An Introduction

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Hello all! Welcome to my blog, Journals & Jottings. My name is Cass and I’m so excited to begin this journey with you all. I’ve always had a penchant for all things pen and paper, so recently decided to start this blog and a YouTube channel to discuss my love for journaling and related hobbies.


I have been fascinated with journaling since I was very young, beginning when I was around seven or eight years old. It all started with my love for the Dear America children’s series, a huge collection of short books that depict young girls’ lives during turbulent times in American history, ranging from the Salem Witch trials up to the 20th century world wars. I devoured every Dear America book I could find during elementary school and begged my father to buy those not available at the library off sites like eBay. The books I came to own eventually wore out and fell apart because I read them so many times.


I identified with these girls and wanted to be like them, writing about their lives and adventures, recording my  thoughts not just of personal matters, but that of local and world events. Even as a third-grader, the lofty idea of leaving a record behind for posterity thrilled me, and I would literally daydream about my journals being found by anthropologists far into the future to be dissected and pored over and displayed in museums.


While that is no longer my objective in journaling, my love for the written word and all things related have not diminished. In the beginning, I wrote with whatever I could find—pencils, felt tip markers, cheap ballpoints. Eventually I graduated to rollerballs and gel pens, and then fountain pens when I was in college. I don’t have the biggest or most impressive collection of pens, notebooks, or stationery, but it is a well-loved collection, and I have curated it to best fit my wants and needs.


This leads me to the main reason I decided to create this blog and a YouTube channel. Other than my love for journaling and stationery, I was often frustrated by the lack of in-depth reviews of certain related items I was interested in buying. Many of these items did not have reviews—written or recorded—and if they did exist, were not nearly in-depth enough for me.


My goal here is to highlight some of these items I myself wished I could have reviewed before purchasing, along with other stationery products you are likely already familiar with. The more reviews or information available to consumers, the more informed you are with your purchasing decisions. Plus, I’m the type of weirdo who enjoys reading reviews on pens and stationery even if I don’t plan on buying them. This blog may not always encompass strictly stationery products and writing utensils, but it will be the main focus as of now.


If any of this interests you at all, please check out my other accounts:


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT7YVaMO6jZolwcJVX8wM6w


I hope to see you soon, thank you so much for reading. :)

 

--Cass.

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