Friday, December 4, 2015
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
The Ghost of Planners Past
I dug through my chest of photos, baby blankets, high school love notes, and other keepsakes to bring you the ghost of planners past. I originally thought past, present, and future would all be in one post but there's a lot of photos so I'm actually going to break it down into two posts.
First up July 2010 - June 2011:
My system mainly consisted this monthly/weekly Blue Sky planner (which I decorated with magazine pages), 1 or 2 types of sticky notes, and penciling in all my classes, squishing what was due that day into the space next to it.
I kept most things in pencil in case plans or due dates changed. The busier things got, the most sticky notes filled a page. For the most part, when I completed a full sticky note, I threw it away which worked as a great motivator. This system worked well for the time so a lot didn't change a lot moving into my next planner.
Next up July 2011 - June 2012:
January 2013 - December 2013:
This system consisted of the Greenroom monthly/weekly planner, more sticky notes, even more stickers, a broken mechanical pencil, and running out of space more often.
Towards the end of the year I started looking for an alternative planner online since I didn't like anything I was finding in store. That's when I found the Moleskine planners which had way more space and allowed more room for colorful creativity. I transferred into a new planner before I was even completely finished with the one before.
July 2013 - December 2014:
I started with a few new sticky notes, a new set of pens, and started adding washi tape. Halfway through I switched to a different type of colored pen since the ones I was using were already starting to run out of ink/ didn't write dark enough for my liking. Here are a few of my favorite pages:
As you can see, I started color coordinating certain items (ex. purple = positive thought, orange = meals, etc.) and added weather and a various habit trackers (water, meds, etc.) not to mention stickers and doodles. I also moved my homework and other tasks to the lined portion of each weekly spread, lining up with the days that they were due. It wasn't an entirely consistent system and I moved things around a lot which kept me from staying on track (though it sure did look pretty and I hope to reintegrate the creativity back into my current bujo).
As you can see, I started color coordinating certain items (ex. purple = positive thought, orange = meals, etc.) and added weather and a various habit trackers (water, meds, etc.) not to mention stickers and doodles. I also moved my homework and other tasks to the lined portion of each weekly spread, lining up with the days that they were due. It wasn't an entirely consistent system and I moved things around a lot which kept me from staying on track (though it sure did look pretty and I hope to reintegrate the creativity back into my current bujo).
Since I was in a post-baccalaureate program at the time I thought I should stick with the same system so I bought another weekly Moleskine as time neared the new year.
January 2015 - December 2015:
Yup, that's a third set of pens that I switched to. They had a finer tip, got better reviews on Amazon, and they're pretty. Also, I think that cup stain on the front just speaks to how this planner was realistically used most of the time. Here are a few of my favorite pages from the last year including that time I tried to draw out what I was packing for a trip visiting family:
A lot of the same, right? What you don't see (because they would be boring) is a bunch of blank pages that I didn't have enough of anything to fill it up. The first half of the year I was still in school so it worked out just fine but ever since March-ish, I don't have a constant flow of homework to keep track of. Additionally, now with a more flexible due date of tasks, I hate that once a week is over, no matter how busy I was or was not, I have to move forward since its pre dated. I never expected to look for a system that allowed complete flexibility but that brings me to my current system.
But since this post is more than long enough for one day of reading, I'm saving all my tidbits of my current experimenting with a BuJo until next Wednesday. Also, join me Friday for an exciting announcement. If you have any questions or what a better look at any of the pages here, just let me know!
Hope your hump day was more pleasant than mine - I'm spending my first day off since Thanksgiving, stuck on the couch with the sicky... on the same day that I was supposed to be getting my flu shot. So much for that.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Crafty Finishes - November 2015
Oh hey, I know I sort of dropped off the end of the world there. To sum it all up: I get headaches on a daily basis but, thankfully, my doctor has helped me be proactive about it so I take medicine for it nightly. However, if I've had an especially stressful day or I try to use my eyes too much (staring at a backlit screen, reading for long periods or small font, or staring intently at something/ cross stitch) the headache turns into a full blown migraine. With Thanksgiving, black friday, and some family issues (don't you dare start to assume to know what I'm talking about; you know who you are and if you don't know what I'm talking about then don't worry about it) all building up, I wasn't able to sit down and write up blog posts or edit photos until now. I'm sorry but I'm back and moving forward.
So, not a lot of words today, just some fun pictures of what I've been crafting. Leading up to Christmas my crafty photos will be a bit vague since the crafts are mostly presents but afterwards I'll be sure to share with you the finished products.
First up, the fun stuff I made for the Star Wars Swap. See the completed package on the swap page.
And for my final swap for the foreseeable future, the Mermaid themed craft swap. Again, you can see the full swap package (and what I received) on the swap page.
Once I made the first 1-Hour basket I just wanted to make more. The pattern is free and I think it would be a great scrap buster to make them all quilty. Yup, that's definitely going to happen. If you too want to know what all the fuss is about get the pattern --> here.
Just in time for the big meal, Tom Turkey placemats that I started this time last year (those HST freaked me out back then but I've got them all figured out now).
Last year J and I each chose the fabric we wanted as part of our Mr. Turkeys and then I pieced them all together. Even after messing up the first few cuts, I think both turned out quite well. It was fun to finally have some sort of fall decoration up and I have some plans for next year's decorations. If you are the crafty sort and want to make one for yourself, its a free pattern offered by Bee In My Bonnet -> here.
Speaking of holidays, here are two Christmas gift sneak peaks that I posted to instagram earlier this week. Please don't try and guess what they are or who they're for, it'll spoil the surprise.
For the first photo, I finally conquered my fear of curves by taking on full circles. And the second photo is to show off my improved ability at matching up patterns and stringing strips together. I know the tail is a bit off but considering how crooked the pattern was to start with, I'm happy with it.
Finally, the piece I'm most excited to have finished, was my Christmas quilt. We even took it out for my first ever quilt photo shoot. I'm hoping there are many more of these in my future (and perhaps, someday, with a better camera than just my cell phone).
I wanted the quilt to have the feel of a traditional Christmas quilt to represent the traditions my family has always had and then its quilted with Scandinavian snow flakes to represent J and his family. So, the two together, make a new tradition for our new family - when the quilt comes out so does the holiday planning, music, and cheer. The importance that I was placing on it is what led to it taking me so long. I didn't want to mess up so I was afraid of even trying but, in the end, I'm glad I took that deep breath and went for it.
Here's a closer look at the quilt so you can get a better look at the quilting (there's a snowflake over each diamond and crosshatch quilting around the border).
It was a cold and windy day so it was a bit of a fight to catch a photo of the quilt not blowing in the breeze. The photo on the left was the most successful photo we caught of the back of the quilt. You can see some of the quilting on this side too.
Everyday since September 10th of this year we've been taking a selfie a day to countdown to our wedding, minus a few days that we got tired of taking selfies sitting on the couch (284 days to go!!). It just seemed fitting that we include the quilt in this day's photo.
Aren't we the cutest!? Yes I am definitely stealing more of the blanket than what J had but it was super cold that day!
That's it for my crafty finishes the last two weeks. I have plenty more on my list to complete especially with my Christmas gift deadline being 21 days from now so more pictures coming soon.
Oh, and if you're wondering about my completed book list. Please laugh with me as I say that I read a single book and 2 graphic novels this month. I did play Portal 2 start to finish in less than 24 hours, finish a quilt, work close to 30 hours a week, and keep up on my house chores though so give me a break :) Many of last month's books I still want to read so I've extended their due dates at the library to give me more time. I also have a growing list of books I've received for review so I want to give an honest review of those as well. Stay tuned for all that fun.
On Wednesday, since its the beginning of the month, I'll be sharing my bullet journal (what I had intended to share on the Friday I disappeared) past, present, and future. Hope to see you again and I appreciate your time. As always, you can follow me on Instagram @trekkiechick29 or Pinterest @TrekkerChick29 or Twitter @AimeXAime and check out my etsy shop. Until next time my holiday spirited readers, live long, give thanks, and prosper!
So, not a lot of words today, just some fun pictures of what I've been crafting. Leading up to Christmas my crafty photos will be a bit vague since the crafts are mostly presents but afterwards I'll be sure to share with you the finished products.
First up, the fun stuff I made for the Star Wars Swap. See the completed package on the swap page.
 |
| 1-Hour baskets and headbands |
And for my final swap for the foreseeable future, the Mermaid themed craft swap. Again, you can see the full swap package (and what I received) on the swap page.
 |
| A 1-Hour basket based off my partners mermaid colors and a fun scarf |
Once I made the first 1-Hour basket I just wanted to make more. The pattern is free and I think it would be a great scrap buster to make them all quilty. Yup, that's definitely going to happen. If you too want to know what all the fuss is about get the pattern --> here.
Just in time for the big meal, Tom Turkey placemats that I started this time last year (those HST freaked me out back then but I've got them all figured out now).
Last year J and I each chose the fabric we wanted as part of our Mr. Turkeys and then I pieced them all together. Even after messing up the first few cuts, I think both turned out quite well. It was fun to finally have some sort of fall decoration up and I have some plans for next year's decorations. If you are the crafty sort and want to make one for yourself, its a free pattern offered by Bee In My Bonnet -> here.
Speaking of holidays, here are two Christmas gift sneak peaks that I posted to instagram earlier this week. Please don't try and guess what they are or who they're for, it'll spoil the surprise.
For the first photo, I finally conquered my fear of curves by taking on full circles. And the second photo is to show off my improved ability at matching up patterns and stringing strips together. I know the tail is a bit off but considering how crooked the pattern was to start with, I'm happy with it.
Finally, the piece I'm most excited to have finished, was my Christmas quilt. We even took it out for my first ever quilt photo shoot. I'm hoping there are many more of these in my future (and perhaps, someday, with a better camera than just my cell phone).
I wanted the quilt to have the feel of a traditional Christmas quilt to represent the traditions my family has always had and then its quilted with Scandinavian snow flakes to represent J and his family. So, the two together, make a new tradition for our new family - when the quilt comes out so does the holiday planning, music, and cheer. The importance that I was placing on it is what led to it taking me so long. I didn't want to mess up so I was afraid of even trying but, in the end, I'm glad I took that deep breath and went for it.
Here's a closer look at the quilt so you can get a better look at the quilting (there's a snowflake over each diamond and crosshatch quilting around the border).
It was a cold and windy day so it was a bit of a fight to catch a photo of the quilt not blowing in the breeze. The photo on the left was the most successful photo we caught of the back of the quilt. You can see some of the quilting on this side too.
Everyday since September 10th of this year we've been taking a selfie a day to countdown to our wedding, minus a few days that we got tired of taking selfies sitting on the couch (284 days to go!!). It just seemed fitting that we include the quilt in this day's photo.
Aren't we the cutest!? Yes I am definitely stealing more of the blanket than what J had but it was super cold that day!
That's it for my crafty finishes the last two weeks. I have plenty more on my list to complete especially with my Christmas gift deadline being 21 days from now so more pictures coming soon.
Oh, and if you're wondering about my completed book list. Please laugh with me as I say that I read a single book and 2 graphic novels this month. I did play Portal 2 start to finish in less than 24 hours, finish a quilt, work close to 30 hours a week, and keep up on my house chores though so give me a break :) Many of last month's books I still want to read so I've extended their due dates at the library to give me more time. I also have a growing list of books I've received for review so I want to give an honest review of those as well. Stay tuned for all that fun.
On Wednesday, since its the beginning of the month, I'll be sharing my bullet journal (what I had intended to share on the Friday I disappeared) past, present, and future. Hope to see you again and I appreciate your time. As always, you can follow me on Instagram @trekkiechick29 or Pinterest @TrekkerChick29 or Twitter @AimeXAime and check out my etsy shop. Until next time my holiday spirited readers, live long, give thanks, and prosper!
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