Ordinary moments where I feel like I could burst at the seams:
:: When I can hear my little dog snoring under the bed.
:: When the ice melts to the perfect ratio in my iced coffee.
:: Wearing a brand new white t-shirt.
:: When it thunders at night….and the house feel so cozy.
:: Crawling into bed when the linens have just been washed.
:: When my daughter tears up from happiness at a movie.
:: When I start typing and can’t stop……
:: Hearing my husband’s truck from a mile away.
:: Opening a brand new pack of Sharpies.
:: Visiting out-of-town family members.
:: Hearing Irish music or bagpipes.
I think I’ll burst just from writing all of those down…….that’s living right?
What are those small moments for you? Start a list in your journal today….add the date. Try using a different pen or maybe a marker today….let the marker bleed through the page to the other side. Place a sheet of paper in between to keep the ink from bleeding through to another page. Enjoy the ink soaking through the paper. Is your list coming up short today? That’s okay, write your letters in alternating colors and make the short list more colorful. Did you mess up? That’s what correction tape is for…..or tape a piece of paper over what you want to cover up….that’s what Boo does.
Add to this list whenever you discover something new.
Find a quote you love and add it to the bottom of this page……or simply copy this one down:
I absolutely love this journal. I have started many, but sad to say, they did not make it. I wake up every morning excited to see what your journal entry for the day holds!! Thank you so much for this gift.
I needed this today. Yesterday was a brutal day for me. And sometimes you need that reminder that it’s the little things that make it all worth it. 🙂
I ADORE this project and each day’s assignment. It HUGS me back each day!
I’m really enjoying this small daily activities. Today in particular, having just dropped my youngest off at his first day of Kindergarten, is has helped put me in a frame of mind that I really needed for today. Thanks!
When Ashley posts a great rambling hysterical post late at hit when I’m up late doing school work and need a break!
I started the project yesterday, with my daughters!
NIGHT, not hit! :O
Ashley, Thank you this. You are my inspiration to get up every day. What you’ve been through and the grace which you went through it inpire me everyday. Is it possible to love someone you’ve never met? I think so. God bless. BTW, I try very hard to choose joy every day. Cheryl
Loving this project already! Went and bought myself some colored pencils and fun colored pens so I could liven it up as we go. Thank you for the prompts and inspiring us!
My 7-year-old daughter and I are doing this together. I went out and bought her a journal, too. She picked it out. Has Justin Bieber on the cover. LOL. Anyway, we are having such a great time having some quiet time every night working on our journals together. She is so excited about it, she even took it to school to show her teacher. Thank you for this, Ashley.
BTW, here is the quote I chose. From The Secret Life of Bees (p. 147)
(They are talking about why she painted the house bright pink.)
She [August] laughed again. “You know, some things don’t matter that much Lily. Like the color of a house. How big is that in the overall scheme of life? But lifting a person’s heart–now THAT maters. The whole problem with people is—”
“They don’t know what matters and what doesn’t,” I said, filling in her sentence and feeling proud of myself for doing so.
“I was gonna say, The problem is they KNOW what matters, but they don’t CHOOSE it. You know how hard that is, Lily? I love May, but it was still so hard to choose Caribbean Pink. The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters.”
I have had this passage highlighted in that book for years. Now I had a safe place to record it. I thought you might get a charge out of it. Choose joy. Choose what matters.
you have my creativity going, thanks so much for starting & sharing this project! off to journal now!
i am feeling a bit pissy today….i hope i can find something to be greatful for….i’ll let you know…everything is annoying to me right now.
Thanks so much. I am loving this, it is so nice to get these random prompts…….will definitely get the juices flowing and take away some of the ‘perfect’ fears.
if I could just hug you right now….you really touch people from the ‘inside’.. I know you always touch my soul…you are a breath of fresh air…everyday <3
I'll be starting my journal too 🙂
<3
I am loving this day to day journal prompts. What is making it especially fun besides the obvious is, on my blog, well sorta blog <~~~~ is TECHNO CHALLENGED, I am trying though. Anyhoo, on my blog this month I am doing 30 days of…"Today I smile because" (Today is day 5) So in my journal I am connecting the 2 ideas together and am having an awesome time. I am actually going to link my Today I smile post back to this blog. This way maybe the readers I do have can also enjoy this. I also have my 12 yr old daughter doing this as part of her Creative Writing Curriculum.(we homeschool)
I am very new to this medium of creating, so having blog post like this are enormously helpful. I am also inspired and touched by what all you amazing women are posting. Makes me proud to be a woman. Happy Journaling….
God Bless,
Kimmie <3
Today’s entry was amazing!! It turned out colorful and full of warm fuzzies. I’m getting more and more excited about this project by the day…and I’m hoping to eventually love my handwriting too 🙂
Thanks Ashley!!
The quote I used was “Enjoy the little things for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” -Robert Brault
I love this. I still need a journal tho :O My other journals…well let’s just say i didn’t get far. this is awesome!
Hi Ashley
I love this project and am having so much fun with it! Thanks for starting this. I wrote about my Lil Journal Project here…
http://iknowtheplansihave4you.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-lil-journal-project.html
i am playing catch up… again. found this project on instagram on day 1. started on day 2 – with my day 1. Did day 2 last night. Maybe i will catch up today or maybe not… but that’s ok! Because I have been overwhelmed with creative ideas since I did the very first page – and am taking time to create. i also shared this project with my two youngest – 10 and 8. It’s nice to have something to share with them amidst our [very!] busy start of back to school-dance-gymnastics-cheer routine! It inspired my 8 year to start gathering old pencils to create a sculpture. Not sure if it’s the project itself or the fact we are taking about, thinking about, being CREATIVE. I am also going to fin the time to share it with my 15 year old – this weekend! Thank you for reminding me – who is in the beginning trimester of a creative business – that it’s not always about the end results – you have to EXPERIENCE the process too!!
A note on the quote: i don’t think we have to TEACH ourselves to live, enjoy life, I think it’s more a matter of reminding ourselves and giving ourselves PERMISSION to slow down, smell the rose… do something for the sake of just doing it. Stop and listen to the sound of the world around us. . Smell the roses. Feel the textures. Embrace the unexpected – as those lead to moments we could have never planned!
Oh Ashley, how I am loving this project! I’ve been collecting goodies, and was still stuck at starting. Happy to say I’m ready for Day 4 and have done a good job of cracking out my new markers! Hope you are well… xo