Welcome to the Friday Five! I’m currently easing myself back into blogging and I thought this would be a fun, low pressure way to get back into it. Some weeks may have themes, but most weeks will be entirely random and that’s ok.

So, here are five things that have been on my mind this past week.

Switching to Blue Ink?

I’ve been thinking about switching pens in my planner for 2023. For the past year or so, I’ve been using the Sharpie S-Gel 38mm as my exclusive planner pen. I absolutely love it, but lately, I’ve been toying with the idea of using blue ink. Part of me resisted the idea at first. After all, blue is the color that’s assigned to my fun and recreation goals for 2023. Now, it’s not going to be the same shade of blue I’d use for my pen, but it still feels weird not going with black ink.

The challenge is finding a pen that I like. I prefer ultra-fine tip pens (0.38-0.4mm, but I will settle for 0.5 if I absolutely MUST), but I also want something that writes smoothly without scraping and scratching the paper. It also needs to dry quickly. I’m talking something that will hold up to Plum Paper Paper- or better yet, the glossy paper of my Daily Grace Devotionals. My expectations may be a bit too high with the latter. It’s more important that it does not smear when I highlight it (something the Pilot Juice pen doesn’t hold up to well). Yes, I know that whole highlight first trick, but that would require me knowing the colors I need in advance and that’s just not happening. 

I also haven’t decided what shade of blue I want, but I suppose I may not have much of a choice there. I considered the idea of doing grey ink, but I feel like that may be asking for WAY too much.

 

Picking my 2023 Planner

I may be leaving my Erin Condren Daily Duo in 2023. I absolutely love the planner, but there’s something about it that’s just not working for me. I think maybe there’s too much space. It can be overwhelming at times- especially on work days when I have no need for the schedule from 7am to 5pm. 

However, I love daily planning. I think it’s what works best for me. Even though I don’t need a full page every day, I also need the option. I also need times written into my planner. It may seem like a waste of space most days, but whenever I write my appointments down without them, I inevitably write something in out of order and it drives me CRAZY. I just don’t necessarily need the half-hour time blocks or a schedule that runs from 6am to 7pm when some days start before 5am and end after 9pm. 

Right now, I’m in between the Cultivate What Matters Season by Season Daily Planner and Emily Ley’s Simplified Daily. I considered the Day Designer briefly, but I’m not a fan of the weekend spread. I’ll make my final decision by Black Friday

 

Nostalgia and being a Childhood Fashion Icon

I was looking through a box of old childhood photos yesterday trying to find a picture of myself dressed up as a clown for Halloween when I was three. I haven’t been able to find it. I’m sure the picture I’m thinking of didn’t even have me in the full costume. The full one was absolutely adorable. I had little bells on my costume that jingled when I walked.

While I didn’t find that particular photo, I found several other pictures, including one of me being an absolute fashion icon in elementary school (I’m guessing I was probably 8 or 9 here). No, seriously, I’d totally wear that sweater again today. 

I also found one of my old MP3 discs in the box of photos. In high school, I put my entire music collection on MP3s (my stereo had a 6-disc changer). Since my only CD player is in my car, I decided to listen to it on my commute to and from work today. Apparently, I  discs were done alphabetically by artist names and disc 3 consisted of music by Point of Grace, Ray Boltz, Rebecca St. James, Relient K, Sandi Patty, Selah, and Sixpence None the Richer. I may use it to create a new Spotify Playlist.

 

Changing Churches

I went to my nanny toddler’s baby dedication at my old church last week. I left that church prior to Covid for several reasons related to my mental health and I’ve only been back a few times since 2019. This time, however, felt different. Part of it may be the change in worship leaders (the old music was too loud and triggered anxiety attacks). But, for the first time in forever, I left church looking forward to going back. 

I’m still a little uncertain about returning to this church after being hurt, but I also know it will open up opportunities for me. Maybe I’ll be able to join a small group in January and have some kind of social life outside of the internet. 

Of course, switching churches now may mean giving up on the possibility of singing Christmas Day at the church I’ve been attending, but it may be worth it. 

The only other thing I’d have to figure out is lunch on Sunday. I’m used to getting out of church, grocery shopping, and being home before 2pm. On Sunday, I didn’t leave church until quarter to 2. That’s typical- especially since they serve snacks before and after services. Unfortunately, Covid changed things and most of the snacks are prepackaged. There’s some fruit, but the dependable veggie tray and cheese slices are gone. It’s not that big of a deal. I know that if I wait until I get home to eat, I’ll end up ravenous, so the logical solution would be to pack a lunch. I’m actually excited for an excuse to buy some new Easy Lunchboxes containers. They’re my favorite for cold lunches.

 

Seasonal Colors and a Confidence Boost

So, back in June, I decided to treat myself to a color analysis for my Birthday. I had always been interested in the concept of seasonal colors, and when my friend, Brianna, got hers done a year ago, it resparked that interest. 

Turns out, according to the House of Colour stylist who I saw, that I am a spring. This means I look my best in colors that are light, bright, clear, and warm- a definite contrast from the summer-leaning wardrobe I used to wear. 

These past few months, I’ve been learning to step out of my comfort zone in picking clothes that are brighter and more vibrant. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a brown sweater- a color I never would’ve looked at before.

I’ve worn it twice and both times I got so many compliments on how it looked on me. More importantly, however, is how fabulous I feel in that sweater. I had a nearly identical sweater in the “wrong” colors back in 2019 and I almost can’t believe the difference. (I also switched to glasses in the “correct” colors, and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to thick, dark, heavy frames).

I’ve already decided that one of my 2023 goals is to go back to get a style analysis done. If wearing the right colors is giving me this much of a confidence boost, I can only imagine what will happen if I learn what cuts and shapes suit me best.