My First Try At A Visual Journal

This morning on my way to a baby shower, I stopped off at AC Moore's and bought this sketch pad. It was about $6 regular price, but the nice girl at the checkout counter scrounged around and found me a half off coupon. I chose this journal because it didn't have as many pages as some of them did. I wanted a thinner journal because I didn't know how well it would hold up. I imagine I will travel with this and it will probably have a lot of wear and tear. I would like to cover the cover with some pretty paper and maybe have it laminated? We shall see.

Here is the first page: I made it sort of inspirational, and plan to journal some goals for myself here. If you can't tell from the photo, the picture I included is a laptop sitting by a beautiful stream. And of course, the saying goes right along with the goals.

I love the way this page turned out! If you can't tell from the photo, the second page is a bunch of doors. I cut up about five magazines so far. My old Martha Stewart Livings were the best ones to get photos from. I threw away a ton of magazines when we moved and am now regretting it! I checked at the library today because they have a swap area where people leave old magazines-- but there weren't any good ones. Anyone know where to find some for cheap? I hate to buy magazines just to cut them up!


Two things I try to do all the time--
listen for God's promptings and learn new things.

A seasonal page-- I have several more fall-ish photos I will include in my journal-- but I didn't want to get too far ahead of myself and end up with fall pages and fall be already over. I also cut out quite a bit of Christmas-themed photos, which I will look forward to including when that time comes, which will be before we know it!

I hoped you enjoyed looking at the beginnings of my visual journal. I am excited about having a journal to jot down funny things my kids say, memories of events, quotes that I love, scripture that speaks to me, insights I am getting through Bible study and conversations with friends, etc. I like that this book is truly mine-- beautiful yet individual, visually appealing yet extremely practical and usable. Please leave me a comment if you try your hand at making one!

Here are a few links I found on other visual journals:

http://storybookwoods.typepad.com/storybook_woods/2007/08/personal-jour-1.html

http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun_and_candlelight/2007/07/the-joys-of-jou.html

http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun_and_candlelight/2007/07/planner-qa.html

I plan to use the Simple Woman's Daybook format from time to time, as a means of consistent documentation of what we are up to, what I am thinking of and concerned with. If nothing else, it will be a jumping off place when the well runs dry-- a way to make myself write something in the rare moments when I have nothing to say.