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20 May 2008

Tempta-a-a-tion

Sung to the tune of "Anticipation," of course.

This is the time of year, when the new 18-month Moleskine diaries come out, that I'm tempted to stock up before they sell out, in case I have a change of heart later this year. In fact, in 2007, I bought 1 large and 2 pocket Moleskine diaries, in various weekly/daily configurations. It was my first full year of using Filofax, and it was important to me to have the Moleskines there for me in case of emergency, despite the expense. I didn't end up using them at all.

These days, I think using Moleskines sounds more difficult and tedious than using the loose-leaf Filofax, but I'm still tempted by the likes of this, from the excellent Moleskine supplier, Ship the Web: http://tinyurl.com/6fmua5.

This year, anyway, at the risk of getting set in my Filofax ways, I think I'll resist.

7 comments:

  1. Hi Inky

    Your Moleskine diversion is timely. I can report that (contrary to what we are told in the business news) the Dollar is mighty. The notebook I bought last weekend was the same price in Stirling as your link to supplier shows in USD!

    Thank you for the price/country of origin explanation in your previous post. Here "Made in the UK" is sometimes frown upon because some prefer "Made in the EU" is used so as not to disadvantage manufacturers in poorer European regions.

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  2. I've had a few Moleskines and frankly I have never understood what all the fuss is about. It doesn't matter which way you slice it, they're just basic diaries or notebooks. Rarely does a product succeed this well purely on the strength of hyperbole. I particularly dislike the paper they use which is too thin - if you use a fountain or gel pen they'll bleed through and as I hate ball-points I always have this problem. Given they're a fad they'll probably vanish as quickly as they arrived.

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  3. Funny you should mention this! I've been already thinking about what page-per-day book to get for 2009. I am currently using a Moleskine large page-per-day diary for a journal, recording daily happenings, etc. I use my Filo for forward planning and my dairy for recording, which is working pretty well for me. I think for next year I will get what I had last year, which is a Cavallini leather diary. Link: http://jennibick.com/2005-moderno-planner.html

    The leather on these is smooth and soft. And, you can get your initials or whatever you want embossed on the front, which is a huge plus. The only drawback is that it doesn't stay open and doesn't lay flat when writing.

    I've also been looking at the Quo Vadis ABP1, which has a nifty page layout of appointments down the left side of the page and then the rest of the page open for notes: http://www.quovadisplanners.com/catalog/abp1

    I used a Quo Vadis one year and the paper was so thin that anything written shows right through. Even the printed days and dates are visible through to the other side, which I don't like.

    My ultimate fantasy diary is this purple leather one by Aspinal, but it's crazy-expensive: http://www.aspinaloflondon.com/details.asp?CategoryID=5&RangeID=5&StyleID=283&ProductID=341&DesignID=1825

    Paperblanks has some gorgeous ones:

    http://www.paperblanks.com/dayplanners/dayplanners_mini_week_2009_1.htm

    I was recently discussing with my sister why I am so fascinated with day-per-page books, even though I have tried to use them several times in the past as my main calendar and they completely fail every time at forward-planning. I think because they represent my alternative fantasy-life where my life is simple and all I have to think about is what I have to do that day. Meanwhile my fabulous A5 Finsbury is fulfilling my every planning need, while I am going through yet another insanely busy time in my life!

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  4. I have seen them as well in stores around here. And of course I am tempted again. Last year I bought a soft cover one, but I didn't like it and used it for only one week. Later in december I bought a paperblanks one which I did like, but also started missing my filo again after two weeks and put it aside. Now I have seen hardcover weekly diary/notebooks from moleskine, and I want one. But I should not buy it, considering the 30 euros I wasted last year. That money would have bought me a bag full of groceries, three movietickets, a nice book, a set of coloured pencils or something else nice.

    And also I have to say that I now own two filos, my blue personal piazza and a chocolate pocked classic. Used and loved the pocket for a few weeks and it is indeed easier to carry, but not enough space and I missed the projects tab. Any ideas on how to use the pocket, or should I stay with my personal? I like them both. This is like laurie's problem with choosing between A5 and personal, so the solution may not be found easily for me as well, but any ideas are welcome.

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  5. Hoi Paulien,

    Why don't you use a moleskine as a small notebook and when you're at home you write it again in your A5 Filo. that's how i do it. and sometimes i take my A5 with me.

    Groetjes

    Lovely-Rose

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  6. Hi Rose,

    Thanks for your comment. I do not have an a5 filo, only a personal and pocket. My problem is choosing between these two. At the moment I am using the personal again. I carry mine with me to work, but not everywhere else. I leave it when shopping, and take it on longer train trips and such.
    My moleskine is a large softcover planner. This is larger than the personal filo, so there is no real reason to carry this instead of the filo. Except the fact that I have trouble choosing and sticking to one planner. I did not have these problems until about two years ago, when I started surfing more and seeing all these filo's and moleskines and other planners. I should get back to that point and stop looking at planner websites (except this one of course!).

    En ben jij echt een andere hollandse? Gebeurt niet vaak dat je die ziet op forums. Nog filo-winkels die ik echt moet zien?

    Groetjes,
    Paulien

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  7. Hoi Paulien,

    Ja, ik zie er niet echt hollands uit (ben hindoestaanse en mijn familie komt uit Suriname). Johan mijn man heeft de mijne hier in een boekhandel gekocht hier in Oss. (daar hebben ze meer Succes dan Filofax. En ik wil Alleen Filofax), maar op www.agendaland.com kun je vanalles van Filofax bestellen.

    And now an enlish translation:
    Yes, i am dutch, but i don't look like i dutch woman. My husband bought my Filo here at a bookstore. (the have more stuff from Succes than from Filifax, But I want Only Filofax) On www.agendaland.com you can order a lot filofax stuff. (in dutch)

    Groetjes Rose

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