i used to be all about the journalling, the documenting, the scrapbooking - the savouring and preserving. but somewhere along the way - lively children, ginormous piles of laundry, neverending snack-making, blogging, managing an etsy shop...well - those things took a backseat. like-way-at-the-back-of-a-really-long-schoolbus-backseat.
high on my list of goals for 2012 is taking care of myself (me?!! ME!!) - body + mind + heart + soul. part of this involves taking the time to sit and write...handwrite...and i am excited to have not one but three lovely journals to take me on this journey...
i have a daily/'whatever' journal (sweet one on the right i got for christmas years ago) - because its been way too long since i kept one of those. in this i can write all kinds of rantings and ravings, as well as funny things my little people say, dreams + goals, and i have also written out a rather un-characteristically sensible 'schedule' for myself - ie laundry, baking, vaccuming, crafting...because as you may or may not already know - i am horribly disorganised and scatter-brained. "off with the fairies" they call me. and so in order to stay on top of all the craziness that is life i now have a schedule. lets see how long it lasts!
my 2nd journal is a handmade number, whipped up sunday afternoon before some friends came over for a potluck. i made them one too - see when you come to my house for a potluck i not only feed you cheesymite scrolls, i give you a journal. i'm hospitable like that! see, i've been wanting to have one juicy family journal for a while now - one we can take camping, or on road trips, we can write funnies, and draw pictures. and it will be a nice time capsule of our year. so far yindi has filled half of it with rainbow scribbles. perhaps we will need volumes?
it was a simple-slapped-together (my favourite!) bunch of papers randomly layered and stitched into a file folder, which i had previously covered in thrifted fabric (via the ol sewing machine). big enough that it should be easy to locate under couch cushions or coffee tables.
and then last but not least we have the 2012 journal challenge journal! i debated long and hard about which format to do this in - and out of simplicity chose a nice colourful journal i've been holding onto since i bought it in thailand 3 years ago! if you are going to join in this challenge then ANY format will do - i almost went with a big glass jar to stuff scraps of paper into, as i'm prone to losing journals (jars seem harder to lose?). so anything you choose will be just dandy.
the theme for this year is "remember when...?"
because lately i have been thinking a lot about my nanna, who passed away 18 months ago. i have been having dreams about her, and remembering all sorts of sweet memories - none of which i have ever written about. and this is what i do - remember things, random things...and while these memories have their 10 seconds of designated time inside my brain, i want to write them down. so when i am even more doddery i can open the pages and read and smile...
i will be writing in these pages whenever a memory pops to mind. and each week i will be sharing a memory with a weekly theme (ie nanna!) to perhaps jog a memory of your own. because, if you are anything like my husband...when someone starts telling a story you just HAVE to chip in with one of your own, even if it is entirely unrelated (to the audience mind you)..."i've got legs!" (see, i'm remembering something funny already...)
just to keep things interesting (also because i generally rebel against my own deadlines), i won't have a specific day to post the journal challenge. but they will be here weekly - and i can't wait to get all journally together this year...!
ps gimme a yell if you want to help organize a flickr group for this. and let us know in the comments below if you'll be joining in..!
Oooops!!! SO in!
Posted by: Sherri P eh | January 03, 2012 at 10:59 AM
YES!!! I'm in, and a flickr group would ROCK!
Cheers,
Lee :)
Posted by: Lee L | January 03, 2012 at 11:50 AM
Count me in! I always wanted to do your 52 Q challenge but life and moving continents took over, but I will try to be good this year and follow your journal lead! :)
Posted by: Suyai | January 03, 2012 at 12:15 PM
Ohh,I'd like to try to do this...finally, since I'm always putting things off. If nobody has offered to help with the flickr group,my oldest daughter (a homeschooled senior may be willing to help out...just let us know what she would need to do). You can email me at reneealam@verizon.net and I'll let her know and then we'll get back to you to let you know if she can do it. It sounds really fun. :) I also love your journals....I won't tell you how many I have... let's just say I could open a journal store. :) I am a sucker for a pretty journal.
Posted by: Renee | January 03, 2012 at 02:42 PM
I have two empty Remains of the Day journals that are just waiting for something like this. Count me in!!!
Posted by: Dawn | January 03, 2012 at 03:02 PM
Okay Em, you are just too cool! This journalling project of yours sounds awesome - I may just have to join in - what a great idea!
I wrote about journals today too, that time of year = new beginnings and all that.
LOVE your family/communal/take-along file folder journal...what a fun mamma you are!!
Posted by: boho mom | January 03, 2012 at 03:55 PM
i'm going to do this as well as the little thing i'm doing on my blog!! i'm excited. :)
Posted by: Jill scripps | January 03, 2012 at 04:23 PM
I love the "Remember When Journal"! As I sat and read this post I looked up on top of my desk and looked right at a jar that occassionally holds candy...but wouldn't it do me more good to hold memories!!! Also, just today I called my nana and asked her to write down some stories...her own "remember whens" that I could make into a book for my kids. I already collected some of my mom's stories in a journal and I am so excited that my nana agreed to do this for me too!!! This book idea has been a goal of mine for about a year and I am so excited that it is starting to come together. I want my children and their children to know the tales that I grew up hearing. Stories of how my family grew! Yay! Emily, you have just inspired me to put my random memories into this jar on my desk. I may even put a pretty little label on it! I hope that I will have the motivation to actually participate in this challenge but if not please know that you did reach out and touch my creative soul and start me on a new journaling path!
Hugs from Southern CA,
Le Anne
Posted by: Le Anne | January 03, 2012 at 04:47 PM
Thanks so much for the inspiration! I noticed you have a tutorials section on your sidebar, could the folder journal make it over there? I'm a beginner with a sewing machine, but would love to have one (or ten). Any help/instructions you could give would be awesome (Did you sew the paper in with your machine too?). Thanks again!
Posted by: Kelly | January 03, 2012 at 05:20 PM
I am gong to jump in and do your journal challenge! I think the weekly inspiration is just what I need! Thanks for your fun blog.
Posted by: Lynn Peterson | January 03, 2012 at 09:28 PM
I'm in too.. hooray! And I'm going to try really hard to stay in lol. I'm the worlds best starter at anything, it's the finishing that always seems to be the problem! And we were gifted a little desk from our neighbours yesterday so it's Kismet :-)
Posted by: Melanie | January 04, 2012 at 12:47 AM
I'd like to do this with you guys. I discovered 52Q a year late. I did start and got to Q8 and then it sort of dried up. It's more fun doing it and comparing notes with others. If you have a Flickr account it shouldn't be too hard to start a group.
Posted by: Els | January 04, 2012 at 05:23 AM
It's wonderful that you're resolving to journal this year. In the last few months I've joined an art journaling group and it's been one of the best things I could have done for myself since moving to a new town. I love to journal, and I also let it fall by the wayside after having children.
Posted by: Kimberley | January 04, 2012 at 05:46 AM
I'll be joining you and I am recruiting others. lol. I'm so glad you are doing this again. I've missed your paper crafty goodness. ;)
Posted by: Gina | January 04, 2012 at 06:26 AM
Um, HELLO!? I'm in. Totally in. I'm 1000 times in. :)
PS. I heart you.
Posted by: rachel whetzel | January 04, 2012 at 08:24 AM
i'm a journaler at heart... i keep several for different things.. but it took the 4th baby to steal those precious moments of my day away.. hoping to get back to them.. thank you for the 'remember when' idea... it's really inspiring..
Posted by: kate | January 04, 2012 at 09:27 AM
Absolutely wonderful, lovely idea! I would love to share my memories and relections of the day, night or week.
Posted by: Beth | January 04, 2012 at 01:11 PM
I'm in :) xxxxx
Posted by: Karina | January 04, 2012 at 02:57 PM
I love reading your blog Em! It's so fun!
Posted by: Laura | January 04, 2012 at 04:45 PM
Another 52Q/Deck of Me alumni here! Looking forward to giving this a go too :)
Posted by: debbie | January 04, 2012 at 09:41 PM
It must be something about the year - unknown to me, my sister planned to journal, I've also planned (and started) to journal on a daily basis and will enjoy joining wth you in a weekly remembering
Posted by: Veronica Power | January 05, 2012 at 04:42 AM
Hi!
I just found your blog, and I just ordered a journal to start writing in this year. Serendipity? I would love to join and this sounds like the perfect prompt to get me hand-writing (and doodling) again!
Cheers to you and your lovely fam! This is going to be so fun!
Posted by: Olivia | January 05, 2012 at 06:32 AM
I would love to join in with this. Thank you :)
Posted by: Laura | January 05, 2012 at 11:47 PM
Count me in! I made your mini art journal challenge, and then -52Q challenge! So, definitely, count me in :D
Posted by: Michelle | January 06, 2012 at 05:27 AM
I'm in, I'm in! Excited for this!!
Posted by: dani johnston | January 06, 2012 at 09:16 AM