A Travel Journal of Your Very Own

I am a HUGE proponent of travel journals. I have been on a few significant trips in my life: Europe with my Dad and Tweets, Hawaii with an old boytoy, and most recently: my Sistamoon. On each, I kept a travel journal. At the end of every day, I took ten minutes to write down everything that happened that day. Vacations go by SO fast - it's easy to forget all of the details... I am so happy to have those travel journals to look back on and remember all of the fun moments.

SO, of course this meant I had to prepare a travel journal for the Sistamoon. I promptly referred to my fave craft book...(this is seriously the best book ever!)

Trusty Esther had a travel journal tutorial... SCORE! Creating this journal was a lot of work, but I knew this was a special trip, so I wanted a special kind of journal - all the work was well worth it. Let's get started!

You'll need:

• An awl
• Drafting paper (I find this is the easiest paper to work with when folding and measuring book signatures)
• Bookbinding thread
• Bookbinding needles
• Scissors
• Bone folder
• Papercutter
• Envelopes
• Coverstock for the front covers and the accordian binding
• A phone book or something thick and nonimportant for "awling" on
• Optional: Chipboard for the covers, in case you want something sturdier than coverstock

*I found all of my materials at Blick art stores.

Here is the finished product... This is an accordion bound book, which allows the user to stash all manner of paper ephemera/souvenirs from your trip! For me, I would be visiting eight different ports, so I wanted to create eight different sections to my journal. Each section featured a signature made out of drafting paper for writing, an envelope to hold my Metro tickets/paper remembrances, and a map of any given port. I created a map to glue onto the front cover, and elastic straps to hold the journal shut. This was my first homemade travel journal, so I learned many things I will do differently next time! See below for things YOU should do differently from me - learn from my mistakes, sister!

*Many apologies for the pictures - I had to use my flash because I had no natural light! No judging! All photos mine.

First, I created the paper part of the eight signatures I needed to create.

Then I took my envelopes and prepared them for binding into the signatures. I bought eight envelopes - one for each signature. I measured the envelopes before folding to figure out where I'd need to sew (so they didn't stick out too far.)

I gathered maps for each of our eight ports and prepped them for inclusion in the signatures. Again - measuring to make sure they didn't stick out further than the paper in my signatures. I just printed off most of my maps from the internet.

Next, I lined up my signatures and prepared to use my awl to punch holes for binding. I ordered my signatures like this: paper on the outermost layer, then the envelope, with the map on the innermost layer. I had eight signatures, so I had to repeat the awling process eight times. I measured for the three holes I needed to create: 1 hole in the middle, 1 a half inch from the top, and 1 hole a half inch from the bottom. Make sure you put something thick like a phone book under the signatures as you awl (!) That awl will cut you or ruin your countertop if you don't!!

After that, I prepped the binding cover. I selected a prettypants coverstock and folded the paper into 1" folds. I had eight signatures, so to include the covers, I needed ten "troughs." Again, use that bone folder!

Then I was ready to sew my signatures to the binding! I strung bookbinding thread onto my needle and essentially sewed a figure eight. After lining up the signature to the binding, The needle/thread runs from the signature into the binding in the middle hole first (leaving a tail), then back up through the topmost hole, back down the middle hole, up the bottom hole, then box knot to the tail you left from your first stitch. (Google box knot!) Repeat eight times! You may need a beer on hand for this part. I'm just sayin'.

This is what the binding looks like on the outside - perty, huh?

Now, on to the covers! The art store couldn't cut my chip board for me because it was too thick. He assured me I could successfully cut the board myself with an Exacto knife. Um yeah. I thought my homemade cutting looked jankity. If I had it to do over again, I'd cover the chipboard in pretty fabric or paper to cover the mistakes. They would have looked more finished that way. :/

I affixed my map I drew to the front cover and punched holes in the back to string the elastic through.

Voila!

Have you ever made your own book for a special occasion? What are your best tips?

A Bee's Life: Snappy Style

Hi, Bees! When Pengalicious brought up the idea of a series talking about blogging a la WeddingBee, I was so excited. As several other Bees have written... WeddingBee can be a lifechanger.

Let me start at the beginning.

Way back in October 2008, I had just started to plan my wedding and felt a bit overwhelmed. My family lives in Texas; I live in Chicago... Out of necessity, I was planning this shindig largely on my own and I didn't know where to start. Several of my friends had recently wed, and unanimously, they all said "You HAVE to read WeddingBee, it's the best." One of my friends said it was the only wedding blog she read because the others were so negative and intimidating for an average, normal bride with an average budget.

Well, I took their advice, and I. Was. Addicted. As we all know, once you discover the 'Bee, that browser refresh button gets a lot of use. All of the bloggers were so entertaining and had their own personality. Some were great at DIY, some were so insightful, some were downright hilarious. I loved it! I was SO hooked, that I decided to see if I could become a Bee myself...

I started a blog for - let's face it - the sole purpose of becoming a Bee. In my day job, I do a ton of writing, and I wanted to learn how to write for an audience, as well as document my journey to wedded bliss. I was looking for a supportive community, and I found it! I had no idea how important this support would become. Dun Dun Dunnnnn ;)

So I started my lil Blogger account and wrote for two weeks. My close girlyfriends were the only ones who had my blog address. I told no one that I was applying to WeddingBee. I sent in my application to Mrs. Bee, and waited with bated breath. Seriously, I sucked it in everytime I checked my email.

FINALLY, (I really only had to wait a few days, but it felt like an eternity!) I received an email from BEE@ weddingbee.com. She wrote that while they liked what they read, that they wanted to see more. That of course meant that I wrote every day for the next ten days! On the tenth day, I was ensconced in the deepest of deep woods in Northern Wisconsin on a business trip. My email barely worked. I was only able to check my email once every few days.

I called my fiance and asked him to check my email and see if Bee or Pengy had written me while I was away... AND THEY HAD! They asked me to join the Hive as a blogger. I was thrilled, covered in bug spray and sweat in the crappiest hotel you've ever seen. (Seriously, WHO doesn't have internet!?) My fiance had to write Pengy on my behalf and explain that I was out-of-pocket but I definitely wanted to be a Bee and would write the second I got back into civilization.

Picking Snapdragon as my moniker was a no-brainer. I mean, duh. As I have said before... Snappy, Snappin', Snapilicious, Snap, SnoopinSnap... like the actual Snapdragon flower: endless entertainment!

Over the next few months, I learned so much about blogging. Seriously, for a newbie blogger, WeddingBee is the best place to cut your teeth. Mrs. Bee and Pengy are experts, so when you blog here, you learn from the best. (I am not kissing their ultra-fine booties saying that - it's just true.) I learned what material works best, how to communicate via web, how create a steady flow of content.

I also got to know so many of you and the other blogger Bees. I had never been a part of an internet community that was so free of Ego. Snark? What is that? People were just normal - the way I imagine they are in their real life. Every blogger Bee I've met is exactly the way they seem in their blog entries. Friendly, thoughtful, ultra-creative, and the funniest ladies you've ever met. Truly.

Then, in February... I found out that my fiance was unfaithful on a Wednesday, and I called my wedding off that Friday. For the three days inbetween, my parents, my sisters, my best friend, and the Bees were the only ones who knew what was going on via email. The outpouring of support and emergency advice were what kept me going when my world was falling apart. I was in the Emotional Emergency Room, yo!

So to say WeddingBee was a lifechanger for me is no exaggeration. On the surface, my lack of privacy when it came to my breakup was difficult... in the end, it was healing. I couldn't be ashamed, and I had no reason to be.

Sometimes I think of how WeddingBee has affected me - I can tell you I will never look at wedding details in the same way again (those suckers are a lot of work!) They have also created a love in me for all things wedding and blogging. There's a reason most Bees continue blogging long after they wed, including me. Having been a part of such an incredible community, how could I leave? Blogworld is awesome! :)

Advice for new bloggers:
The first thing I learned as a blogger... a blog is not a personal diary. There is a fine line between telling the truth and spilling your guts. Life isn't perfect, and sometimes bad things need addressing (like why I wouldn't be posting anymore doily-folding tutorials!) Using a blog as therapy is almost always a bad idea. When blogging, ask yourself, does anyone else want to read this? Is this self-serving or helpful? It's a good reality check! And remember, once something goes on the internet.... good luck erasing it!

My other piece of advice is to have integrity. In blogland - and ESPECIALLY in wedding blogland - you may feel a great deal of pressure to lead a lifestyle that is fascinating or a wedding that is "incredible." Don't let other people determine the sort of wedding - or life - that you will lead. Be yourself always. People can tell when you're faking it... and why would you want to? You're pretty great just the way you are!

That's blogging the way that I see it - XOXO

Cruisin' the Waves

Earlier this summer, because I called off my wedding, my Honeymoon became my "Sistamoon." My sister Snappy-L and I vacationed for two weeks on a Mediterranean cruise, and I can honestly say it was the best trip of my life. We had a great time of relaxing, sightseeing, learning, bonding, and eating... a whole lot! It was just the medicine I needed. I know some of you are planning cruise honeymoons, as well as varying trips to Europe/Asia. SO...

If you're in Barcelona, make sure to vist the Mercat de Sant Josep for fresh fruit...

If you're in Rome, have fun with your cameriere...

When you port in Sicily, get up early to watch the sun rise over the coastline...

If you're in Athens, locomote via Metro...

...and take a shot after your INCREDIBLE lunch (yes, those are blocks of fried cheese... BLOCKS!)

Should you happen to be in Ephesus, stand where St. Paul preached to the Ephesians and St. Mary spent her last days (allegedly)...

Window shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar... (operative word: "window")

If you're in Santorini, fall asleep on the black sands of Perissa Beach...

Once in Valletta, prepare for adventure... How much do you want it!? Trust me, I was channeling me some Jillian Michaels on this cliff climb.

And on ship, always, always eat lots of sushi...

...and visit the French restaurant at least twice.

(sigh) I want to go back! Someday, someday. :)

Cruising presents its own set of peculiar vacation challenges that the average vacationer might not expect (I surely didn't!) Here are some tips that Snappy-L and I found most useful:

• Bring a watch and an alarm clock. Cruise ships have extremely strict departure times from port! Don't be late, or you may be staying in Greece (or wherever you are) indefinitely! You'll need that watch to stay on top of the time. We made it onboard with ten minutes to spare in Athens... I about had a heart attack!
  
• Do a mix of tours and "on your own." My sister and I mixed it up. Tours can get uber expensive, BUT they do afford you the luxury of being able to "turn your brain off" just a bit. The advantage of being on your own is that you can schedule your day exactly the way you want and save some moolah.
• Sometimes the cruise ship will not be able to dock right in the port, and passengers have to take small "tender boats" into the dock. Make sure you find out ahead of time which ports may utilize tender boats, because you will need a ticket to get on the tender! Snappy-L and I did NOT check ahead and had to pick up our tickets into Santorini at the last minute... putting us on the last tender... greatly delaying our entrance into port. (SIDENOTE: Santorini is difficult to get into between tender, cable car, and bus. I recommend starting your trip into port as soon as the ship allows to maximize your port time.)
• Bring extra batteries, the salt water causes batteries to corrode more quickly.
• Bring a power strip for your room. Most cruise rooms have only 1-2 electrical outlets.
  
• Don't automatically discount the "dorky" on-board events - they can be pretty fun! We took a napkin folding class, and I am proud to say I can now whip out an opera house, banana, mouse, queen, diamond, and a rubber chicken. Aren't you jealous?
  
• Take one day to wake up early and watch the sun rise over the coastline. Suck it up and do it (see the Sicily photo above) TOTALLY worth it!
  
• Bring a travel journal! More on this next time.... I have a great DIY travel journal that is great for special vacations... like your honeymoon. ;)

I hope this was helpful! What are YOUR best travel and cruise tips??

Your New Favorite Gadget... No, Really

Recently, as of about six months ago, I met my new technological love. This beauty is attractive, fashion-forward, fits in my party clutch, and is always there when I need her. Friends, meet your new best bud: The Flipcam.

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I can't tell you how handy this lil number has been... I've broken her out for parties, nights out, everyday life - and perhaps MOST handily, at weddings and while on vacation. I absolutely love my Flipcam! My favorite part about her is that she fits in my purse. We would all love to have a camcorder at the ready for those most special moments in our lives, but... I have no inclination to drag a camcorder around a wedding! Too bulky.

The Flipcams come in many different styles and at all price points, currently, from $149 (the camera I bought!) to $229 for the fanciest, most customizable HD version.

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I have to tell you, that $149 that I spent has been worth every penny. I carry it in my purse, right next to my point and shoot camera. There have been so many moments that have snuck up on me, and I was ready to take video to remember the moment by. The quality is outstanding, much better than the video option on my point and shoot - I really can't say enough good things about it. I am officially raving. (!)

The Flipcam is also an all-in-one device... Wait for it... Wait...

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Bing - The cam comes with its own hideaway USB drive! Mrs. Quiche and I most recently used the Flipcam at Mrs. Powderpuff's wedding, and we were able to create a DVD for her of all the special Powderpuff wedding moments. Our experience successfully convinced Mrs. Quiche that she wanted to get one, too! Take a look at a few videos from my recent "Sistamoon" to check out the quality:






I really can't recommend the Flipcam enough. The quality is great; the price is fantastic - you will use it all. the. time. What's your favorite tech gadget? Will it play a part on your big day?

* I am not associated with the Flipcam company in any way. I just really love this product, and I think everyone should own one! I mean really, think of all the "behind the scenes" wedding moments you could capture!

Report from the Field: Powder Puff Gets Hitched

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*All pictures mine, unless noted otherwise.

Yes, this is report from the field... specifically, Operation Mrs. Powder Puff a date that shall live in infamy.

Mrs. Powder Puff, Mrs. Quiche and I all became Bees right around the same time, back in late 2008. Sharing our freshman fears, we quickly became fast friends. We may or may not have consumed multiple alcoholic beverages in concert, ahem.

In any case, at our last dinner, Miss Powder Puff asked Quiche and I if we'd like to come to her wedding. This is how the convo went:

Miss PP: "So guys, do you think you might be interested in coming to my wedd..."
Quiche and Me: (interrupting) "YES"
Miss PP: "Oh good - I mean I know it is a bit of a drive from Chicago, and you might need to spend the night..."
Quiche and Me: "WE'RE COMING!"
Miss PP: "Well, that's settled!"

Needless to say, we were very excited to go! Mrs. Quiche even told Mr. Quiche that he would have to sit this party out, as this was a bona fide girly trip. That Mr. Quiche - he is so nice!

Now, I must preface this by saying that in normal life, under normal conditions, both Mrs. Quiche and I are pretty organized individuals. We pay our bills on time, we arrive to appointments early, we always buy the bride and groom a wedding gift.

Um yeah. Not so much on the PP Wedding Day!

We left Chicago very lackidasically Saturday morning for our 3.5 hour drive to Michigan. There was a beautiful drive and a lil Burger King in our future (no gagging, Healthy Police!)

See... look how relaxed!

To be honest, I am a bit surprised we made it to Michigan at all. We both forgot a few *fairly* important things... like toothbrushes, so we had to make a stop. We kept forgetting to check our directions until about 30 seconds before each turnoff. There were few street signs anyhow... we just kinda had to feel our way to our hotel.

So anyway, we finally arrive at our destination and thought we'd take a nap before the festivities began. We had a lot of dancing on our schedule and wanted to be rested and ready to go!

We walk into our hotel room. I am throwing all my bags on my bed. Mrs. Quiche glances at the room clock and yells, "TIME CHANGE!!!!"

Craziness and flying shampoo bottles ensued.

Yes, we were the dunces who forgot that Michigan is an hour ahead of Chicago. Consequently, we had 30 minutes to go from grungy to fab and get our booties to the wedding! In the craziness, the situation was nevertheless hilarious. Damn you, Time Change!

We made it to the ceremony with 15 minutes to spare, and we took about 5 minutes to calm our nerves down. Now we could celebrate!

The day was GORGEOUS, seriously, it couldn't have been a more beautiful day. The sun was shining, the breeze was cool, the flowers were blooming - perfect! We were so excited when the ceremony got underway and thoroughly embarassed ourselves with all manner of cameras to document the moment.

Swoon!

After the smoochin', we had a few drinks. We were in the mood for beer, and the day called for lil Oberon. We made buds with our dinner companions at Table 9:
Table 9 was full of dancers. At any given moment... "This is a Table 9 song - go dance!" It was really impossible to sit down for more than 30 seconds... the peer pressure was tremendous! Yum to the food, yum to the people, yum to the dancing.

Now, earlier in the vening, we were able to snag a proper Bee photo...

See the difference between the photo above and the photo below - several hours of dancing and drinks lata:
West Side!

Quiche and I didn't leave until the lights came up, and you better believe we slept in the next morning - Powder Puff knows how to throw a par-tay! We took our tired selves back to Chicago, and somehow made it to our appropriate destinations, again "feeling" our way home!

I need to buy a GPS.

Are you an otherwise organized person who is a mess when it comes to destination weddings?

Starting Over Is Really Not That Bad Ackshually

Hi, Hive - I've missed you ladies! (and gents! - Gents? Do boys read this blog?) :)

Long time no blog - mainly because I was busy crying in my oatmeal. (Kidding - mostly!)

I just got back from my Honeymoon turned Sistamoon, and I promise to share all of the deets with you soon: including cruise and travel tips, as well as a DIY travel journal to end all travel journals (The journal is either incredibly amazing, or incredibly obsessive-compulsive, depending on how you look at it.) Before we get to that though, I was moved to write this blog because I am still active on the WeddingBee message boards, and on a fairly regularish basis, I see a post by a bride who had to call off her wedding, due to a variety of horrible circumstances.

WeddingBee is about the experience of moving towards the altar, and for some brides, that journey gets cut short, which is what happened to me. I have gained what feels like a master's degree in love recently, and I feel like this merits a post to support those brides whose world seems to have fallen in, as well as to help those of you support a bud of yours who may be starting over in the Marriage Love department.

To those of you who are calling off your wedding - IT SUCKS A WHOLE LOT, doesn't it? Especially when the sudden relationship bomb is infidelity. I want to give you a little hope...

Your best days are ahead of you. Really.

Even though I am in no way glad Mr. ex-Snapdragon cheated on me, I am SO thankful I found out before we got married. As anyone who has been through a divorce will tell you - getting divorced is way more horrible than breaking up, even when you are calling off a wedding. I was able to walk away immediately, with no lawyers. When you're married, you don't get to do that.

The worst months are definitely the ones that immediately follow your breakup, but now that I am four months out... I don't really cry about it anymore. I actually feel good most of the time instead of totally broken. I have fun and laugh now (which was unthinkable several months ago!)

Another tough thing about calling off a wedding is that at least a hundred people are now all up in your business; you don't really get to be private about it. You know what that means... lots of advice (!) which is the last thing we need. Thankfully, even though many people loved to word vomit their horrible cheating stories on me, my close friends and family were smart enough to just say "Snappy, how are you doing?" and then take me out for multiple margaritas and tell me lots of jokes.

The most loving thing any buddy or family member can do is to just show you that they love you. Nobody that has called off their wedding wants advice, none of us want to hear your sad cheating story - we just want to know that you love us and support our decision that we have made for ourselves. I think the worst thing someone said to me was "I always thought he was a cheater - I'm not surprised." :O

So again, I want to reiterate that calling off your wedding is an excruciating event... but it really does get better. I will say this again: Your best days are ahead of you.

In news of the miraculous, I am going on my first post-Mr.-ex-Snap date this week, and I am kind of totally excited about it!

Breaking up doesn't have to break you. Keep your chin up.

Invitations that Snap!

Within my rather "exciting" previous post, I promised you lovelies a look at the Snapdragon wedding invitations! Before we get to the paper porn, I want you to know that the support I have received from the Hive has been invaluable. I have never in my life felt so much love and support from every person in every single area of my life. Many, many thanks, and much love! I am doing just fine.

And now.... on to the invites! As I have said before, these invites were a labor of love, and somebody besides my garbage guy should appreciate them!!! ;)

I refer to the Snapdragon invitations as Texture on Speed. Every piece in the suite is dimensional. I LOVE invitations that you can really FEEL - so that was in the background of my mind as the invitation design came to life. Every piece is DIY. The only way this invitation could have been more handcrafted would have been if I had milled the paper myself.... which would have been totally crazypants!

Guests would have received a white linen outer envelope (see photo above.) Then, they would have found a Stardream Lapis A7 inner envelope with their names artfully scrawled across the front:

Inside, my DIY Stardream Lapis pocketfold, with a Navy linen belly band, embossed in gold. I love the simplicity of "You're Invited."

Hmm, let's see what's inside! The blurs are to maintain my parents' privacy. Many apologies! The fonts are Parma Petit and Champignon, courtesy of DaFont.

A closeup of the main section... I used white linen matted by textured navy.

I doublestamped each invite in Navy ink with Gold overlay:

Then I embossed two Gold stars and "hung" them from the top stamp with gold embroidery thread. The embossing and sewing actually did not take as much time to complete as it might appear - however - I MIGHT have been under the influence of a bowl full of Starburst Candies. Um yeah. Sugar high.

Presented in the pocket, I enclosed an informational tri-fold. I bought the chandelier image from iStockPhoto, and the font is Exotica. I included information that our guests might need to know... our wedding website, accommodations, directions, and local dining and activities options so that our guests could make the most of their visit to Chi-town.

Hmmm, what's this? A map of my favorite city (tucked inside the tri-fold!)

I drew the outline of the map by hand with a high quality art pen. I am THE WORST at handling a nib, so that's why I opted for the version that wouldn't throw up India Ink all over my drawing. Kudos to those of you who have the nib skillz!

I scanned the drawing into my 'puter and colored the map in Illustrator....

I included iconic Chicago hot spots, as well as places that meant something to Mr. ex-Snapdragon and I. For my Dad, I included a fictional "Volvo Enthusiast League."

My father literally knows everything you could possibly know about Volvo automobiles. As an extremely safe car, all of the sibling Snapdragons learned to drive in a Volvo 240. To this day, Snapbrother Noah and I are the only Snapdragons to own a non-Volvo. Don't believe me? Check out this Volvo roll call snapped this past Christmas (ignore the PJs - it was Christmas morning!) We all stood in front of the Volvo in which we learned to drive. Our dogs wanted to sneak into the photo, too. :)

Um yeah, five Volvos, and that's not counting the Volvos that have been totalled, wrecked, or otherwise worn out by teenage drivers. The Snapdragons are crazy for Volvos. We are famous for them in our lil Texas town.

I printed the maps on white linen, and I mounted each piece on Stardream cover, with a cheesy gold stamp on the lower lefthand corner. Hey, weddings are totally appropriate for Cheesetown!

So that's that. The Snapdragon invitations. I hope this helps you find inspiration for your own invites! For me, I loved that my invitations were infused with so many personal touches. Anybody receiving these missives would have known exactly who sent them.

My last WeddingBee post will be in July, with a guide to my honeymoon (that I am taking with my sista!) 'Til then, what kinds of personal touches are you including in your own invitation design?