Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Let's talk about


a real, honest-to-goodness traveler's notebook - 

But first, please stop - and say a little prayer for the people in the path of the storm[s], I know they've weathered them before, but this thing is HUGE people - may God be with them - 
 
This is the TNI took with me  while we were in 
Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. John.
I put it in a little bag with a pair of scissors, a few markers, stickers, and washi tape - as well as REGULAR clear tape, because I'm all about easy -  
So I'll share a bit of my process here today - 
and just tell you up front that I'm loving it already - 
This 'cover' page / first page was not completed until we got back home - 
It's just a favorite photo along with a few stickers, 
washi tape, and words from travel fliers -
I went ahead and divided the book up into daily sections 
and added a few rub-ons [above] and stickers before we left...
 
Then each day I simply did a bullet list of EVERYTHING we did that day - 
I left blank spaces for photos as I journaled -  
and filled in the borders with washi and stickers  -
 
I added bits of the STUFF we all save while we're on vacation - 
Like this menu that listed all the delicious Puerto Rican foods 
we had on the buffet at the hotel -  
I just taped it right in - 
I also taped in maps from the tourist books...
adding a bit of wash to cover the advs. - lol
And I cut titles from those books too!
 
Another map with washi tape border...
These maps were a little too big, so they are 
folded on the edge to fit into the book -  
 
I taped the bug warning to the back - who knew there's be 
SO MANY mosquitoes ON THE BEACH?
 
This is the layout and activity schedule of our hotel - again, just taped in -
I really liked having this little book with me where I could corral all of this and not have it get lost in a an envelope of STUFF once we got home...
... blurry... but you can see I used words from an adv about the rain forest - 
it really was spectacular...
 
I put a favorite photo on the back of the menu card from Craig's banquet..
[We had to rush in from the rain forest 
and get spiffed up for the closing banquet - it was all good.]
 
You can see that I also included observations and other tidbits 
that I wanted to remember in my bullet journal...
I trimmed this map down and just taped 
it in to a two page spread...
 
I added the photos a few days after we got home.
Had to trim them a bit to  to fit -
 
 Photos were taped in, secured with washi...
[This tip-in is the card with sailing info on it -] 
Repeating a few colors of washi throughout gives it a little unity -
 
I also typed out a few things [dates / place] and
added it right on top of my photos with clear tape...
 
 This is the receipt for the ferry -
[Side note - WHO KNEW there were so many free-roaming animals on St. John? 
I'm talking donkeys - cows - sheep, etc. 
AND IGUANAS EVERYWHERE.]
 
This water is addicting.
That is all - 
Let me clarify that this is NOT my scrapbook for this trip - 
but it will be the BEST reference ever when I make the scrapbook!
It has all the things we enjoyed [and maybe didn't enjoy] as well as names of restaurants, stores, hotels, etc. that I will want when I start making layouts...
 
I also include a couple of pages comparing the places we stayed - and some additional thoughts of our trip that we talked about as we traveled home, as well as a list of some of the funny things that happened, recipes we want to try and re-create, and the things we bought
[including a little bag taped in the last page with all of our receipts.] 
I hope it inspires you to take along a little TN with you the next time you travel -
It's not bulky or time consuming 
and really is a great way to keep up with the tiny day-to-day 
details that we all want to remember!

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