My Everything Book

This little treasure of mine has been with me through it all this past year of moving madness.

I use it for...well, everything. One can find all sorts of things inside.

-My rantings and ravings about life
-Lessons (which have been many) I've learned during these trying nomadic times of ours
-Written notes on restaurant napkins
-Shopping lists
-To do lists

-Quotes that move me

-Notes from a Gestalt Psychotherapy retreat last June

-Notes from Yoga teachers lessons that inspire me

-Pros and Cons list between living in Singapore and Hong Kong (because we really can't decide)
-Inspirations and ideas

-Designs for my future India Room

-Dreams and my interpretations of them

My Everything Book also doubles as a filing cabinet for eye-catching clippings from magazines. Here are a couple.

I adore this picture of Marilyn Monroe leaning over a balcony in New York - looks like my old apartment's roof top. I've had this photo for many years (from Vanity Fair) and always hope to have a photo shoot like this one. I also melt when I see the new Tiffany ad of this adorable baby and mother (and the ring ain't so bad either - hint hint, husband)

A special thing surprised me as I was flipping through the pages of my book the other day which prompted me to write this post now. A perfectly preserved flower fell out from between the pages. I forgot that I saved this little souvenir! I collected it from the city palace (where the Maharana still lives, by the way) in the magical kingdom of Udaipur. It still retained it's color from the day I picked it off the ground and placed in my special book.



My Everything Book has been helpful in organizing my very chaotic life. I picked up this most special book from an art shop in Udaipur from a nice local family. Durgesh, the owner, and his beautiful wife were most generous and warm, even inviting us to their home for tea, which was above his shop. His wife hand makes these sweet books from camel leather and showed me the metal tools used to punch in the patterns. I also bought a similar book from her with an elephant sketch on it and another one with an OM design. I am most fond of this one with the camel sketch. There is something so regal about camels - especially in the way they walk with their heads held high.

My poor book endures much abuse yet holds up quite well even though it grows thicker by the day, (like George Costanza's wallet - if you saw that episode). I had better get a new one soon as I begin to close this chapter of my life.