Plan With Me Archives

Willow Branch Welcome Page / Cover Page in your Bullet Journal

September 3, 2020 Leave a Comment

How to create a willow branch bullet journal welcome page | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #coverpage #welcomepage #willow

Nostalgic Willow Welcome Page

If you’ve ever sat underneath a willow tree in the summer, this bullet journal welcome page brings the nostalgia of those draping vines. I lived my youth in the arms of our willow tree branches. Climbing as high as I could, building hammocks and singing at the top of my lungs from the top of that beloved tree. This welcome page brings me back to those times. I would love to share a bit of my childhood with you through this willow branch Bullet Journal welcome page.

How to Create a Willow Branch Bullet Journal Cover Page Tutorial | ChocolateMusings.com #willowbranch #coverpage #welcomepage

Supplies

Paper or Notebook (here is the notebook I used in this Plan With Me – see below for paper recommendations if you’re using a brush tip marker)
Pencil (my favorites are either this style or this one in 5 mm)
Eraser (I like this plastic eraser or this pearl eraser)
Drawing Pen (or you can use whatever pen you have on hand – if you watercolor over the ink, make sure it is waterproof)
Water pen
Crayola Markers or Watercolors (these are what I used)
Tombow Dual Brush Pens #228 Gray Green & #249 Hunter Green (if you want to match my colors)

Paper

32 Lb Printer Paper (I like the HP brand)
Tracing paper
Rhodia Paper A5 Dot Pad | Rhodia Blank Notebook | Rhodia Size Varieties
Marker Paper Varieties | 6×8 Pad Size
Bristol Smooth Paper (the best Tombow Marker blending paper I’ve tried so far!)

So You Think You Can’t Draw

So many people say that they cannot draw and so they don’t try. If you feel that way, try creating this willow branch cover page in your bullet journal. The shapes are loose, the leaves aren’t exact, and the color is optional. The effect is purely whimsical & oh-so-summery.

Watch How I Created this Willow Branch Welcome Page

In August’s plan with me video – I show you how I created this willow branch welcome page – and how you can do it, too. Start at 5:07.

August Plan With Me Part I
August Plan With Me Part II (creating the weeklies)

Willow Welcome Page – Sketch

To create the willow branches, I lightly sketched some wavy lines in varying lengths in pencil. Remember, it’s just a sketch and your final willow branch version in ink doesn’t have to follow the sketch exactly. I wanted an outline to follow, but in the end, I didn’t follow all the lines.

Welcome Page Simple Pencil Outline | ChocolateMusings.com #welcomepage #bulletjournal

Loosely complete the vines in ink - you don't have to follow the pencil lines exactly | ChocolateMusings.com #howto #tutorial

Lettering the Title

Since I wanted the text to appear in front of the branches, I wrote the title first, using Tombow #228 & #249. After creating the title letters start inking in the branches. All illustrations on this page are very loose and not realistic, so don’t stress too much about making it perfect.

Handlettering Cover Page - my cover page lettering is usually larger and more fancy than other, more functional pages | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #welcomepage #willowtree

Adding leaves to the willow branch cover page in my bullet journal - this welcome page is easy to create - watch the tutorial here | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #tutorial #howto

You can add leaves to each branch as you go or come back and add leaves. I quickly drew leaves in basic oval shapes. But none of mine are perfect. You can include as much detail as you want. My leaves don’t include any details other than the form.

Note: You can choose to have the text appear behind the willow branches rather than in front of them like I did. For the letters in the back, it doesn’t matter if you draw in the letters or the branches first.

Erase your pencil marks, especially before adding color. If you want to leave this page ‘as is’ – then you’re finished!

Adding Color

Color in all the leaves or choose a few random leaves to color. I used a water pen with Crayola markers, which caused the page to bleed a little. But if I use watercolor or markers, the color won’t show through as long as I don’t press down hard with the markers or use a lot of water with the watercolors.

If you want to try some florals with your vines, add a few swirls near your vines and dot the swirls with a rosy pink or another color. Blue, purple, red, yellow would all look great!

Try It Out!

You don’t have to be ‘artsy’ to make something fun and whimsical. This willow branch welcome page proves it. Even though your drawings might not be perfect, that’s ok, this page isn’t geared for perfection. If you’re just starting out, try something that doesn’t require precise lines or crazy amounts of detail.

Here are some other posts & categories you might enjoy:

Favorite Bullet Journal Supplies for Beginners
Lettering Supplies for Beginners
Start Planning Here & Bullet Journal Plan With Me Archives
Get Creative (tutorials, art & doodles & handlettering)
How to watercolor paint with markers in your bullet journal

Plan With Me August 2020 – Overcoming Mistakes & Weekly Design Challenge

July 28, 2020 Leave a Comment

For the Plan With Me for August, I wanted to experiment with minimal layouts & using the same box shapes over and over again to see how many designs I could come up with throughout the month. Each of the weeklies use the same box dimensions (4 cm or 8 boxes wide by 9 cm or 18 boxes high) but each design is different.

Minimal and Functional Bullet Journal Plan With Me Set Up - Monthly Pages, Weekly Pages, Journaling Spreads, Cover Spread & Brain Dump in my Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #plannersetup #bulletjournal

In This Month’s Plan With Me Includes:

Willow Branch Welcome / Cover Spread
Circular Vellum Habit Tracker + Quick & Easy Floral Wreath
Leaf Mood Tracker (New!)
One Line Per Day (New!)
Monthly Calendar (with washi tape to fix mistakes)
Weeklies
Journal Page
Brain Dump Page (called Don’t Get Boxed in – Grow Your Way Out)

I challenged myself to use the same shape for all the boxes in my weeklies. I love how many designs I was able to use throughout the month.

Supplies Used for August’s Plan With Me

Summery Bullet Journal Color Scheme with Crayola Marker Bouquet | Chocolatemusings.com #plannersupplies #planwithme

Tumbitri Meri A5 Dot-Grid Journal | Blog Post Review | YouTube Review Video
Zebra Zensations Techincal Drawing Pen
Tombow Dual Brush Pens
- 228 – Gray Green
- 249 – Hunter Green
Pentel Sign Brush Pens
Archer & Olive Paper Pads
Crayola Super Tip Markers
Scotch Washi Tape
Correction Tape
Permanent Adhesive
Circle Maker
Water Pens

Supplies From the Chocolate Musings Shop:

Handlettering Books:

Large Brush – Basic Strokes
Small Brush – Basic Strokes
1-31 Number Stickers
Circular Vellum Habit Tracker – Coming Soon!
Calendar Grids Coming Soon!

Welcome / Cover Page

I imagine a willow branch flowing down the page for the welcome/cover page this month. It brought me back to my childhood during the summer sitting under my beloved willow tree hiding amongst the long and wispy branches which teased each other in the summertime breeze.

Using a water pen & Crayola markers, I marked a few leaves with blobs of color. Unfortunately, the color bled through a little to the opposite pages. I guess the water pen creates too much water, and it seeps through the sheet fibers. But if you use actual watercolor in this journal (check out the review I wrote here), it doesn’t bleed through.

Habits / Mood Tracker

Circular Habit Tracker with Modern Calligraphy Lettering in my Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com #habit #habitracker #tracker

Using a circle maker, I created a floral wreath with a few branch sprigs and flowers. The tracker itself is a semi-transparent circular vellum sheet I created and adhered to my planner. I love how it shows the design underneath. Watch the plan with me video below to see how I created this design.

I’ve never used a mood tracker before and decided to finally give it a try after nearly four years of Bullet Journaling. Mostly, I wanted to give myself a reason to open my planner every day because I need to get back in the habit.

Summery & Simple Habit & Mood Tracker - watch the plan with me to see how to create it - vellum habit tracker & easy circular wreath | ChocolateMusings.com #habits #mood #planwithme #bulletjournal

BIG Mistakes in My Planner This Month

I think it’s important to share the mistakes we make in our Bullet Journals. Not everything is rainbow sparkles & cloud fluff perfect, and you can see how I fix my errors in August’s Plan With Me Video Part I.

In my plan with me video part I (which you can watch above), I show you how I overcame page bleeds, what I did when I forgot a page (eep! I forgot the monthly calendar). And when I screwed up (twice!) when mapping out the monthly calendar. I’d love to know how you overcame any screw-ups in your planner. Leave me a comment below.

In the August Plan With Me Video Part II (Below) – I show you how I use the same box dimensions to create four very different page designs.

Which one do you like the most?

The Weekly Spread Challenge:

Bullet journal weekly dragon flies & florals minimal design | ChocolateMusings.com #minimalweekly #weekly #bulletjournal

Beyond August’s Plan With Me mistakes, this month, I chose to use the same box dimensions for each set of weeklies but change the design for each week. Using the same set of elements over and over again throughout your design makes it more cohesive even if the plan isn’t the same on every page.

If you’re bored with your current layout, try giving yourself a set of rules to work with and see how you can change the pages around while still following the rules.

For example, the boxes for each of my weeklies are 18 dots or 9 cm high by 8 dots or 4 cm wide. I used relatively simple artwork with summery colors, the same color palette, and the whisper of summer throughout all of the pages. Each design is very different but follows all the guides.

Journal Page / Brain Dump

Brain Dump Floral Wreath - Don't get boxed in - grow your way out Bullet Journal Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #bujo #bulletjournal #braindump

Journal Spread - specific journaling questions & space to free-write to record thoughts & memories about the month in my bullet journal | ChocolateMusings.com #journaling #journalspread #journal

If you get stuck looking at a blank journal page but want to write a snippet about the month, try asking yourself a few questions. This month, I included a small box for goals, a box labeled ‘happiness in action’ and the last one titled ‘how can I improve next month?’.

Happiness in action celebrates the small moments that we often overlook while trudging through the minutia of day-to-day tasks. For instance, I would include a sentence or two about my three-year-old talking on a banana like a phone. Or my oldest two kids playing happily with their legos and building towns complete with streets and miniature Lego cars. Those joyful moments are the ones I want to treasure when they get older. And every once in awhile I need a little nudge to record them.

What challenges do you give yourself throughout the month?

Want More Planner & Bullet Journal Inspiration?

Find more plan with me ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #ideas

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

Easy Watercolor Wash Background – Plan With Me

June 25, 2020 Leave a Comment

Plan With Me - July Background Watercolor Wash Techniques + Video | ChocolateMusings.com #watercolor #watercolorwash #bulletjournal #planwithme

I had a TON of fun creating this watercolor wash background in my bullet journal for July’s monthly calendar page. From watercolors to Tombow markers, I tried many techniques and discovered a new one with the Tombow colorless blender marker + a gray marker. Now I’m obsessed.

This month, I didn’t start with a plan. Sounds silly for a plan-with-me post. But some of the best adventures in art and in life I’ve ever had weren’t planned. I wanted to recreate a watercolor wash background for my monthly page, but that’s all I knew.

Upcoming:

I’m excited to start a new book in August, so watch for some fun plan with me videos. I’m going to try the Scribbles that Matter Covers + removable inserts and see how they compare to the bound book I use regularly. Since I was running out of pages, it’s also why I didn’t include a cover page. I had just enough pages to skip the welcome page & journal page and complete the month.

Question:

Which pages (like a cover page) do you like to include in your planner, but aren’t necessary for day-to-day plans? Leave me a comment below. I’d love to know!

The Inspiration for the Watercolor Wash Background

Background Watercolor Wash Inspiration Purple to Pink with Block-Out Areas Inspiration for July Plan With me | ChocolateMusings.com #watercolorwas #backgroundwash #bulletjournal

Here’s what I wanted to experiment with and recreate in a sense from July 2018. Funny that I tend to repeat myself every couple of years. But the technique is so fun, and the variety is endless.

In this case, I chose to do a fade ombre watercolor wash effect on the background, starting at purple on the top and fading to pinkish. Then I outlined each of the date squares with a thick outline using the same colors.

Supplies:

Scribbles That Matter A5 notebook
Tombow Dual Brush Markers
- Welcome Page: 243, 346, 373, 452, 515, 565, N65 Clear Blender
- Brain Dump/Weeklies: 373, 443, 451, 491, 493, 526, 528, 565, 636, 676, N55, Clear Blender
Watercolor Paints
Waterbrush
Paintbrushes
Cricut Air + Non-Permanent Vinyl
3×3 Sticky Notes
3×4 Sticky Notes or larger
Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip – Gray
Pentel Sign Brush Pen – Light Gray & Dark Gray
Dr. Ph Martin’s Bleed Proof White – for splatters on a weekly page
Pencil
Ruler
Xacto Knife
Cutting Mat

Calendar Page Watercolor Wash Quick Process:

Cut Sticky Notes to Size - and use to block off Background Areas Before Painting | Chocolatemusings.com #tipsandtricks #tricks #watercolor

Background Watercolor Wash Tips & Tricks - Use as little water as possible in your Bullet Journal to avoid page bleed | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #tipsandtricks #watercolor

Using sticky notes to block out portions of the page, then painting to the edge of the page and around the sticky notes, it created a mottled underwater look. I also tried the Tombow + bag trick. But I over watered the bag, so the paint seeped through to the opposite page.

Lesson learned: don’t try to cover a whole page using the Tombow Bag background watercolor wash technique. I used way to much water and made the ink bleed through to the opposite page.

Watercolor Wash Background Tip:

One quick tip: when you use watercolor, especially over a large area like a background wash, sometimes it can add a texture (almost feels grainy sometimes) to the paper that some pens don’t like to write on. But if you use markers, either Tombow or Crayola or another kind of marker, you won’t get the watercolor texture. Your page may buckle a little from the water itself, but you won’t add additional watercolor paint texture to the paper.

Adding Shadows Under the Blocked Out Areas of the Watercolor Wash

Easily Create a 3D Effect with Faded Shadows using Gray + the Clear Blender | ChocolateMusings.com #tombow #markers #howto

Here’s a classic case of making lemonade from a botched paint job. This watercolor wash didn’t go as expected. The paint sneaked all around the sticky note. The color combination made it feel like it was underwater, which I thought was great. So I had an idea of adding shadows to make the watercolor wash look like it was punched out of the page.

Pressing the tip of a gray marker & the colorless blender, then using the colorless blender to create the shadows along the edge of the squares, it makes an amazing 3D effect.

I have to tell you something. This method is now my new favorite way to create shadows. I used it behind the letters on most of the weekly pages I did this month.

With the shadows’ additions, it looks like I completely meant to have the ink seep through into the boxes. I love it when you can convert a catastrophe into a win.

Watch the Plan With Me Here:

Fitting in Essentials for the Month

Since I ran out of pages this month, I added a small habit tracker on the bottom of the page where I can track five habits for the month. To the left, I’ll add notes or maybe keep it for a journaling page since I also had to skip the journal page to conserve the page count.

Brain Dump Page: Shadowy Thoughts & Reflections

Alternate names for brain dump - Shadowy Thoughts & Reflections | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #braindump

Shadow Thoughts & Reflections - Alternate Names for Brain Dump | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump

Continuing on the watercolor wash theme, and since the colors, I used to look like the Caribbean ocean to me, and I was using shadows, it was fun to name the page Shadowy Thoughts & Reflections.

Want some other names for a brain dump page? Check out my blog post here, with 150+ different names for brain dump.

Weeklies + Watercolor Wash

I decided to try several different styles for weeklies this month. That’s one thing I love about bullet journaling. I can change it up and try new layouts or styles every turn of the page. Each of them follows the same color scheme and includes shadows that make them cohesive.

Looking Forward

Despite the level of apocalyptic bad the year has been, this notebook has been good to me. I’m excited to move into a new notebook and make new, pretty spreads and try new ideas. I hope you’ll try some of these techniques, whether it’s the watercolor wash, naming your brain dump page, or adding shadows with the markers like I discovered this month.

Good luck with your plans, and I wish you a prosperous and productive month.

Wishing you joy and creativity every day - Tricia

Want More Planner & Bullet Journal Inspiration?

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Workbook #2 Lowercase Alphabet (Miniscule) Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Small Markers

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June Plan With Me – Ice Cream Theme + Video

June 7, 2020 Leave a Comment

Bullet Journal for June Ice Cream Themed Plan With Me | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #icecream #bulletjournal

June Plan With Me: Bullet Journal Ice Cream Theme

Welcome to June’s plan with me – Where the theme is ice cream! I can’t tell if I’m more thrilled with the result or enjoyed the process more. Whichever it is, I am excited to share a bit of my process and the fun ice-cream related artwork for June’s plan with me.

When I decided on ice cream for this month’s theme, I envisioned a lot of sparkling glasses of ice cream with perfectly shaped scoops and delicious-looking flavors popping off the page. However, when I sketched it out, I kept drawing the scoops falling towards the glass or falling on the ground. One of my weekly pages has only cones and my brain dump page, well, that one features either a lucky seagull or an unlucky ice cream lover.

I’m not sure if it’s the unrest with the world that made drawing the ‘ideal’ or ‘perfect set’ of ice cream spreads difficult, or if it was just a particularly rough day when I sketched it all in. All of the spreads have a certain quirky quality. Regardless, I love the outcome and can’t wait to share them with you. All I can hope is that they will bring a bit of joy to your day.

Empty Ice Cream Cones Weekly Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #bujo #bulletjournal #weekly

Brain Dump Alternate: Delectable Ideas Ice Cream Theme Bullet Journal Layout | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #alternate #icecream

Spreads in this Month’s Ice Cream-Themed Plan With Me:

Welcome page / June Calendar (ice cream sundae falling into place)
Habit Tracker / Goals Page (dropped ice cream cone)
Journal Page (banana split)
Weeklies (empty ice cream, popsicles, ice cream toppings, and stacked ice cream cone)
Brain Dump (that’s the one with the seagull and unfortunate ice cream cone)

Products I Used (though you don’t have to use the same things!)

Flying watercolor cherry - Bullet Journal Calendar | ChocolateMusings.com #cherry #icecreamsundae #bulletjournal

Scribbles that Matter Size: A5 160 GSM Paper Iconic or Smooth Cover
Marie’s Watercolor Paint Set (used for all watercolor painting)
Dr. Ph Martin’s Bleed Proof White (for the white highlights/accents)
Ceramic Artist Porcelain Watercolor Paint Palette (mixing paint)
Detail Paint Brush Set (the small, white brushes)
Watercolor Paint Brush Set (larger, black-handled brushes)
Papermate Mechanical Pencil .5 mm (I love these because I can see how much lead I have left & they have large erasers!)
Tombow Mono Dust Catch Eraser
Papermate White Pearl Eraser
6″ Stainless Steel Ruler
Masking Fluid (blocks off portions of your page – don’t apply with your good paintbrushes!)
Kid’s Paint Brushes (for applying masking fluid)
Zebra Rollerball Pens .5 mm (outstanding for outlining drawings and writing fine lines)
Zebra Zensations Technical Fine Liner Pens (waterproof & have a wonderful rounded point, so you don’t have to draw straight up and down like other fine liner pens)
Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip Colors
Papermate Ink Joy Pens (these pens are the ones I use to write with daily)

The Plans This Month

How I plan is different, lately. I don’t include a lot of structure or boxes. Instead, I use open space and fill it with what I need that week such as journal space or doodle areas or note-taking.

My planner isn’t all about aesthetics. Although, getting excited to open the book because of the ice cream theme doesn’t hurt. I use it functionally, and that’s part of the reason why I like to include plan with me posts on this blog.

I know a lot of people ‘just aren’t into planning right now,’ but it is one thing that I need to remain constant in my life. Planning is a habit I’ve worked hard to establish, and one that I don’t want to have to work hard to re-establish once we start returning to ‘normal’ whatever that means.

Watch the Plan With Me Video

Habits and Goals

One habit I know I need to re-establish is my weight loss goal & efforts. I was doing so well with tracking my eating habits and weight loss for so long. Then I kind of just fell out of practice and have been chasing that wagon begging to hop back on ever since. Maybe I shouldn’t do ice cream planner themes to help get back on track. (Thankfully, I don’t crave ice cream since starting on this theme any more than I did beforehand.)

Have you kept on track with any weight loss or exercise goals this year? I’d love to know what you’ve been doing. Starting to track my food intake and using/finishing my monthly habit trackers is something I’ll include as part of my mid-year goals and on my habit tracker.

Click on the picture below if you’d like to read more about habits & my health journey.

Welcome/Calendar Spread

Ice Cream-Themed Bullet Journal Plan With Me | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #icecreamtheme

I love having an overview of the month where I can see scheduled items or events. Besides keeping a high-level overview of the month, I’ll keep a few notes on this page and a few critical to-dos. But mostly, my to-do lists stay on my weekly spreads.

Habits/Goals

The ice cream cone on this page says it all for how I’ve been doing this year. So the quote on this page says, “It’s ok if you fall. But not if you stay there”. Since June is the middle of the year, I decided to make a page dedicated to reassessing my goals and picking myself back up from the train wreck that has been the first half of the year. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

Banana split journaling page in my bullet journal - follows the ice cream theme perfectly! | ChocolateMusings.com #bananasplit #journaling #writeitdown

Banana split watercolor close up on my journaling page | ChocolateMusings.com #bananasplit #icecream #bujo

Journal Page

Though I leave a lot of room on my weekly pages (especially over the last few months) for journaling, I wanted to have a page specifically dedicated to family memories. The good things that I see, the experiences we have. I find that if I look for the good, I see it. The effect is the same if you look for the bad. This is my page to look for the good.

I can’t tell you how pleased I am with this banana split page. Using masking fluid, I literally sprinkled the page, anticipating where to paint in the sprinkles. I used this effect in April, but this month’s plan with me was definitely smaller-scale when it came to masking fluid.

Bullet Journal Weeklies Sweet Treats - Ice Cream Sundae Plan With Me | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #icecream #weeklies

Weekly Pages

Other than one week with a vertical, one-page layout, the rest of the weeks use a simple design where I split the page top to bottom with various ice cream-related illustrations. Throw in a few motivational quotes for week’s spreads, and I’m delighted with the outcomes.

It's ok if you fall, but not if you stay there. Bullet journal handlettered quote | ChocolateMusings.com #bujo #bulletjournal #handlettering

Top off your day with something good. Ice cream themed bullet journal handlettered quote | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #lettering #quote

Planner Quotes Used:

Surprisingly most of these quotes relate well to ice cream and getting motivated.

Goals Page:

Its okay if you fall. But not if you stay there.

Empty Ice Cream Cones Weekly:

“How will you fill your days?”

Slowly Consumed Popsicles Weekly:

“Do something great, finish what you start.”

Note: I tried to use a different kind of brush pen to get the rough textures for this quote, and it just didn’t end up working out as I wanted. But it’s ok. I finished it.

Ice Cream Topping Weekly:

“Top off your day with something good.”

A great reminder to focus on the good.

Brain dump alternate name: Delectable Ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #creative #watercolor

Brain Dump: Last Page in the Ice Cream-Themed Plan With Me

I might have to retitle this page to “What was I thinking?!” instead of “delectable ideas, aka MINE.” 10 points if you get the reference for the aka title. I like how it turned out, and maybe I’ll be careful this month about guarding these delectable thoughts against hungry predators.

If you’d like alternate names for a brain dump page, check out my post featuring 150+ alternatives.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is find-more-arrow-down-e1569382617571.png

I hope you’ve enjoyed my ice cream themed plan with me, and it gave you a bit of inspiration. Even though it didn’t turn out to what I expected in my head, I think the fun, whimsical designs express a bit of the chaos that we are all living with and will (hopefully) elicit a smile in some form or fashion.

What I’m looking forward to this month:

Setting some goals & getting back on track are two things I look forward to doing this month. I hope to record the good things in life, even if it’s enjoying the silence after the kids go to bed or the smell of gardenia on an evening walk. I intend to write all my feelings. It’s been hard to express myself in the past few months, but I think if I write it down, I might resolve some of the other creative blocks.

Happy planning!

Let me know what you think and what your most significant challenge to plan is for you.

Are You Looking For More Bullet Journal Ideas?

Find more ideas and start planning here! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter for additional tips & tricks for bullet journaling, planning & staying creative.

Planet Themed Bullet Journal Set Up

April 23, 2020 Leave a Comment

Whimsical Space-Themed Bullet Journal Plan With Me Layouts | ChocolateMusings.com #watercolor #planwithme #bulletjournal

This month I decided to do a planet-themed bullet journal set up. I like to use circles in my planner. You might have noticed that if you’ve explored my blog a bit. Feel free to pin any images for later.

Here are some posts relating to using circles in your bullet journal.

I skipped out on a Planet Welcome Page in May and jumped right into a colorful monthly-log style layout for the beginning page of May. Instead of trying to copy planets exactly, I let the watercolor bleed and blend on its own.

Tip: when watercoloring on something other than watercolor pages – even a notebook with thicker pages – it’s always best to go easy on the water. You can’t use the same amount of water as you do on watercolor paper. Otherwise, you’ll start to see the water bleed through. Sot that means you’ll have to work quickly in smaller sections so you can get the paint to blend together.

Fun planet themed bullet journal layouts - Plan With Me | ChocolateMusings.com #planner #bulletjournal #planwithme

Monthly Log/Calendar

I have a habit of filling up my monthly calendar with all the things and never looking at it again. Monthly logs don’t allow me to fill it up – not really anyway. With the #stayathome initiative right now, I figured that now is the time to train myself to list only the essentials on my monthly calendar as an overview then use my weekly planner to record all the nitty-gritty details.

I find that if I keep my habit tracker on the same page as my monthly calendar, I refer back to the bigger picture more frequently. That’s a benefit if you’re like me and get lost in the details. So once I add my monthly appointments, I’ll add a circular habit tracker down in the left-hand corner of the page.

Planet-Themed Monthly Bullet Journal Log | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #monthlylog

Monthly Log – Artwork

Using the idea of layers behind and in front of the band featuring dates/days, I used my favorite circle drawing tool – the helix circle maker to create several different sizes of circles. Then watercolored them in various shades.

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

For this planet-themed bullet journal set up, I decided to use a lot of bright colors and fun, wiggly lines outlining the planets. I used artistic interpretation of planets and used inspiration from our own solar system, but created a few of my own.

Tip: If your artwork doesn’t look realistic, it’s ok! Add black outlines (maybe two or three!) around each planet and turn your artwork into a whimsical peice. It creates a style all its own and doesn’t require realism.

Loose Circle Doodles + Watercolor for your Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com #watercolor #weeklylayout #weeklies

The inspiration for creating the outlines around the planets came directly from my ‘floral wreaths’ post. It creates an enjoyable, whimsical, playful style. I’d expect to see it in a children’s book or as a children’s room art piece.

You can check out the floral wreaths post here:

3 Simple Ways How to Draw Circle Wreaths Tutorial | ChocolateMusings.com #circles #howto #floralwreaths

May Weeklies – Continuing the Space/Planet Theme

Bullet Journal Planet Weekly Layout | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #weekly #planets

Week 1 – Planet-Themed Bullet Journal Layout

Each week has its unique feel, but they are all cohesive due to the style. The first week has six planets laid out along the centerline of the page. If you used this design, the week’s tasks & daily agenda could be logged at either the top, the bottom, or vary back and forth if you wanted.

Underlying Design

This design is the underlying layout for nearly all of my weeklies in April. You can see that I continued it into May. The basic design is the same, but the graphics are very different.

Circular Watercolor Bullet Journal Weekly | ChocolateMusings.com #watercolor #weekly #circle

Week 2 – Sunburst or Orange – You Decide

The 2nd week, my little girl told me it looked more like an orange. I intended it to look like the sun with solar flares or sun-rays. But since I sectioned off the center part for the days, it does look more like an orange. You can be the judge of which one it is.

By the way, if you want to know how to break down a circle into (relatively) equal parts, visit this post.

Spaceship weekly bullet journal layout - Space Theme | ChocolateMusings.com #bujo #weekly #spacetheme

Weeks 3 & 4

The third & fourth weeks use a horizontal layout similar to the bike layout from April. I LOVE the look of the spaceship and multi-colored stars. The inspiration for the balloon-planets comes from a t-shirt I bought my husband. The colors and stripes of the planets are so bright and cheery. It makes me happy.

Space-Themed Bullet Journal Braind Dump Page "Out of this World Thoughts" | ChocolateMusings.com #space #braindump

Final Planet Themed Page in my Bullet Journal for May – Brain Dump Page

The last page for the month is my brain dump page. I don’t always call it ‘brain dump’ – in fact, I came up with 150+ different names for brain dump (and have come up with more since then) so check out that post if you’re looking for an alternative to the term’ brain dump’.

Out of this world thoughts brain dump watercolor bullet journal spread | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #braindump

My brain dump is the catch-all page for thoughts that don’t fit nicely into my schedule or weekly plans. It’s the place that holds my ideas and concerns and makes me feel like a human once I’ve dumped all the wandering thoughts from my brain onto paper. If you don’t have a brain dump page, I recommend keeping one. Don’t be shy about what you write in it. Believe me, this page will not be pretty once the month is through.

Pro Tip: review your brain dump pages monthly or quarterly – you may find gold nuggets of recorded but forgotten ideas nestled on those pages.

Weekly To Do List Attached with Washi Tape - Bullet Journal Weekly | ChocolateMusings.com #todo #washitape #getstuffdone

Weekly Task List + Washi Tape Bullet Journal Addon | ChocolateMusings.com #weekly #tasklist #todo

Weekly Tasks

For a couple of months, I drew in a running list of tasks for the week/month. But then I came up with the idea of printing them out and attaching my weekly task list with cute washi tape to each week’s plans. The reason why bullet journaling works so well for me is that I write everything down by hand. If I have it pre-printed or even scheduled on my google calendar, I tend to give the task lower priority than if I write it down with a pen.

So I’ve learned to write down only the tasks that need to be completed for the week; otherwise, I get overwhelmed & don’t follow through. It’s a delicate balance of prioritizing tasks and ignoring them completely.

Planning for the Week – The Process

Before the week’s start, I’ll sit down for a few minutes and assign out the various tasks to a particular day by adding a dot to the day I think I should do the chore. The day I get it finished, I will checkmark it off. Some tasks are assigned to multiple days, others a single day. It’s my way of migrating tasks – if I see no checkmark, the job is not done.

Each night I’ll review & plan for the next day, adjusting as needed. Check out this post for 2 things to do every night to have smoother days.

I Hope You’re Inspired to Add Some Whimsy to Your Days on Earth

I hope my inter-galactic planner adventure for May (aka planet-themed bullet journal set up) gives you some ideas on increasing your productivity and lightening up your days with some fun, whimsical artwork as well.

Let me know if you use any ideas – I’d love to see them tag me on Instagram. Be sure to pin them for later! I’d like a comment below if you try any productivity tips or use the doodle ideas. I’d enjoy finding out what works for you!

Nostalgic Willow Welcome Page

Supplies

Paper

So You Think You Can’t Draw

Watch How I Created this Willow Branch Welcome Page

Willow Welcome Page – Sketch

Lettering the Title

Adding Color

Try It Out!

In This Month’s Plan With Me Includes:

Supplies Used for August’s Plan With Me

Supplies From the Chocolate Musings Shop:

Handlettering Books:

Welcome / Cover Page

Habits / Mood Tracker

BIG Mistakes in My Planner This Month

The Weekly Spread Challenge:

Journal Page / Brain Dump

What challenges do you give yourself throughout the month?

Want More Planner & Bullet Journal Inspiration?

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

Upcoming:

Question:

The Inspiration for the Watercolor Wash Background

Supplies:

Calendar Page Watercolor Wash Quick Process:

Watercolor Wash Background Tip:

Adding Shadows Under the Blocked Out Areas of the Watercolor Wash

Watch the Plan With Me Here:

More Videos

Fitting in Essentials for the Month

Brain Dump Page: Shadowy Thoughts & Reflections

Weeklies + Watercolor Wash

Looking Forward

Want More Planner & Bullet Journal Inspiration?

June Plan With Me: Bullet Journal Ice Cream Theme

Spreads in this Month’s Ice Cream-Themed Plan With Me:

Products I Used (though you don’t have to use the same things!)

The Plans This Month

Watch the Plan With Me Video

Habits and Goals

Welcome/Calendar Spread

Habits/Goals

Journal Page

Weekly Pages

Planner Quotes Used:

Goals Page:

Empty Ice Cream Cones Weekly:

Slowly Consumed Popsicles Weekly:

Ice Cream Topping Weekly:

Brain Dump: Last Page in the Ice Cream-Themed Plan With Me

What I’m looking forward to this month:

Are You Looking For More Bullet Journal Ideas?

Monthly Log/Calendar

Monthly Log – Artwork

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

May Weeklies – Continuing the Space/Planet Theme

Week 1 – Planet-Themed Bullet Journal Layout

Underlying Design

Week 2 – Sunburst or Orange – You Decide

Weeks 3 & 4

Final Planet Themed Page in my Bullet Journal for May – Brain Dump Page

Weekly Tasks

Planning for the Week – The Process

I Hope You’re Inspired to Add Some Whimsy to Your Days on Earth

Want More Planner & Bullet Journal Inspiration?

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