Life's Workbook

In between all the life happening around me, I have been busy in my "workbook," recently once for 8 hours straight. Joy. If you read the words, I will warn you that some of these are written in the language of "Jane," so don't waste your time trying to decode what they really mean or the subject matter. K, loves? Really. Pages that seem to go with one another really do not, perhaps there is an unintentional transition there.
Most people call them journals, and I do too, when I revert to old habits. Somehow, I just like the idea of workbook better, and since it is my book, it is what is is, no?
I have always loved workbooks, way back as far as I can remember even as a little kid. I would pause at the section of the grocery store that sold workbooks and coloring books. I never remember wishing I could get the coloring books, but what I would have done to get one of those workbooks and taken it home, filled it out so neat and as perfect as possible. In the book I am working in now, I am experimenting with loose leaf pages again, since I want to be able to take the pages out and sew on them when I feel so moved and then put them back in. This also allows me to work ahead on as many pages as I wish, then find the perfect page for the perfect day and move it up in my workbook, so it stays as close in chronological order as possible. Anyway, here are a few of my pages. Some of these I started back when I was doing Journal Club with the girls at middle school this past school year. I have added bits since then, like the little bows on the pointy shoes. My goal is to add more texture to my pages using 3D objects other than paper and paint.

When we started Journal Club, we used old datebooks. I wanted the students to see how they could repurpose books for journalling without having to buy or make a book. Later we actually made our own fabric covered hard bound books. The first two spreads were to show the girls some examples on how to use the space.

I think this might be one of my all time favorite spreads.

It is kind of hard to see from the photo, but the spinner is actually clear and attached with glue dots. It is from an old game, and "jumps" off the page in real life.

This one has secret messages under each layer of stacked paper.

This is the page with real ribbon bows I tied and glued on the shoes, a picture from a magazine. The lesson 2 flap can be raised up. There is a secret message underneath as well. Kitty is one of the code words from "Jane."