Leuchtturm 1917 Out, Traveler's Notebook In

I started keeping a bullet journal in mid to late November. My first purchase was a Leuchtturm 1917 since that was what I saw a lot of folks suggesting. It didn't work for me. I'm crafty enough that I'll be able to cut the pages out and use them elsewhere but otherwise this was a very expensive false start. Don't get me wrong, it;s a perfectly acceptable notebook if you are disciplined enough to either sit down and create your monthly/ weekly/ daily pages OR just not give a field of fucks about whether a collection pops up in between week 2 and three of January.

Nope. I can not have collections or whatever in the middle of yearly scheduling pages. The point is to keep me productive. Putting a collection in the middle of a month is like asking a magpie to spell its name in rice and then spilling a bag of gems on the table. Ooooooh shiny!

I set out to fully create all the pages I would need for a year. I don't do a separate page for each day and prefer a week on two pages spread. How fucking tedious is that shit? Nope. Nope. Nope. If it feels too much like work I won't keep up with it. Back to researching...

I came across Traveler's Notebooks. these seemed like the answer to my problems. Pre-made monthly (yay!) and weekly (these ended up being a fail and I now make my own) inserts. I can keep collections in a separate insert. I could hear angels singing. I gleefully ordered this notebook:

Do you see the problem? The freaking inserts poke out past the cover. Granted I'm using 5 inserts plus a vinyl pocket and a kraft paper folder  but still this is unacceptable. The problem now is not only am I invested in the inserts I'm using but I bought a shit ton of them so I have standard sized inserts out the wazoo. Not to mention the 2 blank and 1 horizontal weekly insert I won't ever use.

Irritated by this whole series of events I decided to make my own cover out of some felt I made and had around.

This works. At least the pages are covered but it's not the hand-feel I wanted so I joined a few buy/ sell/ trade traveler's notebook groups on Facebook and this beauty popped up at a reasonable cost:

I've been assured it will fit all of my inserts without the pages poking out. I can't wait to get it in my hands. Sadly, that will have to wait since I'm getting ready to start the annual LA to TX to MD journey. I'm also considering having the cover stamped or burned to read "Chronicles of a Wayward Pussy"

Flutterby Haven New Look

Finally got around to working a winter build for my land. It's not finished, but close.

Subscription Boxes

Decided to browse Cratejoy today to see if there was a subscription box I could get for my Reddit SS. His interests are so outside of my own and he didn't give me a hell of a lot to go on so I abandoned the search but decided to see if they had any I would dig getting for myself. I browsed the Pagan and cat themed boxes. I looked through the boxes for readers and some of the boxes geared specifically toward women. I was quickly overwhelmed. Heh. There are a lot of subscription box options out there.

Reddit Secret Santa, Bullet Journal, Work Updates

I'm super excited to be participating for the very first time. Unfortunately, my match didn't give me much info to go on so I've reached out to try to get some insight.

As far as my own preference form - I could have listed a million practical things. That is my usual fall back when anyone asks me about what they can buy me as a gift. I'm gonna let it go this time and let life surprise me a little.

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Today was Cyber Monday. I took advantage and ordered some planner stickers to make keeping up with my bullet journal easier and more fun. 4 sets of 2018 mini calendar stickers as well as 12 sheets of seasonal stickers and month headers. So my journal will actually be sort of pretty and not just functional.

I wrote up my key today and just need to port it into the notebook. I'm still trying to settle on a monthly spread. I've drawn up 4 or 5 examples and just can't seem to settle on one. Thankfully, it can always be changed the next month if the current layout doesn't work. The fluidity of a bullet journal is the best thing about it.

I'll be spending time tomorrow finishing up December's monthly spread so I can be ready for some daily entries. December is a busy month so this is a good time to test and see if I'll maintain a bullet journal.

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I just finished up two very hard weeks at LARF. We do three student days the week before Thanksgiving and then open for Black Friday. I survived and so did everyone else!

I get to return to my normal 5 off/ 2 on schedule for another two weeks before likely heading into Winter hiatus until April.

I really need to find a way to manifest a new to me 25' Class C RV into my world. I need a reliable home. I have offers to work but can't do it because my 30 year old camper van just isn't up to it. While I love the van and it has been good to me for 5 years, I need more space at this point. I'd also like to not have to worry it's going to leave me sitting on the side of the road. So the van will likely be going up for sale soon. I'd like to get what I paid to replace the carb and tires for it. It needs love from someone who can invest the time and finances. I need functionality right now.

I'll be headed towards Texas around Dec 20. Couple days in Houston and a couple days in The Woods before turning back and going North to MD.

Bullet Journal

I'm finally diving into the world of bullet journals. If you don't know what this is I've attached the original video. I'm excited to try to wrangle all of the info I need into one place.


I'm sure it's a combination of age and Lyme disease but my memory is failing me. I've also grown weary of full journaling. There are a lot of days where I just don't have anything to note that would be worthy of an entry into a diary. Rapid logging fixes that problem. I can note that Mortipurr did something outrageously adorable, even attach a picture if I'm so inclined.

Lots of folks make their bullet journals all pretty and shit. Not sure I'll go all out but I do have the means to make some nice headers and stuff so we'll see. I'm logging December to see if I want to dive all in and do collection pages and invest a larger amount of time in setting up a journal.

Brain Spew - Politics

 Some disjointed thoughts on a Thursday morning:

Let me preface these thoughts with this: I am registered as no affiliation. Doing so makes my life slightly more complicated when it comes to voting. Maryland is a closed primary state so I have to decide who I'm supporting and then register to that party prior to primaries. After primaries I change my affiliation back to no affiliation. I do this because I do not limit my voting choices to the words Democrat or Republican. I support the person who seems to have the best interests of the country AS A WHOLE at heart. I say this because it seems the immediate response to someone being critical of Trump is to blame them for being a snowflake Democrat or to call them a Hillary or Obama supporter so here's the deal - I didn't vote for Obama OR Hillary.

As an aside, MD really needs to get their shit together and make our primary elections open instead of closed.

What a sad state this country is in right now. Americans are getting to see just how dysfunctional our government is. We all knew it was broken but now it's so apparent that to deny it is insane. If, as an American, you are not deeply troubled by where we're heading then you are not paying attention.

We have a president who is entirely unfit in every way. His lack of focus on the important things like: climate change, wildfires, mass shootings, hurricanes, disaster areas, and the basic necessities of human life is appalling. He'd rather spend his time on Twitter arguing with NFL players, media outlets and other celebrities who offer criticism.

In all of this he continues to ignore the American people. Those of us whose interests he's supposed to have at heart. The majority of this country does not support Trump. Over 11 million voters voted for anyone but Trump.

What does Trump stand for? I can't even tell. Aside from money and undoing anything with Obama's name on it, what is important to him?

While I'm at it, let's talk about congress. Another body not listening to the American people. Another body only looking out for their own interests. They are not willing to set aside party to consider that if they do not take action Trump will absolutely be the cause of something horrific happening. In fact, he really seems to want a war. This goes beyond midterm elections. beyond party, even beyond country. This world does not need another war.

At what point will Republicans say they've had enough? At what point will they realize that their agenda is pretty much dead in the water because Trump causes so much outside controversy that no one can focus on work? He is a distraction and if he were doing this at any other job in the world (aside from a reality show) he would have been fired. His lack of productivity would have gotten him fired. His incessant tweeting would have gotten him fired. His many, many golf outings would have gotten him fired. His attacking of other senior staff would have gotten him fired. Being under federal investigation would have gotten him fired!

So what's the deal, Congress? Why are you not taking action to return our government to some semblance of functionality?

UGH!

Autumn Cleaning Sale

All Mondo & Titanic flutters have been marked down by 50% to make way for new cocoons!

Happy Autumn!

Credit: Julie Collet https://www.facebook.com/juliecolletgoddessart/

First Autumn for me. While I know this can also be the celebration of the second harvest (maybe I get a third harvest then?) this is my first Autumn. With the Maryland Renaissance Faire continuing I get to celebrate the changing of the season and all of it's colorful glory here in MD. Then, just as the weather turns to nippy, I bolt from MD and take up residence in Louisiana where there will hopefully still be plenty more days of warmth before it turns to nippy there as well.

The Louisiana Renaissance Faire can be tricky for a traveler as far as climate. It can be sweltering humidity in November or a cold humidity that chills your bones. In either case Autumn is extended for a period and since it's my favorite time of year that is okay by me.

I'll be in MD for just about another 5 weeks so if we need to touch base, we should do that.

Other happenings:

- I have a fun idea for a little polymer clay project that I'm hoping is received well enough that folks will want to take one home. I'm taking my time and figuring out the costs and what the cost of the final project will be. I've done a lot of searching and find things close to what I want to do but not exactly so I have that going for me. In the meantime I'm watching tons of tutorials regarding painting and coloring of polymer clay because I'm not a paint-gifted person. I'm not sure I'm even artistically inclined. I'm creative but artistic? Nah.

- Dot went for an unauthorized outdoor adventure this week. Last Sunday she decided bolting out of the RV door was a terrific idea. Once out there she looked around like she had gone through some sort of mystical rabbit hole to a new universe and promptly ran scared for the neighbors shed and brush where she spent nearly two nights before deciding the van was a better option. She's fine but I really wish she would stop doing this. She's clearly not happy once she actually gets outside. She's also not usually one to bolt out of a door unless it didn't latch properly and no one is around so I'm not sure why she went this time.

- The rest of the cats are doing fine. Baron Mortipurr von Fuzzybritches has settled in quite nicely. He is an old soul I think. Calm & relaxed he is simply adorable with his flat little face. I don't think he's going to get much bigger so definitely small than I was expecting him to be. Maybe some of that had to do with how sickly he was when I first got him. Who knows - I love him.

Baron Mortipurr von Fuzzybritches

Not much else is going on. Hopefully I'll have pictures of the polymer project soon.

Flutterby Haven News - Test

Just testing adding news from Flutterby Haven to my page.

Where's Cherry Been?

 Holy hoot! Last update in March and here it is August already. This year is both flying by and moving at a snails pace.

Here's a what I've been up to since my last update:

• In February I joined in with my friend Michael Hughes in  what's since been dubbed the #MagicResistance A large group of folks across the globe are now participating in monthly binding rituals to get Trump out of office. For more information on that please check out our group, Bind Trump The group is wonderfully empowering and makes magic accessible to even the most novice of magical folk. We are an extremely diverse group in background and belief. There's even a Christopagan version of the binding ritual for those who aren't comfortable with the original.

• Attended and worked 5 weeks at the Virginia Renaissance Faire with The Rogues back in May/ June One awful picture exists to show I was actually there. For what it's worth I was more appropriately dressed, I stripped off my skirts to hoop in my Rennie underwear.
  
  
  
  
  
• During the run of the faire I adopted a new kitten. Well, actually my travel partner adopted a new kitten who then decided to adopt me. (Travel partner then adopted another kitten) Meet Baron Mortimer von Fuzzybritches. I call him Morti-purr. He's a sweetie. Not an overly clingy kitty but he likes people well enough. There was chaos in the house while all of the cats adjusted to each other but all is well now. Mortimer was also a very, very sick kitty when we got him. He's still got some eye issues going on several months later.
  
  Other than that I've mostly been chilling and getting myself in gear for the Maryland Renaissance Festival. I'm hoping I'll be back to hostessing for the Rapunzel's Hair-Braiding so if you come visit look for me either at the main booth not too far from where you enter or by the booth behind the Boar's Head Pub.
  
  Hope summer is treating all of you well! Until next time...

Photos from the Womens March Washington DC