gratitudes :: the 2011 mini

I posted this photo as my 2011 capture for Week 1 of 52Photos and so far, it's my most favorite page in my Gratitude Journal this year. If you like the journaling card I used, I found it on Karen's blog where she has a huge selection of downloads that would be perfect so many different projects.

It happens to be the first page of my Gratitude Journal for 2011. My approach this year is a little different than last year. Yes, I pre-assembled my pages and embellished them somewhat, leaving room to journal my thoughts on the day. The difference is that I journal when the feelings overcome me. Although I am still as  grateful every day as I was last year about a multitude of things, I made the decision that I am going to make this year's journal a little more artsy, kind of another way for me to art journal. I had a hard time getting used to NOT journaling every day, but I seem to have worked myself into a routine with it now.

I'll share these completed pages with you so that you can get a feel for how 2011 is shaping up for me, both in Gratitudes and in my journaling. You'll notice that I don't journal every day, and some pages have more than one day's gratitudes.

It's never too late, you know. If this project looks like it's something you'd like to try or wish you had already started, don't let that stop you. Pull out some pretty paper scraps and get to crafting. Looking for more of a straightforward approach? How about doing something like covering a store-bought index card book like this one, or printing out a bunch of the thankful notecards like this which happen to be free downloads {scroll down until you see the thankful mini-album} or even try your hand at covering a notepad like this one or this one?

And this is a photo Zach took of me with no makeup and day old hair as I was writing up this post. Just keepin' it real for you!

see more GRATITUDE JOURNALS in my shop