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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 » water color

A Christmas Story Bullet Journal Theme

November 26, 2017 6 Comments

Do you love holiday movies? I have a few favorites that I love to watch every Christmas season. A Christmas Story is one that I enjoy, it’s lighthearted and even more applicable now that I have kids. I had to try using A Christmas Story as a Bullet Journal theme.

  • Extra elements for weekly themes in your bullet journal + movie quotes | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Movie references from a themed bullet journal weekly spread - A Christmas Story | ChocolateMusings.com

I’m a fan of themes in my bullet journal. I love to change the colors, doodles, and style month-to-month. It’s a fun challenge to take elements from a favorite movie, such as A Christmas Story, and weave them into your bullet journal throughout the month.

If you’re looking for a way to add a little fun to your holiday spreads, here are some ideas you can apply to your bullet journal themes. I decided to highlight different scenes of A Christmas Story throughout the month.

Other Ways to Dress-Up the Bullet Journal Theme:

  • sprinkle handlettered-titles throughout the month
  • add a few snowflake mandalas
  • paint with markers, plus a little sparkle from shimmer watercolor paints
  • and add iconic memories from the movie
  • include some well-placed quotes from the film

Here are a Few Hilarious One-Liners and Classic Scenes from A Christmas Story:

  • Pink bunny costume
  • The Fragile Lamp (and the enormous box it came in)
  • Flag pole and frozen tongue
  • Broken glasses
  • Decoding in the Bathroom
  • Changing the Tire
  • Christmas Dinner at the Restaurant
  • Santa at the Department Store
  • Bullies
  • A+++++++++/C+

If you’ve seen the movie, images of the scenes probably popped into your head, and hopefully, left a gigantic smile on your face.

Extra elements for weekly themes in your bullet journal + movie quotes | ChocolateMusings.com

How to Start Making a Themed Bullet Journal

When creating a movie-themed bullet journal month, list your favorite scenes or iconic moments to determine what you want to include. Then distill those scenes into a few elements that tell the story without having all the details.

Tips When Creating a Themed Bullet Journal Spread

Something to remember when creating a themed bullet journal for the month or even just a single spread: you don’t have to create an entire scene. Use classic pieces from the story to create a fun theme. Such as fonts from the opening title, famous one-liner quotes from the movie, iconic line-drawing illustrations of memorable scenes (like the leg lamp) all create a unique interpretation of the story.

Leave yourself space for to-dos and appointments, especially during a busy holiday month. However, if you get carried away with graphics, don’t be afraid to write over your illustrations. After all, I created it in a notebook intended as my planner. If you can’t bring yourself to write over the doodles, then keep your theme illustrations to the side margins, so you have plenty of space to work in your bullet journal.

After The Pen - Bullet Journal Weekly Theme: A Christmas Story - creating a theme doesn't mean you can't use the page! | ChocolateMusings.com

Here are the theme elements I used in my bullet journal – A Christmas Story:

  • Opening movie title font & wreath – Welcome Page
  • Santa’s List, C+ grade, and Little Orphan Annie Decoder – Monthly Log
  • “I can’t put my arms down” illustration – Habit Tracker.

To enhance the theme, I chose a different “A Christmas Story” component or each of the weeks in my bullet journal during the month:

  • Movie quote & pink bunny pajamas
  • Leg Lamp + Fra-gi-le Box
  • I double-dog dare you flag pole
  • Official Red Ryder Outfit & Cracks in Glasses
  • Whoopie! A Zeppelin! & Oooooooh Fuuuuuuudge!
Busy? But want a bullet journal theme? Add a few elements from your theme and leave lots of space for your calendar, appointments, and to-dos for the week! | ChocolateMusings.com

A Christmas Story Bullet Journal Theme: Welcome Page

A Christmas Story Bullet Journal Theme: Use font inspiration from your movie theme for extra elements! | ChocolateMusings.com

You don’t have to create the movie title exactly in your bullet journal. Use the font as an inspiration for your own title. In this case, I wrote ‘Hello December in the recognizable font used in A Christmas Story.

In case you’re wondering, the title font is ITCBookman Swash. I found the font on a couple of websites:
Fontsgeek.com
Myfonts.com – this one has a great resource called “what the font.” Use it if you need to identify a particular font.

Side note: if you use a font in graphics to sell or anything other than personal use, make sure you have the commercial license for that font.

Trace the font or freehand draw it into your journal. Pay particular attention to the special extras a font has. In this case, the swashes (like the curl on the H, D, m, and r) are an essential part of this font.

Change it up! Use Movie Quotes to Enhance Your Theme

Incorporate quotes into your bullet journal theme. Luckily, A Christmas Story’s script is chock-full of U short quotes.

Infamous scenes like the pink bunny outfit or leg lamp are so memorable partially due to the comedic one-liner quotes like: “Aunt Clara had for years labored under the delusion that I was not only perpetually 4 years old, but also a girl.” And “he looks like a deranged Easter Bunny” immediately brings to mind the pink bunny costume scene.

Elements from the Theme

You don’t have to create elaborate layouts for a theme. I drew a starburst shape on Ralphie’s glasses on the main illustration for this weekly layout. Then repeated the starburst shape marking each of the days.

What are some other quotes from A Christmas Story would you use?

Official Red Ryder | You'll Shoot Your Eye Out Weekly Bullet Journal Spread - use elements from your theme to create a fun & functional spread | ChocolateMusings.com

Plan With Me Videos

Watch the playlist with all the plan with me videos for this December’s Bullet Journal Set up.

Bullet Journal Theme: A Christmas Story

I have to tell you what fun I had with this ‘A Christmas Story’ Theme in my bullet journal. Using shapes to represent the hole in Ralphie’s glasses, the Fragile box, leg lamp, and other subtle nods made this theme even more delightful.

If you were to use A Christmas Story Theme in your bullet journal, what other items would you use? For instance, the little brother’s scarf could be a mood/habit tracker. What else would you do?

  • Add extra 'Easter Eggs' to your monthly bullet journal theme so you discover them throughout the month. It makes your bullet journal theme extra fun! | ChocolateMusings.com

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, Plan With Me 2017, Planner Spreads Tagged: #BuJo, Bullet Journal, bullet journal spread, december, december 2017, leuchtturm1917, page layout, plan with me, quotation, quote, Quotes, tips and tricks, water color, welcome page

Life Lessons from a Trapped Hummingbird | Journal Prompts

September 13, 2017 2 Comments

The other day I walked into a garage and a tiny hummingbird was struggling to find its way out. The tiny fellow kept flying up into the ceiling for hours. I tried opening just the garage door and turning off all the lights, and yet it did not recognize the solution to its predicament. The problem for the sacred bird was that it did not stop to see how he could get out. In this case, to be free, he needed to fly down and out. But it kept fluttering against the ceiling. Eventually, I was able to catch the bird gently between two brooms with a light blanket draped between the bristles. I brought the bird down gently, walked out of the garage and let the tiny bird go. It fluttered quickly away.

A few days later, in the same garage, another bird (or maybe the same one??) was trapped. This time, the bird was so exhausted that it was easily caught by hand. We gave the tiny bird some sugar water, and when strong enough, it opened its wings and flew gratefully away, leaving a feather that spoke of how delicate the petite bird was.

Hummingbird and Feather held by hand | Life Lessons from a Trapped Hummingbird - Journal Prompt | ChocolateMusings.com #journalprompt #lifelessons #hummingbird

I love finding correlations between life events {no matter how small or large} and applying them to life.

In these cases, I could see that the hummingbirds wanted to get out, they wanted freedom. They were doing what they thought was best, by continually going up. In life, we want to go up, make more money, increase our happiness, climb the social or corporate ladder, up, up up. Sometimes, however, we get too caught up with progression to actually progress.

I am not a counselor or a therapist, but these are questions I ask myself to find out where I am, where I want to go, and what is keeping me from getting there.

Here are questions to ask yourself about your life goals:

  • Do I know where I want to go?

If your answer is ‘no’, stop and ask yourself what it is you want in a week, a month, a year. It could be your lack of goals that is keeping you from moving forward.

Then ask yourself:

  • Where am I right now?
  • Where do I want to go?
  • What is stopping me from achieving what I want?

Are we like this hummingbird who so desperately wants to go up, but cannot see that the way out is not up? Sometimes if you just take a moment to adjust your view, you can fly higher than you ever thought possible.

Watercolor hummingbird with paint pallets

Sometimes you have to question your “whys” as well.

  • Why do I need this?
  • Would I be happier just to move on?

If you are happier just to move on then re-evaluate your goals. It’s my opinion that your goals should always bring some sort of happiness. I’m not saying that every step of the way will be peaches and pie (is that a real saying or did I just make it up?) but goals need to be something that brings your mind peace and your soul some sort of happiness or satisfaction.

The solution to your problem could be just a “paused moment” away. If we just take a moment and meditate on our problem we can see the solution clearly. Other times, there is no way for us to escape or move on without the help of someone else. Do not be ashamed to ask for help. In fact, it takes a great deal of bravery to ask for help.

How Many Times Will We…

How many times will a hummingbird flutter into utter exhaustion just because it won’t stop to really look at the situation? How many times will we walk away from our goals and our desires because we get frustrated with hitting a ‘ceiling’?

Before you become completely exhausted, stop, and look around.

Can you see another solution? If not, ask yourself:

  • Who can help me?
  • What resources do I need?
  • Is there another solution?
  • What can I change to keep moving?

Learn from the lesson of the trapped hummingbird to solve your problem and if you need, ask for help.

Did you see any other life lessons from my hummingbird/life correlation? What did you learn? What would you use from this experience?

It’s amazing how objects and situations can take on a deeper meaning if you apply them to your life and learn from them. I painted this hummingbird a couple months before this recent experience with the hummingbirds in the garage. I look at this painting with renewed eyes and a fresh new perspective. This correlation will perhaps change the way I see these creatures going forward and it will be an opportunity to remind myself to pause, and really assess where I am in achieving my goals.

I gathered other inspiration when painting this hummingbird from the 300 Drawing Prompts Book. I love vibrant colors and how the colors shimmer, blend, and transition.

Hummingbird watercolor painting progression

Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

One other hummingbird-to-life correlation is that the video (below) is close to hyper speed (okay, maybe not that fast, but it is sped up… a lot). Don’t compare yourself to other people just because they are moving faster than you. Be certain that you are seeing all the details.

For instance: This video is just under 2 minutes. But the painting took about an hour and a half to complete. All the times when I dipped my brush in the ink are removed. I edited out the time that I stood up and stretched my legs and removed out the long conversation with my husband and left the camera running (oops).

I looked at picture after picture before I even put pencil to paper to find inspiration for this lovely little fellow. My point is, it takes a while to do things, but you may be only seeing the final result.

Just a thought to end my life lesson journey. I hope you enjoy.

I learned many things from the plight of the fragile little hummingbird. One thing I have to remind myself is that there are people around that love me and want to help me and I have to ask for help.

Hummingbird watercolor

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Filed Under: Blog, Find Your Happy, Habits, Journal Prompts & Ideas Tagged: 300 drawing prompts, drawing prompts, hand drawing, Hummingbird, Inspire, life lessons, musings, painting, piccadilly, water color, watercolor

New York City Skyline Weekly Layout

September 8, 2017 1 Comment

I Found a New Love: Skylines.

I sometimes play a game called “Cities: Skylines” but that is another story. For an Instagram challenge this month, I’ve done a couple skyline outlines and, well, it carried over to my weekly theme.

My weeklies start on Monday as I was planning the weeks, I noticed that 9/11 was on a Monday this year. The date stuck out to me. September 11 is very emotional to me. I truly consider it “the day the world stopped turning”. I remember watching in horror when the second plane hit the building after the first was billowing plumes of smoke from the earlier crash. The memory of where I was, what I was doing, who I was with, embedded itself deeply into my mind. Somehow, I knew I would not be the same, I would not look at the world through the same eyes. I am a believer in love overcoming differences so the shock of such hatred was heartbreaking to me.

I am still a believer in love no matter what happened.

Years later, the twin towers rose out of the ashes united in one building instead of two. The skyline of New York has changed and so have our hearts. The only way that we can make sure this world is a better place is by filling our hearts with love and hope.

Vivid Colors

The vivid colors on this layout speak happiness to my soul. The imagery of a sunrise says that there are new beginnings with each new day. Here’s to my memories of the day the world stopped turning, and the ability to start it moving again, let’s move in a positive direction.

Colorful New York City building silhouette at sunrise and reflection | Bullet Journal Inspiration | Weekly Log

Reflections

Above the reflections in the water, I wrote the word “reflections” – a place to include a journal entry for the week. (not shown)

Watch the video of how I created the skyline below. I tell you all about the struggles and the wins of creating this page – if you like it, subscribe. I’d love to make more videos!

Have you used skylines in your planner or journal? What was your page about and which skyline did you include?

1 Comment
Filed Under: Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Bullet Journal, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2017, Planner Spreads Tagged: #BuJo, brush lettering, brush pens, Bullet Journal, city outline, colorful, dual brush markers, flair, Inspire, lettering, leuchtturm1917, new york, page layout, papermate, plan with me, september, silhouette, skyline, tombow, water color

September Week 1: Autumn Colors and Fall Leaves

August 31, 2017 Leave a Comment

Keeping with the monthly theme of “Heck Yes! It’s Fall!” September’s 1st week has an autumn look with the changing colors on the leaves.

See the September monthly spread here

I knew when drawing this out, that the leaves were small and wouldn’t hold a lot of tasks. Maybe I’ll just take the week off and relax. Probably not, but here in the US, Monday the 4th is a holiday, so I will just take one day instead.

I am a ‘sketch it out before painting’ kind of girl. So to create this weekly log, I found a simple leaf pattern and drew it out repeating the pattern with just slight differences. Many eraser marks later, I had just the right amount of whimsy to the branches and leaves. I labeled the leaves to make sure I had drawn enough!

Autumn leaves sketch for the weekly planner spread in my bullet journal. I can't get enough of September and Fall.

After sketching it out, I sampled some chocolate of course. Then I watercolor painted in the tree branch and the leaves. The paper tends to get wavy when I add a lot of water or paint. So I kept as much whitespace as I could. I love the whimsy of this page not to mention the fall colors. I like to fantasize about the day when I paint hyper-realistic and you can’t tell the picture from reality. But I am not that kind of painter – at least yet. This page is nowhere near realistic

I like to fantasize about the day when I paint hyper-realistic and you can’t tell the picture from reality. But I am not that kind of painter – at least yet. This page is nowhere near realistic, but I love it nonetheless for its bright hues and whimsy in the curves of the branches and leaves.

Even though I live in Atlanta and it is still dreadfully hot, I think I need to sip a cup of hot cocoa in honor of this page. Fall here I come, ready or not because I am gearing up for cooler weather, crisp nights and a school schedule for my kids.

Tag me on Instagram (@ChocolateMusingsCreates) with your fall creations or weekly layouts. I would love to see your creative muse at work.

Here’s my process for creating this page in a super speedy video. Enjoy!

I just noticed that I have a pen mark on my left hand from when my kids couldn’t get a ballpoint pen to write. Ah well. The things you do for kids.

A pile of gathered leaves and Autumn inspiration await you. Jump right in!

[arrow_sf id=’1432′]

Want more inspiration?

I update my Pinterest boards regularly with seasonal designs and more awesome ideas & inspiration.
Follow @ChocolateMusingsCreates

Autumn leaves sketch and watercolor painting for the weekly planner spread in my bullet journal. I can't get enough of September and Fall.

Want to know what I used to create this spread? I’ll tell you.


This post contains affiliate links. The cost is same to you but, I will receive a small commission to help support my blogging and creativity habits 🙂
All opinions expressed were solely mine and from my heart.

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Filed Under: Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Bullet Journal, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2017, Planner Spreads Tagged: #BuJo, autumn, Bullet Journal, bullet journal spread, creativity, fall, hand drawing, hand drawn, Inspire, leaves, leuchhturm1917, page layout, plan with me, water color, weekly, Weekly Layout, weekly log, weekly spread, whimsy

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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