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31 August 2010

Reader Under The Spot Light - Jessica Shepherd

Jess is from Manchester and is currently reading Philosophy and Theology at Oxford University. She loves everything to do with stationary and style, and writes musings about the latter at http://jess-shepherd.blogspot.com


1. When did you buy your first Filofax and what was it?

My first Filofax-style binder was a gift for Christmas 2009, a gorgeous silver patent Anya Hindmarch planner in the softest leather imaginable. I also received lots of Filofax Personal refills with it, and thus began my Filofax love affair. The first one I bought for myself was a Personal Fresco, as I wanted something much more durable and hardwearing and the canvas material was suitable.

2. What other brands have you used or considered using?


I’ve made some of my own refills using diytemplate.com, and have bought refills from WHSmith that are compatible with Filofaxes. I’m also quite taken with the DayTimer refills that Yvotchka recently blogged about, but as yet I haven’t purchased any.

3. Out of the organisers you own which is your current favourite (Style and Size)?

My A5 Domino in the bronze snake is a thing of beauty, and the Filo I have used for the longest period of time. I’ve recently bought a Personal Finsbury in pink for the upcoming year at university and I think that might replace the Domino as my favourite.

4. How many Filofax organisers do you own?


Five – two A5 Dominos, a Personal Fresco, a Personal Pimlico in black, and a Personal Finsbury in pink.

5. What do you use your Filofax for?

I don’t use more than one at once – if it’s not currently in use, it’s in storage. I am heavily reliant on a paper diary and use one to plan every aspect of my life. I’m currently using the Week on Two Pages but am considering switching to Two Days Per Page. Besides that, I have to-do lists, health information, my passport, stamps, post-it notes, spare envelopes, tons of lined paper with scribbles of blog ideas, inspiration and things to research...

6. What was the feature about Filofax you like most?

The ability to customise the layout and set-up to suit me personally, and how easy it is to alter my set-up for different times in my life. For example, when I was at university I used the Week on Two Pages with vertical columns and appointment times – at the moment, I’m on summer break, so I’m using a normal Week on Two Pages as I have much less going on.

7. If you could design your own Filofax what would it feature?


I don’t really make use of the card slots in the covers of the Filos, because I carry all my cards etc in my purse. I’d quite like to see a model where the insides had clear slots to put photos in. Apart from that, I’ve no real major design issues!

8. How do you carry your Filofax?

I have a huge everyday handbag, so it gets chucked in there. I’m not too precious about keeping it clean or tidy.

9. Which Filofax in the current range do you like the most? Are you going to buy it?


I had a brief love affair with the Amazona in red, but there’s no way I could ever afford it. I’m quite happy with the ones I have currently. The recent addition of the Finsbury has satisfied my desire to have a ‘proper’ leather Filo.

10. What is the most you have ever spent on a Filofax? Which model?

The A5 Domino in snake was £36. Not too expensive, really!

11. Turning to Philofaxy, what do you like the most?

I like how it reaches across many platforms – there’s the blog, Twitter, Facebook. All these make it really interactive and a great way of sharing other people’s Filo stories.

12. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?

I’m not a fan of the brown colour scheme, but that’s just personal taste.

13. What was the last music album CD you bought or downloaded?


I use Spotify (a free legal streaming programme) to listen to all my music, but my most played artist recently is Frank Turner, an amazing lyricist and guitarist with a Britpop edge.

Thank you Jessica for being this weeks reader under the spot light.

30 August 2010

Announcement - Possible London Meet up this November

I'm in the process of planning a trip back to UK in November, mainly to visit my elderly mother and to see my son. But I would also like to have a day in London and visit one of the Filofax Stores.

The likely date is Saturday 20th November.

My plan for the day is fairly flexible, I will most probably be staying with friends in Kent where I used to live. In addition to a visit to one of the Filofax stores it would be good to go and have some lunch together and generally just have a sit down and a good chat. I know from the Skype chats we have had so far that they spark off lots of ideas and they are a great way of sharing knowledge.

So if you are available on that day would you like to meet up with me in London? Please add a comment or contact me via the usual email address philofaxy at gmail dot com

In addition to this low key meet up, discussions have started about a much larger event to take place possibly in late 2011 or early 2012. If you would like to join in these discussions please join the google group at: http://groups.google.com/group/philofaxy-meetup

Hopefully this group can also be used to facilitate more local meet ups, e.g. North Eastern United States.

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28 August 2010

Blog Post Round-up

So here's some more posts from around the interweb that I've come across..
Hope you are all having a great weekend
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27 August 2010

The Photographic Proof!

Well I also didn't believe it when I first read 75.... but here's the proof... well 71 of the 75, yes I counted!

And the rest (72-75) are either in use or packed! Click on the picture to see it full size...

26 August 2010

Free for All Friday No. 93

It's the time of year for back-to-school, last-minute vacations, closing down summer homes, and other life changes.

What role does your Filofax play in your transition to autumn? Are you buying a new organizer or refills?

Reader Under The Spot Light - Erin

So today is the turn of Erin and her picture on Philofaxy is actually of her two great danes Oliver and Gracie. She has loved and used Filofaxes since she saw the movie “27 Dresses” in which the main character has a stuffed to the gills Filofax.

Erin was in love with the planners ever since then and got the exact model that she was using. Erin's husband has been worried about her Filofax obsession and she does admit, she has to pace herself because Erin has spent a lot of money on them. But, even if she does not use them all, she loves owning them and having a collection. Erin recently bought her husband his first Filofax, a personal classic in brown and he has actually begun to use it, which makes Erin proud! Erin loves Philofaxy and the camaraderie of sharing our love of this wonderful planner and how they’re used.

1. When did you buy your first Filofax and what was it?

I bought my first Filofax after the movie “27 Dresses” came out since the main character in the movie had one. It was a personal red Finsbury, just like the character in the movie had. So, I think it’s been about 4 or 5 years?

2. What other brands have you used or considered using?

I have used Franklin Covey and Levenger and briefly dabbled with Moleskin, but always keep coming back to Filofax.

3. Out of the organisers you own which is your current favourite (Style and Size)?

That’s a tough one because I love them all! But, it would have to between The personal Cuban in ink (black) or the personal Piazza in blue.

4. How many Filofax organisers do you own?

The truth? I’m embarrassed to admit....75! 

5. What do you use your Filofax for?

I use it for my every day to day schedule, debt reduction planner, and vacation planner for Ireland.

6. What was the feature about Filofax you like most?

They are just beautiful, classy, and elegant. The materials are beautiful and I can stay really organized with it.

7. If you could design your own Filofax what would it feature?

If it wasn’t too bulky, I’d love to have a slot to carry my iPhone in it. Also, I wish they would feature more of the cotton cream paper since I prefer it to the plain white.

8. How do you carry your Filofax?

My Filo is always with me, either in my purse or bag.

9. Which Filofax in the current range do you like the most? Are you going to buy it?

Well, the one I’m waiting for is the black one with the Swarovski crystals that was featured I believe last Christmas time. I’ve been trying to find one on eBay and they’re nowhere to be found! I don’t think I’d use it, but I’d love to have it for my collection. I would save up to buy it.

10. What is the most you have ever spent on a Filofax? Which model?

The most I’ve ever spent on one is probably the Eton ($225) personal in black. The leather is buttery soft and I love all the pockets, nooks and crannies. I’ve never used it, it sits pristine in it’s box but I take it out every now and again to look at and admire.

11. Turning to Philofaxy, what do you like the most?

I love that I don’t feel like a crazy person! Well, I have to be a bit crazy and obsessional to have as many as I do, but it’s great to see what others do with their Filofaxes, how they organize them, the stories behind them, and how much people love them. In this age of technology when everyone says “Why don’t you just put your calendar in your phone” it’s nice to have paper to write on and keep and look back at. It’s not only my calendar/diary, but my journal and rememberance of days past. It’s like a little bit of history is being made every day.

12. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?

When I think of something I’ll let you know!

13. What was the last music album CD you bought or downloaded?

The new Sarah McLachlan album. LOVE her music!

Thank you Erin for your contribution to this series, I'm sure there will be lots of questions about your collection!

25 August 2010

Back to School Plan?

So with the school holidays nearly over, although as we know the children in Scotland have already gone back to school.... thank you Laurie!

Whilst in the local supermarket yesterday there seemed to be more French children than usual, but it was explained when I saw them all carrying a list of things they needed for their return to school next week, lots of stationary... The super markets gear up for this rush on demand and they allocate even more aisles for paper, pens, binders etc... sadly no organisers or planners.. I think they are missing a trick there.

I came across a useful blog post on the 'Day Timer' blog - Make a Back-to-School Plan for Family, Home and You it might give you a few ideas about the return to school and the transition in to Autumn.
 
So are you using your Filofax to plan the return for your children to school and make the most of the remaining days off?

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Spot the Filofax... now with answers...

I was taking some pictures of our office with my new compact camera this evening, which as you know I carry around in my bag now. When I looked at the pictures I thought ah, we haven't had one of these for a few weeks.

So how many Filofax organisers are there in the picture? Also for a second question how many computers can you see?  And yes they all work! Yes I make the most of the space I have!!!

When I announce the result I will put a tagged picture on Flickr to help you confirm if you did spotted them all or not.

Enjoy....

How many Filofax Organisers? And how many computers?

So I won't prolong this one too much!! So here are the answers and the locations....




Some of you spotted a few things that I hadn't noticed myself!! I'm not sure if the smart phone comment was aimed at the Nokia 7110 or not... it's fairly ancient but I like it because it has a nice large display! If you click on the picture you will see the larger version which I have labelled what everything is.

Yes it is a bit sneaky in a few areas the PowerMac is sort of hidden behind the paper recycling bin, but it's monitor and keyboard is shown.  Does the Psion count as a computer? I won't get in to a debate on that one, but it is programmable and it does have a reasonably full suite of software on it. 

Again thank you for everyone who took part.

24 August 2010

Filofax Organisers of the Future?

Interesting the comments from Monday's post about the 'restyle' But as usual it got me thinking this morning whilst in the shower (I do most of my creative thinking in the shower... ok too much detail!!!)

What will a Filofax of the Future look like?

Will we still be wanting leather or faux leather covers in 2035? Or will the Filofax of the future be made out of something different?

Leather I know is a good traditional material and will last for years and years if looked after and kept in normal room temperature and humidity. As it ages it becomes more supple and some will say it looks better with age.

With new materials being developed and dare I mention it... flexible electronics being incorporated in to clothing, I wonder if we might see the same sort of electronics in our organisers of the future.

Now I'm not going to suggest building phones or PDA's in to your Filofax organisers, but I wonder about technologies that could be built in that would work along side mobile phones and other portable devices? May be an organiser with the back cover incorporating a solar cell for cellphone charging? Whilst your phone is sat by your organiser on your desk you could connect your phone up to the charging lead and give it a quick boost charge may be. The same feature could be used for charging your iPod as well.

Filofax UK carried out a competition recently of a Filofax of the Future, one of the entries included flash memory media player. But as we carry more and more electronic storage in our pockets, in the form of USB memory keys or in our phones or iPods, would you sensibly want 4GB of storage built in to your organiser for whatever purpose, when in a couple of years time the norm will be 16, 32 64GB?? File sizes keep increasing not decreasing... which is sad in some ways.

My Psion organiser with it's 16Mb of storage dates back to 1999, yet it can perform most tasks. Going back even further in time, I previously used a Casio Digital Diary in the early 1990's it has all of 32k yet I managed all my contacts and appointments on both of these devices, and still could!! Yet my Nokia phone as 2GB of storage and that's fairly small by today's standards

Note I'm not suggesting building these devices in to the organiser itself. As memory sizes increase so the size of the devices seems to get smaller. I don't think any of these technologies will be around as we know them today in 5, 10 or 20 years time... What is the life span of a current Filofax organiser? That is a topic for another day I suspect....

So would you want something like a carbon fibre covered organiser with some clever hinge technology to ensure the organiser laid flat when you opened it?

Personally I think I would prefer what we have today....traditional good quality leather, at least we know what that will be like in 25 years time.....

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23 August 2010

Restyle your Filofax

So you don't have the latest Filofax, this years colours or styles, but you would love something different, may be a style no one has got. And you have an organiser in the back of your cupboard that is just collecting dust....

Why not recycle it... take a look at what Violet Le Beaux did with her black leather organiser... may be not to everyone's taste I will agree, but for those of you that are skilled at crafts then may be this might work for you.

Seeing this I wondered if you could make a similar cover that you could just slip on to an existing organiser, leaving the original undamaged underneath and allowing you to have a few different covers you could change, and also allow you to wash them every so often when they get a little grubby...

Just a few ideas on a cool breezy Monday morning.....

Reader Under The Spot Light - Nickie

Nickie has been one of our readers for some years and she is also a very active blogger in her own right, if you get a chance look at her Typecast2000 blog.

1. When did you buy your first Filofax and what was it?

I first had a Filofax in the late 80s - just a small one, black in colour I think - it was a present for Christmas I think just after I started work full time. I can remember considering it the Holy Grail back then. I didn't use one so much when I had a career break to raise my family but returned to a Filofax rather than a diary and notebook when I settled back into work again.

2. What other brands have you used or considered using?

I'm a bit of a stationary freak so have always used notebooks of some description, not necessarily a "branded" name, more the fact that the design suited my needs at the time.

3. Out of the organisers you own which is your current favourite (Style and Size)?

I can't really choose because they all serve their own purpose.

4. How many Filofax organisers do you own?

Three - A5 Black Metropol zip, Personal Yellow Hearts, Brown Personal Cuban Zip

5. What do you use your Filofax for?

The black Metropol is my work/personal organiser. If you want to know anything about me or where I'll be then you need to take a nosy in here.

The Yellow Hearts is my writing journal. I keep all notes, ideas, brainstorms, details of freelance work, writing contacts, due dates, etc in here

(Both of these Filo's have appeared in their full glory on Philofaxy in the past)

The Brown Cuban is sort of a "spare" when I keep all my extra pages ready for use. I've used this one on and off as my every-day organiser but it's just not big enough to use for all the information I need for work.

6. What was the feature about Filofax you like most?

The fact that it's ever-changing but still static. I also like the fact that in this world of evolving technology, people still need to write things down and many are returning to using a Filofax for that exact reason.

7. If you could design your own Filofax what would it feature?

I don't think there is anything I would change. That's the beauty of the Filofax - you *can* actually style it to your own needs rather than the way in which someone else has recommended.

I would like one that is tri-fold... that would be a bit different but I imagine it would be quite bulky.

I suppose we could invent some punched inserts to house an iPhone/Blackberry/android phone because of the dual use that I have already mentioned.

8. How do you carry your Filofax?

In my handbag or in my hand by my side. I dread looking like DelBoy in Only Fools & Horses, walking with it outstretched in front of me.

9. Which Filofax in the current range do you like the most? Are you going to buy it?

I bought the Yellow Heart just after it's release in March.

10. What is the most you have ever spent on a Filofax? Which model?


£40 on the Metropol. I dread to think what I have spent, in total, on inserts for the three Filo's put together. I could probably have had a luxury holiday or a brand new car.

11. Turning to Philofaxy, what do you like the most?


The variety of posts, the dedication of the writers (a note of thanks here to Steve, Laurie and Nan), the enthusiasm for a long-standing, much ribbed, retro item and the fact that they work with official Filofax suppliers to bring readers up-to-date information and discount codes.

12. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?

The fact that it's not been discovered by enough people (yet)!

13. What was the last music album CD you bought or downloaded?

The Glee Soundtrack.

Thank you Nickie for agreeing to go under the 'spot light'

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20 August 2010

Carrying my Filofax Pocket

I've put this on my own blog as well, but thinking about it, it will be of interest to our readers here as well I suppose...

Man bags... yes a very French thing, but I also don’t like carrying ‘stuff’ in my pockets, fine in winter when you are wearing a jacket, but in summer I find my shorts are weighed down with ‘stuff’

Well what sort of ‘stuff’ are we talking about….

Car keys, magnifier (my close in eyesight is terrible these days), mobile phone, Filofax – which is also my wallet, a pen, a torch (for night time!) and house keys complete with bottle opener for 'beer o' clock' and an old memory stick as a key fob!

I also carry a small compact camera a lot of the time too.


So I found I already had a bag that I wasn’t using, it was used for my portable CD player…. infact this one…



I now use an iPod… ah add that to the list of ‘stuff’, the above fitted in to the bag like this:
It has a nice soft lining for both compartments and it’s quite discreet and compact. So I gathered all my ‘stuff’ together and tried it in the bag:

Wonderful, except the Filofax is a little too tall… ah but I have a Pocket Filofax, a quick try and that converted ok to my Wallet/Filofax, gather my ‘stuff’ together again:

And this looked more promising…. and in the bag it all fits including the compact camera:
Sorted…. it’s also fairly shower proof as I discovered the other day in Niort!!

Free For All Friday No. 92

Having recently moved over to my Pocket for day to day note taking, I did the very satisfying job the other night of consolidating my To-Do lists in to the Pocket as well. At last it seems to be working for me as I've had a busy but very productive week. 

I'm now keeping my to-do lists at the front of my organiser, they are more to hand there and I don't have to go hunting for them. One of the advantages I suppose of a ring type organiser.

So have you made any small changes to your Filofax recently that had a bigger impact than you might have expected?

But as it is Friday,  you can of course discuss anything remotely Filofax related.....

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19 August 2010

Blog Posts for a Thursday

I came across a few more today, all worth a read...
  • My Planner - Susanne writes about her new Filofax;
  • And the obsession continues - Susanne describes her set up;
  • Getting Organised and the Filofax - another recent convert!
  • Cupcake Couture - Rhinna - Nothing Filofax related yet, but their announcement on Twitter this afternoon '@sojeanbrodie has left the moleskin posse and joined the filofax massive. I think my life can't be any more organised now. Oohh hello filofax accessories'  which I thought was quite amusing so worth a mention here. 
That is about it for today, if you come across any posts we miss that you think are worth mentioning, or if you are a blogger about Filofax yourself, send us the details to philofaxy at gmail dot com


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    Filofax, Wallet, Portable Music?

    So some people... myself included have combine their wallet or purse with their Filofax, the size of Filofax used seems to vary from Mini through Pocket to Slimline Personal.

    Today I was looking at my wife Alison's iPod Nano and then wondered, I wonder if it would fit in a Pocket Filofax organiser?

    I tried it in the pocket on the back which I'm not using for anything other than money, and Euro notes aren't very big so there is just about enough space to fit it in. But you would have to be careful not to have too many pages, otherwise it would bulge a bit!

    It also fits quite nicely in the zipped pocket at the back, although I was keeping coins in there, not a good mixture unless your iPod is a bit battered already...

    Another alternative is in a zip lock plastic pocket with the zip slightly open at the top, that seems to work well too, you would also be able to slip in a sync cable in there too!

    So do we have an ultimate accessory for your Filofax? Anyone else tried this at all? Please let us have your comments below... Oh and yes I have returned the iPod to its owner!

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    18 August 2010

    Reader Under The Spot Light - Susan

    Susan is better known as Kanalt17 to most of our readers, also has her own planner blog - Life Well Planned If you haven't read the posts on there, you should find some time to do so, I always find them very well written and there's always some useful ideas and thoughts in each post. 

    1. When did you buy your first Filofax and what was it? 

    I received my first Filofax as a gift, though I did ask for it.  It was a personal chocolate domino.  Still have it!

    2. What other brands have you used or considered using?

    I used to use DayRunner.  I have also used At-a-Glance and have tried Franklin Covey, though I didn't stay with them for long.

    3. Out of the organisers you own which is your current favourite (Style and Size)?

    Currently, the personal Guildford (only comes in black).  I also love the Guildford Slimline but isn't practical on a daily basis.

    4. How many Filofax organisers do you own?

    13

    5. What do you use your Filofax for?

    I use different binders for different reasons - I have my personal every day one; my family one; and travel one; the rest are being used for storing inserts at the moment.

    6. What was the feature about Filofax you like most?

    Flexibility - you can use it however you need it, change it as you see fit.  That's the part that makes sharing the best - you get lots of ideas from other people and how they use theirs.

    7. If you could design your own Filofax what would it feature?

    Like many others I presume, monthly sheets with corresponding tabs and a place to take notes for the month - the months would not be back to back on the sheets.  
    Also, I'd love to see a binder where the ring size falls in between the personal and the slimline - something a little thinner than the personal but a little bigger than the slim.
    One more thing - insert with a little pizazz - nature scenes or designs.  Something a little more eye-catching.

    8. How do you carry your Filofax?

    I carry mine with me to work every day.  I put it in my bag and take it out and leave it on my desk throughout the day.  Often times I leave it at home when out otherwise, unless I know I'll need it.  When running errands, for example, I will bring it with me and leave it in the car while I'm in different stores.

    9. Which Filofax in the current range do you like the most? Are you going to buy it?

    I LOVE the personal Malden in either black or crimson - I can't decide which I want more.  I would very much like to buy it.  Though due to the expense, I will have to budget for it.

    10. What is the most you have ever spent on a Filofax? Which model? 

    Currently, the most I have spent was for the Finchley.  It is going to $115 US but it was cheaper at the time.  And I tend to buy through a different retailer which charges less than the US Filofax site.

    11. Turning to Philofaxy, what do you like the most? 

    The sense and growth of the community.  Not only am I so excited that there are people out there who share my passion, but I have made many new friends because of it.

    12. And what do you not like about Philofaxy? 

    Is there anything NOT to like?

    13. What was the last music album CD you bought or downloaded?

    The last full CD I downloaded was Lady Antebellum.  I have downloaded various songs since then.


    Thank you Susan for going 'under the spot light'
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    17 August 2010

    At home in Scotland!

    I made it to my new home here in Scotland!  My family and I are settling into our new life here.  The east coast of Scotland is absolutely wonderful!  I love our house, our neighbors are friendly, there's loads to see and do here.  I think we will enjoy living here very much!

    My internet at home won't be set up until the 24th (I'm currently writing this at the public library!) so I'll be absent until then.

    Looking forward to "seeing" you online again then!

    Laurie

    16 August 2010

    Monday's dip in to what is on the web

    Start of another week, and here's some pages to have a look at over your coffee... go one give yourself a break from work for a moment...

    Enjoy

    14 August 2010

    Microsoft Outlook Calendar > Filofax

    No I'm not suggesting you all abandon your Filofax diaries and start using MS Outlook instead...  perish the thought...

    Actually I have used printed versions of Outlook calendars in my A5 Filofax. If you look at the picture in the header of the blog, that is in fact an Outlook calendar that was printed out in A5 format. It happened because I bought the wrong format diary refill that year!

    So why use Outlook. Well there are some small advantages, for instance you could record all your annual reminders in Outlook: Birthdays, Anniversaries etc. And these will then appear on your printed diary.

    Another advantage I suppose is you can change formats partly through the year or even if you need a more detailed week you can change for that week even.  You don't have to print a whole year, just the days you need.

    Outlook offers a number of different page styles in daily, weekly and monthly formats. It also gives you the option of 1 or 2 page for each of the above. You can add notes areas on the pages as well.  There is a preview facility so before you hit the print button you can see what you are going to get.

    I would recommend doing short date ranges first to make sure you have things set the way you want to before you go for broke and print off a whole year, get it wrong and it could work out more expensive on ink/toner and paper.

    Printing calendars for an A5 is achieved as I described in an earlier post, you set it to A4 and booklet print it and you will get A5 pages.  Printing A5 from A4 is fairly easy as the pages will match each other on both sides of the paper. Outlook does offer paper size and page size variations. So printing three personal pages on a side of A4 is possible but the alignment of the pages when double sided will depend on the accuracy of the alignment of your printer. My best advice is to experiment on a few sheets first, print them, cut them out, punch them and see how well they fit.

    Give it a try you might find the format or layout you have been looking for. I hate to admit this but Outlook offers one of the best variety of calendar styles I have found that you can customise and print out.

    Below are a few sample pages printed out.






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    13 August 2010

    Friday Night Question

    Have you ever sold any of your Filofax Organisers? And can we ask why?

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    Free For All Friday No. 91

    Welcome to Friday the 13th!  Normally this is a lucky day for me, despite the superstition. I was born on a Friday the 13th, which I consider to be pretty lucky, being born and all.  So I tend to have a fondness for the day.

    This Friday the 13th is particularly lucky for me, because today my family and I are fulfilling our dream of moving to Scotland! In fact, as you read this, we are on a plane somewhere between Albania and Scotland. We are very excited!!

    Here we are nearly at mid-August, and the summer is starting to wind down for most of us (in the northern hemisphere of course!).

    It's not too early to start planning your autumn!  Any upcoming plans?

    And as always on Fridays, the floor is yours for anything Filofax-related.

    Happy Friday the 13th everybody!

    Laurie

    12 August 2010

    Left Handed Use of a Filofax?

    I saw Sharon's response and then Millie's comment and thought that this topic was worthy of a post in itself.

    So... in Sharon's Reader Under The Spot Light she said
    7. If you could design your own Filofax what would it feature?

    A left handed Filofax!
    And as an update Sharon has actual done a post on her blog about this topic

    and then Millie commented:
    Last night I read this post, and tweeted to Steve to say I agreed that there should be a left-handed Filofax. He asked me to write a comment with specifications of a left-handed Filofax. So, here we are 24 hours later with my thoughts! I'll try not to make this a post of its own!

    Being left-handed affects lots of things right-handed people don't think of, aside from the obvious everyday issues of using can openers and scissors. For example, most handbags (this is a girl problem mostly!) have a design only on one-side, and the zip is usually for a right-handed person. Left-handed people then have to either not show the bag design, or have the zip running the wrong way when they put their bag on their shoulder!

    I was thus on a left-handist crusade when I tweeted to Steve to say I agreed with Sharon! Today, I studied my Filofax while at work and I've concluded: Filofax are already left-hand friendly! I can't see any bit that couldn't be changed by someone if they really felt that the design hindered them. Are the rings in the way when you write? Turn the folder around and re-orientate your pages. Don't like the layout of the pockets? Buy a different style of folder.

    I guess the reason Filofax is so great is that you can make it how you want it. All those problems that irk left-handed people in standard notebooks can be avoided in the Filofax.

    I'd like to hear what other left-handed people think though. Maybe I've missed something obvious!
    So are you left handed? Are some Filofax Organisers better for left handed users than others? Does the size matter? Let us have your thoughts and comments.

    In fact Friday 13th is according to Millie is International Left Handers Day..... who said that this blog didn't keep up with the times !!!!

    Printing A5 Pages

    If you have an A5 organiser, it is the easiest size to create your own pages for. Anyone looking at my A5 will hardly find any preprinted pages in it, apart from may be some of the original ones that came with it!

    So let me try to explain how I do it. It is not complicated, but takes longer to explain than it does to do. Taking an A5 To Do List as an example because I used a lot of these pages.

    The first thing you might notice is the document contains 4 pages all the same, in A4 format... Did you forget Steve we are doing A5.... no we start with four pages of A4 and when we booklet print them they become 4 A5 pages on an A4 sheet of paper...

    A quick recap about European paper sizes... A4 is 297 by 210 mm and A5 is 210 by 148 mm in other words A5 is half the size of A4.

    So the next step is to booklet print the four A4 pages on to one sheet of A4 paper. The four pages then become A5 size pages back to back like the drawing below.


    So anything you have in A4 format can be made to fit A5, just by booklet printing it. To be able to booklet print you need a printer that can double side print... either manually or preferably automatically using a duplex attachment. It is worth considering this next time you buy a new printer.

    I've only ever used HP printers and all of our current ones which are a mixture of Officejets (Colour ink-jet) and Laserjet (B&W Laser) printers all offer booklet printing. How to get your printer in to booklet mode varies, so I can't attempt to show you all the different ones here, but there is a sample screen below.

    If you are using Word in Windows,  go to File, Print and when the Print dialogue window pops up. Click on Properties next to the name of the printer.


    Some printers offer you a simple 'What do you want to do' type menu and you simply select 'Booklet Printing' 'Left hand Binding'

    In others you might find it under the 'Finishing Tab'' under the heading "Booklet Layout" You might need to experiment a little to find the setting on your own printer but once you have discovered them, note them down for future reference.

    Those of you using a Mac then you will also find similar dialogue window by clicking on the down arrow next to the name of the printer to expand the menu. Then on the menu in the middle click on it and then click on Booklet Printing. It's fairly self explanatory from there onwards.

    So once your printer is set up, you print out the whole document and you will end up with something like this:

    It will be, or should be the same on both sides of the paper.  Cut the page in half and put the outer edges of the original page together and punch them and for each sheet of A4 you will have 2 pages in A5 but double sided and collated correctly.

    Once you have mastered this you will find there is no excuse for not having the exact format of page you need for what ever task or project.

    If you have any questions please pop them in to the comments and I will do my best to answer them. 
    .

    11 August 2010

    Filofax blog posts that we think are worth a look...

    We don't point out ever single blog post that we become aware of that mentions Filofax, there are just so many, and also so many that just mention it in passing as a comparison to some electronic device or gadget thing... of no interest to the majority of you I'm sure...

    But today's search is an exception and it turned up several that are worth a read:
    Enjoy...

    Reader Under The Spot Light - Sharon

    Sharon has a number of blogs of her own, but recently she has been blogging about Filofax on her craft blog and has been very much part of the recent 'Pocket Revolution'!!

    1. When did you buy your first Filofax and what was it?

    My first Filofax was probably a Fun Fax I had as a child, then my Dad bought me a Personal Kensington, about 20 years ago and I was smitten! I still have that Filofax, as I brought it with me when I moved from Africa, and it is well worn, soft, stretch and I love it as memorabilia!

    2. What other brands have you used or considered using?

    I did consider using FC inserts ONLY but the postage to UK was too high. I have tried a Moleskin page a day diary, but it never lasted long!

    3. Out of the organisers you own which is your current favourite (Style and Size)?

    Current, is Urban Pocket, followed then by the Grape Personal Domino and finally the A5 Domino in Red, all seem to be meeting my needs right now! I am also using the Pocket Chino, and whilst it is lovely, not sure a favourite!

    4. How many Filofax organisers do you own?

    At last count 10!

    5. What do you use your Filofax for?

    Work, Personal, Crafts and AVON

    6. What was the feature about Filofax you like most?

    The ability to change layouts and have it setup as I need it!

    7. If you could design your own Filofax what would it feature?

    A left handed Filofax!

    8. How do you carry your Filofax?

    In my bag.

    9. Which Filofax in the current range do you like the most? Are you going to buy it?

    Pocket, and yes I bought 3!

    10. What is the most you have ever spent on a Filofax? Which model?

    Approx £40 I think on the A5 Metropol Zip

    11. Turning to Philofaxy, what do you like the most?

    I like everything about Philofaxy, the info, pictures, links, the whole thing, a great blog, WELL DONE!

    12. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?

    Nothing!

    13. What was the last music album CD you bought or downloaded?

    Lady Gaga’s latest CD.


    Thank you Sharon for agreeing to go under the 'spot light'
     .

    10 August 2010

    Readers Under The Spot Light - Introduction

    A couple of weeks ago I had one of my many (mad) ideas, to get some feed back from you the readership about what you thought about the blog. I also thought it would be good to learn more about you the readers about your 'Filofax' background nothing too detailed.

    So the three of us put our virtual heads together and picked out some of our frequent readers based on how often they comment etc.

    We devised some simple questions and they have been sent out to all the people on our list.

    So coming up over next few weeks we will be releasing the responses from our mystery readers, I hope you enjoy reading their responses.

    If you would like to also take part, then please get in touch via our usual email address philofaxy at gmail dot com

    Attention US Malden Fans.....

    Until now the Malden has only been available on the UK site. Well it will be available later this year in the US. How do we know this? Take a look at the blog post by one of our readers 'Kanalt'

    So sorry to you folks that have already bought one and had to pay the (in my opinion) excessive shipping costs. But it is good news for people that have been waiting for news on availability.

    This whole episode has highlighted the difference in shipping costs between different Filofax on-line stores for customers overseas. I have emailed Filofax UK about this and I'm awaiting a reply.

    So I wonder if Filofax France will be stocking it too??... cue French shrug of shoulders!!!!!

    08 August 2010

    Skpye Chat This Afternoon - Postscript

    Thank you to everyone that took part today.

    I've learnt one important lesson about how to manage these sessions. First to get everyone on to the instant messaging part of Skype first. And then ask who wants to join in on a voice conference call, that way everyone is at least in contact with everyone else first!

    At one point I think we had two or three people in discussions on instant messaging and another three at one point on voice a little confusing but it all seemed to work.

    I think we will definitely do this again soon.

    Regards
    Steve

    Skpye Chat This Afternoon

    Don't forget the Skype chat this afternoon. Everyone is welcome, just pop up and look for Philofaxy on Skype

    Full details in the earlier post

    Look forward to chatting with you later hopefully.

    Regards
    Steve

    06 August 2010

    Glossary - What are all these abbreviations people use...

    OK I admit it, it is one of my pet hates... abbreviations or three and four letter acronyms that people use, expecting everyone to use/know them.

    My last job before I retired gracefully to France was in the Defence industry and they have abbreviations coming out of every document in their hundreds but when you think you knew them all, someone would reuse one for something completely different or invent yet another.... arrrragh I used to spend too much time looking these things up only to forget why I was looking it up!!!

    So in our world... the world of Filofax what abbreviations are in use... here is a list:
    • DOOP - Day on one page.
    • DPP - Day per page
    • FF - Filofax... of course
    • FC - Frankin Covey - not Father Christmas!
    • GTD - Getting Things Done
    • MOTP - Month on two pages
    • Mole - Moleskine
    • Pers - Personal Size
    • SOOFL - Significant Others of Filofax Lovers
    • TDPP - Two days per page
    • WPP - Week per Page
    • WOOP - Week on one page
    • WOTP - Week on two pages
    • YP - Year Planner
    What others are there? Please add them in the comments and I will add them to the list.
    .

      05 August 2010

      Free for All Friday No. 90

      My region saw heavy thunderstorms and flooding today. Roads became impassible in minutes, and two people were struck by lightning. Of course, this extreme weather got me thinking about weather and Filos. Do you record the weather in your Filo? Do you find it helps you remember a certain day?

      I usually only write down when it snows, especially when it's a significant number of inches. I also note any astronomical phenomena to look out for, like a meteor shower or comet. (Unfortunately, I'm a little too far south for the current aurora borealis.)

      Philofaxy on Flickr

      To integrate the Philofaxy community on Flickr more in to this site, I've just added a new page to the list of pages at the top of the blog.

      The new page includes a slideshow of all the pictures on the Flickr group, you can even view them full screen, click on the four arrowed icon on the right of the slideshow... Esc to get back to normal size.

      So join in and start adding some of your own Filofax pictures... any size of Filofax that is... not just the Pocket :-)

      Enjoy.....

      Steve

      Free Finsbury Accessories with any Finsbury Organiser



      A great offer from Filofax UK

      From 5th - 31st August 2010 they have a great web-exclusive offer on their popular Finsbury range.

      For every Finsbury personal organiser purchased during this period (any size, any colour) you get a free leather Finsbury accessory worth up to £36.

      Click on the advert to benefit from this offer.

      04 August 2010

      Shipping to Australia???

      Our Philofaxy friend Silver_Elixir emailed me to ask if I know of a Filofax retailer that ships to Australia for non-outrageous prices.  She said that Filofax UK and US both do ship to Oz, but the shipping costs are prohibitive.  There is a Filofax Australia website, but she wants some specific things they don't carry.

      Here is her wish list:

      Personal Day Planner Page                        
      Personal Reinforcing Patches                      
      Personal Filofax Hole Punch                        
      Personal Computer Paper                            
      Personal Organiser Stickers                        
      Personal Blank Tabs, 6                               
      Personal Jotpad                                         
      Personal To Do Cotton Cream                     
      Personal W2Pages Cotton Cream 2011


      The things she wants the very most are the stickers and the computer paper, so those are top priority.

      My only thought is to search ebay.  Does anyone else know of any Filofax retailers that can ship to Australia at a reasonable cost?

      Thanks everybody!  :)

      01 August 2010

      Slimline to Pocket Conversion

      You might possibly be familiar with my slimline that I have been using as a wallet/Filofax organiser since earlier this year. You can read my earlier post about it here

      As has been commented on, generally it works well, except it's quite large in size, not ideal if you want to carry it in a pocket, it is more suited to carrying in a jacket pocket or a 'man bag'... or handbag if you wish!

      When I was sat here this morning writing/assembling the 'Pocket' post, it occurred to me, I wonder if I could downsize my slimline to the Pocket?

      I have a Pocket Finsbury that wasn't in daily use.... so let's try it out, nothing to lose. It has a week to a page 2010 insert in it already. So I sat down and stripped out the removable contents of my slimline (credit/bank cards, driving licence, UK passport, Euro's, European health card, and a few other minor things that I didn't ought to be carrying still now I'm in France.

      The Pocket does have less credit card slots in the front, but that didn't pose too much of an issue. The vertical pocket inside the front cover takes my passport and driving licence easily, could have been designed for it even.

      The zip pocket on the back inside pocket I'm using for my loose change which was in my Filofax change holder in the Slimline. I only need coins really for the mail machines in La Poste, so I don't carry too much cash.

      I had a quick rummage around in my Filofax drawer and found some spare inserts and pages for it. So I think I'm more or less ready to go.

      I think it will work better as it will fit in my bag easier. I use an old CD walkman shoulder bag for carrying all my things around in, I hate having my pockets weighed down. In my bag I typically have: Wallet/Filofax, mobile phone, house keys, reading glasses, sat nav, torch, so the reduction in size of my Filofax will help.

      Like the Slimline I will be using the diary in this Pocket Filofax for appointments and to-do lists and for taking notes etc. I have my contact pages already filled in at the back of the Pocket, so I just need to check through them and update them if there are any changes.

      If there is anything I might add it might be an additional credit card holder. And for 2011 I might go for either the week on two pages starting on Monday (equal spaces per day) in Cotton Cream or a week on one page but with notes on the facing pages, although I wish it was English only.

      I'm going to give this new set up a try for the next month or so and see how it goes, it's only a 5-10 minute job to swap back to my slimline if it doesn't work out!  I will keep you posted.

      Pocket - it's where it is happening!

      This last few weeks the blog world and Twitter have been full of posts about the Pocket Filofax organiser as a size and how you can use it... I will admit to not paying full attention at first until this morning that is...

      When I realised the number of blog posts there have been in the last couple of weeks, I thought we needed a summary of them all on here, so you can all go and explore and make up your own mind...

      Blog Posts
      Did I miss any? I'm sure there will be more in the coming few days...


      Other resources

      Diary refills - Have you decided yet?

      So as August is here and Filofax now have both 2011 and 2012 refills starting to become available in most sizes. Have you started to think about which refills you will buy for next year yet?

      Jess Shepherd asked on Twitter if anyone had tried using the two days per page (deux jours par page) format in personal size?

      I think I might stick to a week on two pages myself but in personal size this next year rather than A5. I have a new personal Finsbury that is sat in the drawer that wants to join the party on my desk!

      Personally I find myself scrolling between the UK and the French Filofax sites looking for the optimum format..

      August offers...

      UK Office Direct are giving an extra 5% off orders placed in August (starts today)

      Head over to the Filofax suppliers page and click on the link and use the Promo code shown on the logo at the check out.

      Hunt down that organiser, refill, accessory today....