Project Life: Using Pocket Scrapbooking to Document our Chicago Vacation

I decided to to an in depth review of our two night trip to Chicago over the summer.  As usual, I took way too many photos and there isn't an easier and quicker way for me to use as many of them as possible than Project Life.  To cut down on design choices and to give different portions of our trip continuity I decided to mainly use one collection for each activity.  I also tried to incorporate reoccurring elements to tie things together.

I began with a "title" page because I wanted to separate this part of my album from the normal weekly documentation I usually do in Project Life.  This gives an overview of what we did.  I had a lot of fun creating the title card with a Becky Higgins Road Trip theme kit.  I like how I can create a mini collage of embellishments, and feel creative, while still enjoying the ease of slipping my other photos into pockets.

On the right side of this section opener I decided to also discuss our hotel.  The 6X12 opening in this WRMK page protector allowed me to use a large insert and leaves me with plenty of room to include the written details.  I also added some dimension and interest with stickers, wood veneer, enamel dots, and a paper clip with twine.  I noticed that the Wanderlust Amy Tangerine sticker actually has Chicago on it, so I made sure I included that.

To tie the two halves of this spread together I used Simple Stories supplies from their last two travel themed lines, arrow wood veneers and enamel dots on both sides.  I repeat the use of  things like wood veneer shapes like arrows & hearts, heart motifs, cameras, twine, mini bingo cards, throughout the first portion of our trip, the ones covering our visit to the Field Museum.

Our photos from the Field Museum worked best with a generic travel themed line like Urban Traveler, I have almost the entire collection, and their more recent Travel Sn@p Set: 4X6, 2X3, Stickers, and Insta-Squares & Pieces.  The reason I selected these supplies for the Field Museum is because going there is like being able to travel across the world and through time due to the scope of their exhibits.

The Sn@p set is listed as retired on their site, but they've only recently begun to show up at my Hobby Lobby and Micheal's so you might look there if you are interested in these specific supplies.  These next few pages were the perfect way for me to use up bits and pieces from these lines, leftover from a bigger project that I've yet to share.

The back of the WRMK with the 6X12 pocket was the perfect place for me to add the map from the museum.  It's attached with just a camera paperclip so it can still be removed and look at in the future.  I never got a good front view of the museum because of where we parked so a postcard was a good solution to this missing picture.  It's also much better than any image I would've been able to capture.

This first spread is photo heavy but the map pocket gives the eye a break and I left the top right side open and use this space for patterned paper topped with a overlay and sticker collage.  The two photos matted on the left side also provided added visual interest and highlight photos of my family with two of the iconic sights from the Field Museum.

The second spread about the Field Museum holds one of my favorite memories from the day.  The reason why we'd selected this stop was because of our son's interest in dinosaurs.  After wandering a bit through the Ancient Americas exhibit it occurred to us that we really ought to high tail it up there to make sure we had time for it.  You can never predict when a preschooler will have a melt down and we didn't want to miss the Dinosaur Hall since it was the whole point of the stop!

On the left are photos from the Evolving Planet exhibit, of which the Dinosaur Hall is part of.  On the right I've recorded what an awesome experience it was to have the entire hall to ourselves!  It was incredible being alone with these giants from long, long ago & a definite highlight from the whole trip.

To give this a cohesive look I repeated wood veneer, cameras, enamel dots, mini bingo cards and the basic color scheme.  I also a cluster of elements that is very similar to the one I used on the previous spread.  Around the cluster I let elements from that filler card spill over to the cards on either end.

The last spread covering our day once again uses Simple Stories supplies and I've included an Amy Tangerine kraft tag from the same roll of stickers as the one used on the previous spread.  There is also a cluster similar to the ones on the previous two spreads.

Overall, I think these pages in my album work well together and help emphasize that they are all part of the same story being told.

For our second day in Chicago, when we went shopping in Downtown, I went a more feminine route with my supply choice, but still stuck with Simple Stories.  This time I used their retired Fabulous collection.

The first spread is about going to the American Girl Store and the Lego Store right next door.  That was very clever planning on those stores, something for everyone right there and both the girls and boys are kept happy!

My daughter had been saving up her First Communion money and we also let her choose a birthday present from there too.  I let her pick the photos to include on this spread and since she wanted to use so many of the ones for the individual historical doll displays there wasn't room for any journaling. I do think that title card was absolutely perfect!  To give this half a little more interest I used two preprinted overlays and then just lightly embellished a third photo.

The right side is about the Lego Store and using this page protector by WRMK left me plenty of space to write about these stops and the one to the Disney Store.  We hit that one up while walking to lunch.

Turn the page and that big space is still perfect for writing all about my daughter's early birthday lunch at the Rainforest Cafe.  She had already asked us to take her there toward the end of July for her birthday, but the location in MI is a bit of a hike from our house.  This was much more convenient and it was fun to see how another location is set up.  We let the host know that our son is a little leery of the big animals and we were glad to get a seat right by the fish tank.  He like that a lot and we managed to eat without anyone crying!  Sine my husband and son are also born in July we let this be our special July birthday meal.

I needed an insert for a few pictures from our dinner that night, this time at my pick, Sweet Tomatoes.  I also wanted to mention our afternoon spent relaxing at the hotel, even though I placed the pictures out of order and a next to the summary page at the start of our trip pages.  I wrote the details on the top card on the front of the Design H insert.

I don't know why I am so obsessed with Sweet Tomatoes, but I am & have since first eating there in CA and then in NM.  I'm so sad to be far away from any in MI.  I purposely looked up the location for this place and made Brad drive us into the "burbs" to eat there.  It was worth it.  No waiting, everyone one got exactly what they wanted, the price is reasonable, and did I mention the dessert bar?  Is it fancy food, no but it's such a good place for families!

The back of the Design H insert is where I placed the journaling about dinner.  I also made a little vellum faux envelope.  Basically, it's just folded up to create the pocket.  The sides of the page protector will hold everything in place.  I wanted to include a couple things I cut from one of the handouts they gave us, but they were too bright and clashed with the muted colors of the papers.  Placing them behind the vellum toned down the colors.

The last portion of our trip was our day at the Shed Aquarium, but I've yet to finish those pages so this is where I'll leave off with this month's Project Life share.  Linking up to The Mom Creative.