About Lisa Mabey

Lisa Mabey is a writer/project manager for a stamping and scrapbooking company in Utah. She has enjoyed writing articles for the monthly in-house magazines. Lisa loves experimenting with photography, paper crafting, and spending time with family. She and her husband are currently expecting their first child.

Parenting at Church

I want to know how some of these parents do it. Not only do they get their multiple children ready for church and appear on time (almost as by magic), they have an amazing way of teaching and disciplining their kids during church. Of course, I’m talking mostly about Sacrament meeting, as Primary is generally easier for kids and they’re not confined to a semi-hard bench for 70 minutes. My small experience with this includes helping Mom with my younger siblings when I was a teenager, watching a dear family in our ward while the parents sang in the ward … Continue reading

Visiting Teaching the Right Way

This week I got a reminder of what visiting teaching is really about. I’m sure that in your mind you’re thinking about the typical visit where you sit for a while, give a brief message, and then leave while issuing the standard “Let me know if you need anything.” While this phrase is often sincere and almost always well-intended, I know I’ve never called my visiting teachers when I had a need. Whether you’re being visited or are the visiting teacher, there are ways to make visiting teaching a better experience all the way around. My learning moments came about … Continue reading

Backing Up Your Digital Photos

Here’s a scary thought…your computer just crashed, and all your photos are gone in the blink of an eye or the strike of lightening. All of them. Gone. I don’t think any of us are prepared to walk away from all our photos without some emotional attachment. I know I’m not. If you ask many people what they’d grab out of their burning house, many would reply that they’d save their photos (or these days the computer that houses those photos). They’re the physical reminder of the memories we’ve built up over the years. So it makes sense that we’d … Continue reading

Lessons from My Father

I’ve always been a bit of a daddy’s girl. As a little girl, I chose repeatedly to attend the “cow sales” (livestock auctions) with Dad over shopping with Mom. Maybe it was because I felt so special being the only little girl in the midst of all those men, but whatever the reason, I loved spending time with my dad. I loved the way he took care of me and, although my memory may be somewhat skewed by age and time, the way he seemed to take pride in my being there. I grew up wanting to be around Dad … Continue reading

Photo of the Week

I’ve been looking around for a great photo to start off with as I write about great photographs and why they’re important to me. I am a believer that we all like specific photographs for a certain reason that’s personal, but that’s not always explored. I mentioned in an earlier post that I took a class that focused on the rhetoric of photos (basically, what the photos communicate to you in a visual way). I think it’s important to analyze different photographs and how they communicate because I think it makes you a better photographer. You understand better what end … Continue reading

The Importance of Fathers

My husband grew up in a home without a father. Like so many kids these days, he had one parent at home who had to work to make a living, so he was on his own quite a bit. But even though he didn’t have a father, he felt the need for a father figure. He adored his grandpa and tried to be like him, and he sought out other men to fill that void in his life. Fortunately, he lived in a good neighborhood and a good ward. As a teenager, a man down the street took him under … Continue reading

More Father’s Day Ideas

Can you believe there’s only a couple more days until Father’s Day. If you missed the Father’s Day sale at Shutterfly, you may be wondering what you’re going to do to celebrate the greatest dad on the planet. Well, it may be too late to order a photo gift online, but it’s certainly not too late to create your own photo gift for your favorite guy. Here are a few ideas that you could make in a flash and that won’t cost a whole lot either. * Pull out the camera and get snapping! What are a few of dad’s … Continue reading

For the Strength of Youth Series: Dating

Remember all those years of dating? Aren’t you glad that they’re over for many of us? I know I am. My dating years were longer than I had hoped for, but in the end it turned out good for me. I found a fabulous man to marry, but only because I constantly kept my eye out for someone who had high standards and who fit me. But it was years of dating the right way that led me to that point. I didn’t go on a date until I was 16. I knew that that was the rule and that … Continue reading

Photoshop Elements 8 New Features

Have you seen the new features in Adobe Photoshop Elements 8? There are some pretty cool things they’ve added that will help you make your photos just what you want with less effort. One of the things I love about Photoshop Elements (verses the full version of Photoshop) is that it’s target use and audience is for touching up photos easily and quickly. There’s no need to be a Photoshop guru to use Elements because it’s made easy for the end user with presets, menus, and these fabulous new features: Have you ever noticed that you tend to want to … Continue reading

For the Strength of Youth Series: Language

Have you ever noticed that you can tell a LOT about a person by how they speak and what they say? I’m an observer by nature, and I’ve spent a lot of time listening to people and I’ve noticed over and over again that language is a key indicator of the type of person I’m listening to. The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet points out several things about language that I personally appreciate including the statement that “how you speak says much about who you are.” The pamphlet gives some good direction on things you should do regarding language. … Continue reading