Coffee, Birds and Art

This morning, a few minutes after my alarm woke me, my boss called me to give me an option of coming in to work or staying home. Since I'm going on vacation Saturday and I have orders to fill, a house to clean and clothes to pack, I decided to stay home.

I made some coffee and got dressed (hate staying in my pjs). Since it was so pleasant this morning, I thought I would drink my coffee outside and work on a journal project I've been wanting to do.

I have tried to keep a journal in the past, but am not really committed to the idea and my blog kind of serves that purpose in a way. Lately I've found the urge to write down the really deep feelings and thoughts, the kind I don't want to share on my blog. I've been writing everything in a cheap college binder that I scribbled on. It's really not very pretty, so I've been meaning to decorate it.

This morning was the perfect chance, so I gathered up my coffee, papers, glue, scissors and camera and sat in my little garden out back.

I applied glue to the cover and tore strips of purple and green scrapbook papers in assorted colors and shapes and placed them randomly on the cover. I love nature and chose some papers with leaves and flowers. I'm trying to be more patient and found a perfect quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson about patience.

In essence, I collaged the front of the journal. I never have a plan when I do collage, I just apply papers and embellishments where it feels "right". I may move things around several times before I get that "feeling".

When I was happy with the results, I stopped. I then took two stands of fuzzy yarn, tied them to the end of a shish kabob stick and pushed it through the wire spring of the journal. I tied the ends to the wire, making a big knot. Voila! A ragged old note binder becomes a pretty journal.

I'm going to take my papers and glue, etc. on my vacation. I think Target has their binders on sale now for .15 or 20 cents each. I think I'll let anyone who'd like to make one have that opportunity at the cabin. I know my granddaughter will want to!

This little project only took about a half hour. As I worked on it, birds serenaded me and a perfect breeze kept the mosquitoes at bay.

Other than the occasion back ground noise of a siren or airplane, it was a peaceful, beautiful way to start my day!