Universal Studios Theme Album

In May 2010 we went on our first family vacation.  It was Prince Charming's 40th birthday and I had given him the option of a big party, a small party or a vacation.  He chose the vacation.  We thought that Universal Studios in Orlando would be a great option.  We could get Bug-A-Boo on a plane for the first time and I was able to get some fabulous travel agent discounts at the Hard Rock Hotel. 

I had been to Universal for a Travel Agent Familiarization trip in September of 2006 and was very impressed with all of the resorts and theme parks.  I knew that there would be a lot at the parks for Bug-A-Boo to do.  It has a surprisingly large amount of things for toddlers and elementary school aged children.  I was also hoping that the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter would be open when we were there (alas, it was not).

It was a challenging trip and a learning experience about traveling with a toddler but it overall it was a great time and one that Bug-A-Boo is still talking about.

Just recently I was able to finally finish our scrapbook for the trip.  Here are some of my favorite layouts in the book.

Decorate Life-layout 14

Our last class layout is today.  I'm really going to miss this class and am hoping that the instructor with do her Baker's Dozen class again which is the same concept as Decorate Life.

Our final layout is about something we are proud to have accomplished.

Tray #1...

Envelope #3...

I changed the patterned paper I had originally chosen because it just didn't go with the embellishments.

Decorate Life-layout 13

This was another great opportunity for me to delve deep into my storage binders and choose some older photos.  The assignment was to choose seven photos of one single event or day and I chose some photos from a trip to Chicago in 1994 with the Students In Design group that I was secretary for in college.

Tray #4 ...

Envelope #1...

I really like this layout and I got some old photos scrapped.

Decorate Life-layout 12

Today was about the group shot.  When I received the class handout I was pretty excited.  The instructor's page was so darling.  The colors were awesome and the photo was so cute.   Just a really cute layout.

Then I gathered my supplies.

Tray #2...

Envelope #6...

I put my layout together and it is the first one that I am not thrilled with.  I think that because I had to choose random brads without knowing what they would be paired with it just doesn't work.  I did the assignment with the materials I chose originally.  I do like the idea and plan to try it again when I can coordinate everything.

Decorate Life-layout 11

Only 3 more layouts to go.  I have to say that today's is one of my favorites.  Our everyday lives are the mundane, the ordinary and the ones least documented.  This layout features some of the everyday photos.

Tray #3...

Envelope #11..

The journaling reads, "Everyday may seem the same.  The same routine, the same schedule...breakfast, lunch nap, dinner, bath, bed and what seems like endless diaper changes in between.  But then I watch you discover something new and I realize that everyday is an adventrue for you.  Your learn something, see something, hear and taste something new, everyday.  You found a love of bouncing, books and music.  You found your voice and your giggle and I found a new appreciation for the little things, the things found in...everyday

Decorate Life-layout 10

Today we are all about action photos and do I have some great ones of Bug-A-Boo.

Tray #5...

Envelope #9...

I added a title and a few more pictures.  This is so Bug-A-Boo.

Decorate Life-layout 9

Our lives are made up of relationships and today's layout is about a special one between Prince Charming and Bug-a-Boo.

We use tray #14...

and envelope #7

This was such a simple layout and one that I will most likely use again.

Decorate Life-layout 8

Even though the holidays are over it's always fun to do pages recording fun holiday traditions and stories.  It's even more fun in the dead of winter to do a page about a fun spring holiday...Easter.

Gather tray #12...

and envelope #10...

The past two years Bug-a-Boo has really enjoyed doing Easter Egg hunts, either at her grandparents house or here at our home.  2010 was also the first year she able to actively participate in coloring eggs.  So much fun!

Decorate Life-layout 7

Don't you just love day outings?  I know we do.  Whether it's a day at the zoo, COSI, Strawberry picking or the pool we always have some great family time.  That's what today's layout is.

I grabbed tray #11...

and envelope #4...

I love these photos of Bug-a-Boo at the Ballantrae Fountains.  She just loves the water and is completely fearless.  This was such a fun day and one that I'm glad I could document.

Decorate Life-layout 6

Today's layout is one that I'm so glad to have finally done.  In November of 1995 I moved to New York City.  I lived there for a year and I didn't realize then how important capturing memories and moments with photos and memorabilia was.  I didn't take a lot of pictures from my time there but I do have a few and I often struggle with how to scrapbook them.  Decorate Life has helped with that.

Today we used tray #13...

and envelope #8, which was photos of something you did for the first time...

I changed things a bit.  I had 3 photos and I wanted to use them all so I adapted it to a 12 x 12 layout.  So glad to have these photos and the experience scrapped.

Decorating Life-layout 5

It's pay tribute to FALL day!  I love fall so I'm pretty excited about the assignment.

We are using tray #6...

and envelope #2...

Some of the embellishments I had originally chosen did not work with the photos in envelope #2 so I switched a few things out.  Also, I had several pictures from when we carved pumpkins with Sydney for the first time so I wanted to include them all.

I changed it to a double page spread and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

Decorate Life-layout 4

We all have places we visit that we love. It could be a park, a far away city, a loved one’s home or your favorite spot by the river. Today I have to create a page all about that place. Pull out your decorations from #7...

 and your photos from #12...

When the assignment to find 6 photos of a place that you love came up I looked through my storage binders and found these photos of Prince Charming (from before we knew each other) from Spring 1993 and Winter 1994.  Both trips were to Naples, FL.  Since of the orientation of the photos were perfect for the assignment and since he had been there more than once I figured he must of really liked Naples, FL.  It was also a great way to get some older photos of Prince Charming scrapbooked and put into our Library of Memories.

The background paper is more of a cream color and works really well with the purple and green combo. I really like how this layout came out and will probably use the design again.

Decorate Life-Layout 3

Today we are making a page dedicated to a season that we love and an activity that we love doing in that season.

We used photos embellishments from tray #8...

and photos from envelope #5...

I quickly realized that the buttons I had originally chosen were not going to work with the patterned paper or the photos for that matter so I switched them out.  I also found some memorabilia for this event.
I had the flyer with movie facts that they gave us at the theater as well as my ticket stub and the ticket stub from 1985 when I first saw The Goonies at the theater.  With all this extra stuff I decided to convert the class layout from a double page 8-1/2 x 11 to a double page 12 x 12.

Every year I get really excited to see what the CAPA Summer Movie Series schedule will be.  This year they showed two of my all time favorites...Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window and Steven Spielberg's The Goonies, which was celebrating it's 25th anniversary.

Well, as soon as I heard about the Goonies I had to tell BFF and her son.  The Goonies is one of their favorites too and the three of us are always quoting it.  We went to Target and got Goonies t-shirts as well as Twinkies, Brown Water (iced tea) and Baby Ruth, all of which are featured in the movie.  Prince Charming called us dorks but we didn't care.  We saw a lot of other people at the theater with the same shirt on so it was pretty funny.

Let's Start Decorating

Today is the first day of creating layouts in my Decorate Life class.  The first layout is a 12x12 layout and we are using tray #10...

and envelope #14...

We are creating a quick and easy page about the women in our family and the connection between them.  I added a few small stickers as extra embellishments.  I think the finished product is beautiful and a layout I will adapt and use again.

The second layout uses tray #9...

and envelope #13...

This layout is so that we can document something that we as scrapbookers are passionate about.  Often times the scrapbooker forgets to documents their passions and interests.  This layout will remedy that.  It's funny because the photo I chose to represent something I am passionate about is a photo of my scrapbooking room.  Scrapbooking is my creative outlet and my passion!!