Pirate Planner Theme

February 3, 2019 5 Comments

The Inspiration for this Month’s Bullet Journal Theme: Pirates

I’m so excited to show you my planner set up for February. I use the different spaces in my planner to learn and try new techniques and styles. The pirate theme this month in my bullet journal was so much fun and opened the door to many ideas and styles. Overall, I am so pleased with the outcome. By the way, after months of seeking the perfect notebook, I love this notebook by Archer & Olive.

I’m a fan of finding inspiration and then adapting to my own needs or tweaking until I can make it my own. I learn visually so I find inspiration all around me. What I’d like to do is show you my inspiration for my monthly spreads to help inspire you!

Watch the unfinished version of the flip through below.

Pirate Theme Bullet Journal Cover Page Ahoy Matey! | @ChocolateMusingsCreates ChocolateMusings.com #pirate #bulletjournal #bujo

The Inspiration for this Month’s Bullet Journal Theme: Pirates
Cover Page Inspiration
Monthly Calendar
Pirate-Themed Bullet Journal Habit Tracker
Pirate Theme Weeklies in My Bullet Journal
Collection Pages
Brain Dump Page/Idea Log

Cover Page Inspiration

Inspiration for this adorable boat welcome page: I have to admit that it came from Baby Shark’s related videos on Amazon Prime. My two-year-old is obsessed with this song, and I occasionally turn it on and watch it with him. Then they sing counting songs and other silly lyrics. There is a counting song that shows cute little boats and inspired this cover pate.

In June 2018, I did a cover page that I love to this day. Palm trees, flipflops, coconuts and a sign pointing the way to June. I added a little homage to my favorite cover page this month. Complete with a giant red X marking the spot – because that’s where you find the buried treasure!

Here’s a link to my June Plan with Me Playlist on YouTube

How to Watercolor Paint with Markers in Your Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com Step-by-Step Tutorial + Video

Monthly Calendar

Using the idea of masking off areas like I did in July 2018 I used sticky notes to ‘mask’ off areas and paint/draw over them.

This result turned out beautifully. I love the look of old-looking parchment paper and the ship’s wheel. They really add a fun twist to the pirate bullet journal theme I was going for. Since I’d been dying to paint with some ink, and the Iridescent Coppery Plate Gold added such a subtle shimmer to the pages.

Below you can see how I blocked off the squares so I could draw out the design ‘behind’ the monthly calendar squares.

Here’s a link to my July Plan with me on YouTube.

Pirate Theme Monthly Calendar | @ChocolateMusingsCreates ChocolateMusings.com #pirate #bulletjournal #bujo

Sticky Notes Mask in my Bullet Journal Pirate Theme | @ChocolateMusingsCreates ChocolateMusings.com #pirate #bulletjournal #bujo

Pirate-Themed Bullet Journal Habit Tracker

If you could see me now. I am so EXCITED about this page and the possibilities and ideas that came from creating this page. My bullet journal pirate theme is not about plundering and pillaging, it’s about seeking treasure. Rare gems in my life to make me happier. And when something works PERFECTLY the first time I try it, that’s exciting stuff right there.

Pirate Theme Habit Tracker Compass Rose | @ChocolateMusingsCreates ChocolateMusings.com #pirate #bulletjournal #bujo

First of all: I LOVE circle habit trackers & other circles in my planner (read my blog post on how to create circles in your bullet journal) they’re just so well rounded (sorry/not sorry about the pun). So when I created this page, I wanted it to be like a compass rose and then add the goals to the center.

Once I drew the compass rose & painted/colored it in, I didn’t want to cover it up! So I created this circle tracker on my computer. After resizing it on the screen once or twice, I printed it out. Viola! It was THE perfect fit. No adjustments needed. But I printed it on white paper so I still couldn’t see the compass behind it.

Enter: tracing paper.

Side Note: Don’t try printing on tracing paper with a laser printer since those use heat to adhere the toner to the paper and the tracing paper will likely melt and ruin your printer.

But I knew my inkjet could handle thin paper (I printed on a dictionary page one time as an experiment). It printed beautifully. Since I designed it on the computer, look how even those lines are!

I think this is going to happen more in my life. I better stock up on tracing paper.

Pirate Theme Compass Rose Habit Tracker with Transparency | @ChocolateMusingsCreates ChocolateMusings.com #pirate #bulletjournal #bujo

Pirate Theme Weeklies in My Bullet Journal

Oh, I had so much fun creating each of these weekly spreads: Treasure chests, Gems, Telescopes, & Bottles, oh my!

Pirate Theme Treasure Chest Weekly | @ChocolateMusingsCreates ChocolateMusings.com #pirate #bulletjournal #bujo

Pirate Theme Weekly Telescope and Hat | @ChocolateMusingsCreates ChocolateMusings.com #pirate #bulletjournal #bujo

The biggest intimidation I had was the gems. I left this page as the last to do. Ok, let me explain. No…there is too much, let me sum up. (Thank you Princess Bride for that quote.) I’ve wanted to draw gems FOREVER (over a year – isn’t that forever?), and I found a Skillshare class that taught very simple ways to understand light and dark through transparent objects like gems. But I never did the assignment.

Finally, after a year of avoiding the assignment, I included gems on a weekly and just made myself do it. There’s room for improvement – for sure! But isn’t it always the first step that’s the hardest. I can’t wait to try more. Also, the white highlights are my favorite.

Pirate Theme Weekly Gems and Pearls | @ChocolateMusingsCreates ChocolateMusings.com #pirate #bulletjournal #bujo

Collection Pages

Every month I include a journaling page that I call “all the things.” Where I record memories and other items that I did throughout the month. More circles on this page – this time in the form of pearls. Soft, subtle colors add a bit of fun to the page.

In real life, I never liked pearls before I wore them. When you wear real pearls, you know. They are heavy, but not burdensome, and warm to the skin. I love how they make me feel (I feel beautiful when I wear them). So including pearls on a page that I jot down beautiful memories is immensely appropriate in my mind.

I feel like pirates would love pearls – which naturally makes them perfect for my pirate bullet journal theme.

Pirate theme Journal Page Pearls | @ChocolateMusingsCreates ChocolateMusings.com

Brain Dump Page/Idea Log

X marks the thought! I love new names for brain dump pages, and I love brain dump pages in general. There are too many thoughts in my head to try and keep them in there. I found that this page is 100% necessary so I can organize and review all the thoughts and ideas. Every six months or so I will review past brain dump pages and see what ideas I missed in the past. It is one of my most used and underutilized pages. I think I will make an effort to review the concepts more often and work on developing the ideas even further.

If you hate the name ‘brain dump’, check out this post with over 150 + different names for brain dump!

Pirate theme Treasure Map Brain Dump | @ChocolateMusingsCreates ChocolateMusings.com

What’s your favorite page? I’d love to know what themes you’ve tried in the past!

Bullet Journal Pirate Theme | @ChocolateMusingsCreates ChocolateMusings.com #pirate #bulletjournal #bujo

Weight Loss Tracker Game Spread- Getting Healthy – Update #2

January 10, 2019 2 Comments

Bullet Journal Weight Loss Tracker AKA My “Jewel-Toned Journey”

Today I have an update on a post I did months ago. I call this my Jewel-Toned Journey weight loss tracker. No, it’s not Candyland (that would be entirely counter-productive for weight loss!) During November, I started Whole30. FYI, I’m not a purist with the program or dieting in general, but I wanted to use it to take control of my cravings and get control of my life. The goal: stop eating so much sugar so I could change my life for the better.

Weight Loss Tracker Game for your Bullet Journal - it's like Candyland without the sugar rush! | ChocolateMusings.com @ChocolateMusingsCreates #weightloss #bulletjournal #bujo #tracker

Printable Tracker Game Board – Turn anything into a game!

$6.00

Select options

I’m attempting to get healthier and lose some weight in the process – that’s the goal, to take control of my life and not let sugar control it for me.

Months ago, I dubbed my husband ‘evil genius’ because of his idea to help incentivize me to lose weight. Disclaimer, he only contributed ideas when I asked him to and loves me for who I am no matter what. He has never suggested anything without me asking his opinion first. He’s a good guy.

I wanted to track progress and earn a reward – but not a food reward. So the hubby came up with the idea that I could earn Tombow markers (which I wanted) based on success with my weight loss. But the caveat, I must give them back if I regress. This thought terrified me; this is why it took me so long to finally start working towards my goal because I wanted to keep the markers and never give them back.

Once I got started, I felt like I would succeed. Such a great feeling!

How I Fill out My Weight Loss Tracker Game for your Bullet Journal - it's like Candyland without the sugar rush! | ChocolateMusings.com @ChocolateMusingsCreates #weightloss #bulletjournal #bujo #tracker

How I fill out the tracker:

Each time I achieve a milestone or stop to measure, I will mark the tiles on the weight loss tracker board with the colors that I earn. Since each marker displays a handy-dandy number, I color the tile in and then label the color with the marker number.

On the next page, I draw a candy-land like card with the number and the color showing the progress. So not only do I earn markers but I get to play a game. I decided to call it my “Jewel-Toned Journey.” It makes a great Marker Swatch too! I think I probably should have chosen the colors for the best display of colors. Instead, I wanted colors that would blend well with the markers I already have.

Progress

I earned 16 markers at the end of 30 days of Whole30! I’m excited about my progress and anxious to keep going.

What’s even better, is I feel like I have control over my cravings and control over my eating habits. It’s a beautiful feeling. Very freeing and I feel like I can continue. I want to earn those markers, but what’s more, is I want to keep feeling better about myself.

I never wanted my self-esteem to tie to my weight, through the years of bullet journaling and developing other talents and abilities, I finally have come to love myself for who I am on the inside. Accepting myself no matter what is essential. It’s incredible to see that when I love myself on the inside, I can easily change the things I don’t like as much, and the journey feels easier.

Choosing Colors for my Weight Loss Tracker Game for your Bullet Journal - it's like Candyland without the sugar rush! | ChocolateMusings.com @ChocolateMusingsCreates #weightloss #bulletjournal #bujo #tracker

Color Choices

Choosing the colors is the hardest part! I ended up selecting colors that would blend well with the markers from the bright & primary packs I already own.

933 Chrome Orange
905 Red
873 Coral
772 Blush
673 Orchid
623 Purple Sage
553 Mist Purple
679 Dark Plum
743 Hot Pink
837 Wine Red
847 Crimson
228 Gray Green
177 Dark Jade
N75 Cool Gray 3
026 Yellow Gold

Displaying The Colors

The 96-count pack of dual brush markers comes with a desk-stand, Tombow does have an updated stand that holds 108 markers since they released 12 new colors. I’ve heard that the desk stand pieces don’t like to snap together and assembly is somewhat tricky. I didn’t have any difficulties putting it together.

If you don’t have something to track, the printable makes a great marker swatch.

Tombow Marker 96-Count Desk Stand - Fits together in a snap! | ChocolateMusings.com @ChocolateMusingsCreates

Want your own tracker? It’s available in my shop!

ChocolateMusings.com Shop - Find it in the shop!

I hope to finish this tracker by the end of this year. I’d love to know how you track big goals.
Do you have a tracker or method for tracking something over a year or a couple of months?

About My Weight Loss Journey:

Hustle Co Notebook Review

January 3, 2019 2 Comments

Hustle Co Notebook Review

Confession

I’m addicted to buying and trying new notebooks. In search of the perfect notebook that will withstand my heavy-handed marker blending and watercoloring (find out how I use markers to watercolor here!), I decided to buy a notebook that advertised thick pages. Spoiler: I’m still searching for my perfect notebook and late setting up my January bullet journal!

This particular notebook is by Hustle Co & the pages are very thick and smooth but do not have any coating on them, so any blending or heavy use with markers bleeds through. I can see the markers or the water soaking into the pages on the first stroke.

Test Page Result

You can see on my test page, all the markers bled through. Crayola markers, Tombow Dual Brush Pens, and water pens all have a significant bleed. That’s a deal killer for me.

Other Features – is it all BAD?

The Hustle Co Notebook has 160 numbered pages. The one I purchased is A5 with a 5mm dot grid pattern. The grid is 26 spaces wide by 39 spaces tall per page. (I call spaces the middle parts between the dots). For a spread, it is 52 spaces wide.

The pen loop is on the spine of the book, which I think is really innovative. There is one bookmark, an elastic band to close the book. On the back cover, there’s a pocket for keeping loose papers. Mine came with a plastic ruler with centimeters & inches. The texture of the cover almost feels rubbery, the spine is dark blue and the front and back covers are matte black. The pages are off-white, just a shade darker than the Scribbles That Matter notebooks, but about the same color as a Leuchtturm.

The pages are very thick and it feels like a great notebook! It did withstand the Dr. Ph Martin’s Copperplate Gold I painted on the key and there was no bleed with the ink on the reverse of the key page.

What Didn’t Bleed

Papermate Flair pens, Pigma Micron pens & Tombow Fudenosuke pens did not bleed and there was minimal ghosting with the thickest lines from the Fudenosuke pens. I think it can’t handle anything water-based with a lot of ink flow.

I inked a couple of fountain pens with Noodler’s purple ink (a Lamy Fine point & a medium nib Konrad Flex Demo). The fine nib didn’t bleed, the medium nib wanted to bleed, but didn’t. I think it would bleed if you applied any more thin-ink to the page.

I also tried gel pens & some new Bic Roller Glide pens I found one day (which bled through horribly in all my other notebooks). Both the gel pens and the roller glide pens were great!

In Summary:

I really wish this notebook didn’t bleed! Since this notebook won’t work for my daily needs, I’ll have to postpone my January Bullet Journal set up. I thought I found a gem when I bought it because of the advertised thick pages. If you don’t blend Tombow Markers or use multiple layers when coloring with Crayola Markers, the price is very good for the thickness of the paper and might work wonderfully for you.

I decided to turn it into a book-reading log instead of wasting the notebook and will be very careful when I watercolor on pages and skip a page between if needed. I’ll post a video set up of the reading log this week – which I am very excited to share with you.

Oh Well…On to the next notebook to try!

What notebook do you use? Do you love it or does it flop? I’m on a search to find the perfect notebook that withstands Tombow Marker blending, light watercoloring with water pens. Leave a comment with your suggestions. I’d love to check them out!

Check out the products I used/referenced here:

Tutorial: How Watercolor Paint with Markers in Your Bullet Journal

December 23, 2018 2 Comments

Marker Watercolor Painting

Today I’ll show you how I use Crayola markers to watercolor paint in my notebooks and Bullet Journal. I like to use watercolor in my bullet journal, but don’t want the overly wrinkled pages, and the bleed through that sometimes happens with watercolor simply because it’s not watercolor paper.

Why Markers?

When I use markers with a water pen, I get the variety of vibrant colors, and it paints somewhat like watercolor, and as long as I don’t use too much water, it very rarely bleeds through. You don’t need as much water when painting with markers, which is nice. One thing to note, the colors don’t blend as well because I use very little water in the first place. It’s rare to have puddles of water like sometimes happens with traditional watercolor, so it dries much faster as well.

What you Need to Start

Watercolor Marker Painting is one of my favorite techniques, and I don’t need a lot of high-quality equipment. Marker watercolor painting is my favorite go-to method in my planner.

What I use to marker watercolor paint:

Markers: I bought the 100 pack of Crayola Markers for about $15 at Target because I wanted all the colors. You can use other types of markers too. I plan on using my Tombow Dual Brush Tip markers when I get more colors.
Next, I use a simple water pen – you can also use regular brushes and dip in water, but I tend to get too much liquid that way.
I always have a paper towel handy for changes between colors.
As a palette for my ‘paints,’ I recruited a simple kitchen plate. You could use a Ziploc bag or laminated paper, someplace where you can scribble the markers then dip the water pen into the colors and paint.

How To Do It:

Once you’ve chosen your colors and scribbled them on your palette (see below for recommendations & what I use), squish your water pen slightly to get the water flowing but not dripping. Then run the brush through the marker scribbles to pick up the color. Brush lightly on your paper. Don’t use too much water and work fast because it will dry quickly! It’s oh so satisfying!

Watch the video below for the techniques I use. I use this method in almost every video on my YouTube Channel where I paint in my bullet journal. Early on, I used watercolor paints and was very disappointed that the paint rubbed off or sometimes flaked off and I couldn’t write over the paint.

Other Benefits

The other thing that I like about painting with markers is that I can erase the pencil marks left under the color when it dries. And I can write over it with any pen. So you can watercolor the background and still use that part of the page.

Supplies:

Markers:

Crayola Markers – inexpensive and comes in several different sizes. I prefer the super tip markers, not the broad tip markers because they don’t take up as much room. When I letter with Super Tips, I get a better result for my style. Though, I have seen beautiful lettering with the broad tip markers. Super Tips come in 10, 20, 50, 80, 100 count varieties (plus lots of other choices). They are not numbered and don’t have a color reference other than on the back of the box, so if you want to know what color you’re getting, you might have to make up a system to keep track of the colors.

Tombow Dual Tip Brush Markers – Find them individually at Michaels, and I think Hobby Lobby. You can buy small packs or a large variety pack.

Water Brush Pens:

I haven’t found a brand that I like more than others. Having a variety of brush widths is my only requirement – but here are some I’ve purchased and use on a regular basis. Sometimes I mix and match brands.

Miscellaneous:

I use this Marker Watercolor Painting technique in every journal. So far, I’ve used it in Leuchtturm1917, Scribbles that Matter, Lemome, and my own journals created on 32 lb HP paper. As long as I don’t use too much water, I’m happy with the result.

Paper towels are a must! I keep a roll near my desk. It’s essential to clean out your water pens when switching colors. Water pens make it easy to clean. Squish the handle a little, so water comes through the brush fibers and clean it off with the paper towel. Another reason I love this technique!

Something to scribble on: I use a plate. Really, a Correll kitchen plate that lives in my desk drawer. Whatever you use, make sure it is a smooth, non-porous surface to where to scribble the markers. A Ziploc bag or laminated piece of paper would do the trick too — really low tech, here.