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Willow Branch Welcome Page / Cover Page in your Bullet Journal

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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

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.

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:

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

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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.

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

Supplies Used for August’s Plan With Me

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

Supplies From the Chocolate Musings Shop:

Handlettering Books: 

Welcome / Cover Page

Draping Willow Branches Welcome/Cover Page in my Bullet Journal - see how I create it in my plan with me video | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #august #willow

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
  • 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
  • Loose watercolor butterfly minimal bullet journal weekly layout | ChocolateMusings.com #watercolor #butterfly #weekly
  • Bullet journal weekly floating dandilions 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

How to Easily Create Faded Drop Shadows With Tombow Markers

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How to create faded drop shadows with Tombow Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #dropshadows #tombowmarkers

Using shadows under lettering or around art creates a 3-D effect that can make your pieces come alive. They stand out against the background and create interest. However, creating shadows is the tricky part. Here’s how to easily create faded drop shadows with Tombow Markers.

How to Easily Create Faded Drop Shadows With Tombow Markers

This tip is one I quite accidentally discovered. I discovered this trick while filming my July Plan With Me Video. I used Sticky Notes to block off areas of the page and watercolor paint around them. Well, let’s say I was a little bit too liberal with the water. And let’s face it, sticky notes don’t block all the water or ink. It’s a fun technique to try, by all means, but it is not one to use if you want solid, straight lines when you peel them off.

After peeling off the sticky notes and revealing a slight mess underneath, I decided to try to make the page look 3-D. Like I punched out pieces of the paper, and there was a shadow cast down below.

  • Near Bullet Journal Failure! Peeling away the (supposed) blocked off areas - what a mess! How do I clean it up?
  • Fixing the issue with faded drop shadows gives the page a cool look and transforms the mistake! | ChocolateMusings.com #dropshadow #bulletjournalfix #mistake

Supplies You’ll Need:

Supplies you need for creating perfectly blended drop shadows with Tombow Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #tutorial #howto #blending

Tombow Marker Fun – Combining Colors

Tombow Dual Brush Tip Marker Bouquet | ChocolateMusings.com #tombow #dualbrushmarkers #markers

You’ll know that combining colors is fun if you’ve ever experimented with Tombow Dual Brush Markers. One marker essentially absorbs part of the pigment from another marker if you press the tips together or mop up the color from a palette like a paintbrush.

One nice thing about Tombow markers is that they are self-cleaning. Use the brush tip (or bullet tip for that matter), and the absorbed pigment fades into the marker’s regular color. If using a dark color with a light color, there’s no residual effect except you might be left with a bit of staining on the tip of the light-colored marker.

Colorless Blender Marker – The Key to a Perfectly Blended Shadow

Tombow Colorless Blender - The Key to Making Perfectly Blended Drop Shadows - tips, tricks & how to create perfect shadows using the Tombow Colorless Dual Brush Marker | ChocolateMusings.com #tombow #dualbrushmarker #dropshadow

Up until now, I never used the colorless blender for anything other than attempting to blend two colors together. (Which, by the way, I find only works well on marker paper – not even 32 lb super smooth paper.)

But then a stroke of genius hit me! If I absorb some gray into the colorless blender, the gray will fade automatically to clear. Which is precisely the effect I wanted! The colorless blender is the key to creating a shadow that softly fades away with your Tombow markers! And you can do it without rubbing holes in the paper by blending too. You can even create faded drop shadows without water.

Watch the Video to Create Perfect Fading Shadows with Tombow Markers

Watch the July Plan With Me Video

The inspiration for creating faded drop shadows using Tombow Markers. See the mess I made & how the drop shadows cleaned up a mistake.

Here are some examples of what you can do using this method to create shadows with your Tombows:

  • Shadowed Boxes + Blended Handlettering with Tombow Dual Brush Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #lettering #weeklyspread
  • Boxes for appointments and to-dos, large spaces for writing and notes below - I love the flexibility of bullet journals! | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #weeklies #weeklies
  • Minimal watercolor Weekly - Bright colors + drop shadows make the colors pop on this page | ChocolateMusings.com #weeklyspread #bulletjournal #bujo
  • Large boxes on this weekly spread take care of your appointments and to-dos. Bright, fun colors keep you interested | ChocolateMusings.com #minimalweekly #weeklyspread #weekly

How You Can Easily Create Shadows Using Tombow Markers (2 Methods)

If you press the tips of the markers together, the colorless blender will absorb some of the pigment from the other pen and will mark with that color until it runs out. I found two easy ways to create this effect.

Method 1:

Create a perfectly blended drop shadow - kiss the colorless blender + gray Tombow Markers together then use the colorless blender - you'll get perfectly shaded drop shadows! Get the full tutorial on ChocolateMusings.com #tutorial #howto #tombow

Kiss the markers together at the tip and slowly rotate the colorless blender, so it is evenly saturated all the way around.
Now line the area with the tip to get the darkest shadow against another object or mark. The pigment will eventually be used up, and you’ll have to ‘refill’ the colorless blender with more gray and complete your shadows.
Don’t start in the same place every time – you’re most saturated pigment will always be at the beginning. So if you need to evenly distribute a shadow effect, start at the top one time, and the bottom another time.

Method 2 (Shown in the Video):

Scribble on a plate with Markers to absorb a different color on the tip of the marker - the color will slowly fade away as you use the marker - Get the full blended drop shadow tutorial on ChocolateMusings.com #dropshadow #tutorial #howto

You could scribble the gray marker (or another color) on a palette or plastic bag or plate (like the ceramic plates from your kitchen). Then roll the tip of the colorless blender around to absorb the pigment.

The example video above uses this method to create shadows with the Tombow colorless blender. Because it the fastest way to cover a larger area. I found pressing the tips together took much longer than scribbling on a plate because of how often I had to refill my shadow color. But if you don’t have a plate or palette, then, by all means, use the first method.

Notes:

By the way, you can do this with any water-based marker. The process is the same!

Question:

What other ways do you use the colorless blender marker from Tombow?
If you want to learn how to handletter using Tombow Markers – check out my workbooks below!

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

Large Brush Tip Markers

Easy Watercolor Wash Background – Plan With Me

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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:

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
  • Remove the Sticky Notes after Painting the Watercolor Wash in your Bullet Journal - the effect is fun & unique - add shadows to make it look 3D | ChocolateMusings.com #watercolorwash #bulletjournal #background

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:

More Videos

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?

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

June Plan With Me – Ice Cream Theme + Video

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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
  • Bullet Journla Weekly Spread - Popsicles | ChocolateMusings.com #popsicles #bujo #weekly
  • Ice Cream Habit Tracker + Goals Monthly Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #habits #tracker #goals
  • Ice Cream Toppings Weekly Bullet Journal Spread Ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #icecream #watercolor
  • Ice Cream Scoop Weekly Stack Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #weekly #icecream
  • Ice Cream Sundae Monthly Calendar - Bullet Journal Spread Ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #icecreamsundae #cherry #calendar #monthly

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

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.

Habit and Goals Tracker Bullet Journal Page Ice Cream Theme | ChocolateMusings.com #habittracker #habits #goals

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
  • How will you fill your days? Bullet Journal Quote | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #quotes #handlettering

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.

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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.

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