I had every intention of making a precise list of solid color papers I would need to complete the scrapbook pages. I was really going to do that. But then I saw Hobby Lobby was having a sale! So instead, I went to Hobby Lobby.
The first pack I found was the BRIGHTS one. I love the colors in the pack and I sure they will all be used if not for this project, for others I will be working on real soon. Here are some of the colors that really caught my eye.
I also purchased the pack UNICORN as I love the lighter, more pastel shades. These will definitely not go to waste.
And finally, I purchased some red glitter paper and some light blue glitter paper that I have a specific use for in this project.
Now all that is left to do is to start putting pages together. But first, I have some time-sensitive craft projects that I need to get started on and completed. Have no fear, I will be returning to show the scrapbook pages once they are put together.
Mahogany Bay. I am considering using some of the cut outs for these pages.
Belize. There may be a cut out or two for these pages also!
Cozumel
Sea Day #3
The time when they make us leave…
In all fairness, the paper selection for our excursion to Dolphinaris was purchased at Scrapyourtrip.com. I knew that I needed this paper when I first saw it so I made sure to purchase a large quantity! And I’m glad I did as they no longer have it in stock.
I was not finding anything I thought would be appropriate for the Cat in the Hat breakfast until I started searching the internet. This came up in scrapbook.com so I bought all they had!!!! I may be making a paper change on the Seuss parade!!!!
Now that all of the paper has been selected, all that is left is for me to find the correct color paper for matting some photos. The final part of the paper selection will be my shopping list. Hopefully it will not be a very long list. At least that is my hope at the moment.
Thanks for reading this blog. I hope you will return for the next installment.
This is truly a labor of love. Unfortunately this labor of love will be broken down into two parts.
Before we even left for this cruise, I started buying paper pads from Michaels that I knew would be used for this adventure. After all, it’s now often that you can take a 4-generation family cruise. These are the paper pads I purchased. All are 12 x 12 and the quality of the paper is awesome.
And now for the selections by day:
Travel day
Embarkation day.
Sea Day #1
Sea Day #2
These are the selections for the first few days. The next installment will have the remainder of the days of this cruise. So please come back to see what I have selected for the remainder of the cruise.
It feels good to know I have managed to make decision on the final photos that will go in the scrapbooks. I have managed to go from 2500 photos to 645. That means that 129 photos will be making their way into 5 mostly identical scrapbooks.
How will the 129 photos be broken down into scrapbook pages? Well, please allow me to tell you. There will be a total of 31 single page layout, 10 of which will only contain 1 photo. There will be 7 two page layouts. The largest majority of single page layouts will contain 3 photos. Most of those are from our excursion to Dolphinaris in Cozumel.
Now the fun part begins. Time to do some paper selection. This is just as time consuming as photo selection. But this is what I have so far.
Of course, like everything else, it is subject to change. In fact, now that I’m looking at the initial paper selection on here, I will likely change it. But I guess this will be the preliminary round of paper selection.
So, I will be spending some time over the next few days selecting paper for the photos I have. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I will not have to go shopping for paper and can match photo and activity with all the paper I have on hand. Wish me luck.
Please continue to follow my blog as I continue the scrapbook journey that is 2018 Vista Project.
I do not know how I ended up with 2500 photos!!!! Some of the photos have 5 copies of it as those are ones my daughter has selected for herself. So, I figured if she wanted one, maybe the others would want one too!!!! There are a handful that have 2 copies. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with those extras but I’m sure I will figure it out.
When I started this project, the photos were in the boxes we received them in from Shutterfly. I had already gone through all the photos to determine which area they should be in. And by area, I mean pre-cruise, travel day, embarkation day, and so on. This was a good start, but, obviously, still had a long way to go.
To begin the next part of my project, I would need index cards, a columnar pad, and photo boxes. Unfortunately, I did not have any photo boxes on hand, at least none that I could find. So I suppose shoe boxes will have to work, at least temporarily.
I knew I would need to divide the photos by section, so I made some dividers to use to separate the photos I would be storing in old shoe boxes. Apparently I did not plan well enough to have photo boxes on hand. Either that or I’m just blind and they are right in front of my face! So, I first made dividers to use in the photo albums for each section with the sections being: Precruise Follies, Travel Day, Embarkation, Sea Day #1, Sea Day #2, Mahogany Bay, Belize, Cozumel, Sea Day #3, and The End. I also made some dividers to divide the photos into sections. And then I made some divider cards to use within each section. One for photos chosen for possible scrapbook page and one for the photos that will go in the photo album.
The next thing I did was to sort the photos by the date, if printed on the back of the photo, and image number found on the back of the photo. The image number from the cell phones are different from the ones we took from our camera. Cell phone photos start with IMG_ while our camera photos start with P. Once they were all sorted, a made 3 separate image lists: one for cell phone photos, one for camera photos, and one for the photos we purchased from our excursion to Dolphinaris in Cozumel.
The only think left to do was to put the photos in the shoe boxes and start to decide which ones belong in which sub-category. But that will be in the next installment… maybe.
This has been a very time consuming process, but one that I think will be beneficial. Why? Since dementia runs in the family, I will have written documentation of who was on the trip with us. I know this will be very beneficial for my mom!
My least favorite part of every cruise, when our cruise comes to an end. We had decided to do self-assist on this cruise so we can leave the ship relatively early.
Since we woke up early for no apparent reason, we had breakfast at the Lido Marketplace Buffet. We were not necessarily hungry, but we wanted something to go with our coffee!
Once we finished eating, we returned to our stateroom to watch us sail into Galveston. I was so happy to actually see some dolphins playing is the water.
Before we knew it, it was time to leave the ship. The debarkation process was easy with the exception of the people that do not think the rules and announcements apply to them. We made it thru the immigration process quickly as we had nothing to claim and the use of facial recognition.
After we were on the road for a while, we decided we were hungry so we stopped at a Jack In The Box for something we could eat while driving.
Next stop, Buc-ee’s in Waller, Texas for some gasoline, then we were on our way home with no additional stops.
We definitely enjoyed this cruise even thought we both had summer colds. I blame Jim for it. There were things on our to-do list that we did not do but we did go to the Punchliner club once. The remainder of the time we were just bums doing whatever we decided we wanted to do when we wanted to do it.
I do hope to go one the Carnival Vista one more time before she moves to her new home port sometime in 2023. Although we would probably pick a different itinerary. I guess the COVID restrictions will be a factor in selecting our next 7 day cruise.
So until next time, I hope you have enjoyed this series of our cruise blogs. Hopefully another one will happen in the next year or 2. Only time will tell.
Stay healthy, be safe, and thank you for reading our blogs.
It’s our last day on the Carnival Vista. Tomorrow they will be forcing us to leave! But that’s ok. We are going to make the best of today.
First, we will start the day with Sea Day Brunch. What’s brunch without a Bloody Mary and a Mimosa? Definitely our brunch starter of choice!
I was shocked when Jim didn’t order his normal Eggs Benedict. Today, we decided on the Voyage Burger. He said it was very good. I had my typical Steak and Eggs.
Before long, we had finished our meal and wondered around the ship for a while. We came upon the class that teaches how to make the towel animals. We didn’t stay but we took some pictures!
When we arrived to our stateroom, we found this towel animal, or should I say towel heart.
We spent some time packing then we went to Lido Marketplace for lunch.
One of the VIFP Gold perks is a free drink on the last night of the cruise to be used after 5pm I think. We decided we would get our drink from the Alchemy bar. This is the first time we have ever ordered a drink from any Alchemy bar. We have high hopes for our beverage! I’m not positive, but I think Jim ordered the Quick Fix and I may have had the Pain Relief. I do not remember so it is quiet possible I’m wrong.
The last dinner on the ship is sad. Sad because we know this cruise is coming to an end. So we will enjoy our dinner and maybe shed a tear or two when they sing that song…
Tonight we made sure to get pictures of our wait team before things got crazy. They were a fantastic team and I am so glad we were seated with them.
Our last meal of the cruise consisted of Rustic French Bread and Ciabatta with Whipped Butter, Olive Oil & Balsamic, and tomato & olive Tapemade, Steak Ale and Cheddar Soup, Braised Short Ribs, Broiled Strip Loin Steak, Baked Alaska, and one last Carnival Melting chocolate Cake.
After dinner and saying our goodbyes, we walked around determined to find the perfect backdrop for my required last photo of the cruise. I could not wait to take it when I found exactly what I wanted!!!!
We also did some shopping as we still had a lot of on board credit to use!
And then we returned to our room to finish any packing and to sleep.
Bienvenidos a Cozumel! Today we are arriving in one of our favorite places to visit. Not only do we come here by cruise ship, we have also visited for a week at a time! This island feels like home.
We decided to start our day with Port Day Breakfast served in the Horizons Restaurant, deck 3 aft.
Our breakfast consisted of coffee, orange juice, Eggs Benedict, Egg White Fritata (that really didn’t look like egg whites), hash brown potatoes, bacon, and biscuits. The food was great and the service was pretty good.
After breakfast, we made our way to the Lido deck to watch us arrive in Cozumel and to admire a couple of towel animals lounging near the bar. You know you have arrived when you see Three Amigos at Puerta Maya!
Since we decided to go somewhere different, at least for us, we were excited to get off the ship! Today we are going to Mr. Sancho’s!!!! Once off the ship, we made our way to the taxi stand. We were able to get a taxi quickly and it did not take long to get there. The cost of the taxi was $17 for the two of us plus tip. Not a bad deal in my opinion.
Once we arrived at Mr. Sancho’s we quickly settled in at a table on the beach. We ordered a couple of drinks and enjoyed the view and the water.
After a while, we decided to go to the pool and relax there. We definitely had a great time in the pool and we definitely made use of the swim up bar. We also ordered some food which was pretty good. I’m not a fan of coconut but I heard many rave reviews of the Coconut Chicken they have so I decided to try it. It is definitely something I will not order again. Not because it wasn’t good but because of the coconut.
We stayed at Mr. Sancho’s until around 2pm. We definitely feel like we got our money’s worth there. We will definitely return on a future cruise.
We walked around Puerta Maya before boarding the ship and finding this cute towel animal.
We made use of our time in our stateroom by getting ready for dinner and admiring the pretty blue water as seen from our stateroom balcony.
I’m always sad to leave Cozumel. It is definitely a place I enjoy coming to. I do like to see our favorite hotel as we sail by it. Had we not gone to Mr. Sancho’s, we probably would have gone to The Melia Cozumel Golf and Beach Resort. I guess from now on, Jim and I will have to flip a coin to see where we will go for our beach time.
Since we still had some time before dinner, we continued to walk around and take in the sights around the ship.
Time for dinner!!! For the breads on this evening, we were served Ciabatta and Petite Sourdough with the condiments of Whipped Butter, Olive Oil & Balsamic, and bacon pan drippings. Jim selected the Baked Onion Soup for his appetizer while I had the Vine Ripened Tomatoes and Chopped Lettuce with a raspberry vinaigrette. Although I do not have the pictures of our main entrees, I think Jim had the BBW Pork Spareribs and I had the Broiled Strip Loin Steak. We both selected the Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream. Yummy!!!!
After dinner we returned to our room to find Debarkation Information. Now I’m depressed. We still have one more sea day before we return to Galveston!
We have arrived in Belize! Actually, we are anchored as this is a tender port. The view of Belize from the ship is beautiful.
Before we even boarded the ship for this cruise, we had already decided we would be staying on the ship today and do nothing in particular. And that is what we did.
We watched then tenders come and go from the balcony of our stateroom.
After we ate breakfast, we went to our room and were greeted by our towel animal. We stayed in our stateroom until it was lunchtime!!!!
We decided to day would be a good day to have lunch at Cucina Del Capitano located on deck 11. For lunch, I had the Meat Lasagna, Caesar Salad, and bread while Jim had Linguini with Bolognese. We enjoy having lunch here as there is no charge for the lunch menu. If you decide you want to try Cucina Del Capitano in the evening, there is a $15 per person charge. They have an extensive dinner menu that I hope to try on a future cruise.
After lunch, we walked around before we returned to our stateroom to watch us sail away and great ready for dinner. Tonight is the second Cruise Elegant Night so that means I have another opportunity to dress up a bit, but not too much!
On our way to the Horizons Restaurant, we had some photos taken. After all, it’s not often I get to dress us!
Dinner tonight was great!!!! I started with a glass of Kendal Jackson Sauvignon Blanc and, of course, iced tea.
Breads for tonight were Baguette and Multigrain Cranberry with Whipped Butter, Olive Oil & Balsamic, and Garlic and Herb Cheese. Jim’s appetizer for tonight was Stuffed Mushrooms while I decided on Shrimp Cocktail. Unfortunately, I did not take pictures of the bread, condiments, or the appetizer.
For our Entrees, we both had Filet Mignon with Grand Marnier Souffle for dessert.
The remainder of the evening/night was relaxing and doing absolutely nothing else. At least not that I remember.
We enjoyed sailing into the port from our balcony. I apologize for the quality of the photos.
When we got the all-clear to go ashore, we were ready but in no hurry. We already knew how we were going to spend our day! We decided to walk around the shops first so we could see if there was anything we couldn’t live without… specifically a medication I left at home. But mostly to get an idea for souvenirs.
We took a leisure stroll to the beach area. Once there, we went to the shack that rents the clam shells, floats, snorkel equipment, and other things.
We spent time in the water and enjoying the view. The beach is lovely.
We did not spend a lot of time on the beach. Instead, we returned to the ship for lunch and to relax. On our walk back to the ship, I had the brilliant idea to go down the nature trail on the way back. There were a couple of photo ops that I’m glad I didn’t miss.
But first, before eating, we went to our stateroom to find our new towel animal!
After our stomachs were full, we went back to the shopping area to make our souvenirs we knew we wanted.
We returned to the ship in plenty of time to get cleaned up from our day, dressed for dinner, and enjoy the views from our balcony.
Dinner, as always, was great!!!!! The bread selections for this night were Baguette and Whole Wheat with the condiment selections of Whipped Butter, Olive Oil & Balsamic, and Bacon Pan Drippings. Unfortunately, I do not remember what remember what my cocktail for this evening was, but it was good!
For his appetizer, Jim ordered the Fried Mozzarella Sticks while I had the Heart of Iceberg Lettuce with ranch dressing.
We had the same main course selection of Grilled Been Tenderloin.
We even had the same dessert, Bitter N Blanc.
After dinner, we returned to our stateroom for the remainder of the evening/night.
our life reality 