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Chocolate Musings

Set your goals - make the plans - artfully create your life - live it beautifully. Grab the good chocolate and find your muse.

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Home » Get Organized & Start Planning » Plan With Me » Page 2

Wooden Directional Sign & Apple Orchard Inspired Weekly Layout

October 5, 2021 2 Comments

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

Table of contents

  • Apples, Apples Everywhere
  • Apple Orchard & Wooden Sign Weekly Layout Sketches
  • Wooden Directional Signs Weekly Layout
  • Even More Inspiration

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.

2 Comments
Filed Under: Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Bullet Journal, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2017, Planner Spreads Tagged: apple, apple orchard, Bullet Journal, bullet journal spread, October, plan with me, Weekly Layout, weekly spread

September 2021 Plan With Me – Skyline Paper Craft

August 31, 2021 Leave a Comment

For September 2021 I chose skylines for my theme in my bullet journal. I imagined the plan with me would start with browsing some famous skylines and trying to duplicate them with watercolor in my notebook. Well, as it turns out, I took a detour. I stuck with skylines but went about creating them in a completely different way.

Confession: I NEVER thought I’d create paper collages in my bullet journal – even though they are all over Instagram and Pinterest right now. A quick Google search brings up hundreds of pictures and ideas. Many of which are very intricate and involve tearing paper.

This design, however, does not require any tearing. Most buildings are square and boxy – and that makes it easy to create from paper – especially dot-grid paper. I used a variety of methods to cut paper this month, a paper trimmer, scissors, and even my Cricut.

If you feel like you fit into the category of people who are not artistic or creative, then let the spreads this month inspire you. You can create many different effects depending on the shape of the buildings and if you decide to layer the buildings.

Papercraft City Skyline Bullet Journal Theme - September 2021 + VIDEO Plan With me | ChocolateMusings

Table of contents

  • September 2021 Plan With Me Layouts
  • Products Used:
  • September 2021 Plan With Me Video
  • September Welcome Page
  • ‘September’ Lettering Process
  • Monthly Log
  • Habit Tracker
  • Weeklies – Easy, Minimal Rectangle + Vinyl Sticker Layouts
  • Brain Dump Page: Wander Through My Wonderings
  • Summary

September 2021 Plan With Me Layouts

  • Page Welcome Spread – facing a small monthly calendar + split monthly log for events.
  • Habit Tracker Page + To Do List
  • Weeklies using the same basic layout, then altered to have their own unique flair
  • Brain Dump Page (using PH Martin’s Iridescent Calligraphy Colors + Glass Pen)
  • Cityscape bullet journal welcome page + monthly calendar log Bullet Journal Theme for September 2021 + Plan With Me Video | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Tall Buildings Habit Tracker - Papercraft City Scape Bullet Journal September 2021 Theme | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Blocks and buildings at night - city scape bullet journal weekly easy layout | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Shimmery Shiny Ink Building Outline Drawing | Chocolatemusings.com

Products Used:

Plan With Me September 2021 Supplies
  • 1-31 Daily Number Stickers (5mm Size)
    >> Find this Product in the Chocolate Musings Shop!
    >> Get this Product on Etsy
  • Acrylograph Acrylic Markers – Archer & Olive
  • Archer & Olive Notebooks
  • Archer & Olive Notepads
  • Coliro Finetec Iridescent Pearlcolors Watercolor Paints
  • Dahle Paper Trimmer 18″
  • Dr PH Martins Iridescent Calligraphy Ink
  • Glue Tape
  • Kassa Vinyl Sheets
  • Pentel Gold Gel Pen
  • Scribbles That Matter A5 Notebook
Video Set-Up
  • Blue Yeti Microphone
  • Canon PowerShot G7x Mark III Digital Camera
  • Photography Lights (I use these for my everyday drawing!)
  • Scissor Arm Mic Stand/Video Camera Stand

September 2021 Plan With Me Video

Watch the plan with me video for September 2021 below. Then make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I hope you find some inspiration from the design, tips and tricks, and some of the mistakes and solutions I used.

September Welcome Page

The ONLY lettering I did this month was on the welcome page with some watercolor paints and I made a big “To Do” page next to the habit tracker. Other than that, The whole month is pretty simple.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to letter all my headings. It helps me quickly find pages as I’m flipping through my book. But I also enjoy trying something new. And I see a lot of people who want to have ‘pretty’ pages but who don’t draw or paint or have developed the lettering skill – yet.

  • Layered City Scape Bullet Journal Set Up | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Easy Peasy City silhouette bullet journal theme + Plan With Me Video | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Paper cut buildings at night bullet journal welcome page | ChocolateMusings.com

‘September’ Lettering Process

To letter ‘September’ on the welcome page, I used shimmery Coliro (Finetec) watercolor paints. This Pheonix color is one of my favorite colors ever. It’s got gold undertones and glows red and orange and shimmers with gold.

Tip: The best way to activate this paint is to drop a bit of water on each paint well and let it sit for a minute. When you’re ready to paint, use your paintbrush to mix up the colors a bit. Look at those shimmery colors!

Painting over different levels created by the paper was a little difficult the paintbrush tip kept catching on the different levels of paper.

  • Coliro Watercolor Paints - Mixing Close Up | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Building Papercraft Welcome Spread with Iridescent Watercolor Handlettering | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Watercolor Handlettering Bullet Journal Welcome Page Title | ChocolateMusings.com

Monthly Log

I normally create a two-page monthly calendar, but this month, I created a small calendar and a simple two-column monthly log.

I messed up and started the month on a Thursday instead of a Wednesday. This happens to me a lot, so I habitually check the dates early when I start inking. Generally, when I pencil in the calendar, I add Sunday’s date listed in the calendar so I have a reference and can correct mistakes easily. It’s amazing how writing sequential numbers is so difficult!

For the monthly log section, I used these handy-dandy stickers that I sell in my shop to list out 1-30 (or 1-31) for the days of the month. They fit perfectly in a 5mm dot grid. In this case, I used clear stickers, but I also have white stickers.

September has 30 days, and since I’m splitting the month into two columns instead of one tall column on the page, I cut the 31st off and then sliced the sticker between 15 & 16. Viola! Now I don’t have to write the numbers again. (And probably mess up the number sequence – like I always do!)

Tip: Once the ink dries (completely!) – don’t forget to erase your pencil lines.

Simple Monthly Calendar + Log Layout - Minimal Bullet Journal Monthly | ChocolateMusings.com

Habit Tracker

On my habit tracker page, I created tall, slim buildings. Each building is 2.5 cm (5squares) wide and at least 15.5 cm (31 squares) high. I’ll fill in the 2nd and 4th squares across when I complete a habit for the day. Since September has 30 days, I split the tracker into two columns. Each day, I can mark one of the squares as a window to check off the habit. In the end, it will look like a building all lit up at night.

To add variety to the page, each building has a different ‘hat’ topper and is a different height so I could add doors at the bottom. I numbered each window in pencil so I could easily find it and reduce mistakes during the month. It’s not saying that I won’t still make a mistake and mark the wrong day, but I can try.

Pro Tip: Use your Cricut or Silhouette Machine to cut out building shapes instead of cutting them by hand.

I hope you had a chance to check out the September 2021 plan with me video above. I have to admit that this is one of the easiest habit trackers I’ve ever created. Now, I can’t wait to fill in all the windows.

September 2021 Plan With Me Cityscape Bullet Journal Habit Tracker + Set Up Plan With Me Video | ChocolateMusings.com

Weeklies – Easy, Minimal Rectangle + Vinyl Sticker Layouts

I decided that I wanted to use paper strips to define the day sections in my weeklies. I was going for a minimal graphic grid layout. After one glorious failed attempt at gluing the strips to my journal, I switched to cutting out the strips on my Cricut machine using removable vinyl.

Now, there are not many times that I claim to have above-average intelligence, but this solution was pure genius.

  • Minimal Blocky Black and White Weekly Bullet Journal Layout | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Easy Building Silhouette Weekly Bullet Journal Minimal Spreads | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Easy Buildings at Night Silhouette Weekly Bullet Journal Minimal Spreads | ChocolateMusings.com

Brain Dump Page: Wander Through My Wonderings

The brain dump page is a main staple throughout most of my notebook planning pages. This September 2021 Plan With Me is no different.

I love to use alternate names for “Brain Dump.” This time, I called it ‘wander through my wonderings’.
Every month, I use a page like this to catch all the extra thoughts, random ideas, experiences, and anything that I need to jot down.

Since I love using different names for brain dump pages, I figured you would, too. So I created a list of 150+ different names that you can use to replace the name ‘brain dump’ in your bullet journal.

I tried to use a silver pen to do building outlines, but it showed up even less than the pencil lines where I sketched out the buildings on the page. I knew I didn’t want black outlines because I wouldn’t be able to write over them. So I dusted off the glass nib and iridescent ink colors from DR. PH Martin. Controlling the ink flow in some cases was a little difficult, but I love the way this page turned out and I know that it will be a favorite page to review.

Building Outline Brain Dump Spread - Wander Through my Wonderings | ChocolateMusings.com

Summary

I hope you’ve gathered some inspiration from my September 2021 Plan With Me post.

If you’d like to add a bit of creativity to your bullet journal spreads but don’t feel confident enough to draw or handletter, I hope these spreads give you the inspiration to try something new. It was so fun to see these buildings rise up on my page from nothing. I can’t wait to use these spreads.

Layered Note Paper + Gold Pen Accents + Vinyl strips = easy peasy Bullet Journal Theme | ChocolateMusings.com

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Filed Under: Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Dress-Up Your Planner Spreads, Get Organized & Start Planning, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2021 Tagged: builidngs, Bullet Journal, cricut, plan with me, skyline

August 2021 Plan With Me – Surfing into New Beginnings

August 3, 2021 Leave a Comment

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.

Table of contents

  • Start Fresh No Matter What Time of Year
  • There is No Place for Guilt Trips in Bullet Journaling
  • August 2021 Plan With Me Inspiration
  • August 2021 – Theme Plan With Me Video
  • Surfboard Art – August Cover Page
  • Washi Tape to the Rescue – Covering Mistakes
  • Brain Dump Page – Thought Wave
  • Surfboards & Silhouettes – August 2021 Plan With Me Bullet Journal Theme
  • Random Holidays to Celebrate
  • Habit Books I Recommend
  • Supplies
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.

  • Scribbles That Matter A5 Notebook
  • Daniel Smith Paints (Variety)
  • Archer & Olive Paper Pad
  • Winsor & Newton Fineliner
  • Teal Washi Tape
  • Skinny Washi Tape
  • Zebra Mildliners
  • Dr PH Martins Bleed Proof White
  • The Pigeon Letters Brushes – find on thepigeonletters.com
  • Coliro Pearlcolors
  • Tombow Mono Correction Tape

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

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Filed Under: Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Bullet Journal, Bullet Journal Fails, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2021, Planner Spreads Tagged: Bullet Journal, plan with me, planner theme

New Year Bullet Journal Setup 2021

January 7, 2021 Leave a Comment

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

Related Posts:

  • Check out my Product Review category here
  • Find out the difference between notebook ghosting & bleeding
  • Plan With Me Archives
  • Begin Your Bullet Journal – Don’t Be Afraid to Start
  • End of Year Journal Questions 2020 – A Year in Review
  • Word of the Year Ideas

Table of contents

  • New Year, New Bullet Journal Setup 2021
    • Related Posts:
  • Starting a New Year in a New Notebook
    • The Quest for Planner Peace
    • Collections in a Separate Notebook
    • What Do I Keep in My Collections Notebook?
    • What About the All-Essential Planning Notebook?
    • How To Keep Track of Future Events? Why a Future Log is Essential
  • Techniques & Resources for Creating Individual Notebooks
  • Why Separate Notebooks for Each Month?
  • BuJo Themes for the Year (So Far)
  • Summary – New Year, New Bullet Journal Set Up
  • Planner Question:

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:

  • A5 Dot Grid Notebooks (Red)
  • A5 Dot Grid Notebooks (Blue)
  • Tumbitri Meri Notebook Category on Amazon

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

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Filed Under: Blog, Bullet Journal, Get Organized & Start Planning, Plan With Me Tagged: bujo, Bullet Journal, monthly setup, plan with me, planner set up, setup

Fading to Fall Leaves – Bullet Journal September Plan With Me

September 10, 2020 Leave a Comment

Inspired by changing seasons, my bullet journal theme for September features simple color-changing leaves. Instead of summery, willow branch leaves like August’s plan with me, I used color (green, yellow, orange, red, and a bit of purple) in just a few places to show the transition from summer to fall.

Here is an overview of the pages in this month’s set up. I hope this September Bullet Journal Plan With Me gives you some inspiration for layouts, products, and other ideas you can use in your bullet journal. 

September Plan With Me - Fading to Fall Leaves Bullet Journal inspiration - acrylic marker painting & blending | Creative & Functional Bullet Journaling Spreads, welcome pages, monthly spreads, weekly spreads, trackers & brain dump (with alternate names) | ChocolateMusings.com

I’d love to know if any of these ideas spark your creativity or give you an ‘ah-ha’ moment. Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram @ChocolateMusingsCreates.

Supplies Used For This September Plan With Me

  • Tumbitri Meri 220 Page 160 GSM Notebook 
  • Zebra Zensations Technical Drawing Pen 
  • Zebra Mildliner Markers 
  • Chalkola Acrylic Markers (get 10% off through this link)
  • Helix Circle Maker 
  • Circular Vellum Habit Tracker (coming soon in my shop)
  • Productivity Stickers (coming soon in my shop)
  • Foldable Portable Watercolor Set (not seen, but used later)
  • Correction Tape

September Plan With Me Video

  • Initial Flip Through Before The Pen/The Plan: 00:00
  • Welcome Page/Monthly Log Inking: 03:16
  • Welcome Page Quote: 04:33
  • Tracker Page (Habits, Productivity, Mood, & Goals): 06:11
  • Color Blends with Acrylic markers on Goals Page: 08:35
  • Weeklies: 12:23
  • Idea Bush (alternate brain dump name): 17:20
  • Journal Page: 18:08
  • Acrylic Marker Blends on Welcome Page: 19:41 (my favorite part!)
  • Final September Plan With Me Flip Through: 20:08

Welcome Page / Monthly Calendar Log

Combining the welcome page and monthly log page worked perfectly for this minimal leaf branch theme. Monoline text and a quote begging September to bring us something good before she fades away rounded out the ‘Hello September” welcome on the bullet journal’s left-hand side.

  • Hello September! Bring us some thing good before you fade away! Bullet journal welcome page quote | Planner Quote | September Quotes | Minimal Planning | Minimal Bullet Journal Design | Monoline Cursive Text | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Bullet Journal Welcome Page and Monthly Log Combination - minimal, functional, pretty, creative bullet journal layouts | Monthly Calendar, Monthly Log, Monthlies | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Color Changing Leaves with Acrylic Marker Blends on my Bullet Journal September Cover Page & Monthly Log | Simple, Minimal, Functional, Creative Bullet Journal Planning | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Close up of the color changing leaves for my September Plan With Me in my Bullet Journal - Color blends done with acrylic markers on the monthly log & September Cover Page in my Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Actual planning with a monthly log | September Plan With Me Fading to Fall Leaves - painted & blended with acrylic markers | Monthly log, monthly calendar, monthly planning, September plans | ChocolateMusings.com

Instead of a monthly calendar with rows and columns of boxes, I opted for a horizontal monthly log.

If you’ve never used a monthly log in a bullet journal, the idea is to keep the minimal design and write events connected to the date. I like to draw a line out from the date to write an event and other minimal details about the event. In this case, I’ll use the top section for family events and the bottom section for my events.

The progression of pictures on the monthly log above shows the different stages throughout this September Plan With Me until finally, I add in events and transition the monthly log from a creative planner to a creative and functional planner.

September Plan With Me Mini Calendar on Welcome Spread/Monthly Log - love how functional & creative this page is in my bullet journal | ChocolateMusings.com

The only thing I didn’t think to add initially was a mini-calendar so I could visualize which date fell on a particular day of the week (i.e., 1st is a Wednesday, 18th is a Sunday, etc.). But that’s a simple enough fix, and I added the mini calendar later. 

My notebook came with this handy ruler, I love a good ruler, and *this* is a good ruler. Check out the notebook review post here.

The color-changing leaves are my very favorite part of this spread. Instead of using watercolor markers, I used acrylic markers. You have to work quickly with acrylic markers, but I’m surprised at how well the markers blended. I also LOVE how vibrant the colors are and that they don’t bleed through the page.

Color Changing Leaves - Blended Acrylic Paint Markers in my Bullet Journal - no bleed & vibrant colors. I love this functional & aesthetic planning page | ChocolateMusings.com

Habit Tracker & Goals

  • Blend Acrylic Markers in your Bullet Journal - A new way to add color transition and bright, vibrant colors to your bullet journal spreads | ChocolateMusings.com

If you track habits for home and work, you might consider splitting your habit tracker into two sections. For September, I split my habit trackers into two sets this month: personal & blog related. You might recognize my favorite circular habit trackers.

Around the outside, like a wreath, are 30 days of productivity and mood tracking. Each leaf around the circle coordinates with the day of the month, to easily match the date and the mood/productivity for the day.

Using the same idea from the monthly log, the goals page fades slowly from summer to fall as the colors transition from green to yellow to red to purple. Adding a black outline around the leaves gives a more whimsical feel to the spread, which I always love.

Functional & Aesthetic Fall Weeklies

  • Functional & Aesthetic Fall Bullet Journal Weekly Spread with simple leaves, trackers & space for notes | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Leaf Wreath for a fun & still functional weekly bullet journal spread | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Log appointments, keep track of productivity, & plan for the week in this bullet journal weekly spread | Simple & Functional with a bit of creative spice | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Weekly Bullet Journal - September Plan With Me Fall Leaves | Minimal, Functional, Pretty, & Creative Bullet Journal Weekly Spreads | ChocolateMusings.com

Even though each week has a different design, they all have common elements that tie the designs together. It’s my favorite way to create weeklies if you’ve seen my plan with me posts/videos. I can’t seem to settle on one design. Maybe that’s why I like bullet journaling so much is that I can change it up and never get bored.

I loved my one line per day spread from August but decided to include a one-line per day for each week during September instead of having a dedicated page for the short journal entries. 

Each day throughout the weekly spreads is separated by leaves or vines. Though I’d love to add color for each spread, I left it black and white. If I have time one day or need to doodle away some frustration after work, adding color is such a perfect way to relieve stress.

While I’m on the phone at work, I find myself doodling, so I could fill in the leaves there if I wanted to as well.

In addition to the weekday plans, the one line per day, I included a productivity tracker, meal planner, and notes section for each spread. This September plan with me turned out to be very efficient and ready to support my ambitions! I already love using my blogger productivity stickers I created to track my blogging activities.

Productivity Tip

Tip: If you are struggling with feeling productive, add a productivity tracker to record the things that you do. I think you’ll be surprised at how much you are actually doing. If you find that you’re procrastinating a task, you might find the motivation to check it off if you get to visually track that you’ve done it.

Productivity Tip: Give yourself a visual reminder of how many things you do! Track your productivity with little doodles or stickers and get motivated! Bullet Journal tips & tricks | ChocolateMusings.com

September Plan With Me Essential Pages

  • Different names for brain dump: This Month it's an Idea Bush - Keeping with my leaves theme, but I love the lightbulb bursting with leafy ideas. Bullet journal spreads & Ideas | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Journal Page - I love how these acrylic markers blend & create a bright, functional journaling page in my bullet journal | ChocolateMusings.com

Rounding out the month are some other essential pages for my bullet journal plan with me spreads: the brain dump page and my journal page.

The brain dump page is called “idea bush” this month. I love coming up with alternate names for the term’ brain dump’. Check out my post “Different Names for Brain Dump,” where I share 150+ name alternatives. I’ll have to add ‘idea bush’ to the list. I also love to coordinate the name of my brain dump page with the plan with me theme of the month.

Simple leaves in fall colors embellish the journal page. Little dots around the leaf doodles add some fun detail and dress up this simple spread even more.

Your Plans?

I hope that this September finds you well, and my plan with me spreads provide you a creative muse to follow May your month bring you something good before it fades away. We all need something good in our lives.

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

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Filed Under: Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Bullet Journal, Get Organized & Start Planning, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2020 Tagged: acrylic markers, Bullet Journal, functional, leaves, minimal, plan with me, PWM, september

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About Me


Hi! I'm Tricia, the creative behind ChocolateMusings.com, I know how it feels to lose your inner muse. After years of darkness (which I call the dark ages of my life), I found my inner muse hiding in the forgotten corners of my soul, I vowed never to lose sight of her again.

Bullet journaling helped reignite the passion for art and living life again while organizing my days. I also discovered modern calligraphy and watercolor. Since then, my use of the bullet journal system has evlolved and I call it 'creative planning'. Here on the blog, I show you how to use your planner to ignite your inner muse and explore creativity and art while staying beautifully organized and living a joyful life.

I invite you to grab some good chocolate and dive into my musings. Let’s ignite your inner muse.

Read more on the about me page. You can also find my policies and disclosures here.

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