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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 » Plan With Me 2021

Functional Book Dutch Door Bullet Journal Theme October 2021 Plan With Me

October 14, 2021 Leave a Comment

Bullet Journal Extended Monthly Log + Dutch Door Book Theme | ChocolateMusings.com

In this post, I’ll share how I turned a Dutch-door monthly log-type layout into something I hope to be quite functional. And as a bonus, my bullet journal theme this month is books that complement my bullet journal quote list.

I occasionally return to this style – trying to marry more form and function into the monthly log layouts. But first, let’s back up and answer a few questions you might have. The only thing consistent throughout my years of bullet journaling is that I like to try (and re-try) new things. I decided long ago that I was not looking for the perfect layout. My perfect layouts were ones that I didn’t tire of and used.

I discovered I was not too fond of the same layout every month. So I decided to experiment with different themes and combinations of techniques. Since I gave myself ‘permission,’ I have enjoyed using my bullet journal each month.

Bullet Journal Dutch Door Book Theme | ChocolateMusings.com

Table of contents

  • What is a Dutch Door Layout in Bullet Journaling?
  • Beyond Dutch Door – Why a Book Theme?
  • Product Links
  • How I Used Dutch-Door Layouts This Month
    • Habit Tracker
    • Monthly Log
    • Weekly Pages
  • Using Books in My Dutch-Door Theme
  • Things I Learned While Creating a Book-Themed Dutch-Door Bullet Journal
  • Your Thoughts on Dutch-Doors

What is a Dutch Door Layout in Bullet Journaling?

“Dutch Door” in bullet journaling removes part of the page by cutting or folding pages. In functional bullet journaling, you can leave a piece of the page stationary throughout the month (or part of the month) and still turn the pages like usual. For instance, if you have a cleaning list every week and don’t want to copy over the cleaning chart, you might cut your weekly pages so you can always see the cleaning chart graph but mark it off on that week’s page.

For purely aesthetic reasons, you might use a dutch door to reveal part of a design. Such as cutting out a window to show a pattern on the next page. Or cut the page to look like falling leaves like I did in my November 2019 bullet journal.

Beyond Dutch Door – Why a Book Theme?

I don’t know about you, but the turn of the seasons from Summer to Fall makes me want to curl up under a cozy blanket, sip some hot chocolate, read a good book, or watch a great series. Last year, I also did a book theme for October, but that’s when I went through a tough time, and the theme never made it into the world. I guess this month was to revive that idea because I liked it so much.

You can, of course, use this theme any time of the year. The colors I chose to paint the books on the welcome page are deeper and classified as more ‘fall’ colors. That’s one way you can modify a theme to be more seasonable – change the theme’s colors.

By the way, if you’re looking for other great theme ideas for Fall – check out this post.

Not all thoughts are black and white - that's why we have grey matter - Bullet journal brain dump page | ChocolateMusings.com

Product Links

Plan With Me October 2021 Supplies
  • Acrylograph Acrylic Markers – Archer & Olive
  • Archer & Olive Notepads
  • Craft Knife
  • Cricut Basic Tools
  • Cutting Mat
  • Daniel Smith Watercolor Paints
  • Dr PH Martins Iridescent Calligraphy Ink
  • Kimberly Watercolor Pencil Neutral
  • Lemome Notebook A5 Dot Grid
  • Metallic Acrylograph Pens
  • Papermate InkJoy Pens (all versions)
  • Pentel Touch Pen
  • Princeton Heritage Synthetic Sable Paint Brushes
  • Sakura White Gelly Roll Pens
  • Scribbles That Matter A5 Notebook
  • The Pigeon Letters Paint Brushes
  • Tumbitri Meri A5 Dot Grid Notebook
  • Washi Tape – Black & White Striped
  • Winsor & Newton Fineliner Pens – Pack of 5 – Waterproof (Assorted Sizes)
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

How I Used Dutch-Door Layouts This Month

I may or may not have gone a little crazy this month with the dutch doors. The thing is, I want them to work practically. I know there are a few ways I can improve them in the future, but I think I’m onto something.

Habit Tracker

For the habit tracker, I must admit that the form exceeds the function on this page. I stuck a black page behind a stack of books I cut out for the welcome page and liked it so much that I had to figure out a way to keep it. I love the peek-a-boo effect for the habit tracker. Now let’s hope I use the tracker.

When using a design on my dutch doors, much like the leaves, I love to use both sides of the page, and the stack of books is no exception. But hey! I’ve discovered that I won’t use my bullet journal if I’m not excited about it. It can’t all be about function with me. Many people wonder why others use themes in their bullet journals. This is why I love to use themes in my bullet journal.

Book + Dutch Door bullet journal theme - Habit tracker | ChocolateMusings.com

Monthly Log

How many times do you write down an appointment in your bullet journal? The idea behind this dutch-door monthly bullet journal layout is to eliminate at least one of those times. Instead of writing an appointment on my monthly calendar and a weekly page, I’ll use the weekly pages for specific to-dos and looser notes for the week. Meetings and day-specific items have their section, so I don’t have to skim through notes and to-dos to know that I have a dentist appointment on Thursday.

Using a clear numbered sticker down the left-hand side of the page, I split the page into sections. The first page keeps appointments, school notes, errands to run, and a cleaning chart. If I flip the next page over, I use the same numbering system from the previous page but track daily notes and goals and have space for one line per day.

These pages keep all the things that are either calendar-related or that I do daily. That way, I don’t have to copy those items over and over to a weekly page. This reason right here is why I love the idea of a perfect dutch door theme.

Bullet Journal Dutch Door Book Theme - Flip Out Pages | ChocolateMusings.com
Bullet Journal Book Theme - Flip Out Pages | ChocolateMusings.com
Bullet Journal Monthly Log Pages | ChocolateMusings.com

Weekly Pages

Since there is no need to record appointments on my weekly pages, I wondered if I needed them. But I’ve tried eliminating weeklies in my bullet journal, which didn’t go well. Even if I skip a week of using my bullet journal for one reason or another, I always return to it and use the weekly pages for journaling, ideas, task lists, and general information specific to those weeks.

I continued the scalloped book dutch door theme, indenting the pages a little more each week and adding stickers to the first week’s left edge. These pages will be primarily task-related instead of appointment-based. I left them open and did not separate the pages into specific days. I’m trying to follow Laura Vanderkam’s advice to focus on a week instead of a day.

Bullet Journal Monthly Log Pages | ChocolateMusings.com
Bullet Journal Weekly Log Pages | ChocolateMusings.com

Using Books in My Dutch-Door Theme

Beyond the first dutch-door book stacks featured on the welcome page in this month’s bullet journal, each page in the monthly log and weekly pages has a scalloped edge that reminds me of stacked books.

Yes, I could have cut the pages in a straight line and achieved the same function. But I trimmed the indented pages into the curved outline of book spines. So I could continue with the book dutch-door theme in my bullet journal. The scalloped edges add just a little flair to the pages and, quite frankly, make me happy.

There are many possibilities to combine a book theme and dutch-doors in your bullet journal. It’s like a bullet journal book inception. You could go deeper and deeper.

Things I Learned While Creating a Book-Themed Dutch-Door Bullet Journal

While creating this dutch-door bullet journal theme, I learned the number one thing: I need some serious practice using an Exacto Knife. Especially with those curved edges I added for the book spines. After cutting out the dutch-door on the welcome page, I reverted to scissors for all the weeklies.

The second thing I learned while creating this theme, I love using templates for repeating shapes. Since the scalloped book edges for the weeklies, I cut out a template from a notepad and used that edge to create all of the weekly pages.

I learned this month that I need a visual calendar when using a monthly log. But I ran out of room on my page, so I added a flip-out set of books with a calendar.

The fourth item I learned about this month’s theme was to use flip-out pages when you run out of room on your page. What’s nice about the flip-out pages is that you can also use them on subsequent pages. So if you don’t want to cut pages like a dutch-door, a flip-out page is a great alternative.

The fifth and final thing I learned when creating this theme is not to be afraid to cover it up. I covered up a messy mistake on my brain dump page called “Not all thoughts are black & white. That’s why we have grey matter.” I love the look of the torn pages and the contrast on the page. Some of my favorite pages have come from trying to figure out how to fix a mistake.

Your Thoughts on Dutch-Doors

What are your opinions on Dutch Doors in your bullet journal? What concerns do you have? If you’ve tried it, I’d love to know what worked and what didn’t.

Oh, and by the way, if you have ideas on more ways to use books and dutch-doors together as a bullet journal theme, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Bullet Journal, Get Organized & Start Planning, Plan With Me 2021, Planner Spreads Tagged: book, Bullet Journal, dutch door, October, pirate theme, plan with me

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

Leave a Comment
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

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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