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How I Painted My Notebook Cover with Acrylic Markers

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How I painted my bullet journal notebook cover with acrylic markers - step-by-step pictures | ChocolateMusings.com

It’s time for new cover art for my bullet journal! In this post, I’ll show you how I painted this gorgeous & whimsical feather on the cover of my faux leather Tumbitri Meri notebook using Chalkola acrylic paint markers.

By the way, Chalkola sent me these acrylic markers, but with no pretense. They just said they liked my art on Instagram. So any opinions are mine & mine alone. You can learn more about my disclosures here. You can also check me out on Instagram @ChocolateMusingsCreates

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New Bullet Journal Notebook Cover – Painted of Course

When I moved to a new notebook by Tumbitri Meri I wasn’t sure what to do with the cover. I liked the smooth feel of the outside, but love to customize my books. With its 220 thick pages, I imagined I’d use it for a while. After receiving some acrylic markers, I decided to try painting the cover of this notebook.

The cover is faux leather and deep purple (their stock on Amazon seems to fluctuate between colors available – but I always get the thicker paper option no matter which color I choose). I wasn’t sure if the markers would rub off the debossed gold logo on the front or if the logo would stand out too much after I painted it. (Spoiler – the markers did great!)

If you’d like to know more about the Tumbitri Meri notebook I’m currently using, you can read (or watch) the review here.

For my last notebook cover, I created a lovely textured silver vinyl sticker with my Cricut using my word of the year to remind me of my goals every time I picked up the book. I love the idea of customizing my notebook to help me focus.

Bullet Journal Cricut Cut Cover Art + Word of the Year | ChocolateMusings.com

My word of the year was ‘consistency,’ and whew, was that a doozy to stay consistent in 2020. Although, I have to admit that having it as a constant reminder on the front cover of my bullet journal kept me on track more than I might have otherwise. Honestly, I think without that reminder, I would have derailed more than I did – which is saying a lot.

200+ Word of the year ideas to inspire and motivate you | ChocolateMusings.com #wordoftheyear #wty #words #motivation

Check out this post for ideas to choose your word of the year. Whether or not you display your word on your bullet journal cover is up to you.

About the Acrylic Markers:

The Chalkola Acrylic Markers I received came in a pack of 20 colors with an easily reversible 3mm bullet tip or chisel tip. They have a new 1mm extra-fine tip that I’m excited to try. But I used the 3mm tip markers equipped with the bullet tip in this tutorial.

Find the Markers Here:

Chalkola Acrylic Markers in a Glass Jar | ChocolateMusings.com
Chalkola Acrylic Markers - Marker Bouquet in a glass jar | ChocolateMusings.com
Chalkola Marker Swatches in my Tumbitri Meri Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com

Bullet Journal Cover Art Inspiration

I found inspiration from my Arrows & Feathers Board on Pinterest then created my own version in ProCreate on my iPad. Follow me on Pinterest and find more Bullet Journal Ideas & Creative Inspiration!

The Basics: How to Paint the Notebook Cover with Chalkola Acrylic Markers

Before starting to paint your notebook cover, activate all of your markers.

Using my Cricut machine, I cut non-permanent vinyl and applied it to my planner cover. Making sure to use the scraper tool (or a credit card) to scrape along all the edges to seal down the template and prevent any paint bleeds.

I had a vague idea of how I wanted to apply the paint, but my goal was to create a painting that felt whimsical and flowy (is that a word?) and not too rigid, so I didn’t plan too much.

  • Step 1: clean and apply the template (if you're using one) | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Step 2: Use a scraper tool or edge of a credit card to smooth out and adhere the design to your notebook cover. | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Step 3: Apply the design template to your notebook cover, after painting, you'll remove the template (unless you decide to keep it as an outline). If you decide to keep it, don't color over the outlines - Remove the sticky film after you apply the design to the cover. | ChocolateMusings.com

The Process: Painting the Bullet Journal Cover With Chalkola Acrylic Markers

The ink dried quickly, so I worked in small sections of the feather. The colors blended easily if I pushed down on the marker to release a little more paint. Like combining other water-based markers (like Tombows), the shades blended easier if I used the lighter color first and blended in with the darker color. But since these markers were (mostly) opaque, I could go back and lighten areas if I used too much dark paint on the notebook cover.

Continue to work in small sections and blend colors near each other on the color wheel to create blends instead of muddy colors. I used darker colors over top of the logo to hide it better. But I don’t think that was necessary. The colors are not entirely opaque but become less and less transparent with each additional layer.

After mixing colors, I’d scribble on a piece of paper off to the side and clean the marker’s tip. It worked like a dream, and even the white marker didn’t stain with the other colors I mixed with it.

  • Step 4: Choose a color and start painting your notebook cover | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Step 5: Paint the cover in small sections, blending colors two at a time. The paint will dry and you won't be able to blend if you try to cover too much area too fast | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Step 6: Continue blending colors on your notebook cover in small sections - the paint dries quickly, so work fast and in small areas | ChocolateMusings.com

Coloring Outside the Lines (oops!)

I colored outside the template lines a few times (gasp!) but removed the color with water and a Q-tip while the paint was still wet. The paint didn’t bleed under the template as it was not overly wet, so it stayed where I put it.

Finishing Details

After letting the acrylic paint dry for a couple of minutes, I gingerly touched the paint. It was not tacky in the least. There were no visible or textured raised areas like you might find when painting with acrylic paint from a tube.

I quickly removed the vinyl template. The result was a fun, colorful, whimsical piece of art on the cover of my bullet journal. Since I covered up a portion of the logo with the acrylic paint in the feather, I decided that this particular design needed an outline. The gold did just the trick. It comfortably covered the outside area and hid any mistakes I wanted to cover.

Once I let that dry (which didn’t take long at all), I added a few wispy tendrils at the bottom of the feather and outlined the spine in white using the white acrylic paint marker.

  • Step 7: If you used a template, remove the vinyl or tape to reveal your design. | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Step 8: Clean up any mistakes or fill in gaps - here, I chose to fill in the feather with gold paint | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Step 9: Add finishing details - here I added wispy tendrils at the base of the feather in white acrylic marker | ChocolateMusings.com

The Result

I’m thrilled with the result of my painted bullet journal cover. Even though I liked the vinyl sticker from last notebook (and could do that again for sure), I LOVE the look of the colorful feather.

Step 10: Done! Admire your work after painting your bullet journal cover | ChocolateMusings.com

What I’d Do Differently Next Time I Paint My Notebook Cover

There’s not a whole lot I think I do differently next time I paint my notebook. I think I’d go over the luminous yellow and lime green areas a second or third time if I were to do it all over since the dark background showed more from those colors than the other ones. The gold and white had no coverage issues.

Next time (and yes, there WILL be a next time I paint my bullet journal cover with acrylic markers), I won’t be as shy about blending colors. Knowing that I can quickly and efficiently clean the marker tips makes all the difference in confidently mixing colors without worrying that I’ll ruin the tip or permanently stain it.

If I painted more carefully, I could use the vinyl template as the outline for the feather instead of removing it.

Summary

If you want to decorate your bullet journal or planner cover, I’d say these acrylic paint markers are the way to go. Check out how I used these markers in my September Leaves Theme. I even blended small areas of color directly on the paper and was super impressed by how it turned out.

The markers are straightforward and easy to use. Once they’re activated, there is not much effort to start creating. I haven’t tried extremely hard to remove the paint, but it doesn’t seem to scratch off or rub off easily.

I carry my bullet journal everywhere in my purse. After using the book for six months, I’ve seen a little bit of wear on the paint, but nothing extreme.

Wooden Directional Sign & Apple Orchard Inspired Weekly Layout

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What do a bullet journal, a weekly layout, wooden directional signs, and an apple orchard have in common? they are my inspiration for this fall weekly layout in my bullet journal.

Or at least what I think an apple orchard should look like since I haven’t ever been to an orchard. I think they would be slightly magical, the apple scent forever lingering in the air. Juicy, ripe fruit hanging so low on the bowed branches begging to be plucked from the green canopy of leaves.

The wooden directional sign & apple orchard weekly layout is perfect for celebrating fall’s cool, crisp nights, and dreaming of delicious, hot, steamy apple strudel with vanilla ice cream. Or change it up and use directional signs in a travel theme. Whatever you do, directional signs don’t have to be perfectly drawn, and by the same token, you can adapt them to your unique style.

Previously Published 10/11/2017

Apple orchard weekly bullet journal theme - fun, easy and adaptable to your style. | ChocolateMusings.com

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Apples, Apples Everywhere

Inspired by the apple pie on my October monthly welcome page in my bullet journal, I decided to continue the theme on my weekly log with an apple orchard feel. 

Can’t you just hear the sound of the first bite of a crunchy apple and taste the sweet juice as it coats all of your taste buds? Yep. I’m salivating. Though I need to still visit an apple orchard, I think they have big wooden signs (with pretty handwriting on them…because that’s a thing…right?), wooden apple buckets, and apple creations everywhere the eye can see. If that’s not how an orchard really is, then I might just have to live in my fantasy world.

Wooden Directional Signs Weekly Bullet Journal Layout - Fun, whimsical signs point the direction to each day of the week, leaving plenty of space for appointments, to-dos and notes. | ChocolateMusings.com

Apple Orchard & Wooden Sign Weekly Layout Sketches

Sometimes when you want to recreate it’s easier to see how it all started so here are the sketches for this week’s layout. As you can see, the directional signs I chose to create for this weekly layout were really rough and varied, as though they’ve been outside in the elements for ages.

I love adding dimension and shading to my pages, so any time I can add the effect of dimension to a drawing, I will. Adding the sides/bottom to the sketch makes it easier to add shadows later as well.

Weekly Bullet Journal Layout Sketches - Wooden Directional Signs & Apple Orchard Inspiration| ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #weeklyspread

Wooden Directional Signs Weekly Layout

First, I used directional signs point towards each day of the week. This layout is a clever way to fit two weeks to a page if that’s what you need. If you like to keep one week to a spread, use the opposite page for weekly task items, to-dos, or notes.

Using the shape of a tasty apple is a good place to record your meal plans. While using squares/rectangles is fine, keep in mind that it’s ok to change it up every once in a while.

The apple basket acts as a mini-tracker for laundry or workouts (or insert your own goals – I struggle with completing those two tasks – so everybody else does too right?). The cut apple focuses your to-do’s right to the ‘core’ of your weekly tasks. Another directional sign points you in the way of next week. Only good things can come when exiting the apple orchard.

  • Apple orchard weekly bullet journal theme - fun, easy and adaptable to your style. | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Apple Orchard Bucket Doodle in my Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Wooden Directional Signs Weekly Bullet Journal Layout - Fun, whimsical signs point the direction to each day of the week, leaving plenty of space for appointments, to-dos and notes. | ChocolateMusings.com

More Ideas to Use Wooden Sign Doodles in Your Bullet Journal – Not Just Weekly Layouts

The directional signs can definitely be used for weeks at the beach or camping. Modify the colors and shape a little and you have a directional sign pointing to the North Pole!

The basket could be for hanging laundry on a sunny day, or gathering leaves. Or it could be the gathering spot for a collection of toys on a toy-themed page! It would be absolutely perfect for a bucket list collection. I love a versatile page. Modify a few things and voilà a theme that looks completely new!

What other ways could you see adapting this theme through the year?

Feel free to choose the elements you want to include – any or all. I don’t mind. I would love to see it if you post it on Instagram! Tag me @ChocolateMusingsCreates.

Apple Orchard Ideas

Here are some more ways to include apple orchards into a fall theme:

  • First of all, who has a fall bucket list? I love these seasonal lists of things to do, food to try, and places to visit. Use the apple bucket as inspiration for detailing your fall bucket list. What a fun spread idea!
  • No Bad Apples – use it as a brain dump page. I LOVE different names for my brain dump pages.
  • Doodle an apple with increasing bite marks as the header to a weekly page
  • Apples are still all the rage with back-to-school themes.
  • Apples + Bookworms for a clever reading page. Although, you might not want to eat any of those apples.

Even More Inspiration

Check out my travel Pinterest board for more directional sign ideas. I hope you find something to inspire your planning and motivate you to create something fun.

5 Tips to Get Back to Bullet Journaling

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5 Tips to Return to Bullet Journaling and Create a Useful, Functional Planner - tips for starting fresh when it's been a while | ChocolateMusings.com

Are you trying to get back to bullet journaling after a long absence? Me too. I want to get back into it, and know that I need to, because it was the only method of keeping a planner (aka my life together) that’s ever worked. So to give you ideas for jumping back into bullet journaling. I’ll include the things I do to ‘get back on the wagon’ after an absence, no matter how long.

I know I’ve neglected this blog and so many other things, including my planner and bullet journal. But I knew I had to give myself time. It is time to adjust to the new reality in my life and time to form all the changes in my life. Because heaven knows I’m burnt out.

If you’re trying to get back in the swing of things after a long unintended break, we are in the same boat. I believe everyone will agree that the past 12 months have been life-altering in some way, form, or fashion. For me, I became the sole income earner in our household. My husband lost his job early in April, and boy has it been a struggle for me.

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Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

Let’s stop for a minute, and I have to say kudos to you. Yes, you, the one reading this post. Kudos to you for holding your head high and taking that next step when you don’t feel like you can go on. Good job for making it this far in whatever struggle you’re going through. Because I feel it, the struggle is physical, emotional, spiritual, all the -als. (is money an -al word? If not, it should be!) All of this nonsense has hit us in our wallets, too.

I crave something consistent in my life. I yearn for some element that I know I control no matter what. Then it came to me. I wanted this before I started bullet journaling. It’s the same feeling! I need to return to my roots when I discovered this method. The process and implementation may change, but the fundamental approach is there.

I decided to include a page called “Give Credit Where Credit is Due” in my bullet journal this year. It’s a page where I write down the good things that I do and often write them off as ‘luck’ or try to downplay accomplishments.

Give yourself credit where credit is due - Journal Page in my bullet journal to recognize achievements both big and small. | ChocolateMusings.com

When You Get Back to Bullet Journaling

Your bullet journal might not look like it did when you left. Meaning, you might not need to include the same things you did before quarantine, and our lives were turned upside down. That’s when I get overwhelmed and don’t know what I need to do. Here are some tips to help you get back to bullet journaling – modified now to fit your current needs.

#1 – Go Back to the Beginning, The Basics

Start over. Start again. That’s my first tip to get back into bullet journaling when you’ve lost the momentum for a while. Remember when you first started with your planner – what did that feel like? What were your ambitions and intentions? Even if the method changes, your overall purpose might be the same.

For instance, for me, I have a few items on my weekly schedule. But I have many to-dos, and I love to record the random thoughts and my past experiences. I also use my bullet journal as a creative outlet. None of those things have changed for me.

So the way I carry out the bullet journal might be a little different, but I intend to do the same thing with it that I started.

How to do it:

Take an inventory of the reason behind your bullet journal. Have your basic needs changed? What do you need to track?

P.s. Don’t feel guilty for starting a new book. Chances are you have an empty notebook in a drawer or shelf calling your name. Use the opportunity for a fresh start.

#2 – Review and Eliminate – Include Just the Essentials

New year, new bullet journal setup for 2021 - Index Page Organization with Washi Tape | ChocolateMusings.com

If you haven’t done so already, make a list of the things you need to track. Review your list and make sure that you do not include items just for the sake of including them. If you did them in the past, great. You don’t have to do them now if they don’t fit your current needs.

I’ve learned over the past year that when I feel overwhelmed, I have to eliminate anything that isn’t necessary. So if you used to track 20 habits every day, and now the idea of monitoring that many habits seem entirely overwhelming – stop. If you feel compelled to track habits, start with one or two or even the top three. Ease back into it. Make them habits you will work on. After all, tracking habits is a habit as well.

Take Away: Your bullet journal should never be overwhelming. It should absorb all of those to-dos, those thoughts, those schedules running amok in your brain and give a central place to maintain them. That gives me a sense of relief, and I hope it does for you, too.

If you don’t feel relief and instead feel stressed when using your notebook, well, then it might be time to change the way you’re using it. Eliminate the things that stress you out. Streamline your process. Focus on using the book to your advantage instead of creating an obstacle.

#3 – Add Pages or Trackers Back in Slowly

Once you’ve figured out which essentials you need to track or include in your bullet journal, start adding the other items back in, one by one. Add a new habit next month—experiment with making adjustments to your bullet journal to help you get back into it.

Remember: if it doesn’t feel like it’s working and it feels more like you’re fighting with your journal, don’t do it.

#4 – Make Your Bullet Journal Convenient to Use

November Thankful welcome page in my bullet journal - heart wreath with watercolor | ChocolateMusings.com

If you have to dig around for your bullet journal, chances are you won’t use it. An essential part of getting back to bullet journaling is to make it convenient. Set it out at night, so it’s the first thing you see in the morning. Review your to-dos, review your schedule. Make your planner a part of your plan. Nothing will ever help you if you don’t use it. So make it convenient to use.

#5 – Craving Something? Include It.

Alright, you’ve now done some heavy elimination in your quest to get back to using your bullet journal. You started at the beginning, revamped the reason for using this hunk of paper in your purse. You’ve reviewed the reasons why you want to get back to bullet journaling and eliminated every unessential thing (and maybe added in a few items).

Now you’re itching to add some fun back in. Do it! Don’t try to limit yourself if you feel like you want to include it in your notebook. This sort of craving isn’t going to add pounds to your hips. But it is going to add joy to your planner. If you can’t tell by reading my blog or watching my YouTube channel, I don’t use my bullet journal for function only. Don’t get me wrong, it’s functional for keeping track of the things I want, but it is a lot of fun. I know I wouldn’t have stuck with something so long if it weren’t fun.

Make sure you include the fun things that you crave. Live life, thrive! Don’t just survive.

Tip #6 – Review (Bonus Tip!)

Goal Assessment - take time to review your intentions and see how things measured up to your expectations | ChocolateMusings.com

Lastly, here’s a bonus tip. Review what you are doing. Make a record of the new things you tried and rate them or evaluate how they served you. Add a short note of what you’d like to change, improve or include for the next month. You can even make these notes throughout the month, so your review is effortless when planning the next period or month. Allow your bullet journal to be dynamic and to change with your needs. Get back to the way you need your bullet journal to be and let it conform to your life instead of you conforming to it.

Conclusion

I hope these tips can help you get back to bullet journaling and make the most of those blank pages so you thrive, not just survive.

Tumbitiri Meri Notebook Review - Dark Numbers on each page | ChocolateMusings.com #productreview #notebookreview #bulletjournal

No Matter Which Notebook I use – You’ll Always Find These Supplies Close at Hand

August 2021 Plan With Me – Surfing into New Beginnings

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I’m excited to share with you my August 2021 Plan With Me in a new Scribbles That Matter notebook. I’ve missed sharing here on my blog and social media. And it happens to be perfect timing to start again, especially since I’m starting a new bullet journal this August.

But first, before I get into the new August 2021 Plan With Me Post, I need to know: do you start a new journal in the middle of the year?

I see many people who can’t seem to bring themselves to start any time except January. I’ll start one any time I run out of pages or if I need a chance to start fresh. I see this question come up a lot in various Facebook groups. People think they are doing something wrong by starting in the middle of the year.

Like Gretchen Rubin, one of my favorite authors, I believe in new beginnings around the start of school. However, I believe in starting over no matter the time of the year if needed.

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Surfboard & Beaches August 2021 Plan With Me Theme Set Up & Inspiration | ChocolateMusings.com

Start Fresh No Matter What Time of Year

I’m here to tell you that there is nothing wrong with starting with a clean slate whenever you need it. I needed a reboot like many others out there because Covid-19 did a number on my well-being and mental health. So I started a new journal in September last year.

But then my poor old cat died, which sent me back into a depression spiral. It felt like the end of an era (she was 18). That event compounded with all the other struggles we were going through. If I would have picked up another book and created a new beginning again, I think it would have shortened the time for me to come back.

There is No Place for Guilt Trips in Bullet Journaling

Instead of allowing myself the grace I needed, I gave myself ridiculous guilt trips for leaving an entire book nearly blank. Sometimes, we are our own worst enemies. Don’t hold yourself back and think that you are doing something wrong. Give yourself a little grace and allow some breathing room, especially when you’re struggling.

Give yourself what you need, and pay no mind to the mind-numbing guilt trips. If you need to start a new book, do it. If you need to stop doing something you’ve always done, by all means, change it up. These actions will likely help you move beyond what was holding you back. The sooner you start anew, the sooner you can start to heal.

I’m not sure if that speech was for me or any of you out there. I hope it helps. Now, I think it’s time to start sharing my August 2021 Plan With Me now!

August 2021 Plan With Me Inspiration

Without further ado, I’d like to introduce my August 2021 Bullet Journal Theme: Surfboards. This plan with me post is filled with beaches and surfboards.

Earlier in the summer, we had a huge family reunion for my husband’s parents at the beach. Although his family planned this trip for about three (!) years, they were able to keep it a surprise. An incredible feat since there were 50 people who came from all over the United States and some from Puerto Rico to attend.

We enjoyed the beaches and surf at Cocoa Beach, Florida. Though I don’t surf, I loved watching the surfers. I’m also fascinated with surfboard art (not just the art of surfboarding). We also visited Cape Canaveral and walked among the rocket gardens and imagined ourselves blasting off to the moon as these seemingly larger-than-life astronauts did.

Don’t be surprised if you see rockets, moons, and outer space in the coming months. (Even though I already have used space/planets as a theme in April 2018, May 2020, and an Eclipse Weekly theme in 2017). I know I missed traveling during 2020 because I always get so inspired by my travels. I think that traveling is one of the best ways to overcome a creative block.

Traveling is one of the best ways to overcome a creative block.

-Tricia @ Chocolate Musings

August 2021 – Theme Plan With Me Video

Want to see how I created all of these spreads throughout the month? Watch the theme set up video below & be sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel!

Surfboard Art – August Cover Page

Throughout the month of August, I plan on filling in the cover page with different doodles on each of the surfboards. It’s a fantastic way to include a doodle page in your monthly pages. Once it’s filled, I’ll update the post with a completed version of my August cover page.

Tip: If you have a desire to start a drawing practice every day, include a doodle page with squares, circles, or other shapes (like these surfboards) already set up in your notebook. so you can just pick up your pencil and draw without an excuse.

'Before' August Welcome Page + Daily Doodle Page 2021 Surfboard Plan With Me | ChocolateMusings.com

Washi Tape to the Rescue – Covering Mistakes

I love to watercolor paint in my bullet journals. Even though the paper handles paint very well, sometimes I add a bit too much water, and that’s when bleedthrough happens even in a 160 gsm notebook. It’s easy to forget that these notebook pages are not watercolor sheets.

On my monthly calendar page – I was so busy trying to blend the colors on the surfboard that I didn’t notice how soaked the page was getting. Well, it turns out that my habit tracker page bled badly, and my cover page is splotchy in one area. Since the area on the habit tracker page was blank, I decided to use washi tape in the shape of a surfboard to cover the mistake.

Sometimes it’s the mistakes that trigger new, interesting ideas. If you’re looking for a fun way to swatch your washi tape, create surfboards sampling each washi tape. Surfboards come with so many designs. This would be a great way to feature each strip of tape! Need help dealing with mistakes in your bullet journal? Here are some ways to cover them up or overcome the need for each page to be perfect.

  • Surf inspired Monthly Spread -I love the mix of bright colors and minimal boxes on this monthly bullet journal spread | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Surfboard Habit Tracker + Notes Page - fun theme + simple habit trackers | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Surfs Up Habit Tracker Page - Marker, Paint, & Washi Tape Surf Boards | ChocolateMusings.com

Brain Dump Page – Thought Wave

I tend to get stuck on all the bad ‘what if’ scenarios or play negative thoughts on repeat in my brain. So I included the phrase in this month’s brain dump page, “Ride Only the Good Ones,” of course referring to riding waves on a surfboard and reminding myself to focus on the good things in life as well.

Thought Waves Brain Dump Page - Ride only the good ones - a reminder to focus on the good thoughts instead of the negative ones | ChocolateMusings.com

If you’re looking for more unique names for “Brain Dump,” find 150+ different names to call ‘brain dump’ in this post. Whenever I come up with new names, I add them to my ever-growing list of alternate names for brain dump.

Synonyms for Brain Dump - find 150+ alternate names | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #collections #bulletjournal

Surfboards & Silhouettes – August 2021 Plan With Me Bullet Journal Theme

Here is a taste of each surfboard page this month. I loved the challenge of finding different ways to feature a surfboard throughout the month.

I love the personality of each page and can feel the excitement for starting fresh in a new month. Anticipating a fun theme in my bullet journal helps motivate me to use the book and keep going, which is one reason why I love including planner themes each month. So I declare the August 2021 Plan with Me a success! Let’s ride the waves.

  • Whose driving to the beach? Travel in style with this adorable van stacked high with surf boards. You'll make it to the beach in no time! Add a space for each day of the week in this Horizontal Weekly Bullet Journal Layout and you'll arrive in style! | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Loose floral rose surfboard design + Vertical Weekly Layout - a fun, yet simple layout with bright colors and simple space to record your week | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Surfboards and beach weekly horizontal bullet journal spread - bright graphics but a simple space to record weekly appointments and tasks - perfect blend of art & function- August 2021 Plan With Me | ChocolateMusings.com
  • View From Above - Add some color to your weekly horizontal bullet journal layout - view the beach from a bird's eye view and catch the surfers in action! | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Perfect day at the beach - watch the sunset silhouette the palm trees and surfboards - I can imagine the breeze blowing my salty hair on this horizontal weekly bullet journal spread! It makes me wish I were at the beach. | ChocolateMusings.com

Random Holidays to Celebrate

When completing my August 2021 Plan With Me, I always like to look through the upcoming random holidays for the month and jot down a few to celebrate. Here are the ones I’m excited to add to my calendar.

  • Simplify Your Life Week – 1st week of August
  • 3rd – Watermelon Day
  • 7th – Lighthouse day – I think I might paint a lighthouse this day!
  • 9th – Book Lovers Day – Let’s celebrate by reading a good book!
  • 11th – World Calligraphy Day
  • 15th – Relaxation Day – Yes! I’m looking forward to relaxing this day.
  • 19th – World Photo Day
  • 25th-31st Be Kind to Humankind Week – this is a week I think we should all celebrate. What random acts of kindness have you experienced?

These are just a few on the calendar. Each month I’ve curated a list of fun holidays that might just add a bit of joy to your everyday schedule. You can check out each month of my curated random holiday choices and add a few fun holidays to your calendar as well!

Habit Books I Recommend

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.  

 

Supplies

Here are the supplies I used for this August 2021 Plan With Me. All are affiliate links.

No Matter Which Notebook I use – You’ll Always Find These Supplies Close at Hand

New Year Bullet Journal Setup 2021

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New Year, New Bullet Journal Setup 2021

Here’s a sneak peek of how I’m setting up my unconventional* bullet journal starting with the new year. I’ll give you a hint: this bullet journal setup is almost a throwback to when I decided to use a collections notebook plus a planning notebook. That was back when I loved the Leuchtturm notebooks – so it’s been a while.

Even though I’ve moved on from off-white, thin, ghosting pages synonymous with the Leuchtturm notebooks to sheets with bright white and thicker pages, I still haven’t moved on from trying new things in my planner.

Notebooks with different page brightnesses comparison - Bullet Journal Dot Grid Notebooks | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bulletjouranling #notebooks

Table of contents

Starting a New Year in a New Notebook

Starting a new year is always exciting. New planners and accessories line the shelves of stores. Pens and highlighters call out your name. It’s ok to admit that you like them. A new year sends all the good vibes of ambition and the flick of a pen inking in new goals.

I love starting a new year with a new bullet journal setup and I’m excited to tell you all about what my plans are for this year.

New year, new bullet journal setup for 2021 - Index Page Organization with Washi Tape | ChocolateMusings.com

The Quest for Planner Peace

Many people search for ‘planner peace’ trying to find the perfect layout to use forever and henceforth. I discovered that my version of “planner peace” means I can change everything and try something new.

The fact that I can switch from a page covered in watercolor to a page so minimal I could post using the hashtag #minimalistbulletjournal (and feel like I belong) is a testament to the variety I love in the bullet journal.

Though I love my Tumbitri Meri notebook, I decided to start the new year with a new bullet journal set up. I will likely buy another Tumbitri Meri notebook in the future – they have a lovely number of pages. And they stand up pretty well to the amount of watercolor, markers, and doodles I love to include in my bullet journal. If you’d like to read the review or watch the review video, check out this post.

Tuumbitri Meri Notebook Review Header Image

Tumbitri Meri Product Links:

Collections in a Separate Notebook

This year, I decided to keep all of my collections in a single notebook. That way, I could keep a yearly tracker for various items and not have to recreate it when I inevitably run out of space. If I’m keeping a collection notebook, why not try something entirely different for the pages serving as my second brain (aka planner)?

Don’t worry, I’ll explain what I did for my planning part of the notebook below.

A collection of collections in my bullet journal - list of collection spread ideas for my bujo | ChocolateMusings.com

What Do I Keep in My Collections Notebook?

Suppose you’ve never kept a collection notebook, oh my. You’re in for a treat. A collection is a page, spread, or multiple pages dedicated to a topic. If you plan a vacation, you might have a vacation planning spread filled with things to do, places to see, packing lists, etc.

So far in this new year’s bullet journal collection setup I have:

  • A page for inspiring quotes
  • More collection ideas
  • Goals & Goal Trackers
  • Unfinished projects
  • Home repairs
  • New Home Wish List (because we want to move to a new house soon).
  • Yearly Trackers (Like the 365-Day Project tracker)
  • Blog Post Ideas & other inspiration and brain-dump like pages for my blog.
  • Pen Test Pages & Other Reference Pages (such as flower reference books or Tombow Marker color reference chart)
  • Meal Planning
  • Local Deals & Events
  • Home Repair Collections Log in my Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Journal Page: End of the Year Goals Assessment - review your year and record what you accomplished and what you wished you could do better. | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Give yourself credit where credit is due - Journal Page in my bullet journal to recognize achievements both big and small. | ChocolateMusings.com
  • 365 Day Tracker - Yearly Tracker for Goals and Habits in my Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com

What About the All-Essential Planning Notebook?

For the planner part of my notebook, I created 12 books – one for each month of the year. Yes, you read that right, TWELVE different notebooks. You also read it right. I created them. I decided to piece together a book using watercolor paper.

12 Watercolor Notebooks - One for each month of the year - Bullet Journal Experiment | ChocolateMusings.com


How To Keep Track of Future Events? Why a Future Log is Essential

Separating each month into a different notebook introduced a new problem – how do I handle upcoming events for the year? Where do I keep a record of future month’s appointments. As it turns out, all I needed was a future log set up at the front of my collection notebook.

I keep the yearly log to record future events and calendar items. I then record all events in the respective month (after I’ve finished creating all the pages, of course). When it’ time to move on to the next month, I refer to the yearly log and more on. This new year’s bullet journal set up is no different than years past because I would create one month at a time.

This is why I include a future log no matter what type of bullet journal set up I have.

After the pen view of my Future Log - one of the essential pages in my bullet journal | ChocolateMusings.com

Techniques & Resources for Creating Individual Notebooks

If you’re curious about the techniques I used, I found a Skillshare video on creating notebooks. If you sign up for the free trial at Skillshare, you can watch it for free. And then, I watched this lovely video on YouTube to learn additional sewing/binding techniques.

Using this bookbinding supply starter kit, I quickly got the hang of making the books, and I’m so happy to say that they are all sitting on my shelf waiting for each month. After creating several books, each one took me about 30 minutes from start to finish.

Blank watercolor bullet journal set up - supplies and new yearly setup | ChocolateMusings.com

Why Separate Notebooks for Each Month?

I figure each book will be a study on different techniques and themes. Of course, in watercolor. And I’m looking forward to it.

Additionally, I’ve even left pages at the end of the book for additional doodles and creative perusing. I find that when I lay down a blank sheet of watercolor paper with the intent to create a masterpiece, I freeze. But give me a bullet journal (in whatever form), and that all changes for some reason. I figure that if I mess up, I can just turn the page.

I hope that when you’re setting up a new bullet journal for the new year (or whenever you start a new notebook), you give yourself the grace to turn the page. Life isn’t about being perfect. It’s about learning and doing.

When writing this post, it’s not even January yet, and I have half the year sketched out just waiting for the paint. I have to say that I’m looking forward to every one of them. The kicker is that I’ve created them out of order based on what inspires me. (Shhhhhh! Don’t tell the planner police.)

P.S. If you’re looking for tips on how to start your bullet journal for the new year (or middle of the year) check out these posts:

How to start your bullet journal, the essential pages & ideas you need to curb the fear of starting | ChocolateMusings.com - Bullet Journaling and Creative Processes

BuJo Themes for the Year (So Far)

Here are the themes I started for the year (so far). I have to tell you, and I didn’t think that I would like to skip around to different months. But I like the flexibility.

  • January – Snowglobe Traveling
  • February – Florals Around Boxes
  • March – Birds & Feathers
  • April – Tasty Sweets and Treats
  • May – Loose Watercolor Roses (incredibly the first time I’ve ever done these, and now I’m hooked)
  • Here’s the Skillshare video I watched that made it look so accessible
  • June – Garden/Forest + Gnomes
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
  • November
  • December
  • New Year, New Bullet Journal Setup Travel Snowglobe bullet journal theme - in handmade watercolor notebooks | ChocolateMusings.com
  • January Monthly Page - Snowglobe bullet journal monthly theme | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Week 1 - Travel Snowglobe Bullet Journal Theme | ChocolateMusings.com

Summary – New Year, New Bullet Journal Set Up

I’m so excited to try out this new method for my bullet journal set up this year and look forward to painting, doodling, and filling up each page. Maybe this year, I won’t have my inspiration leave for months at a time. Like it did in 2020.

Who knows if I’ll do the same thing for next year? I don’t. Right now, I’m thrilled with my new year’s bullet journal set up, unconventional* as it may be. But unconventional never held me back anyway.

Planner Question:

Do you do anything unconventional* in your bullet journal?

* The term and therefore judgment of an ‘unconventional bullet journal’ is for fuddy-duddies who don’t like to experiment and be a unique person. I use the term simply to convey an uncommonly used technique