Garland Attempts/San Diego Weekend

I was going to create an entire post to detail our weekend in San Diego, but I keep putting it off. So a few remarks about San Diego:

1) It is the epitome of mild weather, hovering around 75º. And at 35 degrees less than what I was used to in Phoenix, I was cold for a majority of the time.

Day one: visit to Mission Beach

2) That water is too damn cold. This must be why everyone in California is into the beach/boardwalk activities - it's too miserable to actually swim in the ocean.

Walking by the edge was as close as I was getting to "in"

3) The tram ride at the San Diego Safari Park was an awesome way to view the animals without feeling like you are gawking through a glass window (even though we did some of that, too!)

Ready to leave on our safari!

A view of the tower of giraffes

4) John is uncomfortable being around drag queens. Witnessed at the restaurant on Saturday night where we got to dine and see a drag show. Even if he didn't like it, we got to explore the cool neighborhood of University Heights.

Dinner at Bourbon Street  

5) States only care about placing border checkpoints where you enter their state. Not where you leave it. So we got to go through a border checkpoint in Cali on the way in and Arizona on the way out.

Boasting the number of immigration arrests, criminal arrests, DUIs, and pounds of drugs seized

So there is a slight overview of our first trip to California. It makes a nice vacation destination, but I don't think I would ever want to live in California.

On to today.

With all these craft projects (okay, only journals), I have been creating a lot of scrap pieces of paper. I did not want to just recycle them, so I stowed them to find a use. I am trying out garland to use it up.

First garland attempt was to string origami together. I was going to try to make paper cranes, but then I realized this shape was easier/faster to make, and would appeal to more people.

I have no idea what these are called, but these are a simple construction of six pieces folded in a base that I also have no idea what it's called. 

Strung together

I had seen a wedding garland posted on Etsy in bright colors made of folded boxes (like paper dice) and this idea surfaced. I may have made this one too long. But a set of ten hung as a backdrop - I think it would look pretty.

Next paper scrap was a little trickier. A hundred-ish scraps of 1/2" x 11" strips. This idea came from a Christmas ornament we made as kids. It involved pipe cleaners strung with beads and strips of plastic canvas grid doubled over to create a rounded effect. I used that same idea to string together some paper garland bunting.

I can't decide if I like the beads enough to continue. I was going to create a rainbow effect, but I wonder if more rounded beads or something else would look better. Plus, I don't have enough correct-colored beads to continue on!

I like the way it has movement to it. The paper swings freely and would move around in the wind if hung outside.  I may have to hunt around Hobby Lobby to see if I can find something else to serve as a placeholder between the paper.