Exclusive: Contributor/Reader Under The Spot Light - Laurie

Many thanks to Steve for doing the Reader Under The Spot Light series!  I've been fascinated reading about our readers' Filofax usage, history and collections!  I thought I'd pop in and give my answers too.


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

I started using my first Filofax-style binder in 1995, which you can read about here.  I bought my first actual Filofax, a black Personal Buckingham, at T J Maxx for $25 in 2001.  At the time I bought it, I thought to myself, "Will I actually use this enough to spend $25 on it?"  Little did I know it would lead to a Filofax obsession and me being a contributing writer on a blog all about Filofaxes!!


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

In case you don't already know about my enormous planner obsession, check out my own blog Plannerisms. I'm constantly going back and forth between Filofaxes and other brands of planners of various sizes and formats!


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

My favorite of my Filofaxes is my personal Deco in Ivory.  It is absolutely gorgeous.  Also, my black Buckingham has a special place in my heart for being my first Filofax.  I used it exclusively for many years, and it's been around the world with me.  Buckingham and I have quite a history together!


4. How many Filofax organisers do you own?

Let's see.  I have 3 A5 Filofaxes: Finsbury in green, and in purple, and a red Domino.

I have several personal size ones: my Buckingham, Deco, a grape Domino I use as my Scotland guidebook, a purple Finsbury, and soon I'll have the Urban in slate that Oni very thoughtfully procured for me!

So that's 8!  Seems like a very small number compared to some of our readers' collections!


5. What do you use your Filofax for?

My Deco is my current Filofax with information, lists, contacts, maps, and I use it as my diary on and off.

My personal Domino as I said is my Scotland guidebook Filofax.

I use my purple A5 Finsbury as my household binder with Financial info, my full address book, my Christmas card lists etc. 

My A5 Domino is my blogs binder.  I keep a calendar of when I posted on each blog, title lists for easy reference of past topics, sections for topic ideas etc.

My Buckingham is in semi-retirement and houses my important archival information that I need to refer to every now and then.

My purple personal size Finsbury currently houses my Travel Journal insert, ready to go somewhere!

My green A5 Finsbury holds my Family Organizer pages, which are not currently in use.

I'm not sure what I'll use my new Urban for!  I think it would make an ideal travel Filo.


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

The combination of permanence and flexibility.  I can use the same binder with the same pages, maps, cards, photos or whatever else in it for years and years.  And, I can also change my diary format as often as I want, add and remove pages, make lists and remove them when they become irrelevant, and update my contacts as often as I want.


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

It would be a personal size in a gorgeous royal purple color with smooth (not textured), buttery soft leather.  It would have a secretarial pocket in the BACK (because this is where I put tickets and papers in my Filofax), and a full length zip pocket in the front cover.  It would have huge rings, and two pen loops.


8. How do you carry your Filofax?

I carry it in my (large and very heavy) bag.


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

I love the raspberry Chameleon with that super-soft buffalo leather.  And, I am hotly anticipating the eventual release of the Deco in Amethyst.  A purple Deco!!  I may swoon!  But, I won't buy either one because they are both out of my current price range.


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

That would have to be my A5 Finsbury binders.  I don't remember how much I spent on them (3 years ago), but they are currently $95 on Filofax USA (which is where I ordered them from).

My most expensive Filofax by far is my Deco, but I received it as a (very generous) gift.



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

The wonderful community of contributors and readers.  I LOVE reading about how other people use their Filofaxes, it gives me great ideas about how to use mine.  And it's comforting knowing that I'm not the only one out there who obsesses about these things!

I first started reading Philofaxy several years ago, and it was like a whole new world opened up to me.  When Nan asked me to be a contributor, I was so excited and flattered!  Thanks so much to Nan for letting me be a part of Philofaxy!

And many thanks to Steve for bringing his ideas and technical expertise to the blog, I think that has a lot to do with why Philofaxy has taken off so much in this past year!

And of course Philofaxy would not continue if we didn't have such a wonderful group of people reading and commenting on the blog.  Thanks to everyone for your participation!


12. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?

I wish I were able to post more often!


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

Paolo Nutini Sunny Side Up