Ladies, you are sooooo good here on this forum, maybe you can help me out with the dilemma)
I've recently taken advantage of the 9cent prints at costco and printed a whole lot of pics for scrapping (hence spending a lot of time on this site browsing for ideas ). And part of that pack was a number of pics from july from the beach - and we went four or five times, so there are a LOT of pics but I love them all!!

Originally I thought I'd do a two page layout - even sketched it - with small pics - and printed about 20 or 30 of them in a 2*3 format (quarter size) and a couple regular sized ones. and today all of a sudden it hit me - it would be perfect for a mini album! with a theme and everything! and I will make use of one of the chipboard albums from my stash, and can use a variety of embellies and don't have to stick to a color theme etc etc. But then it takes longer than a layout, and what of my sketch, and the plans I had in my head? Dilemma, eh?
Anyway, need some opinions here - would you stick to the layout idea, or would you do a mini album?

Do both!

When I take a major vacation, or otherwise do something that demands a full album (mini or regular size) of its own, I also usually do a page or two for my regular album with just the highlights that will fit on a couple pages, leaving my usual amounts of excruciating detail and description for the special album.

I don't do mini albums but I'm with Aquabunny on this one - I think her idea is great.

I like all my stuff in 12 x 12 albums so do the two pager and then devote an entire mini-album to it.

I do like aqua bunny. i do a couple of pages in regular album, and really load it up in a mini album. The details.

Save your sketch. You can modify it and probably use in the mini or use on a different layout later.

I agree with all the above, I wud do a 2 page LO for my regular or family album, but would also definitely do a mini since you have so many pics. And you can really do a lot of the journaling in the mini. Most of all, have fun with it!

I do the same thing as Aquabunny. My suggestion is to do what you want to do. Which idea excites you more? You'll be happy doing what you feel is the most fun to create.

All great ideas there. If I had a whole bunch of little photos, I would probably end up with a mini - but I love minis. You can still use your sketches. You have enough photos there for both options. Enjoy!

Yup, I have to agree with everyone here... I would do both. A double layout for my 12x12 album, and then a smaller themed album. I don't know how mini the mini album is you're talking about, but I would probably do 8x8 or 9x9.
Wow... just coming back to this wonderful site after a few months absence is giving me such great ideas to get my scrappin' groove back!

well that's a unanimous call then) I think I'll start with the mini and will probably only scrap two or three pics in the main album.. There isn't much journaling to be done - it's just time on the beach, it's the same all the time, and I'm not a writer anyway ))
thanks for helping me decide!