February to March Planner Status

I can’t believe March is just around the corner! Since I will be in Baltimore for the Pen Show on March 1, I spent Sunday reviewing my planning/journal set-up and deciding what I want to do for the month of March.

But first, let’s review a few pages of my February planning/journaling.

I enjoyed my red/pink color scheme for February. Leading up to Valentine’s Day, it felt celebratory and afterwards, the bright happy colors helped make February a little less grey.

In the time I was in LA, I was able to add a few tip-in tidbits that made up for a lack of time to write. I included a petal from a lovely tree, some receipts and luggage tags and some paper samples from various vendors at the show.

While I wish I had had more time to write and keep track of events throughout the month, I do like the overall look and feel as I get to the end of the month.

I definitely feel like I have a formula to keep me writing and reaching for my planner. I add a few stickers, my date washi sticker and then write the date with a brush pen or marker. Then I write around the stickers. I try to put the stickers/date in different places on the page each day so that the book doesn’t get too thick in one spot. This also makes the page more interesting. If I don’t write much, I will add additional stickers, washi tape or bits of paper afterwards to make the page feel full. Sometimes, I leave a gap. No one really sees my book but me (and you).

Moving into March, I’ve decided to focus on purple as my color theme. March is another month that can be grey and cold and rainy and I am racing to hit a deadline at work so I need some cheery colors to keep me engaged and taking time to write.

I really didn’t have any purple washi tape. I have one roll with unicorns from Heather Ross (from 2021) and a decorative gemstone collage roll from MT. I’ve added in grey, yellow and aqua for some variety and the Bande Masking Tape Temari ($7). I also pulled from floral and nature stickers from my collection of sticker books that coordinated.

Stickers selected for March:

12 Monthly Planner Date Sticker Sheets ($6.99 via Amazon)
The Botanist’s Sticker Anthology ($14.49 via Amazon)
The Forests, Fairies and Fungi Sticker Anthology ($20.65 via Amazon)

As for pens, I made a purchase from JetPens last month so fill out my purple pen collection.

Pens under consideration for March:

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Pen in Lilac ($1.80)
Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Pen in Mauve ($1.80)
Staedtler Triplus Textsurfer in Lavender ($2.65)
Marvy Le Pen Flex Brush Pen in Wisteria ($2.10)
Marvy Le Pen Flex Brush Pen in Amethyst ($2.10)
Uni-ball One Gel Pen 0.38 mm in Plum Purple ($1.90)
Zebra Sarasa Nano Gel Pen 0.3 mm in Bordeaux Purple ($2.95)
Pentel Fude Touch Brush Sign Pen in Pink Purple ($2.50)
Pentel Fude Touch Brush Sign Pen in Violet ($2.50)
Pentel Fude Touch Brush Sign Pen in Light Violet ($2.50)

and because no month is complete without a little green:

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Pen in Sea Green ($1.80)

If you’re curious, the total tally for my markers was $24.60. I don’t think it’s necessary to buy $25 in pens every month. In fact, after testing, I think I’ll probably carry two brush pens, a felt tip or two and the Sarasa Nano in Bordeaux Purple and that will give me enough variation without having to carry too much with me day-to-day. Hopefully, in subsequent months, I’ll be selecting pens from my collection.