Scrappy Girl Around the World

Here's another update on my 100 Days Project progress.  We're a bit over halfway now! 49)  Once again, I found myself short on time.  So, what was something I could do fairly quickly?  Sort another photo order from Snapfish, of course!  However, it didn't go as fast as I thought it would, given that I had a bunch of 4x6 collages (2 3x4 photos on each) that required cutting. 50)  I realized on this day that my pile of embellishments on my desk were getting quite out of control.  I had puffy stickers, wood veneer pieces, flair badges, etc., and I had to organize them before I could even think about touching a layout. 51)  I posted a process video of a layout of Scotland photos.  This one features a 6x8 pocket page, with an insert, and photos from the architecture all around Edinburgh.  I'm very happy with how the layout turned out in the end. 52)  I worked on a birthday gift for my sister-in-law featuring some Harry Potter-themed stamps.  Fun! 53)  I had

Here's my latest update on the 100 Days Project.  I'm still going strong! 44)  I posted another process video on my YouTube channel.  This one featured a one page 12x12 layout with photos from the Sponge Bob parade at Universal Studios.  We were there last summer, and as we used to be really big Sponge Bob fans, it fun to get to see the parade inside the park. 45)  I was away at a scrap retreat for several days, so I worked on quite a few layouts while I was there. 46)  More retreat layouts.   Photos are from The Lumineers in concert 47)  And more retreat layouts! Photos are from Cabana Bay/Universal Studios 48)  I did another video on my channel, but this one was a full flip-thru of an album I recently finished.  The album featured photos from my husband's trip to Ireland in 2016.  I did all of the design work, but he actually did all of his own journaling; I was very impressed.

Well, I'm not exactly happy to be writing this post, but this is real life, so here it goes.  I have blogged previously about the prep work I've done for a big trip to Amsterdam and Ireland that I was going to take in just a few weeks.  It turns out that I will not be able to take that trip (at least not when it was scheduled) after all.  I have a disease/condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis , which basically means that my back is slowly fusing.  There is no cure (yet), and it's genetic, so there are others in my family who have it, too.  It is all about management, and even with doing the best at management as possible, most people with AS will have flares.  Sadly, I'm dealing with a flare right now.  What does that mean?  It means lots of pain with standing or sitting for longer than 20 minutes or so, it means having to use a brace, it means having burning sensations that go up my spine and all around my lumbar area. As you can probably guess from the above in

Here's another update on my progress with the 100 Days Project.  So far, I've been managing to keep up without too much extra effort, which is awesome! 38)  I spent some time printing cards from the Project Life app.  I have purchased quite a few kits since I first loaded the app, and since I don't do the digital version of PL, I print out cards I like right from my printer at home, then I use them on physical pages. 39)  I posted a video on my channel that was about my process for printing and organizing my photos.  I also included information on how I plan out an album, as well as how I prep layouts before I go to a scrap event or weekend crop. 40)  For my younger son's birthday, we visited a cat cafe.  I took a ton of photos! While this isn't really a huge thing, I'm still counting it as a creative endeavor since it involved some fun photography. 41)  I posted a process video on my channel.  This one featured a double page 12x12 layouts using photo

Today I want to talk about using Airbnb when I travel.  And not just using Airbnb, but specifically using Airbnb as a woman.  It is sad that I have to even think about it that way, but as I live in the real world, there you have it.  When I was first traveling on my own, I stuck with hotels in busy places, as I felt safer and I tended to be closer to city centers.  For most touristy activities in larger cities, that's a great place to be.  However, travelers pay a price for that, and I felt it.  I wanted to be able to put more of my money into actually enjoying a city rather than into a room I'd hardly be in each day.  Enter Airbnb. As a female traveler who often is globetrotting solo, I felt that I had to be smart and careful in my choices with Airbnb options.  For instance, after I do a preliminary/mainly generic search for what I want, I start narrowing down the options. 1)  I look at the owner of the property; I tend to immediately exclude a listing that has only a

I'm back today with another update on my progress with the 100 Days Project.  I have to say, I don't know that I've ever been as prolific as this, in terms of creative output.  I'm also loving the inclusion of something creative/crafty into every day, even if it is only for 10 minutes; it makes me feel happier as I go about my day. 32)  I did a blog post here about some of the research I've done for visiting Amsterdam.  I can't believe how quickly that trip is approaching! 33)  I have been slowly working my way through my photos from Edinburgh and Glasgow.  I had printed some of them already in 4x6, originally thinking that I would be doing traditional 12x12 page layouts.  However, since I decided to switch my plan and go with 6x8 pocket pages, I had to rethink my photos.  On this day, I made it all the way through my Glasgow photos, making many of them 3x4 in order to fit two into a 4x6 photo collage (via the Project Life app ). 34)  I recorded and poste

I made it through the first month of the 100 Days Project!  (You can't see it, but I'm doing a really lame dance in my chair right now.)  So far, I have found it to be invigorating to work on something creative every day, whether that is a blog post here, a video on my YouTube channel, or actually putting something together when I'm at my craft desk.  Here's a recap of days 26-31. 26)  I did a layout in a traveler's notebook insert.  I am really enjoying this new size and style for crafty projects! 27)  I prepped multiple layouts for an upcoming scrap retreat.  I believe in prepping because it helps me to get more done once I'm there; if I don't have things somewhat planned, I just sit there and become overwhelmed by a blank page and too much stuff around me.  Prepping helps me to pare down what I'm bringing along with me, as well as to already have a design built for each layout. 28)  I recorded a video for my YouTube channel.  This one features