Letters to Germany.

My friend Andy recently returned from a month in Germany and I finally got to spend a little bit of time with him last night! After our brief (to be continued!) conversation, all I want to do is see what he's seen. And hear more about his adventures. And you know, be there. 

And because I'm terrible at keeping up with people when they're out of the country (but also feel like, ok, they're in another timezone having amazing experiences, how can I interrupt that?), I decided to write a letter a day. Letters never to be sent, but a collection to be given upon return. 

So that's what I did. 

It was a really interesting exercise in journaling (though I threw a few art journal-esque pages in there, DUH), and got me thinking about what of our daily lives we choose to include in journals (if we keep them)...what's journal-worthy and what's not. What to write on the days when nothing exciting happens. But then that's the beauty of it; finding those tiny moments of magic to put down in writing; things potentially/completely unrelated to the day itself.  

The more I thought about this concept, the more I realized it was like "blogging" for an audience of one. Granted, I could be extremely specific and share personal information with this friend I've known since kindergarten. But the question of how to keep it interesting without being all Dear Diary blah blah blah remained constant.

Now that the month is over, I find myself still thinking AHHH letter time! But no. I'll channel that for the blog and my own personal projects. Quite an exercise indeed. 

Do you journal (writing) or have an art journal? How do you record major events, and what drives you to record them? Why and how do you express these things? I'm so fascinated by the question. Help a girl out! 

Make It: Mini Sketchbook Tutorial & DIY Roundup

Writing and art journaling are two of my absolute favorite things, and I've made these mini notebooks since highschool, using everything from cereal boxes to paper shopping bags! This project only takes about twenty minutes and a few supplies from around your house/recycle bin. I usually tote an average of 4 notebooks in my bag for different things, and this one is perfect for a quick doodle or sketch. Enjoy!

*Cardstock/sketch paper: for this project I used the backing that came in a package of Wilson doilies (basically cardstock weight), and the lightweight paper (not exactly tissue but not as heavy as computer paper) is actually the paper that comes stuffed between boxes of binders we order at work (I save it every time for this exact purpose: notebooks and sketching). Waste not, want not, right? 

1. Cut your cover and sketch pages the size you want, making sure that the pages are just a bit smaller. Fold and sew the cover and pages together, straight down the middle. If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can do this by hand! I like to use a little bit of masking tape to reinforce the stitches in the spine after sewing.

2. Cover the outside of your book with decorative paper using double-sided tape (I used to use gluesticks for this but the tape makes things so much easier with less mess!) Be sure to cut notches at the spine and corners as you fold it over.

3. Cover the inside covers of your sketchbook with pieces of brown paper bag. Gluestick or tape both work well for this.

That’s it! Simple right? Not only are they easy to carry around, but they make great personalized gifts. Mother's Day is coming up...this sketchbook could easily be turned into a tiny photo album with some sweet notes from other family members! No limits guys, let your imagination run wild (: 

Past journals I've made using a similar method

If you like this tutorial, you might also like:

-Another great Mother's Day gift idea: this mini photobook from A Beautiful Mess (I love the shape of it! Such a fun block of memories)

-This video on simple book binding using notecards

-I used the basic concept of this mini scrapbook DIY to create my best friend's not-so-mini birthday gift

-Some inspiration for making minibooks of your own from Enjoy It

-This easy to make notebook tutorial from Designlovefest

Creating something you could just as easily buy is such a gratifying feeling, not to mention the uniqueness of your work! Journal/sketch/scrap away, my friends!