2009

Hey y'all! I'm back home!! So excited to be here after a whirlwind week of travel. I'm also so excited to share this page with you. It's one of my favorites that I've made in awhile.

I have a lot to say about this page and not much time to say it in. So here goes:

I made this page as part of the Super Simple Scrapbook Challenges class over at Big Picture Classes. I'm loving this class! But I haven't had much time to actually play along. This is for Challenge #1--build a block and fill it in.

I went to my box of new supplies and pulled out patterned papers in red, blue, yellow and gray (from a Studio Calico kit) and cut them into strips to anchor alongside each photo.

Most of the embellishments are stamps from the October Ali Edward's Story Stamp. That month was all about telling real stories, maybe the not so shiny ones. I didn't really intend to tell this particular story until I pulled out the stamp set. I thought I'd write about Matt's and my 6 year relationship and all of the highs and lows of it. Instead, I chose to tell the story of 2009. The hardest year of my life and when these photos were taken.

Journaling Reads: 
2009 was the dark year. It was the unhappiest year of my life. I was depressed. I was lonely. I was missing my amazing life and my fantastic friends. I was missing my boyfriend. I was angry with my parents and unhappy about being back in San Antonio.

I had just finished living my dream. I had been living abroad, having crazy new adventures every week and visiting exotic places every month. I had a ready group of playmates that were equally filled with wanderlust.

But in just a few short weeks I went from having the life I always wanted, to coming back to a place that had nothing for me. No jobs, no friends, no adventures.

And it took a very long time for me to dig myself out of that. I was anxious and unhappy. There were times when I didn’t want to leave the house for days.

I was in the craziest headspace when I decided to visit Matt in Thailand. I went for a week and felt miserable the whole time. We barely left the apartment because I was so agoraphobic about being out in the city. Doesn’t look like it does it? While pictures may be worth a thousand words, it doesn’t mean they tell the whole story.

Things turned around in 2010. I slowly emerged from my haze and made my way back into the land of the living. I found a job (two at once even!) and moved to Houston. I got to live in the same city as Matt for the first time in over a year and a half.

Although I wouldn’t ever want to live through it again, I am thankful for 2009. It was the year that Urijah was born, when I became an aunt. And if I had been working and hadn’t been home I never would have got to spend the time that I did with Uncle Joe. We lost him that September.

2009, you were undoubtedly my worst year of life. But I do thank you for what you did give to me: a beautiful nephew and much needed time with my family.

I typed it all out and tucked it into a mini paper bag that I added behind my central block. You can see it just peaking out on the left side there.

I think what I love so much about this page is the awesome colors and the real story that I shared. One that I really never would have it I hadn't picked these photos for the Super Simple Scrapbook Challenges class or if I hadn't pulled out the Ali Edward's Story Stamp.

See! This is why products and classes are awesome. They help you get to points you might not have otherwise. 

This page right here, it's all about why I scrapbook.

cheers & besos,

Places you'll Go

The theme of the fall was travel. And travel I did! I made this page in October using an awesome The Cut Shoppe digital cut file. 

I also pulled out some of the great travel products I buy and then rarely use! (Talked about that on the Paperclipping Roundtable a few months back) It seems they come out when I'm telling stories that are more big picture.

I punched some paper airplanes and tried to sew in a circle. I also printed my journaling out on a transparency.

I pulled one photo from each of the cities I visited in those 5 weeks. Anaheim, Palm Springs, DC, London, Glasgow, St. Andrew's, Aberdeen & Edinburgh. And I printed them as tiny instagrams all in a row.

Looking back at this page I'm  thinking "how cute, you thought you'd done a lot of traveling". And since then (and because I took forever to finish then share this page) I've been to Baton Rouge, Ohio, San Antonio, London, Hull & Basel, Switzerland.

I told you travel was the theme of the fall! I'll have to make Part 2 page for the rest of the cities. Next up I'll be in New Orleans for a day and San Antonio for Christmas. After that I'm done with traveling for a bit! Well…at least until the end of January.

cheers & besos,

Made of Stories

Made of Stories, Scrapbook Circle's December kit, is all glittery and Christmas-y. Sooo good and so festive! I made four pages using the main and the Favorite Elf add-on and love how two layouts are more modern and two are more traditional. I didn't plan it that way at all! 

Two are about being warm and cozy and jolly. And two are about a specific Christmas event.

If you're looking for some great Christmas products without having to spend a ton on a huge kit, I'd totally suggest nabbing the Made of Stories kit and/or the Favorite Elf add-on.

AND as a bonus. Lisa is included this fabulous canvas tote in each of the kits. LOVE it!

cheers & besos,