Currently
Time: 9:35 PM, Sunday
Location: Family Room
Feeling: Relaxed after a productive weekend.
Loving: Puppy snuggles (when she lets me).
Learning: New things about wordpress.
Reading: The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst.
Drinking: White Grape sparkling water.
Anticipating: A flooded email inbox tomorrow morning when I get to work.
Listening: Podcasts on Podcasts. My current favorites are the Paperclipping Roundtable and Invisibilia.
Watching: Undateable. This show is the bomb and it’s live, so it’s hilarious.
Wearing: Sweaters and boots, I’m trying to embrace fall before I need to get out that winter coat.
Planning: Future blog posts.
Creating: Bible Journaling pages and posting them to instagram as frequently as possible.
Needing: to get back to a consistent quiet time instead of just fitting it into my schedule.
Photographing: Too many pictures of Chloe. Poor dog. Haha
Traveler’s Notebook Inspiration
I got this beauty a few weeks ago – it was a secondhand purchase from someone who had never used it. It’s a golden brown Maverick from Chic Sparrow and I am weirdly obsessed with it. I mean, let’s be real, I love all notebooks, but I have a special thing for this one. If you aren’t familiar with these traveler’s notebooks, check out the one I made in my very first post here. I’ve been going down the YouTube worm hole of watching videos on how people set up their notebooks so that I can figure out how I can best utilize this lovely thing (read: use it for everything so I have an excuse to have it with me always). My last traveler’s notebook had two bands and I only kept two notebooks inside of it. This one has four bands and at the moment, I have 5 notebooks, peerless watercolors, and a zippered pouch inside. I could probably fit more, but I really didn’t want to overdo it. Here are the basics of what I keep in my journals.
Faith Journal: This is the journal that I use for everything faith-related. I take it to church, write down my prayers and use it to brainstorm future bible journaling verses and pages. For this, I used a lined Piccadilly journal from Barnes and Noble that I cut down to the right size (8.25″ x 4.5″). I love this one because it has TONS of pages and the lines are perfect. These journals are 3 for $5.99, which is pretty great compared to what some of the notebooks go for online.
Adult Coloring Pages: I bought this amazing notebook from Yellow Paper House on etsy when I found out about the adult coloring pages. I read that coloring before bed can help decrease stress or anxiety. Some people are going all out with their Prismacolor Pencils, but I just stick with the good ole crayola colored pencils and it works just fine for my liking.
Bible in a Year Journal: I just recently found myself in a facebook group that was about reading the bible in a year. I did this a couple of years ago and it was honestly one of the best things that I had ever done for myself. I haven’t had continuous success with Bible reading for a while because for some reason I find it distracting to just start in the middle somewhere, so I thought that now would be the perfect time to jump back into the more regimented reading plan. Each day after I read, I just circle the book and chapters just in case I ever want to go back through in the future with a highlighter or check mark as I read. She left plenty of blank pages and I’ve reserved those for thoughts and prayers related to what I am reading. If you’re interested in joining the facebook group or getting your hands on one of these journals, you can find out more information here.
Notes + Daily Journal: This is my catch all. I use it for everything from podcast notes to my daily journal. I recently came across the Five Minute Journal and I thought that the idea was amazing, so I’ve started to include some of the prompts in my daily writing. I think this has helped me search for the amazing pieces in seemingly mundane days. I also keep a record of my dreams here because they are pretty insane sometimes and it’s always hilarious to go back through and read them. For this journal, I used a trimmed down large Moleskine Cahier and it is perfect.
Art Journal: This is another one from Yellow Paper House and I love it so. It’s just a blank white notebook and the paper is perfect for everything from distress stains to paint and inks of all types. So far this has been working better than the Moleskines that I have used for art journals in the past. Since I’ve been using the traveler’s notebooks, I’ve already filled up 3 of these but I think it’s worth it to preserve memories.
Peerless Watercolors: This is easily one of my favorite things in my notebook, yet I hardly use it. The peerless watercolors have color saturated on one side of a special paper fabric that readily releases when it comes in contact with water. This makes it easy for on the road painting and the aqua brush makes it pretty easy to do whenever and wherever. You can find a similar palette here.
Plastic Pouch: This wraps around one of my notebooks and stores stickers on one side and project life cards and some collected items and tickets on the other. I love having this little to simply throw things in without the worry that they will get bent up or ruined. I found mine here.
Source: The Well Appointed Desk | Jeff Goins
Here is some inspiration for ya.
I recently just found this blog about two friends who complete journal entries and then blog about them.
This is beautiful and I love that the scenes of her journal include flowers.
My favorite YouTuber doing a Journal with Me.
This sketch book is a dream.
The traveler’s notebook as a planner.
The Flickr Group. Dang, these people are talented.
Lots and lots of journal prompts.
Urban sketching is the bomb.
Favorite instas: Ali Brown, My Documented Life, and Raven Ink
Have a favorite that I forgot or haven’t seen? Post a link below and maybe you’ll see it on my next inspiration round up!
Currently
Reading | The Artist’s Way…although it’s taking me quite a while to get through it.
Planning | how i’m going to get caught up on Project Life.
Watching | lots and lots of YouTube videos… a few of my favorite channels to watch are Ali Brown, Little Ink, and Amy Tangerine.
Trying | to take a break from social media.
Cooking | pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches and buffalo dip, but not together.
Eating | flat bread pizzas and kit salads.
Drinking | sparkling water.
Calling | my mom. of course.
Texting | B. love that girl.
Pinning | lots of art journal and notebook inspiration. *heart-eyed emoji*
Tweeting | about Mizzou.
Going | to the library more often than I ever have in my life.
Loving | fresh flowers at home.
Discovering | the awesomeness that is Chic Sparrow.
Thinking | about waking up a little earlier than normal this week.
Feeling | overwhelmed by creative ideas.
Hoping | and praying for the Lord to move in big ways.
Listening | to Youtube videos and Chloe chewing on her antler.
Celebrating | the weekend’s wins…Cardinals, Mizzou and Rams. Booya.
Smelling | the outdoors, I’m so glad it’s open window weather.
Thanking | God for the way His plan has played out in the last year.
Considering | what the next step for my online shop is…there are so many things I want to do!
Starting | The Best Yes for a book club at work.
Finishing | my current journal…on to the next one!
I Want To Remember // Two Months of Marriage
I was asked yesterday if married life is as good as expected. I almost laughed. I had high expectations for enjoying being married to you, but it has far exceeded anything I could have expected and has been such a fun season of life. So here are a few things that I want to remember from the first two months of marriage.
I want to remember sitting at the Harmony breakfast enjoying the breeze and the most amazing pancakes in the entire world. I want to remember the nights you needed to sleep on your other side but still wanted to be close so you backed up until we were touching. I want to remember dreaming about going back to St. Lucia. I want to remember nights on the couch where you played xbox and I crafted (because some things don’t change). I want to remember double date nights. I want to remember mornings when we turned up the music and danced before work. I want to remember you getting home from a morning run only to sweep the kitchen floor. I want to remember decorating our first place – complete with shelves, pictures and your bike. I want to remember squirrels in the roof. I want to remember learning to understand each other – I now close the shower curtain and you now call the extra bedroom “the craft room”. I want to remember you having more shoes than me. I want to remember rescuing you from the trail after your tire popped and trying to find you through t-mobile’s spotty service. I want to remember being so excited for you to get home and never wanting to get out of the bed in the morning. I want to remember writing thank you cards with you. I want to remember late night drives to find our future house. I want to remember the smell of our room after you leave for work in the morning. I want to remember shopping trips and break time sodas. I want to remember our evenings of sleepy time tea and frozen chocolate covered bananas. I want to remember making insurance and retirement decisions at 23. I want to remember to be selfless and to remind myself that I’m not always right and when I don’t (because sometimes I won’t), that saying sorry is a must. I want to remember the way I feel every time you encourage me with my crafts and blog when I show you before we go to bed. I want to remember the day you became a blues fan. I want to remember the songs you sang to me and all the words you changed to fit my name. I want to remember every single moment of these past two months.
Tonight when I asked you what your favorite memories from the first two months of marriage are, you replied with, “Silly things like grocery shopping and making dinner together. I also love waking up next to you every morning. I’m just so happy that you’re my wife, you know?” Yep. I do, because I feel the same way about you being my husband.
Happy two month anniversary to the love of my life.
Making the Most of Monday
How often do we find ourselves patiently waiting for Friday only to realize that it’s Monday morning and we still have five entire days until we can sleep in again and enjoy a whole lot of doing nothing? I’ve heard it over and over again. Before I started working at my current job, I didn’t have two consecutive days off so the whole idea of a weekend feels like a new concept that I don’t want to take advantage of! So instead of dreading Monday, I like to be the most productive to set the standards for the entire rest of the week. So instead of dreading Monday, try one of these.
Prepare Start out the week by setting out clothes and preparing for one hour on Sunday night to prepare for the week ahead.
Be Early Monday’s are the most important day to be early. So go to sleep early on Sunday nights and wake up on Monday morning without pressing the snooze button. Try to get in your workout or get to work a few minutes earlier than normal so that you can be ready with emails and have meeting plans prepared!
Adjust the Way You Think Stop hating Mondays! Going into Monday with a negative attitude won’t help you have a good day! Instead, make Monday your new favorite day. Think of it as a fresh start – whatever happened last week is in the past! Take this time to set new goals and create a brand new to do list!
Take on Your Least Favorite Tasks Start your week off by completing the things you don’t like to do! This will make your life a little better during the rest of the week.
Catch Up I love catching up with my co-workers on Monday mornings! I try to make sure to go out of my way to encourage others to have good weeks by having a positive attitude! Check in with the people around you on Mondays to see how their weekend was!
Routine Having a plan on how you are going to go about your day will make it seem much smoother. This could mean laying out your calendar on Friday so that you know exactly what you will need to do on Monday.
Treat Yourself Kevin and I have been going to the grocery store on Sunday afternoons or Monday nights. The last couple of weeks, we have bought a little treat or a few stems of one of my favorite flower to display in the house – seeing them makes me so happy! (see above picture)
Really Rest During the weekend, we often over book ourselves since we have “nothing” going on. When we take these two days to actually rest up, it will help make our Monday’s less tired and more productive. To me, this looks a lot like saying no to overbooking and plans that aren’t actually things that fulfill my life.
Coffee and Music Pump your day up in any way you know how! Spend the commute to work dancing to your Friday playlist and drink coffee, if that’s what you’re into.
Gratitude Make a list of things in your life that you are thankful for. I do this a lot when I’m having a bad day and it always increases my spirit!
Happy Monday, friends!