Monday, March 11, 2013

Small Obsessions: Pretty Notebooks


For as long as I can remember I have had an obsession with pretty notebooks. I would see one with ballerinas on it or flowers and ask "could I get that one please?" in the puppy-dog-eyed way little kids ask their parents for things. I'd get them as gifts or I'd buy them with pocket money or somehow a freebie notebook would come into my hands. Diaries, Notebooks, Planners, Journals.... Whatever you call them. I had them. I had one for everything. 

I would use the books to write songs. I thought I was going to be a famous singer when I was younger. They were the typical lame kind of songs that a ten year old would write, but they were songs. And, at the time I thought they were great. I moved onto wanting to be a dancer and used one notebook to draw little stick figures doing choreography. I wrote plays, I kept lists, I brainstormed Ideas, Spilled my secrets, drew pictures made up stories, planned my future and created poems that rhymed, but made little sense. I was your regular creative kid.

Even now I still love the idea of beautiful clean notebook. I still agonize over whether or not to start the book and wonder if I will wreck the glossy pages with my pointless drivel. I keep art journals for art (the one creative thing that seems to have stuck with me throughout all this time), I have a diary for personal recollections, a book for draft blog posts and several half filled journals with pieces of stories (I played around with the idea of being a writer a while ago), playlists, half written poems and middle-or-the-night kind of ideas. 

It's actually quite dangerous this obsession. There are so many notebooks available for purchase pretty much anywhere. One of my new favourite online shops Cotton on has a section called 'Typo' with some of the coolest and most interesting designs. ModCloth has cloth-covered hardback notebooks that aren't exactly the cheapest (though quite breath-taking) and then there are the two-dollar shops... 

Above are the most recent editions to my notebook family. The one at the top on the left is my recent 'Typo' purchase. I thought it was a bit old-school and a bit rock-n-roll. It reminds me a little of 'American' by Lana Del Rey. The one underneath it is a freebie that my sister got for me. It is cloth-bound and has plain un-lined pages. I am planning on filling it with sketches. At the bottom of the photo on the right there are two matching notebooks that came in a pack from 'Typo'. They are so small and preppy looking. I think they will be perfect for list-making or budgeting. Up top on the right there are two books. The lilac coloured one is a purchase from the $2 shop (It's actually kind of old, but I haven't used it yet) and the black one is another freebie from a magazine. The edge of the pages are metallic and glamorous. This one is also unlined and I'm scared of ruining it...

^The Inside of the Black journal and the pretty page edges. (Don't you just love my blue nail polish?)

What can I say? I guess I've just always liked the idea of being the girl with the notebook. The studious part of my brain wants me to document and file away every thought, quote or theory that comes to mind. The feel of blank pages under my skin? It's like a fresh canvas, a rewound tape, a new ball of wool, a clean face, washed hair, a naked body... There are so many ideas going through my head. There are endless possibilities. And, as much as I love technology, nothing is quite like writing in a notebook.

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

2 comments:

Witchcrafted Life said...

You are by no means alone when it comes to this particular obsession. I've always loved a beautiful, practical notebook, too. I use them for everything from writing poetry to keeping track of the supplies I use in each of my crafting projects.

♥ Jessica

Natalie_vintage_girl said...

Its so handy to have it all documented. Im considering starting one just for helpful technological anecdotes to issues with computers. Lol.andthanksfor liking my fb page:-)