The Tree of Life

A few years back, and apart from any planned Disney vacation, I picked up a book about the making of Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World Florida. It was a fascinating account, describing in detail how the park came together, along with its iconic symbol, the Tree of Life. Did you know that there are almost 400 animals carved into its cement exterior?! The animals seem to be born from the branches and trunk, taking life from the tree. And I guess that's how it got its name.

Looking back at this picture, I wish I had taken the time to zoom in on a few of the carvings, or photograph it from different angles. I kept thinking I'd have another opportunity to slow down and take more detailed photos. But it didn't happen. By the time we were heading back out the park, and past the towering tree, I was too tired to even look up. I'm glad I got this one nice shot!



Supplies: Patterned paper-Fancy Pants Design, Chipboard Tree and paper bird-Maya Road, Cardstock border stickers and journaling card-My Mind's Eye, Chipboard circles-Bazzill, and Chipboard letters-Basic Grey.

A Magical Time

When the realty company called to tell us that the beach condo we had booked was being taken off the rental market, we were disappointed...for all of two minutes. I immediately set to work, trying to figure out if we could "do Disney". Could we manage it logistically and economically? The older kids were psyched and ready to chip up for their airfare. Kevin was ecstatic. Chris was planning a trip with some of his classmates, leaving a couple of days after graduation...for WDW! His trip would overlap ours. We were able to book a family suite at the All Star Music resort. It all came together...and we had a magical time.

When we returned, I checked in with the group at Disney Scrappers just in time for some challenges, the perfect incentive to get busy and get scrapping. Below are the first two pages documenting our trip.

The proprietor's warning sign at Kali River Rapids had me laughing...and convinced dh to stay behind (with my camera)! But I did manage to snap this photo of scenery before getting into the queue for our wet ride. Supplies: Patterned paper-Cosmo Cricket, Basic Grey, Chipboard letters-Basic Grey, calendar card-My Mind's Eye, Cardstock stickers-Little Yellow Bicycle, Sassafras, corrugated cardstock, twine, bottlecap, rubber stamps, and tag.



Hands down our favorite WDW show was Finding Nemo, the musical. There was such an amazing multi-tasking crew of performers. They played the role of actor, singer, and puppeteer...and did so beautifully. It's not to be missed! Supplies: Patterned paper-Basic Grey (Lauderdale), Cardstock letter stickers, Foam fish-American Crafts, tag-KI Memories, rub-on letters, sequin trim, fiber, lace, brads, flower punch, and heart pin.

Inspiration in a Box

...a priority box. After digging deep into my stash these last few months, I've rewarded myself with a few new supplies, just in time for summer scrapping. First up, the Margarita collection by American Crafts, perfect accompaniment for my vivid pictures from Bermuda. Love these brightly colored and shimmery accented double sided papers. The page is embellished with all sorts of things from my stash-American Crafts foam accents, felt flowers, an MME deco brad, a KI Memories acrylic tile, and metal letters from Making Memories. The flip-flops were rescued from a cake top!

Vacation Get-Away

Finally, I scrapped a couple of photos from LAST year's beach vacation and they are two of my favorites! It was fun mixing patterns and colors on my page, Pit Stop. Along with a photo from inside the restaurant, I included another one of the sign out front. Its colors inspired papers that I chose. An old technique fave was revisited: painting, sanding, and antiquing chipboard. Pen-stitching gives everything a bit more dimension. Fun stuff! Supplies: Patterned paper-Basic Grey, October Afternoon, and Bella Boulevard, Letter stickers-Basic Grey, Chipboard letters-American Crafts, Chipboard accent-Jenni Bowlin, Postcard journaling card-October Afternoon, chipboard-Maya Road and more, bottlecap, label.



My son...and his quirky ideas! Kevin explained to us one day why certain birthdays are more special than others (in his mind). And it's mostly about being old enough for certain privileges. I've had the journaling on my desk for a couple of years and am finally getting it documented! LOVE how this number paper works here. It's also a good use for this random beach picture without going beachy. And, if you haven't noticed, bottlecaps are becoming my trademark accent. Love them! Supplies: Patterned paper and cardstock stickers-Cosmo Cricket, ticket-Jenni Bowlin, tags, and rubber stamps.