Map obsession!

map passport holders

 I separated my life belongings earlier this year into 3 piles: 1) definite 2) maybe 3) donate ... with only part of one pile ultimately making it into my car for the move. The piles had little logic to them. Particularly in the fact that my big box of maps trumped things like warm winter jackets for the move to Alaska!

I've been collecting maps for as long as I can remember. I've got ski resort maps, maps of national parks, tiny obscure world travel destinations, water parks, college campuses, dream road trip routes, surf spots, entire continents, antique maps of Africa, topo maps of Alaska.... I can spend hours staring dreamingly at maps and never see the same thing twice.

This year, I decided that my home-made Christmas gift should make use of the map collection. I'll admit it was hard to cut up and part with some of them, but made for a fun rainy day project.

Map gift ideas:

1) Map wallets: made from duct tape and staples

2) Map passport holders: also duct tape and staples

3) Map coasters: birch trees, and mod podge

4) Map journals: quick and easy, bright duct tape to secure them to the inside of blank notebooks

5) Map wall art: mountable key holders

A few websites that inspired me:

http://www.instructables.com/id/No-Sew-Duct-Tape-iPhone-Case/?ALLSTEPS

http://www.everythingetsy.com/2014/02/7-diy-wallet-patterns/

http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/easy-diy-projects-you-wont-believe-are-no-sew#.ohp0Ye93b

 

 Did you know that AAA members can take as many maps as they'd like from the store for free? I hope that they let me go back in there again, I nearly wiped them out.... haha. 

Happy Holidays!

birch trees for a rustic gift for friends from Colorado

wall art with mod podge and ski resort maps

passport holder version II

map coasters

map journals

Insta-love

3 things that I love: travel adventures, collages, and photos. What's that - there's an app for that?!

I've been slightly addicted to Instagram lately, I'm the first to admit it. But it's a bit embarassing to confess that the 13-year-old teenager that's still left in me irrefutably shares the love of painstakingly piecing together tiny images to form collages that nobody will look at. At least this time it's not Hanson and JTT plastered all over my bedroom wall...

Can you guess where each one is from? I took these pics between February-April of 2014.
I used this free collage app: Photovisi (http://www.photovisi.com/)

If you're an Instagram user with some travel shots I'd love to follow! Comment your username below this post!

Thanks for reading!

Love,
@AlaskanAmber
#30tirement #traveladdict

Locations (from left to right)
1st row: Syndey Opera House - Australia; Manly Beach - Australia; Melbourne - Australia; Lake Blanche Trail - Utah; Apollo Bay - Australia; Torquay - Australia
2nd row: Farm country road, North Island - New Zealand; Tongariro Crossing - New Zealand; rice terraces of Tegalalang - near Ubud, Indonesia; Lembongan Island - Indonesia; Mt. Ngaurahoe, North Island - New Zealand; Millcreek Canyon - Salt Lake City, Utah  
3rd row: Manta ray in Manta Cove, Nusa Penida, Indonesia; Sunset in Canggu - Indonesia; Balangan Beach - Bali, Indonesia; San Francisco, California; Waikoto River, North Island - New Zealand; Gili Trawangan - Indonesia 
4th row: sand dunes somewhere along the Oregon Coast; golden Buddha at Wat Saket - Bangkok, Thailand; Boat at Lombok, Indonesia; Gunung Kawi, Indonesia; stand up paddleboarding in Tofino, Vancouver Island, British Colombia - Canada; Surfboard in Morrinsville, North Island - New Zealand
5th row: Old Man break in Canggu - Indonesia; horse tranportation on Gili Trawangan island - Indonesia; Summit of Batur volcano - Indonesia; Purification temple Pura Tirta Empul- Indonesia; airport sushi in Tokyo, Japan; Wat Pho reclining Buddha in Bangkok - Thailand

Marathon-Themed Bridal Shower

Back in November, I threw my sister a "bridal" shower prior to her renewal of vows ceremony/wedding reception. She's an amazing distance runner, so naturally, a marathon theme seemed fitting. When I went to look online for ideas, I was surprised at how little I found. So, with the help of my mom and sisters' friends, we came up with lots of ideas - everything short of running an actual race (only because she was 6 months pregnant at the time!)

I thought I'd share pictures of the event for people looking to do the same theme!

I made an invite to look like a marathon bib, for the "Sweetheart Classic." (Cheesy, I know). The numbers 1123 are for November 23rd, day of the shower. Attire: "runner friendly."

bridal shower invite

starting line outside the house

I put together a "course map" highlighting important dates from their relationship, ie- first date, when they said I love you, when they bought a house together, when he proposed, etc.

"Mile markers" and photos of the couple were spread out around the party. A running music playlist was going in the background.

Gatorade and bottled water accompanied the usual party food and beverages. Guests left marriage advice with permanent markers on labeled bottles of water.

My mom and one of my sisters friends made a beautiful cake/cupcake trays. The cake had a miniature bride/groom on it and below it were quotes/marriage advice from family members who could not attend the shower.

We had prizes for games (ie- how well do you know the bride?) that were running-related (finishers ribbon, running headbands and socks, etc). The games involved the usual bride/groom questions, but also had some bonus questions at the end re: the brides fastest marathon time, how many marathons she has completed, etc. All attendees recieved a "race packet" that included energy bars, chocolate, Emergen-C packets, and a small finishers medal. 

"Bag drop" sign was placed above where guests left gifts for the bride.

Participants posed with a near life-sized model of the couple under the "finish line."

It ended up being a little work, but worth it - lots of fun! 

Congrats Jake and Britt!