Hello!
This mini album has been sitting on the "sidelines" of my craft table for far too long so I decided to get off my creative "backside" and finish it this week. (Btw, this is a long one)
I really enjoyed putting this little mini Amy Tan daybook together. This is from a trip I took earlier this year to NYC to visit with a friend from college - a mini break for both of us. I originally took the daybook with me "on the road" with a few embellishments and some adhesive as I was going to try to finish this while I was travelling. All good intentions, however I just couldn't seem to get it done. I have heard a lot of other fellow scrappers talk about creating their albums on the road, "get everything in there when it's still fresh and active in your mind, plucked directly from your brain"! Not only did I not find enough time to complete it but when I did find small snippets of time where I could have worked on it in piecemeal I just never felt in the right creative frame of mind or place to complete it. It's something I aspire to achieve, as one of my scrapping goals (create & complete an album on the road) but I just couldn't quite get there - somehow it just didn't feel right and I think part of me was worried that it just wouldn't be as good, if done on the road or on the go. A strange thought really when I reflect back on it. Nonetheless, it is now complete and I am sharing it here!
I did add a few pages to it by utilising some of the larger insert cards in the Echo Park Photo Freedom starter pack. One convenience I did have in the United States was those handy dandy photo machines at CVS where you can upload images with a USB stick and print them off to any size you want which WOULD BE really useful for an album on the road (not something that you would ever find here in the UK) or at least not that I have come across. I hate to admit it, but it is at times like that where I wish the UK was more like the US in that capacity, making life a little more convenient as opposed to some of the "difficulties" I've found in the UK.
The card above is from Simple Stories. We stayed at Affinia Manhattan, which was in Midtown. I had wanted to stay a bit further uptown but couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. We wanted to try and get a place with either two beds or two bedrooms, plus two bathrooms and then a lounge area plus a small kitchen as we didn't want to be eating out all the time. Found the Affinia online, a great little group of boutique hotels. As Alina had never been to New York before I thought it might be a bit more exciting for her to stay in a central location so chose this one, located on 31st and 7th.
All of the supplies I used for this album came from the following: Echo Park Everyday Eclectic element stickers, Echo Park Today's Story element stickers, Simple Stories Sn@p Life 12x12 Collection Kit, Simple Stories Urban Traveler cardstock stickers - Expressions & Fundamentals, Simple Stories Sn@p Pockets - Color Fusion and Simple Stories Urban Traveler Sn@p Cards. The various tabs I used were Echo Park (the greenish blue ones) and the black ones were from Pink Paislee called Portfolio Photo Tabs. The New York chipboard accents & stickers were by PaperHouse Productions. If there is anything you have a question about, just email me.
There was a lot of eating, some shopping and mostly chatting, laughing, catching up with one another and just simply enjoying each others company.
As we only had a long weekend and there was so much to see and do we had to pick between the Empire State OR the Top of the Rock. I thought the Top of the Rock would make for a better experience.
Had to take a snap of the airport and the Welcome to New York sign.
A few snaps of Madison Square Garden which was virtually across the road from us! Always something going on!
Another snap from atop the Top of the Rock.
Pictures of the hotel room.
A pic of Times Square. Even though I've seen it before, it still Wows me every time! Such a vibrant energetic feel to the place.
Doing a bit of "shopping" on Fifth Avenue, I use the term loosely. It was more like window shopping. We spent the better part of one afternoon looking for the American Girl Store, first at the wrong end of town and then along Fifth Avenue. There had been a promise made that if "someone went to New York" they just might bring back an American Girl doll! Very sweet.
One afternoon we had a wander through Central Park, leisurely taking in the scenery. Having a stroll, then sitting on a park bench to enjoy the view and have a chat. Then moving along a bit further, sitting to have a chat and then moving on again and again. Until we had nearly walked three quarters of the park. It was a lovely afternoon. Enjoyed watching the roller disco skaters as well! Such a lively bunch.
Saved our Metro Cards from the subway and included these in the book. On our way to the subway one day we happened by Lucy's Cantina Royale and glad we did. This place was great and the food was delish! Liked the casual "beachy" atmosphere.
As Alina is a bit of a science geek we spent an afternoon at The American Museum of Natural History. Nothing like checking out some giant dinosaur bones!
After we came out of Central Park we walked down part of Broadway so Alina could see the lights of Broadway.
I snapped this one when we were outside Rolex, the time "back home".
This photo makes me laugh every time! I was taking some pictures of Alina and she started "Vogue-ing". Why, I don't know, that's just her quirky personality which I love so much about her.
Couldn't go to New York without going to Macy's, a must! The picture below that is of the most expensive glass of milk I have ever purchased. I could understand the price if I had been on the French Riviera as a simple cheese sandwich there is about 25 Euros but a glass of milk - $9.00?!?! Did they bring it straight from the cow?? Normally I wouldn't have ordered something like this from room service but it was the first morning after we arrived and we had yet to go out and get supplies from the local shops.
Added another page here by taping in a post card (with a bit of Washi tape) that I picked up from a shop called Cocoa Bean back home in Windsor. Not intended for scrapbooking or marketed as a scrapbooking item, but thought it would work in the album.
Back of post card and another shot of Times Square.
I used a Simple Stories Sn@p pocket to include our tickets from the museum, the floor plan and brochure from the museum that tells you about the current exhibitions, our ticket to Top of the Rock along with my airline ticket. I added the card to collect our Top of the Rock photo to the front of the pocket.
More "Vogue-ing"
That's it!
A wonderful mini to commemorate a brilliant trip!
I did warn you it was a long one.
Thanks for looking!
