YOU'LL NEVER KNOW IF YOU DON'T TRY

You will never guess what showed up in my email box yesterday.   Well, yes, of course it was an email message! But you will never, ever, guess who it was from or what it said. To tell you the truth, I still can't quite believe it myself, and have had to go back several times to be sure it's actually there -- that I didn't just imagine it. Give up? Okay, I'll show you. This is what I found in my email box yesterday:

Hello Becky,

I am happy to tell you that pages from your journal were chosen to appear in the Gallery section of an upcoming issue of Art Journaling magazine! Your name and location (City, State) will be published with your work, along with a quote from you. Please answer the questions below, and we will choose the quote from one of your answers. You will receive a complimentary issue of the magazine for being published. 

? How/why did you begin art journaling? 

? What do you like best about keeping an art journal? 

? How would you describe your art journaling style?

? Does this particular journal have a theme or story behind it? 

? Please provide your full name, city/state, and any contact info. (website, blog, email) for publication.

If possible, please email me your answers by Monday, July 15th; if you cannot make this deadline, please send them by Wednesday, July 17th. 

Thank you so much for submitting your journal! Please let me know if you have any questions. 

Amber Demien

Stampington & Co. 

Senior Managing Editor

Know what's really amazing? The art journal I sent them almost three months ago was not any of the ones I have been working on since I started taking all these art classes. Nope, it was one I made before I even knew what art journaling was -- my entire collection of crazy little illustrated seasonal to-do lists! 

When I handed the box to the postal clerk, he asked me if I wanted to insure it. I thought about it for a moment, then finally said "What's the point? There is no amount of money you could pay me that would make up for losing these." For almost three months now, I've been wondering if they did get lost in the mail , but it looks like they made it to their destination after all. Let me tell you, there is some seriously exuberant happy dancing going on at the Lane house right now!

P.S. No, I have no idea which issue it will be in, or which To-Do list they have chosen to publish.