I'm a sucker for a fill-in book!

Call it what you like - a scrapbook, art journal, diary or memory book - I LOVE fill-in books. You know, those wonderfully gifty-type books that prompt you to fill in the pages with notes, reflections, photos, drawings and things you never want to forget. I adore them. They call to me from the bookstore wracks. Really, they do.

I've done so many of them over the years. You probably have too. Like the bridal planner book. And of course, the Baby Book. I've done the fill-in prompted style, calendar style and even turned an ordinary photo book into a memory book.

For my husband's first Father's Day, I made him a scrapbook called, "Why My Daddy is Better Than Your Daddy." Someday this will be Saxon's book.

Years ago my bestie, Rhonda, and I exchanged fill-in books for each other. The one she gave me is called Friends are Flowers that Never Fade. I still cherish it! She stuck in all kinds of photos of us from high school and even a note I wrote to her! We still can't remember what it was I said she should have "tried out for." And "trauma" - why did I write that? Ha! Who knows, but this makes me smile.

(don't judge my big hair in this pic - it was the 80's!)

Recently, my mother-in-law gave me a fill-in book to keep throughout Saxon's school years, called School Years. I really have to get started on it! I love that it has pockets for tucking in their drawings, tests, report cards, etc. So perfect!

And I'm super excited because for the first-time ever, I get to combine my book publicity job with my love of journaling books. This season I am handling the publicity for a new book called, Art Doodle Love: A Journal of Self Discovery (STC Craft | A Melanie Falick Book). 

This beautiful little book provides prompts and inspiration for scribbling, doodling, gluing things inside, documenting events, reflecting on things past and so much more. I love it and can't wait to let the creativity ooze out onto the pages! Check out this video of a user enjoying Art Doodle Love!

And a book I just have to get my hands on is the Annie Sloan Workbook. 

I've seen so many furniture painters using it to keep their "recipes" for custom color mixes. You can use this as a place to keep magazine clippings of decor and items you want to use in your next home renovation ore redesign. There's pockets too for storing fabric snippets, ribbon, etc. I would like to document my furniture paint work in it, by keeping before and after photos, along with paint swatches. Then I could carry this along to client's homes to show them examples. At any rate, I need to hop on down to my local stockist, The Empty Nest, and get myself a copy pronto!

With Valentine's Day around the corner, these little books are such a joy to give and receive. (And in case my Hubby is reading this - so are diamonds!)