As a child one of my favourite things to do was read Little Golden Books. I loved them. I loved the shiny gold spine and the colourful illustrations. I had so many favourites, but I'd have to say my all time favourite was probably The Poky Little Puppy. I also really loved Tootle and Scuffy. And of course you can't go past the vintage Walt Disney titles - Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, Peter Pan and Dumbo. I remember when we went to Euro Disney in Paris the rides I most wanted to go on were the Dumbo ride and The Little Engine That Could ride - which I loved based on the Little Golden Books. Unfortunately it was snowing enough to break records when we went so I never got to go on the Dumbo ride and when we went on the train our legs froze so much that I couldn't feel below my knees {but it was so totally worth it}. Ah so many memories!
One of the things I looked forward to the most when I was pregnant was starting a collection of Little Golden Books for bub. So far we have 6 books - The Poky Little Puppy {of course}, The Three Bears, I Can Fly, Animal Gym, Baby Farm Animals and Where do Giggles Come From? To be honest at this stage her collection is more for me than her because she won't be able to read for a while. I'm loving reliving my childhood when I read through the books. I love them so much I even went out and bought the book Everything I Need to Know I Learned From A Little Golden Book so I could have my own adult Little Golden Book just for me. Since then I've also come across a local business Golden Journal which upcycles Little Golden Books into new books for adults, how awesome is that? Golden books are no longer just for kids.
ABOUT GOLDEN JOURNALS
Golden Journals is a Brisbane based company run by Emily, a mother to two little boys and fellow Little Golden Book enthusiast. Emily selects both new and vintage Little Golden Books to upcycle into a diary or journal. Each journal or diary contains the entire Little Golden Book story with the original pages dispersed throughout.
Emily gives many cherished childhood memories new life by upcycling the Little Golden Books into new notebooks and diaries, whilst still keeping the authenticity of the original book. She has an ever expanding collection of over 2000 books so if you have a specific favourite she is likely to have it. She takes custom orders through her Etsy shop, to accommodate those searching for a specific title that may not be listed, and is happy to try and source those she may not have. Although with over 2000 books waiting to be upcycled I dare say she'd probably have what you're after.
Journal prices range from $12 - $22 depending on the number of pages included {100 or 200} and the Little Golden Book used to create the journal. Diaries start from $25 depending on how rare the Little Golden Book is and which edition of the Little Golden Book is used.
Journal prices range from $12 - $22 depending on the number of pages included {100 or 200} and the Little Golden Book used to create the journal. Diaries start from $25 depending on how rare the Little Golden Book is and which edition of the Little Golden Book is used.
JOURNALS & NOTEBOOKS
I chose an Alice in Wonderland notebook, because who doesn't love Alice in Wonderland, right? I also figured sometimes my brain storming is like going down a rabbit hole of sorts so its an apt cover for my notebook. My copy was made using a 2010 edition which is still in excellent condition and the colours are nice and vibrant. There are other versions of Alice in Wonderland for sale in the Etsy shop, including an original 1951 vintage copy upcycled as a dairy. I'm sure Emily would have even more copies if you're after a specific cover.
The notebook has 200+ pages of blue lined paper which is broken up by the original pages of the Alice in Wonderland Little Golden Book. It also has a few keepsake pockets. The notebook is hand bound using twin wire coil.
GOLDEN JOURNALS DIARIES
Golden Journals also have a number of 2015 diaries still available. The diaries are a week over 2 pages so there's plenty of space to jot down important appointments and reminders. I love the simplicity of the layout and the fonts that have been used.
I have a Snow White diary which features a 1984 version of the book. I especially love it because that was the year I was born. I love how all the illustrations are dispersed throughout the diary. It certainly makes for a nice change from a traditional boring old diary. The A5 size also makes it really easy to pop into my handbag or nappy bag for everyday use and the hard cover means the pages won't get damaged.
I have to be a bit careful where I leave it though because bub tries to take it because she recognises Snow White and thinks its hers {she has the Snow White little people princess}.
My Snow White diary also has blank pages at the end for extra note taking which is why its been bound with the thicker coil. The Animal Orchestra diary below is a standard diary without the extra pages and as such is bound with the smaller coil. Both versions of diaries are available in various titles and via custom orders.
I'm seriously in love with all the Golden Journals creations, its like having a piece of my childhood to keep alongside me everyday. My only issue now is to stop myself from buying heaps of them because there's so many that I want. There are so many titles I forgot about until I looked through the etsy store and a lot of them are just so hard to come by these days, she's done well sourcing them. I imagine it'd be so much fun searching through Little Golden Books and being able to call it work. Hello dream job!
GOLDEN JOURNALS GIVEAWAY {CLOSED}
Like Golden Journals on Facebook,Like Finding Myself Young on Facebook and follow the rafflecopter prompts below.
Good Luck everyone!
Toni x
TERMS & CONDITIONS Competition commences 12:00am March 31st 2015 and ends 12:00am April 7th 2015. Entry is open to Australian residents only, excluding ACT. One reader will win a Heidi Journal from Golden Journals. Prize is not transferable. Prize will be delivered by Golden Journals, Finding Myself Young takes no responsibility for prize delivery. This competition is a game of skill and will be judged as such. Incomplete entries will be deemed invalid and excluded from judging. Winner will have 72hrs to respond or prize will be redrawn. This competition is in no way endorsed, promoted or administered by Facebook.
Disclosure - I was provided with the Golden Journal products in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed are my own based on my experience with the products, as per my disclosure policy. I did not receive payment for this review.