Ok, picture this: c'est la rentrée. Freshly sharpened pencils, that new-book smell that makes you nostalgic even though you’re, like, totally over school supplies… and then BAM! You remember. You. Have. To. Decorate. The. Cahier. Du. Jour. Panic sets in. Glitter? Stickers? Maybe just draw a really impressive (but slightly anatomically incorrect) unicorn?
We’ve all been there, right? (Tell me I'm not alone!) That yearly scramble to make your "cahier du jour" look somewhat presentable, mostly so Madame Dupont doesn’t silently judge you with that icy stare of hers. And back in 2017-2018, the pressure was real. Let's dive into the world of page de garde for the cahier du jour, vintage 2017-2018.
What is a Page de Garde, anyway?
For those not in the know (or those who’ve successfully repressed the memory), a "page de garde" is basically the title page of your exercise book. It’s your chance to… well, not shine exactly, but at least not completely embarrass yourself. It's where you’d write your name, class, the subject (usually “Cahier du Jour,” which translates to "daily notebook"), and maybe add a little artistic flair. (Or a lot, depending on how much time you had between cartoons and homework!)
The 2017-2018 Aesthetic: A Retrospective
Thinking back to that school year... What were the trends? Let's see:
- Pokémon was probably still going strong. I mean, let’s be honest, Pokémon is always going strong.
- Emojis were definitely a thing. So. Many. Emojis. (Did anyone actually understand what half of them meant?)
- Geometric patterns were a "sophisticated" choice, if you were feeling ambitious with your ruler and colored markers.
- Doodles were the classic fallback. Flowers, stars, maybe a questionable self-portrait.
Remember all those glitter glue pens that promised sparkly perfection but just ended up looking like a sticky mess? (Yeah, me too. Lesson learned: less is more. Or maybe just skip the glitter glue altogether.)
Why Did We Even Bother?
Honestly? Probably because we were told to. But also… there was a certain satisfaction in having a nicely decorated "cahier." It was a small way to express yourself, even within the confines of school rules. Plus, a well-designed page de garde could potentially distract Madame Dupont from the fact that you forgot your homework… (Okay, maybe that was just my strategy. Don't judge!)
The Enduring Legacy of the Page de Garde
So, here we are, years later, reflecting on the humble "page de garde." It might seem like a trivial thing, but it was a rite of passage. A yearly exercise in creativity (or procrastination, depending on your perspective). And who knows, maybe those 2017-2018 page de gardes are now collector's items! (Okay, probably not. But a girl can dream.) More likely, they're at the bottom of a box in your attic, along with all your old Tamagotchis and questionable fashion choices. But hey, at least they were fun while they lasted!
