If you are looking for a fun way to celebrate a birthday or offer congratulations, send a free mini-tribute!  Here is some recent (as in today’s) feedback from people who received their own mini-tributes at http://www.isAbsolutelyRemarkable.com.

“That was awesome!”

“Wow!  Great website!  I feel remarkable…thanks.”

“That is so cool!  I love it!!”

“Wow…that was fabulous!  Thanks for the smile! xo”

“I am smiling!  This is AWESOME!  Thank you. “

“Cute presentation!  Thank you, it did make me smile.”

“Thanks for the remarkable slide presentation…that was too cool!”

“Cool page!  I tweeted it to followers.”

“That was greatlly great!  As if TGIF wasn’t enough, I see that first thing!  I’ll keep that in mind when I want to send one out to someone!”

Want to make someone smile?  Send you own at www.isAbsolutelyRemarkable.com!

I now get multiple tags a day from people who want to hear 25 random things that people might not know about.  It has been going around blogs and Facebook.  The idea is that you make a list of twenty-five things, copy the person you tagged you, and twenty-five others who might be interested in reading yours and creating their own lists.  On and on it goes.  It has been interesting to read about my friend’s belly dancing classes, desire to travel, and strange food preferences.

I thought Remarkable Tributes would join in the fun and create a list of 25 things you might not know about Remarkable Tributes.  Consider yourself “tagged” and put links to your own lists in a comment here.  These are in no particular order.  Enjoy!

1.  Remarkable Tributes was once called “Creative Outlet Labs.”  We all agree Remarkable Tributes is better.

2.  Remarkable Tributes owns over 100 Fill-in-The-Blank Links ™ that you can use to create to publish your tributes online.  These include funny ones like so-and-so.LiesAboutHerAge.com or serious ones like such-and-such.WhomILove.com

3.  Remarkable Tributes was in private beta testing for three months in late 2008 preparing for the larger launch.

4.  If a group of 16 people (like a dance team, drama club, or church youth group) were to use Remarkable Tributes to create a gift for their coach or leader and each submitted a page, the cost for each participant would be less than $2.50, which includes the cost of standard shipping.  For less than the cost of a slice of pizza, you could create a personalized gift that they’d treasure for years. 

5.  My son, who is six, has been a beta tester and had made a very cool Star Wars book.  Ironically, our user policy prevents us from publishing it, since the good folks at LucasFilm own those characters.  He has a cool superheroes book instead.

6.  You can use Remarkable Tributes to host a virtual birthday party with far-flung friends and family.  Everyone submit their own pictures and greetings and viola!  – the perfect gift.

7.  The first Remarkable Tributes book I created to test the concept was a baby blessing book for my daughtter.  The concept here is that extended family would submit their blessings, greetings, and prayers for the new baby.  This is a fantastic things for grandparents to do!

8.  The idea for Remarkable Tributes was inspired by my grandma, whom we called “Mano.”  I’ll write more on that in future blog posts.

9.  The first tribute book (in alpha stage of development) that was sold was for a farewell.  The recipient was a friend, minister, and neighbor who was moving out of the country.  What a great application for Remarkable Tributes!

10.  The largest tribute book we can publish is 200 pages.  This is 100 contributors you invite submitting two pages each.  Plenty big for most occasions.

11.  The smallest tribute book we want to publish is 20 pages.  If your’s doesn’t reach that page length, we’ll fill it in with lined “Notes and Stories” pages on which you can get additional greetings or that you can use as a guest book at an event.  A tribute book makes an excellent wedding guest book!

12.  The time it takes to organize and publish a tribute varies widely.  A month to six weeks seems about typical, giving people a chance to respond.  That said, I will offer a special gift to the person who kicks off and publishes a collaborative tribute (with more than 5 contributors) in less than 24 hours.  It certainly could be done in less time than that,  if everyone is ready to respond!  Email Welisten [at] RemarkableTributes.com if your project qualifies.  You’ll not only get a fabulous prize, but be featured on this blog under the heading “Speed Tribute!”

13.  Remarkable Tributes has been nominated in the Start-up National Leading Moms Competition.  You can vote for us here!  Only one vote is allowed by person per day.

14.  You can use Remarkable Tributes to create a cookbook for your club or group.  One of our alpha testers created a cookbook to honor a friend’s 29th birthday.  Everyone submitted their favorite recipes and now she has a hard-bound cookbook with birthday greetings, photos, and recipes to enjoy for decades!  This would make a fantastic wedding shower gift, as well (plus a way to involve college friends, extended family, and colleagues from across the country who can’t be at the event).

15.  Tribute organizers have full editorial rights to the pages of a tribute.  If something is misspelled or inappropriate, they can fix it before publishing.  They can edit as much or as little as they want.

16.  We love getting your fan mail at PO Box 3575, Hillsboro OR  97124 or via email at WeListen [at] RemarkableTributes.com.

17.  We invite you to video tape people receiving tribute books.  Capture the surprise and delight on their face.  Post it (with permission, of course) to YouTube or another video sharing site and send us the link.  We’d love to see it!  Maybe one day we’ll have our own reality TV show with a big, tear-full reveal at the end of each episode.

18.  Remarkable Tributes is located outside of Portland, Oregon on the west coast of the USA.  Portland is on the border of Oregon and Washington State at the junction of two rivers: the Columbia and the Willamette. 

19.  Remarkable Tributes is a great gift for someone who has everything.  What is most precious is the memories that they share with friends and family!

20.  Remarkable Tributes was designed to be error-proof.  Contributors to the project can’t “mess up” the color schemes, font selections, or page layouts.  The resulting tribute is professional-looking, unified, and ready for gift-giving.  Plus, it makes is super easy for contributors as they don’t have many creative decisions to make. 

21.  I have been a scrapbooker (with paper, glue, processed photos, and embellishments) for over 15 years, a digital scrapbooker and user of desktop publishing tools for over 10 years, and know what goes into creating a work of art in the form of a scrapbook.  Remarkable Tributes doesn’t replace that.  It simply solves the problem of how to create a collaborative tribute as efficiently as possible.

22.  People ask me, “could I use Remarkable Tributes” to create a photo book of my summer vacation?”  The short answer, is “yes.”  You could upload all your own photos and stories and publish a book without any outside contributions.  But if you did this, you’d miss the power of Remarkable Tributes.  Now, if you wanted to create a photo book to commemorate a destination wedding, where each guest left their best pictures and greetings for the bride and groom…then Remarkable Tributes is perfect!  If you were a teacher who wanted each student in the class to submit information about their respective summer vacations, then we’re onto something!

23.  The story behind the name Remarkable Tributes is that it is the combination of “Remark” and “able.”  It essentially enables people to remark and leave their mark in a tribute.  We thought it was clever and we liked how it looked in the logo.

24.  While we were developing Remarkable Tributes, we thought it would be fun to create a little mini-tribute application.  Something people could use for free to make people smile and raise interest for Remarkable Tributes.  You can use this today for free at www.isAbsolutelyRemarkable.com.

25.  What’s next?  We have lots of new features and options planned for the coming year.  Join the mailing list to keep up with all the latest news.  Of course, you can also subscribe to this blog and follow us on Twitter.

Like I said, we’d love to hear your 25 random things.  Leave a link in comments below.

That sound you hear, is the reving of engines.  The roar of anticipation on the launch pad.  We have been told that once the engines on the space shuttle turn on, they must be continually cooled with water, lest their heat actually blow up the whole shuttle.  That is sort of what I feel like right now.

Development is proceeding and if you have checked out the beta recently, you have noticed lots of changes.  Your feedback is making a difference as we approach the launch.  Keep the feedback coming!

In an effort to hit the ground running (I know, I am mixing my metaphors here and it isn’t pretty), I decided to enter Remarkable Tributes in the StartupNation “Leading Moms in Business” competition.  You can vote for it here!  They only allow one vote per day, but you wouldn’t hurt my feelings if you visited it a few days in a row. 

While you are cooling your heels waiting for the launch party, remember to send out tokens of your appreciation at www.isAbsolutelyRemarkable.com.  It is free, it takes 30 seconds, and will make someone’s day!   At Remarkable Tributes we are all about appreciation and this little service is just one of the ways we help you recognize people (a bit of preview of coming attractions). 

By the way, it is fun to include a link in birthday greetings on Facebook or MySpace as well.  Personalize it with their name (for instance, http://Barack.Obama.isAbsolutelyRemarkable.com) and they’ll think you created a site just for them.  Shh!  Your secret is safe with me!

I have written quite a bit about the little mini-tribute tool that is free at www.AbsolutelyRemarkable.com.  It is a fun way to encourage someone.  It has solicited this kind of reaction time and time again: “Thanks for the mini-tribute.  It was fabulous and made my day special.  Thanks for thinking of me!”  If that is the response you want, go out and send a mini-tribute today!

However, this is just a tiny part of what Remarkable Tributes is about.  It is the movie trailer or preview that hints at the movie, but doesn’t tell the whole story.  If the mini-tribute makes you smile and you can think of many people who would enjoy it, you’ll love Remarkable Tributes when we launch the full application in a number of weeks.  It is not too late to sign up for the private beta test (if you want to help us pilot it and provide early feedback).

They say that if you want something done, you should give the assignment to a busy person.  This has never been more true for me, as work continues on getting the beta ready for prime time and planning the marketing launch.  A lot of below-the-surface paddling and I can’t wait to see us cruising!  Progress has been slow in some areas and brisk in others.  At this time (something I have called the sticky middle) it is critical to focus on the positive, build momentum, and keep celebrating progress.  Sometimes you just have to have to make a cake and take a moment to recognize how far you’ve come (even if the goals remain solidly in front of you).

On the subject of celebration, I continue to get fantastic feedback on the cool little (free) mini-tribute application at www.isAbsolutelyRemarkable.com.  Here is what one person said: “This was SO cool!  I felt incredibly special.  It’s amazing how powerful well-presented words can be – my name in lights and with snazy music.  Very fun.”  Know someone absolutely remarkable?  Send them a mini-tribute now while you are thinking about it.

Happy Birthday, Sir Elton.  He is 61 years old today.  He is several time zones ahead of me, so I guess this is officially a belated birthday message. 

I think it is interesting that his first single to hit big on the US charts (a year after his debut album in 1969) was “Your Song.”  Because his performance style (and other songs of this period) were so flamboyant and energetic, it would seem strange that this subdued and tender song would be his first hit in the States.

I guess it goes to show that if you are Remarkable, people take notice.  If you know someone who is remarkable, let me know and we can feature them here on this blog.  Or you can take matters into your own hands and send them a mini-tribute at www.isAbsolutelyRemarkable.com.

Rock on!

Happy Birthday, Sir Elton.  He is 61 years old today.  He is several time zones ahead of me, so I guess this is officially a belated birthday message. 

I think it is interesting that his first single to hit big on the US charts (a year after his debut album in 1969) was “Your Song.”  Because his performance style (and other songs of this period) were so flamboyant and energetic, it would seem strange that this subdued and tender song would be his first hit in the States.

I guess it goes to show that if you are Remarkable, people take notice.  If you know someone who is remarkable, let me know and we can feature them here on this blog.  Or you can take matters into your own hands and send them a mini-tribute at www.isAbsolutelyRemarkable.com.

Rock on!

We are nearly 3 months into the new year and we are tracking nicely towards sending a million smiles through mini-tributes.  As you may recall, you can send a free mini-tribute at www.isAbsolutelyRemarkable.com.  You personalize it with your recipients name and they are sent an invitation to view their personal greeting.  It is sure to bring a smile to their face!

Here are what people are saying about these mini-tributes:

• “That just made my day! In fact, it put a smile on my face that I am sure will last all weekend.”
• “Here is a little Monday morning pick-me-up for you.”
• “How did you get my name in there?  How cool is that.  Loved it!”
• “That is the slickest thing I have seen.  I sent it to three other people.  Thanks so much!”

If you haven’t done it yet, sent a free mini-tribute today and help us spread the word!  They are a great alternative to e-cards for birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, or thank yous.  Before the year is out, I believe we can send 1 million smiles!

We are nearly 3 months into the new year and we are tracking nicely towards sending a million smiles through mini-tributes.  As you may recall, you can send a free mini-tribute at www.isAbsolutelyRemarkable.com.  You personalize it with your recipients name and they are sent an invitation to view their personal greeting.  It is sure to bring a smile to their face!

Here are what people are saying about these mini-tributes:

• “That just made my day! In fact, it put a smile on my face that I am sure will last all weekend.”
• “Here is a little Monday morning pick-me-up for you.”
• “How did you get my name in there?  How cool is that.  Loved it!”
• “That is the slickest thing I have seen.  I sent it to three other people.  Thanks so much!”

If you haven’t done it yet, sent a free mini-tribute today and help us spread the word!  They are a great alternative to e-cards for birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, or thank yous.  Before the year is out, I believe we can send 1 million smiles!

Be one of the first to send 10 mini-tributes at www.isAbsolutelyRemarkable.com and win a free stamp from Creative Outlet Labs.  This self-inking rubber stamp will help you personalize your print correspondence and make them smile!  Just stamp and fill in your friend’s first and last name by hand. 

To earn a free stamp (actual stamp dimensions .75″ by 2.375″), send ten (10) mini-tributes from the same email address by January 31st, 2008 and you will be automatically entered in the contest.  I will select four entries and contact you via email for specific mailing details.  No purchase is necessary and the mini-tributes are free to send.  I can only accept entries from the United States from customers who are older than 18 years of age.

Be one of the first to send 10 mini-tributes at www.isAbsolutelyRemarkable.com and win a free stamp from Creative Outlet Labs.  This self-inking rubber stamp will help you personalize your print correspondence and make them smile!  Just stamp and fill in your friend’s first and last name by hand. 

To earn a free stamp (actual stamp dimensions .75″ by 2.375″), send ten (10) mini-tributes from the same email address by January 31st, 2008 and you will be automatically entered in the contest.  I will select four entries and contact you via email for specific mailing details.  No purchase is necessary and the mini-tributes are free to send.  I can only accept entries from the United States from customers who are older than 18 years of age.

Don’t wait another second!  Tell them with a mini-tribute.

Creative Outlet Labs announced today the Absolutely Remarkable mini-tribute.  This new, free application allows you to create a custom, animated mini-tribute honoring someone and view it, send it yourself, or let us send it for you.  If you know someone who is absolutely remarkable, you must check out this fun site.

While you are at it, encourage your friend to sign up for the beta of Remarkable by Creative Outlet Labs.  If you like Absolutely Remarkable mini-tributes, you will love the full-blown application coming soon.  Sort of like a movie studio will issue a trailer to build excitement for their new film, we are doing the same, building excitement for Remarkable. 

Have fun using this and sharing it!

Don’t wait another second!  Tell them with a mini-tribute.

Creative Outlet Labs announced today the Absolutely Remarkable mini-tribute.  This new, free application allows you to create a custom, animated mini-tribute honoring someone and view it, send it yourself, or let us send it for you.  If you know someone who is absolutely remarkable, you must check out this fun site.

While you are at it, encourage your friend to sign up for the beta of Remarkable by Creative Outlet Labs.  If you like Absolutely Remarkable mini-tributes, you will love the full-blown application coming soon.  Sort of like a movie studio will issue a trailer to build excitement for their new film, we are doing the same, building excitement for Remarkable. 

Have fun using this and sharing it!