Hello February!

I love February. Mostly because it's my birthday month - woohoo! Also, I love it because I live in Texas and it's much milder here in February than in, oh, say Cleveland where I spent most of my life!  If you've been calendar journaling along with me, here's a link to a blank February calendar for you to use. Happy February!

January Calendar Page

Whew, where the heck did 2015 go? I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a fresh start! I hope you'll journal along with me in 2016. Here's a January calendar journal page you can download for free. 

I hope you'll share with me how you get creative with your calendar journal this year! Happy New Year friends!

December calendar journal

During crafty Tuesday this week, I created my December calendar journal page (kinda last minute, but HEY! I got it done.) Often, when I post my calendar journal on Instagram, people ask me where I get the blank calendar pages to decorate and journal on. I always think that's funny, because I draw them myself. Let's face it folks, I really can't draw! They are always pretty simple and straightforward. I draw them in pencil first, then I trace over with a fine black sharpie marker. There's lots of erasing involved too!

I hope you like my little Christmas tree forest!

I got to thinking, I could share my blank pages with you here, then if you want to you can journal along. I figured I'd start in January. In fact, I got the first 5 months of next year drawn and ready. Then I thought, heck, why not share my December page with you. You're only a couple of days behind. You can remember what you've done since Tuesday, right? I thought so.

Just click on the link below and it will take you to a pdf version of my December calendar journal that you can download and print....

December 2015 calendar journal

I  usually use colored markers to write in the highlights each day. List the projects you worked on. Or you could write something you're grateful for. Or draw a little picture. I often doodle in color around my entries and color in the letters for the month. You could use colored pencils or even crayons. Whatever you have will work.  Skies the limit.

So unleash your inner child and journal along with me, won't you? If you're on Instagram (I am) post your calendar journal as you go and use the hashtag #ellynsplace won't you? Then we can all get ideas from each other! It'll be fun.

I'll post new pages the first of every month in 2016.

July is done!

Well you'd never know it from my blogging (or lack there-of!) but I had an incredibly productive July in the sewing room. When I checked my list (do you keep a list of finishes?) I had SEVENTEEN finished items for the month! Wow! Some of them I've shared with you here. Some you'll see down the road because they are gifts, swaps or pattern tests which cannot be revealed quite yet. Here are a few of my finishes:

I even managed to keep up with my calendar journal, something that has been hit or miss this year. (it should also be noted that July was the first month since January that I did not get on an airplane! So that may have contributed to my crafty productivity).

My August journal is ready to go. It won't be empty for long, I assure you. Hope to do a better job blogging this month too. There, I said it.

I can't wait to share more of what I've been up to! meanwhile, I just realized that today is my seven year blogaversary. Seven years! man it would have been great if I had a giveaway or something special ready for the event. I'll work on that....

calendar journal

my poor neglected little blog! I hope you will forgive me for being absent here as life has been so busy and, well, sometimes it's more important to LIVE than to blog about it. Does that make sense? I have managed to continue to journal my journey through my calendar journal. February was very full...

 And March is still pretty much a blank slate. You can be sure it will fill up quickly too!

How do you document your days?

January Calendar Journal

Almost a year ago, for my birthday, Ally gave me a beautiful spiral bound sketchbook which I decided to make into a calendar journal. I had fun doodling my days, documenting fun things that happened. Until September came. Suddenly my journal came to a halt, for no reason at all! Well, with the start of the new year, I decided to remedy that. My January calendar journal is full!

 What a busy and fun month it was! Now, moving on to February! I'm ready with a blank journal. I can't wait to fill it up with fun memories...

and May is a wrap!

Is it just me, or is this year just flying by? I know I think that every year, but seriously? June 1 already? Wow. Yesterday I finished up my May calendar journal and got my June journal ready to go....

 I feel pretty good about my accomplishments this month. 2 finished quilts (Pow Wow Quilt and Michael Miller Challenge quilt), lots of progress on my Marcelle Medallion, a new top for me, several crochet medallions and yards and yards of paper garland for the upcoming graduation!

 I had some other small finishes that I can't share with you just yet. I'm not thinking June will be as productive in the sewing room. This coming Friday is Ally's High School graduation, complete with house guests, and a fun party. After that we have college orientation and lots to do to get her ready to head off at the end of summer! It's an exciting time.

Here is how our May wrapped up....

a beautiful, very clear rainbow in the sky last night! God is good.

goodbye April!

My April calendar journal is done. Who knew when I drew those raindrops how appropriate they would be? We did have rain (much needed!). 

On to May! Today is Ally's prom day..... pictures later!

Calendar journal

I can't believe March is over and April has already arrived! March was such a busy month here, it just flew by! Since moving to a new house was such a big part of my month I made "home" a focus for my March calendar....

 I had so much fun doing this that I have already created a calendar page for April. I decided to journal in raindrops hoping we will get some much needed rain this month....

Can't wait to see this page all filled up too!