No one will tell your life stories but you. Start small by saving family photos & preserving stories so you create a lasting, meaningful legacy, one step at a time.

memoir & writing, book ideas & inspiration, why tell your stories?Dawn M. RoodeMay 15, 2017personal history month, preserving family stories, recording memories for future generations, family memory keeper, essential reading Comment

The healing power of remembrance

Allison Gilbert, Soledad O'Brien, and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., talk about the power of remembrance in the face of grief, & why family story sharing is healing.

remember lost loved ones, why tell your stories?Dawn M. RoodeMay 4, 2017healing power of remembrance, dealing with grief, story sharing in memory of the dead Comments

Notes from a funeral

Reflections from a funeral on remembrance & grief: sharing memories about lost loved ones to heal—and why we don't honor our families through story sharing now.

remember lost loved ones, why tell your stories?Dawn M. RoodeApril 27, 2017sharing stories about lost loved ones, creating a family legacy through storytelling, healing grief through remembranceComment

Special Ideas for Special Moms: More Unique Mother's Day Book Ideas

Unique Mother's Day gift ideas for expecting moms, moms of multiples, and adoptive mothers—books that celebrate mothers with words and pictures, story and style.

gift ideas, book ideas & inspirationDawn M. RoodeMarch 14, 2017mothers day ideas, tribute book ideas for mother, remembering my mother, memory book for twins, milestone book for pregnant mother, how to preserve adoption story in bookComment

The best Mother’s Day gift ever: memories

The best Mother's Day gift is the one Mom really wants: Memories! Ideas for bringing mom's memories to life in a most unique heirloom book she will always cherish.

book ideas & inspiration, gift ideas, why tell your stories?Dawn M. RoodeMarch 7, 2017mothers day ideas, remembering my mother, tribute book ideas for mother Comment

The tyranny of the family heirloom

Maybe it's true that "nobody wants your parents' stuff," but before you donate their things, tell the stories of your family heirlooms, preserving your memories.

remember lost loved ones, book ideas & inspiration, family historyDawn M. RoodeFebruary 17, 2017what we inherit, family heirlooms as burden, curating family heirlooms, family heirloom stories Comments

Let’s make genealogy a thing of the past

You’ll never eradicate the need for tracing your ancestors’ history. But you can ensure that the next generation will NOT need to search, scour, recreate, or imagine your own generation’s experience. Let's make genealogy a thing of the past for the next generation.

family historyDawn M. RoodeFebruary 2, 2017preserving family history, writing family stories, how to organize genealogy Comments

60 Minutes: More than just an interview

The One-Hour Heirloom is a great way for you to sample our services before you are ready to commit to a full-length personal history book. We create your beautiful—miniature—heirloom after one 60-minute interview. Here, ideas for telling your own stories, and ideas for honoring a loved one.