Oh happy day!

Definitely not seeing the snow I was expecting in Seattle but it is freezing out here! I had to dig out a layout so that I could remember the warm waters of the Carribean and wish for warmer weather. I cannot help it that I'm a visual person (smile).

The other reason why I dug out that layout was because I just had to find my passport again--I'm starting a new job on Monday. The trip the layout archives was the first trip I took with my passport.

I just love this layout because there is so much going on in it, but it all seems to mesh together. Admittedly, I love all of the little details in these kinds of layouts, but the simple life is kinda more fitting for the time I have nowadays. But, since we're really kicking into HoF mode here, I thought I'd point out some cool details (at least they are cool to me) that I really didn't notice when I submitted this layout with my entry last year:

Photos--believe it or not, there are 9 of them on this layout. NINE! There is an assignment that requires 10 photos and folks think it cannot be done on one page. If you were to take the embie out of the bottom right corner and place a photo there, voila--10.

Journaling block--partially hidden, but it fits on this page. In the left hand, where the "tag" with paradise found rubbed on to it, that is the journaling block. I mounted the strip of photos at the bottom of the LO to a strip of cardstock so that the journaling block tag hides behind it. You can see paradise found. I don't tend to put directions on my LO (ie, pull here) so only those I share with or who are creatively looking for my journaling can find it. Fun times.

Embies--you could take out the netting/umbrellas grouping in the middle of the LO. I added it because one of my upper photos was a bit blurry. But remove it and stamp the {&} instead of using a wood piece for it and then you only have the flower groupings as embies. (Remember, we removed the lower right embie and replaced with a photo). Voila...three embies.

Title is obviously there, but a nice twist. Nice technique (stamping on transparancy) and interesting title--half and half refers to the fact that St. Maarten (the island I was on) is half Dutch, half French.

Get creative with it! Promise the pic will be back up soon.

Happy scrapping.