The Versatility of The Gift of a Lifetime Display Platform.
The primary
purpose of The Gift of a Lifetime is to provide a simple way for a person to write or record a serious and in-depth story of their
life. The storybook has been created on a platform that is completely customizable, allowing the user to add or remove pages from
their life storybook. If a person can answer questions and has the ability to remember, The Gift of a Lifetime will walk them through
the story of their life.
The unique format of The Gift of a Lifetime will allow the user
author the option to choose from a variety of ways to record their life story in their storybook. The user author can choose to hand
write their autobiography, audio record their life story on cassette then transfer to a final CD format, record their story in video
form to be finalized on a DVD format, or any combination of all of these formats to be displayed in their life storybook.
The user author's life story will be developed through a Main Storybook of varied subjects with the ability to grow their individual
life story through the choice of 20 special subject chapters that are available to be added to personalize their story.
An accompanying Guide Book with useful tips, tools, and instructions will further assist the user author in the development and recording
of their life story.
The Gift of a Lifetime will begin with just one binder bound book,
but as your story grows, it has the potential to grow into a collection of several or many bookbinders. As your story develops beyond
the confines of your first bookbinder, you will be able to purchase, additional identical binders to keep your life storybook collection
uniform in appearance.
Available on the CD-ROM are various types of color page backgrounds for
your creative use. We have given you an ease of use in the development of your personal life storybook as well as created a platform
that would bring you the most adaptability and versatility. This design and concept will allow you to display your story in a colorful
and interesting manor for all to see and enjoy.
The icing on the cake of The Gift of a Lifetime isthe unique application of adding a variety of media attachments to display in their storybook. Because of the standard 3-ring design
of The Gift of a Lifetime platform, the user can add a variety of attachments to their book, including vinyl pages, such as photo
pocket holders, full-page protectors, and CD/DVD/CD-ROM holders. This will give the user the ability to add photographs, audio/CD
and video/DVD recordings, awards and certificates, and scrapbook type of materials. The Gift of a Lifetime can display not only your
written story, but also your memorabilia, your voice and the voices of other persons who are part of your life story, audio and visual
recordings of experiences and memories that relate to your stories, certificates and awards that you have received, collectables that
you cherish, and many other materials that relate to your life.
Looking Closer at The Gift of a Lifetime
Not all, but some select publishings of The
Gift of a Lifetime, are of a Limited Edition Series and will be individually numbered and hand-signed by the originating
design author, Jimmy B. Cover. Each limited edition series will vary in some manner and no two limited edition releases will
be the same. The presently offered series is the Live Forever Aged Parchment Limited Edition, limited to 2500 numbered books and 100
artist proofs.
Each Castillian padded storybook cover is gold foil stamped on the front
with The Gift of a Lifetime and Live Forever stamped on the spine. The cover is constucted on a standard 3-ring format for purpose
of customization. Presently, the offered colors are: Black, Bankers Gray, Forest Green, Bright White, Burgundy, and Navy Blue.
Inside of the storybook cover are the functional contents of The Gift of a Lifetime, which are divided into three main
areas of untilization, the Main Storybook pages, the Guide Book, and the CD-ROM with Subject Chapters +.
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The Main Storybook is
the platform base from which your story will be organized and developed. It includes a numbered and signed cover page, dedication
page, introduction pages, table of contents pages, family tree chart, and story development pages. Three types of sample vinyl pages
are also attached to provide you with a creative display example for the development of your storybook.
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The Guide Book is your storybook
information center, providing you with guidance, orientation, tips, and instructions that will aid you in the development of your
life story.
Customizing
Options
One of the greatest attributes of The Gift of a Lifetime storybook is a design
that gives the user author the greatest freedom, versatility, and flexibility to customize this storybook to fit their individual
and personal life story. This is accomplished by giving the user author the opportunity to make choices and utilize options that will
promote ease in the creation and development of their very own one of a kind, autobiography storybook. Some highlights of the many
options are:
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The option to omit or add pages to align your storybook to fit your personal life story.
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The option to write about your
subjects at any length by adding pages to your storybook.
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The creative option to choose from a variety of color and photographic background
pages.
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The option to update or replace damaged or worn bookbinder covers.
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The option to continually add The Gift of a Lifetime bookbinders
as continuing volumes if your story grows beyond your present binder capacity.
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The option to return to your already written storybook
at any time and any page to add to, change, adjust, rearrange, or rewrite your story.
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The option to write your story on your own or share
the writing of your story with a companion.
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The option to either record your story in handwriting, typewriting, audio, video, or as
a combination of any or all of these methods.
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The option to add photographs, keepsake scrap materials, awards, etc. to your storybook.
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The
option to add and store related DVDs, CDs, and CD-ROMs in your storybook.
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The option to choose and print any or all of the 20 personal
subject chapters that fit into your individual life story.
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The option to make use of various Certificates of Appreciation available
for your gratitude, appreciation, or recognition offerings.
Subject Chapters
As previously mentioned, the user author will have the option to choose
and add to their Main Storybook, any of the 20 different subject areas of life experiences offered as Subject Chapters. With
these choices, the user author can customize their storybook to fit more closely the individual profile of their life story.
The 20 optional Subject Chapters available on the CD-ROM for personal story development are as follows:
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My Life's Work (a description
of your jobs, vocations, professions, or occupations that you have experienced in you life)
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My Special Friends (remembering the special
people who have made a difference in your life)
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My Child (all about the life of your child as he or she was growing up)
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My Travels (about
the places to where you have traveled)
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My Hobbies (hobbies that you have enjoyed during your lifetime)
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My Favorite Sports (highlighting
the sports that played a big part in your life)
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My Very Special Someone (dedicated to that special love of your life)
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My Life Changing
Experiences (those experiences that have defined you, helped establish your belief structure, your character, or an event that established
or changed the course or direction that your life would take)
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My Higher Education Years (remembering the times and accomplishments
of your education years after high school)
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My Collection of Outstanding Memories (life experiences that stand out in your memory, but
just do not fit into any set category or pages of other Subject Chapters)
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My Friends Write About Us (friends and family write about
memories of experiences that they have shared with you)
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My Faithful Memories (all about faith and your Christian life)
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My Family Tree (moves
deeper into remembering your family and relatives)
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My Special Pets (remembering those special animal friends who shared your life)
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My
Military Service (showcases your accomplishments and experiences in the military)
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My Interesting Experiences (special experiences,
special events, interesting people, celebrities)
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My Homes (about the places where you have lived)
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My Historical Experiences (remembering
where you were when; i.e., Pearl Harbor, Kennedy assassination, shuttle explosion, September 11th)
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My Marriage (in reference to your
life before, leading up to, during the actual marriage ceremony, and after the wedding)
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My Spouse (about life with your spouse and
his/her family. Includes spouse's family tree chart)
So, with the use of these creative tools, The Gift of a Lifetime can develop and become the record
of your life story and the creation of a precious gift that can be passed on to your loved ones, from generation to generation. As
the centuries pass, your attached memorabilia, photographs, and paper story pages would ordinarily fade and crumble with age. But
fear not, for the natural advancement of technology will insure that your life story, with all of the paper pages, audio, video, photographs,
and scrapbook materials may be preserved for as long as your descendents wish to enjoy them. This is why we say that you can
‘live forever’ in the hearts and minds of your descendents through your precious legacy and priceless heirloom life story, preserved
in the pages of The Gift of a Lifetime.
