Now is the BEST time to get organized, maximize stress-free productivity and get things done so you can have some fun! To motivate and inspire you, we’ve collected five stress-free productivity tips from LifePlanner™ customers around the globe.
Tag Archives: Accessories
How to Apply NEW Nail Wraps!
I’m obsessed with nail art these days and LOVE following the incredible work of nail artists on social media! However, for those of us that don’t have the tools or the talent, I absolutely love the brilliant invention of nail wraps (stickers!!!). We’ve partnered with NCLA who has some amazing collaborations with Beyoncé & Hello Kitty, so, I was incredibly honored to be collaborating with them for my first collection of wraps! The application process is really meant for DIY-ers and takes some practice to make perfect!
Here are a few hints to help you with an accent nail or full set of fashionable nails:
What you’ll need:
- Nail wraps in your favorite design – mini nail file included!
- Base coat/Top Coat (not included with nail wraps)
- Tweezers/Dowel (optional, also not included)
1. First, clean and file your nails as you normally would before applying polish. Any nail shape will work, however, I recommend keeping them square to make the design really pop and to eliminate how much you need to trim them to fit!
2. Apply a clear base coat (NCLA has a great option, but any clear base coat will work!) onto clean, dry nails, and LET DRY. I can’t stress this part enough- without a fully dry base, the stickers may slide and won’t adhere properly.
3. Depending on the width of your nail beds, you may need to trim your nail wraps (don’t worry about the length, we’ll get to that in a moment). Should you need a trim, simply measure the excess against your nails and use cuticle scissors to cut them to size.
4. Next, apply the round side of the nail wrap against the cuticle. Stretch from the bottom upward and outward until you have the perfect fit!
5. Air bubbles? Don’t stress! Press firmly from the cuticle in an upward motion until the wrap is completely flat.
6. Lastly, use a nail file to remove any excess by filing in a downward motion. Apply a coat of clear polish for a flawless finish!
Ready to ‘nail it’ with nail wraps? Shop all five designs here!
*Don’t worry if you forget these instructions when you get the wraps. They come with a full set of easy to follow instructions as well.
Dare to flair with NEW metallic pins!
When I walked into my kids’ high school registration, I felt like I’d stepped back in time to the 80’s with all the buttons and fashion pins! The fabulous flair pins I used to decorate my denim jacket in high school have made a HUGE COMEBACK, we had so much fun recreating the look in our signature style. Available in multiple metallics and two super-cute designs, adding flair to your favorite bag or jacket will earn you serious style points! (Pun intended).
#Pinning Pockets Long hair can sometimes conceal your pins, so as an alternative, you may want to let them live on your lapel. Front and center, these beauties make a serious statement!
Collar Candy Turn up the toughness by adding a little flair to your collar! Just a few pins placed around your neckline turn a normal jacket into edgy outerwear.
Bag Bling Jazz up a backpack, tote bag, or carry-all clutch by adding a few strategically placed pins! Arrange them in an order for a patterned, put-together effect. or stick them at random for a funky, fresh look.
Fri-DIY: Sticker Book Cake Toppers
When it comes to DIY projects, one fact seems to always hold true: the cutest crafts are usually the simplest! Even if you aren’t the world’s best baker, these custom cake toppers will bring a heartwarming, homemade touch to even the most basic of boxed brownies. The best part? They are stunningly simple to make – and the options are almost endless!
What You’ll Need:
– Assorted wooden sticks (we used toothpicks, craft sticks, and dowels)
– Your choice of sticker books
– String for sticker banner (optional)
Depending on your party theme or the occasion, we’ve got a TON of sticker books with the sweetest stickers to choose from! Whichever you choose, you will need duplicate stickers to wrap both sides of your wooden sticks, so keep that in mind. Most of our books come with duplicate stickers or at least duplicate shapes for easy attachment.
Next, simply peel your sticker, attach it to one side of your stick (we used toothpicks for cupcakes and dowels for the cake) and carefully adhere the duplicate sticker to the back, securing the stick in place. Voila!
To take your cake decorating to the next level, you can even try fastening a banner using two sticks and a piece of string! Simply decide on your banner length, tie a section of string to two sticks, and attach the “flags” in the same manner you used to attach the stickers to your sticks. For this girly themed celebration, we used our designer sticker book edition 2 with metallic accents for the flags, and our monthly sticker book butterflies and flowers for extra decorations. Pretty genius, right?
No time for baking in your busy schedule? We won’t spill your secret! Grab some cupcakes from your local grocery and spell out something sweet with letters from our Cool for School sticker book.
Stickers are a steal right now! Shop any LifePlanner™ or Teacher’s Lesson Planner, get a free classic sticker book on us.
How Do You Sticker?
It’s probably no surprise to y’all that I am a very visual person… so when it comes to seeing my schedule, I am a sucker for stickers! Without the array of asterisks, colorful flags, and motivational quotes, it would be much tougher for me to make sense of my days- and a whole lot less fun! We know our fans are just as stoked for stickers, which is why we’re constantly developing new books and sheets so that your personality can shine through your sticker design!
There is no “right” or “wrong” way to use our stickers – I encourage you to find the system that suits you! However, if you need some ideas and inspiration, we’ve put together two short videos featuring our monthly and classic edition 2 books to walk you through all the ways you can sticker your way to success! I’ve also outlined the different ways I use some of our sticker styles below.
Monthly Sticker Book:
Classic Sticker Book Edition 2:
Flags: I attend a LOT of weekly meetings, so the brightly colored and uniquely cut flags are a regular lifesaver. The metallic accents make them pop against the page, they’re the perfect size to write on, and I love that I can color coordinate them so I never get confused on which meeting is which!
Asterisks: Aside from being adorable, I use these stickers to mark appointments and errands! We cut them in many different ways to fit all areas of your weekly and monthly spreads.
Quotes: Perhaps my proudest sticker accomplishment, the stunning metallic quotes are cut to fit the daily boxes of your weekly LifePlanner™ layout, giving you a a weekly dose of motivation or inspiration!
Borders: I’m a total weekend warrior, so I love to anticipate a fabulous weekend of fun by bordering my Friday-Sunday stretches with the metallic border stickers! Cut them to the size you need, or use them to fill the margin above your monthly spread header- they are just the right dimensions!
Sheets: The most versatile of all our sticker collections, designer sheets are a do-it-all dynamo when it comes to organizing your LifePlanner™! These sheets can be cut to make all sorts of stickers (more info on that here) and look absolutely lovely in the margins of a neutral planner to add pops of color!
Sticker heaven is waiting…buy any sticker book and receive our first classic edition FREE!
3 Reasons You NEED Neon!
They say trends come full circle, and after working in a creative environment for the last ten years, I’ve come to realize it’s totally true- and in the case of neon, totally AWESOME! How can you not be drawn to the energy of these bright, brilliant hues? I’ll leave my big hair and headbands in the eighties, but neon is never going out of style!
1. Blossom and ikat were the perfect picks for the neon prints- against bold backgrounds, it makes for a fun twist on classic designs! The repeating patterns contrast against the lunar blue, lift off lemon, outrageous orchid, and plasma pink colorways are enough to get anyone’s pulse racing!
2. When we set out to design this collection, it was extra-important to me that we do justice to the vivid colors that set neon apart from its sister shades. That’s why we selected specially dyed paper to pump up the palette as much as possible! Furthermore, to make our patterns pop, we needed a special white ink to create contrast. This is not something that’s easy to find in the printing world – but we really wanted to nail it with neon, so that’s exactly what we did!
3. It’s amazing to see just how beautiful these designs are in person, especially when you mix and match them. We were so struck by how lovely they look, we knew we couldn’t stop at just books. Keep your eyes and ears open for matching neon elastic bands coming soon.. how radical is THAT?!
Need a closer look at neon? Shop the full collection here!
How To Decorate Your LifePlanner™ with Just Washi Tape
If you consider yourself a crafter of any kind, you are probably already familiar with the wonderful accessory that is washi tape! If not, prepare to be inspired: this do-it-all DIY must-have is absolutely perfect for decorating your LifePlanner™– even if you aren’t exactly the next Pinterest professional. Using classic washi tape and our designer sticker sheets, we’re going to show you a few simple techniques to turn your LifePlanner™ into a work of (washi) art!
What You Need:
– washi tape and/or designer sticker sheets
– ruler (your free gift with every LifePlanner™ purchase!)
– scissors
Design Option 1: Borders
Creating fancy frames for your monthly or weekly calendar is a gorgeous way to add personality and excitement to your LifePlanner™ – particularly if you chose the neutral interior and are looking to add pops of color or metallic highlights! However, we found the designer sticker sheets just as easy to mix and match with a colorful interior. Watercolor against the goldenrod theme of August is simply stunning!
Begin by selecting your washi or sticker sheet (we used metallic asterisk washi tape in gold for the monthly calendar and watercolor for our weekly selections). Using your ruler, measure the perimeter lengths of your borders and mark your washi tape or sticker sheet to cut the right lengths.
As an added tip, you can also use the pre-ruled lines on the back of your designer sticker sheets as a guideline. Whether you want to add borders to just the goals section, mark a super-special day, or outline an entire week is totally up to you and your creativity!
Design Option 2: Day Flags
Fun, colorful flags are a staple in our designer sticker books, but you can create your own using just washi! Simply cut a triangle section of washi or sticker sheets, then snip a triangle portion from one of the ends. Pro tip: don’t toss the triangle section- you can repurpose it for use in the next two design options!
Design Option 3: Banners
Who doesn’t love a darling banner, particularly when it’s in your LifePlanner™?! This decor staple is even more delightful as a planner design, and is super simple to create. First, grab your favorite pen or marker (we love using our Party Pops markers) to draw the string of your banner. Then, using the triangle portions you cut earlier or small triangles you cut just eyeballing it, attach your teeny-tiny flags to their “string,” and ta-da! A beautiful banner for a weekend of festivities.
Design Option 4: Shapes
It may seem terribly obvious, but one of the easiest and most versatile design options for your planner are shapes of all kinds! To take it a step further, you can invest in hole punchers that create even more unique shapes- like our classic asterisk, a heart, or even a pineapple!
Want more LifePlanner decorating inspiration? Follow us on Pinterest!
Take Your Dog to Work Day!
We’re all wags and wiggles over here… it’s National Take Your Dog to Work Day!
If you’re anything like us, your love for your canine companions extends beyond the four walls of your home. Our dogs were invited for a day at the office to celebrate this special occasion, which got us thinking: how could we customize some of our favorite EC items to honor our furry friends?
‘Bark Book’ Notebooks, Journals & Notepads
Personalizing a LifePlanner™, TakeNote™ journal, notebook, or notepad with your pup’s name and photo is a great way to keep them close to your heart, even when you’re far from home! They are also a great way to keep track of your puppy’s growth month-to-month, as well as milestones (puppy’s first day at the beach!) and everything in between. Your ‘bark book’ can also be used to keep vital information, such as a feeding and walking schedule when you’re away.
‘Bone Appetit’ Acrylic Box
There is no better way to show your love for man’s best friend than with a delicious treat! We personalized an acrylic box with a dog-inspired saying that is both fun and functional for your home. It’s especially exciting to think outside of the box and personalize it with a quippy quote to make it your own! After all, everyone wants to be the person their dog thinks they are 😉 Best of all, because the box is entirely acrylic, cleaning is a breeze- just wipe and go!
‘Flying Fido’ Dog Carrier Luggage Tag
When traveling with your pets, the term “precious cargo” doesn’t do it justice! Ensure your fur babies arrive safely (and in style, of course) with luggage tags that hold all of their vital information. We customized ours using the create your own design on the GO! ID tags and simply uploaded our favorite photo for a truly unique tag. There’s always something exciting going on around the EC office! For a sneak peak inside our colorful world, follow us on Instagram.
The reviews are in…2017 LifePlanner™
We think this years LifePlanner™ is our best yet…but don’t take our word for it! See how a handful of stylish & savvy bloggers use their books to plan their day, their way.
Norah Pritchard, Willow Crest Lane
Norah chose her cover design because it really spoke to her: do what you love, love what you do! Added bonus, this LifePlanner™ cover and coil combine to look like the most gorgeous sunset we’ve ever seen. Read her full blog post here!
Our friend Jen is a total planner addict, which is why she couldn’t resist trying one of everything in this year’s LifePlanner™ launch! She noted that the new coil options are just as sturdy as ever, and the new wet-erase board with matching gemtone markers make for a fabulous and functional addition! See her entire haul here.
Suzanna Stein, Noodoso
Suzanna took neutral to new heights with her 2017 LifePlanner™! A Prismatic cover, neutral interior, and black coil with gold accents makes this book look ultra-luxe. See how she completes her look with matching accessories here.
Sarah Vandiver, Little Vintage Nest
There are two words to best describe Sarah’s favorite new features of the 2017 LifePlanner™: cover & coil! She chose the permanent luxe cover in peacock, which features a beautiful gold foil quote. Read her thoughts on our new permanent luxe covers here.
With all this amazing inspiration in front of you, how will you design your 2017 LifePlanner™? Share your unique style on our social channels using #ECLifePlanner!
Elevate Your Accessories: A Sneak Peek!
When we started working on the 2017 LifePlanner™ Stylized Organizer I knew we also had to create an assortment of beautiful accessories to go along with the new book. We started by revamping several classics, and then began brainstorming ideas for brand-new goodies!
I know how hard it can be to decide, so we’re sharing a sneak peek of all new accessories right here! Read on to see which of your favorite accessories got makeovers and what all-new products you can now choose from.
Second Edition Designer Sticker Book
If you like our First Edition Designer Sticker Book, I think you’re going to LOVE this one! This book is packed with a mixture of rose gold, platinum, and gold metallic stickers on colorful and contemporary designs. Similar to last year, the sticker book features motivational quotes, helpful organizational stickers, and some that are just FUN!
Wet Erase Markers
You asked for them, and we listened! I’m SO excited to introduce these gemtone beauties. Perfect for our dashboards OR to use on the new “white board” space on all the inside interchangeable book covers. The best part? The ink won’t rub off until you want it to… just add a little water!
Snap-In Dashboard
An updated version of the dashboards you know and love, this latest addition to our dashboard collection features the Mid-Century Circles pattern that you will also see throughout the new LifePlanner™. From goal setting to meal planning and everything in between, this two-sided reusable dashboard will be the keystone of your busy week! (Check out one of the new colors of gemtone elastic bands that will be available at launch, too!)
Magnetic Page Marker
Whether you’re using it to keep track of the week in your LifePlanner™ or highlighting a to-do list in your TakeNote™ Notebook, make finding and flagging your page effortless and stylish with our new magnetic page marker. Choose from turquoise with a metallic gold asterisk, amethyst with a metallic silver asterisk, or rose pink with a metallic rose gold asterisk.
Mini Snap-In Bookmarks
Take up minimal space but still save your place with these adorable miniature snap-in bookmark sets! These bookmarks will clip directly into your LifePlanner™ or Notebook for effortless organization. Each pack will come with three variations, and will be offered in classic, metallic, or watercolor designs.
Watercolor StylizedSticky™ Notes
One of my favorite new accessory options from 2015-2016 has been updated for 2017 to feature our new Watercolor and Mid-Century Circle designs. Whether you’re jotting down a reminder, marking a page or noting a deadline, stop & stick wherever, whenever!
Designer Edition Compliment Cards
Our compliment cards really are such a simple and easy way to brighten someone’s day! For launch, we’ll be offering a new Designer Edition set, featuring some of our gorgeous new designs and all new “complimentary” phrases!
I hope you’re as excited about our new collection of accessories as we are! You know what they say… a girl can NEVER have too many accessories!