the weekly workbook no. 3

We returned last Sunday (a day late) from a vacation that went a little sideways (short version: our flight was cancelled due to Tropical Storm Debby and we made an extremely last minute decision to drive to Orlando) and were dropped straight into back to school week. It was a rough re-entry but things had evened out considerably by Friday and I’m looking forward to our school year routine.

I worked on a post about my favorite time-management exercise that will be up on Wednesday, and otherwise thought a lot about what paper I want to use in 2025. A little meta, but I even journaled about it.

(Here is the post from Literary Latina that I reference; but I also like this one for the use of a highlighter.)

Naturally, after all that, I came across this hybrid A5 planner from Twines and Paper— it has both weekly and vertical weeks. This is very tempting.

My biggest move in 2025 might be my attempts at keeping a separate illustrated journal. Amy

Illustrated Life

shares amazing prompts each week; I’d like to challenge myself to do a full spread each week. I’ve always wanted to be someone who kept a sketchbook as like a routine habit and this is like, shockingly achievable— I just need to open a sketchbook each week and make some marks on the page (my art doesn’t have to be “good” to be valuable).

In my fantasy life, I keep my sketchbook and journal on the kitchen table or bring them along to the park, and work in them in between homeschool lessons or while my kid is meeting up with friends. (Related, there’s so much from Case for Making currently on my wish list!) Maybe I keep everything in a giant bolga basket? There’s still time to get to that version of myself. (Basket Julia probably also keeps handmade quilts in the car to use at the park.)

Anyway, be sure to let me know in the comments if I’m the only one overthinking my 2025 notebook(s).

This week I finished Wintering and I liked it but I think it wasn’t as introspective as I thought it would be (or wanted it to be).

Wintering at Kumon

I also finished If One of us Should Fall by Nicole Terez Dutton. I found myself stopping often to admire her use of rhythm.

I’m almost finished with On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, which is so so good but my god it’s breaking my heart.

I started Sylvia Plath’s Ariel (importantly, the version arranged in the order she originally intended). It’s been awhile since I’ve really read a collection of her poems. After my dad died, I was having a lot of intrusive thoughts and to distract myself I attempted to memorize “Mad Girl’s Love Song,” but that’s a very different way of engaging with her work. (fwiw, I never fully memorized the poem but it did stop the intrusive thoughts.) There is no ambiguity in Plath’s words, and I think that’s what draws me in.

I also started listening to Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros on audio because my book club picked it for August and mehhh. I am just not a fantasy person, although my friend Lauren said she got completely sucked in after the first chapter so I will give it a little bit more time in the off chance I can finish it before our book club meeting.

I have 8 (!) titles left on my bingo card to read by September 10. Five are what I consider short reads and there are probably at least 2 I can read in one sitting. I am traveling solo the first week of September (I don’t know how I ended up doing four trips in one summer after years of not leaving the state) so I’m hoping I’ll get a good amount of reading done then. Not gonna lie, I will be impressed with myself if I pull it off. (Regardless, this has been the most productive reading summer of my life and that feels pretty good.)

*links are bookshop.org affiliate links.

Things I’m thinking about:

This tiny little pouch from Honey Folk Clothing (also all of her hand-dyed sashiko thread— but especially the yellows omg— are gorgeous). My mom recently gave me some of my grandmother’s baby clothes and I’ve been trying to think of special little projects to use them for. (And they’d make good Christmas gifts!)

This cardigan, which might be the thing to convince me to try mosaic knitting.

a little accountability for the week ahead.