How the Wild Simplicity Daybook came to be…
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The bottom shelf of an old wardrobe in our living room is filled with almost every notebook and planner I’ve tried over the years. A few are from college days, but most date to sometime after the birth of my second child when life suddenly felt in need of more organization. I wrote a few posts about my history with planners here.
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I’ve been creating calendars for more than fourteen years and selling them online and at shows, and we’ve been discussing and creating our own versions of a Daybook at Wisteria & Sunshine in recent years. But one magical evening a few years, I met a young woman at sitting outside a cafe writing in her Moleskine diary. We got to talking about notebooks and she confided that it had made all the difference in her life when she began to keep Everything in one notebook…her journaling, her lists, her to-dos, her little sketches…everything.
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From that evening, the idea of One Notebook for myself became my not-quite-all-consuming passion. I thought about how I could make it versatile yet simple. It couldn’t use rings because I like pages to lay open like a book. Tabs can be wonderful, but I didn’t want tabs…One day when I wasn’t feeling well, I discovered the world of youtube planner videos and was introduced to the Midori style of notebooks. I knew I had found a way to gather together a place to make notes, keep a calendar, plan out my days, journal, dream…
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From there, it was a matter of deciding upon which container for the days and weeks and months took care of all the usual needs and wishes. And how to put it all together beautifully…and keeping the earth in mind. As good as Moleskines are in many ways, they are made of trees straight from the forest…as are almost all of the planners and notebooks out there. So if you are a paper-lover, it is the kindest thing to make sure your papers are as earth-friendly as possible.
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Over the months, I was able to find my favorite tree-free paper in my favorite size, track down a thick recycled cardstock for the cover and have it printed, figure out how to sew layers of cloth (thrifted or organic cotton fabric) and more cardstock to the cover to make it satisfying to hold (and pockets!), locate some elastic made entirely of hemp and rubber, and come up with all of the little details to bring it together in a lovely way. I think I’ve succeeded. It has become my constant companion and that of many others. You may see some glimpses on Instagram @wildsimplicitydaybook and buy your own here.
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