COUNTING PAGES

When I list the number of pages in a book, I am referring to one side of each leaf. For example, in a book with numbered pages, Page 17 would be on one side of the leaf or piece of paper, Page 18 on the other side. Therefore, a book with 224 pages would have 112 leaves.
Book design copyright Jean Hall

PEN NOT INCLUDED

The pen shown in the illustrations is only there as a decoration. It is not included with the listing.

ABOUT THE BUTTONS

The giant buttons are all handmade. Ths small central buttons in the picture are put in using PhotoShop to give you an idea of the overall effect of the finished giant button. The small center buttons that will be on your journal are bought from the shop and will be nice but different from the ones in the picture. If you would prefer not to have the little gold or silver button in the center, just let me know and I will leave it off.

A "While You Were Away" Journal This one is especially treasured by those serving in the armed forces or for family members that have jobs that take them away from home quite frequently. Keep a journal of the little things you and the kids do each day. Remember to date each entry. Add snapshots, sketches and newspaper clippings to the days entry whenever you can. This can also serve as a record of your child's growing up activities and antics. Write down the funny things the children say. What a wonderful gift to give your loved one when they return safe and sound.

Your own Family Guest Book ...A beautiful blank book is wonderful to keep as a "Family Guest Book." Encourage guests to write their thoughts and short stories about themselves. Talented ones could include sketches. Photos of your family with these special friends could be pasted into the book to remind you of the time you spent together. Make a note of the date, how long they stayed with you etc. even if they stayed for just a few minutes. Years down the track you can look back on these treasured moments. And you never know, one day, your special record keeping, and your friends signatures could provide an alibi for someone. (just joking) ... but then again, you never know!

A Restaurant Journal If you love dining out, you could start a Restaurant Journal. Every time you go out to eat, take a note of the date and time, where you went (the name of the restaurant), and the people you went out with. You could make a list of what you ate and whether or not you enjoyed what you ordered. You could rate the service by giving it a few stars. If they have pretty printed napkins, you could paste one in you journal (an unused one of course). You can also keep a few spare pages at the front or back of your restaurant journal to list the eateries you would like to visit in the future.

Promise Yourself To Stick to A Schedule Once a day is a good beginning. First thing in the morning can help change your mood and result in a more positive day, or last thing at night can put you in a peaceful frame of mind and induce a more restful sleep.

Choose a Journal that you Love. A beautiful journal makes journaling that much more special and writing in it is not just a pleasure, but it makes you feel that you are special.

Keeping a Gratitude Journal Creating and developing an attitude of gratitude toward the people, events and things in your life is a wonderful and effective way to reduce stress, among other things. Keeping and maintaining a gratitude journal gets you in the habit of focusing on the positive things in life.Here are few simple steps to writing a gratitude journal -- a great tool for reducing stress and keeping a positive attitude towards life. All it takes is a few minutes a day.

With the exception of a few of my earlier journals, all my journal pages are now hand cut with a delightful wavy edge as shown in the diagram.  I love the way these cuts look and since I discovered how to do them there is no turning back to boring old straight cuts.