May 2026 Monthly Blog
Journals, Planners, and Charms
I have been seeing the Louise Carmen Journals on my TikTok feed. What is it about these planners that make the planner a coveted item? At first, I, too, wanted one. I thought about opening it up and smelling the rich leather smell, the rush of pleasure at having become one of the group who has this French delight, the consideration of what the first words I’d write in the little booklet encased by the planner cover, the choice of pens with which to write those beautifully composed words – “oh, beauty is truth, truth beauty.”
The price of the planner deterred me, and I started thinking about it. What exactly would I be purchasing? Were the calendar boxes in the booklet big enough for entering my appointments? What about the closure for the planner? It was really a simple elastic band, albeit in a choice of lovely colors. But isn’t that what Etsy is for? I could buy those cords myself. Then there were the charms. Oh, Karin, get real. Do you really want to have dingle dangles on your planner when you have to hurriedly open it to check on your shopping list that you wrote on the empty page behind the calendar? Well, maybe just one or two would be ok, Still, Amazon sold the same charms.
So, in the end, I didn’t get a Louise Carmen planner. I can’t be part of the special TikTok group. Instead of trying to get a French accent, I’ll keep up with my free German language lessons on Duolingo. I bought a planner from Erin Condren that has a snap closure, is entirely sensible, and I will secretly look at the charms on Amazon when no one is looking at me (too embarrassing). This choice is a halfway measure since it’s still a bit pricey, but I’m a happy camper. I feel as if I made a more practical choice. Of course, if you see me with dingle dangles on my planner, don’t laugh.
Jot down May 24th on your own calendar. This month we’re reading Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge. I liked this mystery, you will also. It involves Julia Childs as one of the characters which gives the novel a familiar feel. Join us whether you’ve had a chance to read the novel or not. Of course we talk about the book, but we also talk with each other on Zoom and become mystery club friends. In addition, we play a game and award prizes. It’s a fun hour on a Sunday. We’re scheduled for the 24th at 2:00 pm Pacific, 5:00 pm Eastern.