Calendar Schmalendar
Blast it! I was all set to write a post about calendars and two things have gone wrong. First of all I’ve decided I don’t need to make and sell calendars. I can just make a free monthly pdf that people can print out. Free is good. I haven’t given away anything free in a long time.
Second, I took up Bug’s entire nap time talking on the phone and creating these calendars that I’m not going to print after all. Ugh. This is how my time goes. So now I am typing madly, trying to get a post up while she is awake. I gave her a huge supply of beads and pipe cleaners. Hopefully that will be enough to keep her occupied for at least two more paragraphs.
I think this is what I will do. A simple 8.5×11 that you can print out on your home computer. Does that work for everyone? Are the squares big enough? Any bigger and I’d have to get rid of my side illos which completely defeats my purpose. I’m sure there is a calendar generator program for just squares and numbers.
But wouldn’t it be cool if I could make this?:
It’s a grand central station fridge calendar! I don’t know about you but I put everything that is important on my refrigerator. I look at it every day. The kitchen is my office now that Bug’s clothes have slowly taken over the closet in her room that used to be my office. I’ve had change out drawers of plastic bags and my sippy cup stash and now they hold paper and computer cables and all my little office odds and ends. You do what you gotta do.
But I don’t think I can produce this grand calendar idea affordably. It would involve too much binding and cutting and glue-sticky stuff. It could be done but right now I don’t have enough capital to invest in such a hair-brained idea.
So pdf’s it is! And now I need to go pick up five-thousand beads off the floor and make a lasagna. It’s another day in the life of SAJ. Tomorrow a giveaway!
31 Comments
(another) bethany
love the pdf version, and the illos creeping onto the page. perfect, and space-friendly. the big spiral bound two part things take up so much space! as for the dream version, yah, i love that too but my kids would steal the pages and I’d get annoyed. this way i just print out a new one. you’re da bomb for making it free! thanks much.
~moe~
Super cool calendar! I love it! You are truly brilliant.
Sumiko
You are my daily dose of happiness, and I’d love a monthly dose of cheer to adorn my fridge. My 21 month old and I love your ABC flashcards. Yes! Free is good!
Lori
you are a generous soul, SAJ.
Sharri
I am totally delurking to say I LOVE YOUR CALENDAR! I’m kind of a calendar freak and I would LOVE your grand central station fridge set up. You’re awesome for making them free, but I hope someone finds your designs and hires you to make one of those Mom Plan It Calendars. Your graphics rock! Thanks.
BeachMama
Ah your talents are endless. I won’t tell you how long I have been working on a calendar myself and it still isn’t the way I would like it. And of course I don’t have cute little illos on mine either. When the time is right you will get it all together. You are so sweet to offer a free download too!
andrea
oh, I love free stuff… I know I will download your pdf’s!
Jen@OurDailyBigTop
Love it. What great designs and color.
Camels & Chocolate
You’re so freakishly talented, I’m jealous! Give me just an ounce, pretty please???
Spandrel Studios
You know, you say you haven’t given away anything free in a long time… but really, every post you leave is a free gift to all of us faithful readers! I so look forward to seeing what photos or illos await whenever I stop by your site, and there’s always something to make me smile… SAJ, you rock!
bek
You are so thoughtful! And talented! And those calendars are so PRETTY (unlike ugly google calendar which is what I’m using now…
Aimee Greeblemonkey
I have been toying with the idea of selling a calendar with my nature photos, but you knwo what? I may totally copy you and just give them away. So much less hassle. And I am totally nabbing yours because your illos are the cutest things on the planet.
Kate
Those are adorable! I’d be dang proud to hang those on my fridge! Thanks SAJ for sharing your talents with us.
LVGurl
Sounds good to me! :) Thank you for being generous — once again — with your great artwork.
Gayle
Brenda, you are so talented! And, so sweet for thinking of giving these to us for free! I love your illos so much.
bluejaye
I still think you should sell some…especially for those of us who cant get the colored ink to work on our printers.
ps…sorry I took up your precious alone time with my phone call. I was excited that I had sold a few wallets. Thanks again for your help.
Mrs. Wilson
I’d use it/buy it either way!
Chris
LOVE the calendar! You are so amazingly talented. Wow.
bethany actually
Giveaways? Genius! So much less stressful than turning your dining-room table into an easily-cleaned-up calendar production station. ;-)
Heather
I would so buy one!! I want one!!!!
Sonja
I love me a free pdf, and especially if it contains cute illos! Looks like the boxes are a good size (seems that my life happens in spurts – empty boxes for a week, and then seventeen things crammed into the same one).
Jennifer
I’ve had projects like that that logistically would not work for me and then I fizzzzzzle OUT. Free PDF’s how generous of you. I love the look of this calendar.
Katherine
These are lovely, have you seen Lulu self-publishing though? I know another blogger who has created calendars this way to sell, but I think you may be limited on layout etc, seems to be an image over their calendar layout rather than your lovely illos round the calendar.
lynne
You are sweet thinking of a give away in time like these. These sample pages are bee- hoo-ti-ful.
DeeJay
Some day this plan will work out. Hang tight girlie. Thanks for the download in advance.
Kim
you’re awesome. that will sum up all my thoughts.
jacquie
WOW!!!! That is sooo cool of you!!! I love your illustrations and I haven’t found a monthly calendar that I liked until I saw these!!!! Thanks so much Brenda!!!
mamalang
I already told you I love it all on Flickr, but I’ll repeat it here. Have you looked at the cost of binding just the calendar to start with, using those plastic round thingamajigs? I wish I had the capital to back you….these would be a grand idea and a nice way for you to share your talent. In the mean time, I’ll be rocking your calendar pages everywhere!
Brendashell
LOVE the calendars. You’re so talented. You need venture capital and for BB to take clonger naps – you’d be an unstoppable force of whimsy in today’s high stress retail world.
Liz
Thank you so much – they are beautiful!
Lexi
These are beautiful….would a smaller monthly planner book-thingee be cheaper? Something people could carry in a purse or diaper bag maybe? IDK what I’m talkin’ about but just a thought…