Current Favorite Pens

Tracy from Shutterbean shares her current Favorite Pens! See what's in her pen case!

 

Cooper is entering 4th grade and that means he’s moving from using pencils solely to pens!  He’s so excited about that. Welcome to the club, Cooper!

Whenever I’m posting lettering work on my Instagram account @thehandwritingclub (be sure to follow!) I am asked what pen I’m using, so here it is all in one place. These are my Current Favorite Pens!  If I was to put together an ultimate pen case filled with all of my essentials, this is what it would have in it right now.  I’ve written about my favorite pens here and here before!

THESE ARE MY FAVORITE PENS. Follow me as I show you how/why I love them.

Tracy from Shutterbean shares her current Favorite Pens! See what's in her pen case!

This is my most used pen. It’s the pen I show everyone when they wonder how I write the way I do.

It takes a lot of finesse, but DANG IT’S GOOD.

Tracy from Shutterbean shares her current Favorite Pens! See what's in her pen case!

 

Tombow Dual Brush Pen in Black:

This pen is a hot commodity in my pen case. The problem is, I usually wear out the brush pen side before I get to the other side. So it feels wasteful at times. My rules for this pen are: NEVER LET A CHILD USE IT UNLESS I LOVE THEM. But seriously though. When you love the brush pen and someone ruins it, you’re not happy.

This is the pen I like to use in my bullet journal system:

CONTINUE READING

|
August 13, 2018

Intentions for the Week:

 

Looking to get your head in the game? Tracy from Shutterbean makes a weekly TO DO LIST called her Intentions for the Week. Here's what this week looks like:

Happy Monday, friends!

This weekend we worked around the house. We went to a dinner party. We cleaned. We lounged. We watched The Great Outdoors. Remember that movie?

I made banana bread and Mediterranean Pasta Salad for my friends.  I’m on a bartering plan right now. My friend did a ton of artwork scanning for me and I am repaying her with homemade food.  We need more of this in our lives, don’t you think? You never know how you can help someone out unless you ask for help yourself!

My Everyday Life: Week 32 on Shutterbean.com

This is the last week have before school starts and my family is taking a break from life and heading up north to Tahoe. This will be our first holiday up in Tahoe without my Mom. It’s also going to be my first birthday without her presence. It’s going to be heavy for a bit, but I’m focusing on the good and building some good Intentions for the Week.

Intentions for the Week:

  • spend quality time with my family
  • do very little laundry
  • read a book
  • happy hour with cheeseboards + spirits
  • put my feet in a lake
  • have an ice cream cone at Dairy Queen
  • play board games with family
  • celebrate my birthday!
  • go into Reno, get my fortune at Circus Circus
  • send a few postcards
  • take pictures
  • spend time writing
  • spend time daydreaming
  • write down my Intentions for the School Year
  • be kind to myself as it’s my first birthday/Tahoe trip with my Mom
  • map out calendar for new bullet journal
  • go on a boat
  • put my feet in sand
  • put on a bathing suit and swim
  • have a coffee date with my dad
  • figure out if there’s anything left to do on my Summer Bucket List
  • get my steps in with my Fitbit
  • drink plenty of water (loving this water bottle rn)

Last Week’s Intentions:

  • laundry
  • have a date with my calendar
  • workout 3 times
  • take photos for etsy/edit/post
  • drop off donations at Salvation Army
  • send mail / trip to post office
  • make kombucha
  • bookkeeping
  • catch up on social media
  • work on new content for the blog
  • grocery shopping
  • favorite pens post- finish/post
  • work on a new recipe or two
  • get my steps in with my Fitbit
  • drink plenty of water (loving this water bottle rn)
  • library visit
  • playdate with Helen Jane
  • make an appointment for car
  • wash car (inside & out)
  • back to school shopping
  • break down cardboard outside
  • continue reading Slow Love
  • eat outside
  • play a board game with Cooper
  • go to bed earlier/focus on getting enough sleep

Mantra for the Week:

Every week, Tracy Benjamin from Shutterbean.com types up her TO DO list with her Intentions for the Week post. Check out this week's post!

 

Sending You:

Have a great week! DO YOUR BEST!  And don’t forget to write down your own Intentions for the Week to hold you accountable!

xo

Tracy

|
August 12, 2018

My Everyday Life: Week 32

Here’s what this past week looked like: My Everyday Life Week 32

The highlight of the week! Sleepover at my friend Heather’s house with my friend Helen Jane!

My Everyday Life: Week 32 on Shutterbean.com

My friend was on a trip and lent us her house. I am so grateful!

My Everyday Life: Week 32 on Shutterbean.com

We did some drawing and brainstorming.

My Everyday Life: Week 32 on Shutterbean.com

Much giggling!

My Everyday Life: Week 32 on Shutterbean.com

IT WAS DELIGHTFUL!

My Everyday Life: Week 32 on Shutterbean.com

The sun is being filtered through the smoke of all the California fires.

My Everyday Life: Week 32 on Shutterbean.com

Perfection.

My Everyday Life: Week 32 on Shutterbean.com

CONTINUE READING

|
August 10, 2018

I LOVE LISTS

I LOVE LISTS // shutterbean.com

I LOVE LISTS:

  1. How to clean your bathroom in 15 minutes.
  2. This is a big problem for our culture.
  3. The difference between your 20s and 30s- so real
  4. This is the most beautiful plant shop!
  5. A filmmaker discusses how mobile phones have killed photography
  6. Glad to see Matt Damon & Ben Affleck are working together on something! 
  7. I’m very excited for my friend Ashley’s new book! 
  8. A hand gesture could be your next password
  9. I can’t wait to watch this  and this too!
  10. What does immersing yourself in a book do to your brain?
  11. These mahi-mahi tacos look so light & refreshing
  12. Dorm rooms are so freaking fancy these days. 
  13. The Rubiks cube is getting redesigned.
  14. Cookies for when you don’t feel like turning on the oven
  15. One of my favorite Missy Elliot songs.
  16. Big surprise! This buzzfeed quiz told me my favorite subject in school is ART.
  17. The last few episodes of Anthony Bourdain’s show are going to be bittersweet.
  18. My grandma was the queen of last-minute entertaining.
  19. Cats have always had a place in our history.
  20. The paradox of older workers.
  21. These rug sculptures look like real life Magic Eye books
  22. How to have better family meals.

I’ve learned that I cannot walk around barefoot in my house anymore. My feet need a tremendous amount of support. As a result, they hurt constantly!  This foot massager is helping. I love that it squeezes my feet. Each session lasts for about 15 minutes which is 14 more minutes than I get from my in-house masseuse (husband).

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

A lot of you asked me where this dress was from when I posted it on my Instagram Stories. I’ve been having really good luck with the dresses I ordered from eshakti. 

They always have pockets, which is really the best part! That, and you can customize them to fit your body.  Very helpful for us pear shaped ladies.

Use the code: TRACYBENJAMIN  to get $35 off your first purchase! 

 

 

|
August 8, 2018

Simple Mixed Berry Crisp

Simple Mixed Berry Crumble with whipped cream is a wonderful summer dessert. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com!

There are three main reasons for me to make a Simple Mixed Berry Crisp.

  1. I bought too many berries
  2. I don’t have much time
  3. I want to make my Dad happy (he loves crisps!)

Simple Mixed Berry Crumble with whipped cream is a wonderful summer dessert. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com!

Last month I made this mixed berry crisp for my dad’s birthday.  I served it at the end of a BBQ and it was well received!

See what was left when I went to sneak in a second helping (everyone beat me to it!).

Simple Mixed Berry Crumble with whipped cream is a wonderful summer dessert. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com!

The fruit in there is a combination of strawberries and blueberries. You are welcome to use whatever berries you have laying around. Maybe you picked some berries on the side of the road? That sounds romantic. That should have been on my Summer Bucket List.

Without further adieu, here’s a very simple way to pull together a crisp in a short amount of time.

CONTINUE READING

|
August 6, 2018

Intentions for the Week:

Looking to get your head in the game? Tracy from Shutterbean makes a weekly TO DO LIST called her Intentions for the Week. Here's what this week looks like:

Happy Monday, friends!

This weekend was a busy one with pockets of down time. We had company over. There was a Rock Band session, two playdates, and baseball on the deck. Saturday night we had a late night outside with drinks under the stars. There was a trip to Home Depot and general erranding. and I cleaned out my prop closet and gathered stuff to donate this week. It was a productive, restorative, and fun weekend. I

This week I’ve got Cooper at home with me. I’m hoping to get enough done so we can have some kind of adventure before school starts. Wish me luck!

I’m ready to tackle the week, how about you?

I’m starting the week with a clean workspace:

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

And an organized prop closet!

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

It’s amazing what a clean slate can do for ya!  Now let’s get to my Intentions for the Week.

Intentions for the Week:

  • laundry
  • have a date with my calendar
  • workout 3 times
  • take photos for etsy/edit/post
  • drop off donations at Salvation Army
  • send mail / trip to post office
  • make kombucha
  • bookkeeping
  • catch up on social media
  • work on new content for the blog
  • grocery shopping
  • favorite pens post- finish/post
  • work on a new recipe or two
  • get my steps in with my Fitbit
  • drink plenty of water (loving this water bottle rn)
  • library visit
  • playdate with Helen Jane
  • make an appointment for car
  • wash car (inside & out)
  • back to school shopping
  • break down cardboard outside
  • continue reading Slow Love
  • eat outside
  • play a board game with Cooper
  • go to bed earlier/focus on getting enough sleep

 

Last Week’s Intentions:

  • laundry
  • use time efficiently while Cooper’s at camp
  • make an appointment for car recall (FML)
  • style/shoot 3 recipes for One Potato
  • take pictures of new products for the shop! YAY!
  • catch up on social media
  • send out bio/information for podcast I was a guest on
  • straighten up shipping area in office
  • drop off library books
  • make a new recipe
  • post favorite pens
  • finish Currently July post/post (you can read it here!)
  • bookkeeping work
  • make kombucha
  • cut down on carb intake
  • book flight for Santa Fe
  • return order from the GAP
  • return from Target
  • send out orders for the Handwriting Club
  • set up new printer
  • workout/hike
  • get my steps in with my Fitbit
  • keep fridge clean & organized (it’s so empty after vacation!)
  • paint nails (loving this color right now)
  • drink plenty of water (loving this water bottle rn)
  • continue reading Slow Love
  •  get the guest room ready for guests

 

 

Mantra for the Week:

 

Monday Pump Song:

We listen to that one in the car on the way to school usually.

 Don’t forget to write down your Intentions for the Week!

HAVE A GREAT ONE!

xo

Tracy

|
August 5, 2018

My Everyday Life: Week 31

Here’s what this past week looked like- My Everyday Life – Week 31

SUNFLOWERS EVERYDAY ALLLLLLL DAY  BECAUSE AUGUST IS MY BIRTHDAY MONTH.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

I am growing clematis so I can stalk all the flowers with my camera.

Consider yourself warned.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Burrito Mondays. Let’s make it a thing.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

This is not life-sized.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

My errand outfit lately.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Went to Mary’s Shack .  This salad tasted like my childhood. I want all salads to taste like this.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

This is Mary. Seeing her photo made me want to hop in a time machine.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

I really love seeing old menus. The prices kill me.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

My friend Tammi sent me a package. I now have a pretty amazing bag for my library books. THANK YOU, TAMMI!

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

French toast & sausage. Cooper’s current favorite.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

I always notice the one that’s not with the others.  That’s an introvert tomato.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Food stylist brain.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

My favorite place to be is on my deck.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

I go through a lot of dish towels in a week.  I think there’s a pair of underwear in there too. I keep a bowl on our stairs so I can bring it up and do laundry.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

I caught a rainbow.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Writing notes on my hammock.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Thai Basil Beef with an egg and a cucumber situation.

I riff off of that recipe all the time. It’s a simple dinner and everyone is happy.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

This was a miracle. My cats are never next to each other. ON MY BED.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

When you find out your pen is not waterproof.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Real life means standing on a table to get the shot you want.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Whenever I take a picture with Cooper in it (he’s holding the plate) he tries to nuzzle into me and it’s so sweet but it’s also so hard to take a picture when he does it! I just let it happen because it’s so sweet.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

DUMPLINGS!

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

The tress in SF sometimes seems like they’re from Jurassic Park.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

A beautiful mess.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

City adventure.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Met a bunch of cool women at The Riddler for an event for The Wing.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Impromptu photo shoot with my pal Kristen. 

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com The trick to getting a good smile is to ask strangers to tell you a joke while they are passing by staring at you WHILE YOU ARE HAVING YOUR PICTURE TAKEN.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Spritz me.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Talking about inside pockets of blazers with new people.

Introverts don’t like small talk. We talk about important things like pockets in jackets.

HA.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Feeling like my shoes aren’t that colorful in comparison.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

A second of introversion.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Born and raised.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Cowabunga!!!  What’s with the 4s?

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

I remembered we had one of these cups when I was a kid. I think I picked off the spongery stuff on the bottom.

Sorry about that, Mom.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Things I see in grocery stores.

And then I take pictures of what I see and people think I’m weird.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Being in the grocery store feels like being an art store when you’re a food photographer.

THIS COLOR.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Garden research.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

I need this in my house.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

This cat is named Rama.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

I had a stranger named Richard give me an impromptu sound bath.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Trader Joe’s pot stickers are Cooper’s favorite.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Lap cat.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

I went to water my yard and found my coffee outside from the day before.

This is almost 39.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

I live in a beautiful place.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

I feel so lucky.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

And there’s been a chill in the air at night here and it has me excited for fall.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Rosie has been a jerk this week. She keeps running out of the house.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

Zen garden progress.

I put kimchi furikake on my eggs this weekend.

It was good.

Friday I went to Target with Caley and we walked the aisles giggling like we were in 7th grade again. I didn’t capture a picture, but it was one of the highlights of my week.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

I cleaned up my office this week. Happy about that! I share the before and afters on my instagram stories lately.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

When guests are over the cats are excited to hang out in the guest bedroom.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

I also organized my prop closet this weekend.

Mental clutter can show up in physical clutter.  I am trying to weed it all out.

My Everyday Life: Week 31 on Shutterbean.com

 

HERE'S MORE OF MY EVERYDAY LIFE ON SHUTTERBEAN.COM