Planner and Sketch Book Restyle

I know we've talked about my anxiety before. And I may have also mentioned briefly, though without naming, some of my obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) tendencies. It is strange, really, because sometimes some of these obsessive traits sometimes help combat the anxiety a bit. Over the years I have developed a few habits that help me with both; keeping planners is number one on that list.

Planners allow me to map out specific goals and see them tangibly. It is really just another outlet for me to try and maintain some order within my schedule. Lately, I even go so far as to roughly map out blog posts/ideas. Planners are a little old fashioned, I know. When I told Will I wanted a new planner he said he would get me his favorite app; now that is lovely, but I still rather enjoy the pen and paper approach. I picked up a new plain planner last week and decided to spruce it up and add a touch of my personality. While I was at it, I gave my sketch book a mini-makeover as well.

Aren't they cute? I love how these turned out! The simple graphic is right up my alley. I've included the "do things" and "make things" graphics I created and used below, if you'd like to use them for yourself. Simply click the links to download the files, upload the images to your computer, and then crop them to fit your planner/sketch book as needed before printing.

- do things image download
- make things image download

To create a planner and/or sketch book similar to mine, you will need: a sketch book and/or planner you want to decorate; the printed graphics included in this post; a variety of scrapbook paper; any accents you may want, like ribbon; mod podge (I made my own! Did you know that mod podge is pretty much just watered down glue? Just mix 2 parts glue to 1 part water); a foam brush; a coluzzle tool and a circle stencil, or something round to trace; and scissors.

For the planner: Using a coluzzle tool, cut around the do-things graphic using a circle stencil (or any shape you'd prefer). Tracing around a bowl and then cutting with scissors works great, too. Then, place the cut graphic on a piece of contrasting scrapbook paper and using a foam brush, adhere it with a very thin layer of mod podge. Trace a circle now on the scrapbook paper and cut again, creating a border. Mod podge this onto the front cover of your planner. If desired, decorate the back cover as well. I simply chose a different paper, with similar colors but a contrasting pattern, from the one I used on the front cover. Use mod podge to secure this as well.

For the sketch book: Select some scrapbook paper for the front cover. I chose a paper that was similar in color to the original cover, as I new some of it would still be visible near the binding. Keep that in mind. Adhere the paper to the cover by mod podging the back and then pressing the paper firmly down on the cover. The paper I used was from a paper pad, so I overlapped 4 different pieces to cover the entire thing, and trimmed any excess. As much as possible, bring the edges of the paper around to the inside of the cover by folding it over the edges. Over time, this will help with general wear and tear. If you'd like, add some accents, such as ribbon, in a contrasting color (I did this primarily to cover the lines from having to use multiple pieces of paper to cover the cover). Finish by attaching the printed graphic "make things" with mod podge. Place under a stack of books, to prevent warping, and allow to dry thoroughly.

If you do this project, be sure to share your creative creations with me. Have fun making and doing things! :)

(Double) Toasted Vegetarian Mediterranean Sandwich

So yes, I know, I'm going to tell you how to make a sandwich. Don't take it the wrong way. It seems strange, I know, especially since this isn't some super fancy gourmet sandwich on some unpronounceable bread. Just some veggies and things on the multi-grain I had. But the reason I'm sharing a random sandwich I ate with you is that I'm always looking for new food ideas. Sandwiches are most certainly not an exception. This was another one of those, "Yeah, I'm just going to put whatever is in the fridge together and eat it." moments that turned out super delicious. I'm sure that we've all had a boring sandwich before. Perhaps you need some sandwich inspiration too. And especially as far as vegetarian sandwiches go, in my experience, they have a tendency to fall a little flat on the flavor. Oh, but not in my house! No siree.

Vegetarian Mediterranean Sandwich, makes two sandwiches

4 slices whole wheat/multi-grain bread
2 tablespoons hummus
2 tablespoons store-bought creamy spinach dip
1 vine tomato
1/4 of a red bell pepper
1/8 of a red onion
a handful of chopped romaine lettuce and spinach
1/4 of a cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 of a cup gorgonzola cheese
6-8 fresh basil leaves
black pepper, dried oregano, and balsamic vinegar to taste

Directions: Begin by toasting the bread in a toaster and allowing it to cool down in the toaster. This will keep the bread from getting soggy. As your bread toasts and cools, thinly slice the red onion, red bell pepper, and tomato. Chop the romaine lettuce, spinach, and fresh basil as well (if necessary), and shred the mozzarella cheese. Then, lay your slices of bread out on a baking sheet. Spread two halves with creamy spinach dip and the others with hummus. Psst... you can totally spread more than the recommended amount (I will not limit your hummus consumption; I certainly do not limit mine). Then layer the sliced onion, bell pepper, tomato, and chopped fresh basil on the pieces of bread. Finally top with mozzarella and gorgonzola cheese. Place the baking sheet in the oven under high broil and watch your sandwiches carefully so they do not burn. Cook until cheese in golden and bubbly, or for about 5 minutes.

Directions, cont'd: Once toasted to your liking, remove the sandwiches from the oven. Top the sandwiches with a mix of spinach and romaine lettuce. Also sprinkle on some dried oregano and black pepper. Finish it off with a good dose of balsamic vinegar. Squish those two sides together, cut the sandwich in half for easy eating, and enjoy.

There's just nothing better than some nice warm, cheesy, toasted goodness. amirite?!

Do you have a favorite go-to sandwich? Or do you like to constantly switch it up, like I do?

Inspiration and New Things

I've had a busy week over here, even if I don't have much to show for it as far as posts go. If you follow Oh Whimsical Me on Facebook, I'm sure you got the heads up that I have been dutifully working on some different designs, contemplating the direction I wanted to take a few things, as well as working through some real life stuffs. It has been a week full of inspiration digging and decluttering, with a bit of relaxation and fun squeezed in.

You may notice that things look a little different around here and I couldn't be more excited about it. I've worked hard on this new design. Although things aren't entirely in order yet, Blogger has been giving me quite a fit, I'm still happy to share it with you. You'll just have to excuse a bit of mitch-match for a few more days. Anyway, I thought'd it be fun to share with you a few images that inspired the new direction and design.

outfit / kitchen / plant

I'm always drawn to cool, muted colors. I think it is apparent in my wardrobe as well as my home decor. I want that to transfer over into this space as well, for I always want OWM to be a reflection of me and to feel nice and personal. You'll see that I actually didn't stray too far from the color palette I had before. I just updated it a bit. I wanted OWM to feel a bit more clean and crisp and fresh. I hope I accomplished that.

To help with the cleaner, crisper vision, I have also improved the way you can navigate this blog. If you're a regular visitor, you may have already noticed this update already, as I was testing it out last week. If you select a category from the sidebar, doing so will now take you to a page with links to all posts under that category. I love this improvement. You can now see all categorized posts easily, instead of searching through a tagged list of posts. Be sure to check it out (but keep in mind it is still in need of a few minor updates coming sometime this week)!

Also, be sure to like Oh Whimsical Me on Facebook so you never miss a post and for little extra updates and stories. I've got lots of things coming your way this week!

What's new with you? Did you miss me?

Feeling Confident: Revolt Check-In Week 10

Another quick update for you about how I am feeling with the Revolt Fitness program. Some exciting news, actually. I have reached my initial goals! Well, actually I reached them a few weeks ago, but I'm sharing now :) When I first set out on this journey with Revolt, I wanted some concrete and realistic fitness goals that I knew I could  achieve. You may remember that I started out at a body fat percentage of 26ish%. The goal I originally set was to get down to a body fat percentage of 20%. Well, I am there! Or I was a few weeks ago; I'll share my final measurements with you in two weeks.



So now that I have reached my initial goals, what does that mean for my progress and what do I do now? Well, I'm setting new goals. I am pushing myself to see improvement everyday in my workouts. I do still have things I want to lose; I'd like to see what's left of my love handles gone for good and I'd like to still lose a bit of fat from my thighs. But more than anything now there is a lot that I want to gain. I want to continue to grow stronger, to gain some more muscle mass, to tone up my arms and legs completely, to finally see these abs I've been working so hard on show through!

More than anything, I am so happy with the confidence I am gaining about my body. I hate how much shit we women give ourselves about appearance on a regular basis. No matter how aware I am of that fact, sometimes I still can't beat it. But, I am getting better! This weekend, when we were camping, was the first time in a long time that I was in a swimsuit in front of people (besides Will). And the first time in as long as I can remember that I felt comfortable as so. As silly as it may sound, it is empowering and freeing to not care how you look. And thankfully so, because it was so hot this weekend I think I was wearing my suit the whole time.

So I asked Will to take my picture in the river. And the pictures are silly and cheesy, but I love them. I had to include a blooper picture, because I know you all like laughing with me, and also because look! My swimsuit is even getting too big. My bottoms kept threatening to fall off. Haha.

I've had a bit of trouble keeping up with the workouts the past few days, with camping and other activities. I was sure to stay active, though. I am definitely ready and happy to get back into my routine.

I hope you're all enjoying the summer fun, confidently.

Disclaimer: I was chosen as a Revolt Fitness Program blogger and received free membership to try the fitness program. All results are real and my own. All opinions expressed are my own.