Mini Album for my Japan trip!

I just finished my mini album for my Japan trip, finally!!
Making album part was made easy thanks to Teresa Collins' workshop kit (Everyday Moments Workshop) from Scrapbook Island, but selecting photos and writing journals took a while since it has 60pages or so!  At first, I wasn't sure if this paper collections colors would go well with my photos from autumn, but I think they went pretty well!

This is the cover of the album.  The photo is modified to the black and white, so it's hard to see in this picture:(

I put a lot of photos from my trip.  I was able to fit ALL of the ones I wanted to remember!  That made me feel very good, because I always feel the dilemma that even though I want to make a 12" layout for every day during my trip(you see/learn a lot of new things while traveling, right?),  it's hard to make layouts for everything.  This mini album has so many pages that it could actually hold everything I wanted to include, small and big.  I'm still hoping to make a few 12" layouts from my trip, but at least I wouldn't feel guilty for not using all of the photos.  You know, there are some photos good for layouts and others not so easy to make layouts.

Any how,  I gonna show some of the pages of my album also as a summary of the rest of my trip to Japan journal(I don't think I'd ever finish blog journals otherwise...)!

The first couple of pages are from Yokohama--

and sightseeing in Nikko and Tokyo.

After about a week in Tokyo area, my mom and I took an over night bus back to my hometown in Kagawa.  I spent time there playing with my cousin's daughters, cleaning the gardens, shopping and eating....LOL

When my father was back with us(he lived in Tokyo for his work), we went to Dogo Onsen(hot springs).

We enjoyed nice bath and great foods!  They offered a very good deal for a day-trippers(like $20 for lunch, desert & bath)!  We also went to see Matsuyama Jo castle.  It was very beautiful castle.

Here is the evidence of me eating a lot...:)  I enjoyed all kinds of seafood dishes as much as I possibly could!! Sushi, grilled fish, stewed fish... you name it!  Fish in my hometown(which is right off the inland-sea) are much cheaper and fresher than here and there are much more variety.  Ahh... I usually don't miss too much about Japan, but I do miss fresh seafood...!

I also traveled to Osaka and Kobe to see some of my friends and go to my favorite musician's concert.  Spending time with family is nice, but also being by myself is essential!

Back to my hometown... My mom and I climbed a mountain nearby just for fun(we drove up most of the way).  I liked the view:)

Then, I flew from Takamatsu airport to Haneda(Tokyo), Haneda back to SF...
It was a very nice trip thanks to everyone hosting and spending time with me!  I was able to feel the pleasure and gratitude again because I made this album... Making mini album is great!

日本旅行のことをまとめたミニアルバム、やっと完成～～～!!!どんどんぱふぱふ～～～♪♪

アルバム作り自体は、テレサ・コリンズのクラスキットを使って作ったので、簡単だったのですが、なにしろ見開き30ページほどある厚さなので。。ジャーナル書くのが、思った以上に大変で。あと最初にプリントした写真だけじゃ足りなくて、追加でプリントしたりして(^^;すごい収納力に感動～～♪使いたいなーと思っていた写真、全て、使いました!

旅行に行くと写真をいっぱい撮るし、めったに会えない人たちとの写真は、必ず、レイアウトか何かにしたいと思うのだけど、そうはいっても、写真の量が大量でなかなか追いつかないのが、常。でもこのアルバムは、ページ自体がかっこいいので、写真をどんどん貼っていくだけで、オッケイ!簡単～♪これで「あの写真、使ってない・・・><」な～～んて、罪悪感を感じなくていいので、嬉しい。

中ページも少しご紹介。残りの日本旅行記を兼ねてね(^^;でないと日本旅行記もおわりゃしない。。最初の方は横浜や東京観光の写真。ここまでは、ブログにもアップしてます。

その後、実家のある四国に戻り、平日はいとこの子どもたちと遊んだり、実家の庭掃除をしたり、晩御飯のおかずを1品くらい作ったり、回転寿司行ったり。週末は父も戻ってきて道後温泉行ったり、牡蠣の食べ放題に行ったり(いやーおいしかった!)。まぁよく食べてました、全体的に(^^;お魚がおいしかったなぁ～～～

アメリカ帰国前には、2泊3日で神戸&大阪旅行にも。久しぶりの友達に会ったり、コンサートに行ったり、飲みすぎたり(爆)、楽しかった～～^^

また実家に戻って数日後には、高松→羽田→SFで帰宅っと。あっという間ですね、こうしてみると。ミニアルバムを作ることで、楽しかった旅行を再体験できた感じがします♪