Keeping Company :: April 2016

Welcome to the Keeping Company link-up for April!  What have you been up to this month in your notebooks, ladies?  Any spring break nature journaling?  Easter commonplacing?

I'll share what I've been up to in just a moment.  But first:

In the Past Month

Commonplace entries were popular this month!

Carol shared with us a bit from Brideshead Revisited.
Amy added some lovely thoughts from Hearth & Home: Recipes for Life to her journal.
My Peace in the Puzzle came across some moving verses from Lord Houghton.

I talked a bit on Instagram this month about how I've been spending less time reading
 and more time processing/keeping what I've read--and how fruitful that has been!

And two other posts I think you'll enjoy:

Gina always writes encouragingly about the Charlotte Mason lifestyle and the connections her young children make.  This month, she talks a bit about history and gives us a peek at her kids' timelines.

And Amber discussed the way she has slightly changed her approach to nature study and the difference it has made in her relationship with what she sees.  A wonderful reminder.

And it has been busy over on Instagram lately!  Just a few favorites...

top (l to r) - angelaboord - witheagerhands - athena_amidstthereeds - mary.frances.pickett - cmnewby
second row (l to r) - spreadingthefeast - garcia3cynthia - jenlovesaqua - obispo98 - happylhomemaker1
third row (l to r) - leahvboden - vlcjrogers - obispo98 - vlcjrogers - msjschole
bottom (l to r) - theycallmemommy618 - hollieannd - msjschole - rjnsix - littledrops5

Starting the Month's Discussion

I'd like to ask this month about what inspires you in your Keeping.  Do you have favorite books on the topic?  Favorite blogs?  Have you been watching YouTube videos about drybrushing?  Did you attend a retreat or conference that has you feeling refreshed and ready?  Have you finished some wonderful novels lately that have left you grabbing for your commonplace?  Has a poem inspired your Keeping heart?  Did a recent nature outing impel you to dust off your underused nature journal?  Have you been getting a continuous stream of inspiration from someone in your life--a friend, a teacher, a writer, your kids?  What first inspired you to start notebooking?  At this time of year, most of us are looking for inspiration to finish our school year strong and stick with good habits.  Maybe what is inspiring you will inspire someone else too!

I already shared a nature drawing book that I have been loving lately, and I have to recommend The Living Page, of course, which inspired both me as a keeper and was the impetus for this link-up!  I have also been preparing some talks on Mother Culture for the retreat which has got me thinking about education in a slightly different light--and grabbing for my study notebook and my commonplace as I do so.  And I ordered some writing supplies (just a selection of Gelly Rolls) that have found their way into my notebooks lately.  That image at the top is my playing around with white pens on smooth blue construction paper--so fun!

Sometimes it's new routines we need; sometimes it's mental, spiritual, or educational inspiration; sometimes it's just new pens. ;)

The Link-Up

Instructions:
:: For bloggers: Click on the "Add my link" button below, and it will prompt you to include the information for your post.  Once you submit it, your link will be added to the list, and others will be able to click over and read what you have shared.
:: For Instagrammers: Tag related photos with #KeepingCompanyCM to join the link-up.

Guidelines:
:: Remember to link to a specific post and not to your blog's homepage. 
:: Any posts about CM-style Keeping are welcome!  The prompt is optional.  Your post can be as simple as a photo of your commonplace book.
:: Feel free to add more than one post.  The link-up will be open for a month, so you can come back and add more if you are so inclined.
:: You can grab the button over there on the sidebar if you'd like to add it to your post or site.

Thanks for participating!  I look forward to reading what you all are up to!

An InLinkz Link-up