Scrappy Girl Around the World

I follow multiple travel blogs each day, and one of the sites I frequent the most is the one that belongs to Nomadic Matt.  I've been following for years, since I first felt the desire to travel, but was unsure where to start or how to research.  I've continued to follow his blog because he writes great articles (as do his guest writers), produces awesome travel guides, and even offers forums for travelers to talk to each other about their experiences and plans. So, today I just read a recent post from Matt.  I'm linking it here because I want anyone to read it who is willing.  It's called The Culture Shock of Coming Home .  It talks about how travelers feel when they have to adjust to not traveling; it sounds simple, but it's actually quite complicated.  I've joked with people I know that I often have "post-trip depression" after I get back, but it isn't a joke; it is real.  It's almost as if I feel uncomfortable because the person who is in...

Yesterday was my birthday, but the really big news is that I was also the featured guest on the Scrap Gals podcast!  The episode is called Top Tips for Travel Scrapbooking .  I had a great time recording the show with Tiffany and Tracie... some fangirling definitely happened when they asked me to be a guest on the show.  If you have any interest in travel and/or documenting it, give this episode a listen!

My latest featured layout is a traveler's notebook spread (2 pages) that features photos from a local farmers market.  This TN insert is all about a history and photo walk I took with a friend last summer; some of the gorgeous photos are featured here.  I couldn't take my eyes off of the amazing colors around the market, so I *may* have gone a little crazy when it comes to how many photos I took there.  I wanted to make sure that the background brought out the bright colors, so I chose to use a few pieces of lively yellow paper to go behind the photos.  I also followed the format I've been using by including a cork number to indicate the stop # on the tour we did.   Because I so loved this market, I included a shiny heart sticker from a kit I had that was made by Kelly Purkey .  As I had a large blank space at the top of the right-hand page, I needed to fill it with something.  I chose a phrase label that I had in my stash, and placed two puffy ...

I haven't posted here in a bit, and to be honest, it's because I am struggling with the writing.  Travel and scrapbooking are passions for me, but for some reason, I am finding it difficult to get something in print about it.  I think maybe it's because there is already so much digital noise on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. that I have information overload and have an aversion to adding to that in the online world.  The Scrap Gals just did a podcast episode that addresses memory keeping in the digital age, and it spoke to me because of this exact problem.  Does anyone else struggle with it this?  I feel like I can't be the only one.

I'm back on the blog today to give you a look at my latest NYC layout.  My whole NYC album uses 6"x8" pocket pages (plus some smaller inserts), and this particular layout is a one-pager.  It features two photos from the taking the subway, specifically the uptown E train.  I used a cool card I received in an older kit from Studio Calico (the one with the colorful numbers).  I thought it worked well with how the numbers and letters of train are listed on the overhead boards on the subway platforms. For the upper left pocket, I used a basic journaling card I had with a grid pattern.  I chose it because it was red at the top and had a space for the date.  I also chose to add a phrase/word label I had that had the word "train" on it; it seemed like a perfect fit.  The only other embellishments I added were a small enamel dot and a circular die-cut with the word "Adventure" on it in a fun font. If you'd like to see how it all came together, you c...

I've been doing more planning for my big trip this summer.  I land in Munich, and my first stop after that will be Salzburg, Austria.  I've been researching both bus and train routes, pricing, seating options, etc. for a while now.  While I originally had my mind set to take the bus to Salzburg, I've since changed my mind.  On many of the travel blogs that I read and different discussions I frequent, the consensus seems to be that taking the train has a much more scenic route.  So, while the train will be a bit more money, I'm willing to spend it for the views.  Prior to this upcoming trip, I've only used trains in the UK and France, so I'm excited to experience train travel in other countries. Snacks on board a Virgin train in the UK The planning is also different for me this time because I've gotten quite used to traveling solo, but I'll be traveling with a friend (and fellow scrapper) this time.  That means that pretty much every decision mad...

My most recent layout features photos from Paper Presentation in NYC.  If you're a scrapper or card-marker that is going to NYC, this is the store for you!  I went on a Sunday morning right when they opened; I was actually a bit early, but that allowed me some time to take pictures outside of the store and on the surrounding blocks before the store opened for the day. Once I was inside the building, it was a bit overwhelming.  I had no idea just how big it was on the inside.  It essentially has doors on both side of a city block, taking up all the space in between.  There are sections for stationery, invitations, card-making, journals, scrapbooking, gift wrap, adult coloring ... really, any kind of project that involves paper would have supplies here.  They have also some souvenirs available, as you can see from one of the photos here. I spent most of my time in the loose paper section (placed nearer to the card and invitation supplies) and then the...

My most recent layout is one that I made in a traveler's notebook insert.  I took a history and photo walk last summer, and I've been slowly working my way through those photos.  I'm still having a fab time scrapping my NYC photos, but I wanted to take a little break and challenge myself to work in a different size for a bit.  This layout features a photo from Mickey's Diner, which is a famous spot in downtown St. Paul.  If you've seen "The Mighty Ducks" movies or "Jingle All the Way", you've seen it before.  I only got one good shot, as the second one was blurry, so I wanted to make sure that I did that one good photo justice.  Since this is only a one-page layout, I really wanted the photo to stand out from the background. I used a patterned paper background that was fairly subtle, I added some washi to bring in the red elements, I continued the use of a cork number to designate the spot on the tour, and I chose to make my own journ...

A few posts ago, I wrote about trying to decide on whether or not to go to a conference while on my Europe trip this summer.  After a lot of research and soul-searching, I've decided to skip the conference.  Yes, I will lose the $100 I put down to hold my place as an attendee, but I just don't feel that it is the right time for me to be there.  While I love the idea of being more involved in the travel industry, I also have to be realistic about what my life is right now and what that means.  I have large student debt that I have to pay; I need to focus on that for at least the next year, rather than jumping into a time-intensive (likely) side venture that could also end up costing me additional money to start/maintain. At this point, I intend to just keep doing what I've been doing: posting here about scrapping and travel, as well as putting up videos on my scrappy YouTube channel.  Those things do take some work, but they are free (other than the cost of...

I am still working through all of my many, many photos from my NYC trip in December.  My latest process video features photos from my adventure to the Neue Galerie .  This art gallery/museum is located on the east side of Central Park in NYC, just off the 86th Street Transverse (splitting up part of the park), on 5th Avenue.  If you've been to the Met in NYC, the Neue Galerie is actually just up the street; you can see the Met from the sidewalk outside of the Neue Galerie. This layout is a double-page spread, with the left side being a full 6x8 page/pocket.  I had a photo from the subway station I used at 86th St., and I wanted to make sure that I was able to use it somehow.  The blue in the tile was not an ideal match with the blues on the second page, but I was determined to make it work.  On that left-hand page, I used several phrase labels, a blank label with some stamping, and a stamped image from a set I have from Close To My Heart . ...

I've been spending a lot time lately researching different things for my upcoming trip to Europe this summer.  As I will be in several countries, that means lots of logistical things to figure out before I leave American soil.  However, one of the biggest decisions I need to make is whether or not to attend a travel conference that's happening while I'm over there.  That conference was actually the reason I planned the trip in the first place, but as I've been researching more, I'm wondering if it is even worth it for me to spend the time getting to and attending the conference. I've wanted to attend this travel conference for several years; I had actually planned a trip to go to the one being held in Ireland last October.  I ended up not going because I had a flare of my AS, which meant there was no way I could sit on planes for 10-16 hours and then walk for hours and hours every day during the trip.  While my back is in better shape (at least right ...

I am taking a trip to Central Europe this summer.  I will be traveling through southern Germany (Bavaria), Austria, and part of the Czech Republic.  I'm using the Munich airport, which gives lots of options for our overall itinerary.  Given where I'll be traveling, I already know that I will take tons of photos; my friend traveling with me may have to physically pull me away from taking a million gorgeous shots of architectural features of churches and old buildings. One of my biggest tasks before I do any more serious planning is to find a new camera bag for myself.  The one I've been using for the past several years really isn't conducive to long travel; it only holds my camera (while a lens is on the body), a backup battery, and maybe a few small things like lip balm, keys, and some cash.  The strap is fine in length, but frankly, it is not comfortable at all, especially if I'm wearing a sleeveless shirt when it's hot.  It will definitely be warm when ...

I am back from my break, ready to post some info on my latest layout.  I'm working steadily on my photos from the trip I took to NYC in December of 2017, so this layout again features some of those shots.  These photos are from Grand Central Terminal, which was my first major stop once I was in the city.  The photo below is the left-hand page, which features a phrase label/sticker, a little strip of patterned paper, sequins (from Felicity Jane ), and some stamping (stamps by Kelly Purkey ).    The right-hand page uses the awesome gold foil patterned paper I found when I was shopping at Paper Presentation in Chelsea.  I love the Art Deco look of it!  I also added a cork piece I had in my stash and a bit o washi to give definition to the borders of the photo. The last photo here shows the back of an insert I used between the two pages.  That NYC sticker is from the Paper House booklet I bought (also at Paper Presentation).  ...

On Sunday, I decide to take break from Facebook, maybe just for a few days, maybe for a week (maybe longer).  I've decided to include my blog, too, as I feel like I just need less screen time for a while.  I work in front of a computer all day, so adding even more time on my laptop every day has taken a toll.  I'll be back in a bit, hopefully with more energy and excitement for what's to come in 2018.

Work has been kind of crazy in the past week or so, so I fell behind on my blogging here.  In that time, I've published several process videos on my YouTube channel, so I figured I'd recap them here.  As I stated in my last post, I finished my Iceland album, woo hoo!  I did two flip-thru videos of it, since I give some travel anecdotes in addition to all of the scrappy-related details.  I've linking Part 2 here, since I posted that on January 6th, right after my last entry here. Once the Iceland photos were done, I moved on to start my NYC album.  This is kind quick for me, as I just took that trip in early December!  I'm excited to be working on it so soon after being there; my enthusiasm at this point is very high.  In this first process video, you'll see that I've used some fun pocket cards, letter stickers, a good plane photo, and a cool NYC-related stamp.

Now that my Iceland album (from trip in April of 2017) is completed, I made some flip-thru videos for it.  I decided to break it in half, as otherwise the video would probably run 40 minutes!  The first half of the layouts feature photos from my flight, my airport arrival, shuttle bus, the hotel I stayed in, a typical Icelandic breakfast, Hallgrimskirkja , a map, and some random photos from wandering the streets of Reykjavik.  Travel is my favorite topic to scrap, so I really enjoyed reliving my memories from the trip while putting these pages together.

Tonight is New Year's Eve, and I have to say that I'm happy to see 2017 go.  There were some very good things that happened (including a great trip overseas), but there was also a lot of stress surrounding my jobs.  I am hoping that changes in 2018; I know that part of it rests on me in that I have to say "no" more than I have in the past year. Going into 2018, I'm looking forward to another big trip to Europe, which will likely include Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.  I'll be traveling with a friend, and while we may do many activities together, I'm sure there will also be times when I'm on my own, which suits me just fine.  I'm still very much in the process of doing a bunch of research on different airports and locations, but I'm excited to take this next journey. I spent most of my day scrapping today; I spent some great time with a friend who is also a scrapper.  I usually find scrapping with a friend relaxing, so it w...

I finally have a day off today, so I'm using part of it to gather more things (!) for my NYC album.  I found some more digital kits/files that had fun and interesting elements, so I spent a little money to add them to my collection.  I purchased this and this and this (this last one was actually a freebie).  I don't know that I'll end up using them all with my current photos, but I do plan to go back to NYC in early 2019, so I may be able to use them then. Something I've been noticing while searching for items is that it is much harder to find 4x6 cards that I like.  The 3x4 cards are much easier to find and seem far more popular.  I do use a lot of pages in 6x8 size that feature 3x4 pockets, but I also use quite a few that have 4x6 pockets; I'd love to see more modern designs for the larger size.

I've only been back from my trip to New York for a little over two weeks, but I am so inspired by my photos that I wanted to start designing my album.  When it comes to planning out how my album will come together, I tend to be very Type A.  I like knowing that that the pages are going to match up in a way that I'm happy with, and I also like knowing how many page protectors it's going to take to finish the job.  With that in mind, here is how I spent some of my time today. Since I'm doing a 6"x8" pocket page album, I do have to put a lot of thought into what will be on each side of the layout because it has to work for what will be on the other side.  This is often the biggest challenge with using pocket pages.  However, I like the challenge it gives me; I find it a more enjoyable process than just doing a standard 12"x12", at least for right now.  I also find pocket pages to be a much faster way of scrapbooking in general, so it means that...

I've been back from New York for less than 2 weeks, but I'm already dreaming of another getaway.  For those of us with wanderlust, this is just how things are.  Besides being addicted to travel, I also have a passion for art, and the Impressionists specifically.  When I heard a few months ago that a major Degas exhibit was coming to the United States, I was extremely excited!  However, there's only one problem: the exhibit is only coming to Denver.  I knew immediately that I'd regret it if I don't go, so I put it on my watchlist for flights.  It's an advantage for me that I grew up in Colorado, and I go to Denver frequently for both work and to see friends; I know my way around Denver pretty well.  The issues for me with seeing this exhibit were time and money, as there is other travel I want to do in 2018. I set up some alerts, as I always do (I mentioned this in a previous blog post), and waited to see what would come up in the next few weeks ...