Creating the Spread #1

I've had a fair few people commenting on my planner spreads and asking me where I get certain things and how I put them together so I thought I would start a series of posts and show you how I put my spreads together each week and show the bits and bobs I use some love.

I started making my pages from scratch because I couldn't find any inserts that I liked enough to justify buying them, so I decided to give it a go making some and found that I really loved the freedom it gave me. Every week is different and if I fancy a different colour or layout all I have to do is cut a piece of A4 paper in half and get creating.

I apologise now for the photos, I do most of my planning in the evening and my little office is under a bunk bed in our spare bedroom so natural light is in short supply! I always start off by laying out the page using washi tapes to separate the days and give a little decoration. The glitter washi and the gold washi at the top of the page both came from The Range. I can't find either on the website but I bought them recently so they should still be there! The Autumn Scene washi tape is stocked in my shop Three Little Búhos Stationery *here*.

The next step is to add the important bits and pieces that I know will be happening in the week such as appointments, events etc and my "task bar" which I usually put down the left hand side. That's where I list any important tasks, write the weekly menu and pop any other bits. My "This Week" stickers are a custom order from Isabelle the Owl *here*, the gradient checklist in the side bar is from Kelizabeth Plans *here* and the kawaii washing basket and rubbish bag are from Harriet Wright Designs *here*.

Now it's time to do all the writing and add in my mini to do lists for each day of the week. I know planners are meant to be practical things but the writing is my least favourite part so I keep it fairly simple! My mini to do lists, the additional boxes I've added and the little kawaii shopping essentials stickers that I've added...and actually the weekend banner and letterbox...are all from one of my very favourite Etsy shops; Lilac & Dot *here* and when the store re-opens, you can use the code ANNIE10 for 10% off your order.

And finally? Go sticker crazy! I've never liked big empty spaces so I do a lot of decorating in my planner. Any area that looks a bit bare gets a sticker shoved in it! Again, the majority of the stickers that I've used are from Lilac & Dot but the online shopping sticker and getting sh*t done sticker are from The Plump Planner *here* her store only opens at weekends but it is well worth checking out for some fun stickers. I also always finish my pages with the gold hole re-enforcers and by rounding the corners.

So that's how I create my week and the things I use to do it. I find it such a therapeutic thing to do and it feels good to cross things off the list as I do them.

Annie x

September Papergang Subscription Box from Ohh Deer

The September Papergang subscription box from Ohh Deer sets the bar high. It really shows that quality over quantity rules the roost. I have been impressed with every box I have received so far but this one has been a real stand out month.

 This month is all about their new autumn/winter collection and it totally hits the spot with me. Deep blues and purples, copper and marbled patterns.
So, what did I get?

A4 Blue Marble Quarter Bound Notebook RRP £12.95:
This is the highlight of the box and holds the bulk of the weight and value. This beautiful notebook has a thick marble effect cover that is sturdy and has copper detailing. The pages are lined on one side and blank on the other meaning that it would make a great diary, sketch book or scrap book. I am going to use it as a type of photo album, documenting our beautiful puppy growing up. The pages are also copper edged meaning that the edges look gorgeous when the book is closed.

Copper Washi Tape RRP £2.50:
I love metallic washi tape so I was happy to see this in the box. It doesn't state, but it looks to me like a 10m roll so for the £2.50 price tag, it is nice and generous.

Greeting Card RRP £2.50:
Ohh Deer is well known for being a collective platform for artists to share their designs, and the card that I received this month was designed by Kris Tate. A percentage from each card sold on Ohh Deer is returned straight to the artist. I really like the design that I received. I know there were several versions available but I'm happy with mine and it is going on my office wall for me to stare at every day when I'm working.

Riso Printed Calendar RRP £1.95:
In last month's box we received a mini clipboard with an August calendar sheet attached so I was wondering whether these might become a monthly addition to the box. I'm really happy to see that I was right. I find them really useful to have propped up on my desk because I'm in a constant state of not knowing what day or date it is (is that what working from home does to you?!). The September sheet shares the same beautiful marble pattern of the notebook. I do think that £1.95 a sheet would be rather expensive if I wasn't receiving them as part of the box, but in this context they make a nice little addition.

A subscription costs £9.95 monthly with £1.95 postage cost *here* and you are also able to purchase several months in advance for a discounted price. I just use the one month rolling subscription and find that to be good value. The contents of this month's box come to £19.90.

As I mentioned earlier in the post, this box has been my favourite so far because I am a big fan of quality over quantity and this box really screams that message. There isn't anything here that is just a novelty that won't be used and it doesn't just feel thrown together like a couple of the earlier boxes did. If this is a sign of things to come then we could be in for some fab things!

Annie x

Three Little Búhos Stationery Shop Announcement!

I'm so excited to be writing this post. All of my hard work has been paying off and I can finally make the announcement that I've been wanting to shout about for a while now!

That's right, I can finally announce that Three Little Búhos Stationery will be opening its virtual doors on 1st September! I will let you know on Instagram when I have set the shop as open, but I am aiming for 10am. The first 5 orders will also receive a special gift with their order to celebrate.
What will you be able to find in Three Little Búhos Stationery? Well, everything in the photo above and lots of other cute and quirky stationery goodies, including pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, pencil cases, washi tape and stickers!
Prices start at just 95p and all of the stock has been chosen by myself to bring a smile to your face, and colour to your work space.
Head over to Etsy and favourite Three Little Búhos *here* so that you can be among the first to know when I open!
For sneak peeks, inspiration and more stationery goodness, you can find my Instagram page *here*!

Annie x

Ugly Bug Does Rockabilly Subscription Box Review

I mentioned the other day that I had a full review coming up of the August subscription box from Ugly Bug Does, and here it is!

The theme this month was rockabilly which makes me so happy. What I love about Ugly Bug Does is that you don't get the typical unicorns, rainbows and bunnies themes, you get something a lot more unique. It's a breath of fresh air.
So, what was in the box?

All I can do is kick myself for this photo, I'm gutted. All of my photos of the sticker sheets that I took before using them came out blurry :( So I can only apologise. But the first item in the box is three sheets of exclusively designed sticker sheets all with the rockabilly, classic tattoo theme. There are boxes, to do lists, banners, icons and pretties which can all be used to liven up planner pages.

In order to make up for the awful photo out of focus photo, I have taken the photo above to show off some of the stickers in action on this weeks pages of my work planner. As you can see, the quality is beautiful and the stickers all work really well together to build up a themed planner spread.

Next up is this gorgeous rockabilly girl showing off her swallow tattoo and pretty dress. She was designed by Slinkytart and turned into a dashboard by Ugly Bug Does. When ordering your subscription box you specify the size or type of planner that you use, so these are customised to work with your planner.

I also received a lovely little selection of goodies.
The planner charm was customised for each order with the initial of their first name which I think is a lovely touch and really adds to the appeal of ordering from Ugly Bug Does.
There were several varieties of sticky notes across the boxes and I was really happy to receive the hearts because I'm a sucker for a girly heart on my planner pages and the size of these makes them useful for popping on the calendar in the kitchen too when I want Tom to notice something :P
The eye catching planner clips have become a bit of a trademark of the Ugly Bug Does boxes over the last few months, and this month did not disappoint. Again, it offers something that little bit different from the usual planner clips that you find, which makes it extra special.
And finally, two rolls of skinny washi. These are thicker than your usual washi tapes, it feels like they're made from a good quality thick paper. I like the gentle colours and I use skinny washi in my spreads every week so these will definitely get used up.

This months box is right up my street with both the theme and the contents so I have really enjoyed using everything from the box. I don't yet know the theme of next months box and haven't seen any spoilers so I'm very excited. You can find Ugly Bug Does *here* on Etsy. I have noticed a pre-order listing for a Famous Boy Wizard box which makes me way too excited!

Annie x