Cardalicious 23, a layout, and a bummer

So I drove to Portland with the girls to visit my mama and go to the zoo. Steve was off with the boys for a weekend of fishing, so it was the perfect time to head go Grandma's house. We woke to a beautiful day on Saturday morning, so we dressed, I lathered the girls in sunscreen, and we headed down the road. I was really excited because the last time we went to the zoo was 2006 when my dad remarried. Payton was just an infant so has no memory of a zoo. We've been other places with animals to look at, but not a real zoo.

Because of this, boy was I excited to take my camera. I was even more excited when I got a peek at the next kit from Studio Calico and one of the add-ons. PERFECT.

I should have known I would be doomed, lol.

First we get out of the car, load the double stroller, and I notice that I have a flat tire. So we unload the stroller, condense a few things, and trek down to the entrance to rent one. I was bummed because I thought I had been so smart and had saved myself $7 by remembering to pack my own stroller. Dang.

Once we finally get situated and before we even get through the gate, Payton shows me that she's getting a blister. So then I dash to the gift shop and have to talk the guy behind the counter into giving me one of the bandaids from their first aid kit, because for some silly reason, they don't sell bandaids there.

Okay. Bandaid. Check.

We finally proceed through the gate, and I decide that now is the time to get the camera ready. I break her out, dust her off, and go to set the ISO, etc., and realize. Nada. No power. And that's when I remember that I had taken my battery out to charge the night before at my mama's house. And that it was still there. Across town.

BIG. BUMMER.

By this time it was about 900 degrees and the kids just wanted to see some stinkin' animals, lol, but I asked them to pause yet again and dashed back to the gift shop and bought a disposable camera. My mama bought one too, so let's just cross our fingers that the 54 pictures we took were chosen well, and that lighting and exposure worked to capture our day perfectly. okay? Okay?

I did pay $5 for the photo booth with the girls, and while we had fun, those pictures are really over exposed and I worry you won't be able to see our faces in 5 years when the photo fades even more.

BUT.

We had a great time. The girls really did have a blast, and my mama had a blast. I did too. And in the end, that's the most important part. If my camera had been working, I'd probably have 3-500 photos of the day, which means I would have been behind the camera instead of in the moment, which is where I should be.

That said, I'm dropping off the cameras today and am still crossing my fingers that at least one photo turned out well. :)

I do have a couple of scrappy things to share with you today.

First is my card for Cardalicious 23. I'm going to do better about sharing these here. The challenge was to use two flowers, ribbon, and the color blue. This is what I came up with:



You might notice the May kit from Studio Calico for this card, except for the ribbon. I have been having a new love affair with that scalloped SC paper. The reason I had this kit out and was able to use it for this card was because I was also busy on this layout:




Oh my word. My Payton turned three and declared that "the free of us were free" now. It was so cute. I knew I wanted to do a layout about it, using those Sassafras chipboard numbers. But I also REALLY wanted the number three card from the October Afternoon Cherry Hill Wild cards. Lucky for me, Jill had an extra three and sent it to me. Thank you so much Jill!

I loved incorporating as many threes as I could on this layout, including the third class rubon from Maya Road, even though we are first class all the way, baby, lol. I also used pop dots for my yellow scallop at the top, because I've become obsessed with pop dots lately. I did it again on another layout I did for Pink Paislee that I am going to share with you tomorrow. Pop dots. And scallops. It's a common theme.

I'm glad I got that memory documented.

The question of the day at SC the other day was about journaling and record keeping. I have kept a journal since I was 8 years old, but for some reason, the jacket is dusty and not much has been written since the early days of Payton in 2006. True, since then I have been scrapbooking more and more, but there are things you write in a journal that you don't document on a layout. thoughts and personal feelings. It's something that has been missing in my life lately, so time consuming though it may be, and unorganized though I may be, I'm determined to get out my journal and start writing more. Scrapbooking isn't going to go away, but I also need to pour my heart out in other ways as well. Know what I mean?

Have a great day! Davinie

ETA: Don't forget about the Pinwheel challenge I posted on the Studio Calico blog! Only a few days left for your chance at an Effervescence punch!