I’ve kept a diary for many, many years now. In the beginning, every diary was different. Some had a little lock with a tiny golden key. Some had pages edged in gilt. One had a giant roller skate on the cover. One had Snoopy, pencil in paw.
But since 1988, when I received one as an engagement present, I have used Michel Design Studios’ Our Country Diary. A thing of indescribable beauty every year, it has always been filled with vintage illustrations and magnificent quotes. There was plenty of room to write in the events of my days. (issues that needed further exploration and rumination went in my journal, of course). Each autumn, I have looked forward to getting the announcement card in the mail about when to expect my next diary to arrive, giving me a sneak peek at the glorious cover I will come to know so well over time.
This year, however, the announcement card was not a celebration, but a sorrow. Our Country Diary will not be published in the future. This year, the one I have now, already crammed with entries and mementos, is the last of the line. Oh, what sad news this was, in a year already too full of sad news.
My first instinct was to go online and beg the company to reconsider. My second was to look for unused Our Country Diaries from earlier years on eBay. If I checked a perpetual calendar, I could find the proper alignment of dates and days of the week. (2010’s would work for 2021, for example. So would 1999 or 1993.) My third instinct, though, is the one I’m going with. I’ll return to my diary-writing roots and have a different design for every year, going forward. To that end, I’ve begun looking into options and find there are plenty. It will be hard to choose just one for 2021, but having spent over 30 years with the same style, I know I will opt for something similar. But will it have a floral design on the cover, or seashells, or famous works of art? Will it be spiral bound, or have a spine? Will there be enough room to staple in ticket stubs and paste in leaves and tape in photographs and newspaper clippings?
This search for something new to serve as my diary reminds me of last year’s search for my yearly planner. There, too, a creature of habit, I always buy the same style in one of year’s new cover designs. It is 8 by 10, and thin, with big boxes to jot down every appointment, birthday and reminder. I am quite fond of it. And late last summer, when I saw it in the store, I bought one. When December rolled around, I took it out, to copy birthdays from last year’s pages into it and made a horrible realization. I had not purchased a yearly planner, but a student one. The pages began in September and ended in August. It was useless for my purposes. So began my quest. It was still 2019. Surely the stores had a few 2020 calendars of the proper sort around. Since I buy these at a chain store, I made a circle tour around the city, hoping, poking around the shelves, tidying disarray with the idea I would find one at the bottom of a messy stack of notebooks. But, no. And no. And no. Just when I’d nearly given up, resigned to a too-thin, too-big, spiral bound planner, I remembered one other store location. It was late and I was tired. But maybe, just maybe. And there they were! Stacks and stacks in five different cover designs, just waiting patiently for me to arrive. Whew! It had been a close one. I’d nearly missed out.
Remembering this frantic search for something simple, I did not make the same mistake with my planner this year and can report I have a 2021 planner ready to roll come January 1. Just my style, just my design, it matches all my others and fits the bill, perfectly. If only, if only, I can have such luck finding a replacement for my beloved Our Country Diary. There will never be its equal, in beauty or quality, but if ever there was a year to learn about letting go of the familiar and making do with something else, this is surely it. The perfect time, then, for making this monumental change regarding a minor aspect of my life.
As long as I have paper, and a pen that doesn’t smudge or skip, I’ll keep a diary, of course, because there’s no good reason to stop. But I’ll always wish I was writing in Our Country Diary.
It is always a bummer when a product you use becomes discontinued. I actually go through a sort of mourning process! I still remember fondly a particular pair of blue jeans that was so soft, I almost cried when the zipper finally gave out! I’m sure there is something even better out there and you will find it!
And you’re right, we’ve had to learn to roll with it this year. As an usher at our church there are state mandates in place that we try to adhere to and one is filling from front to back. You would not believe the number of people that refuse to sit anywhere but in their favorite spot. I understand we all have our preferences, but it’s a pandemic, people. All these other folks followed the rules and didn’t get to sit in their favorite spot, so deal with it! Sorry. It just makes my volunteer position very stressful and frustrates me because, you’re in church, for heaven’s sake! 🙂
Thank you for sharing! I love the beautiful Country Diary, too. I used it for years, after getting my first one as a gift. After just opening a box of my old diaries, I checked online for this year’s edition and was sad to see they’re no longer being made. I’m thankful to have so many memories recorded in these wonderful books to go back and read. Hope you found a beautiful book for this year.
We are creatures of habit, aren’t we? I hope everyone in church learns to go with the flow of this curious time we are living through!
Kate, enjoy your search! I’m sure you’ll find something that suits your purpose. 2020 will probably be looked back on as ‘the year everything changed.’ Your new-style diary will be a lovely symbol of the change.
I just found out last night that Our Country Diary was not making one for 2021. This is when I usually order next year’s. What am I going to do now? I was searching for alternatives when I found your blog. Have you found anything you think will replace it?
I too just found out that the Country diary is discontinued. I have been recording in them for over 20 years! Please let me know if you find an equivalent. I enjoyed all the messages in the pages and little factoids. my email is sharwebb2@yahoo.com. I am not that tech savvy to get on blogs so anything you can email me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Sincerely Sharon Webb
It will be a challenge to find the perfect thing to be a replacement for Our Country Diary. I’ve gotten several great ideas from other readers here. Of course, I’m especially found of Susan Branch’s “Days from the Heart of the Home”, and the French Country Diary is beautiful. Papier.com has some lovely planners. (I am partial to this one: https://www.papier.com/us/forget-me-not-scatter-22741). Let me know what you choose to go with. Thanks for getting in touch, Sharon.
I’ve been writing in my OCD since 2003. I could not believe that my beloved OCD will not be with me this year. Such a feeling of loss! Going with the French Country one but it’s just not the same. Why oh why would they stop!!!??? Feeling sad like I lost a friend. I find comfort that I’m not alone !
The French Country diary looks like a really good alternative. I’d end up papering over all the photos on the left side of the page with my memorabilia, though! 🙂
I Liked the look of the French country diary, but a few people commented in reviews about it that the pages are glossy. That would be a problem for me, since I would be switching the ink all over those pretty pages!
Oops. . .I meant to say “smudging” the ink!
“Take things step by step rather than looking ahead too far. Enjoy the present and the process, always with a thankful heart.” –Flutist Jasmine Choi
It’s such a shock, isn’t it? I love the Country Diary! I’ve seen some interesting things on the Barnes and Noble site, but haven’t gone there yet to view them in person. Punch Studios has some lovely things, too, but they might be too small and are undated. So, I think I’m going to go with Susan Branch’s Days From the Heart of the Home, (https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?cm_sp=SearchFwi-_-SRP-_-Results&kn=susan%20branch&sortby=17&tn=days%20from%20the%20heart%20of%20the%20home)
It’s the same size and has places for each day, just like the Country Diary. No extra pages for Holidays and Milestones, though, but I love Susan’s other journals–the Christmas Memories book and the Celebrations ones, especially.
Let me know what you end up choosing. I’ll be curious to see. Thanks so much for getting in touch. Kate.
P.S. Another possibility is the French Country Diary. Very French, of course—lovely photos from the looks of it, but similar layout. https://www.amazon.com/French-Country-Diary-Engagement-Calendar/dp/1419744038
I am writing in my 35th & sadly, final, Our Country Diary. News of no further publications is par for the course in 2020, but like you, I’ll be searching for a similar replacement. If you find a suitable stand in, please let those of us who are heart broken know of your discovery!
I just realized that Amazon is not selling new Day Books…they’re all used. How would that work for years ahead?
Do you mean the book I mentioned, “Days from the heart of the Home”? There are unused copies of this, which came out in 1996, on Abebooks.com and other sites. I think of them as new “old stock”. Getting an unused Country Diary from a previous year where the days are the same as they will be in 2021, (that is, January 1 falls on a Friday) will work, too. I am looking on eBay for these and just ordered a 1982 that should work for 2021. I’ll let you know for sure when I see it. Stay tuned! Kate
A few minutes ago I went to Ferris Wheels and Carousels, the website from which I always purchase my new copy of Our Country Diary, and was surprised they weren’t showing the 2021 copy yet. So I googled it and was devastated to learn that it’s not coming. I’ve been using this diary for close to 30 years now and I think I’m going to feel lost without it. I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels that strongly about it. 🙂 I would love to know what you decide to use…hope you’ll post about it.
I, too, am feeling lost without my Country Diary. I got my first one as an engagement present from a co-worker back in 1988 and have used it ever since. I’ve found a lovely Susan Branch title, Days from the Heart of the Home, with a similar layout and will rely on that, I think. I have also scoped out new “old stock” copies of Our Country Diary for earlier years that I can repurpose, thanks to consulting a perpetual calendar. The days of 1982 line up with those of 2021, for example. Perhaps Michel Design Studio will reconsider next year and begin publishing our beloved calendar again. In the meantime, here’s a link to the Susan Branch title : https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?cm_sp=SearchFwi-_-SRP-_-Results&kn=susan%20branch&sortby=17&tn=days%20from%20the%20heart%20of%20the%20home
Thanks for getting in touch and do let me know what you decide to use next year. Kate
Do you know anything about the Day Book? It looks like you can buy a new one from Amazon for $12.23, but it doesn’t have pictures of the inside. Have you seen the inside of one? Since there’s not a year on the cover, do you think it’s perpetual, where you buy the same book every year and write in the dates yourself?
I also looked at the French Country Diary, but the pictures I saw of it seem to show photographs on one side of a page spread. Have you seen the inside of one of them? The photographs are pretty, but they wouldn’t be much good as a background for my own photographs and memorabilia.
I felt like I was going through the stages of grief yesterday when I learned Our Country Diary was no longer being published…first I was in complete and utter denial, then I was upset (not angry, but close enough), then I started thinking about bargaining with the publisher, like you mentioned…I was actually thinking of offering them way more than the normal cost of the diary if they would just print a few every year. Now I’m just depressed. I don’t think I can move into acceptance until I find a suitable replacement. I hope it exists, because if it doesn’t, every year is going to feel like 2020 from now on.
I may be exaggerating, but only just a bit. 🙂
I, too, am feeling lost without my Country Diary. I got my first one as an engagement present from a co-worker back in 1988 and have used it ever since. I’ve found a lovely Susan Branch title, Days from the Heart of the Home, with a similar layout and will rely on that, I think. I have also scoped out new “old stock” copies of Our Country Diary for earlier years that I can repurpose, thanks to consulting a perpetual calendar. The days of 1982 line up with those of 2021, for example. Perhaps Michel Design Studio will reconsider next year and begin publishing our beloved calendar again. In the meantime, here’s a link to the Susan Branch title : https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?cm_sp=SearchFwi-_-SRP-_-Results&kn=susan%20branch&sortby=17&tn=days%20from%20the%20heart%20of%20the%20home
Thanks for getting in touch and do let me know what you decide to use next year. Kate
I was writing in my copy of Our Country Diary last night, as I have done every day since I was given my first one in 1986, when I was pregnant with our daughter. I realized I hadn’t gotten an order card for the 2021 version and went to the Ferris Wheels site, and that’s when I discovered the same sad news all of you have shared. Thank you for the suggestions. I know I will find something, but it won’t be the same.
Yes, it’s hard to think about not having our beautiful diary next year. Let me know what you decide to use instead. I’m looking forward to sharing everyone’s suggestions. Thanks for getting in touch. Kate
What diary/planner/book have you found to use in 2021? There are so many choices, but none of them will ever feel right, will they? Thanks for getting in touch, Arletta.
I, too am heartbroken that Our Country Diary is ending, in THIS year of all years! Like many of you, I’ve been using it since 1988 when my mother gave me my first one (and every one since). I also wanted to beg the publisher to continue, but found to contact info on their announcement webpage. I’m hoping some of the diaries mentioned on this page will sit OK with my broken heart. Please keep mentioning any good replacements. Maybe I will look on Etsy.
Did you find anything that will work on Etsy? I saw possibilities on eBay and Amazon and Advanced Book Exchange. What are you going to go with? Please let me know, and thanks for reaching out.
And Where Did you found your diary planner ?
I just half way Into 2020 found this Our countrydairy calender for first time believing, it was country living.
This is gorgoues. Nov, so sad that it ended. And bought like in borring times. Normal calender.
I found my planners on ABEbooks.com, although I also saw items on eBay and Amazon that might work. It’s hard to know, because you can’t hold it in your hand and ponder. Please let me know what you choose to use in 2021. Thanks for getting in touch!
I am so very much in the same boat! I’m devastated that I won’t have my old dear yearly friend arriving read for a fresh new year. So need a fresh new year! Your planner quest sounds very familiar as well. And so the search continues!
It’s been interesting and gratifying to hear from everyone else about our shared feelings of dismay over losing the Diary. Please let me know what book you choose to replace the Country Diary. There are lots of options out there, but none of them are exactly right, because they aren’t by Michel Design Studio. I’ve got a 1982 Our Country Diary to use for 2021, and then will use my Susan Branch “Days from the heart of the home” for 2022. Thanks for getting in touch, Sue!
I ordered both of the books you recommended, Kate, and also several blank journals, and I finally wrote a blog post comparing them all. You can see it here if you’d like to read: https://gracetoyoufrommo.blogspot.com/2020/11/november-22-2020-our-country-diary.html
Thanks again for your commiseration and your help!
Thanks so much for the update, Sandi. I’ll check it out right now.
I’m still heartbroken about OCD being discontinued! I decided to try a 2021 planner by Papier. They have some very nice covers that are similar to OCD, although of course all the beautiful illustrations and inside-cover prints are not there. The pages do look inviting, though, and there is open space for photos, postcards, magazine clippings, etc., all of which I would include in my diaries. Here’s the one I chose. It’s nice that Papier allows you to customize and put your name on the cover for no extra charge–I took advantage of that option.
https://www.papier.com/us/wildflower-23690
I can see why you chose this one. The cover is very OCD, and there’s plenty of room for writing inside. Good choice! I’m bookmarking that site.
This is a second one I almost bought, on Etsy. The cover is even more compatible with my OCD collection. But, the pages didn’t look as inviting to me, and I thought it was odd that the year is not on the cover. It was a close second, but I decided to go with the one from Papier. Here’s the Etsy planner:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/483431947/daily-diary-2021-a5-hard-cover-planner?ref=user_profile
This is beautiful, Patricia. The outside looks very Our Country Diary. Inside might be a little plain, but there’s more space to write in, which could be a very good thing.
Thanks for sharing.
Just found out yesterday about the diary. I had not used one for several years and purchased one earlier this year. Was online looking for 2021 for myself and looking to purchase one for a friend of mine. It is not to be. Very sad especially by this year. Like others I will forge on and pick something new. You have to admit, they were works of art.
Their beauty and poetry was definitely what made them so special. It will be hard to adjust to something new. Maybe I will have to add my own favorite poetry and quotations to the margins. Thanks for getting in touch.
I am so glad to have found your entry. I usually give myself the Country Diary as my New Year’s present to myself—and today I realized the usual postcard had not arrived (I blame the chaotic days of Covid for the “I wonder where the year went?). I was so sad and dismayed to discover 2020 was the last year of the diary! I love going back to read preceding years—I started with this after college graduation in 1998, and am going to miss the beautiful journals all lined up on the shelf. Thank you for the substitutes that may work—will be following up on those!
So far the saddest news all year for me! My first OCD was 1981. I missed a few years in between but have over 25. I cried. Most normal grounding thing in my life.
I just found out because it’s a gift for myself every year.
I know, it’s just what we don’t need this year! I hope you can find an alternative. There are a few suggestions from others here on my blog. Let me know what you decide on. And thanks for getting in touch! Kate
my sentiments exactly…sad, sad, sad..
I just realized the other night that I hadn’t received the card in the mail to order next year’s OCD (I have over 25yrs of them) … I was devastated to see the notice of no more diaries, today!!! I came across your blog, and feel a bit of comfort reading the comments and knowing that I’m not the only one devastated by this news!! Now, I’m down to the wire of finding something in time for the New Year to begin, sheesh, nothing is the same!!! This is just so very SAD!!! Thanks for the suggestions, I will peruse them and hopefully find something that I will enjoy writing in. =(
There are so many of us in the same boat, wondering what we can use instead of our beautiful Country Diaries! I’ve gotten lots of good suggestions from readers here and hope one of them will work for you, too. I will use an old OCD from 1982 for 2021 (since the dates and days of the week are the same.) After that, I’m thinking Susan Branch’s “Days from the heart of the home.” The French Country Diary is a beauty, as are the ones at Papiere.com. (https://www.papier.com/stationery/2021-diaries/) Let me know what you decide on, and thanks so much for getting in touch. Happy Holidays! Kate
Thanks so much for your response Kate =) there have been some good suggestions here and I appreciated having somewhere to begin looking. I went with one from papiere, as sadly, the others just didn’t feel right, am hoping that it feels good to use for the year. I may have to try your route with an old OCD for the following year, if this isn’t a good fit. Happy Holidays to you too!! Kandy
A fellow Country Diary fan! My first was also 1988 and sadly last 2020. Went through the same agonizing research to find a similar replacement. I have decided to try my hand at bullet journals leaving me room to doodle, journal, plan and fill pages as I wish. Still not the same beauty as the old Country Diary, but allows for my own style of creativity. Best of luck to you.
I admire your creativity, Renee. My first journals were just plain old 500-page college-ruled notebooks. I’d add all kinds of things–art work, cartoons, ticket stubs–throughout them, and was glad they looked so utilitarian. My diaries, though, have always been cute and/or pretty, with illustrated covers, and I like the distinction between the two, reflecting their different functions. Since the demise of Our Country Diary and the suggestions of everyone here for alternatives, I feel rather spoiled for choice! This time next year, we’ll all be able to assess how our stand-ins worked out. That should be another interesting conversation. Best of luck to you in 2021. And thanks so much for getting in touch!
I was going to mention the Bullet Journal, too. I’ve used one for about 4 years (still ordered my OCD every year). There are a lot of instructional videos and websites for the Bullet Journal and the sky’s the limit regarding creativity. Check it out at bulletjournal.com and at you tube. Do a normal search to see if you might like it. Ryder Carroll is the creator of the system. It takes a little while to get used to it, but it’s very forgiving. The pages are thinner than most journals you might be used to, but I’ve come to like them. The other journal I like is the Passion Planner. It has structure and encouraging quotes/suggestions. (Google that too). I hope everyone finds an acceptable alternative though there will be no replacing Our Country Diary.
Deedee
Thanks so much for sending this idea, Deedee. It’s been terrific to read about all the choices we’re making to use as our diaries this year. At the end of the year, we should compare notes as to what worked for us and what didn’t. I’ll check out your suggestions, and thanks again for getting in touch. Kate
I checked out both these suggestions and they look really useful, like guided journals more than diaries. Thanks for the interesting ideas. I love that you have had both the Bullet and the OCD every year, for their different functions. Kate
I just discovered this today. I involuntarily moaned and I could feel a cramp where my heart’s supposed to be. This is so sad. We’ve all had too many losses this year, now this.
I wonder if the previous author/publisher could be convinced to sell their secrets to someone who could take over…
Love the Country Diary and was so upset that it is now part of the past. My husband purchased it in 1983 and we both took turns writing every day a few sentences about our lives. That is now 37 years of good things…some sad but all special to my family. Before the diary I would do scrap books etc. The diary was extra special when a family member had a different idea of something and out came the dairy of that year and date! My husband passed away in 2016, so the diary was up to me to do. All of the diaries from 1983 are housed in my den in boxes labeled with the dates. They are truly family heirlooms. Now I am figuring out a substitute but will never give up the tradition of daily notations.
How lovely this is! I, too, have used my diaries to check the date of an event or something for a family member. Also like you, I’ll never give up my diary. From other readers, I’ve learned of so many gorgeous alternatives to Our Country Diary available online and elsewhere. Frankly, it was a lot easier when I new I had the new edition of the O.C.D. coming and didn’t have to consider all these choices. For this year, I’m using a 1982 Our Country Diary I found online, because the dates and the days of the week line up with 2021. After that, I’m thinking about Susan Branch’s beautiful and cheerful “Days from the Heart of the Home” and Linda Campbell Franklin’s (of Our Country Diary fame) “The Birthday Book”, which looks quite similar, but without the extra pages for holidays. Let me know what you choose to go with and thanks for sharing this fond remembrance. Kate
Hi Kate, I’m very interested in your mention of Linda C. Franklin’s “The Birthday Book.” Is this book still in publication? A quick search on Amazon found only one issue that was a used copy–but it did look very similar to OCD, and would make a great replacement if it’s still around!
I found my copy on either Amazon or ABE.com. It looked unused and was listed as such, but it turned out to have half a dozen birthdays noted inside. (They would have been easy to miss with just a casual glance, and the book is in excellent condition in every other way.) I covered up those few lines with plain white labels and am now ready to go. The joy of this book is that it echoes the Country Diary in size, format and illustrations. There’s a similar amount of room to write for every day, too. No index, but I can make my own on the inside of the back cover, I think. I’m putting this title on my “Wish List” on these sites, in case any copies turn up. If so, I’ll let you know. Thanks for getting in touch!
Kate
After finishing my first full week using a hardcover, blank, lined, leatherbound notebook, I am happy to report I really like it! The width is almost identical to OCD, but the height is a little taller, which gives me a little more room for photos on the left side of the page. The notebook has about twice as many pages as OCD, but they’re thinner, so I’m adhering two together and that feels like the perfect weight. It’s not beautiful like OCD, but sometimes the artwork in OCD got in the way of my photos and memorabilia, so there’s an upside to it being plain. So far, so good!
Sandi, your comment reminded me–once I used a really nice artist’s sketch book as a creative writing journal. The pages were thick and beautiful, and you can order a sketch book with a hard or soft cover and in many different sizes. I may try that next year!
Patricia, it won’t look as nice on a bookshelf, but I’m enjoying making it beautiful on the inside.
It sounds like you are really making your diary your own in every way. I am pondering adding photos to the inside of the front and back covers either overlapping or cascading, as the year goes on. I think that will work. I agree with you that sometimes the quotations and artwork got all covered up anyway in the OCD, and I always covered the Christmas Day page with a collage of gift wrap scraps and ribbons. I did secure another copy of the Birthday Book from that eBay list. That’ll be 2022, for me. Thanks for staying in touch about this. It’s exciting to see how creative everyone is regarding replacements.
I also made some wrapping paper collages on the Christmas page over the years! OCD seemed tailor-made to inspire creativity! As I mentioned in an earlier post, my Papier planner/diary is feeling a little cramped, although the cover is lovely. I may go with a sketchbook next year for heavier paper and more room. I’m imagining that maybe–maybe??–I could find a sketchbook somewhere with a lovely OCD-esque cover.
Hi, Patricia. A quick search just now on eBay turned up several copies of the Birthday Book. Might be worth taking a peek!
Kate, thanks for the tip! I’ll have to check it out. So far the Papier planner I ordered is slightly disappointing–the paper is very nice but a little see-through (when you write on one side, it shows through onto the other side). I thought, without the lovely illustrations and quotations of OCD, I’d end up with about the same amount of writing space, but I’m finding the pages to be quite a bit smaller. Sigh. I’ll have to take a look at the Birthday Book (and maybe we can all petition Linda Franklin to pick it back up again)!
Hello. My name is Theresa and I just discovered my beloved Country Diary is no more. She was my beautiful companion and confidante for nearly 30 years:(. Thank you for sharing, Kate, so many of my sentiments.
I’ll grieve a bit now and then search , not for a replacement, but a sister to join my family!
Thank you so much for your distinction–not a replacement, but a sister. I love that. It’s been amazing to see what people are using as a diary this year–so many creative thinkers share this space. Please let me know what you decide to use for this year. I’m always curious. Thanks again for getting in touch. Kate
Me too! I went with something else last year. Did not enjoy as much. My country diary was perfect in every way. I have about 14 years worth of presious thoughts, invitations, photos and notes. Miss MCD so much.
I hear you! I thought I had figured out a good solution, using old Country Diaries from other years, even though the dates and days of the week won’t match up, but now that seems like it will lead to a very messy diary as I cross out and change the dates all through the year! I also bought a copy of Linda Campbell’s Birthday Book, which features similar artwork to the original CDs and just doesn’t have days of the week listed. There is a decent size under every date to write a diary entry though. Take a look at that, perhaps. There are two different editions, I think, available at Amazon, etc.
Omg! I came across this and I have had the same Country Diary, for well over 20 years. I was sad to see them discontinue it. I wish they made it still. I have not found anything that I like as well as that diary. 😔 I just have a notebook that I write in, but do not enjoy it as much as I use to. I enjoy reading all the things in the country diary as well as the art. I have them all displayed in a glass cabinet. They are beautiful!!
There will never be anything as beautiful as Our Country Diaries, that’s for sure. But I must say I am making my vintage “Old Fashioned Keepbook” Birthday books work. In fact, I even enjoy having a bit more space to write every day’s entries. These were the forerunner of the Diaries, I think, and are full of interesting quotes and illustrations. Thanks so much, Stephanie, for getting in touch.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5058883-a-birthday-book