all saints

Calendar-wise I think I missed All Saints day by a month or so, but journal-wise its today.

a fine line

I've struggled with this question before, and have not come up with a satisfactory answer. What makes certain pages feel more "crafty" than others? Where is that fine line between art and craft? And, does it matter? Today's pages felt somewhat "scrapbook-y" to me and I can't put my finger on what the difference is.

living things

Maybe I was drawn to these images of bugs, plants, fish, flowers because of the seeming lack of life in my environment right now. I know its there, it is just more difficult to find and appreciate under inches of snow and breathtaking cold.

still life

I had forgotten how much I was enjoying this journal. Working on it is almost meditative. I keep saying it is directing its own course, but the reality is I'm just getting out of my own way.

the path

those are the words that found their way onto the new page in my current journal. I'm back to it after a long break for travel and the travel journal. My mind was wandering as I was working, getting very philosophical about paths and journeys and journals--how those two words are from the same root meaning how far you can travel in one day. Suddenly I realized that I only had about twenty minutes left to get my butt out the door on my dog walking "path" if I wanted to complete that "journey" in one day's light! Nothing like reality to bring you screeching back to the straight and narrow path.

finishing touches

I stitched all the sections of my St. Petersburg journal together this weekend, added a map of the city to the inside cover and the final piece de resistance--the fur lining.

scary baby chocolate

I love going in grocery stores when I'm in a foreign country (why is that? I hate it here at home!) I like looking at the labels and seeing what is and isn't available, foodwise. These were the labels from some of the chocolate bars we bought. The "scary baby" chocolate was the best.

putting it together

I wasn't sure how it would work out to try and put the travel journal together after the fact, but once I jumped in, it turned out to be alot of fun. Reliving the trip, picking out favorite photos to include. And I love the way the pieces just fit together--the happy coincidences that so often happen when you're working on a project like this.

back from the USSR

Yeah, I know its not the USSR anymore, but I've got that Beatles song in my head. As has been known to happen, trying to keep up with a journal while traveling is tough. St. Petersburg in November is definitely not the place to sit on a bench and sketch the architecture! But, I'm working on putting all my little saved bits and pieces together now that I'm home.