Journal bling

One of the first tasks on arriving home is to complete my journal, binding it properly and tieing off all the loose ends.  I know that, if I don’t get on with it right away, it will sit there until the memories have faded and I’ve forgotten the little details which bring it to life.

I like to gather a little bling along the way, so that when the finished book sits on my shelf, it’s easily recognisable.  Identifying the cheap geegaws in trashy souvenir shops is all part of the fun.

On here is a brass luggage tag from the railroad at Promontory.  When I caught sight of the name Thomas on it, I knew it had to be there.

I’d picked up a few rocks at Zion, which were so very fragile and which I felt sure would crumble to dust.  Well, so far, they have almost crumbled – but not quite!  There is still a little of that chocolate wafer biscuit formation in that Tim Holtz glass bottle we found to contain it. 

Sitting there alongside is a sweet  little yellow phone charm given to me by a group of young Korean women, to say thanks for taking their photo at Bryce Canyon.  I fixed it to my camera strap for a while, until I took a few photos which unintentionally featured it in the corner!

The two remaining trinkets are a luggage tag from Mount Rushmore and a steel bookmark from Taliesin West, featuring a quote from Frank Lloyd Wright in that unmistakeable font.

There was one further piece of bling in the form of a small dreamcatcher, from the Grand Canyon.  I thought it would work well on there with a couple of feathers, but sadly, it’s too big and elaborate. 

So that is that.  Another trip gathered in and finished.  Here’s to the next one!