PRODUCTS

Living Legacies’ primary focus is your story—as you want it told—with appropriate family photos bringing it to life. You choose the medium….

Hands-On (Paper) Version

This tangible format is the cornerstone of our work. We know how important it can be, particularly for older clients, to hold their story in their hands and be able to point out certain highlights to family, friends, and caregivers. For that reason, our printed pages are softly laminated to withstand much handling. Binding usually consists of a satin cord which laces the pages attractively. Unlike scrapbook or photo album formats which emphasize photos, Living Legacies emphasizes content, letting pictures embellish and add interest, similar to a magazine article approach. Families usually need additional copies, so we include a pdf file of the story, posted privately on our website, for digital viewing or re-printing.

Online Version

Our online pages easily reach the younger people dear to you as well as family and friends spread across the globe. These pages are specifically formatted for internet access and can include a short video which we shoot and embed via YouTube. We host the web pages privately for you on the Living Legacies website at no charge for the first year, and your project can easily be linked to a website of your own choosing. The two samples below happen to be memorials. Miriam’s pages demonstrate standard length; Robin’s pages are more complex.

About Format, Length and Pricing

We listen to you carefully to learn what you hope to accomplish with a Living Legacy in order to recommend the best option for you. Our standard hands-on version is our Classic four-page offering, but you can go up or down from there. Adding more content can easily be accomplished by additional pages. Selecting the Starter Legacy need not necessarily mean surrendering significant content. We typically use less visual space in a Starter Legacy to allow more room for the story. An even shorter version is most appropriate for special needs, such as transition to assisted living. Keep in mind that any story can be expanded later.

Tip on Pricing: We do all we can to keep our prices less than the time spent would warrant. Please inquire about our Affiliates! We are able to offer discounts to non profits and companies supplying services to seniors. Perhaps you may be able to participate through an existing Affiliate, or refer our work to a likely candidate for affiliation.

FUTURE PRODUCTS

Oral History

An oral history can stand alone or be a beautiful accompaniment to any album, capturing nuances impossible to gather on paper alone. Produced on CD. We hope to announce our Oral History offering by Spring 2012.

Note: With permission, we routinely video and/or audio tape our interviews. These recordings make it possible to have genuine conversations without the distraction of taking notes, but these recordings are not for the purpose of producing a taped end product.

"Little Too" Books (as in “Your Grandma Was Little Too!”)

Little Too books are specifically designed to reach the tiny ones of the family. They can be printed then laminated or rendered for online viewing. We mix animated drawings with actual pictures and stories to communicate the childhood world of grandparents and great-grandparents. A favorite toy of yours might come to life and function as the animated story teller of your tale. In the telling, the children will learn a bit of family history and gain an appreciation of their own place in time and space. This is a significant tool for families whose history spans oceans and cultures.

GETTING STARTED

If you are interested in having a Living Legacy prepared for yourself or a family member, please contact us. We’ll arrange an initial meeting in person or by phone to get acquainted, explore objectives, and answer all your questions. That first conversation is without charge or obligation. Together we’ll discover which options are most appropriate by format and price, and then come to an agreement and plan of action.

Gathering data: After the initial consultation, there will be a general set of questions to be answered in writing at your leisure and returned to us. The questionnaire is not a “form” or a “test.” You are encouraged pick and choose from among the questions; your answers will be a springboard into your life. But it will be through relaxed chats that we will be able to listen and learn what is important to you. At all times, your trust will be honored by our pledge of privacy.

Photographs and memorabilia: We will need to be provided with a collection of the pictures you would like to have considered for inclusion. While we will make every effort to protect your photographs and return them within days, we ask that you do not provide us with any picture or item that is irreplaceable. High resolution reproductions by a good photography studio are worth your investment; or high resolution (300 dpi) jpegs can be emailed to us. See details of best ways to send photos to us. One restored photograph per page is included as part of the Living Legacy creative process. Photo restoration can also be a separate service if you have other photographs which need to be rescued.