Neat Package

How would you describe this layout?

For me, its rich and busy, but in a good way. Its jam packed full of information, different elements, or in other words, embellishments, colour...there's so much to look at on such a small space of paper! How fantastic is this?! I've made the most use I possibly can on this layout. I am quite impressed!

My birthday this year was all about me. The whole weekend celebrating my birthday was for me. The reason behind it is very personal and deep and will take way too long to explain, so I'll skip over that part. Like all things, it'll probably have a way of creeping back into my work anyways. Sooner or later, you'll find out what the big secret is. I will say, however, that it's directly related to my personal struggles with depression and post-partum in the last few years.

The fun began on the second of November. Kyle had booked a date for us at the Melting Pot (in advance. If you plan on going, plan to book at least a month in advance. They are that busy.) for dinner that Friday. Neither of us expected the out-of-this-world experience we enjoyed while we were there. The brownies and chocolate fondue- my personal favourite of the entire evening- was (please excuse me) better than sex. I've never had anything so MIND BLOWING! I was so full by the time dessert rolled around, and yet I couldn't help myself when I tasted those brownies. I even asked for a second plate. O.M.G!!!!! I could have gone for a third, but I would have exploded by then. Kyle would have had to roll me out of the restaurant. Wait...he actually did...LOL

I held onto the menu that we grabbed from the restaurant, planning to work it into a layout when I got around to scrapping my birthday weekend. Thankfully, I didn't forget to include it! The layout Heather posted to her blog, recently, was the perfect platform for creating this layout. The vertical space for a 4x6 picture became the spot I would put my menu- but on the opposite side of the page. Instead of two horizontal pictures, I printed my pictures smaller (2x3), and included three black and white pictures.

On a little side note, the pictures I used on this layout are terrible. The lighting was dim in the restaurant (it was very romantic), and even though I had my camera, I used my cell phone to take the pictures. I must have forgotten the camera in the truck or something. So, my pictures were blurry and fuzzy. I was absolutely disappointed in the quality of my pictures, but consoled myself with the reminder that converting poor pictures to black and white helps hide the faults. Boy, is it ever true!

I wanted whoever will be look at my layouts in the future (primarily the girls, since my albums are going to be inherited by them), to be able to open the menu and be able to see what we ordered while at the Melting Pot. So, I just adhered the back portion of the menu so the entire thing unfolds when its opened. The two circles at the bottom, where my title work is located, works as a great tab to help open up the menu.

The back sides of the photos that overlap the menu are both slightly embellished with hearts and word stickers, both emphasizing how fantastic the restaurant was and the weekend we were enjoying sans kids. To highlight what we ordered, I used some washi tape and a small banner I made and adhered it next to our order.

After all my embellishing was complete and all the pictures and papers were adhered together, I began thinking about how I would incorporate journalling into this layout. On this particular layout, journalling was mandatory. Just the pictures and menu weren't enough to explain the reason I created this layout. It began with trying to figure out how to incorporate some hidden journalling (using a tag, large piece of paper- anything, really- and placing it behind a large element on your layout- whether its a menu like I used, or large piece of paper; and then attaching something as a pull tab so that its easy to remove from wherever its 'hidden'.)

"Lightbulb moment"!!!!!!!

Rather than creating hidden journalling, why not use the negative space behind the two photos that are attached to the menu for my journalling?! (Side note: I strategically placed the adhesive only on the sides of the pictures that would be attached to the menu, so that it could still be opened.) I really love how it turned out- journalling in this manner worked out marvellously- and, in more ways than one! Not only did I get my journalling done in a creative and efficient manner, my journalling also inspired my title- 33.

So now, everything ties together in a neat, if not busy, little package!