Journal Keeping

Whether you journal for arts' sake, for your own enjoyment or to remember things you did, saw or experienced - journaling is a personal thing.

Ali Edwards tweeted a great article today about travel journaling.

Lavinia Spalding was asked some questions and here is my favorite part:

"That said, I don't think journals and blogs are mutually exclusive. In a way, it's the perfect combination: keep a journal for private memories and discoveries, take copious photos so you'll never forget the beautiful and bizarre, and use your blog as a tool to entertain and inform."

This is exactly how I feel about it! I like to work in my personal journals every day and enjoy writing and pasting things in my travel journal when we take trips. My everyday journal is on the computer - and it starts when I boot up so it's IN MY FACE so to speak. I see it - even if it's just before I log off for the day. I stop and take care of "business" even though it's just a sentence or two. I will sometimes "finish" the next day.

At present, I'm still trying to organize my life around new challenges so I print out my journal pages and my blog entries to paste into my moleskine. I hope to include some drawings, paintings, photos and hand-written entries (like previous journals) later on when I catch up with myself. Right now - it's just so I will DO IT. Keep the habit.

Winding Yarn and reading actual books

Here's what I've been up to: winding yarn to take with me when I go stay with my Mom tuesday. She's having her surgery wednesday - we have to be at hospital at 6am! I'll have lots of time to knit so I'm starting some more socks. This "tub" is 3 deep with yarn balls! WhooHoo! I tried to put patterns and yarn together in a big bunch but couldn't do it. Too many yarn/patterns don't work for me. I tried that before, but ended up changing almost every one! Soooooo I'm just taking all I can. heehee. I'll choose as I go along.

This is my August journal calendar - just look at how full! No wonder I'm tired!
This is one of the few decorative pages for August: Mostly ideas for future projects I probably already have stuff for.
I have actually been reading hard-copy books (vs eBooks on PDA)! I still love the feel of a book in the hand even tho I do LOVE my pda for reading at night or in the dark while on my stationary bike. I have been so busy I am too tired to even knit most nights, so I sit and read! I just started "The Rift" by Walter J. Williams this weekend and finished a Nora Roberts trilogy about vampires and time travel - The Circle Trilogy. That was pretty good and entertaining. I didn't want it to end. I love when that happens!

I also made a birthday card for a friend today: photo mosaic technique. Take old photos that may not have come out like you wanted but you had them printed anyway - rubber stamp all over them. Cut them up, glue them to a piece of cardstock you have run through a Xyron machine (puts self-stick glue on the back of papers)- leaving spaces between. In the spaces (since it is sticky) brush embellishing powders (like the ones from Jacquard - pearl some-thing or other I forget at the moment) in the spaces. Cut to the shape and size you want and glue it to a blank card face. Tada!

I also did a watercolor mock-up for a larger painting (over 3 canvases) of a magnolia:

AND made a mousepad! Covered backing with cardstock, pretty paper and clear vinyl.