I’m a planner, list maker and box checker-offer. I have to write things down, especially plans/dates far into the future, or I’ll forget. Like, the family reunion in May. If I didn’t have that written down, I’d have to ask the husband when it is a gazillion times. That gets annoying. And with the kid’s stuff and my work, I have to have a plan, or have a yearly prospectus if you will.
I bought a really cute little planner last year from etsy, but it didn’t quite fit my needs. As I was searching for a new one, I realized that none of them really fit my needs. So I made my own (as us crazy crafters will often do). I spent hours on it. Many, many frustrating hours. Because I used Word, it was a formatting nightmare. But, finally… somehow… all the pages printed in the right order. 140 pages, front and back. Amazing. My poor, poor printer would have nothing to do with me after that.
I also had grandiose dreams of selling them on etsy, but after talking to my local printer, it didn’t seem worth it cost wise.
After all my time, sweat and tears, it is my precious little masterpiece. I am so paranoid of getting it dirty, I had to make a matching protective drawstring bag for it. Oh, and that little copper bookmark was made by a local artisan. Perfect for opening my planner on exactly the right page.
Inside, it has monthly and weekly pages for each month, and has lots of prompts for list making. For example: Places to eat, books to read, music to listen to, movies to see, I dream of…, This year I will…, I’d like to visit…, etc. It will be fun to fill out through the year. I also put lots of blank pages throughout for sketching out ideas & such. I can’t wait to mark it all up.
open ~ paper bag inspiration booklet
Eye care about stuff
Every day is Earth Day!!
AED ~ Live Brightly
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:16 pm
This is an awesome design! I love the houses and the birds and the graphics. It’s just perfect!
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Have you considered making it (the word doc) available or selling it directly to us to print on our own
?
January 22nd, 2009 at 8:11 pm
wow, being organized has never looked so pretty!
January 22nd, 2009 at 8:35 pm
That is so awesome! i love it!
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:14 pm
I would totally buy it if you were to sell the doc to print!!
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:35 pm
hmmm-that’s not a bad idea. I will have to consider that.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Wow, that’s totally awesome, Regina. You should really think about marketing that to a calendar company somewhere. People submit proposals to publishers all the time, and get accepted, why not a calendar/planner proposal? Seriously!
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:10 am
Oooh you sound like me, i get myself into those sort of situations and at some point wondered why i came up with the idea in the first place. Please enjoy using your journal now that you’ve gone to so much trouble lol
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:29 am
Oh my heck! It is sooo cool! Thats really to bad you cant sell them!
January 23rd, 2009 at 4:53 am
I love it! It’s beautiful. It makes me want to make my own.
January 23rd, 2009 at 6:13 am
I guess great Jenny’s think alike! I was going to suggest the same thing.. make it download-able.. an e-book, with suggestions on how to do the cover and have it bound. And then you could start a flickr group for people to showcase their covers. OR you could make some covers and sell them separately…. I’d love any variation.
January 23rd, 2009 at 6:38 am
well i too was going to say offer it up as a pdf to purchase and print out on our own! it’s very lovely, regina. i especially like the front cover art. the words are so inspiring. i need all the inspiration i can get these days!
January 23rd, 2009 at 6:40 am
that looks like the perfect planner!
January 23rd, 2009 at 6:55 am
As an organizing junkie, I’m drooling!
January 23rd, 2009 at 7:14 am
That was a great idea. And even if the Word trouble was great, the results looks amazing.
January 23rd, 2009 at 7:28 am
What a great idea.
I took a look around at all the birds in the swap. What a great time lots of very creative folks out there. I just love your little Bird Banner, so sweet.
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:01 am
That is adorable – I love the matching bag!
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:12 am
Finding the perfect planner is such a pain! I haven’t been planner satisfied since high school. I love the little houses you put on yours!
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:48 am
Love the list ideas in the planner. Very original.Yes, please consider some of the above suggestions so that others (ME! ME! ME!) can get a copy as well.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:17 am
Oh, and that copper bookmark? I *love* it!
January 23rd, 2009 at 11:39 am
So very cute! I always have the same problem and can never find a planner to suit my needs. I’d buy one of yours if you decided to sell the document.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:41 pm
I so feel you pain/frustration over making one’s own calendar from scratch. Oy! Yours looks perfect though!
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Love you book. I am a list maker too.
January 23rd, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Regina, I am so impressed! I love your genius planner design. I too am obsessed with planning and searched long and far to find a great planner. Although I did not craft my own, I did find a wonderful planner with a cover made from recycled wood. Making our own planners though is a great idea!
January 24th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Wow, that’s so great! I kind of wish I’d had one of those for this year. (You should definitely sell those for 2010!)
Btw, I nominated you for a blog award. Hope you don’t mind.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Wow! I am really impressed. That is such a cool idea. I really, really love it.
January 29th, 2009 at 2:53 am
You did a great job, I love all the little lists and blank paper is awlays handy! I would totally buy it.
January 29th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Oh wow!
PLEASE let us print one!
It is beautiful……each year I look everywhere for the perfect diary/journal/planner…..and now I’ve found it and can’t get one!!!
arrrrrrgh!!
February 4th, 2009 at 6:05 am
wow! it is gorgeous! I love the matching bag!
February 11th, 2009 at 11:58 am
I love this Regina! It looks fabulous!
I am totally the same way about needing a planner…