Cavallini Roma Lussa journal giveaway

Giveaway is now closed.
Congrats to the winner!

Remember the beautiful Cavallini Roma Lussa journal I reviewed? 
Well, Cavallini has sent me a second Roma Lussa journal to give away to one of you guys!

How would you like to have this journal for your very own? 
It's exquisite! And check out the retail value.

How to enter:
do one, some, or all. 
But the more you do the better your chance of winning!

Become a follower of Journaling Journeys  with the Google Friend Connect thingy
(or let me know if you were already one)

Check out Cavallini's website and tell me what's your favorite thing

Add Journaling Journeys' link to your blog's bloglist 
(or let me know if it was already there)

 Post about the giveaway on your blog 
(include a link)

Tweet about it
(include a link)

Facebook it
(include a link)

Keep in mind...
 
Please leave separate comments; this makes sure all of your comments count! 
The giveaway will run from today (the 27th) through Friday, March 7, 2014. 
I will pick the winner using random.org and announce the winner on the 8th!
Due to high postage prices, I can only ship to US readers. :(

So don't be shy! Come on over and join the fun!
And don't forget to tell all of your journaling friends! :)
A huge thank you to Cavallini as well!

how to: journaling with paint chips part 3

 According to my stats, the paint chips posts are pretty popular. 
Part one and part two. So surely you won't mind hearing more about paint chips.

 This is one of my favorite ideas for paint chips. 
Making clouds and rain drops with appropriately 
colored gray, blue, and white paint chips. 
Simply cut out cloud shapes and rain drops and paste away.

 I love rain and I love paint chips.
 It's a good match.

 Grey is such a lovely color.

You can make little word windows with the 

paint chips with the squares cut out of them.

Paint chips are also great little colorful 
places to write favorite lyrics, too. 

Also for doodling stars. 
Pretty much the only thing I can draw. 

And also for just writing pretty words on.

journaling blog: A Year to Inspire

I am always on the lookout for good journaling blogs. 

It seems they are very few and far between. 

But just recently, I came across a wonderful journaling blog called A Year to Inspire. 

Annetta and Stephanie are "two friends on a journey to complete a journal entry,

 photograph it and blog about it together each day in 2014."

A Year to Inspire is filled with the loveliest

 journal spreads I have ever seen.

I love how they share the whole entry and 

include some beautiful props as well.

It's a good thing to share our art

 with others and inspire them, 

and to gain inspiration ourselves from others' art.

I have gained great inspiration from their

 blog, and I know you will too!

 I would like to thank both Stephanie and Annetta for allowing me to feature them here! 

All the images I have posted here belong to them. 

I would encourage you to pay them a visit and become inspired!

notebook review: Cavallini journals (and some cats)

Although I've been journaling and exploring different notebook and journal brands for quite some time (over a decade), I have only recently come across the Cavallini brand. Based in San Francisco, Cavallini has been making beautiful, high quality paper goods, stationery, and gifts for over 20 years. Chelsea from Cavallini sent me the Roma Lussa journal to review, and so today, I have the pleasure of reviewing one of the most beautiful journals I have ever seen.

 The color of the leather is magnificent.

  

The leather smells absolutely incredible.

 

 It also features a very useful tie that is long enough to 

wrap around the journal twice so the flap stays closed.

 

The pages are beautifully marbled and very unique;

I have never seen a journal like this before.

 I think the Cavallini logo 

is quite lovely. 

 

The paper of the journal is cream colored and quite thick. 

It doesn't lie flat when it's open, 

which can make it difficult to write in 

(especially considering the fact it's so thick.)

 I tested out all of my favorite pens on the paper. 

It's very smooth and the pens all write beautifully on it.

There was bleed through with the Sharpie permanant marker, 

but that's pretty much to be expected with any paper. 

The other pens did not bleed through,

 but you can see them faintly on the other side.

I had to put in another picture 

of the marbling. It's so lovely!

I also have to comment on the note Chelsea included 

with my journal and the beautiful vintage looking 

stickers she decorated the envelope with!

 My cat, Clementine, also loved the journal. 

She hopped up where I was taking pictures and 

proceeded to lay down next to it.

 She and her sister, Apricot, enjoyed 
playing with the leather strap.

 Every time I moved the journal away from her to get a picture, 

she would move right next to it again.

She became quite possessive of it.

All in all, I was very very happy with the Roma Lussa journal. The quality and uniqueness are incredible (although the inclusion of a bookmark would make it absolutely perfect in all ways!) I would like to extend a huge thank you to Cavallini and to Chelsea for sending me this lovely journal to review!

Check out Cavallini:

 Cavallini doesn't just make journals and really cool notebooks, they also make a variety of very unique, vintage-looking gifts, stationery, and office supplies. Their website is certainly one to check out! You can buy their products online, and in retail stores such as Barnes and Noble, Anthropologie, and Pottery Barn, just to name a few. 

So what's your favorite thing from Cavallini?

Disclosure: I received this journal from Cavallini in return for my honest review of the product, and the opinions expressed in this post are my own. I was not compensated in any other way.

how to: wrecking your journal with coffee

 I have been known to purposely spill 
my coffee and tea on my journals.

 I just think it looks cool.

 Sometimes people look at me strange 
while I dribble my drink on my journal.

 But every time I'm drinking a hot beverage and writing, 
I make sure to imprint the "obligatory coffee ring" on my page.

 It might be weird but I think it adds an extra 
"writerly and artistic" dimension to everything.

Question:

Are you a fan of the coffee ring, 

or would you rather keep your journal clean?

journaling supplies: favorite pens

I do love a good ballpoint every now and then, but most of the time I like something a bit more...inky. I like the way ink feels and how it smears sometimes and gets on your hands. Inking pens can be expensive, but the ones I am sharing with you today are very affordable! And they write really well, too.

 My first favorite is the Sharpie fine tip pen. It doesn’t have major bleed through problems like many inky pens (unless the paper is really thin) and you can use them forever until they finally run out of ink. Like for months and months, even if you write every day. They are also not too thin and not too thick.

 My second favorite is the Pilot Precision V7 fine tip. They run out of ink faster than the Sharpie pens do, and the ink is more prone to smearing. The tip is also very thin and fine, which can sometimes make your writing messy. And they only write smoothly on certain types of paper (non glossy or finished kinds). But all things considered, I like them every now and again depending on the paper I'm using. 

 Coming in last is the Uni-Ball Vision. I picked these up last year because I had heard some good things about them. However, the “fine” tip isn’t very fine and they skip a lot when you write (depending on the paper). I usually use them for word art when I need some substantial ink. However, the good pro to them is that they’re fade proof and waterproof, which Pilot and Sharpie aren’t. 

Here's a comparison of all of them. 

Question:

Do you have a favorite pen for journaling?

journaling supplies: washi tape

Another handy item that provides 
immediate color, beauty, and creativity
for your journals is what’s known as washi tape. 
This stuff is amazing.

I was first introduced to washi tape by my mom, who is always keeping an eye out for interesting journaling mediums for me. She came home from Target one day last January or February trying to explain this really cool colored tape. I didn’t get the concept until I could see it for myself, and it was very much love at first sight. And Mom bought me some for Valentine’s Day. Ever since then, washi tape has been a staple with my journaling (and letter writing). 

 Washi tape is not like regular tape, as it is actually reusable. 
Meaning it doesn’t stick too hard and ruin the paper and everything when you pull the strip off. 
You can just use it again and again, which is really awesome. Also, they have more washi tape patterns 
out there than you’d ever be able to use. 

 It's very useful for anchoring dried flowers.

 

I really love the Smash brand washi tape, because it has several different patterns just in one roll (see above). But the best deal I've found is at Michael's. They have washi tape for around $4.99 for two rolls and here is a secret—Michael’s usually always has printable coupons for 40% off one regular priced item. Or if you can’t find those, Hobby Lobby always has 40% printables, and most Michael’s stores will take competitor’s coupons (just google "Hobby Lobby printable coupon.") So then you can get some washi tape for almost half off! I’ve also seen some really pretty washi tape on Etsy.

Washi tape is a great way to add color and interest to your entries.

Have you ever used washi tape?