I was going through my blog roll when I found myself drawn to Donna Downey’s inspiration journals. I like these kinds of things. As much as I enjoy bookmarking sites that I like on the web, there is something magical about having a physical place to keep things that inspire me whether they are newspaper clippings, sayings or quotes I read amidst the chaos of my daily activities.

What about you? Have you got a journal that holds things that inspire you?

Image credit: Donna Downey

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Thursday Inspiration: Inspiration Journals by Donna Downey

I found this wonderful poem as if it was written by an autistic child. It’s a perfect journalling poem for your scrapbook layout:

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP
Written by Sally Meyer 2000

Mommy, don’t you cry now and Daddy don’t you weep.
I want to whisper something before I go to sleep.
I know that when I came here I looked perfect in every way.
And you were so proud, Daddy, when you held me on that day.
And Mommy, when you kissed me and wrapped me up so tight,

I knew that I belonged here and everything was right.
But then I stopped talking and began to slip away,
I saw your worried faces as you knelt by me to pray.

And Daddy, I always notice how you wipe away a tear
when you watch the other children as they run and laugh and cheer.
I may not be able to tell you how much I love you so,
or even show you how I feel and what I really know.
But when you hold me, Mommy, at night when all is still,
I feel the love you have for me and I know that all is well.

And Daddy, when you take me to the park to run and play
I know that you still love me, though the words I cannot say.
I want to tell you something before I go to sleep.
I may be sort of direct and you may not understand,
I know that I am not that little child that you and Daddy planned.
But I love you both so very much and I know you love me too,
and if I could only speak my heart, you would feel my love for you.

I know the future is unknown and you will always have to be
the ones who love and listen and take good care of me.
I know that you are frightened and you shed so many tears,
and if could, I’d wipe them dry and take away your fears.
So Mommy, don’t you cry now and Daddy, please don’t weep.
I want to say I love you both, before I go to sleep.

So touching!

Found via Loquacity

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Scrapbook Journalling Idea: For Mothers Who Have Autistic Children

I’m so excited to start, I can’t wait!

Day 1 will be focused on the cover and tabs!

I’ve just received the artwork for the cover and the tabs! Yay!

What about you? Did you join the Class as well?

Image credit: Jessica Sprague 

Person Jessica Sprague

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Jessica Sprague Stories in Hand Class – Day 1

Summer time is Lifestyles Channel’s theme for the month of May.

It’s quite hard to imagine summertime in New Zealand now that we’re about to winter. So I’ll reminisce my summer holidays of my childhood when I was living in the Philippines. I remember every year, we go to my family’s favorite pool resort where my Mom had a special pass for being an executive of her company. All my photos during the summer outings were of me with VERY, VERY dark skin. Skin darkened by spending so much time in the pool where the only ‘white’ thing you can is the white of my eyes and my teeth when I smile.

Those were good times. We could order our favorite snacks from the pool bar and we can eat them while in the swimming pool’s swings. It was glorious. Every weekend was a trip to the pool and those were the times when my siblings and I didn’t bicker. I am sure my parents loved that! Haha

What about you? What is your favourite summer memory? Care to share with me? Reminisce and it could inspire you for your own scrapbook journalling.

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Journalling Idea: In The Good Old Summertime

Everyone loves a great story and what better way to share the legacy of your family and all its members than to document these stories in a scrapbook! Think of all the times your children have said something so profound, that your first thought is I need to write that down! only to be kept tucked away in your memory and possibly forgotten along the way. Journaling in a scrapbook and keeping with photos of the family members as they grow will ensure that not only the images are preserved, but also the personalities and characteristics of each are remembered as well.

Some people choose to hand write their journal entries directly onto their scrapbook paper, while others prefer to key them into the computer and have fun with choosing the appropriate font styles, etc. Either way, for those who love to write, this will be a fun and rewarding task. And for those who are apprehensive about writing, the following tips should hopefully bring some encouragement.

Don’t get hung up on proper grammar and having perfect sentence structure. Your writing style will come naturally as your memories flow your words should be characteristic of the way you speak and recount the details of your memories. Remember that someday in the future, one of your children or relatives may read through your journaling and will be touched by how much of you was put into your entries.

Who, What, When, Where, Why
The key things to remember when your journaling an event, person, conversation, etc. is the recording of the basics of every story the who, what, when, where, and why. This will help you to remember all of the key points of your entry, and will then help in documenting the place and time in which you are referring to.

Documenting a pivotal stage in your life
If you’re searching for ways to get inspired, create a journal entry that records some of the critical things you are currently experiencing at this stage in your life. Things such as births, deaths, job promotions, rediscovering your favorite hobbies. These are just some examples of moments you may find easy to talk candidly about, making for a very personal and revealing journal entry for others to learn more about you.

Record a special game or event
Especially for children, this is a great way to document some of the important moments in your children’s lives. Your son’s first t-ball game, or your daughter’s dance recital. Even being caught red-handed getting into something he or she shouldn’t. These are moments that someday can be looked back on with laughter and appreciation.

Detailing a memory of a special person or moment
Sometimes as we look at our photographs, they conjure up feelings of joy and remind us of how we felt at that moment the photo was taken. Take a moment to reflect on those feelings and create a journal entry that reads like a note to the person in the photo. Offer your thanks and special thoughts for the role that they play in your life.

Journal your favorite verses, poems and quotes
What better way to record those precious words that have shaped your life! Your favorite Bible verses that helped your through troubled times, poems that were written so eloquently that you were touched forever, and then those quotes that were so profound that they left a mark. These are great to use when you have photos that don’t require much explanation but rather stand as a reminder of such special words.

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Tips for Scrapbook Journalling

Scrap Fonts got heaps to choose from!

DoodleBats Boys Bundle

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Scrapbook Fonts for Boys

According to Scrapbook.com, it’s a white pen that really works!

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Scrapbook.com Product Giveaway: White Pen

Scrapbooking or journalling can indeed replace your diary, I don’t see why it shouldn’t. When I started blogging in 2004, it allowed me to capture memories in one moment in time that I can go back to. I have used quite a bit of my past entries in the journalling I have used for some of my layouts. Other journalling were too intimate to share in my blogging space, for those, I have kept it in one of my folders in my laptop.

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Scrapbooks Replacing Your Diary

It’s a tip by Teresa McFayden:

While I flipped through old album pages, I remember that I used to have my hubby write paragraphs on layouts here and there because I thought that would be so meaningful to have someday. Most all of the journaling in our umpteen albums is done by me and from my perspective. I am so glad I asked him to do that back then and need to remember to have him write on layouts again. There’s my tip for the blog today….to have your husband write a paragraph on your layouts now and then. Even better…have your children write on some, too.

Isn’t that neat? As mad croppers, we tend to do our own journalling and capture things from our perspective but wouldn’t it be so much better to have the moment captured by your loved one?

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Scrapbook Tip of the Day: Journalling by your significant others

A doodlebat is not quite a doodle, not quite a dingbat . Each comes with 36 images (a-z and 0-9 on the keyboard) & a PDF reference. Once installed, find it in your font list, starting with “DB”. Create a cool tropical look with these Hawaiin petroglyphs.

Cute eh? It’s selling for $1.50 down from $1.99 at Scrap n Fonts

For more choice, check it out at Scrap n Fonts

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Birthday Font – DoodleBat Circles