If you just couldn’t wait until today to visit the new and improved forum and gallery, you were not alone! After a couple intense days of tweaking, crossing my fingers, scouring help forums, drinking gallons of coffee, and even a little praying, our site is back up and running at full throttle.

I hope you’ll take some time to look around and play with the new features. There are too many to mention now, but here are the biggest changes you’ll want to be aware of …

• The Community Forum is entirely new and has a new URL. You now access the forum at http://logyourmemory.com/forum. If you had the old forum bookmarked, please take a minute to re-bookmark it at the new address.

• The user profiles for the Blog, Forum, Layout Gallery and Chat Room are all now integrated. That means you just need to register once to be a registered member in all four places. You also need to only sign in once to get full access, with the exception of the chat room which requires a sign in every time you enter. If you are already a registered member, you do not need to re-register. You will need to sign in the first time you visit, however, even if you were previously signed in “forever.” All registrations and sign-ins for the blog, forum, gallery & chat room begin from the forum home page. One note – our on-site store is still a separate system and requires it’s own registration & log-in.

• The Community Forum is now truly the heart of the Log Your Memory Web site. The blog will continue to be located at LogYourMemory.com because it is a bit complicated to change things around at this point. But I hope most will make the Forum your first stop each day. Once you visit, you’ll see it’s now the hub of activity. Features include…

• Central management of all registration, sign-in, user profile and messaging activities.
• A sneak peek at the latest additions to the Layout Gallery.
• An introduction to the latest Blog update, with links back to the full post.
• A look at the most recently added forum threads, followed by the forum as a whole.
• A list of the week’s “hot topics.”
• A snapshot of how many users are online throughout our site at any given moment, plus a list of everyone currently chatting in the Chat Room.
• Easy access to current site announcements and contest reminders.
• A list of today’s birthdays for registered users who have provided that information via their profile.
• And more … updates & changes will continue as we grow and change!

• Our new forum has tons of features we didn’t have before. This is particularly true in the area of customizing your profile, sending messages, connecting with others, starting and participating in groups, and more. For now, take some time to play around and discover the new features on your own.

• You will notice your signature and profile photos need some tweaking. That’s one of the downfalls of moving the forum across cyberspace. But hopefully the improvement will be well worth the inconvenience. One thing to note – you no longer need to upload your profile photo to our layout gallery. You can now upload your photo directly from your computer. I strongly suggest you upload your profile photo first, then use that same image for your avatar. Your profile is customized through the User CP tab in the navigation bar at the top of the forum.

• We now have a brand new Chat Room! Our new chat room has tons of features we didn’t have before, many of which you can customize to suit your own preferences. Simply sign in using your regular username & password, then choose a room and start chatting! We’ll also start holding more regular scheduled chats, so watch for a poll very soon where you can vote your preference for day and time.

• We also have a new Chat Box. This is a box at the very top of the forum home page where you can leave a quick message for other visitors or simply say you stopped by!

• Be prepared to find an occasional broken link or formatting snafu. The process of importing information for hundreds of users and thousands of threads into a new forum and system is a bit touchy, to say the least. As a result, it’s pretty much inevitable that there will be a few things that don’t transition perfectly. Please be patient with these things if you find them … and if they seem important enough to fix, drop me a line and I’ll do my best to take care of them.

• More changes planned as time permits. I am constantly on the look-out for new features that will enhance your time on our site, so you can expect more tweaking as we go along. Among the items on my list are mini-overhauls of the blog and store to help them coordinate better with the rest of the site.

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…

My husband likes to tease me that my mode of home improvement is along the styles of “While You Were Out.”

In other words, I like to keep big room makeovers and other such projects a total secret, doing lots of prep and planning behind the scenes, and then complete the whole project in one intense work period while the rest of my family is gone, later to spring them with a final “ta-da” once the project is complete.

So when it comes to making significant improvements to the Log Your Memory site, my first tendency is to take the same approach. Unfortunately, that’s not particularly realistic when trying to work around an online biz and it’s 24/7/52 way of functioning.

My list of things I’d like to revamp on our site has been growing nearly since the first day we launched just over three months ago. And after doing lots of testing & tweaking & playing around with some “stuff” behind the scenes, I have a handful of initial changes I’d like to implement that will hopefully make your time on our site even more enjoyable … but it’s going to require a little time this weekend behind proverbial “locked doors” to get it done smoothly.

So, as of this post, our Layout Gallery & Community Forum are closed for just a bit. I’m hoping for everything to work out as planned, but as anyone who has messed around with Web sites & coding & all that “fun” stuff knows, things don’t always go just as planned.

Cross your fingers the Web is our friend this weekend … and check back first thing Monday to see {hopefully} the new improvements to our site. It won’t be a total overhaul, but I think you’ll notice some significant changes – with more to come down the road.

It’s not quite “While You Were Out” … but it’ll be pretty close!

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…

Ready for some new “real life” inspiration? Check out these great examples I found in our neighboring galleries this past week …

"Special Moments Together" by Nzingha

“Special moments don’t occur only on special occasions…”  I couldn’t have said it better myself, which is why I wanted to share “Special Moments Together” by Nzingha. It’s such a pretty reminder of the importance of capturing everyday moments in addition to the more obvious “big” ones.

"Favorite Place" by kresta

“Favorite Place” by kresta is another great example of documenting the little things that make life special. A great photo, a short paragraph and a very appealing, simple design is all it took to save this memory for a lifetime.

"Love" by bexy

The gorgeous colors & beautiful black and white photo drew me in to “Love” by bexy. Her journaling to her daughter in which she describes how becoming a mother made her feel “whole” was the icing on the cake. Love this page.

"me: defined" by sahlink

I can relate to so many things in “me: defined” by sahlink. I love that she described so many of her characteristics, interests and feelings on this page, including her insecurities and weaknesses. I love that she let the kids take the photos and I can totally relate to normally being the person behind the camera. I just really like this page … and wanted to keep it around to remind me that I’d like to do one similar for myself some day.

"Sky's the Limit" by sahlink

I wouldn’t normally include two layouts by the same designer in one Story Board, but I just couldn’t pass up the chance to share this other layout by sahlink. “Sky’s the Limit” is the story of how her daughter worked so hard for a goal and accomplished it, but it’s also a story of how mom felt throughout the process and her own advice & wishes for her daughter. Someday when her daughter has kids of her own, this kind of insight will surely be especially meaningful for them all.

"Art Gallery" by Karah

“Art Gallery” by Karah is a clever telling of a very creative little guy who invited his family in for a showing of his artwork. I love how mom captured the artwork within this layout, as well as the story. Everything about the design is simply perfect – from the framing to the extraction of her son to the clever way she makes you feel you are actually standing in the room. Love it.

"Superwoman" by LauraLiz

What mom hasn’t felt the intense need to be “Superwoman” for her family, yet had to eventually admit that it’s an unrealistic expectation? LauraLiz describes her feelings very well in this wonderfully designed page – and provides a great example of a pretty layout that very effectively tells an important story, even without a single photo.

"Busy Boy" by jenniferfox

Kids everywhere would be jealous to see “Busy Boy” by jenniferfox, the tale of a mom missing the one-on-one time with her now very busy school-aged son so much that they played hooky for a day and did a ton of fun bonding. Though I doubt this little guy will forget the day anytime soon, this page will always remind him. Plus, the journaling shares mom’s view of the day in a way that will likely give him a new perspective on parenting later on.

"Read Me a Story" by QuiltyMom

I had to giggle reading the conversation-style journaling on “Read Me a Story” by QuiltyMom because it reminds me of similar situations in my own home. Love how the way she wrote this sounds so much like what she probably hears on a regular basis… someday when the kids are grown, this will really help recapture the feeling and essence of this time in their lives.

"Girls' Rules" by rmcabana

This layout by rmcabana just jumped out at me because it’s so playful & cute. I like that she captures such an ordinary, everyday occurrence as a child wanting to play by her own rules in such great style. “Girls’ Rules” definitely landed in my “to scrap-lift someday” file.

"Tea Time" by interstitchal

Interstitchal’s “Tea Time” is another great slice of everyday life. There’s not really any journaling and just one photo, yet the page tells a lot about a piece of this person’s life. I’m a huge fan of brown & pink together, too, not to mention skeleton keys and all things girly, so the design alone of this page made it an immediate favorite of mine.

"Because You're Worth It" by jorgies5

This page by jorgies5 earned an immediate soft spot in my heart when I read the journaling about how even though mom knew another pregnancy would probably be difficult, the end result was so worth it. With four kids of my own and my own battles with less than delightful months being pregnant, I feel exactly the same way … and would do it all over again in a heartbeat for the great family I have today. That jorgies5 put it all down on paper for her child makes it that much more special, not to mention it’s just a beautiful layout!

That’s it for this week! And that means the next time we visit, our Grand Opening SPOOKtacular will have officially begun! If you didn’t catch yesterday’s post, be sure to go back and read it. There’s tons of fun planned for the next three days … you don’t want to miss it!

Today’s Story Board brought to you by …

Interested in seeing YOUR business, store, Web site or favorite designer promoted here? Sponsorship opportunities are available … to find out more, inquire through the Contact Us page.

It’s getting close … can you feel the excitement???

My inbox has been just exploding with exciting news these past several days… freebie kit previews, workshop registrations, contest entries, Book Club registrations, Creative Team member applications, new member registrations … so much so I can hardly sit still! I love all this creative energy that’s coming my direction … I hope it’s coming back out to you, too!!!

With just TWO days until our Grand Opening SPOOKtacular, here’s the official current schedule for our big event …

• Welcome Blog Post ~ right here, first thing in the morning!
• SPOOKtacular Poll of the Day ~ Community Forum
• Web of Friends Community Builder Game/Contest ~ PRIZE & FREEBIE ~ Location: Community Forum ~ Deadline: Saturday, Oct. 31st @ Noon (MTN)
• Mystery Chat ~ Be the first to guess the identity of our mystery guest & win a PRIZE ~ A FREEBIE for everyone who attends ~Location: Member Chat Room ~ Starting Time: 7 p.m. Pacific/8 p.m. Mountain/9 p.m. Central/10 p.m. Eastern

• Morning Blog Post ~ right here!
• SPOOKtacular Poll of the Day ~ Community Forum ~ With results of Thursday’s Poll
• “Count Me In” Game/Contest~ PRIZE & FREEBIE ~ Location: Community Forum ~ Deadline: Saturday, Oct. 31st @ Noon (MTN)
• Holiday Challenge Chat ~ Brainstorm more meaningful ways to scrapbook the holidays & participate in a special layout challenge. ~ A FREEBIE for everyone who attends & a PRIZE for a randomly selected challenge participant ~Location: Member Chat Room ~ Starting Time: 10 a.m. Pacific/11 a.m. Mountain/12 Noon Central/1 p.m. Eastern ~ Challenge Deadline: Saturday, Oct. 31st @ Noon (MTN)
• Log Your Memory Scavenger Hunt ~ Start here on our blog HOME page and get details on how to play the game ~ PRIZE & FREEBIE ~ Starts at 6 p.m. (MTN) ~ Deadline: Saturday, Oct. 31st @ Noon (MTN)

• Morning Blog Post ~ right here!
• SPOOKtacular Poll of the Day ~ Community Forum ~ With results of Friday’s Poll
• Caffeine Challenge Chat ~ Grab a cup of coffee & join us for a speed layout challenge using a FREEBIE you do NOT want to miss!  ~ A PRIZE for a randomly selected challenge participant ~ Location: Member Chat Room ~ Starting Time: 9 a.m. Pacific/10 a.m. Mountain/11 a.m. Central/12 Noon Eastern ~ Challenge Deadline: Saturday, Oct. 31st @ Noon (MTN) (That gives you TWO hours to complete the challenge…)
• Prize Drawings & Announcements … Stay tuned to our blog after 1 p.m. (MTN) for announcements of all of our Grand Opening SPOOKtacular prize winners, including • Web of Friends Community Builder Winner • Count Me In! Contest Winner • Holiday Challenge Chat Winner • Scavenger Hunt Winner • Caffeine Chat Challenge Winner • and finally, our Grand Opening Kickoff Challenge Winner!!!
• Trick-or-Treat! A final SPOOKtacular blog post Saturday evening to wrap up the festivities, including our final poll results and one more special FREEBIE for everyone who takes a peek. Don’t delay, though… the link for this final treat will expire just a few hours after the post is published. Start watching for this final update around 6 p.m. (MTN) … about the time my own kids will be heading out the door to go trick-or-treating!!

The fine print: You must be present at each activity to receive that activity’s FREEBIE. Download links will be active for a limited time only & are not to be shared.

Need help translating the times for your time zone? Try HERE.

My apologies to our international friends who are going to have a difficult time getting to our events because of the time difference. We will make a point of planning some early/late hour events in the future that hopefully will be a bit more convenient for you. I do appreciate your involvement in our community … 

A little pre-party prep…

–> Please be sure you are registered ahead of time on BOTH the Log Your Memory Home page (blog) AND the Community Forum so that you’ll have access to all of the Grand Opening activities. Sometimes it can take a while for your activation emails to be delivered … you don’t want to be sitting around waiting during an activity and miss out on the fun (and free stuff!). It is especially important that you are registered on the blog if you plan to participate in the chats, as only registered members will be able to enter the chat room. Need some help getting registered? Check out this wonderful video created by CT Heather.

–> Please take a few minutes to make sure your Grand Opening Kickoff Challenge entry is complete. There are three steps to having a complete entry that is eligible for our great prize – a free copy in your choice of format of the Scrapbooker’s All-In-One Memory Logbook. You need to have 1) submitted an entry form including email addresses of potential invites; 2) introduced yourself in the “Getting to Know You” forum thread; and 3) posted an “all about me” layout in the Kickoff Challenge gallery album. There is a list of all contest applicants in the contest thread HERE which is updated several times each day. Check it to see if your name is on the “completed entries” list. If it is not – or if it is on the incomplete list – you are not yet eligible for the prize. You have until 12 noon (MTN) on Saturday, October 31st to complete your entry and have a chance at winning a free Memory Logbook. If your name is not on the list and you believe it should be, feel free to send me a message via the Contact Us page.

–> Anxious to get a taste of the treats in store for you?? Visit the sites of our wonderful Site Sponsors by clicking on their banners in the upper portion of the sidebar on the left. You will be very pleased with the quality and variety of talent you will find …

See you tomorrow for this week’s Story Board … and then the next time we post, it will be time to celebrate!!! I sure hope you’re as excited as I am … if you are, please let me know by sharing a comment below!!!