I remember hearing once about a study conducted that showed that a group of college graduates who later became successful, did so in part because they wrote down their goals and plans. I can't begin to tell you how many ideas for blog posts, scrapbooking pages, crafts and house projects I have thought of and forgotten in the last couple years. I've always kept a series of idea notebooks to jot things down in, but it never lasted. One annoyance was that I would note a bunch of different things in one notebook, then I would have a heck of a time trying to find that cool idea I had for a layout which became lost in between grocery lists, house projects etc.
Now I've come up with something that I think just might work. I picked up a bunch of blank exercise books at the 2€ store a while back,
and I started using one to keep ideas for blog posts.
Then I noticed that the notebook my friend Lucy gave me, which I was using for photo related notes, was about the same size, and was hole punched in the same way.
A light bulb went on and I devised this idea: one exercise book for each area, all held together with binder rings!
Of course I had to "scrap it up" a it! Here's a closer look at the individual books
The five different books cover photography, blogging, crafting, scrapping, and home.
I kept the design simple, covering the books with patterned paper, adding a "binding" of 7 Gypsies gaffer tape, and the subject with stickers or Thickers. I didn't want them to be too embellished or bulky since I plan to carry them around with me, toss them in my handbag when going out, and they will probably get a beating (not to mention there will be curious little hands playing with them!). The covers are made from chipboard covered with patterned paper outside and in.
One of the great things about this project is that I used up supplies from my stash. Most of the patterned papers are from Scenic Route (a company I miss already!). I've had the 7 Gypsies gaffer tapes and the binder rings forever, and the chipboard came from packaging that I held on to. I love it when I can just go into my scrap space, pull stuff out and complete a project! I even have extras of the exercise books, so I can replace them as needed.
They are now in use, and not a moment too soon, as I need to get some major scrapping done this month. Kieran's first birthday is coming up and I would like to get some of his stories told before I forget them!
What about you? How do you keep track? Do you use a paper method, or computer and online tools?
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