Project: Journal

I'm mod podged my new journal!  (Here's my previous one.)  It took me a pretty long time to get things right on the canvas, and I wasn't as pleased with it at first, but it's finished, it's good, and it's growing on me.

I started with this puppy...

 

 ...made my room very, very messy...

...and ended up with this!

I used clippings from Pottery Barn and Urban Outfitters catalogs, a brochure for my hometown, an advertisement for RVs, and lots of other magazines and such.  I wanted to use a lot of rustic elements (see the raw wood, wardrobe, butterfly, jars, and the outdoor scenes), but I needed to have those pops of color, too, so I put in that abstract painting and the layers of rainbow corduroys.  You can note the clock tower in the center picture.  It's on the top of the county courthouse here, and it kind of signifies ownership of this season of my life.  Coupling it with the Journey pieces and the picture of the road signifies looking ahead to what's unknown.  All in all, it's a pretty good representation of where I am and possibly of what I'll be writing in this journal.

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What do you do when you're discouraged?  This filthy thing keeps coming back around to attack me, and I'm getting sick of dealing with it.  I know that I have so much to be thankful for.  I know that whatever trials and unhappy things that are going on now won't last forever.  I know that I don't need this and this and this to be happy, cool, or popular.  I know that I'm loved.  So why can't I focus on the good?

I think that identifying the triggers of discouragement and making the effort to keep away from them will help.  Well, duh.  This would mean staying away from blogging more, rather, staying away from other blogs that imply that happiness is having X.  Life is not in fashion; vintage accessories; romance, glamorous and hip scenes in other parts of the country; or the best looking food you're ever laid your eyes on.  Aha!  A lot of my discouragement comes from discontentment!

New plan:  ...well, I don't have a plan yet, but it might involve much less time browsing the internet, much more time reading, and some severe and difficult changes to my perspectives.

Writing about it helps.  :) 

Life is good because God is good. 

{Images: me}