Happy Planner Pages, Pink Washi and Little Wins!

Happy Planner Layout + Life Lately

For this week’s planner layout, I used my Breathe Accessory Book. I was going through my sticker books last week when I spotted it and immediately moved it to my crafting table as a reminder to use it on my next layout. It felt very fitting since January was a bit overwhelming, and I haven’t been feeling 100% lately.

That said, I’m happy to share that I’m getting better, feeling better, and I’m optimistic I’ll be back to 100% in no time. 

I went with pink washi tapes for this layout because I finally put washi tapes into the washi tape dispensers my mom gave me. Choosing which tapes made the cut was actually hard (I have a lot…), but I decided to load the ones I usually reach for when planning. I’m sharing photos of the dispenser, the “washi tapes that made it,” and, of course, the rest of my washi stash living in my washi tape drawer.

For sentiments, I used:

• “You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress, simultaneously”

• “You are blessed”

  
  
  

I also added a manifestation gem sticker, a little heart for Valentine’s Day, and blank stickers that say “positive vibes” and “something I’m looking forward to” as mini journaling prompts.

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Trying Something New

Here’s a first for me: I used my Ohuhu Halawa colored pencils to color a Polkadoodles project! I won’t share photos of the finished project yet since it hasn’t been published, but I did get a beautiful shot of my pencils and digis before coloring!

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Small (Big) Social Media Wins 

A little win for my socials too! I just reached:

• 1502 followers on Instagram

  
  
  
  

• 510 followers on Facebook

It felt like forever waiting to hit 1500 on IG and 510 on Facebook, so I’m really thrilled about these milestones. Little wins still count and I’m celebrating them.

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Books, Shows, and Movies

I started my first book of the month: Freida McFadden’s Dear Debbie. I haven’t finished it yet because I’m currently binge-watching Chicago Fire (now on Season 4!). So far, it kind of reminds me of Want to Know a Secret, another one of her books, but we’ll see how it goes.

Speaking of Freida McFadden, finally, her movie The Housemaid reached Saudi, and we watched it right away. I loved it. Like… love love loved it. It was so good that I kind of wish I didn’t already know the story.

Funny observation too: I think there were more men than women in the cinema. Now I’m curious, what’s the percentage of Freida fans who watched the movie versus Sydney Sweeney fans? Haha!

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Food Stops 

We ate at D’oro Pizzeria, which we first tried back in December. I loved their pizza so much that I was craving it again. I did forget they don’t serve pasta though. I was kind of craving spaghetti too, but their pizza still hit the spot.

For dessert, we went to Crepe & Dip and had a pistachio kunaffa crepe. Super yummy. Highly recommend.

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Projects I Made Last Week

• Heart Mini Album – Traci Reed’s Story Foundations: Faves

I made a heart-shaped mini album using Traci Reed’s newest collection, Story Foundations – Faves. We also had a Team IG Hop last Saturday. You can check out the rest of the team’s projects on my IG here or on Traci’s blog here.

And, yay! - Traci liked my album so much that she asked if I could write about it for my solo DT post this month!

• Bee Happy Weeklies – Chinese New Year

I made a small mixed media project for my Bee Happy Weeklies themed around Chinese New Year. To be honest, this holiday is pretty random and a bit insignificant for us here in Saudi, and I wasn’t sure what to do at first. But once I figured it out, I really enjoyed it.

I’ve been working with patterned papers and embellishments nonstop for mini albums, so doing a bit of mixed media felt like a refreshing break. I also made a process video for this one.

• Two-in-One Project – Traci Reed Sweet Steals

I created a two-in-one project for Traci Reed’s Sweet Steals, which will be up on Traci’s blog tomorrow (I’ll link it once it’s live!).

My close friend Tanya once joked, after seeing my Strong AF album that I should make an album of just the two of us. So… I did. hehe!

• “12 Things I Love About You” Mini Booklet

Finally, finally! - I used those rectangle frame cut-offs from my mini albums. I’ve been meaning to do this forever and even had a stash sitting on my table for months… until I eventually threw some away because they were just staring at me and silently judging me for not doing so.

This time though, I turned them into a tiny “12 Things I Love About You” booklet, and it felt so satisfying.

• Camera Mini Album – Printable, Cuttable and Creatables

Another camera mini album for Printable, Cuttable and Creatables! If you want to recreate it, I shared a step-by-step tutorial on PCC's blog - make sure to check it out.

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As always, thank you for being here and for reading along, planner spreads, projects, food cravings, washi, and all. 

A Traveler's Notebook for the Journaling-Later Girlies | Traveler's Notebook with Pockets

For one of Bee Happy's Weeklies project last month, I made a Traveler’s Notebook, but with a little twist.

Instead of leaving it with mostly blank pages (because let’s be honest, that’s usually how travel TNs end up), I turned this one into a practical junk-catcher for trips. Collecting memories while traveling is easy… actually sitting down to journal properly is a whole different story.

In 2024, I had big plans. One page per day in my junk journal. I thought, hey, a 10minute journaling at the end of each day during our vacay? Sounds easy! Tickets, receipts, and random bits were supposed to be added neatly to each page. What actually happened? I just kept inserting everything between the pages. Fast forward to now, and they’re still just… inserted. Some even ended up mixed into different days.

I was a bit more prepared in 2025 and actually managed to do a little journaling per day during our trip. Progress! But then my mini photo printer died, and we didn’t even have a micro USB printer with us. Still, I managed to journal little by little while traveling, though, full honesty… I still haven’t finished journaling that trip. Haha.

That’s exactly why this Traveler’s Notebook came to life.

I added pockets...lots of them. This TN has 10 pockets for 10 days, giving every receipt, ticket, note, and random piece of travel junk a proper place to land until I can sit down and journal without pressure. No more loose bits falling out, getting lost, or being shoved into the wrong page.

The pages are hand sewn for the binding, making it sturdy yet flexible. It can be slipped into a Traveler’s Notebook as an insert, or you can bring it along as is, depending on how you like to travel and journal.

This project is my way of accepting that journaling doesn’t have to be perfect, or immediate. Sometimes memory keeping starts with pockets, and the stories come later.

If you liked the collection I used for this TN, you can check it out at Traci Reed's website. It's called Wander and Wonder, just so perfect for all your traveling crafting.

Polkadoodles Digi Choosday Project | Peekaboo Interactive Card with Scruff Dog

For this week’s Digi Choosday Design Team prompt, we were challenged to create something that moves, uses ink, black and red, and features an animal. And since my last Valentines Day Digi Choosday project was red and strictly didn't have pink, I had to make this one pink!

I decided to reach into my older stash and finally put my Lawn Fawn Peekaboo interactive die set to use again - and honestly, it felt nice! I’ve been meaning forever to start creating my own tutorials for interactive dies I have, so I’m calling this project a little win and the beginning of that goal.

For the focal image, I used the Scruff Dog with Heart Cookies digi stamp from Polkadoodles. 

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Materials Used

• Lawn Fawn Peekaboo Dies

• Bearly Art Glue

• Foam Tape

• Rosie’s Studio Gemstones

• Cricut Maker

• Patterned Paper – Polkadoodles 2 Love and Kisses Papers Collection

• Digi Stamp – Scruff Dog with Heart Cookies 

• Sentiment – “Love you always” from Polkadoodles Wings of Love Greetings

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Instructions

1. Cut two pieces of the largest die in the Peekaboo set. This die creates a rectangular shape with two score lines.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   I used two different patterned papers from the 2 Love and Kisses collection.

   
   
   

2. Fold the score lines on both pieces.

   
   
   
   

   • For the front piece, make sure the score lines are on the left and fold them as a valley fold.

   • For the back piece, the score lines should be on the right and folded as a mountain fold.

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

3. On the front piece, make a faint mark at 2 ¾ inches. This will guide where the next die cut will go.

   
   
   
   

4. Place the hill die on the marked area and secure it with tape.

   
   
   
   
   
   

   Run this through your die-cutting machine.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

5. Attach this front piece to the larger, uncut piece by adding glue to the first score-line panel.

   
   
   

   Make sure the score line of the larger piece is on the right side before adhering.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

6. Cut the smallest die mechanism from the set and fold along the score lines.

   

   These are all the mechanism dies included in the Lawn Fawn Peekaboo Interactive Die Set.

   

   For this card, we will use the smallest mechanism die.

   
   

7. Add glue to the left triangle fold of the mechanism.

   
   
   
   
   
   

8. Open the card base and adhere the mechanism to the right side of the flap, aligning it with the upper-right corner.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

9. Close the flap and add glue to the folded flap on the back of the card base so it adheres to the front piece.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

10. Add glue to the mechanism and attach your digi stamp.

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    For this card, I used Scruff Dog with Heart Cookies.

    
    
    

    Test the fold to make sure only part of the image peeks out when the card is closed. It is ok if it does. There are many ways to cover it.

    
    
    
    

11. Prepare your sentiment.

    I used “Love you always” from Wings of Love Greetings, but instead of placing it on a simple circle, I added a fun twist...

12. Using Cricut Design Space, I chose a heart cookie shape and added the sentiment inside.

    This worked perfectly since Scruff Dog is holding heart cookies. Plus, it’s pink.

13. I used Print Then Cut on my Cricut, adhered the sentiment with foam tape for dimension, and placed it so it slightly covers the image peeking out.

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

14. To finish the card, I added pink Rosie’s Studio Gemstones for a little sparkle.

    
    
    
    

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I absolutely loved creating this interactive card, and I’m excited that this is my first step toward sharing more interactive die tutorials here on the blog. Fingers crossed that I get to go through my interactive dies this year!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and happy Digi Choosday!