Inside My Travel Journal: What I Use & How I Use It
If you’ve been following along for the past few months, you know that travel journaling has become a bit of a new obsession for me.
I’m still very much learning, and I think that’s actually part of what I love about it. I’m not trying to create perfect pages or beautiful works of art. I’m simply finding little ways to document places I’ve been, things I’ve noticed and everyday moments I want to remember.
And now that our new stationery, journaling and creative section has officially opened at The Lemonade Stand, I thought it would be fun to start sharing how I actually use some of the supplies we carry.
So, let’s start with my journal.
My Leather Journal Cover
One of the products I’m most excited about is our new leather notebook cover.
I love it because it works as a modular system, which means you can make it your own. The covers are available to fit A5 or A6 notebooks, and you can add and change the notebooks inside depending on how you want to use your journal.
You might have one notebook for travel, another for everyday thoughts, one for sketching and watercolours. Simply replace it once the book is full.
The leather cover stays with you while what’s inside can continue to evolve.
There’s something I really love about that idea. Over time, this full grain Italian leather will soften, develop character and become something that feels uniquely yours.
What’s Inside Mine?
Right now, I have an MD Notebook tucked inside my leather cover. I use the A5 thick blank so that I can do some light watercolours.
My pages are a mixture of everything.
Some have little sketches. Some have writing. Some have watercolour. Others have stickers, photographs or little bits and pieces that help tell the story of where I was or what I was doing.
There really aren’t any rules.
And that has probably been the biggest lesson for me as I've started journaling: your journal doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
I Usually Start With a Sketch
When I want to draw something, I keep it simple.
I start by lightly sketching the basic lines and shapes in pencil. Nothing too detailed—just enough to give me a guide for where everything will go.
Next comes the watercolour, which is probably my favourite part. I like a loose style, so I’m not trying to perfectly fill every space or stay inside the lines. Sometimes it’s just a wash of colour here and there—a little green on a plant, blue in the sky, or colour on a building.
Once the watercolour has dried, I use a Pigma Micron pen to add the finishing touches. I’ll define some of the lines, add little details and give the sketch a bit more character.
I actually like when the lines aren't perfectly straight or the watercolour wanders outside the edges a little. That's part of the charm for me.
Pencil. Watercolour. Pen.
That's really all it takes—and the more I do it, the more comfortable I become with letting the page be a little imperfect.
My Watercolour Palette
One of the things I’ve really enjoyed as I’ve been learning is figuring out which colours I naturally reach for again and again.
Rather than carrying a large watercolour set, I created my own little palette using an Art Toolkit palette and filled it with the colours I use most.
It has become my go-to for journaling because it’s small, easy to take with me and has all the colours I need for the loose style of painting I enjoy.
I also love the idea of choosing your own colours rather than feeling like you need every colour available. Your palette can reflect the things you like to paint, the places you travel or simply the colours you love.
And if you like the colours I use, I’ve made it easy to recreate mine. All of the individual watercolour colours in Lee’s Colour Palette, along with the Art Toolkit palettes, are available in the shop.
You can copy mine exactly or use it as a starting point to create a palette that feels completely your own.
Then I Add the Story
Not every memory needs to be drawn.
Sometimes I'll write a few sentences about where we were, what we ate, something funny that happened or simply how the day felt.
I also love adding stickers to fill little spaces or add another layer to a page. We have some absolutely gorgeous stickers in the shop.
And one of my favourite additions has been photographs.
I use my mini Ivy printer to print tiny photos right from my phone. I can tuck a photo into the page alongside a sketch and a few handwritten notes, and suddenly the page feels like a little snapshot of that day. (I purchased my Mini Ivy printer from Best Buy).
It doesn’t need to be elaborate.
A photograph.
A few lines of writing.
A little sketch.
A splash of watercolour.
A sticker or two.
That’s a journal page.
You Don't Have to Be an Artist
This is probably the most important thing I want people to know.
You do not have to know how to draw to start a journal.
I certainly don't consider myself an artist. I'm learning as I go.
Your first page could simply be a photograph and a few words about your day. Add a sticker. Try a tiny sketch. Paint a loose wash of colour behind your writing.
The point isn't to make something perfect enough to show someone else.
It's to create something that means something to you.
Build Your Own Journaling Kit
That was a big part of the inspiration behind our new creative section at The Lemonade Stand.
I wanted you to be able to walk into the shop and put together a little collection of supplies that feels like you.
Start with a beautiful notebook and leather cover. Add a favourite pen. Pick up a small watercolour set. Choose a few stickers or a roll of washi tape that catches your eye.
You don't need everything at once.
Start small.
Put a few supplies in your bag, take your journal to a coffee shop, bring it along on a weekend away, or sit at your kitchen table with a cup of coffee and document an ordinary Saturday.
Because I'm learning that journaling isn't really about making beautiful pages.
It's about noticing the beautiful things that are already happening.
And maybe putting a little bit of them on paper.