Last night I finished up my current notebook. Man, I just love the feeling of writing in the last page, the anticipation of going through my blank books to pick out the next journal to write in!

I don't have any particular ritual for closing out a notebook. I just finish up what I have to say at the last page.

But I do like to do an "Introduction" in the first page of a new notebook. Sometimes it's just a word or two. For instance in the first notebook of the year it was "Magic", which a couple weeks later got changed to "New Beginnings".

Other times, the Introduction is a kind of note to myself. The second notebook of this year says, "Begin before you are ready... Think Big... Daydream then Do." And then a quote, I think quite a few Intro pages have a quote on them.

Another real thing! I am not dead yet! I can still call forth a piece of soul and set it down in color, fixed forever.
          -- Keri Hulme

I used to always use the same kind of notebook, a double spiral bound exercise book with 100 sheets. I liked writing on normal sized paper and I always got the more expensive kind with the heavier, 20lb paper, so I could use any of my pens without them soaking through.

This year, I am going through my blank books. The first notebook of this year has a cover with a lady with wings and five pointed stars. I don't really like the pic, but the border is purple and green which I love. :)

And the second notebook, which I just finished up, is my very first black paper journal. It's cover is black velvet with silver and green foil dragonflies and cattails. This notebook was a gift from my Grandma. I enjoyed playing on the black paper, but I think the next notebook is going to have white pages again.

And what about the next notebook? *Static Girl goes through her blank books* hmm. I think we've definitely got a "winged things" theme going here. A dusty green velvet cover with fern type leaves in the design, in the center a picture of a dragonfly and a moth. It's hard back bound, but sewn well so that most of the pages are going to lie flat.

And in the next couple of months, I think, there will be a mission to find the next blank book with a Winged Thing on the cover...