The Reading Nook - My Bookish History.

It was purely by accident I found the youtube world of books... also known affectionately as Booktube. Much like my stumble into the filofax world I was intrigued.

As a self labelled book nerd and all around book lover all through my schooling, I had a huge passion for books since I was a small girl. My family always revered books and reading, and one of my fondest memories was of my mum reading to my sister and I, a Roald Dahl classic,  Fantastic Mr Fox We sat still (which was rare) for hours as mum read to us, it was magical and one of my very favourite memories still to this day.

I read book after book in my early teens, spending summer holidays in Sydney with my Nan, pouring over her bookshelves as she picked age appropriate books for me,  which I devoured one after another, I loved books but that love became a somewhat dormant love for many years, I would read a book here and there, but that was it.

I stopped making time for books.

You wouldn't think that I was a dormant book lover,  between John and I, we had enough books to house two and a half utterly huge bookcases, like I said I loved books, and couldn't bare to part with the collection I had built up during my high school days. So I packed them up into boxes each and every move, and believe me,  I have moved a lot during those years.

 Our shelves before the rearrangement

Fast forwarding to present day, well a little before present day...to the day I found booktube, it was like a breath of fresh air had been breathed into the shelves of my books, like they sprung to life like the movie Ink heart. I sat up watching video after video, devouring like I once did the books which now grace my shelves.

These videos were of passionate readers with book backdrops that would make some libraries ache. Giving opinions and emotions, book rants and book loves. It was like almost coming home to hug the 15 year old version of myself as I lay on my bed, propped on my elbows,  feet up in the air turning the pages of a well worn John Marsden Book, Tomorrow when the war began. Even now I smile as I type this recalling the memories.

I spoke to my husband at high speed, explaining that we need to start incorporating reading back into our every day life, we needed it, our kids needed it almost more than we did, living in today's world where kids are bombarded with electronics and hours of TV I felt our kids were losing their ability to use their imagination, and books were the starting spark for that creative fire, action needed to happen

My teacup humans after a trip to a bookstore in the city.

We began by rearranging our bookshelves,  sorting them into genres and authors, we both came to the marriage with many many books so it was interesting to spend a Friday night with the man I love discussing our favourites, and creating homes on shelves for them. We bought in a slim shelf to put next to the bigger ones, to create TBR shelves, books that we intend to read, a his and hers if you will.

We began planning trips to op shops (thrift stores) as books in Australia are on the rather expensive side, so what better way to start collections than by trying to find second hand books that need new homes, the kids had ideas of what they wanted to find and most trips each of them came home with 1-2 books each, Elijah scouring the shelves to find weather and disaster books and Lily looking for books on animals. It has become a bi monthly adventure for the family, where we go visit different bookstores and each come out with a small haul.

The first books from an op shop trip - the Sibella Court book was my glory find that day.

I have honestly loved every second of our new journey as a family, it gives John and I a new avenue to explore together, as we talked very little about books even though we clearly are big readers once before, and now again.

It has been amazing to take some time each day with lunch, and at night to just curl up on the couch with a book and forget life for 30 mins, I had forgotten how truly magical it is to just immerse yourself in a book, I've found myself laughing out loud, sobbing my heart out and just plain giddy with the array of books I've devoured this month (which has been quite a large chunk!)

I even created a whole book in my Journal devoted to books! Writing down the books I read, and taking notes during them, has been a rather enjoyable task, also helpful if John and I decide to start our own Booktube Channel, which has been thrown around a lot lately.

I've even enjoyed the little bookcase image, where I've been pasting down little images of books I've been reading, I need to add a few more! as I've read much more than whats on the shelves currently.

I know reading isn't for everyone, but I think one should try it before they decide they aren't a reader! It helps open up your mind to so many ideas and thoughts! Its a mini vacation from the mundane routine of life. Its done wonders for the kids, with our daily allotted reading time, even to the point where Elijah has asked for longer books to read.

I will continue the Reading Nook on the blog each month with an assortment post of what I'm reading, and what have been my faves from the month, with mini back stories.

Even though this is a rather lengthy blog post, I feel it had to be written about, this post has been bubbling away in my brain for sometime now, and I felt it was time to get it all out. I hope I helped spark something in you the way Booktube did for me.

Drawing videos and blogs will be coming soon now that my husband is home! and I feel I can create again.

All my bookish love 

Courtney

My Good Reads Link - https://www.goodreads.com/LittleRavenInk

2015 Planners and Journals - What am I useing?

This post wont be a long one! as I filmed a rather long video about this which you can find below.
With my word for the year being accountability I had to really think about what I wanted in this years planner journal line up, I needed them to inspire me and also keep me in check.

With the sudden hype around the Hobonichi journals/planners I must admit at first I wasn't as pulled as others were...till I saw this video
and that video is like a drug for me! I watch it more times than I care to admit to the universe. My husband even mentioned the video in his VOWS! yep...I love it.
As I mentioned in my video, I am a left hander and we suffer a lot with writing and what we write in and ring binders well they annoy me...I have had my arm and hand banged up against the rings for a whole year and it get's to a person after a while, so I decided to go rouge and try all BOUND planners and journals this year, and just use a ring binder for my wallet.

As you an see the bulk of my books are hobonichi's. I am using the two a6's as my home and work planners they are small and easy to carry both without putting my shoulder out.

Above is my work a5 hobo month on two pages, as things go up I write them into the calender.

This was a gift for xmas from my Besty Joanne (go check her blog shes just started up and already I know it is going to be amazing ) this planner is AMAZEBALLS it is helping so much with my one little word accountability

It is helping me immensely keep my dates for the blog, knowing when things are coming up.

there is a weekily spread aswell, too much awesome for one planner!

Above is a cheap notebook from Kmart, that I bought for the quote on the front and it now houses all my notes and brainstorming for the blog and my youtube channel then that gets filtered into actual posts which then make it to the blog planner....so streamline...I know proud right!?

and then you have both my journals, my daily drawing hobonichi a5 and my Gillio Giramondo, these are my two journals for the year of 2015!
I have been drawing daily on camera for everyone to see, so if you havent see any of them I'll leave the latest one down below for you to watch.

and that is me done for the journals and planners for 2015 I hope you enjoy the videos

x C

2015 word of the year - ACCOUNTABILITY

The year that was, 2014 started out with such high expectations that it was going to be the year where I chased down joy. For Joy was my word, and yet this year was one of my toughest emotionally and mentally. I struggled with the stress and anxiety of planning our wedding from the ground up. Thinking that this was going to be a breeze boy was I wrong, it was one of the hardest and yet most rewarding things I did in 2014.

I think choosing joy was a rookie mistake, with my rose coloured glasses on thinking that the year if I was just 'happy' then everything would just work out and yet it didn't, because sometimes joy cant be controlled. Joy and depression are not friends and I worked that out. This year has been a rather hard year, I don't deal well with pressure clearly! 

So when sitting down to think about my word for 2015 I know I didnt want to pick a word I couldnt control, for it would only disapoint me if I got to the end of the year and another word would be a waste.  So with such big plans for my little blog and my youtube channel what word would be fitting. There were a few words that got thrown about, John even suggested home, but it didnt click. Most things I set out to do seems to fizzlle out, my blog for example I posted 4 times in 2014 an all time low since I started, even though I have ideas bouncing around my head I never seemed to take the time to get them out or started.

My word for this year is accountability, something I can control, something I am responsible for, I want to be accountable for my blog, my channel, my little business and also my health. I want to take charge of 2015 with a fire in my belly, Ive made pre plans already, I wont be planning to fail this year, I want to plan to win. I have many projects and ideas that I want to execute this year and the only way that is going to happen is if I am accountable for my actions.

In the above image I have a pile of planners, journals and notebooks that Ive decided are going to keep me on track for the year of 2015.  I was going to go over them in this post but I think that will take away from just talking about my word. So my 2015 journals and planners will have a separate post and video to go along with it as many prefer videos to written text.

What is YOUR word for 2015 I'd love to know.
x Courtney

  

Planners and Journals 2014

Let me start with saying 2014 was a total B*tch to me, I set out all bright eyes and excited with my word for the year being Joy...and before the end of January I was failing at all the things, and totally riddled with anxiety trying to plan my wedding from the ground up. 

I posted a total of three posts this year...3. Thats how much of a time suck planning a wedding was! Next year I have a plan, many plans and many calenders so that I wont have a repeat of this year. Stay tuned for the 2015 planners and journals which will include a video along with the post.

Lets start with the above planner, the Gillio Mia Cara A5 in Rust. It isn't a planner for the feint hearted, it is big...which is why I call her Big Girl. The a5 was our household planner and didnt leave the house often!

I had monthly spreads that were tabbed, but I changed my inserts a few times till I decided to go simple...with cheap undated ones from officeworks. 

These inserts cost under $5 they are undated, and plain and boring, but I decided to make them work for me, as the budget was tight and I couldn't afford to be buying inserts every 5 mins when I wanted to try something new. So I divided the pages up left hand side housed reminders, dinners, appointments, bills all that wonderful housey stuff we all dead with when running a busy household, and on the right side was my cleaning schedule, my little ones homework and readers, and sometimes my work tasks that I needed to attend to, and I colour coded those accordingly. 

Sometimes cheap and simple work just fine!

 I dabbled only once towards the end of the year when a friend of mine designed these inserts for herself I fell hard for them and she sent me over the file with my customizations, part of me still looks at these inserts and adore them! even though next year, I'm going RINGLESS!

I had random to do lists that spanned pages, school calenders and also the canteen list punched in for the days when the school snacks had run out.

I also used a personal during the year of 2014 as my everyday carry, there were only two personals in my life a dark brown companga, and a hot pink Wesley zipped Kate Spade.

these housed my week on two pages, with basic reminders for when I was out and about. Also things from the a5 got transferred like bills, school notes, school dates, parties all things appointment related, I also kept running to do lists in my personals as well, I'm a list maker what can I say!

Moving onto my Journals of 2014, and there was only one journal the entire year, my Midori Travelers Notebook  in brown pictured above with a field-notes sized black  Raydori. As you can see I have already finished one inesert and close to finishing my second for the year of 2014. This journal captured my heart instantly and I knew I had to get one, and as soon as I did, it hasn't left my side. 

My midori hasn't been replaced so to speak for 2015...lets just say she got a little upgrade...more to come on that later.

I experimented with drawing my weeks to get a feel for that hobonichi style that has taken the planner and stationery community by storm, being a visual person in my journals anyway, drawing my days became a fond love of mine, and something that will feature heavily in 2015 in video format.

There are going to be some exciting changes in what I used next year for my planning and journal system and I can't wait to show you guys! I have got myself centered and ready to hit the ground running in 2015 with lots of projects, reviews, some design team work, speed art videos and also some drawing of my day weekily videos, I want to make this a place of colour and inspiration in the coming years, so hold on tight while I make some blog changes between now and the new year, but dont fret it will be worth the wait! Next post will be what's my 2015 Word of the year.

2014 - Update! Goals and Chasing Joy.

Good Morning!
Yes months and months have gone by, we have had Christmas and new years, and a long line of family birthdays! My my the last few weeks have been tiring and lovely all at the same time! I made it one of my goals to try and blog and do a video at least twice a month! (start small and work my way up) The school holidays are in full swing currently, with a lot of minecraft happening...

 we had a big Christmas this year, as we do most years now John and I are together, between us there is a lot of family members. Elijah turned 7! and is on his way to grade 2 this year! and little Boo, is ready to start her journey at big school staring Kindy this year aswell.

 2013 started off with a bang, with me getting engaged, and a whole whirlwind of things happening, including the highs and lows of my weightloss journey which I have written about in the past on here. I am still struggling with the balance between this journey and the rest of me. So I decided that for 2014 I would chase one thing, and one thing only.

I decided that this word would pave the pathway for my everyday for 2014, I want to chase joy, and chase it with my arms wide open...so if something doesn't bring me joy...I need to change it up.

With my word safely thrown over my year like a butterfly net, I decided I needed some other goals to live by, as it seems I always set out with the best intentions as most people do! but this year I really want to do the things I set out to do January 1st. I joined a group 12, 52, 365 where we pick goals to do once a week, once a month and everyday....or just one of those, I jumped in with a goal for each category!

To read a book every week for my 52 goal...currently I'm on my second book for week two began yesterday.  Below is the book I finished for my first week..and what a wonderful book it was.

 I decided that for 2014 I wanted to put pen to paper for at least 10 mins a day in my written journal, and in my art journal...of course my new beautiful art box my dad gave me, made that job an absolute pleasure to work in day in day out, I can tote my fave supplies from the studio to the couch each day with no problems...Its one of my fave gifts of the season.

My Midori Travelers Notebook  is my written journey, and it is where I put photos, and daily writings, which I am dating for the first time in years! my way of staying accountable is to date the pages so I dont miss any...everyday commitment. It doesn't take me long, I've been inking my pages up with splashes of distress stain just to give it some visual interest, and sometimes some photos or stickers, as I take so many photos, this is a way to use them in here, and in my art journal.

 It has been a long time since I've kept a proper written journal, and I am enjoying the process again. It doesn't take up much of my time, and I know once I reach day 365 I will have a nice little line up of finished Midori notebooks to show for it.
I will do a whole post devoted to my Midori Journal in the coming weeks, as I know there are many that would like to have a look at it.

 and of course, the other thing with my 365 goal is pen to paper in my art journal, now 2013 was not a good year for my art, I barely picked up my art journal in 2013, and when I did, what I created within the pages felt wrong..and lacking life and love. Once I finished my big sewing book, no journal seemed to feel like home...I even tried getting out 6 or 7 journals and working in heaps! which was a train wreck waiting to happen.
So this year, I picked up my strathmore journal which I got last xmas as a gift from my mum, and just started working in it, it already had pages from my Jane Javenport Stencil post in there, so there was some bright life on the pages already...so I ran with it... The Friday Pages blog post will come back this year, with everyday arting, there are quite a few pages that will need to be shown!

 Last year, I won a scholarship to the amazing Print and Scan Workshop with Jane Davenport...I was humbled and totally overwhelmed with emotions at getting a spot when only two were given away, this year I am taking my business to full flight, once I work through the course, and do all my homework, my images and journal pages will be available as Fine Art Prints in 2014. I also want to start working on one of a kind Fabric pieces featuring my artwork, so keep and eye out for that!
There will also be one off original canvases going up into the store as well, I have to finish off my commissions and then I will be jumping onto that moving train with gusto. As of now, I will no longer be doing commissions until further notice.

as for planners! well there will be many a blog post on those! from what I'm using for 2014, to the amazing binder that now has my wedding planner in it....stay tuned! It is lovely to be back, and thank you to all who emailed me over my hiatus to check to see if I was doing ok! It is such a heartwarming feeling when I got the odd email here and there. They are all appreciated.

How is your 2014 shaping up! and what is your word for the year!
xx Courtney.

Friday Round Up - Art and Life.

Instead of just Friday pages, I thought I would change it up, and do a Friday Round Up, tidbits from our week, more mine than ours I guess, as I am the one behind the camera all the time!
the 6:30 wake ups have been KILLING me!

 

barely awake, but trying hard! I have a goal to reach by Christmas, and maybe just maybe I will make it. 

 

trying to keep up with my daily writing, knowing it is helping me, get ideas out of my mind and onto my paper. and my planner, the brains of life hehe.

working on art for a dear friend of mine, just the base layers so far, soon they will have more on them! little canvas board filled with original art.

a page from a journal swap I am in, where each month I sent a journal page to a woman in the group, this page's theme was 'black and white' I struggled very much with this, till something clicked and before I knew it, I was finishing it up!

working on homework for Jane's class JOYnal, a dancing flower fairy! she is still very much a work in progress, but I am at least liking how she is turning out!

every afternoon, I pick this little man up, and he makes my heart sing, telling me all the things he did that day, asking me way too many questions and generally being adorable.

so how was your friday?
xx Courtney