Europe 2016 Traveler's Notebook Update

Today's post is a tad late, but I wanted to share with you some of the progress I'm making in my TNs that document my trip to Europe from this summer. 

First, I gathered all the ephemera and bundled it by date in the first TN. As you can see, there was a ton of ephemera.

For the thicker pieces like maps, I gathered those and intend to put them in the flap located in the back of the TN; I'm using the cahier size/style from Barnes and Noble, and they come with a flap at the back inside cover already.

Here's the title page I made for my TN; I used some travel themed paper and a die cut I've been saving for just such an occasion. I really like the cork numbers I used; wish I had a bunch more of those.

The first couple of pages had lots of journaling, so I only embellished the bottom of the second page a bit. The tape at the top of the second page is there because I accidentally ripped it a bit dealing with the ephemera on the other side; no worries since washi tape is transparent though. You are still able to read my journaling through my little mishap.

Here are the next two pages that correlate with the first day of travel. I stapled in my airline tickets and baggage labels because I thought it was fun that I kept those. On the facing page, I have an airplane selfie and a piece of cut-up ephemera from the company I use for student travel. To carry on the washi theme and make it look purposeful, I added some to both the left and right sides of the spread.

I've only started the layout for the next day. You can see some washi tape, a couple of embellishments, and a photo that I plan to use. These pages will be mostly journaling.

I have gone ahead and attached the ephemera for the next spread even though I need to have a photo printed to add to the left hand side. Here, you can see a couple of receipts, a map of a museum, a ticket, and a bit of washi tape to interest.

Again, I've just started the next spread. Yes, I have a photo and an embellishment and a receipt adhered already, but I still need to journal about this day.

On this spread, I adhered the brochure for the flamenco show we saw and a photo of the three trip chaperones. Notice that I'm using washi tape on each page for interest and continuity. Plus, I just think it's cute and makes the TN feel more homespun and casual.

Here's another spread that I've started but not finished. Like the others, this one needs some journaling included. I've already added a fabulous title I'd been hoarding, a pic I like, some metro tickets, and some embellishments. Now, I just need to write down some of the story.

More receipts and business cards and embellishments + another fun photo make up this page. I think I'm pretty much finished with this one since I'll tell the story on the couple of pages just before this spread.

I'm making progress on my Europe 2016 TNs, but I certainly have a long way to go. I hope you enjoyed getting to see what's happening so far and that 'in progress' pages don't disappoint. The best part of this project is that I an approaching it in a relaxed way and just enjoying the process. :)

Street art in Madrid

I'm back home and recovering from jet lag, but I thought I'd share some of my fave street art from Madrid with you today. While I have mixed feelings about graffiti in general, these pieces of street art are so amazing that there's no doubt how much I love them. In fact, I'd like to try to sketch some of it in my art journal at some point. 

Do you have street art where you live? We don't have much in my town, and this makes me want to seek out more. Peace out, artsy peeps!

Crafty shopping at El Cortes Ingles

El Corte Ingles is a combination department store like Macy's,  grocery store like Kroger, and discount store like Target all rolled into one. This particular one is 12 floors of selling with its own exit off the metro in Sol! That's pretty crazy, right? Well, here, I thought I'd share with you just the crafty section on one floor of this megastore. 

They have poster board and construction paper, of course.

And lots of school supply type things like lunch boxes and backpacks and journals. 

Plus a huge Moleskine department...

And more journals and folders and notebooks and organizational products.

There was an entire rack of artist/drawing technique books.

I liked this journal a lot!

A few little stickers could be found here and there.

And pens? Man, they had tons of pens and markers in almost every style imaginable.

They also had all types of paints and brushes and easels and canvases as well as a variety of sketch pads. 

I loved how some sections were arranged by color. It really made a big impact on the sales display.

And they had a large section for expensive fountain pens.

While arts/crafts certainly aren't the focus of this store, that department def isn't shabby. I think it's more geared to arts rather than crafty endeavors in general. Bottom line? You need to see this whole store including the arts section, so leave a couple of hours free for it the next time you're in Madrid. 😊

Observations on fashion in Madrid

 One evening a couple of weeks ago, I sat on a park bench in a busy residential area of Madrid and watched Madrillenos as they came home from work. I wanted to look at their clothing in particular and try to draw some conclusions about how the people here dress. It was a fun social experiment though I did feel like a creeper secretly photographing people as they walked past me. I 'think' all of these people are local because of either their dress, the items they carried with them, or the fact that I heard them speaking Spanish. Of course, I could be wrong on some accounts. Here's what I concluded from my little experiment. 

1. Spanish women love sundresses of every type, length, and color. The shift dress pictured here in linen seems to be a particular favorite. Also notice the uber popular wedge sandal. 

2. Sleeveless is the norm here because it's so blasted hot. All ages and all sizes wear sleeveless tops or dresses. Even men wear tank tops when they're being casual. That's not something I think of as typical in the USA. 

3. Printed pants are also popular. I've seen every age group and every style of these pants, but the loosely pleated style with narrow legs is the most common. 

4. Maxi dresses are still popular too, but what I love in this pic are the metallic sandals they're each sporting. 

5. Men almost always carry a messenger bag, briefcase, or 'murse' - this isn't an indicator of sexual preference here; it's a matter of convenience and practicality. Men's clothes are also more tailored here although it's hard to tell in this pic.

6. Jumpsuits are popular here too just like in the USA. I've also seen matching printed tops and bottom sets that were big in the 80s, so that's probably a look that headed our way again, folks.

7. Solids are much more prevalent than patterns, and I saw lots of pale colors too (prob as a reaction to the hot sun). The most common thing I saw was flat sandals though. It seems like every woman of every age wore delicate, flat sandals with some sort of decorative element. Big shoulder bags that fit right under the arm are popular with locals too. 

8. Here you can see the combo of trends - bright dress + shoulder bag fitted right under arm + wedge sandals. 

9. Here's another combo of trends - sleeveless top + printed pants +wedge sandals. 

10. In this pic, all three women seem to be right on trend - solid dress + scrappy or wedge sandals.

11. I saw lots of couples out walking their baby carriages. How cool is this style carriage? Dad looks pretty casual but mom is sporting work clothes - bright dress + scrappy sandals + shoulder bag. 

12. I didn't see as many separates like this lady is wearing, but notice the watch. Lots of Madrillenos wear watches which kind of surprised me in this age of cell phones. Maybe that's a trend at home that I'm just not paying attention to yet. Also notice the shoulder bag here.

13. Here's an older lady stepping out in style. She's wearing a kitten heel and a print, not very common among the younger women I noticed here in the city but still quite stylish. Her hair is also more fixed, another generational difference I think. 

14. I think this young woman looks adorable! Her full skirt, tank, and blouse are simple but crisp. Her scrappy sandals and shoulder bag are right on target. And her sleek ponytail kept the fun, young vibe. Also note the man in the background. He's wearing a tailored jacket and pants with an open collar dress shirt and is carrying a sleek leather briefcase. His whole look is very European as well. 

15. Right on trend - bright, solid sundress + wedge sandals + shoulder bag + simple hair and makeup. 

16. Another right on trend young woman - sleeveless dress + small cross body bag + scrappy sandals + a high bun.

17. Casually dressed men - note the fedora style hat (very popular), the cross body 'murse' ( practical and popular), and the sleek, dark tennis shoes.

18. Basic work uniform - brightly colored solid top + black pants + ballet flats or scrappy sandals + shoulder bag, 

19. White pants are very popular here as long as it's a skinny cut. I'm not sure I saw a single pair of flared or boot it pants in the last six weeks. Note that both of the women in white pants are wearing strapped sandals, a shoulder bag, and a focal point blouse.

20. Another great look for Madrid or anywhere - solid shift dress + leather shoulder bag + strappy sandals + loose ponytail + sunglasses. What else do you need?

I like to try to blend in wherever I'm traveling. I think it makes me less of a target for theft and enhances the experience of trying to actually live in a place. That said, I'll make a few changes the next time I travel. For one, I'll try to bring some solid color dresses; all mine this time were prints. Next time I travel, I'll also try to bring some strappy sandals that don't look quite so tourist-clunkified, and I'll bring a leather shoulder bag to fit right under my arm. Look at me, I'm already thinking about the next trip I'll take. Sounds just like me, right?