We’re pleased to announce that Smilebox will be acquired by IncrediMail, Ltd. We will continue our mission of delivering services that inspire and delight our customers as a new division of that company. You can read today’s announcement here.

We want you to know that nothing will change with our service or your creations. This news will only increase the velocity at which we can deliver new features and fun to you, our valued customers.

Thank you for supporting Smilebox and we look forward to embarking with you on this exciting new chapter of our company’s journey.

Smiles,
Andrew Wright
Founder and CEO

Update 8/1: Congratulations to Amanda Counts, the winner of the “Summer of Smiles” contest! To view her adorable collage, click here.

Summer is all about good times, getting out in the sun, and smiling. To celebrate, and to give you a chance to show us the best times you’ve had this summer, we’re holding the “Summer of Smiles” contest. Gather your best pictures of the season and use Smilebox to turn them into a beautiful collage for the chance to win a $100 Amazon.com gift card!

Your collage can feature family vacation photos, trips to the beach, pictures of a backyard barbeque, or just about any other fun time you might be having out in the sun.

To enter the contest, “Like” the Smilebox Facebook page, then email your collage to community@smilebox.com by the end of July 28th.

Once the submission period has ended, the Smilebox team will select three semi-finalists, which will be posted on the Smilebox Facebook page the next day and voted on by the Facebook community. The submission with the most votes will win the Amazon.com gift card. The other two semi-finalists will take home a free year of Club Smilebox ($39.99 value). Read on for tips and more information.

Helpful tips for winning the “Summer of Smiles” Contest:

·    Be sure to add an interesting title to your Smilebox creation
·    Pictures of scenery are nice, but they’re always better with a happy subject (your kids, pets, etc.)
·    Include a description of your Smilebox and why you think it should win when you email us your creation
·    Submissions will be judged based on quality of photos and creativity

Visit the Smilebox “Summer of Smiles” Rules and Regulations page for more information. Don’t forget, the winner will receive a $100 Amazon.com gift card to spend on all kinds of summer fun. Now get Smileboxing and show us why you think you’re having the best summer of all time. Good luck!

To help you out, we’ve put together these quick tips that will help you capture your summer moments better than ever before.

Stop the squinting

We’ve all been there. Mom or Dad or Aunt Mildred is trying to get a nice picture, but the sun is so bright that your eyes start watering, your smile is forced, and by the time a few photos have been taken, everyone looks like they’ve been crying rather than enjoying a beautiful sunny day.

Luckily, we have the solution. First, get everyone in position for the picture and-then have them close their eyes. Have the photographer get ready, then count up to three. On three, everyone opens their eyes, and the photographer takes the picture a second later. If you time it right, everyone will have natural smiles and open eyes. Voila, the case of the squints has been solved!

Timing is everything

It may be tempting to take pictures when the sun is most dazzling, but if you want to avoid washed out colors you should stow the camera away for the middle part of the day.

Instead, take photos in the morning and late afternoon, when there will still be enough sun to highlight vivid colors but not so much that the picture looks faded. If you can’t avoid snapping some pictures in the middle of the day, try to get your subjects into some shade.

The beauty is in the details

When looking at a beautiful landscape, the instinct is to try to fit every square inch in to the picture. Unfortunately, this usually results in a distant-looking photo with none of the stunning details you see in person.

To avoid this, find a particularly breathtaking smaller area to focus on. This will still capture the overall feel of the scenery, but give the shot a more intimate touch. When in doubt, zoom is your friend.

Perfecting sunset pictures

Watching a crimson and orange sunset on the horizon always inspires people to pull out their cameras and capture the moment. To make the most of it, remember a few quick tips.

If you want a subject in the foreground, make sure to turn on your flash to counter out the back-lighting provided by the sun. This will capture the sunset while still illuminating your subject’s face.

Alternately, if you want a great silhouette shot, for example a palm tree or a couple walking on the beach, make sure the flash is off. This will make the contrast between the darkened foreground and the colorful sky even more brilliant.

Do something with them

Once you’ve taken the stunning pictures of your summer, don’t let them waste away on your camera or computer. Do something fun and meaningful with them, like put them into the slideshow for everyone that was featured, or share your experiences with close family and friends.

One piece of advice to remember is the timeless saying “quality over quantity”. People are more likely to enjoy it when you send your 10 best photos than if you bombard them with 100 average shots. And remember to showcase your sunny summer photos in a Smilebox slideshow, scrapbook, or collage. We have a design to match every occasion and personality.

So get out there, enjoy your summer, remember these tips, and we can’t wait to see all the incredible moments you capture!

UPDATE 6/20: The submission period has ended. Please head to the Smilebox Facebook page to view and vote for the finalists. Voting closes on Wednesday at 5 pm. Thanks to everyone who entered for sharing their stories, there were a ton of heroes and it was hard to only pick three!

This Father’s Day we want you to share why you admire Dad and tell us what makes him a hero in your life. Get inspired and tell us about his heroics using one of the Smilebox Father’s Day designs for the chance to win a $100 Amazon.com gift card!

In your Smilebox, you can use pictures, text, quotes, or even video clips of Dad saving the day. Get creative!

To enter the contest, “Like” the Smilebox Facebook page, then email your awe-inspiring creation to community@smilebox.com by the end of June 19.

Once the submission period has ended, the Smilebox team will select three semi-finalists, which will be posted on the Smilebox Facebook page and voted on by the Facebook community. The submission with the most votes will win the Amazon.com gift card. The other two semi-finalists will take home a free year of Club Smilebox ($39.99 value).

Helpful hints for winning the “My Hero is My Dad” Contest:
·    Be sure to add an interesting title to your Smilebox creation
·    Use creative and unique photos to help tell your story
·    Include a description of your Smilebox and why you think it should win when you email us your creation
·    Submissions will be judged based on quality of photos and creativity

Visit the Smilebox “My Hero is My Dad” Rules and Regulations page for more information. Don’t forget, the winner will receive a $100 Amazon.com gift card to give to their hero. Now get Smileboxing and convince us that you’ve got the most heroic dad around! Good luck!

Make Dad’s Day a Hole-in-One

Play a family round of golf… or, if there are some young ones in the family, a leisurely round of putt-putt golf would be perfect. Just make sure you let Dad win! For those golf-loving dads that would rather spend their day lounging around, spend some time watching the U.S. Open with him (even if it’s not your TV show of choice).

The History of Dad

If you are having a big gathering for Father’s Day, be it with family or friends, take the opportunity to play some fun Father’s Day games. One of our favorites is to collect a few baby pictures and silly mementos from each Dad’s childhood and let everyone guess what belongs to whom. The kids will love discovering funny facts about Dad’s past hobbies and interests.

Extreme Chef: Family Edition

A huge part of Father’s Day is the food, so get the rest of the family together and make Dad his all-time favorite meal for dinner. This will lead to some fun times in the kitchen, give everyone a chance to show off their cooking skills, and leave you with one happy dad! Or, if he has a favorite local restaurant, plan a surprise trip there for dinner. Being wined and dined will put a big smile on his face and a tasty meal in his belly.

Outdoor Adventure Time

Get out and enjoy the fresh spring air! Whether this is a family hike for a few hours or an overnight camping trip, everyone will enjoy getting out of the house and spending some time in the great outdoors. Bring along some of dad’s favorite snacks, a couple small outdoor games to enjoy as a family, and of course your camera to make a slideshow of your family’s great day together.

Weed and Wash Coupons

You can never go wrong with this classic gift idea. Give Dad a coupon to help him weed in the garden, wash the car, or paint the deck. Not only is it something helpful for him, it’s also something fun for the two of you, or the whole family, to do together. Our Dad’s Coupons designs are a creative and easy way to email and print your coupons.

A Gift Straight Off of Broadway

Encourage the kids to plan something special for Dad to enjoy, such as a play or special musical performance about their favorite times with him. The kids will have fun showing off their talents, and Dad will get a priceless memory to cherish for the rest of his life. We guarantee everyone will be smiling when the curtain drops at the end of the performance.

A Grand Slam of a Day

Father’s Day is a perfect time to go enjoy the warm weather and see a ballgame. Go see your favorite Major League Baseball (MLB) team and get some Cracker Jacks, cotton candy, and frozen lemonade for the whole family to share. Everyone will go home happy, especially if the hometown heroes win the game! If your family has some young ones who like to play ball, head to a local park after the game and have them toss around the ball with Dad. This will be fun family time for everyone, including the dog.

Home Movie Night

After dinner, round up your family and watch home movies. Or, make a personalized Father’s Day Smilebox with your best home movie clips. This is sure to bring laughter and a smile to everyone’s face. This activity is even better if you have any embarrassing videos of Dad when he was a kid! After these are done playing grab a blanket and some popcorn to settle in and watch one of Dad’s favorite movies.

Learn a Skill from Dad

If your kids are teenagers, they may not be as enthused as they used to be about Dad’s special day. Instead of buying a last-minute gift at the mall, have your kids ask Dad to teach them a special skill that they are interested in learning. Maybe they want to know how to change a flat tire or get some tips on their golf swing. This simple idea will remind Dad of his importance in their lives, and will be a fun and productive adventure for all.

Honor His Memory

If your father has passed away, honor his legacy on Father’s Day by donating to his favorite charity or lending a hand to a cause he cared about. You could also take the time to pick out your favorite pictures with Dad and make a Smilebox scrapbook or photo album to help you cherish those precious memories.

Here at Smilebox we hope you have a fantastic time with your family this Father’s Day. Make sure to take some beautiful pictures and videos to share with friends and loved ones, and to look back on in the years to come. Good Luck and happy planning!

Valentine’s Day is all about sharing love and happiness, and we want to hear what love means to you! Tell us your story of love in any Valentine’s Day Smilebox for your chance to win a Zoom high-definition camcorder.

Melt our hearts using video, pictures, text, poems or quotes  to help tell your story. For inspiration to get your started, check out 6 different ways to say ‘I love you’ with Smilebox.

To enter, become a fan of Smilebox on Facebook and post your creation to our fan page wall by February 14. To post your creation on our fan page:

1. Once you’ve created your winning Smilebox, click the “Share, print or DVD” tab inside Smilebox and then select the “e-mail” option

2. Send your finished creation to your personal e-mail account

3. View your finished creation from inside your e-mail account

4. Copy-and-paste the Smilebox URL to our fan page wall

5. If you wish to turn the “comments” and “save creation” features OFF on your submitted Smilebox, go to www.smilebox.com and log into your account. Follow the on-screen instructions to edit default settings on your Smilebox.

6. If you are having difficulties with any of the above, please contact blog@smilebox.com.

The Smilebox team will pick our favorites and narrow it down to five finalists based on your creativity and quality of photos and then post the top 5 on our blog and Facebook fan page for you to pick the grand prize winnter.

Helpful hints for winning the Love & Smiles Contest:

• Be sure to add a title to your Smilebox creation
• Use creative and unique photos to help tell your story
• Include a description of your Smilebox and why you think it should win when you post it on our Facebook fan page
• Submissions will be judged based on quality of photos and creativity

Visit the Smilebox Stories of Love rules and regulations page for more information. Don’t forget, the winner will receive a Zoom high-definition camcorder. Get started on your winning love story Smilebox now! Good luck!

Click on the images beside text to preview designs.

January- Ring in 2011 by commemorating last year’s highlights. Share your favorite moments of 2010 with friends and family  in this modern Year in Review slideshow. A great way to keep in touch with far away relatives, they will love to watch how your family has changed and grown up over the year!

February- Celebrate the month of love by telling your sweetheart how much they mean to you. Check out our Valentine’s Day slideshows, like Love Struck, below, for a quick way to share photos, videos and personalized captions. Your creation will surely melt their heart.

March- Expecting a new addition to your family this year? Check out our adorable, personalized baby announcements, like Boy Monogram, below, to help share this important memory with friends and family.

April- Anytime Slides is one of our most versatile designs, complete  with a customizable background. Clean and simple, this slideshow is great for sharing your travel experiences (think Spring Break!), family gatherings or school events. For more ideas, check out 10 different ways to use Anytime Slides.

May- Send a personalized greeting to the grad in your life. No matter what stage in life, from kindergarten to college, we’ve got the card to put a smile on their face. We  love this contemporary design, Modern Graduation.

June- From announcements to invitations and scrapbooks to thanks you’s, we’ve got all of your wedding memories covered! Whether you are guest at a wedding or hosting, we have both classic and modern designs to spark your style. Below, see our Vintage Wedding Thank You, that comes paired with a beautiful matching announcement design!

July- It’s party time! July is the season of BBQs, picnics and family gatherings galore, and we’ve got plenty of invites to help you celebrate. Check out all of our party invitations, like this 4th of July themed Summer on the Coast (great for printing!) design.

August- Smilebox will celebrate its 5th birthday in August 2011! Whenever you celebrate another year older in your family, be sure to preserve birthday memories using one of our adorable . We love Let’s Party!

September- Fall sports are in full swing. Share all the game-day action quickly and easily with other doting parents, teammates and coaches in our sports slideshows (also great for end of the season parties!). From baseball to soccer, we’ve got dozens of different customizable designs. Check out the football themed slideshow below, Victory on the Field.

October- Whether you’re going for “trick” or “treat” this year, we’ve got your Halloween greetings covered. Let loved one’s far away share in on all of the excitement by sending a personalized slideshow or collage of your family dressed up, like the fright inspired design below, Halloween Collage. They’ll love seeing the kids in full character, its sure to be a spooky success!

November- Give thanks this month by appreciating the important people in your life. Share family memories and Thanksgiving festivities in a classic fall photo album, like Autumn Album, below, and remind them all what they mean to you!

December- Share warm seasons greeting with friends and family in one of our many holiday greetings. We love this beautiful and printable design, Joyful!