Green Horned Unicorn

California 2012: Part 2

FINALLY! As I promised a few weeks ago, here is Part 2 of my Cali 2012 mini album (Part 1 can be found here). The pages and journaling below represent days two and three of our trip.

Journaling: While the kids slept in, Missy and I packed bags and got ready for another day at the beach. When the kids awoke, we loaded up the car and drove down to the Main beach, which was much larger and, less rocky, than the Cleo Street beach from the previous day. Missy dropped us off, took the car back to the hotel and walked down to meet us. While she was doing so, the kids and I found a fabulous spot in the sand to set up camp for the day.

Journaling: Caden set out to dig a massive hole in the sand. One so big, he could stand in it! Missy and the kids played lots of beach ball, while I tried to avoid the sun because I was burning and welting very easily. We stayed at the beach for nearly the entire day, only leaving to grab some lunch. Missy and Kylee returned from lunch and surprised me with an umbrella and Caden with a boogie board! It turned out to be another fun and relaxing day by the ocean.

Journaling: After the beach, we returned to the hotel to clean up. Then, we headed to Heisler Park to see the famous Laguna Beach gazebo. We soaked up the beautiful scenery and strolled around the grounds.

Journaling: We followed some trails, one of which led us from the rocky cliffs to a small, secluded beach below. Missy and Kylee were brave and decided to stand on a rock for a photo. As I was taking the picture a big wave crashed against the rock, soaking Missy, who had to walk around dripping wet the rest of the night. It was a good laugh for Caden and me, especially since he had told Missy and Ky it was a bad idea!

Journaling: We stopped for a light dinner of chips, salsa and guacamole at Las Brisas, which was recommended to us by Aunt Eileen. Missy and I had margaritas, while the kids tried kid-friendly strawberry daiquiris. Kylee was not a fan, so Caden lucked out and got to drink two. 

Journaling: After dinner, Missy and the kids treated me to a belated birthday cupcake at Casey’s Cupcakes (a winner of Cupcake Wars). All of our cupcakes were delicious! We followed cupcakes with walking and shopping. Missy and the kids spoiled me, by buying me a necklace and a dress at a cute little shop we found. We finally ended up at the hotel where we went to bed to rest up for another day at the beach.

Journaling: We returned to the same spot on Main beach as the previous day. We spent our time doing many of the same activities as previous days, such as digging holes, building sandcastles and splashing in the ocean. Caden and Missy boogie boarded, while I stayed hidden under the umbrella because of my sun sensitivity. It was another wonderful day and a great way to spend our last day in Laguna Beach.

Journaling: After the beach, we cleaned up for dinner. The kids thought it would be fun to put pink chalk in their hair, so they both walked around town with hot pink streaks, getting lots of compliments along the way! We ate dinner at the Pizza Lounge and sat in one of their outside window booths while we ate. After pizza, we found a gelato parlor where we each got a scoop, which we enjoyed on the beach. The kids dug a few more holes in the sand as we watched our last Laguna Beach sunset.

Next up, Part 3, the final piece of the album highlighting our journey through Joshua Tree National Park. Thanks for sticking with me thorugh all of these photo heavy posts!

California 2012: Day 1

At the end of June, my sister, niece, nephew and I took a road trip from Scottsdale to Laguna Beach for a long, relaxing weekend. Much of our time was spent on the beach (obviously) and exploring the quaint town of Laguna Beach. On the return home we made a stop at Joshua Tree National Forest (another item on Missy's and my "must see" list). In all, our four day adventure left us with around 700 photos.

To say I was overwhelmed by all the photos would be a gross understatement. I honestly didn't even know where to start. So, I set out to make a plan for the album, not only for consistency and cohesiveness, but also to make the process easier for me. I decided to create a 5x7 album, using Amy Tangerine Sketchbook papers and embellishments.

In order to fit as many photos as possible into my album, I created various 5x7 photo collages in Photoshop. I primarily placed a patterned paper on the left and photo on the right, although I did back some photos to one another in a few places to save space. I also printed some of my favorite landscape photos as 8x10, which I trimmed to a 7x10, then cut in half to create full page spreads. To reduce bulkiness, I kept the embellishments to a minimum.

My favorite part of the album, aside from the photos and memories, is the washi tape wrapped edges. I love how fun and colorful they are! The washi tape was actually a last minute addition I used to hide some very sticky edges, which were causing the pages to stick together (my first attempt at using a Scotch ATG, which I clearly need much more practice with). I really love the look the washi tape adds to the edges and will certainly use the technique again.

Even with the photo collages, the album is still huge. Instead of inundating you with it all at once, I decided to share it over a few posts. Here's a look at Day 1, the most photo-heavy day of our adventure.

Journaling: June 28, 2012 - We left Scottsdale around 5am, bound for Laguna Beach, California. Our rented Chrysler 200 was filled to the brim with luggage, towels, toys and kids. Caden and Kylee managed to sleep away most of the morning, while Missy and I took turns driving. The desert scenery on the drive leaves a lot to be desired. One of the high points was seeing the thousands of wind turbines just outside of Palm Springs.

Journaling: After a few pit stops, we arrived at the Holiday Inn Laguna Beach around 11:30am. Our room wasn’t ready yet, so we grabbed some lunch at Taco Bell and headed to the Cleo Street beach for an ocean-side picnic. We were all thrilled to finally put our toes in the sand and to get our first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean.

Journaling: After lunch, we checked into our room, changed into our suits, grabbed all of our gear and headed down the streets of Laguna Beach, in search of the perfect spot on the beach. Along the way, we found a cute little park with a lookout point, where we stood for a while, in awe of the stunning scenery.

Journaling: We finally found a spot on the beach where we spent the afternoon playing in the sand and splashing in the chilly, Pacific water. We played with the beach ball, dug in the sand, built sandcastles, read magazines and books, took tons of photos, napped and soaked up the sun. It was the perfect afternoon.

Journaling: Late in the afternoon, we went back to the hotel where the kids swam in the pool, while Missy and I took turns getting ready for dinner. We found a beautiful patio view at the Oceanside Bar & Grill, where we had a light dinner and cocktails, while watching the sunset over the Pacific. After dinner, we walked around the shopping district discovering a candy shop and an ice cream shop where we made purchases, much to the kid’s delight! Then, it was back to the hotel to relax in the gazebo and then head to bed after a very long day of travel and fun.


That's it for day one! Just looking back at the gorgeous scenery makes me want to visit again...like today! I'll be back to share the rest of the album soon. Thanks for stopping by.

2012 Midwestern Tour

Nate and I are home safely and slowly, yet surely, recovering from our whirlwind 2012 Midwestern Tour. As many of you know, Nate and I both have family in the Midwest, his in Minnesota, mine in Nebraska. We make a point to visit both of our families over the course of the year, but have never visited both during one vacation.

After working just one week at my new job, I took two weeks off. It was an arrangement I made when I started, partially due to a ten day trip Nate and I had planned. A trip that began with Nate's family's annual Hennessy Holiday and ended with my grandma, Nanny's, 80th birthday celebration, know as the Nannybration.

Over the course of ten days, we took two flights, visited three states, drove over 700 miles, celebrated the Hennessy Holiday and Nannybration, and saw a countless amount of family and friends. I'll share more details when I share the trip album. Until then, here are a few of my favorite photographs (all unedited and the bottom three from my iPhone).

It was an amazing trip that seemed to pass by so quickly. I feel so lucky to have spent the majority of the trip surrounded by so much family!

I'll be back later this week to share a mini album I created to house the photos from my Laguna Beach trip earlier this summer. Thanks for stopping by :)

DC in a Day

Hello blog friends! I'm finally getting back into my regular routine after spending most of the week on Eastern time. Let me tell you -- that three hour time difference is killer! Since I'm not a morning person to start with, getting up three hours earlier than normal was quite challenging (hello grumpy girl!). Needless to say, I was very reliant on (and thankful for) Sugar-Free Red Bull to get me through the mornings.

I spent the majority of my time in the Old Town Alexandria area, which I fell in love with. The cobblestone sidewalks, lined with shops and eateries was too charming to resist! On the last day of my trip, I was fortunate enough to have the majority of the day open to tour DC. While I wasn't there nearly long enough, I certainly made good use of the little time I had (I have a deep heel blister to prove it!).

I created two layouts to highlight my trip. The first, titled Alexandria, was designed using the using the current Sketchy Thursday's 7.21 sketch.

Product Credits: Digital Kits (Paislee Press Montage & Firefly, One Little Bird Billet Doux, Sahlin Studios Grandma's Dresser) + Alpha (One Little Bird Delightful Alphas) + Sketch (Sketchy Thursdays 7.21)

ALEXANDRIA | As journaled: July 17-20 -- I traveled to the Alexandria, VA to attend a certification course for work. While there, I stayed in the Old Town area, which was quite cute & quaint. The bricklined sidewalks & streets were lined with many unique restaurants & shops. The photo montage depicts some random shots taken from my phone. As shown, left to right, top to bottom: 1. The sky just outside of Charlotte on the way to DC. 2. A small aviation shop I found. 3. Guinness & Cider. 4. A Guinness cupcake from Alexandria Cupcakes. Divine! 5. A view of the Potomac River. 6. A fun shot I had to take because it had Bugsy’s name. 7. O’Connell’s Irish Restaurant where I had some yummy fish & chips and the Guinness shown above. 8. Garlic Bagel with Bacon Horseradish Cream Cheese. One of the best combos I’ve ever had!

My next layout, titled DC in a Day, documents the whirlwind morning/afternoon I spent walking around the National Mall in DC. 

Product Credits: Digital Kit (Paislee Press Montage) + Alpha (Sahlin Studios)

DC in a Day | As journaled: July 20, 2011 - After spending a few days in the DC area for work, I had the opportunity to explore the sights of our nation’s capital for a few hours before I had to fly home. I awoke at 5:30am because I wanted to hit the walking paths before the summer heat & humidity became unbearable. After a stop at DCA to stow my luggage, I arrived in DC around 8am. My first stop was the Washington Monument, followed by the World War II Memorial & the Lincoln Memorial. Next, I visited the Korean War Memorial & the Vietnam Memorial before heading toward the White House. The Capitol was my final walking destination before touring the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. I finished my day with a visit to the National Gallery of Art, and then headed back to DCA to fly home. It was a whirlwind tour at it’s best, but even so, I’m happy I had the opportunity to dip my toes into the history & culture. I can’t wait until my next chance to visit! 

This is one of the more simple layouts I've made in recent time -- with minimal embellishment and papers. But, I really wanted the emphasis to be on the photos, which I think I accomplished with this design.

I hope to have the chance to travel back to the DC/Alexandria area again very soon. There is so much there to see and do, and so much history and culture to explore. If you've been to the area, what's your favorite sight or thing to do?

The Beauty of Red Rocks

I have been wanting to document the photographs and memories from my mom’s visit while the recollections of our adventures were still fresh in my mind. Although I was inspired to create and record the memories, I still found myself intimidated by the hundreds of beautiful photos and the number of memories I wanted to record.

After sorting my photos and selecting just a few of my favorites, I still was still feeling perplexed. To overcome my intimidation and get the creative process flowing, I decided to make use of some wonderful digital templates I had in my collection.

The wonderful thing about using a template is that, like sketches, you aren't bound to what you see. You can flip it, turn it, add/delete and move the original elements. In addition, you add your own papers and elements - essentially making the template your own.

Today, I have two layouts to share, both of which were created using templates (and papers) from the amazing designers at JessicaSprague.com.

  
PRODUCT CREDITS | Queen of Quirk

THE BEAUTY OF RED ROCKS | This first layout turned out to be one of my favorite pages of recent time. I really love how well the elements, photos and template design all work so well together.

The page documents a day trip my mom and I took to Sedona. The photos were taken at the Airport Lookout Point, one of the best views you can get of the area. If you ever make it to Sedona, don't skip this stop! It's literally right in front of the airport on Airport Road, right off the 89. Believe it or not, the views are even more amazing at sunset.

To create this page, I used a brand new template from Queen of Quirk, called Scrap Canvas - Vignette, which will be released on Monday. I made just a few small modifications, but otherwise it was PERFECT for highlighting my favorite photo of the day. I love how the photograph ended up looking like a postcard when I placed the text on it.

 
PRODUCT CREDITS | In the Making Design

OAK CREEK | Like the Airport Lookout Point, this particular spot on the Oak Creek is another "must stop" destination each time I visit the Sedona area. I love climbing down the boulders into the creek and spending time on the water's edge. I could spend hours in this spot soaking in the peaceful beauty of Mother Nature. 

This layout was created using a template and brand new papers, both from In the Making Design. The template is pretty much in tact, except it is rotated onto its side. I love how the papers and elements blended so organically with the photographs. 

I'm quite happy with the process of creating these layouts. Even though it was a rocky start, with the help of these two amazing templates, I was able to successfully document two specific stops on our trip to Sedona. Now that I'm on a roll, I'm certain you will be seeing many more pages documenting our adventures in the very near future!

Meet My Grandmas



During my visit to Nebraska last month, I was fortunate enough to be able to spend time with both of my grandmothers and decided to document a page about each.

  
Product Credits: Queen of Quirk, Paislee Press & One Little Bird

My Grandma Schlattmann (my maternal grandmother) lives in Lincoln, and suffers from Parkinson’s Disease (among other issues). The illness has taken a lot from her over the years. She has her good days and her bad days (sadly, more bad than good) and I felt fortunate enough to get to see her on a good day. She recognized me and was able to hold a conversation, which doesn’t always happen. Moments like this are precious, because you never know if you’ll get another chance. My journaling reflects special memories of my grandma. Just random happy things I recall when I think of her.

 
Product Credits: In the Making & Sahlin Studios

This second layout is about Nanny (my paternal grandmother) who lives on (and still runs) her farm near Gretna. I’m sure she’ll see this photo and exclaim, “Oh God! I look like hell!” which is what she says about every photo taken of her…LOL. I personally thing she looks great and I’m just happy I was able spend time with her and capture a photo of us while I was back. Ps. If your curious about how the name Nanny came about, take a peek at the journaling on the page!

That my friends, is a glimpse at both of my lovely grandmothers. They are both amazing women, who each had a large part in my upbringing. I feel truly blessed to still have both of them in my life. 

Ps. If you missed out on my earlier post, check out the information about the exciting JessicaSprague.com Birthday Blog Hop coming up this weekend!

KC Documented

It was a weekend of great fun & adventure – and definitely not one for the faint of heart.

It started out as a quick weekend trip to visit one of my best friends, Aimee, in Kansas City. As many of you know, I work for an airline and am able to travel for free, pending the available space. At times this is a wonderful perk, at other times, a nightmare. I experienced both ends of the spectrum during my journey. 

I managed to get one of the last seats into MCI on Friday and was lucky enough to be upgraded to a window seat in First Class! A few hours, and a few mojitos later, I landed safely at MCI, ready for the weekend fun to begin. Aimee and I spent most of the time chatting, eating and drinking and making up for lost time. Not a bad way to spend the weekend, eh? I was also able to meet her boyfriend and her beagle, Peanut. It was so wonderful to see Aimee again and I cannot wait to get the plans in motion to see her again this fall!

The joy of the trip was quickly stifled by the harsh reality of non-rev travel. Due to a maintenance issue, a flight was downgraded to a smaller aircraft, creating chaos for me, and many other passengers and non-revenue travelers. Since flying on my own airline wasn’t an option, I had to take my chance on other carriers. After trying multiple flights, I finally ended up in Las Vegas, only to be stuck there for a few more hours. In the end, it took me 13-hours, four missed flights, three states, two airlines, two flights, & every last ounce of patience. Whew!

When I arrived, I had a voicemail from the carrier I had flown on, advising me that I had dropped my employee and PHX SIDA badge at their gate. They were nice enough to look up which flight of theirs I had taken, and then run my badge to my company’s flight to get it back to PHX. In doing such, they saved me $250 in replacement badge fees and hours of hassle. I’m so thankful! One hour after I arrived, so did my badge!

And then, I was homeward bound – long at last! It was a stressful travel day, but it was worth every second to have the chance to hang out with my girl!

I'll be back later this week to share some fun new layouts and some information about the upcoming JessicaSprague.com blog hop!

(Almost) Wordless (Almost) Wednesday

It's Tuesday night and I'm sitting on the patio listening to the relaxing sound of the waterfall on our pool, chatting with my mom and soaking in the last few moments of my vacation before I return to work tomorrow. It's been a busy few days off. So busy in fact, I wish I had one more day to recoup. But it was all well worth it. Instead of going into the details, I thought I'd share some of the Instagrams I captured on my iPhone throughout the week/weekend.

Nate and me before dinner at Grimaldi's

Mom and me at Grimaldi's

Smeek's Candy

QCumbers Thrift (found some 1950s Pyrex to match a set I got from my Grandma!)

Failed to capture a shot of the yummy banana split we all shared, but I got the napkin...ha!

Dbacks game!

At the game. By the look on me and mom's faces, this must have been shortly after the other team got a grand slam.

Sunbru at Four Peaks after the game

Bacon Oatmeal Breakfast cookie. Interesting.

Mom climbing out of Oak Creek Canyon (outside of Sedona)

Best Peach Cobbler EVER from Ken's Creekside in Sedona

At the Airport Lookout Point in Sedona

View from the Airport Lookout Point

Believe it or not, I have a ton more that didn't make the cut for this post, but I'm sure you'll be seeing those, along with some of the other photos we took throughout the weekend in layouts. Maybe I'll even create a scrapbook page with the photos of Mom cannonballing into our pool... :)

I been offline for days and have a lot of catching up to do in blog land. I'm anxious to start making the rounds to see what's been going on in everyone else's world too. Happy (Almost) Wordless (Almost) Wednesday! 

Kickin' It

Another perk about my trip back home, was the opportunity to attend one of Caden’s soccer games. He’s quite the little athlete, and at age 7 keeps very busy with baseball, football, basketball and two soccer teams. It was so fun to see the speedy little man dash up and down the field. He is really fast and has great foot skills for someone so young. Plus, he’s just so stinkin’ cute in that little uniform (he's number 2 in the white and green uniform)!

 Page Credits Here

At the game, I was the paparazzi. For real. I took 200+ photos in 50 minutes. For those who have shot a fast-moving sports like soccer, you know how hard it is to get a perfect shot. And, I was trying to get more than one perfect shot. Not only did I want to scrap a few pages about Caden playing soccer, per a very special request, I’m also creating a book for him.

Page Credits Here

You may recall the Princess Kylee book I created for my niece this past Christmas. A few weeks ago, my sister, Missy, was reading the book to the kids and when she finished, Caden asked, “Mommy, do you think Aunt Toni would make me a book about me?” When you receive a request like that, how can you resist? So, a book about Caden the Sports Super-Star he will get!

I hope everyone in the States had a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend. In doing so, I hope you took a moment to remember and honor the men and women in our Armed Forces, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice to make our wonderful nation what it is. A big thank you to all of our military personnel and their families.

Whirlwind Midwestern Tour

I survived my travels to the Midwest! The whirlwind tour was quite eventful. It consisted of a few random events involving small dogs, lots of family, very little sleep and far too much fun! I could write a book on the events of the weekend, but for your sanity and mine, I'll share an abbreviated version, along with a few of the Instagram photos I took throughout the weekend. Ready? 

Thursday

• Left work, ate at Rosita’s with Nate, then headed to the airport where I found my flight was delayed
• A small, angry dog attacks my bag at the airport as I waited for my delayed flight (no joke)
• A woman on the plane stole my already drank-from water bottle and gave it to her small child to drink (again, no joke)
• Treated myself to an $8 cocktail, because at that point, I deserved it
• Arrived in OMA shortly after midnight, happy to get away from crazy dogs and crazy people

Friday

 

• Drove to Lincoln to visit Grandma S. 
• Drove back to OMA for a bridesmaid dress fitting for Molly’s wedding
• Went shopping at Scheel’s to spend my early birthday gift card from Molly (bought Cubs and Huskers gear!)
• Got Smashed at Archiver's. Ok, not really. But I did buy a Smash journal and some other fun supplies!
• Had family dinner with immediate family and Nanny (my other grandma). Thanks for cooking Mom!
• Ate loads of Nanny's homemade cinnamon rolls for dessert (best on earth, I swear!)
• Spent what was left of the evening drinking Boulevard beer, talking history, politics and firearms with my Dad 

Saturday

• Went to my cousin Jeff's graduation party (saw lots of family and old family friends)
• Attended Caden’s soccer game (where I literally took 200+ pictures in 50 minutes)
• Got barfed on by a puppy while riding in the car. The puppy, a Shorkie (Shih Tzu + Yorkie), was a birthday gift for my niece, Kylee, from her parents. Barfed on is what happens when you're the nice Auntie who voluneers to go along and pick the puppy up.
• Because the party had started and I didn't have spare pants, I had to wash my pants in the sink, with hand soap, and put them back on with a wet left leg. 
• My niece asked me, “Why are your pants wet?”. I had to grin and bear it because she still didn't know she was getting a puppy. I told her I spilled my pop. For the record, I do not use the word "pop" (I say soda) nor do it drink it. 
• Kylee is deemed speechless when she opens the cage and the pup comes running out. It should be noted, Kylee has not been speechless since she was 1.
• Back to parent’s house to pack my bag for a stupidly early departure Sunday morning.

Sunday

• After four hours of sleep, I was up at 4am CST (equivalent to 2am AZ time).
• Arrived at the airport at 5am. Did I mention how stupidly early the departure was?
• Scored a first class seat on the ride home! It made the early morning a lot less painful, especially since I couldn’t sleep.
• Arrived back in PHX, without any airport/airplane incidents (see dog and water bottle bullets above)…whew!
• Nate treated me to breakfast at Over Easy
• Came home, unpacked and download the 523 photos from the DSLR and 53 photos from my iPhone
• Spent the remainder of the day in useless daze (not too far of a stretch from the norm…haha!)

And that my friends, is a whirlwind Midwest tour! :)