Scrappy Girl Around the World

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.