August was a long month. And if I can be brutally honest with you, I can't wait for it to be over. Nonetheless, I thought it would be a good idea to reflect upon each month by doing monthly wrap-ups. Let's get to it, shall we?
The main aspect of this month was that I finally started a Bullet Journal. As someone who gets overwhelmed easily, I thought bullet journaling might not be my thing- I tend to be "too perfect" with things that I do, especially when it comes to journaling. But... (there's always a but) I started one and it's been working really well for me so far. I don't have a million to-do lists laying around and everything I need is all in one place (so far, anyway).
What is a Bullet Journal?
If you're a busy or productive human being in general, this is where a Bullet Journal comes in handy. It's basically a planner that is made just for you by you.
What do I need to start a Bullet Journal?
All you really need are two items. A journal and a pen. Of course, I'm naturally "extra" with everything that I do, so I wanted my bullet journal to look eye-pleasing. What I use for my bullet journal is:A journal
I use one that has thicker paper so nothing will "leak" through. You can use any journal of your choosing, I just recommend one that has thicker paper- just in case.
I'm not a huge fan of the cover of my journal at the moment- it's the one with watercolor splatter on the front- it's got this chrome effect (affect?) goin' on that I'm just not fond of. BUT IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR - regards to size and paper quality. I think I'll try to make my own cover to put over the cover so it's a little more eye pleasing for moi.
The two journals/notebooks I got came in a pack together and they were only $4. SAY WHAT? Yeah, bruh. Journals can get super pricey, and if you're just starting out with bullet journaling, I recommend you get something cheap. I got these at Michael's and I'm positive the brand that makes them are Artist's Loft.
A pen
You don't choose the pen, the pen chooses you.You could get a super expensive pen that everyone recommends and it just might not work for you. So, the pen that you acquire is most likely to appear out of nowhere and you'll never be able to live without it again. #truestorybro
The pen that I mainly use is a Faber-Castell PITT artist pen, which I've used before for drawing and whatnot, so I'm kind of used to using that instead of a thin, black Sharpie. It's best for when you want to add some doodles to your spreads or maybe highlight lines that a normal pen can't.
Then the regular pen that I found one semester was THIS HOLY GODDESS.
It's a Pilot pen, which is a brand that I highly recommend. I love it for taking notes and whatnot. For some reason, though, it hasn't been working that well for me when it comes to bullet journaling. Maybe it's getting old? Idk man.
But there's this one Pilot pen I fell in love with a long time ago (WHICH I DON'T HAVE ANYMORE BECAUSE MY SIBLINGS FELL IN LOVE WITH IT TOO AND ONCE SIBLINGS GET AHOLD OF SOMETHING, YOU NEVER GET IT BACK. EVER.). I never knew the name of it because I had found it, so I basically called it my inky pen. BUT... After years and years of hopeless pen searching and stumbling upon the inky pen then losing it again, I found out that the pen is a Pilot G2 and *fans self* my goodness. What. A. Pen.
Anywho. I think I'll try and get that pen again, but, like I said, it's all about which pen best fits you.
Markers
I like to add a little color to my bullet journal so I just picked three (sometimes four) colors to use whenever I need to give my spread a little splash of pizzaz. I just use the good ol' Crayola ones.
Ruler
I either use a ruler or a thick piece of paper to make all my lines even. I first draw it out lightly with a pencil then go over it (if I want) with my drawing pen.
Post-Its/Washi Tape
I was planning on adding my gold washi tape to some of my pages but I haven't done that yet. Right now I've been using Post-Its for my to-do lists/goals/reminders for each week. The reason I use Post-Its is that when my lists can get hectic (which is something I need to work on) the Post-Its allow me to have a safeguard just in case.
What my Bullet Journal (currently) looks like
It's a work-in-progress for me right now. My plan is to start making my weekly spreads more minimal so that I don't get overwhelmed. I've been watching a lot of videos on YouTube and looking on Pinterest for inspiration. Just be careful if you do that too because most of the videos/pins I find are really advanced and it makes me feel like I need my spread to look exactly like that in order for it to work for me. BUT THAT IS NOT TRUE, MY FRIEND. The whole point of bullet journaling is so that you can plan your days all according to what works best for you.
My Contact Page:
My Key Page:
My Index Page:
My Monthly Log:
My Collections (Wishlist, Watched list, Books To Read, Goodreads Challenge):
August Spread:
Wow. That looks so cluttered. o-o Please don't look at my sleep tracker because I'll be embarrassed and that'll just make everything awkward.
I have a few blank pages that I want to use for my blog and shop so I can keep track of everything, but I need to figure out how I want it to look... I definitely think I have that problem with wanting everything to look pretty instead of effective. Like I said, it's a work-in-progress but I'm really glad I started a bullet journal because it does help keep my mind from getting too clustered. I'm also hoping it will help me when my online classes start.
That's a Wrap, August!
Thanks to my bullet journal, I can keep track of all the things that happened in August. It was a very busy month for me (not complaining). However, it was an emotional one. I've been trying to get a better understanding of my feelings, which I've always had a difficult time doing. I think I'm getting there though, I know what I do when I'm upset (lash out then shut down), and I know that I shouldn't depend on people for my happiness like I've done in the past.
I started a tracker page at the end of my August spread for my moods, habits, etc., but I have a terrible time, you know, keeping track. I basically stopped using my water and exercise one because I... lost track. The only one I've been able to keep track of is my mood one and my reading tracker- but I read every day so there's not much to keep track of there.
What I read
The Blood Race by K.A. Emmons
This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosely
The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel
What I watched
Sing
Into The Woods (THAT PLOT TWIST THO)
Everything, Everything (*sniffles* Gets me every time)
Miraculous Season One
Shadowhunters Season One & Two
Okay, I'm a huge Cassandra Clare fan, and I had been eagerly waiting for the Shadowhunters tv show to get on Netflix, but since it hasn't yet... My brother and sister and I decided that we couldn't wait any longer. We started watching it on Freeform, and oh my gosh. I love it. And that's coming from a book fan! I'll admit, I started the show with low expectations but turned out loving it even more. There are a couple mild complaints but that's what I get for reading the books beforehand. All in all, I cannot wait for the next season. #withdrawlfeels
What I wrote
I am currently working on two writing projects, but I'm not exactly getting anywhere with them. I have the whole stories plotted out in my head, I know what's going to happen... I just can't seem to, you know, write. I started writing a short story and I have an idea for another one. My goal is to really focus on completing one of my two main writing projects at the moment. I'm hoping that once my online classes start, I'll be able to get more writing done since I love to #multitask. I am also hoping to participate in NaNoWriMo this year so I can get a move on with one of those novels. *fingers crossed*
I'm thinking of physically plotting one or both of my novels since I already have them mentally plotted. Do any of you have any tips on plotting? Do you have any tips on plotting in a notebook? Plz halp.
What I posted
On the blog, I wrapped up my series, Author's August, pretty swell. The authors I worked with were super fun and I just love how everything turned out. You should take a look. ;)
Projects I completed/started
A few months back I was working on a project with Anna in honor of her release for Infiltration (which came out sometime in July).
With the help of my brother, we made bookmarks inspired by her Continuing Forever series! But guess what? She's giving them away on her Instagram RIGHT NOW, so you should hurry up and enter before SEPTEMBER 1ST (tomorrow) because that's when it ends. So shoo shoo, go enter!
And for right now? I'm trying to focus on getting my Etsy shop open. I've been procrastinating on it and I just want it to be open already and uuugggghhhhhhhhh. Yeah.
What I'm looking forward to
As I said, I really want to go forth with my Etsy shop. So, I'm hoping to have it officially open any day now.As for Fall... A week or two weeks ago, I would have said that I am so not ready for it. I honestly haven't felt prepared for the new season and it's just gahhhh. But I'm slowly easing into it by preparing for school to start again and cleaning my room. The tree outside our house is already in full blown fall mode. I'm pretty sure it was ready for fall before any of us, because it started changing color at, like, the end of July. I wish I was as excited for things like that tree is. o-o
This semester I am FINALLY taking my first English class, which is what I am aiming to study. I just hope that I will have the same experience with the online class as I would have if I took it in class. So I'm hoping that will go okay.
Wow. That was long. o-o Comment "Noodles" if you made it to the end of this post. ;)
Until next time,
xx Kenzie
TALK TO ME!
Do you have a Bullet Journal? Does it help your productivity? Are you excited for fall? WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT? I want to hear from you!
pea ees: I wrote this post all in one day. Be proud of me.
pea ees to dah pea ees: Raise your hand if you agree that this post mainly consisted of me fangirling over pens. *raises both hands*
pea ees to dah pea ees: Raise your hand if you agree that this post mainly consisted of me fangirling over pens. *raises both hands*
