A look into my Bullet Journal

Recently discovered Bullet Journals and fell in love with the idea of a self made calendar/planner/collector-of-everything-you-need-book. Beside the weekly and monthly planners I've written down my resolution goals and in the end I have a collection of my various colours (copics, water colour, acrylic and so on. Thought it be handy when I'm in the store and looking for new colours.)

My big copic collection spread in the making. Gush, making over 300 boxes with colour-codes took looooong time. But I'm so happy that I have it now

My Sports Goals and suggestions on easy exercises that I can do at home. I have a spread looking just like this one but for my Creative goals as well.

Monthly index with a quick overview of the days, list on what needs to be done and bought. And this one has the big special Spring cleaning list that I have to complete before the 28th.

I try also to keep track on different activates in my daily life. Such as migraines, cleaning, creative work and such. i also have a little spending tracker to make me more aware of how I use my money. 

Bullet Journal is something I've really fallen for and I find that the tracking really help me see how I'm doing on a daily basis as I often don't remember at all. It will be really good for my migraines and RLS to see if I can find pattern for them and if there's something I can do to improve them.

February Goals

Phew, I've finally started to catch up to present time.

This month is the month I will get my training started. Thanks to my lovely Linnéa I've started training on lunchtime. Best thing ever! The gym is practically empty and I don't feel that I'm adding anything to the stress I already feel about getting everything done each evening after work. Mostly doing cardio now, but will start doing some muscle work when spring is hear and I\m back on the bike.

Spring cleaning is going to be a big thing this month, it\s about time to take down those Christmas decorations and cleaning the balcony for the spring sunshine and new plants.

Less Sugar is actually from last month, a month I had sugar every single day. I blame it solely on those TimTams that was brought back from Australia. Thought truth be told. I ate those 2 value packs in 10 days. Yeah... I can't really stop or ration out treats if I know that I have them in my home sadly. 

January Summary

The first month of 2017 flew by with long busy nights. I had a pretty wall calendar to make, with new bought water colours. I never understood how to use them, but now I finally understand and I love them. Have many painting ideas with this medium.

Besides painting every evening I also started a Bullet Journal, which took a lot of time since I had to plan how to do my planner with sketches and excel sheets. Yeah, I do easily get stuck in the whole planning phase.

I bought a new desk in January, one that will be placed in the kitchen and that will be solely dedicated to art and crafts. Sitting by my computer doesn't work since there's a keyboard, art supplies and a big Milky cat and the table just can't fit that. Also I want a place where I can easily access any art supply and that will be easy to clean every time I'm done, as that Milky cat doesn't understand where he's allowed and where he isn't.

2017 Resolution

Yes, it's February but I've had a very busy January, another post will spill the secrets.

My resolutions for this year are rather vague, but very important.

Be Creative

I dream very much about being able to start selling my art and I have so many ideas that I think I can execute and that people will be interested in. My big hope is to be able to open an Etsy store bye the end of the summer.

Be Healthy

My body is breaking down. I'm in constant pain which is mainly a result of a desk work, no exercise and a bad posture. And guess what, I'm going to live with this body for quite some time so it's about damn time that I start taking care of it.

I have a list with a few smaller goals that I want to achieve before the end of the year, such as running a few races. And all these goals have nice rewards, which I hope will help me keep the motivation and going through with this.

Bonus

There is also one hidden resolution. One new hairstyle every month. I mean, what is the point of long hair if I'm always tying it into a knot. Let's do something pretty with it, like learning how to make braids of different kind. Just a small and silly thing I'm tossing in there

There we go. I'm really looking forward to this year and I have high hopes on achieving the goals I've set.

December Goals - one month later

December is over, the whole 2016 is over in fact, so it's about time to see how I did with my goals.

1. Make and send Christmas card
Drew and sent way a handful of cards. Which I had started earlier though since it caused plenty of late nights to finish them all in time. And I found that glitter pens are really pretty, need more.

2. Complete the new year's resolution
I did go to one musical, one play and I saw a short Christmas carols concert. And with those three I actually think I made the resolution just in time.

3. Photoshoot
I knew this one was a far fetch and I sadly didn't get time to do it. But I will hopefully find the right time and light soon.

2016 in a list

We are once again at the end of a year and as usual I will summaries it with a little list.
Want to know how 2015 was? Check it out here

First
Seeing a Shakespeare play, Hamlet, at the Globe. I have seen one other play before, but in Swedish. So this was the first time that I got to see it in original language on original stage. It was a great experience.

Addiction 
I have strangely enough become rather addicted to a YouTube channel called Simply Naillogical, that features videos with nail art tutorial. I never do my nails but still find this channel rather amusing and I'm always looking forward to updates.

Food
TimTams
And I've succeded in becoming a regular at the Indian restaurant, so I no longer have to order, they know what I want now.

Tv-show
Call the Midwife
Westworld
And lots of rewatching my favourites

Movie
Suffragette
Nick Cave - one more time with feeling
Star Wars - Rouge One

Music
Aurora
Tom Odell
Adele
Nick Caves new album

Book
Been reading the same book almost for the whole year, since I'm a rather slow reader and since it is also a triology.
Haruki Murakami - 1Q84

Museum/Exhibition
The floating plastic sheet at Röda Sten Konsthall during their Surface exhibition, wished I could live underneath it.

Worst
The long distance from the one's I love, not only my boyfriend but also friends and family. Makes me want to move back to Stockholm from time to time.

Proudest
Finding my way back to art more. Started painting with acrylics, fallen in love with copic markers (a very expensive love), tried ink with a dip-pen and I've recently bought aquarelle colours that I've been adoring for the last few days. I hope I can continue this road back to art and I hope to start selling a little next year.

Cutest
Linnéa's rats, they are adorable.

Painful
Walking into the armrest at a theatre, gave me a big bruise and a bump that lasted for weeks. Not really that painful which means I haven't been surfing this year and also that I've been careful on my longboard ^^

December Goals

So this post is dragging a bit late, mostly because I don't know what kind of goals I'd like to set. With busy Christmas coming up I'm rather stumped on what goals I would be able to even fit in. But I think I have decided now, two easy and one hard.

1. Make and send Christmas card
Getting something in your mailbox that isn't bills is always lovely.

2. Complete the new year's resolution
In booked for two shows this weekend and I'm trying to decide on where to go for a Christmas concert. A lot of them are all booked so it is a bit difficult to find ones that aren't too expensive or too far away.

3. Photoshoot
Had some recent inspiration for a bit of a complex photoshoot. I'm hoping in good light next weekend (natural lighting just keeps on getting harder and harder as the days grow shorter and shorter.)

November Goals - One month later

Here we are again. A month has passed and it is time to see how the goals have gone.

1. Clean bathroom floor
It is clean, all the little corners and pipes have been cleaned of dust and residue. It was nice and it feels fresh again. Should probably do this kind of cleaning more often I guess.

2. Make a pumpkin scene in 3D
Just published it on my website. It turned out quite alright though I struggled far too long with the postproduction.

3. Paint the hallway
Almost there. It was finished and then came the time to remove the tape... That tape caused a huge emotional breakdown. After 4 layers of painting it was just too much stress when the tape first didn't pull off without breaking into tiny pieces - requiring tweezers to get off. And then it did of  course rip off big chunks of the new paint which was the drop that overflowed the cup.

I have today had the time to plaster all the broken fragments and tomorrow I'm going to start painting again. Lucky for me that I have some paint left in the bucket.

And guess where I bought the tape... Clas Ohlsson. I will never buy that tape again.

2016 Resolution part ???

Last time I updated on my resolution was in the beginning of the spring. Hurray for my ability to update this blog regularly. Do not however believe that I've forgotten my resolution or stopped going on shows, because I've gone on quite a few this year. From amateur theatre in the outbacks of Gothenburg to Hamlet at the Globe. My memory is bad, but from the top of my head I could count eight shows. Not eleven as I would have liked it to be, but good anyways. There has been a few botched attempts, like that time when they cancelled the show so to faults in the fire alarm system. And this year I learned that the theatres close during the summer, which didn't make it easy for me.

The year is rapidly getting closer to it's end and I will try to squeeze in a few more shows. I'm planning on going in a Christmas concert and the opera is showing Carmen which would be nice to see. And if mom comes down we'll probably go to Liseberg and see their ice skating show. And who knows what else I can find.

This resolution has been a lot of fun so far and I'm looking forward to its finally. Have already planned to go to a dance show in the beginning of next year. If we shadow have offended. It's one of the best things I've seen on stage and I'm thrilled that they are showing it again, only 3 days though. Will try and grab tickets next Friday as the opera house is having a black Friday sale then.

November Goals

I know we are halfway through this month, but I've been working with my goals since the start if the month. The reason for my late update here is because I hate the blogger app. I can't get the formatting I want and I can't add pictures. So in the end I have to fix everything on the computer or I just forget all about it. But enough complaining, here are the goals I'm working with this month.

1. Clean bathroom floor
I do of course clean my floors on a regular basis. But after a pee-accident ( cats) I really need to take everything and clean the floors with running alcohol and really get into all those corners. And while I'm at that I really need to wipe off all the pipes that are a bit covered with dust from the litterbox. Basically a spring cleaning.

2. Make a pumpkin scene in 3D
I know Halloween will be over when this is done. But I saw these cute carved pumpkins and got inspired. I need to be get a bit better at updating my 3D website. And this will probably be rather easy and quick since I'll stick with 3ds Max.

3. Paint the hallway
Ever since I moved in two years ago I've been wanting to do this. Been addicted lately to DIY-videos which have made me inspired to do some homeimprovement.  So now it is time.

October Goals - one month later

I've really liked this month and having these goals, they've done their best to keep me motivated and to not give up. Even though I can only say that I really succeded with one of them. But let's recap and evaluate.

1. Finish one if the small paintings
So I've gotten rather far in this one. I think I will finish it during next weekend. The biggest reason why I haven't finished this painting is because I've hadn't had many free weekends. I've both been travelling and having my wonderful boyfriend over (whom lives in another country). So there hasn't been enough time for me to sit down and complete this painting and I'm a rather slow painter.
There was also a bit of trouble the first time i sat down painting the skull, since I wasn't satisfied at all with the colours i had and how they turned out when being mixed. But I have the right colours now so I've managed to get a lot of the skull done.

2. Sort out the wardrobe full of craft stuff
Yes, this one is complete and I know a very dear friend that would be so proud seeing my sorted crafting wardrobe (even though I know she might be a bit jealous that she didn't get to help).
I still want to fix prettier storage boxes, but everything is in order as it is now and I've thrown out so much that I have never used. It feels really nice to cut down on material possessions, it's make me feel lighter and more focused. Having everything isn't essentially if they are things that you do not need or use. On the contrary, I find it more stressful because I feel pressured to do all the things at once. So getting rid of things I don't need make me more focused to do the things I want to do

3. Exercise once a week
Yeah, I kind of failed this one too. But I've started getting into the habit of swimming once a week. But since I'm swimming with friends it can sometime get tricky do find a day that fit all of us. Managed to go swimming twice and went on a long powerwalk once. So almost.

Goodbye to an Enemy

Years ago in a town miles away, I started a very ambitious project of making a big blanket out of crocheted granny squares. I made over 800 squares and then lost interest when it was time to assemble them. To motivate me I even put the blanket as a goal in my 30-before-30-list, but that didn't do much. I had started to hate that blanket, not only because it took forever to assemble, but because I didn't like the colours at all. And it just got so ugly. Then after being forgotten in an IKEA-bag, I tried one last time to put the last trimming squares on it. But then I saw this wierd husks and holes, so I guess that some kind of moth has taken a fancy to this blanket. And that became the final draw for me and now the blanket is gone.

Goodbye my nemesis.

October Goals

1. Finish one if the small paintings
2. Sort out the wardrobe full of craft stuff
3. Exercise once a week

I am a great procrastinator, like really good. And I kind of don't like that since it feels like I'm never getting anything done. So I will try this monthly goals thing that I saw a blogger doing. Just three rather small things to do before the end if the month.

It will be a bit if a challenge since in also trying my best to do inktober as well. Making an ink drawing every day. I struggle as it is to draw something in a daily basis, so it will be interesting to see how well I can keep this challenge going.

I had originally thought to put "go back to the theatre" on the list, but then I realised that I already have tickets to two shows this month. So having that as a goal felt like cheating since I don't have to so anything to accomplish it. Will make an update in how my new year's resolution is going soon.

2016 Resolution Part 2 of 12 - Northern (de)lights

Two months into the new year and I failed my resolution a bit. I blame it on February being so short and me forgetting that I was going to Vienna for the premiere weekend of the show I wanted to go to. But I got to see it just a few days passed the changing of months.

The show was a collection of dance pieces called "Northern (de)lights" at the opera house here in Gothenburg. It started already outside the stage, where the audience get their noses measured and they get separated in different groups (I got blue for being bizarre). The show is a mix between theatre and dance where different characters tell about their rather special life stories. During the show one of the dancer/actresses walks around and whispers stories to different members in the audience. I never got to hear any.

After a short break we get to see two other pieces. One very entertaining about these mafia members and what goes on behind their closed doors.

Last out was a beautiful duet with two dancers. It felt primal and as if they where exploring their own bodies as they realised that they could move different part. They did seamlessly entangle their bodies and it was a very beautiful interaction to watch.

This blog post is looooong overdue. But you know, better late then never.

2016 Resolution Part 1 of 12 - The Makropulos Affair

2016 Resolution: see one stage show every month

This post is a bit late, but the visit to see a stage show was not. My first show for 2016 was also my first time watching an opera. Sitting high up on the third balcony I enjoyed The Makropulos Affair at the Gothenburg Opera. The opera was performed in its original language, Czech, but they actually had subtitles so that you could understand what they were singing about. 

The story was interesting, but I found it hard to connect to what I saw on stage. The beginning was a bit confusing and they also had stage-workers present and singing on the stage which threw me off a little. It is also a bit disconnecting when you have to read subtitles and don't understand the words that are sung. But even though these difficulties I must say that it was a pleasant experience and very beautiful. I would definitely go and see an opera again.