A simple pumpkin theme.
For November, I decided to keep it simple with an easy pumpkin design. I used a few markers, colored pencils, orange stamp ink, and a finger blending tool to achieve the pumpkin fall theme I wanted.
Updated 11/29/20: Corrected error under "The Design Theme" section where text was deleted/missing.
The Design Theme
The designs I made the last couple months, although simple in nature, took me time to plan, sketch, and create.
This month, I wanted to keep the design quick and simple for myself. I didn't have to plan anything, but I still sketched my design to see where I wanted to place pumpkins and vines. It only took a few minutes to sketch before I felt ready to start.
I also decided to limit my color selection to orange, green, brown, and yellow. The yellow is used minimally on the pumpkins. Normally I don't worry about limiting the colors I used, but I thought this would challenge me to work with limitations.
Title
For the title page, I drew inspiration from split monograms. I thought it'd be nice to have the word "November" within a larger "N." The "N" looks a bit messy to me. I wished I did that differently, but it's not so bad.
I also practiced my brush lettering with the word "November." I haven't practiced my brush lettering skills much the past few months, but I'd still like to learn how to do it better. In this case, I did an online image search for "November calligraphy" and tried to replicate a style I liked.
Towards the bottom of the page, I drew three pumpkins of various sizes. I used markers to color-in the pumpkins, stems, and leaves. I then outlined the pumpkins, leaves, and vines with pens.
I've watched YouTubers online add shading, lighting, and depth to their images with colored pencils. I thought this was a good opportunity to try this art technique. The marker as a base allowed the colored pencils to 'glide' on the page smoothly.
Calendar Overview
The calendar overview is where I note important dates and tasks I want to remember to do.
The larger October calendar fills much of both pages. I note events such as birthdays, appointments, and holidays within the appropriate block that represents a day in November. During the month, I'll make a short note of something that happened.
In a box towards the top-left, I note things I want or need to do in November. Below that box, I have a mini-December calendar and another box I note events coming soon in December. I like being able to visually see ahead to things I may need to be aware of before those days come.
As for the design, I kept it simple with a couple pumpkins and vines. I also included a message to myself, "Don't forget to give... thanks." Instead of practicing my brush lettering, I opted for faux brush lettering where I wrote the word regularly and later thickened the down stroke lines.
Along the top of the page where I write the page's title, I used stamp ink and a finger blending tool to color-in that area. I used scrap paper to create a frame to blend within. I would've used washi tape to mask off the edge if I had any.
Highlights and Trackers
Every night, I write a line of text highlighting one good thing about that day on my highlights page. Usually I write about a simple thing that made me happy. Even on the worst days, I try to find a highlight to write for that day.
On the trackers page, I note when I complete my favorite hobbies. While many journal enthusiasts track multiple habits, tracking my favorite hobbies reminds me to not forget to dedicate time for myself and happiness. The hobbies I track are:
arts + crafts,
writing, and
gaming.
My dogs' care and happiness are equally important. I track the following for my dogs:
when they go for a joy ride,
when they received teeth care with brush chews or tooth brushing,
when I've cared for their coat with a brush, leave-in shampoo, or bath, and
when they participated in extended or extra playtime.
I kept the design of the page simple with a single pumpkin and lots of vines.
Mood and Websites & Stuff
As always, the mood tracker page serves as a simple coloring page for me. I drew a piled stack of pumpkins to represent a day in November. Each night, I'll color-in a bubble that represents my overall mood for that day: good, meh, sad/bad, or sick.
My websites & stuff page is where I'll note changes and updates made to this website, my YouTube channel, and my Instagram account. I decided to keep track of my professional resume and folio website elsewhere. I'm just not yet sure if I'll set that up in a physical or digital journal.
I added a new section for notes. Hopefully, I'll take advantage of this section to add notes. Since I wasn't sure if I'll utilize this space, I added a small pumpkin over the notes section.
Thanksgiving-Themed Activity Pages
I decided to scrap my time tracker this month. I gave up on it after a few days last month. It'll be useful for educational or professional purposes, but it seemed pointless for tracking the time spent on hobbies. Instead, I decided to create a few activities for myself.
I thought a Thanksgiving Bingo would be a fun way to document what happens on Thanksgiving Day. I listed things I think would or could happen based on past Thanksgiving holidays.
I'm not sure if I'll be heading to my Mom's house for Thanksgiving with the family, or if I'll stay home since the country's still dealing with a pandemic. Because of my uncertainty, I made sure to include bingo selections that could happen in either location.
There are some things that'll happen no matter what, like watching a Christmas movie or parade on TV. I just realized I have "parade" listed twice, so I'll need to change one to something different.
However, there are things that'll only happen if I go to my Mom's house, like making an hour-long drive to see miles of Christmas lights at the lake.
I'll reward myself based on how I achieve a bingo:
Straight line (any direction): I'll treat myself to ice cream.
Four corners: I'll treat myself to a meal out.
Letter "X" (two straight lines): I'll spend a full day gaming.
Letter "L" (two straight lines): I'll buy myself some art supplies or a new video game, probably not costing more than about $50 USD.
Letter "T" (two straight lines): I'll buy an Axial SCX24 RC crawler worth more than $100 USD. I may also add the Deadpool head as an option since I think that'd be a fun robot toy to own.
Cover all: I'll splurge and buy myself the expensive Sony Aibo.
I don't believe there's a chance I'll cover all selections, or boxes, on my Thanksgiving Bingo. I hope I don't achieve a cover all because I can't afford a Sony Aibo. That'll be one I know for a fact I won't reward myself with.
I also dedicated a page to an alphabetical list of things I'm Thankful For... While I've made lists of things that I've been thankful for in the past, I haven't made one that requires me to think of a phrase for each letting in the alphabet.
I won't limit this activity page to just Thanksgiving Day. I do need to decide if I'll write a phrase starting with the corresponding letter or just a single word. I'm leaning towards a single word, but we'll see what I do. Some letters will be easy, like "D" for dogs and "F" for family and friends. However, the letter "Z" may be a fun challenge to figure out.
My Thoughts
Overall, I'm most excited about completing the activity pages. It's different from my regular pages and specific to the upcoming American holiday.
I'm grateful I kept the design simple and sweet. It didn't take me long to setup my November journal design, leaving me more time to focus on my latest Two Point Hospital DLC.
What's Next?
I'll craft some Thanksgiving cards soon, but I'll also start crafting Christmas projects. I want to make sure some Christmas cards make it to APO addresses before Christmas Day.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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