Two Things About Me

What will you be tucking inside your pocket? Well, I've included two things about me as we head into the home stretch. That's right, 30 Days of Lists begins tomorrow and I'm ready. Want to find out more and register, click here.

I still have more journals like the one I'm using available for purchase here and they are a ready-to-ship item. A mini kit is included with each min book, with the option of the add-on kit {which has the crochet heart paper clip, more available here, the jouranling card below and tons more colorful goodies}.

Beautiful Destinations

Altered Book List Journaling

I've prepped a ton of pages for the journal I'm using for the March 30 Days of Lists challenge {you can see them here}. Until March gets here, I'm using my altered book for list journaling and am following along with a couple of the prompts from the challenge hosted by Boho Berry over on IG that I saw on my friend Lea's IG.

THE LISTS
About My Hometown
Most people pass through and don't even know it's a town, the only sign saying that you're in Walland, Tennessee is by the Post Office sign attached to the gas station + market...that is if you don't blink while you're zooming by. We have a fire department, are located next to a river, don't have a traffic light and the elementary school used to be the middle school which began as the high school...and my father-in-law, husband and all three kids have all attended that very same school.

My First Job

Technically my first job was at Rich Schwartz, in Nashville, when I was in 7th or 8th grade wrapping gifts for customers at Christmas. One time, I modeled a fur coat that a customer was purchasing for his wife. It was THE store that the rich and famous chose to shop. After that I worked at Wendy's through high school, making money to pay for gas and the extra clothes or goodies I wanted while saving for my flight to Germany once I graduated from high school. My Mom is German, so I planned a trip to visit, by myself, my family with side trips to Florence, Italy and Vienna, Austria.

A Challenge I've Overcome

All I can say is that if I had thought about what was before me, I don't know if I would have thought I could do it. But I did, we did {Zach and I} with the loving support of my Mom who sent us care packages and letters with gifts of cash and the "we're going to get this done" attitude of my friend and boss at the time. 

Find out more about how I used the whole journaling card set, and how to get it for free, here. Or you can buy it here. 

Five Years From Now

I used a correction tape runner to make journaling spots for my list.

Three Wishes

If I could just know that my kids feel fulfilled, are loved and loving human beings and content in their future lives, I would be ever so grateful. More crochet heart paper clips here. 

When I Was Younger

A rude awakening, a rite of passage.

My Morning Routine

Well, at least the first 20 minutes of my morning.

Least Favorite Chore

Has been since I was sixteen, and still to this day,  and it was my job to earn my allowance.

I'm Really Good At

I don't know where it comes from, but my family will ask me random questions or in everyday conversation something will come up, and the answer will pop into head and I know the answer. Weird, I know. 

You can see more of my altered book list journaling and list related posts for inspiration and ideas. 

Plans and Goals

Journaling In A Midori Travelers Notebook Insert

While I was preparing a recent blog post, I realized that I had never posted photos of my December 2016 30 Days of Lists journal. Thinking about it, I believe it was the one and only time I used a Midori travelers notebook insert and not a spiral bound mixed media journal, as I have for the 15 other #30lists challenges I've participated in.

DON'T KNOW WHAT 30 LISTS IS ALL ABOUT? 

• You can see more of my journals and lists here 
• You can learn more about the challenge here
• You can register here {affiliate link, I earn a fee but it costs you nothing extra}

After using a mixed media journal for so many challenges, I had the idea that using a travelers notebook would be a rather good way to participate in the challenge in a low-key way during a particularly busy season for me at home and in the shop. My plan had been to just put pen to paper and add my list to the blank pages.

MIDORI TRAVELERS NOTEBOOK

As it turns out, I couldn't leave my tendencies to embellish pages behind. I ended up embellishing my blank pages after all.

Retro Style Red Labels

THE LISTS

List 1 | Favorite Things About December
List 2 | An Activity That Warms Our Heart

Just a holiday themed journaling card, some sparkly gold washi tape and a hand cut heart from some scrap felt. And, of course, the felt heart is my favorite part.

Buttons

List 3 | People Always Ask Me About My                                                    
List 4 | I Find Magic In...

List 5 | Things I Learned About Myself This Year

List 6 | On My Desk This Week

List 7 | Ways I Can Be Helpful
List 8 | This Season's Wardrobe Essentials

List 9 | When I Am Driving

I used a numbered sticky note from the Target Dollar Spot as a starting point for my list.

30 Days of Lists Registration is Open

30 Days of Lists Registration is open!

And all you long time blog readers will know that I am so ready for the challenge to begin, #30lists is one of my all time favorite creative "me time" projects. My first #30lists challenge was back in March 2011 and I've joined in on every challenge since, making this round my 16th time participating.

I'm a Team Ambassador happy to share my excitement about this encouraging community of like-minded List Nerds and also an affiliate, which means I'll earn a small fee if you happen to use my links to register. And thank you.

BEFORE AND AFTER
Here are elements from the add-on kit available with each journal and how I'm using them on my own pages. I'm a fan of pre-embellishing a little so that it helps me to keep up with my daily listing as the challenge goes on. That allows me some wiggle room to prepare blog posts and share with you as we go along.

I'M USING THIS JOURNAL
I'll have to count them all up, but I'm pretty sure I have used this style spiral bound mixed media smash book journal for all my #30lists challenges except for the December 2016 challenge. I went searching for link on the blog, but I never did post any photos here, just on Instagram. So, be on the look out for a catch-up post on that travelers notebook journal - I did actually share two pages though.

...and here's a post sharing how I pre-embellished some pages. I challenged myself to use every. single. item. from the mini kit and add-on embellishment kit and here's my blog post with over 40 photos highlighting how I decided to add all those bits and baubles to my mini book.

BUY IT NOW at iloveitallshop.com and join in and register for the #30lists challenge.

FREE DOWNLOAD

Solitude

Setting Up My 30 Lists Journal

I've been setting up my 30 Lists Journal for the March challenge, just a little bit here and there as I'm watching my lineup of British crime series' on Amazon Prime.

If you haven't heart about 30 Lists, you can read more and Register Here, which opens Saturday, February 10th. If you use my affiliate link, I'll earn a small fee but it will cost you nothing extra. I've been listing along with the 30 Lists gang for the 15th time now and this will be my third challenge as an Ambassador. So yeah, you could say that I enjoy this whole listing thing.

You can read posts about all my #30lists journals here.

WHAT I'M USING
I'm again using a mixed media smashbook style journal from the shop, here's the one I'm using and here's a whole section of journals. There's a mini kit included, as seen below, with your purchase.

Just above, you'll see the add on embellishment kit that's chock full of yummy goodies. Tell me if I've forgotten to add the photo showing one of the embellishments and I'll add it in for you!

HOW I'M USING THE MINI KIT + EMBELLISHMENT KIT
I'm sure it has crossed your mind, upon receiving an embellishment kit full of bits and baubles and such, as to what you are supposed to do with it all. Well, I'm going to share how I plan on using each and every piece pictured above, from the mini kit that's included with your mini book to the add on embellishment kit.

So, first I'll show you how the journal appears as you receive it and then how I plan to embellish my pages. Remember though, there are no rules. Some customers are perfectly satisfied adding their list to their pages without adding a single embellishment. So, it's all good.

If you're more of a Midori Insert kind of list nerd, check these out.

REGISTER AND RECEIVE THIS FREEBIE
And, when you register for 30 Days of Lists this printable download {designed by me} is included in your registration packet along with other freebies and discount coupon codes from all the Ambassadors, including one for my shop, ILOVEITALLshop.com.

THE BEFORE + AFTER

I used the jade marbleized journaling card with heart cut out tab to tuck inside my front pocket. I generally use this pocket to fill out a "me right now" card...especially during the March challenge as I have a birthday this month.

I used the folded over kraft bag as my first page. The folded over tag, heart die cut and paper clip are all from the add-on kit, the "want" die cut is part of the freebie download you receive in your 30 Lists registration packet.

Free Valentine's Day Card Printable

Whaaaaat? You don't have a Valentine's Day card for all the sweeties in your life? No worries, I've got your back. Scroll down to get your {free} download.


MORE FUN NOTECARDS
Have you seen the fun new notecard designs I've recently added to the shop?

Hello     |    World's Best Mom 

FREE SHIPPING THROUGH FEBRUARY 8th

10 Reasons or 10 Things I {we} Love About You 

{includes 10 kraft hearts and gift tag shown} | personalization available

Lucky in Love

There are over 50 "love" themed items with free shipping now through February 8th. When you click on the item, it will show shipping fees as FREE to all US addresses.

DOWNLOAD
Here's hoping your day will be filled with love! Grab your free Valentine's Day Card printable and be sure to share the freebie with your friends! Oh, and here are more charming notecards, too.

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

I sometimes wonder what new Valentine's Day gift idea I can come up with to surprise my Sweetie. I haven't given a store bought card to him in years and years and it's a tradition I'll likely continue. I think it's one that he {secretly} adores, so I wouldn't want to disappoint him. Wink, wink.

He likes to say that all my best-selling products are all ideas I first came up with to gift to him for one occasion or another.

And he's right!

He's even been known to say, "Here you can have it back, I'm sure you want to take pictures of it and put it on your blog." Well yes, yes I do!

FREE SHIPPING PROMOTION
And before you go about your day, let me mention that most "love" themed Valentine's Day gift idea goodies have free shipping {to addresses in the US}.

Over 50 items are included in the FREE SHIPPING promotion going on through February 8, 2018.

Free Groundhog Day Printable

Groundhog Schmoundog. I am hoping for Spring to arrive as quickly as possible and the meteorologists are saying that Punxatawney Phil will predict an early Spring.

Woo Hoo!

My fingers are crossed for good news, how about you? As much as I love sweaters, vests, scarves and boots, I am so ready for cute T's, pretty sandals and flowers popping up. We made the decision to not refresh the mulch last year, which was a mistake. It just made all the weeds pop up more making more work for me this year. Sigh.

I've already printed out my journaling card, link at end of post, and am all ready to capture my thoughts in my travelers notebook, this is the A6 set I'm using. The free printable is sized to 3x4 and prints on 4x6 paper, so if you only have a photo printer, this freebie will still work for you!