I'm sure you're much more organized than I am, but I'm certain these cards could make your life just that much easier.
Have I said it already? I love these cards!

You can purchase just the cards, or add a stainless steel case for only $8 (a definite steal) so they won't float all through your purse.
I'm also offering free cards with every portrait sitting of May's feature theme (click on "feature theme" along the top menu). Until May 31st only. Too cute for words.

 

Earth Day - April 22nd

We recently implemented a reusable shopping bag program like many other retailers.
In keeping with our image, product line, and quality, we decided to use canvas tote bags and to personalize it for you on the spot with your favourite photo.
Anytime you place an order at Photo Gift World, you have the option to add on a personalized reusable shopping bag for only $3. If your purchase is for $60 or more you recieve a personalized reusable shopping bag free.
In honor of Earth Day on April 22nd, all orders for photo gift products or portraits will recieve a free personalized reusable shopping bag.

Other great products to help you reduce your carbon footprint:
1) Ceramic coffee mug - Keep a mug at work so you won't have to use disposable ones.
2) Stainless steel travel mug - your daily drive thru paper coffee cup adds up!
3) Water Bottle - take a pass on a plastic disposable bottle!
4) White Board - all those post-it notes and scraps of paper that we use to jot down messages and grocery lists can disappear! Comes with a magnetic back and dry erase marker.

And just for a chuckle, here's a story from Earth Day last year.
Celebrate Earth Day! Go Green!

The Excitement is Building!

I get so excited this time of year..
The snow is melting, the neighbours are coming out of hibernation, aaaand.....
THE BUNNY IS COMING!
I love easter. There's none of the stress or cost of christmas, but it's tons of fun for the kids and an opportunity for families to get together for some good eats.
I'm desperately hoping that the snow melts enough to have our egg hunt outside again this year.
Time will tell!

You might be familiar with our annual Live Bunny Photo event we do this time every year. Maybe you're not, so here are the details:
Ruby, our beloved family pet bunny, AKA the Easter Bunny - spends 3 days with us at Centre Fountain in Southgate Centre (nearby where our studio is located) for some adorable Easter Portraits.

This will happen April 9 11-7pm
April 10 (Good Friday) 11-6pm

April 11 10-6pm

There will be no appointments - drop in only. Great for babies and kids of all ages.
Come in your new Easter duds, or strip baby down to diaper for portraits sweet enough to eat.

There is no sitting fee, as usual.
Prints are ready next day.
Lots of gift items available!
See you there!!

Even big kids can go in the pot!

or not...

Personalized Shirts - not just for Grandma anymore

I'm getting this in just under the wire for St. Patrick's Day (good thing we can make shirts in 20 minutes!), but it's also a great idea for any time of the year.
You might be surprised to hear the t-shirts are our all time, number one best seller. They outsell every other product. If you're picturing the old school big square, badly coloured #1 Grandma tee's of the past and thinking "lame-o" (maybe not exactly "lame-o"..you're probably cooler than me and have a much hipper word), you're probably surprised to hear how popular the shirts are.

Here's the thing: shirts with silly sayings on them are in fashion right now. OK, maybe not high fashion. You won't see them walking down the runways in Milan, but you probably see them walking down the street everyday. I just came back from travelling, and I saw whole stores devoted strictly to t-shirts with silly sayings. Sometimes you get lucky and find just the right saying, on the perfect style of tee for you, and in all the right colours. Sometimes you don't.

We can put any saying (even one you've come up with yourself), in any font, any colour, on any style of shirt. If you don't like the styles or colours we carry, you can bring in your own shirt.

With prices starting at $13, and with a turn around time as fast as 20 minutes, you really can't go wrong. Need lots? Ask for our bulk pricing.

Personalized shirts are popular for stags/stagettes, bridal parties, corporate events, family reunions, special occasions, birthdays (especially over-the-hill ones), or just for everyday wear.

Check us out!

And don't forget to come in and pick one up for St. Patrick's Day!

 

What's New?!

Hope you enjoyed the holiday season as much as I did!
My family disappeared for a little winter getaway to reconnect with each other - being in retail we have so little time for each other through the busy season, and it was so nice to be alone and away from everything.
I'm so excited to be back, though, and planning all kinds of fun things for my customers for the new year!
First up - Valentine's Day!

My kids kindly co-operated for some sample shots.
If you're booking a Kwik Klix sesson which includes valentine handouts in each package, you can choose from either a simple white, pink or blue backdrop. No fancy clothes are required - jeans and a white, black, pink or red top work great OR you can opt to wear one of our adorable tutus!

Valentine's portraits don't have to be pink and frilly and girly - we've got great ideas for boys as well.

Valentine handouts are printed on glossy photo paper at approximately 3.5x5" and come with envelopes. You can also use your portraits to create standard sized 5x7 greeting cards and any of our hundreds of photo gift items using our specially designed valentine templates.

Make your valentine cards sweeter (and your child more popular!) by having them printed on Aero chocolate bars!

Book online now, or call us at 780-435-7421!
Don't miss out and these fun and memorable valentine's gifts!

Private Santa Photo Sessions

I was in the mall recently and had my kids photo taken with Santa.
It wasn't great, but what can you really expect? It's in the middle of the mall, they have to wait in line, there are kids waiting behind them, it's an unfamiliar man - not exactly an ideal portrait situation.

I had the idea to offer private Santa sittings in my studio as my December Kwik Klix theme.

I'll provide the big red suit, you provide the Santa! Bring Daddy, Grandpa, a favourite Uncle, or even Mom or Grandma can pose as the Big Guy!
Your child will be relaxed and happy to pose with someone they love, not to mention the added sentimental value your Santa Daddy pictures will have in years to come.

...and you just can't beat the price - I purchased one 5x7 from the mall setup for $14. Entire Kwik Klix packages start at only $18! You'll have lots of poses to choose from and prints are ready next day.

Visit our website and click on request a sitting or call us at 780.435.7421 to book now! "Prime time" sittings book fast so call now!