FJC Guest Post - Shaynie

FJC - Greetings From....Guest Post

Sue - From the Magpie's Nest sent this post as a response to 13 Feb prompt - Greetings From...

Greetings From…

The Fireplace Hearth

I’m sitting on the rough red bricks that surround the fireplace with my back to the flames. It is mid-afternoon but might as well be twilight. What little light that reflects off the unbroken snow outside the sliding glass door is quickly swallowed up by the insulating curtains that stretch from ceiling to floor. This room is all about warmth and comfort. The walls are paneled in a reproduction of walnut, there is wall to wall carpeting on the floor, and all of the seating is upholstered, punctuated with squishy decorative pillows. A reader’s table stands between the plush recliner rocking chair and the nubby plaid love seat that also rocks. A cluster of pendants lamps allows the room’s occupants to choose the light that suits them best. There are magazines in the side racks of the table and library books stacked on its’ surface. Bookshelves flank the fireplace, supported by those same red bricks.

I am sitting on the hearth because that’s where the real warmth is. I’ve folded back the glass doors that are intended to keep sparks from flying into the room. They also intensify the heat. I wouldn’t be able to sit here and enjoy the warmth of the flames if the doors were closed, it would be too hot. Beyond the occasional snap of moisture vaporizing in the fireplace the room is quiet. No television (although there is one in the corner), no radio, nobody else in the house at the moment; just the scratching of my pen across the paper in my lap. This, truly, is bliss.

Review - City Moleskine - New York

When I first learned about City Moleskines. I wanted them immediately. They seemed like just perfect products. So finally, I bought one.

When I received the package, my first surprise was that it was pocket size. It was my fault of course, for not checking, but I just assumed that with all the maps and stuff, pocket would be too small. So my first reaction was disappointment. That's because I never buy pocket moleskine. Large moleskine is my definition of compact journal, so that's just about the right, portable size for me.

However, despite the disappointment, I knew that I would get over it. So after a couple of days, I looked at my NYC moleskine again, and slowly, I got fond of it. Now, I am really looking forward to using it for my upcoming trip.

BUT said that, I will be using this because it's cute. It's moleskine. And it's a novelty factor.

I will not be buying any more city moleskines. Half the pages taken up in maps, with legended pages etc. I just don't believe this journal is a good value for money. There is not enough room to write. It's far too expensive for what's there. I will also be sticking my normal, large moleskines.

But to end with a positive note....here are pictures of my NYC moleskine, which in about a month's time will be filled up :-))

Journal Writing Prompt 16 - Internal Vs. External Writing

Today I want you think about what you write in your journal. I say "journals" but I mean a combination of journal and diary - but let me define the difference between a journal and a diary.

A diary is a record of your life. What you did, what you ate, whom you met, where you went - facts and progress of your life, mixed with your observations, that is a diary.

A journal focuses inwards. It is more about your thoughts, exploring your psyche, wandering amongst your dreams and wishes and hopes and fears.

I use the term "journal" because I prefer it. However, my aim is to strike a balance between the two in my own writing. I want to record my life as I live it, but I also want to explore my mind.

In my everyday journals, focus tends to be more internal than external. I am on a quest to address this. In my travel journals, focus tends to be external rather than internal, and that I am trying to balance.

So today, think about what it is that you are keeping?

Are you keeping a journal or a diary?

Is it a conscious choice?

Do you want to address the balance? Do you want to do something different?

Write about it in your journal.

Letter

I did several pages for this prompt. A personal letter, as well as a copy of one of my favourite letters ever, from Persuasion. Then the pasted page is from that day's Metro's letter page, which had a topic I felt inclined to comment on, and so scribbled all over it.

Inspiration

Tourist Trail, Rivendell, Places in Another Time

This was my entry for Places I Want to Visit in FJC Challenge

Historical & Fictional People I want to Meet

On left page I did a WORDLE, and on right page, simply a long list of names.

FJC Title & Balance

My Pages for February Journaling Challenge Title Page & Page for Balance

Stylish Blogger

Here's what you gotta do:

1. Thanks and link back to the blogger who passed this award onto you

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award other recently discovered great bloggers

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

Thanks to Girl Schmuck for giving me this lovely award 

7 Things about myself

1. I am a fiction, working towards becoming a published author

2. But Monday to Friday, I am a regular office drone

3. LOVE LOVE LOVE - COFFEE 

    (Starbucks TOPS the favourite lists)

4. I have lived in three countries

5. Addicted to Stargate SG 1 and Stargate Atlantis

6. Favourite Fast Food Chain: Taco Bell 

    (I really really miss that about America) 

7. Favourite Dr. Who - David Tennant 

People I am passing on the award to

1. Shaynie at Journaling Journeys

2. Rowland at RAM

3. Karin at Nofretiris Dream of Writing

New Journal

This is my new journal. Journal #21 to be precise. It's a beautiful Jane Austen journal by Potter Style. I am really enjoying writing in it. My Parker Frontier pen works great on it, and the journal is handy size for carrying it around. Looking forward to filling it up. 

Meet A Journal Keeper - Karin

I've never been the classical daily journaler, you might better entitle me as 'Special Event Journaler'.


TRAVEL JOURNALS

The best thing about traveling - I think, we don't have to discuss that - is for sure the journey itself! The second best, at least in my case, is being at home again and putting together a nice scrapbook full of memories. I like sitting in my living room, having tons of pictures around me, selecting the best and arranging them with tickets, prospects, postcards and other collectibles. It's like making the journey a second time. Most of the time I also have separate travel journal, where I keep all my thoughts and memories, a picture couldn't preserve. I wonder, why I've never came up with the idea to combine my scrapbooks with my notes? For sure, the next time I won't have any separate travels journals anymore, like the ones you can see on that picture.

DREAM DIARY

With my not existent history of diary writing, I've never expected myself to do that. But who's the person, who always used the quote 'Never say never!'? Yeah, right, that's also me! So, now I have to eat my own words. But like written in the intro, it had to be a 'special event' that brought me to use pen and paper. And then it had to be a special journal, too. I instantly fell in love with the 'Paperblanks Journals', their elegant look is simply predestinated for becoming a diary.

My daily journal stayed with me exactly as long as it takes to cope an illness a couple of years ago. But one thing remained. For the first time I really paid attention to the pictures, my brain produces during the night. That's what I still love to do: Write down all those fantastic adventures and sometimes even illustrate them! Have a look:

Those dreams are also my creative resource for my writing, my current novel is based on one of them.

ART JOURNALS

I won't talk about my 'Wreck This Journal', you can already see the results on my blog. But this little book was my start into Art Journaling. Below is a cover I created for February Journaling Challenge

Send Me Your Entries From February Journaling Challenge

I am going to post several of my entries from February Journaling Challenge here during March, so you can see how I interpreted these prompts, and what I did with them. I would love to hear your comments.

Even more importantly, I would love to see what you did with yours. I have already followed entries of several of you, but it would be nice if others can see them too. So send me pictures of your entries. You can send them all if you like - I am not promising to post all of them, but I will choose a selection from everyone who sends them, and post them.

Please send them to lostwanderer5 [at] gmail [dot] com

Attach pictures, and if there is any text you want me to add, send it directly in email, in standard HTML or Plain Text. 

Please send them by March 15 at the latest. 

Thank you, and I sure hope to have a lot of emails from you guys.