The allure of a winter wonderland – snow-capped peaks, glistening icicles, and frosted landscapes – is irresistible for photographers. But venturing into the cold with your precious camera gear requires special preparation. Don’t worry; with the right know-how, you can conquer the cold and capture breathtaking winter vistas without sacrificing your comfort or the safety of your equipment.
Gearing Up for the Elements:
Dress in layers: Think thermals, fleece, and a waterproof outer shell. Remember, gloves and a hat are essential for keeping extremities warm.
Boot up: Invest in a sturdy pair of waterproof boots with good traction to navigate icy terrain.
Shield your gear: A padded camera bag or backpack protects your equipment from bumps and the elements. Consider a rain cover for extra protection against snow and sleet.
Camera Care in the Cold:
Batteries: Cold temperatures sap battery life. Pack extra batteries and keep them close to your body when not in use.
Condensation: The biggest enemy! Avoid bringing your camera from warm to cold environments abruptly. Instead, let it adjust gradually in a cool car or garage before heading out. When coming back inside, seal your camera in an airtight plastic bag to let it warm up slowly, preventing condensation.
Lens care: Sudden temperature changes can cause your lens to fog up. Keep a lens cleaning cloth handy, and avoid touching the glass with bare fingers.
Winter Photography Tips:
Embrace the light: The low angle of the winter sun creates dramatic shadows and soft, diffused light, perfect for landscapes and portraits.
Play with white balance: Experiment with different white balance settings to capture the true tones of snow and ice.
Focus on details: Close-up shots of snowflakes, frost patterns, and frozen berries add a touch of magic to your winter wonderland story.
Capture the action: Winter sports, ice skating, and cozy scenes around a bonfire add a dynamic element to your winter photography.
Bonus Tip: Hand warmers can be your winter photography BFF! Stick one in your glove and your camera’s shutter release button for comfortable shooting, even in the harshest conditions.
Remember, safety comes first. With proper preparation, respect for the elements, and these handy tips, you will return from your winter adventure with stunning photos and unforgettable memories.
So grab your camera, bundle up, and get ready to capture the magic of winter!
Does your to-do list feel like a bottomless pit, constantly overflowing with unachieved goals and mounting anxiety?
Then my new series is what you are looking for! In my new ADHD series, Beyond the To Do List – Unlocking Planning with ADHD, we will look at the secrets to focus, productivity, and conquering that mile-long to do list!
First, I’m bringing back my review series “Will this planner work for someone with ADHD?” I’ve revamped it to make it shorter. The goal is to get each review to 10 minutes or less. It’s gonna be hard because I could talk planners for hours! And if I do go on too long, feel free to use 1.5 speed. That’s how I watch all videos.
The last Sunday of each month will feature a different planner! I will review The Anti-Planner, which technically isn’t a planner, but whatevs. It’s fine. Look for that to be live on January 28th.
The second Sunday of each month will be another video focusing on ADHD and exploring strategies, tools, and mindset shifts to help you transform your planning game from frustrating frenzy to focused flow. We may have to work harder, but we can still be productive!
The series aims to give tips and methods to help you build your toolkit. Take what works for you; leave the rest.
I’d love to hear from you in the comments: what do you need in planning, productivity, and organization? Are there any methods for time management that you want to see tested and reviewed?
Remember, every to-do list needs a caffeine boost. See you next time, my planneristas!
Wow! Five books in December to get to 42 books for 2023! It’s not my goal of 52, but I think it’s pretty good, especially since I went through a several-month reading slump. I read three Christmas fiction books and two non-fiction books this month.
What did you read in December? Any good Christmas books??
All book links are Amazon Associate links. I may earn a commission.
The Holiday Swap is a grown-up The Parent Trap meets Hallmark holiday movie. Charlie gets a concussion on the set of her baking show “Sweet & Salty” and can no longer taste or smell. She has the brilliant idea to switch places with her identical twin, Cass, who runs the family bakery.
The Holiday Swap is an easy-to-read book that feels like watching a cheesy movie. The pacing was decent, but it felt like the climax came late. It didn’t drag, but reaching the climax took longer than usual. There was good tension and conflict, but I felt there could have been more pushback from some of the characters once they learned about the switch.
It does use the trope of a twin swap, but I did want to keep reading to see how each twin would handle being their sister. The book is told from two points of view: Cass and Charlie. The flow between points of view was great, and it was easy to tell when we were switching twins. The author also included reminders throughout the chapter as the twins had to remind themselves they were the other.
I liked all of the characters. They felt relatable and down to earth. Of course, there were a couple of obnoxious people, but they were written that way, which helps move the story forward. I thought Cass and Charlie learned and changed from their experience.
I recommend this book if you like light romance and Hallmark holiday movies. It is the perfect amount of fun, romance, and holiday hijinks.
Lussi needs a job, and she gets the job when an interview goes bad. Her coworkers haze her, and receives an odd Secret Santa gift. Then, bad things start happening to her coworkers.
Although somewhat predictable, I did want to keep reading to see how it all turned out. The workplace was well described, and I could picture the type of New York City home converted into an office/business. I wanted to learn more about the other characters. We only really got a good picture of the main character, Lussi. We got glances of her co-workers but I was left wanting more.
I also wanted a bit more horror. I felt there wasn’t enough tension or scares for a horror book. Overall, it was a decent read. I would recommend it to people who aren’t into gruesome horror but are looking for a little bit of a scare revolving around Christmastime.
What can a screenwriter teach authors? How to watch movies and follow scriptwriting to help your book be the best it can be!
Reading this one took me a while, but that is not the author’s fault. At the end of each chapter are assignments, and I was trying to complete the assignments before moving on to the next chapter. I finally realized I can read the book and then go back and work my way through the assignments.
Sokoloff does a great job breaking down movies and books to help writers. I often had ideas while reading and had to email myself so I wouldn’t forget!
I would recommend this book if you are interested in writing fiction.
Reality house flipper Cat is ready to help out the small town of Merry, CT, after a hurricane hits it and get it ready for it’s annual Christmas festival. But city manager Noah stands in her way.
The author does a great job describing the small town of Merry in this enemies-to-lovers Christmas novel. These are all predictable, but I love reading them, knowing it will be a happy ending. This one is no different. The climax was where expected, and there was plenty of tension between Cat and Noah.
I liked Cat and Noah, but the original conflict felt too forced and unnatural. It was as if the author was trying to insert too much conflict.
The Christmas Fix was an easy read (I finished it in a day) and had good transitions between points of view. After the first third of the book, the dialogue became much more natural and flowed nicely.
I would recommend this book if you like cheesy Christmas stories. Please note there is some language people may consider inappropriate and some steamy-ish scenes.
A photo book without any photos? What?! Rick Sammon writes about art, photography, and all the things that go along with those. He talks about creativity, business and has friends pop in and give their thoughts. He also gives assignments at the end of each chapter. Some are more involved than others.
I would recommend this book to photographers. I think Rick has a lot of wisdom, and I hope to absorb a fraction of it!
As we head into the new year, what is your plan to slay your goals in 2024? How will you plan, track, and slay that to do list to make it a done list?
With a planner stack!
If you like to know what planners others are using, I gotchu. This is my current 2024 journal and planner stack.*
*Stack is subject to change at my whim. Switching it up is okay if it’s not working for you!
This post will contain affiliate and associate links. I may earn a commission if you buy through my links. Affiliate links do not affect your shopping experience. They let companies know you like my content. You will see “Affiliate Link” next to all affiliate links and codes.
Erin Condrenhttps://shrsl.com/38mu5 (affiliate link) Erin Condren 7×9 Vertical Life Planner – The Catch-all Erin Condren Desk Calendar – The Editorial Calendar Erin Condren Companion Planner – The Braindump and Lists
The Happy Plannerhttps://www.dpbolvw.net/click-100953659-14092331 (affiliate link) The Happy Planner Wellness Layout – The Fitness Journal The Happy Planner Mini Dashboard Layout – The HB90 Goals The Happy Planner Big Vertical Layout – The Content Planner
Archer and Olive – Code Runsonespresso to save 10% https://www.archerandolive.com?aff=543 (affiliate link and code) Archer and Olive A5 Bullet Journal – The Monthly Stuff Archer and Olive Wellness Planner – The Memory Keeper🖤 Archer and Olive B6 – The Media Journal Archer and Olive 8×8 – The Reading Journal Archer and Olive 8×8 Lined – The Journal Journal
Other https://amzn.to/3RWIbTN (Amazon Associate link) Hobonich Day Free – The Memory Keeping Kit Planner
It seems like a lot, but many of these won’t be daily. Some will get set up at the start of the month. Others will be checked in once a week or so.
What is in your planner stack for 2024? Leave yours in the comments!
Is your desk overflowing with pens and markers you never use? Do you have a collection of “impulse planners” that gather dust? This year, let’s declutter our lives and wallets together!
We will combine planning and creativity to turn our to-do list into a DONE list. Today, we look at some 2024 goals, including a low buy year.
Imagine a year where you focus on experiences, growth, and saving money.
For 2024, a real low buy is one of my biggest goals. It’s not about the money but how much stuff I already have. I don’t need anything. I just want it. And my ADHD impulse spending kicks in.
Ohhhh shiney!
It’s a real challenge that I work on every day. And I’ve seen people say stuff like “just do it” and “you have to have a system” or “you have to work on it every day.” I hate when people say that stuff because I do work on it. I do have systems, but I can’t always control the ADHD impulses.
That is my long, rambly way of saying that I will attempt another Low Buy year. I started really strong in 2023, but it lasted only a few months. And attempts to hop back on the wagon always fell short.
I started by reviewing last year’s video, linked here-ish, and I think I had too many guidelines. It became hard to follow. I also tried to track it separately from the rest of my budget stuff. This year it will all be tracked in a budget planner.
I’m going to streamline everything for 2024. KISS.
Keep it simple, stupid, so that’s what I’m doing.
My guidelines are gonna be pretty basic. I will set a monthly budget and TRY to stick to it. I will review and adjust at the end of each month if needed. I will shop my stash before I buy anything. If I have something similar, skip the purchase. I also want to write down items I want and why and really think for a couple of days before purchasing.
Of course, there are exceptions to the rules.
I have some subscriptions that I plan to keep, including Ali Edwards, Sweet Bean Plans, and Archer and Olive. I also will grab all the KrissyAnne Designs Celebrations add-ons.
One of my big goals is NO BOOKS. I have a stack of books and about a billion Kindle books. I don’t need any books. It will go on my Amazon wishlist if I can’t get it from the library. I won’t buy any of those until I get through my book stack.
Speaking of Amazon, I need to limit my Amazon impulse purchases. It’s too easy. I do get a few things from Amazon, so I’m not going to give up Amazon completely, but I will limit those impulse buys.
Besides the low buy, I do have some other goals for 2024.
Although I’m not using a MakseLife planner this year, I still loosely follow the system. I like some of their categories, but I like to combine Fun and Relationships into Personal as they have a lot of overlap for me. Learning and growth go together. And that leaves Work, Health, Finance, and Home. So I ended up with six areas. I thought about what I wanted in each area and came up with the following.
Personal:
Read 52 books
Project Life
Weekly Art Project
Play video games
Watch TV shows, documentaries, and movies
At least once a month events/activities
Weekly + Monthly Resets
Growth:
Watch videos weekly for self-improvement/continued learning
Nightly journaling
Monthly Charity donation
Work:
Consistency in posting content
New Images for Fine Art America
Write book
Health:
Again, consistency with running and lifting
Eat to fuel
Meal Prep
Finance:
Pay off the final credit card
Stick to budget
Continue building an emergency fund
Max out Roths
Home:
Home Improvements – exterior paint, AC replacement
Follow Clean Mama Planner
Plan gym space and office makeover
This feels like… a lot. It will be about finding the balance and using my time wisely. I sometimes spend more time than necessary mindlessly scrolling*. Instead of doing that, I could read or work on project life. We usually watch TV in the evenings, and instead of scrolling, I can work on art projects or writing.
*I figured out why I mindlessly scroll in the evenings. I have a needy pibble that insists on sitting in my lap. It is easy to scroll. I need to make other things easy to do with a lap full of pibble.
What are your 2024 goals? I’d love to hear what you want to accomplish and support you.
Whew, November was a busy month! I finished SO many books! Seven, to be exact. I am still way behind on my annual goal. We will see where I land and try again next year. How was your November? Ready anything good? Or bad? Let me know in the comments!
Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate
☕️☕️☕️ / 5
I received Twenty-Seven Minutes from Netgalley for free in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.
Twenty-Seven Minutes alternates between the current timeline and ten years previous and character points of view. The main focus of the story is an accident where a young woman, Phoebe, dies. There are questions and rumors surrounding the accident. What really happened the night Phoebe died?
Tate does a nice job of setting the scene. You can really tell you are in a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business. Many residents seem stuck in their situation and cannot get out because of what happened one night ten years ago.
Twenty-Seven Minutes has a lot of build-up and tension until we discover what happened, although it was easy to piece together before the big reveal. The author attempted to throw you off track with many twists and secrets. So many, it became too much.
I wanted to keep reading to see if I was right, but I felt there were too many twists and secrets and was too dependent on the small-town trope. I wasn’t as invested in this as I have been in other books. I did enjoy the shifting point of view and the unreliable narrators.
I felt sorry for some of the characters but none of them were good people. They were well-written. I appreciate a well-written, terrible person. I do want to know why they all stayed in this small town. It felt like it was supposed to be some sort of penance for a couple of the characters but it didn’t seem they felt bad for what happened.
Overall, a decent mystery/thriller with several unreliable narrators. A few chapters seemed to drag on, but overall, it had a decent pace. I would recommend it if you like changing points of view, unreliable narrators, and a mystery from years ago.
I Choose Darkness by Jenny Lawson
☕☕☕☕☕ / 5
I Choose Darkness is a short story about the holidays from Jenny Lawsone, The Bloggess.
Maybe it’s because I identify with her feelings on all holidays, but I really enjoyed the essay. She starts off with her feelings around Thanksgiving and Christmas, many of which I share. Then she moves to her, and my, favorite holiday.
She sets the stage by describing the early 80s and the Halloween costumes of the era. I felt like I was transported back in time. I could envision the exact costumes she mentioned. She then moved into the story of Halloween, the year she was seven.
The pacing of the story was perfect. I could feel the tension build, wondering where the trauma came in. I was immersed in the story, I felt like I was there. I felt like I knew her and her sister. I felt like I was at that Halloween, I mean, Fall Festival.
Overall, I really enjoyed this short essay from Jenny Lawson. Her storytelling style is very similar to mine. There are tangents and jokes, but she ties it all together in the end.
I would recommend this book if you 1) like Jenny Lawson, 2) have some mixed feelings about Christmas but LOVE Halloween, and 3) enjoy ADHD storytelling.
A Scandal in Brooklyn by Lauren Wilkinson
☕☕☕ / 5
A Scandal in Brooklyn is a locked room mystery around old friends Tommy Diaz and Irene Adler.
I wanted to like this book but felt it wasn’t best suited for a short story. I couldn’t fully engage because it was over before I could figure out who dunnit. It’s very unsatisfying to have the ending figured out, thrown at you, and you feel you haven’t even met all the characters yet.
The author dropped random things about Tommy and Irene, but everyone else, especially those at the lab, felt like random people without getting to know them. Wilkinson did a great job describing the setting. I could picture the lab in my mind.
I did enjoy the writing style. It left me wanting more and wishing this was a full story. I may check out more from Wilkinson in the future. I would recommend this if you like short, fast-paced mysteries where you don’t have time to figure out who did it before the reveal.
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️ / 5
The Inheritance Games was our November book club pick.
The Inheritance Games is an intriguing story about a random teenager being chosen to inherit a fortune from a man she has never met. Or has she? The only condition? She must survive a year in The Hawthorne House, surrounded by the disinherited family. Will she survive?
The main setting is the Hawthorne House in Texas. The House is a character itself, with hidden passageways and multiple wings. The story is told from Avery’s point of view as a poor teenager who lost her mother a year before. She was taken in by her older half-sister Libby. I liked the single point of view because it made it simple/easy to follow throughout.
I enjoyed Avery’s arc but wanted to see more Libby! I think she has a good story that we need more of. The Hawthorne Boys were too over the top and “perfect.” I would have liked less of the “rich boys are perfect and beautiful” trope and had them be a little more down to earth.
I could not put this book down! I wanted to keep reading to find the next clue, to figure out the puzzle along with Avery and the Hawthorne Boys. The chapters were short, which helped make the book feel shorter than it actually is. They are easy to digest and keep the puzzle and clues from being overwhelming.
The book explores many themes, like family, power, loyalty, and money. I would recommend if you like mysteries and puzzles.
The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
☕️☕️☕️☕️ / 5
I had to pick up book two immediately after finishing The Inheritance Games!
The Hawthorne Legacy picks up where The Inheritance Games left off. We meet up with Avery and crew as they work to solve the original puzzle meant for the previous generation of Hawthornes. We are still in the first year of Avery’s challenge to stay at the Hawthorne House.
Everything All at Once by Stephanie Catudal
Read by Stephanie Catudal
☕️☕️☕️☕️ / 5
Audiobook read by Steph Catudal & Allyson Ryan
☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️ / 5
A memoir written after her husband fell sick with a mysterious lung condition during covid.
Stephanie Catudal writes about all the feelings that came up when her husband, known as Rivs in the ultrarunner world, fell ill during covid with a mysterious lung disease.
She lost her father to lung cancer as a teenager, and she processes those feelings as her husband is in the ICU during covid. It’s a story of more than just Riv’s battle with cancer. It alternates between Steph’s past and present. She details her childhood, family relationships, and the men she dated before Rivs. She details her meeting Rivs and what losing him would mean.
This book isn’t for you if you are looking for a story only about Rivs and his battle. This is Steph’s battle. It’s sad, it’s hopeful, it’s compelling. I recommend it if you like reading about how other people have overcome adversity and questionable relationships.
The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber
☕️☕️☕️☕️ / 5
Audiobook read by Eliza Foss ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️ / 5
December book club pick
I enjoyed Eliza Foss as the narrator. She had slightly different voices for each character.
Nana’s grandchildren ask her to tell them a story, and she tells the story of the Christmas best friends Pete, a pastor, and Hanf, a bar owner, who decided to switch places.
Even though the plot and characters were predictable, Macomber threw in some fun elements, including bikers and strippers! I did want to keep reading to find out what happened to each character and if I was right in guessing who Nana was in the story.
I could picture Hank’s bar and Pete’s church. I also could feel the chill in the air. Macomber did an excellent job of describing the winter weather. A few of her scenes also had me laughing out loud, picturing them in my mind.
I also enjoyed that part of the story was in the present and took natural breaks in pacing when the grandchildren interrupted her.
Overall, a quick, enjoyable Holiday read! If you want a cheesy, Hallmark-esque read, try The Christmas Spirit.
Setting and achieving goals can be challenging for those of us with ADHD. You may struggle to break the BIG goals into smaller, actionable tasks. If you’re anything like me, you’ve tried everything to try and crack at reaching your goals.
Erin Condren has several products aimed at goal setting, and we will compare and review two different planners to see if one or both will help those of us with ADHD reach our goals! And even if you don’t have ADHD, this can still help you take a closer look at the planners to decide if either is right for you!
The Goal Setting and Productivity Planners are A5 in size and have instructions at the beginning. They are listed at $25.50. You can find them both here. Affiliate link: I will earn a commission if you purchase.
First up is the Productivity Planner. The first section is Set and has 12 goal/project pages to plan out what you need to do. After that section is Plan, and you get 24 pages with eight action step boxes each and 18 pages with four checklist sections; each has 13 checkboxes. Then, there are 16 pages with two longer checklists with 217 checkboxes per list. Lastly, the Plan section has 18 lined pages.
The last section is Track, which starts with 20 pages of daily habit tracking with 26 lines per page. After the daily trackers, there are 12 pages of monthly trackers with 12 months per page. After the monthly trackers, you have 20 pages of progress tracking.
The Productivity Planner ends with two pages of reflection and functional stickers.
I would struggle more with using the Productivity Planner than the Goal Setting Planner. For my ADHD brain, this planner is very overwhelming. I struggle to use habit trackers and would give up after the first few weeks. I love the checklists and the project tracker and could use those with the Goal Planner.
The Goal Setting Planner has sections for six different goals. Each section starts with a goal overview and action plan page. Next is a two-page spread of 16 action step boxes. You get 18 weekly pages for planning and reflection, plus two pages at the end to check in.
After the six goal tabes is a final reflection tab with a lined page to list your accomplishments and an additional five pages for reflection, in the back of the planner is a sheet of decorative stickers.
With my ADHD brain, I need another system to help me use the Goal Setting Planner. It is too open-ended and not detailed enough to use on its own to set and breakdown goals. I would use this with HB90 (affiliate link: I will earn a commission if you sign up) for three quarterly goals. Following the HB90 system, I could easily set up the overview, action plan, and tasks. The weekly page would be perfect for planning what I want to do during that week and tracking taskblocks.
You could use both planners for projects and goals. The Productivity Planner focuses more on habit tracking and long-term routine building, while the Goal Planner offers weekly planning but no trackers.
Which one would you pick and why? Let me know in the comments, as I’m unsure if I will use these.
Another slow month for me. I am in a reading slump but really trying to push through it!
What did you read this month? Did you read any spooky books in honor of the season? Share your October reads in the comments!
The Night House by Jo Nesbø
☕☕☕/5
I received The Night House from Netgalley for free in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.
Richard’s parents die in a fire, and he moves to a small town to live with his aunt and uncle. He struggles to fit in, and then strange things happen to his classmates. Is Richard behind it, or is something more sinister going on?
Overall, I give The Night House 3 coffees. It is a bit different from Nesbo’s Harry Hole series, but a similar style. It starts slow and builds. By about the mid to two-thirds point, you want to keep reading to discover the twist.
Unfortunately, in The Night House, the twist is an overdone trope that is not much of a twist or original.
Nesbo does a great job setting the scene. I feel like I am meeting all these interesting characters in a small town. The first two-thirds of the book has a creepy atmosphere, leaving you unnerved. It does not carry through to the final third. The setting for the end of the book felt forced and sterile.
There were two interesting climaxes, but the resolution left me feeling unfulfilled. It was too much of a cheap trope.
The characters feel well-developed, and I wanted to know more about them. The characters were detailed, and the dynamics and growth were great. Richard seemed like a reliable narrator, but was he? I do love a good, unreliable narrator.
Nesbo references literature (Lord of the Flies, Metamorphosis) and movies, mostly classic monsters such as Frankenstein and Swamp Thing. It was an interesting way to show Richard’s interest and thoughts. A few things felt like foreshadowing, but you aren’t sure where it will go.
I would recommend this book if you like unreliable narrators and great characters. However, without giving any spoilers, the ending may annoy you.
The base kit can be purchased with or without a binder ($135 or $129 respectively) and comes with 26 pages of stickers to use all year! The 26 pages include four sampler pages with birthday, anniversary, and some select stickers for different holidays throughout the year. There are 12 pages of daily holidays, one for each day in 2024! And lastly, there are 10 celebratory decoration samples you can use to plan your weeks during the year (includes sheets for each season, Halloween and a few others).
The Collection is valued at $210.
Besides the main collection, there are tons of add-ons and accessories available now and more will be released throughout the year to round out your planner!
With the launch this year is a set of seasonal washi ($14.25), Doodles ($57.50), and so much more!
New this year is a postcard that comes with your order to track the add-on releases throughout the year! It is the perfect size to washi tape or hole punch to keep in the front of your Celebrations binder. You can mark off when you purchase and receive each release. And if you order and receive 12 different add-ons, take a photo of your postcard and email KrissyAnne Designs for a surprise gift!
Who doesn’t love surprise gifts?!
The Celebrations Collection is now available for the general public to shop! If you miss out, they will take pre-orders and ship before the end of the year. Be sure to shop early (and if you’re like me? Often 🤣). Affiliate link I will earn a commission if you buy.
Fall might be my favorite launch time, right behind Halloween, of course!
When the fall Archer and Olive launch was announced, I marked my planner and got my trigger finger ready. I didn’t want to miss out on any of the fall goodies! And my sub-box came around the same time, so stick around until the end to hear my thoughts on Vintage Library!
I ordered both sets of calliographs. I finally realized I don’t really use or like the acrylographs and skipped them this time. I always reach for the easier-to-use item, so calliographs it is! The fall launch had two sets, Autumn Morning and Autumn Midnight. I was mostly drawn to the Autumn Midnight, but both sets look very nice together. They did add labels to both sets, which is extremely helpful.
How fun would it be to be the person who gets to name pen colors?
I also ordered the gray pouch. It is a nice, sturdy canvas material with the enchanting wolf print inside. There is only one large pocket, no internal pockets. It is long enough to fit calliographs, Tombow, or other duel brush pens. The gray canvas feels stiffer than the green one released earlier this year.
It wouldn’t be an Archer and Olive launch without washi tape! I grabbed both the enchanting wolf and books & coffee. I love both designs for different reasons. The colors and theme of books and coffee feels very fall. The enchanting wolf doesn’t really say fall to me, but I love the different shades of blue with the gold. It will be great to use any time of year!
And no Archer and Olive order would be complete without stickers! As with the washi, I got the enchanting wolf and books & coffee sheets. You get two of each. The books & coffee stickers have the same saying as the washi.
I also had to have the stamp set! It will be perfect for creating fun bullet journal spreads or memory keeping. It will be perfect for next year’s reading journals. It came with several stamps, an ink pad, and an acrylic block. Besides books and coffee, there are also leaves, which could be fall or regular, depending on which colors you pick.
Lastly, I grabbed the book & coffee notebook in 8×8. I am loving the square notebook lately. It’s such a fun size and versatile for many things! I love the box it came in. It looks like a book and slides out. The notebook is a deep green with a rose gold icon and matching rose gold ampersand on the ribbon bookmark. I also took the opportunity to pre-order the A5 because I love this design so much!
Personally, I love all the items I got in the fall launch. Everything is beautiful, and it feels very much like fall and Archer and Olive returning to their roots. There are some fall launch items left. If you want to grab something, head over to Archer and Olive, and don’t forget to use my code Runsonespresso, to save 10% on your order (affiliate link and code, I will receive a commission).
Did you grab anything in the fall launch? Let me know in the comments!
Now, for the Vintage Library Sub Box.
OH. EM. GEE. THIS. BOX.
I haven’t been a subscriber since the beginning, only about a year or so, but this is by far the best sub-box I’ve received! Pretty much everything in this box was perfect, and I will find a use for it all!
The box itself has a beautiful book design around the outside, and the top says, “Welcome to the Archer and Olive Library. You are invited to come inside and take it all in. Every wall is filled with handcrafted books with exquisite detail. There is quiet peace, a record of the human experience throughout history. Find your favorite nook, settle in, and stay a while”.
Such a beautiful sentiment.
Starting with the calliographs, we have a set of five. I believe some of these have been in other collections, but I don’t mind because all the colors look so good together. There are different shades of browns/tans and blue. Unfortunately, these ones are not labeled. That is a small disappointment.
We get four rolls of washi, starting with a roll of gold stars you can use for book reviews! I love this idea. You don’t need to draw or try to use a stamp or stencil. One roll looks like individual spines of books, and another like all your books lined up on a shelf. And the fourth one looks like postage stamps with “book review,” “currently reading,” and “from the library of.” What a fun idea! The washi is a nice touch and will be great in journal spreads.
The sticker sets are called book and typewriter stickers. Each pack has two stickers (four total), and each set has a white and a very light off-white sheet. The sheets have letters, numbers, and symbols. I like the idea of these; they look great, and a lot of thought went into it. But I have no idea how to use these. I would have much preferred stickers of books.
I was very excited to see the next item as I had wanted one for a few months but hadn’t gotten to looking for one. It is a rotating date stamp and ink pad. Perfect for dating your journals! You can change the month, day, and year. And once you have rotated through all the years, there is a blank space so you can still use the month and day.
Next up are the oversized binder clips. They look cool, but I don’t know how I will use them. They measure about four inches tall and two inches wide. They are much larger than normal binder clips.
We get a cute little memo pad that looks like the old library checkout cards for paper products. They are blank, so you can use them for anything. It is tri color with blue/gray/purple, yellow, and pink. I wish the pink were a different color. It doesn’t really go with the rest of the box and colors used.
Then we have the pocket library, which is a nice box with two oversized pocket notebooks. The details on the box and notebooks are fantastic! One is burgundy, vegan leather with lined pages, while the other is olive linen with a vegan leather pattern inlay with dot grid pages. I don’t want to use these; I want to display them!
The last item in the box is an A5 notebook in blue buckram cover with navy and pearl accents. It is a dot grid notebook. This one feels special. So much so that I don’t want to use it! Of course, I will, but I want to find its perfect use. Maybe a future reading journal?
If you have any ideas for the book and typewriter stickers, please drop them in the comments because I am at a loss at how I want to use them.
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