I've really been planning most of my life.  In Elementary school we were given Planners to keep our parents involved in our work and to make sure that we were bringing home everything we needed to each night.  Our Parents would sign them to prove we had done all that we were supposed to do and we would take our planners back to school for the teacher to give us a sticker.  Because my teachers would do this, I would often use Lisa Frank stickers in my planners and create little scenes for my parents/teachers to see.

When I was in college I continued using a planner, but our school did not provide us with one.  I first used a Lily Pulitzer because she had a line of procducts that my sorority used.  A couple years later she stopped carrying that style so I went to Target and grabbed the cutest little thing from Blue Sky.  I used that for Graduate School and while I was preparing for my wedding.  After getting married I needed something with a little more space so I picked up a desk planner from Walmart.  I just wasn't satisfied.  One day I went to Michales to grab the 50,000 skeins of yarn that I totally didn't need and decided to walk around and check out what else they had.  I remember rounding the corner and seeing down the aisle a wall of planners and heart shaped discs.  I looked at it and thought...Theres no way I could use one of those.  It's too cute.  I would tear it up.  I ended up passing it up.  

A couple months later, my best friend and I were at a new Michales in the City.  It was HUGE!  It was two stories and had an escalator to get to the second floor.  What?!  I couldn't believe it.  We went upstairs and there it was.  The Mecca of planners.  They had taken over the entire left section of the room and had 2 aisles as well as a floor display.  There were hundreds of options.  This time I couldn't pass it up.  My best friend and I decided that this was what we needed and spent the next hour looking through everything.  Gosh, I miss those days.  I mean literally, there was product hanging on the wall, inserts and covers and folders to customize your planer, and then all kinds of planners to choose from.  We kept going back and forth.  She ended up getting a phone call so we had to cut our time short.  I honestly could have stayed there for another hour looking through everything.  Did I say that it was amazing?  It was truly magical.

I started using my planner for work and wrote in the activities that we would do with the Youth.  It wasn't until a year later that I would purchase a sticker book and start using them to note my to-do's, work days, meal plan, and exercise.  I had no idea about the creative side of things.  I was purely functional.  One day I was looking at planners at the store and saw there was an insert that said to find them on Facebook.  Usually I would just ignore those, but I figured why not?  Maybe they would have pictures of some of their other planners for sale.  When I went to the site I read something about watching their latest YouTube video.  At the time I didn't really use Youtube.  Now that sounds so crazy, but its the truth.  I just didn't know what was on there and didn't feel like I needed it.  I watched a video from the Happy Planners latest release and then YouTube suggested the next video for me.  It was Heather Kell.  Then I found Creating with Sarah.  Then I learned all about Stephanie Fleming.

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Oh. My. Word.

 

I was instantly in love and knew that I had to find the sticker books that they used in their videos.  I was hooked.  I didn't realize that all those years ago I was a decorative planner!  I went back to Michaels and grabbed a few sticker books...and the rest is History. 

I absolutely love the Happy Planner.  Their values of brining JOY and helping us plan a life that we love is right on point.  I love using their products to keep my life in order and also to connect with others in the community.  I am a storm chaser and I used the planners to track where we have been and the important info I need to know when I am on a chase.  Not only that I love to use Memory Keepers and create my own Micro Planners.  Something that I have started really getting into again is Planner ASMR.  I know that sounds crazy, but if you haven't seen it yet, check out my IG (@Just_Starkey) and you will see just how cool it is. 

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In 2021 I decided that I wanted to start my own little shop full of planner things.  I created some stickers, die cuts, and I even made some earrings.  From the very beginning my shop was different than the others because I always wanted to offer handmade products.  The Happy Planner got me into this community, but once I stated making friends I wanted to make things for them that would make their planner experience even better.  This last year I expanded Just Starkey to be Stickers, Crafts, and Faith.  I released my 2nd book with the Faith Box and encouraged all who read to Do the Thing that they've always wanted.  This is just the beginning and I can't wait to go deeper into this dream of mine.  Planning and Faith are so important to me.  I hope I can make items that help in those areas! 

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Well, now that you've read all about me, please consider subscribing to my YouTube and IG so we can keep this party going!