2019: Phrase of the Year

December 27, 2018 3 Comments

There’s a lot of things I didn’t do before I started bullet journaling. One thing I added to my life since starting this little adventure over two years ago, I included ‘words of the year’ to my life. In 2018, I focused on the word “grow.” A quick assessment of the past 12 months, I can say that I did indeed grow. I’m still the same height (and even a little less width), but my soul grew by leaps and bounds.

2019 Phrase of the Year

This year, I decided on a phrase. My phrase of 2018 is “Fake it Until You Make It.” Funny phrase, but the confidence and power behind faking it until I make it is quite substantial. So many times I feel like I don’t belong where I’m trying to go. Impostor syndrome is a real thing (this is despite your accomplishments or talents you’re afraid others consider you a fraud.)

Like this print?
I created a wall printable
& a planner printable

Impostor Syndrome – Does it Affect You?

An article in Time suggests that 70% of people experience impostor syndrome! For years, I wished that I didn’t feel like a complete and total impostor, but a majority of people suffer from this phenomenon. My phrase of the year “Fake it Until You Make It” gives me the confidence boost enough to ‘just try.’

Simply telling myself to ‘fake it, and just try’ shifts my mindset and empowers me to push aside those pesky doubts and do the things that I want to do.

Recently, I tried my hand at faux watercolor portraits. Nothing in my life could be more classic of ‘fake it until you make it’ attempts. But here’s the thing, all I needed to do was try. I tried it, I liked it, and I’m going to keep developing that talent plus any others.

Have you done anything to ‘fake it till you make it’ and ignore that nagging feeling of impostor syndrome? The feeling is indescribable and freeing.

I plan to try all sorts of new things in 2019, specifically in developing my talents. If it’s outside my comfort zone, I’ll tell myself ‘fake it until you make it’ and do it anyway.

What is your word or phrase of the year? How do you feel about ‘faking it until you make it?’

~Tricia

Tutorial: How Watercolor Paint with Markers in Your Bullet Journal

December 23, 2018 2 Comments

Marker Watercolor Painting

Today I’ll show you how I use Crayola markers to watercolor paint in my notebooks and Bullet Journal. I like to use watercolor in my bullet journal, but don’t want the overly wrinkled pages, and the bleed through that sometimes happens with watercolor simply because it’s not watercolor paper.

Why Markers?

When I use markers with a water pen, I get the variety of vibrant colors, and it paints somewhat like watercolor, and as long as I don’t use too much water, it very rarely bleeds through. You don’t need as much water when painting with markers, which is nice. One thing to note, the colors don’t blend as well because I use very little water in the first place. It’s rare to have puddles of water like sometimes happens with traditional watercolor, so it dries much faster as well.

What you Need to Start

Watercolor Marker Painting is one of my favorite techniques, and I don’t need a lot of high-quality equipment. Marker watercolor painting is my favorite go-to method in my planner.

What I use to marker watercolor paint:

Markers: I bought the 100 pack of Crayola Markers for about $15 at Target because I wanted all the colors. You can use other types of markers too. I plan on using my Tombow Dual Brush Tip markers when I get more colors.
Next, I use a simple water pen – you can also use regular brushes and dip in water, but I tend to get too much liquid that way.
I always have a paper towel handy for changes between colors.
As a palette for my ‘paints,’ I recruited a simple kitchen plate. You could use a Ziploc bag or laminated paper, someplace where you can scribble the markers then dip the water pen into the colors and paint.

How To Do It:

Once you’ve chosen your colors and scribbled them on your palette (see below for recommendations & what I use), squish your water pen slightly to get the water flowing but not dripping. Then run the brush through the marker scribbles to pick up the color. Brush lightly on your paper. Don’t use too much water and work fast because it will dry quickly! It’s oh so satisfying!

Watch the video below for the techniques I use. I use this method in almost every video on my YouTube Channel where I paint in my bullet journal. Early on, I used watercolor paints and was very disappointed that the paint rubbed off or sometimes flaked off and I couldn’t write over the paint.

Other Benefits

The other thing that I like about painting with markers is that I can erase the pencil marks left under the color when it dries. And I can write over it with any pen. So you can watercolor the background and still use that part of the page.

Supplies:

Markers:

Crayola Markers – inexpensive and comes in several different sizes. I prefer the super tip markers, not the broad tip markers because they don’t take up as much room. When I letter with Super Tips, I get a better result for my style. Though, I have seen beautiful lettering with the broad tip markers. Super Tips come in 10, 20, 50, 80, 100 count varieties (plus lots of other choices). They are not numbered and don’t have a color reference other than on the back of the box, so if you want to know what color you’re getting, you might have to make up a system to keep track of the colors.

Tombow Dual Tip Brush Markers – Find them individually at Michaels, and I think Hobby Lobby. You can buy small packs or a large variety pack.

Water Brush Pens:

I haven’t found a brand that I like more than others. Having a variety of brush widths is my only requirement – but here are some I’ve purchased and use on a regular basis. Sometimes I mix and match brands.

Miscellaneous:

I use this Marker Watercolor Painting technique in every journal. So far, I’ve used it in Leuchtturm1917, Scribbles that Matter, Lemome, and my own journals created on 32 lb HP paper. As long as I don’t use too much water, I’m happy with the result.

Paper towels are a must! I keep a roll near my desk. It’s essential to clean out your water pens when switching colors. Water pens make it easy to clean. Squish the handle a little, so water comes through the brush fibers and clean it off with the paper towel. Another reason I love this technique!

Something to scribble on: I use a plate. Really, a Correll kitchen plate that lives in my desk drawer. Whatever you use, make sure it is a smooth, non-porous surface to where to scribble the markers. A Ziploc bag or laminated piece of paper would do the trick too — really low tech, here.

Watercolor Family Portraits

Have you seen these simple, yet beautiful watercolor family portraits in your Instagram or Pinterest feed? I admired them greatly and longed for the confidence to do something like that. But alas, I always told myself that I don’t draw people.

One day, on a whim, I asked my niece, Alexis, (who is a photographer in Charlotte, NG formerly in Oklahoma) for a full-body picture of a couple so I could try it out. Lo, and behold! I did it! And it didn’t look half bad! In fact, I admitted to myself, it looked good. What’s more: I enjoyed it! Here’s a secret. The picture on the top is the first one I EVER did. Ever. It’s always a learning process to evaluate how to improve, but fear kept me from trying. If you let fear keep you from trying, you’ll never discover new passions or hidden talents.

The Thing

Here’s the thing: I’ve always enjoyed shading I love seeing where the light forms and how it rounds an object. In my opinion, light is the key to shape to an object. I may not be good at faces (well, I’ve not put in the practice to BE good), but I am good at shading, and it will only get better. Why I was so scared, I have no idea, but I sure am glad I tried. These watercolor family portraits are so much fun to do. I love seeing the personality in each person come alive from sketch to finished product.

If you have something you want to try: Try it. Go for it. If it doesn’t turn out great on the first try, learn more about it. Then try it again.

If you’d like me to {digitally} paint a picture of your lovely family (sans faces because that’s my style) visit my shop! Don’t worry, I print them and send them to you too.

Watercolor Family Portraits | ChocolateMusings.com #watercolor #custom #portraits #painting

ChocolateMusings.com Shop - Find it in the shop!

Custom Digitally Painted Watercolor Family Portraits | ChocolateMusings.com #watercolor #portrait #painting #custommade

Motivational Take Away

Here’s the take away: try it. Just try something you are terrified to do.

What is something you want to try but fear is holding you back?

~Tricia

Product Review: Tombow’s 12 New Colors!

November 18, 2018 3 Comments

Product Review: Tombow’s 12 New Colors!

Tombow's 12 New Colors - Color Reveal, Product Review + Video | ChocolateMusings.com #tombow #lettering #handlettering

I’m so excited – I picked up Tombow’s 12 new colors. They haven’t added new colors to their dual brush pen line up in a long time.

Tombow added new colors to their brush marker repertoire! 12 to be exact. Confession: I haven’t picked up a brush pen in a good long time (hides face in hands). I think it’s because I frayed the tips SO badly from when I first learned to letter that it’s frustrating! But now with 12 beautiful new colors, the excitement overwhelms me handletter again.

My husband expressed his dismay when I told him I ordered the new markers. Christmas is just a few weeks away. But I knew that these beauties couldn’t wait – and I’m glad I didn’t – they sold out!

Do you want to begin your journey of handlettering? Start here!

New colors in the pack:

#131 Lemon Lime
#291 Alice Blue
#379 Jade Green
#401 Aqua
#403 Bright Blue
#407 Tiki Teal
#569 Jet Blue
#803 Pink Punch
#817 Mauve
#910 Opal
#N49 Warm Gray 8
#N52 Cool Gray 8

Some colors are hard to capture by themselves! Aqua, Alice Blue, Opal, & Lemon Lime are very light and hard to see the contrast against a white background. But blended with other colors, they create beautiful shades.

Unboxing Video

Watch the Video Below for the Unboxing and color sampling. For those who like real-time lettering, you’re in for a treat. Follow me on YouTube if you haven’t already!

I Couldn’t Wait

The blues/greens completely sold me on the box. As you can tell from the colors of my website, I love me some teal and some aqua. Tombow didn’t disappoint. I haven’t used my markers in a long time, and I think it’s because I frayed the tips early on while learning to letter so lettering frustrated me because I couldn’t get those nice, clean, thin upstrokes.

To avoid fraying, use nice, smooth paper with little ‘tooth’ with your precious markers (I use HP 32lb paper). Don’t use them on sketch or watercolor paper as I did when I started. Admittedly, I struggle with the colorless blender. The picture below shows a couple of attempts. I’m sure like anything else, it takes a lot of practice. It took me nearly 6 months of constantly using a brush pen before I got the hang of it.

Tombow's 12 New Colors - Color Revea + Video Product Review | ChocolateMusings.com #tombow #lettering #handlettering

Beyond Tombow’s 12 New Colors: Extras in the Box

Snatch one of these VIP boxes if you can – sold at TombowUsa.com. The colors are beautiful, and the extras are fun. They included laminated sheets to practice lettering (both upper case and lower case). Tricky letter combinations (at first glance anything connected to an H or an R is tricky!). They included a blending palette with updated colors (now 108 instead of 96!). If the box isn’t available, I heard they’ll be selling the colors individually later.

What do you think of the new colors? Which one is your favorite? Do you already use Tombow Dual-Brush Markers?

Now, I’ve got to get creating.

~Tricia

The paper I used

HP 32 LB Smooth Paper 1 Ream
HP 32 LB Smooth Paper Half Case
Tombow 96 Count Markers + Stand (not including new colors)

*I use affiliate links to support my website, any purchases provide a small commission to me at no additional cost to you.

I Did It…Or at Least Started – Getting Healthy and Changing Habits

November 15, 2018 8 Comments

Backstory & Disclaimer

Remember a while back when I said my husband was an evil genius? Well, I’m still scared, and he still is a genius. Not that I didn’t want to lose weight, but the whole idea of permanent change scared me. I’d have to give up sweets, treats, soda, all the things I knew I binge-ate and showed on my hips. If you didn’t read the first post, I would recommend it. This is my journey to get healthy and change habits.

Disclaimer: Here’s the deal, I write this for my benefit and accountability. I also write in the hopes that I may help and inspire someone else. I won’t approve comments that trash or are ‘judgy’ to me or anyone else. Fair warning: if you’re here to cause drama, move on. These are my opinions and my thoughts based on my own body and research. Now, as Forrest Gump says: “That’s all I have to say about that.”

Getting Healthy and Changing Habits

I window-shop for a program to help me change my soda-drinking, junk food eating ways. (I say I window-shop because I wasn’t fully committed and casually acknowledged various options.) But I hadn’t decided on a plan because I wanted to make the change permanent. No yo-yoing back to my original size/weight afterward.

I WANT permanent changes, not just a quick fix where I would balloon up again after falling off the proverbial wagon. Years ago, I tried The South Beach Diet, and that had the most profound effect on my body than anything else I’ve tried.

But it didn’t last. Boredom set in with the food. Sweet treats constantly bombarded my thoughts. I never reached Phase 3. Invariably, I started eating the sweets and treats before I was entirely over the cravings and fell back into the sweet-eating consistent consuming pattern.

What Makes this Time Different?

The desire was always there. But not the will to change it forever. Other than that, nothing is different, other than I have studied habits and understand my habits better. In addition to making a drastic change, I work on changing the triggers and patterns behind the behaviors I want to modify. See the list below for books I’ve read this year on habits.

But is the Time Right?

What in the world was I thinking to start a program heading into the holiday season? I was tired of looking/feeling the way I felt. Waiting for the end of the holidays and the start of a new year made me feel sad. I didn’t want to wait. I wanted to have control over the holidays and not be controlled by them.

My friend, Elizabeth, told me about Whole30 and what a difference it made in her mood, her ability to think clearly, and her body. I know it’s not a new program, but I got the book from the library and read it. It made sense to me. And I love that there is a way to reintroduce foods once you’ve broken the cycle after 30 days.

(To read about Whole30 visit their website: whole30.com). This post is not sponsored in any way, but it is simply my journey to a healthier, happier me. My hopes are that you will research and acknowledge your own habit cycle and make a change according to what you want and feel. If change is what you’re seeking.

Elizabeth was itching for an excuse to jump on the wagon again, so we jumped feet first, together. So with the support of my best friend since junior high (yep, I can say we’ve been friends for most of our lives). I started what I fully intend to be a life-changing endeavor.

A Phrase in the Whole30 Book Impressed Me

While reading the Whole30 book, I came across this paragraph. These words are how I knew it was time for me to make a significant change in my life. It was time to get healthy, make changes, and modify long-standing habits.

“Don’t even consider the possibility of a ‘slip’. Unless you physically trip and your face lands in a box of donuts, there is no ‘slip’. You make a choice to eat something unhealthy. It’s always a choice, so do not phrase it as if you had an accident… Don’t give yourself an excuse to fail before you’ve even started.”

Its always a choice quote | ChocolateMusings.com #quote #weightloss #bulletjournal #handwriting

That paragraph empowered me. I have a choice. After reading Gretchen Rubin’s Better Than Before and discovering that I am a Questioner tendency, the need for having choices and making choices is a very clear need for me.

For the longest time, I was afraid of losing the markers (again – see original story of why my husband is an evil genius) and worried I would revert to old ways and lose those coveted beauties. (If you’ve ever used the markers, you’ll understand.)

The package is 96 markers plus the desk-stand. Can you imagine earning those lovely markers in 96 shades and then having to give them back because of a poor choice? The thought terrified me. That’s not 50 shades of gray, that’s 96 shades of sad.

Bullet Journal Tracker

I made a tracker in my Bullet Journal to help me visually track my progress. 110 squares for success! I’d figure out what to do with the extra squares later. Maybe a check in every 10 days? It’s kind of like a candy-land game. I sent one to my sister, and she used it in her elementary classroom at school as a reading tracker. I’m very excited to select some shades and fill it in. Find it in my shop!

Gameboard Tracker for Bullet Journals, Planners, & Teachers | ChocolateMusings.com #printable #tracker #game #candyland

Printable Tracker Game Board – Turn anything into a game!

$6.00

Select options

It’s a Choice – My Choice

Preparing for dinner today for the kiddos, I licked my finger, and it had something on the ‘no-no’ list. I actually spit it out in the sink and not letting it go any further. Here’s a secret: I’m proud of myself. I took the advice seriously that it was a choice. I told my husband that hypothetically I’d just fallen face-first into a box of donuts and didn’t lick my face.

Do you know what else? Since I’ve taken it to heart that I have a choice, the Halloween candy hasn’t really tempted me. It has a little, but not much. I hope this is life changing for me, just like the woman in the introduction from The Power of Habit (see below) who completely changed every aspect of her life because she modified her habits and rewired her brain.

The biggest thing is, after a week, I haven’t opened the box of markers and picked out the first colors as rewards. Oh, I will…don’t you worry. But the prize has now changed to the accomplishment of setting a goal and altering a habit for the better. The markers are now just a bonus. Fingers crossed I feel like this next week, and the cravings continue to subside.

My Advice?

My recommendation for anyone wanting to make a huge change in their lives? Figure out what your habits are, then study ways to change them. That’s how I did it. It may not work for you, but it’s made all the difference in the world to me. For those of you wondering: I still do the dishes every day.

Here are some books I’ve read on organizing, decluttering, and habits. I’d love a recommendation and add it to my list. Let me know if you have more to add in the comments below.

Whole30 Books

It Starts with Food

Whole30

Whole30 Slow Cooker Recipes

Whole30 Fast & Easy

2019: Phrase of the Year

2019 Phrase of the Year

Like this print?
I created a wall printable
& a planner printable

Impostor Syndrome – Does it Affect You?

Tutorial: How Watercolor Paint with Markers in Your Bullet Journal

Marker Watercolor Painting

Why Markers?

What you Need to Start

What I use to marker watercolor paint:

How To Do It:

Other Benefits

Supplies:

Markers:

Water Brush Pens:

Miscellaneous:

Other Marker Watercolor Posts:

Custom Watercolor Family Portraits – Why was I Scared to Try?

Watercolor Family Portraits

The Thing

Motivational Take Away

Product Review: Tombow’s 12 New Colors!

Product Review: Tombow’s 12 New Colors!

New colors in the pack:

Unboxing Video

I Couldn’t Wait

Beyond Tombow’s 12 New Colors: Extras in the Box

~Tricia

The paper I used

I Did It…Or at Least Started – Getting Healthy and Changing Habits

Backstory & Disclaimer

Getting Healthy and Changing Habits

What Makes this Time Different?

But is the Time Right?

A Phrase in the Whole30 Book Impressed Me

Bullet Journal Tracker

It’s a Choice – My Choice

My Advice?

Whole30 Books

2019 Phrase of the Year

Like this print? I created a wall printable & a planner printable

Impostor Syndrome – Does it Affect You?

Marker Watercolor Painting

Why Markers?

What you Need to Start

What I use to marker watercolor paint:

How To Do It:

Other Benefits

Supplies:

Markers:

Water Brush Pens:

Miscellaneous:

Other Marker Watercolor Posts:

Watercolor Family Portraits

The Thing

Motivational Take Away

Product Review: Tombow’s 12 New Colors!

New colors in the pack:

Unboxing Video

I Couldn’t Wait

Beyond Tombow’s 12 New Colors: Extras in the Box

~Tricia

The paper I used

Backstory & Disclaimer

Getting Healthy and Changing Habits

What Makes this Time Different?

But is the Time Right?

A Phrase in the Whole30 Book Impressed Me

Bullet Journal Tracker

It’s a Choice – My Choice

My Advice?

Whole30 Books

Like this print?
I created a wall printable
& a planner printable