Kawaii Mini Planner

'You can never have too much Happy + Stationery'. Having subscribed to the Happie Scrappie sub box each month and gathering up a collection of planner inserts I put them together to make a mini planner.

My previous Bullet Journal/Planner, made from a Not Another Bill (NAB) notebook by Le Typographe, had fallen apart. Searching for a personal planner-sized binder I choose a translucent plastic cover from an Etsy shop, Lisandre Crafts, that arrived with three differently coloured elastics - black, brown and orange. Inserts and cards gathered from the Happie Scrappie (HS) boxes were inserted, cut or punched to fit.

The title page is a testament to Kawaii! The happy-faced wooden stickers have been adhered to the inspirational card and I attached a duck-shaped paperclip. Next is a card insert holding samples of washi tape, I save strong acetate packaging and for this I cut four pieces, rounded the corners, and wound differently patterned and sized tapes to them. Two camera shaped paperclips from HS hold them in place.

 Continuing with the bullet planning set-up the first page is a 'Future Log' where I can park long-tern goals/plans/tasks for future scheduling. Left hand page is decorated with some left-over Wizard of Oz stickers from a 'Plan With Jade' kit in the spirit of Kawaii. An inspirational card, slightly longer than the planner pages, is used as a bookmark.

The weekly planner inserts are pre-printed, some with colour accents and others B&W with icons to tint. A second section of the planner contains lists - books I'm reading, movies to watch, meds, birthdays and a list of favourite Copic markers complete with colour reference.

Third section contains squared and lined paper with weekly challenge charts. A magnetic page marker from HS helps find the current challenge page easily. Although the code used to bullet journal/plan is embedded in my memory I've recorded a list of the symbols used.

 Each month Sam from HS includes decorative planning stickers, some with smiling faces, and these are either punched to insert in the planner or tucked into a pocket made from a couple of pages sealed on top and base with washi. Colour-in pages are included with the HS boxes and the final page has been well and truly tinted with Copics. As the card is not thick there is some leak-through but I don't mind this. A mini metal binder clip doubles as a pen holder, its wings folded back to secure any letters or loose notes. The HS pen is ultra-fine with black gel ink, perfect for a mini planner.

There'a always room for a little art - two drawings on sticker paper and one on the white reverse of a cactus die-shape glued to the inside of the back cover.

I'm delighted with the planner, it's fun to use, looks bright and Summery and can be changed or adapted easily. 

Bullet Planning...

Bullet Planning in the style of Boho Berry

I'd watched a few videos from the Boho Berry YT channel, was amazed at her beautifully scripted planner and thought I had to try this style of organising myself. Sometimes I just have to try out a method to really get the feel of it and know whether it's right for me.

the 'typographe reporters journal' from NAB (NotAnotherBill) sub box

From the July '16 NAB sub box I received a lovely small squared notebook with pencil, held together with a purple/green elastic. It sat on the notebook shelf (yes, I have that many unused notebooks) for five months before I decided it was perfect for bullet planning and would take the place of a mini diary/calendar I kept in my handbag/purse. The image on the left shows it new and pristine and on the right after five months of hard use. Sticky tape holds the curled corners together and the pencil has been replaced by a mini gel pen. There's enough space left in the notebook to take me up to the end of July'16. My notebook is squared but Boho Berry suggests a Leuchtturm1917 Notebook (A5, Dot Grid) which you can find here on Amazon.

Bullet Planner code and daily log

There is a 'code', a series of symbols which are standard for bullet planning:

• a dot which signifies something to do
• a circle which signifies an event
• a dash which signifies information
• an asterisk which can be drawn over the top of a dot or a circle and which signifies something important which can't be rescheduled
• an 'x' which is drawn through a dot or circle whenever they've been completed
• a long line through the text signifying that whatever it is isn't worth my time
• a forward arrow signifying it's been rescheduled
• a backward arrow signifying it's been added to the Future Log

The last two symbols are part of what's called 'Migration'. I rarely used the backward arrow and stopped using a Future Log (double page spread with space given up to six months ahead). Although these symbols are pretty standard there's always room for you to create your own. My handwriting can become large and frenzied when I'm rushed or stressed and is the complete antithesis to the beautiful script of Boho Berry. But there's a challenge she and friends run each month which I'll be posting about this coming Friday. 

It can be difficult finding a page with a particular date so it's good practice to create an Index. The above is the second index in my bullet planner, each holding up to three or four month's of daily log dates (double pages given over to a single week), but it's best to watch the Boho Berry videos !! I tend to use any black pen I can lay my hand on but she uses a series of beautiful fountain pens with artisan inks making every page in her bullet planner a work of art. I have writing envy. Some bullet planners also offer downloadable pre-printed sheets to work from in their etsy shops. 

 other pages in my bullet journal

I use my bullet journal for other things too, S.A.V.E.R.S. morning routine (which so far I've only halfheartedly embraced), my House D.I.Y. lists and any other project that needs broken down to achieve. I'd be interested in trying out the dotted pages that many bullet planners use as it is also perfect for good writing practice. Although my notebook is starting to fall apart and my every day handwriting needs tweaked I will still persevere with my bullet journal. It feeds that part of me that isn't about decorative planning.

Links:

bloowabbit facebook page

Not Another Bill website

Boho Berry YT channel

Tomorrow's blog: 'Wabbits !! collection'

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