2018 Family Album : Front & Back album covers & intro pages

My 2018 family albums are now complete and I am most definitely doing a happy dance! These are the album covers to the two books as well as the simple layout for the back album cover.

NOTE: I always split my yearly family albums into two books ... one for January-June and one for July-December with each book being about 120 pages this year. At this point all that's left is the assembly of the books in Lightroom for printing at Blurb Books! (And waiting for another Blurb coupon since the last coupon expired yesterday ... bummer!) :)

I usually use my album covers as in the intro page to the books. While, for consistency year to year, I need the title "A Year in the Life of the Unzen Family" on the cover ... I don't need that on the intro page ... so I took it off. I actually like it better without the title, BUT it needs to be on the cover so it's there! :)

Credits (The Digital Press):

Anita Designs: Reflections Collection

Karla Noel: Irresistible (epoxy button) (retired) 

Thanksgiving : Love & Laughter : Good Times Were Had By All

Just Jaimee & Mommyish: Real Life in Pockets: Besties

Just Jaimee & Mommyish: Real Life in Pockets: Say what

Just Jaimee: March 2014 Storyteller

Karla Noel: Storyteller

It's the Little Things ...

I'm finishing up my last page or two for my 2018 album (although maybe I'll make a couple more vacation recap pages - hmmm?). I saw a layout like this in a magazine the other day and when I saw it I thought it'd be a fun design to highlight random little bits and pieces of life that down the road will be fun to look back on! I'm kinda excited about it!

Hello March (hanging out with friends)

Just Jaimee:

March 2019 Storyteller Collection

Minnesota Orchestra : Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Jimbo Jambo Designs/Designs by Soco: Escape Templates

Little Lamm Paper Co.: Anthology Bundle

Julia Makotinsky: Start the Music Elements

Cooking is my passion | Hennepin Tech

Anita Designs: Cooking With Love

Friends at Graduation

Just Jaimee: April 2017 Storyteller Collection (snapshot frame)
Katie Pertiet: Simply Framed
Mommyish: Scholastic (Smile Camera)
Misty Cato: Puzzled (laugh & fun)

O Christmas Tree | Our Sweet Pup Maggie

Finishing up my last few random pages for 2018! I'm getting anxious to send my 2018 family album off to print!

Credits:
Katie Pertiet: Holiday Foliage Layered Edgers No. 2 (frame cluster)
Katie Pertiet Design: Worth Repeating Expressions No. 3 (o Christmas tree)
Anita Designs: Joy (gold paper)
Scotty Girl Design: Skinny Stitches
Taylor Made Designs: The Christmas Collection (metal tree)

Out with the Old | In with the New | New Dining Room Set

Karla Noel Design: Storyteller | Complete Collection

First Day On The Job

“Audacity” a collaboration by Anita Designs and Karla Noel Designs at The Digital Press: Kit, Stamps

I Love You Mom!

Rachel Etrog Designs: The Very Best Mom Elements and Papers

Rachel Etrog Designs: The Very Best Mom Journal Cards & Printables

Karla Noel Designs: Bestie Add On Pack No. 2

Tracy Stroud: Capture Life

Karla Noel Designs: Irresistible (retired)

Scraplift Challenge | Me!

Just Jaimee: My Digital Obsession

I Love Photoshop | My Digi Obsession

Credits:
Just Jaimee: My Digi Obsession

Travel Book | Lauren's Epic 6 Week European Vacation

Warning ... wordy post alert! Ha!! :)

I'm super excited! I sent a pretty massive (134 page) travel book off to print at Blurb last night. My daughter had a 6 week travel adventure in Europe this past summer and I promised to make her (and me) a book of her travels. I thought I'd share a couple random pages with you.

My husband and I traveled with her for 12 days of her trip and fortunately I'd already created a book for those days so for this book I made add on pages (86 to be exact) for the weeks before and after our time together. She didn't want me to add journaling to her pages because she wants to simply remember her experiences via photos. She did keep an extensive travel journal so I scanned her travel journal and added all those pages to the end of the book. (I thought that was a pretty good idea!) I'm psyched about the way the book turned out!

FYI, this is MY book for her trip. I just printed one book so I can proof it and see if anything needs to be tweaked. Once I (we) decide we're done proofing and made any tweaks I can reword the title pages (she doesn't want a book called "Lauren's Epic 6 Week European Vacation" - HA!) and send it off to print again. I can't wait to get the book in hand!

Happiness is a Super Sweet Daughter (July 2009 & January 2019)

I ran across these photos today and they completely made me smile! It's a random happy memory from 2009. Time goes by so quickly so I simply HAD to scrap it right now & get it in an album so I will always remember.

Credits: Digging into the archives for one of my many favorite Just Jaimee Storyteller Collections (May 2013)

Puzzling through the decades ....

Mye De Leon: Puzzled

Wishing Well Creations: Boys and Their Toys

Meagan’s Creations: You Game

Karla Noel Designs: Everyday Life Sentiments

Connections Around the Globe

With windchills at -51 degrees standing outside and waiting for a bus to go to work was not a safe idea. Guess what it is a good day for? Sitting by the fire and scrapping!

Credits:

Scrapping with Liz: Around the World Templates

Katie Pertiet Designs: Taped Together Stacks December No. 1; Simple Spots No. 3, Catana; Adventuring; In the Post No. 2

Pink Reptile Designs: You've Got Mail

Karla Noel Designs: Bestie

Paislee Press: Photobooth

Glitz Girls Designs: Happy Trails

Cousin Time | Grant & Mitch

Just Jaimee: February 2019 Storyteller Collection

Australian Pink Floyd

Julia Makotinsky: Start the Music

Glimpse of You | Grant's birthday

Studio DD Layered Template #963

this and that from Katie Pertiet Designs

papers from The Digital Press Collab: Go Play

ISU Family Weekend 2018

Katie Pertiet Designs: Journal Keepers Monthly No. 11
Gennifer Bursett Designs: Just Loverly (black paper)
Simply Tiffany: School Doodles

2018 Summer Sabbatical

It was super important for me to document this unexpected period in my life. Change is good and if I don't document the details I won't remember them!

Journaling reads:

My job of 19 years at Thomas Bird & Associates came to an end. My last day was May 11. Before my job ended I accepted a position at Fredrikson & Byron in Minneapolis. Scott & I decided I should take the summer off so I scheduled an August 20 start date (I later pushed it back to the 27th). I don’t remember if taking the summer off was Scott’s idea or mine but he was super supportive of the idea. I LOVED EVERY SINGLE MINUTE of my 15+ week sabbatical. I kept super busy & it went far too fast. I got up early every morning but rather than going to work I went for long bike rides, took Maggie for walks, gardened, grocery shopped (Who knew? Grocery shopping & gardening aren't terrible when you're not rushed!), read books, had lunch with friends, visited mom up north, went to Europe, & planned & cooked healthy & delicious meals. One important goal for me this summer was after graduation to spend time with Lauren before her trip to Europe & after she returned from Europe to hang out with her & help her prepare for her move to college. The summer of 2018 was FANTASTIC! I had not planned for this job change (I thought I'd retire from the firm) but they say that when life gives you lemons make lemonade . . . and I sure did!

Credits:

Karla Noel Design: Life 365 (a retired kit - which I'm sad to say because it's a go-to and one of my favorite kits!)

Lauren | ISU | First Place Win in Mung Bean Contest!

Designs by Dani: Secret Recipe

The Digital Press: Family Game Night Elements (No. 1)

K Becca Designs: Whoo Hoo Elements (flags)

Gingerbread House | Lauren & Holly

Liv.E Designs: T+Mini Vol 7

Anniversary Vacation | Sanibel and Captiva Island, Florida

Anita Designs and Nini Goes Digi SEASIDE CALLS Collaboration

Anita Designs: SEASIDE SERENITY elements