Diary of a Busy Girl

"It's the good girls who keep diaries; the bad girls never have the time."

- Tallulah Bankhead

The last time I kept a diary I was twelve years old and had nothing better to write about than what I bought at the Gap that day and how dreamy that guy in pre-Algebra was (In all fairness, his blue eyes were pretty dreamy . . . I ran into him years later at a holiday party). Over the years I have bought a few journals, but they are notable only for their very pretty covers and completely empty insides. I mean, really, what is the point? And who has the time?!?!?

One recent rainy day, I braved the elements and made the trek over to a newly-opened stationery store on Westheimer during my lunch hour (Ok, ok. It was more like a lunch hour-and-a-half). I had no problem passing on the store's lovely picture frames that matched my living room (oh my goodness . . . WHY didn't I buy them?!?!) or the cards for any and all occasions, but when my eyes locked on a Tiffany blue book on a shelf across the room, I was smitten. Gold flourishes on the cover indicated that that the book was **gasp** a journal, but after half a second of reflection I convinced myself that a journal was exactly what I needed. When I saw that writing was limited to just a few lines per day, I was sold. This was a journal that I could live with.

And you know what? I have, and on a daily basis. I keep it on my coffee table, and I can knock out an entry about the time it takes to get through a commercial.

When you have to distill your day to two or three sentences, it becomes apparent what is truly important to you. Sometimes, I surprise myself with what makes the cut. I get a kick out of the fact that when July 3, 2011 rolls around and I return to the "July 3" page, I will have a chance to relive that memory of spending my 31st birthday at a small-town farmers' market.

Fair warning though: While using this journal, it becomes readily apparent where there is room for improvement. I winced when I realized that I was writing an awful lot about restaurants (fellow dieters, take note!). Hopefully, in the future I will see a few more trips to the museum and a little less Tex-Mex.

Is this journal a necessity? Absolutely not, but that makes it even more enjoyable! It would make a lovely (and long-lasting) gift for both the good and bad girls in your life. There is a pink-covered version for the moms (or moms-to-be) you know.

The "One Line A Day" Journal is $16, and is available in Paper Source stores and online at Amazon.com (where it is currently on sale for $11, http://www.amazon.com/One-Line-Day-Five-Year-Memory/dp/0811870197/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top)