Evolution and Notebooks

The first few months of a blog is certainly a time of evolution. I've been thinking today about other things that I want to use this blog for. Of course I'll be using this space for my own creative endeavors, but I want this space to be even more. I want to be able to provide inspiration for myself and others. I want to showcase others whose work inspires me. This is for practical reasons as well. There are times that I wont have anything of my own to share (or in my case at the moment I'll have things, but I wont have taken photos yet). I don't want this space to stagnate in between. This is the first of what I'm sure will be many many evolutions of my blog.

This week I've been thinking about back to school. As a child this was always one of my favorite times of the year. I loved the crispness of new supplies, clean and shiny in their newness. They represented possibilities. What would I write in that notebook? What will I be doing with those colored pencils? What goodies would line this lunch box? As I got older the draw of new supplies never faded. Now that I'm taking my courses through the internet I no longer need to spend an August weekend scouring the school eisle. Despite this I still have piles of notebooks and a passion for colored pencils. I've repurposed my lunch materials as bento equipment. I don't think my love of school/office supplies will ever fade.

In honor of that I've decided to share some fabulous Etsy notebook incarnations. For the record I did not make these nor am I affiliated with the artists in any way. These pieces just happen to be objects that I admire. Happy browsing!

Bright Floral Notebook » I am in love with the vibrancy of this notebook! The colors are so bold. The ribbon and flower are wonderfully textural.

Pink and Green Floral Notebook » What's not to love about the pink and green color scheme on this notebook? The heart charm is a cute touch.

Sketchbook and Cover » I love to carry a sketch book around with me whenever I go out. I used to do this when I was in school to avoid filling my course notebooks with doodles (I'm a bit picky when it comes to organization in some cases). This one has a stylish and colorful pattern and the ribbons on the spirals are a fun touch.

Sea of Chocolate Journal » This handbound journal is made up of white paper which is nice for both art and writing. The blue and brown swirl makes for a lovely and elegant cover.

What are your favorite notebooks?

August Days

August is here and with it brings some relatively exciting plans. As of yesterday I finished up the course work for my summer classes so the remainder of this month I will have extra free time to create. One of my big goals is to work on the layout and get this place up to snuff. I've been brainstorming some layout ideas, but the only concrete idea is for the color scheme (I'm going to stick with the pink/green). I want to create some sort of banner and make a proper 'about' page since this one is fairly old.

From a more physical standpoint I also have a few projects lined up. I'm in the process of making a set of paper flowers. I have the materials set to go for a ribbon bracelet and three purses. My new sewing book, Sew Pretty Homestyle, came in the mail over the weekend and it has a bevy of projects that I want to try. Unfortunately finances might get in the way a little bit this month thanks to the multitude of new book releases that I'm interested in. I need to get a start on holiday planning if I want to make homemade gifts again this year...

That is the one positive to the fact that this tends to be the hottest month of the year. With all of this heat I have no urge to go outside so that gives me more time to spend inside with my crafts. Of course I can't wait for autumn though. I've cleaned up the patio significantly and plan to do so again when the weather permits. I would love to use it as an outdoor studio of sorts to get a change of scenery.

Here's hoping that this coming month is filled with joy and creativity.