Ultimate Scrapbook Cruise Day 1 and 2 ...

The Ultimate Scrapbook Cruise aboard the Carnival Freedom left from Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale at about 4 p.m. Sunday Jan. 11 with about 110 scrappers and their friends and families aboard. The night before, I had spent at the Courtyard and met one of my first supper table mates, Lisa, since she was my roommate. I hadn't gotten much sleep the week before, so I crashed at about 9 p.m. I left her a note so she wouldn;t think I was rude or something.
Once our cruise was underway, I met my roommate for the cruise, Michelle, a nurse from the D.C. area and we clicked really well, making the cruise that much better for both of us. Our room was on the 2nd Deck, as aft as aft can be, with our window facing out the back of the boat. Our room was a good size, with two twin beds and a couch. Plenty of room for two scrappers. We picked up our ScrapMap goodie bags (lots of fun, scrappy stuff) and itinerary in the afternoon, so we had plenty of time to pore over it before the group meeting at 9 p.m. where we were introduced to the ScrapMap staff and instructors. The boat's first stop the next day: Ket West, FL.

Michelle and I took a tour around the island, stopping at some of the "key" sights. We of course, stopped at the Southermost Point and waved at Cuba.
The flowers that Hawaiian leis are made from are called Plumerias, which my mother is a big fan of. She has a few plants and bushes, but nothing like this huge tree, the likes of which are all over the island. So, this photo's for you, Mom!

And for those of you who haven't toured Key West before, let me warn you to watch out for stray chickens. They are EVERYWHERE and there is a law against harassing them, so no free fried chicken dinners. This one I snapped a picture of as he strutted through the Ross Dress for Less parking lot (I was there buying an extra suitcase for all the scrappy stuff we were going to get on the cruise. I forgot to leave room when I packed - duh! And I call my self and advanced scrapbooker!).

One of my favorite spots on the whole trip was the Key West Butterly Conservatory. This was just a tiny piece of paradise for me. Apparently, butterflies make me happy. Who knew? It was just peaceful, serene and so much what I needed to start the cruise off right. Here are some of my pictures from that. I think half of my memory card was used here.












If a butterflye lands on you, it is supposed to be good luck. And they were so thick, you had to be careful where you stepped. This little guy took a ride on my shoe for a few steps before I noticed him. Thanks for the luck!

We got back to the ship in time for a late lunch on the ship (we certainly did not starve on the cruise!) and to rest before our journaling class with ScrapMap owner and author Jim West. The class was before dinner, so I, with a Margarita Miracle in hand, found a seat and listened in for the hour-long lecture. Some helpful hints when journaling: 1) Use your handwriting no matter how much you hate it and 2) journaling doesn't have to be long, but try to hit the high points: the five senses (what did you see, taste, smell, feeland hear?) and the "w" questions: Who, what, when, where, why and/or how.
After supper, Michelle and I gathered up our scrap stuff and headed to the Fish and Chips restaurant, which had been reserved for us for late-night scrapping. Most people chose to turn in early, since Karen Russell was hosting a sunrise photography workshop the next morning, but Michelle and I had work to do: She needed to finish some of her swaps and I had come up with an idea for the ScrapMap postcard contest and wanted to get to work on it before I forgot it! I think we got to bed around 1 a.m. The next day was a day at sea, full of classes!