And like that…It’s November – 1st Week of November – Minimal for Function

November 1, 2017 9 Comments

And like that…It’s November.

What in the world? It’s November! I just got used to writing 2017 as the year. We are in the thick of holiday season (or very near to the thick – is that a thing?) and I am definitely relying on my minimalistic weekly designs to guide me through this busy time of year. I decided this month to start at the beginning of the month instead of half the week’s spread from October and the other half as November. So I ended up with a couple of half-week layouts.

I had big plans for the start of this month

My big plans were to start this month off beautifully. I even went grocery shopping this morning to get ahead on…well.. life without having to drag my three kids along. All those good intentions were met at every turn with something just trying to bring me to my knees.

You ever have one of those days you know, the day that just won’t quit? That was today for me. I have worked very hard to simplify this next month and show more gratitude. I firmly believe that if I wouldn’t have tried so hard to include these two things in my life today could have quite possibly knocked me down for a good part of the month. It was that bad. I didn’t realize I would gain strength from simplifying my life and having an enhanced attitude of gratitude.

This week has just five boxes on this page plus a ‘to do’ section – it’s strange how a minimalistic design can bring such peace and tranquillity amidst chaos.

What do you do for tranquility?

So I would like to know what you do that helps bring tranquility to your life when your whole day goes awry.

Do you meditate?
Do you exercise?
Yoga?
Eat Chocolate?
Binge-watch your favorite show?

After I post this, I am going to go mindlessly doodle. Maybe it will be amazing. Maybe not. Today it doesn’t matter because I need it to mentally recharge. Regardless of the outcome of my doodles, I feel like because I planned – not just my day but planned my month to live beautifully I am able to overcome and bounce back ready for a new day with renewed resolve.

Dimensions of the Spread:

Here are the dimensions of the single page plan – this could be used for a work week with just 5 days and fit two weeks to a two-page spread.

Tomorrow is a new day hand lettered quote

Remember to plan your life so you live beautifully.

Tricia

Starting in the middle of the week with the beginning of a new month? Here is a minimalistic weekly design for your bullet journal, minimalism

Weekly Layout – Mini Time Block + Pumpkins & Mummy Text

October 21, 2017 4 Comments

Simple Weekly Horizontal Spread with Mini-Time Block with Pumpkins & Mummified text

It is nearly the end of October! What happened? This month went by faster than September! This month has had some ups and downs. I think I take on too much emotionally. I internalize everything. Journaling has helped me overcome this and get me out a slump or help me pull myself back up and keep moving on. I created a simple weekly horizontal spread with a larger place for daily ‘to dos’ and a small area for time-blocking.

This spread focuses focus on just the area of time that I am struggling with – the evening time, which is when I do a majority of my blog/video work. I find that if I am slipping into a slump of some kind simplifying gives me freedom, which reignites my creativity. This is a HUGE reason why I am an advocate for my bullet journal. I have the flexibility to change things week-to-week or even day-to-day based on what I need.

Weekly Horizontal Bullet Journal with mini-time blocking and cute pumpkin doodles

Last week I tried to time block my whole day but left little room for those pesky ‘to dos’ that creep up but don’t need a time-slot. If I start using dailies, I think that weekly overview of the time blocks would be more beneficial. I haven’t made the leap to using a daily planner yet.

Ways to use the time block

In the video, I thought I might write the tasks assigned to the time block below, using brackets to designate the tasks for the block of time. But I could instead use color to appoint blocks of time assigned to a task. Hmmm.

Left side weekly spread view, pumpkin details and time blocking are sure to warm up that inspiration | Chocolate Musings

Cohesive Weekday Plans and Off-the-Cuff Weekends

I start my weeks on Monday if nothing else to make my weekends look larger. But I like having my weekdays together – it makes things feel more cohesive. A little section for meals, general ‘to dos’, fill up what might be considered the un-scripted bottom part on the left page.

Saturday and Sunday nestle nicely together. I do not time block those days – we do lots of family things like going to the park or playing frisbee outside or in the cul-de-sac or building the tallest Lego tower ever so Lego Batman can scale to the top of the table or going to QT (QuikTrip – a local gas station that has fun drinks!) that are completely unscripted and usually spur-of-the-moment type activities. Sometimes, we just sit and watch a movie. Often times, my little girl (who is turning 6 tomorrow! – what???), will ask me to show her my art for the week and she will try out my techniques. She saw my ‘mummy video’ (see the post here on how to create mummy text) and immediately tried it out.

If I have errands or events, I will jot them down in the Saturday/Sunday slots – but those days usually stay pretty clear.

YouTube Planning Video

I created a video of my set up for this week. Watch the video below or on my YouTube Channel here. Don’t forget to like and subscribe for future videos.

Mummy Text and Script Hand Writing

I discovered that making Mummified text was so much fun – and completely appropriate for the nearing holiday, I added some mummy text to the weekday names. If you missed it, here is the tutorial for making mummy text or mummy pumpkins or mummied mummys. Whatever you wish to mummify. The orange washi tape is to mark my monthly calendar (see the set-up here). I love the sparkle!

Doodle Details

I love the days written over the top of doodled pumpkins and the swirls of the green vines on the pumpkins below. Just enough whimsy and doodle to keep the page interesting, but give enough space to write and plan and all the things.

Overall

Overall I love this Simple Weekly Horizontal Spread. It has enough space to plan and create and enough function to accommodate schedules.

Mummy text and cursive writing mix for days of the week | Bullet Journal Weekly Layout with Mini-Time Block

Weekly planner layout with mini-time block and fall doodles

Look on the Bright Side – It’s About Perspective | Life in Comics

October 4, 2017 Leave a Comment

Life in Perspective

So this happened yesterday. No, I did not randomly come across snails painting Mona Lisa portraits, but a painting of mine got smudged by a well-intentioned significant other. It was a painting for someone else. There’s no saving it, I will have to redo it. I went to bed last night trying to control my anger. I tried to keep things in perspective – that there are bigger problems in life. However, my subconscious was serving up dreams that would have said that I was angry. My vibrant dreams were riddled with me running away and crying.

Positive Perspective - snails painting and learning to look on the bright side, even after the worst seemed to happen

Perspective is a Choice

But the thing is, I don’t want to feel angry with my significant other. He didn’t mean to. If I were completely honest with myself this painting for someone else and the quality was not up to my expected standard. I would be embarrassed to give it to them. It needed to be redone. It’s just hard to admit that after you’ve spent time and energy producing something that could be classified as just ‘alright’.

I will redo the painting, and this time, I will be proud of the end product. But what’s more, is that this idea of life in comics actually took shape. You see, I have had this idea for a month or so, but how to implement this idea was elusive. So as I dreamt in my restless state, the ideas formed and came together.

I woke up early this morning, even before my 8-month-old woke up. I created what was in my mind in about 45 minutes. Where in the past, it took me hours and I would end up with nothing to show for it. It’s amazing when and how inspiration comes. It was a very welcome change, especially since I’ve been in a slump for really being productive and getting things done.

So here’s to the choice of looking on the bright side and finding good in every situation. It’s all about perspective. And perspective is a choice.

Emphasis on the RIGHT Words

September 26, 2017 1 Comment

I love lettering. That activity propelled me to get into finding and doing things that I love to help me be a better person.

What is lettering?

Lettering is a form of drawing each letter instead of writing. It’s called many things. Hand-lettering, modern calligraphy, faux calligraphy, lettering etc.

There are many ways to letter a word, sentence, or quote by hand. Some choose a font on their computer and print it out. Each person has their own style. There are more fonts in the world than we could ever count. And I am not a pro {yet} by any means. I am putting in my 10,000 hours to become one… but that is another story for another time.

I started collecting fonts when I had a little computer with 8 gigs of hard drive space. Not RAM, hard drive space. It was a thing. I took a typography class in college and learned how to write in Uncial (here is a google search on Uncial font images if you’re curious.) Even this LOOOOOOOOONG time later, I can still pick up a calligraphy dip pen and produce the letters learned in this class.

I am also a lover of quotes.

Can I tell you that these two loves {quotes + lettering} are a match made in heaven? It takes all the time I will give it. Find a quote, and write it a million different ways. Mix fonts, change styles, try different backgrounds, frames, add a wreath border or another border. ALL THE THINGS. I tell you, if I could read quotes all day long, then write them down, I would do it. I include quotes when I can in my planner.

If you start doing this – it’s a rabbit hole from the likes of which you will never return. By your choice, of course! I am not going to talk about the types of supplies needed to start lettering – there are so many sources and that is not what this post is emphasizing. See what I did there? I emphasized a word.

What is the point of all this talk of lettering and quotes?

Emphasis.

Emphasis is the point.

There are so many times where I have started writing a quote, a very nice quote, and I emphasize the wrong word.

For instance – do any google image search “Quotes on ______” winning, failing, love, joy, hope – it doesn’t matter, just choose your subject. Do not read the quote, just look at it. See which words stand out or which words are emphasized.

I found this quote:

http://img.picturequotes.com/2/546/545603/failure-quote-1.jpg

You Try, You Fail
You Try, You Fail

—-The Real—

Failure
is when you
Stop Trying

If you do not read the quote – and you just glance at it, the quote says:

You Fail
You Fail,
Failure
Stop Trying

Now, this quote is very hard to emphasize on the positive because there are so many negative words. If I were to redo this quote – I might emphasize You Try, You Try and Trying. Still not a lot of positivity, but hopefully, you can see my point about emphasis.

Here is something I lettered – and re-lettered because I didn’t pay attention to the emphasis of the words.

No judgment on my lettering – I am still practicing and as you may have seen, practice makes progress, but I love this quote. If you glance at the words, it says: “You, Wake Up, Be Incredible”. I’m more than ok with that shortened summary of this quote.

I initially wrote this quote with the WRONG words emphasized. At first glance, it said: You, Mediocre, Incredible. Wait, what? What did that quote just say to me? It said I’m mediocre and incredible? That is incredibly confusing.

Emphasize the main points – usually positive words.

When you are lettering, or even choosing fonts on your computer for a favorite quote or mantra, pay attention to the emphasized words. Then when you glance at the quote and say it in your mind as part of your affirmations, or positive reinforcement for yourself, you will see more motivation in the quote and there eliminate any subtle or subconscious detrimental phrases undermining the positive change you are seeking.

More positivity, less negativity! Especially in the subconscious.

This is the end of my Public Service Announcement. You. Wake Up. Be Incredible. Have a good week.

You, wake up, be incredible motivational quote

Follow me on Instagram – I love to post positive quotes among other things to make life better and happier.

If you have a favorite quote leave a comment below! I’d love to hear from you. Link to your blog/Instagram post with your favorite quote, I’d be happy to approve it 🙂