October Captured: Days 24-28

Throughout the month of October I will be creating a 6x8 album celebrating the fall season in Affinity Publisher for iPad. The photos + stories in this "October Captured" album will follow the prompts from my Photo-A-Day Idea sheet. You can download the idea sheet in this blog post. These pages will be simple, using the October Captured book template and October Captured Digital Kit I created for students enrolled in the S.L.A.P. Masterclass.

I can’t believe we’re already nearing the end of October! Days 24-28 have been such a fun mix of togetherness, creativity, and reflection — the kind of stories that make this monthlong project so special. From Friday night hugs with Rip to finding an old handwritten note from my grandma, each memory reminded me just how much joy can be found in everyday life in a world that seems to have gone crazy sometimes.

October 24 | Photo Prompt: Friday Night

Ryley, Alexa, and Rip returned from their 3-month road trip out west last Sunday! We loved following their adventures online, but having them back in Tampa is the best. They came over for Stromboli and stories, and of course I couldn’t wait to spoil Rip with a new squeaky ball, tug toy, and extra-large Lambchop stuffie. He’s already 90 pounds at just 8 months old! My heart is so full having them all home again. Now that they are home, it's time to start wedding planning!

I love the aesthetic of this spread. I used it a few times in this album already! Repetition in design is a good thing. I helps to make your project more cohesive.

October 25 | Photo Prompt: Time with Friends

Jay and Katie invited us to join them at their rented beach house for a weekend with friends. We made it just before sunset — perfect timing to walk the beach, collect shells, and sip something delicious under the beach canopy. Dinner with this group is always amazing: sous vide beef tenderloin (then seared) pan-seared shrimp, cheesy potatoes, Caesar salad, and wine (of course!). The laughter, the food, the view — nights like this fill me up!

October 26 | Photo Prompt: Busy Hands

Earlier this fall I started craving more hands-on creativity — something away from the screen. I enrolled in the 2025 Fodder Challenge through Willa Wanders Workshops, a gathering of mixed-media artists sharing projects using their favorite mediums. One project that I've particularly loved has been working with air-dry clay! I’ve been pressing December Daily stamps into the clay to make ornaments and plan to add a watercolor wash once they’re dry. They will be perfect to attach to Christmas presents!

Below is how the above to pages look side-by-side:

October 27 | Photo Prompt: Celebrating House + Home

Eleven years ago today we closed on our Florida home! She’s seen so many transformations over the years — new paint, tile floors, hurricane windows, updated appliances, and a backyard made for entertaining with a lanai and outdoor kitchen. This house holds so many special memories with family and friends, and I can’t wait to make many more.

The journal card is one I created right within Affinity Publisher using digital products from the October Captured Digital Kit. For the graphic on the right, I added a 4x6 piece of digital scrapbook paper for the background and copied/pasted the element cluster from the title page of my album on top! Easy peasy!

October 28 | Photo Prompt: A Handwritten Note

While reorganizing my recipe binders, I found a handwritten note from my Grandma Frantz tucked among the pages. It was from 1994 and accompanied a few recipes she had typed up for me. Grandma was such a wonderful cook — her chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles and her nut roll at Christmas were family favorites! I can't wait to make the nut roll this year!

I loved the stories from these days! I'll be back Friday to share Days 29 + 30! Thank you SO MUCH for taking time out of your busy day to stop by!