Our tip: Have your loved one share their answers in the way that is most comfortable and natural for them. Based on our interviewing experience, we find some people prefer to think about, ponder and handwrite or type answers, while others prefer to digitally record the responses as questions are asked. Both ways will work. Most of all, enjoy capturing the answers!

Hearing parents and grandparents share stories about their childhood and teenage adventures is something you’ll always treasure… and maps are a great icebreaker to start the conversation. We often use period maps to launch a memoir project and lately we’ve been exploring some really cool maps from the 1930s. It’s been a joy to watch our clients point to a spot on a map, laugh and launch into a favorite memory from 70+ years ago.

So the next time you are hoping to capture a great family story from the past, try finding a period map and start exploring it with your parents or grandparents. You may be amazed at the stories that unfold. Wikipedia.org is a great place to find period maps like the Shanghai map we found above.

Happy exploring!

We just posted our latest canvas design, celebrating and honoring babies and parents.

Made just for you! A custom baby birth canvas. Printed on 100% archival quality fine art canvas.  This keepsake birth canvas will be completely custom to the baby in your life. The perfect gift for new parents. Works for older siblings of the baby as well so that they don’t feel left out of the celebration.

You can order or find out more details about the canvas design at our Etsy shop.

Thanks for stopping by!

Every time I visit my dad I try to capture one story about his life. I’ll find a quiet time when we are alone and ask, “Dad, tell me a story about your life that you’ve never shared with me before.”

Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about my parents just by starting a conversation this way. It’s also funny how many times the motorcycle in this photo is featured in my parents’ stories. I also learned that Dad really, really loved that motorcycle so it’s great to have a photo of him posed with his beloved bike. This photo was taken by my mom about a year before Dad left for America.

I never know what story gems will emerge when I ask…

When I asked Dad to tell me a story on my latest visit, he started to tell me the details of his first day in America. He arrived in New York City in 1954, bursting with hopes and dreams and $20 in his pocket. Can you imagine heading to a new country to live with $20 in your pocket? It was amazing to hear about his experience going from a farm in Europe to New York City immigrant in one day. Even now, years later, Dad remembers the details of the sights, smells and sounds of NYC that first day—including his very first meal at a New York deli. Hearing him relive that day and the excitement in his voice made me appreciate his courage and sense of adventure that much more. It takes courage to leave your family and everything you know to strike out on your own with just a few dollars, determination and a willingness to work hard. What was even more amazing to me is that he didn’t speak any English and still managed to find work in 3 days. This was the first time I’d heard any of these details and I will always remember the excitement he felt in sharing the memories.

Sharing Stories this Father’s Day…

With Father’s Day approaching, what better time to capture and share your dad’s stories with your family. If you are spending time with your dad in the coming weeks, why not find a quiet time to ask him to tell you a story. You may be amazed at what you learn. Or, share a memorable story about your dad with family and friends. Who knows, you may even start a new Father’s Day tradition for your family.

If you’d like to share your experience capturing a Father’s Day story, we’d love to hear from you. You can reach us here or on our Facebook page. And, yes, I’ll be calling my dad and asking the question.

First, a BIG thank you…

We just wrapped collecting stories for our Mothers and Life Lessons book. Many thanks to the 25 sons and daughters who contributed stories about their moms for the book! Each story is wonderful and together they are truly magical. It’s been an honor to work with all of you on the book.

Thank you!

-Cindy and Cornelia

What’s next?

We now head into publishing. More to follow as we have publishing details in place… but we can share that the book will be out in time to purchase for Mother’s Day. We’ve designed the book so that even if you didn’t contribute a story in the book, you can still add a personal story about your mom before you gift it to her, family or friends. We’ve designed two beautiful pages ready to showcase what your mother taught you. There’s something truly special about sharing with your mom all that you’ve learned from her and how much she is appreciated.

April Update…

The book is now ready to browse and order on Blurb. Just go to this link to get more information and preview the book. We’ll be also offering it on our Etsy shop soon.

May Update…

We just completed a limited edition press run of the 13×11 coffee table hardcover book and will be selling them at special introductory pricing until supplies run out. This 60 page beautiful fine art book is printed on premium paper and with high quality image wrap binding. If you are interested in purchasing a limited edition book, just click here to go to our Etsy shop for details.

What is the single most important thing you have learned from your mother?

Maybe it’s a key life lesson or an important character strength she demonstrated while you were growing up. Perhaps it’s advice she gave you to help navigate through tough times or a kernel of wisdom you uncovered while learning about her early life. Our mothers are superheroes who generously share their life wisdom and superpowers with us. It’s a priceless gift and if we are lucky, we’ve absorbed some of their wisdom and are now passing the lessons on to the next generation.

Mothers and life lessons are the inspiration for our next book project and we’d like to invite you to participate and share your mom’s story. The book project is titled “Lessons From Our Mothers” and will be published for Mother’s Day 2012. Our hope is to include as many amazing moms in the book as possible—and to honor these special women and the life lessons they have passed on to us.

To get started, just send us an email to let us know that you’d like to participate. Our email is: info@unlockmystory.com.

From there it’s an easy three step process:

1. Find your favorite photo of your mom and send it to us digitally. We’ll send you tips to help convert your mom’s photo to a high quality image for the book.
2. Answer a few questions that we send you to tell us about your mom. Don’t worry about grammar or narrative flow, we’ll take care of that. Just write your answers from the heart.
3. Review and approve the edited two page spread of your story and photo.

That’s it! We’ll take it from there. Our goal is to have all stories completed and approved by mid-March so that we can move into book production in Spring. You’ll be able to preview the online version of the finished book at the publisher’s online bookstore for free or purchase as many books as you’d like. It’s your choice.

Please feel free to share this invitation with friends and family who may be interested in participating in the mom project. We’d love to hear and include their story too! You’re also welcome to team up with your siblings to write something together to honor mom.

Every story starts with a photo…

The photo above is one of my very favorites of my mom Sharon and I’ll be submitting it for the book. I love the photo because it captures mom’s personality as adventurer, dreamer and daredevil. It was taken in the 1950′s, about a year before she left her family and friends to start a new life in America. In the photo, mom’s getting ready to take off on my dad’s motorcycle with her sister bravely hanging on behind her. To know my mom is to know someone who has always believed in living life full throttle. That teenage girl on the motorcycle didn’t believe in doing anything halfway…

You can see the book design and read an excerpt here.

‘Tis the season to enjoy fabulous homemade cookies made with love. On Saturday, The Community Church of Barrington will hold its 38th Annual Cookie Walk. Cookie sales begin at 10:30 a.m., but doors open at 9:00 a.m. for ticket sales. All proceeds from this annual event are donated to local charities.

Besides buying some amazing holiday cookies, Cindy and I will also be there designing and printing custom canvas prints throughout the event. We’ll be donating all profits from sales of our Cookie Jar Canvas on the day of the event to the Cookie Walk.

If you live in the Barrington area and love holiday cookies we hope to see you there!

When: Saturday, December 10th from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. (ticket sales begin at 9:00 a.m.)

Where: The Barrington Community Church, 407 S Grove Avenue, Barrington, IL  60010

“The books arrived yesterday. They are BEAUTIFUL!!!…  Our family book exceeded my expectations. My mom had written our family story, so we left it in her own words which made it more meaningful to us.  It was so easy for me to just forward the word document, scan a few pictures and let the experts lay it out and put it together. Proofing it on line made the whole process even easier. My books arrived in perfect condition, and I love that other family members are able to order their own books from my creation. I can’t wait until Christmas when my Mom sees this beautiful memoir!”

- Nanci G.

Ready for a little holiday cheer?

If you live in the Chicago area, the South Barrington Holiday Bazaar is this Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. It’s sure to be a festive start to holiday shopping with unique items available from a wide variety of artisans. We have a booth at the show and will be creating and printing custom canvas prints throughout the evening. We’ll also have some of our recently published books on display. It should be a lot of fun and we hope to see you there! Be sure to stop by our booth and say hello.

Admission to the event is free. If you do attend, you might be asked if there is a vendor at the show you are visiting. We’d appreciate it if you mentioned Unlock My Story at the door.

When: Friday, November 18th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Where: South Barrington Park District (Banquet Room), 3 Tennis Club Lane, S. Barrington, Illinois

For more information about the event, visit the South Barrington Park District website: www.sbpd.net.