30 November 2013

Web Finds - 30 November 2013

So here are the latest Filofax blog posts from around the Internet:
  1. Planners Update! - Lime Tree
  2. Post No. 3 for The Teaching Project - This Bugs Life
  3. My Review: Piaric Inserts - My Purpley Life
  4. DIY Note Paper Inserts - Break of Light
  5. Preparing for 2014 - Thinking versus doing
  6. Filomaniac asks ... Natalie - Filomaniac
  7. Christmas planning with the Dodo book of Christmas... - She's Eclectic
  8. New Items! Sushi Themed Dividers for Personal Size - Filofax Love
  9. Let’s Talk About Planners: Choosing a Planner – Bound Planners - All Your Crafts
  10. Demise of the Paper Planner – fact or fiction? - This Bugs Life
  11. 2014 Plannerisms planners now shipping from Collins UK!!! - Plannerisms
  12. The Naughty List (With Bonus Video) - Giftie Etcetera
  13. Choosing my 2014 diary refill - Ink Stickers Notebooks
  14. Filofax: My 2013 Holiday Planner - A Crafty Island Girl
  15. Planner Art Decoration (Filofax) -week 48 (no washi and stickers!!) - My Summer Touch
  16. Personal Original Yellow Filofax - Hello, I'm a Paper Addict
  17. Whacky Wednesdays: 13/11/2013 - Day to Day Concepts
  18. I Miss My Filofax !! - The Storage Studio
  19. Hello Portland Grand - This Bugs Life
  20. Making Filofax Inserts from the Pocket Lilly Pulitzer Agenda - hop skip jump
  21. Dear Franklin Covey - Planner Chicks
  22. The new 2014 workbooks and planners are here!! - We really didn't need another Filofax blog!
  23. Filofax Collection Part 1 - This Bugs Life
  24. 365/30: What three FiloBlogs are a must read? - Filomaniac
  25. Day-Timer Santa Fe Planner Cover Review - The Contemplative Belle
  26. Free For All Friday No. 12: The Endless Dilemma, Ring Binder or Bound Book? - Plannerisms
  27. Black Personal Baroque - This Bugs Life
  28. "Vintage" Gillio: Gigliodoro Compagna Darkred - Filo-Mainie
  29. Planning decision for 2014 - Thinking versus doing
  30. Personal Ivory Deco - This Bugs Life
  31. My week round-up #47 - Paper Lovestory
  32. Texan - Ambient Diary
  33. Filofax-related Facebook Groups - This Bugs Life
  34. A Blank Planner Entry - Giftie Etcetera
  35. Whacky Wednesdays: 20/11/2013 - Day to Day Concepts 
  • Your blog post could appear here next week if we missed you this time around. Email us the details and we will include it if we can. 
  • We can not guarantee people will read your posts, but we know there is a higher chance of people reading your posts and returning to read other posts if you make them interesting with pictures and good hints and tips. Do not forget to give your posts a title... 
  • For some general tips on Filofax Blogging, please see this post
And here are a selection of the latest Filofax videos for your enjoyment.
  1. A5 Filofax: Household Planner - OATTblog
  2. First Impressions Filofax Malden in Ochre - milts t
  3. Kate Spade Wellesley as a Wallet and Planner November 2013 - Liz S
  4. Kate Spade/Pocket Malden - alondra juarez
  5. Planner Evolution: Filofax A5 Ochre Malden for Personal, School, and Work - Liz S
  6. Travel Case Idea 4 Planners & Filofax - Nadine
  • For tips on how to improve your videos, please see this post
Enjoy

29 November 2013

Free For All Friday No. 263

Wow, it amazes me that there are only 32 days left remaining until the end of 2013!
I'm really enjoying using my crimson Malden, and I'm working through processing some old notes and non urgent to-dos that have been hanging about for a while. For next year, I'm not going to make any major changes to my set up (I rarely do anyway) and am going to work on keeping it consistent, current and context-driven (e.g. separate lists for phone, home, errands etc). These 3 C's are recommended as a way to have a more effective system, as advised by the author of Getting Things Done.
Do you have any principles or basics you use to help you organise your binder more effectively like this?

And as always as it's Friday, please feel free to discus anything Filofax or ringbound planner related. Have a great weekend.

28 November 2013

A-Z tabs

The A-Z tabs we get with our organisers are mainly intended to be used for names and addresses. Steve one of our readers has come up with an alternative use for these.

Ignore your computer or smart phone for a while, we are going off-line, off grid even...!  It is just you, a pen (or pencil) and your Filofax personal organiser.

Let us think for a moment about the various notes and ideas, bits of information we jot down in a typical year. In my case these can be fairly random, from how to change my watch from one time zone to another, to conversion formulas, to what frequencies local radio stations are on, which Mark Billingham books I've not read yet... fairly random stuff.

So you could put these notes on different sheets of paper, that would be a good start, and put them in to a section called 'Notes/Information' but you still have a random set of notes and information and over the course of a year,  these notes start to build up a bit.

Steve's idea is to file these notes and information sheets within an A-Z index, so in my examples above I would put:
  • My watch information sheet in W
  • Conversion formulas in F (formula)
  • Local radio stations in R (radio)
  • Mark Billingham in B (books or Billingham) 
And so on, now to make it easier to work out which section you have put things in Steve  suggests using a simple index sheet to list the information and which section it is in. I think this is a good idea especially if the number of sheets starts to grow in numbers/size. 

I'm certainly going to give this idea a try in my own organiser it will help to combine the notes and information sections in to some sort of regimented order. 




27 November 2013

Nan's Voyage to Edinburgh: 2 - 4 November 2013

When Steve got my email asking to join the November 2013 Edinburgh meet-up, he wasn't expecting to hear from anyone from across the pond, let alone the fellow blogger he'd never met. And it's true, I'd given Steve no advance notice that I was considering a visit to the U.K.

But I've been seeing the photos of the various meet-ups in London and Edinburgh and thought, "I want to be there! I want to meet those people, my kindred spirits. I want to see Filofaxes displayed in beautiful, historic British shops—their natural element, after all.

"And why not? It's only a plane ride away. At 6 hours, no longer than a routine flight from Boston to San Francisco. And it's really ridiculous I've worked with Steve this long and never met him in person."

So as soon as the announcement went up, I decided it was time to take the plunge. I spent the weekend researching flights and hotels, sorting out the budget, and figuring out a way to explain the whole thing to my husband without letting him think I was crazy (a fact I've managed to hide from him for over 20 years now).

Once Steve got over his initial shock, he buckled right down and helped me finalize my plans. He kindly found a flight that we could both take from Heathrow (he was already in England) to Edinburgh, so he could help me find the hotel without getting lost. Steve did a really good job laying out our full schedule in his post, so I'll mainly focus on my own impressions and photos.

I had no trouble recognizing Steve in the airport, having seen his picture many times. But photos, email, and even Skype can't transmit a person's kindness, energetic stride, or infectious laugh, which I heard for the first time when I mountain-climbed my way onto the high stool at Prêt-a-Manger for a sandwich before our flight. I already felt like a real Brit! (Note to America: We need more places like this offering quick and healthy food.)

Being members of the Facebook group Filo Dieters United, Steve and I were on the lookout for healthy options, and walked most everywhere. And Edinburgh is hilly. In some cases, you need to climb stone stairways to get from one street to the next! (I took a picture of one of the staircases, but my computer ate it, along with all of my pictures from the Letts Filofax tour—luckily Steve got plenty of good ones with his Digital SLR.)

Steve and I got to our hotel late Friday night, and Saturday morning enjoyed a nice walk to the Fruitmarket Café to meet Natalie and Maria. It was one of the smallest meet-up groups ever, but we still talked for hours. The small group gave us plenty of time to talk about our organizers and systems in great detail. The café reminded me a lot of Le Pain Quotidien, where we usually have our New York meet-ups. Lots of salads, sandwiches, and light dishes that let you save room for the creations of the excellent pastry chef.

Then Maria took Steve and I shopping and I mean shopping. She knows all the shops and stores: the historic Jenners department store with its excellent selection of Filofax organizers, inserts, and pens; Ryman, an office-supply store where I was able to get some A5 items that are hard to come by in the U.S.; Paperchase and Tiger, both of which had lots of cool gift items as well as stationery; and a fancy pen shop where I got to touch some gorgeous Filofax iPad holders and other items I'd never seen in real life before. Before retreating to the hotel, Steve took me to the Marks & Spencer food hall, where we grabbed some healthy sandwiches and fruit. (Brilliant idea, Steve!)

On Sunday, Maria met up with Steve and I again and played the role of tour guide in her home town. We bought tickets to a double-decker tour bus that stopped at major points of interest and let passengers hop on and off. We saw Edinburgh Castle (from the outside), the Scottish Parliament Building (from the inside), St. Giles' Cathedral and its amazing architecture and stained glass, and even stalked around Holyrood Place, the Queen's residence. (Her Majesty didn't invite us in for tea.)

Lunch on Sunday was a highlight. Maria again knew the best place to go—an Italian caffé across the street from the Elephant House, where J. K. Rowling first sat down with a cup of coffee to write about Harry Potter. I had homemade pasta that tasted just like my grandmother used to make in her little kitchen!

Steve and I talked a bit about how meeting fellow Filofax fans often feels like meeting long-lost friends, and it really is true. On the top deck of the tour bus in the brisk air, the three of us shared laughs at the driver's funny anecdotes and some silliness of our own.

We were tired at the end of the day and made another quick trip to M&S for the evening's supplies. I confess, I (again!) had trouble waking up for breakfast the final morning, but I did manage one last walk up the hill with Steve to Waverley Station, where we met Laurie (another first for me!) and Margaret, who kindly did the driving to Dalkeith in her cool sky-blue Peugeot wagon. Being in the back seat gave Laurie and me a chance to talk (and me a chance to see one of her own Going Places planners up close).

Steve and Laurie both did such a great job covering the Letts Filofax factory tour, there's really nothing I can add. Our hosts were very kind, although maybe a bit bemused by our enthusiasm for their products and the directness of our questions. They showed us everything from editorial (where the planners are filled with the appropriate information, holidays, etc.) to shipping!

And now, the pictures:
Steve showing Natalie the diary pages he printed for his super-soft leather organizer (with 30mm rings!)

Maria's magnificent A5 in side view

Maria showing Natalie her work A5

A view from Edinburgh Castle

St Giles' Cathedral

A close-up view of the castle entrance

26 November 2013

Web Finds - 26 November 2013

So here are the latest Filofax blog posts from around the Internet:
  1. Post No. 2 for The Jewelry Project - This Bugs Life
  2. Testing out a new setup... - Filo Fabulosity
  3. Weekly To-Do List- Leaf & Acorn - Incarnations of Organization
  4. Filofax: Inside My A5 Original - A Crafty Island Girl
  5. Dots, Lines, Grid, or Blank? - The Contemplative Belle
  6. My love/hate relationship with the A5 - This Bugs Life
  7. 365/30: What are your top three writing instruments? - Filomaniac
  8. Pros and Cons of using a Compact Filofax - The Filofax Lifestyle
  9. Stockholm Filofax meet – December and January? - This Bugs Life
  10. Week in Photos / Links #47, 2013 - The Contemplative Belle
  11. A5 Original Filofax in green - Review - Paper Pens Ink
  12. A5 Brown Belmont on its way to me!  - This Bugs Life
  13. 2014: Ready to Rock - Well Planned Life
  14. Things Filofax on Etsy - This Bugs Life
  15. Philofaxy All Star Guest Post – How to Create Your Own Inventory of Ink Pads - DiY Fish
  16. Tutorial No.9 - Adjustable Fabric Book Cover D.I.Y. - Guest Post by DIYfish - My Purpley Life
  17. New Filofaxes and Searching for the perfect inserts... - Innocent & Twisted
  18. Setup the binder with Life Mapping System - DiY Fish
  19. Filofax week in photos - Cider With Sophie
  20. Blogger Challenge - The Filofax Blog
  21. Still in planner hell... - Paper Pens Ink
  22. Post No. 5 for The Travel Project - This Bugs Life
  23. Effective Organization Techniques are Individualized - The Contemplative Belle
  24. Life: Keeping Organised with my Filofax - Paperbacks + Postcards
  25. My Filofax arrived (insert heart palpitations here). - tales from a filofriend
  26. Good mail days- My very first filofax - Seaweed Kisses
  27. 365/30: What three Reasons makeyour FiloEDC the perfect planner? - Filomaniac
  • Your blog post could appear here next week if we missed you this time around. Email us the details and we will include it if we can. 
  • We can not guarantee people will read your posts, but we know there is a higher chance of people reading your posts and returning to read other posts if you make them interesting with pictures and good hints and tips. Do not forget to give your posts a title... 
  • For some general tips on Filofax Blogging, please see this post
And here are a selection of the latest Filofax videos for your enjoyment.
  1. Review of an A5 Filofax Cross in turquoise, Italian leather. - Kym Brown
  2. Decorating My Filofax Friday - Week #48 - My Purpley Life
  3. Review: Schneider Topliner 967 Pens on Filofax Paper - Ruby Dumbrique
  4. Gillio a5 Set Up Planner Update - TheLittleInk
  5. Dollar Tree Haul with Washi Tape Comparsion - Jessica Belle
  6. Gillio Medium Mia Cara - jnl7974
  7. My New Filofax Purple Saffiano Personal Size Setup and Review - Ruby Dumbrique
  8. My Review Monday: Piaric Inserts for your planner  - My Purpley Life
  9. My Personal Malden Setup - Sharon Korkes
  10. Kate Spade Wellesley and Juicy Couture Charm - Liz S
  11. Weekly Filofax Decoration - AKCaraboo
  12. Filofax compact Holborn as a wallet/on the go planner - PlannerLuv
  13. Maryanne's cash envelopes in my Portland Filofax - Tracy Reinhardt
  14. First Impressions Filofax Malden in Ochre - Mits t
  • For tips on how to improve your videos, please see this post
Enjoy

Free For All Tuesday - No. 147

Tuesdays are your chance to ask any Filofax related questions you might have.

So fire away and we will collectively try to answer your questions or offer opinions.

25 November 2013

Two Filofax Morton...

With Anita hopping back and forth between A5 and Personal size and a few others (no names no pack drill) still trying to decide which size would work for them... me I use both sizes at the same time!! A rebel with a cause me!


So I use an A5 at my desk and I supplement it with a Personal size, which I carry with me away from the house/office.  So with the A5 I have the space I need at my desk and the portability away from home and when I'm out and about, but I carry my 'stuff' in a 'man bag/messenger bag' anyway. I rarely if ever carry both at the same time.... although I have a slightly larger bag that could carry both...



How do I get two organisers to work?

The two obvious duplications are the diary insert (planner sections) and the A-Z contacts sections in both.

The contacts sections are essentially the same, except different in size. It contains about 150 names and addresses, I try to keep these up to date at least once a year and I use the Filofax Address Book software to be the common source for both sizes.

The planners are very different. In the A5, I use our own design Enhanced Time Manager insert to give me a week per view with appointments and tasks and reminders spread across the view.  I don't have a huge number of appointments each week, but I jot things in on specific days if I need reminding of events or something on TV, if the day isn't too busy already. I use the tasks and reminders a lot to keep me focused each day and remind me about what I should be doing today and not spending all day on Facebook!

Here is a random sample of the A5 planner.


Some weeks are busier obviously, this was a fairly quiet week. A few cryptic notes of course, which only make sense to me.... no one else refers to this planner except me!

Also in the A5 I have another section for a Month per Page insert which is used just for planning blog posts on Philofaxy and noting events when I'm not going to be at my desk and I need to do some forward planning of posts to keep you all happy!

The diary insert I use in my personal size is just a week per page insert again of our own design but printed on to Filofax cotton cream plain paper.


The notes/to-do sections tend to be individual, but not used too heavily.

Information sections also differ with the exception of the pages I've created myself which do appear in both sizes.

You must be wondering how I manage two organisers that have essentially the same contents, just different sizes... isn't it a lot of writing? Well yes and no. As my life is mainly task driven rather than appointments and meetings, the personal size only has a few appointments and travel dates and visits in it.

I tend to not copy across my to-do lists from one to the other. Sometimes a list will only exist in the Personal and not the A5 if it's something that is going to be happening when I'm away from home, so I will be using the Personal rather than the A5.

To give you an example of this. If I've got a meet up planned for a particular weekend. The date of that meet up will obviously go in to both organisers. But in the personal one I will also add in a To-Do list which I use as an attendance 'register' I add in the names and I might add in an extra column for additional tick boxes. This list will sit in the week of the meet up.

As new people request a place so they get added to the list or if someone drops out they come off of the list. I use the reverse side of the list as my reserve people list if we get a huge response.  I also have some 'Meet Up Packing Lists' I've created for myself that I also slot in to that week. Once the date has happened, I move the extra pages in to another section to keep the diary tidy.


If we are travelling back to UK for a long trip I use A5 To Do lists as a packing list, but as these tend to contain more items the A5 size is better and they will be taken out of the organiser and left behind... I don't need to carry those lists with me once everything is packed.  But I can slot these lists in close to the date of our trip and I can add things as I think of them. My memory and thought processes are so random and mixed up I need something like a list to bring a lot of things together in to their relevant areas, otherwise it all becomes a random mess... !!!

Which particular model of organiser I'm using in each size at any one time isn't important, it's the contents that are more important. I do swap and change organisers a fair bit though.

I've fine tuned the contents now so that I can swap between any of my A5's be it a 30 mm ring Malden or the more common 25mm ring Holborn or Original. The 30mm ring Holborn Zip is used when I'm travelling it carries things better as my mobile office.

Personal size can be anything from a Holborn, Malden, Launer or the Fusion depending on my mood! These vary between 23 and 30mm ring size the later being the Launer.

If I trim down the number of weeks of diary insert I'm carrying and reduce the number of spare pages I can squeeze in to a compact size, mainly the Holborn compact.

The contents of both organisers I'm using at any one time is always evolving, I review the contents fairly frequently to move out old notes and lists I no longer need to carry. However the sections and their order rarely changes, if it isn't broke don't fix it!


24 November 2013

Reader Under The Spotlight - Katie

Hello! My name is Katie and I am 20 years old. I'm originally from a small town called Wigan (it's in Greater Manchester!), but I'm currently studying Wildlife and Media at university in Carlisle.

I've always loved stationery - it started off with notebooks! I'm the sort of person who buys lots of pretty notebooks and then never uses them in case I ruin them! I found Filofax when looking for a university planner. I had of course heard of Filofax before, but I hadn't realised that it was still so big and still used! Upon searching, I uncovered a huge area of information and tips! I love to write/read about stationery and I'm a big book-lover too. I blog over at lifeofkitty.wordpress.com about a variety of things, mainly lifestyle, stationery and books.

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

I ordered it on 30th July, 2012! It was the Personal Songbird, as I'd seen it at a good price and just wanted to try it out.

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

I've seen the Gillios online, and they look gorgeous but definitely not in my price range! I really like how the Smythsons and Kiki K ones look too.

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

I would have to say my Personal Finsbury, though it isn't the one I use! I just love the textured leather on it and I liked that it would look more used than some. My personal Original still looks brand new, whereas the Finsbury shows the use! I like it when items like that become a little battered and look well loved - probably in the minority there!

4. How many Filofax organisers do you own?

A very modest (i think!) 6...

5. What is the oldest Filofax in your collection?

I would say my Finsbury, as it's the only one that I bought 'used'. (It didn't look used at all though)

6. What do you use your Filofax for?

I use my main personal as a daily planner. I have my weekly pages, a university section with notes and monthly pages and I also have a notes section. The weekly pages hold everything that I need in daily use. I put all my university lectures in, appointments, to-dos and just general bits and bobs! My university section has information about my assignments, lecturer's emails and I use the monthly calendar for deadlines, talks and other important dates that relate to my course.

I do have an A5 which I use at home, and in that I plan blog posts, have a recipe section, travel section and a notes section. I do mainly use it for the blog planning!

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

The idea of being able to customise it whenever I wanted, and to really make it my own. It sounds generic, but it's true! I mean, the binders themselves are gorgeous too so that helps!

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

Definitely better and bigger pen loops! I've always had trouble with those. The only other thing I would add is better inserts - it would be great if Filofax did a bigger range of designs.

9. How do you carry your Filofax?

I just throw it in my bag! I don't worry too much about getting it messed up. As I said earlier, I quite like the used look!

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

I like the look of the Charleston from what I've seen online... Does that count? I probably wouldn't buy it because it'll be out of my price range! But I do love the originals!

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

£40 something on my green original!

12. What's your favourite Filofax tip or hack?

Using a colour code! It may seem obvious or unnecessary to some, but I think it really helps to make a page look more organised. You can see at a glance what you need.

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

I like the fact that there are so many useful resources on there, and that the community is so helpful!

14. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?

I probably would have said the colour theme as I wasn't a huge fan of the last one - but it's just changed so...

15. What was the last music track you downloaded or bought?

Oh wow, I'm not sure, it has been ages! Possibly would have been The Lumineers album!

16.  Mark Darcy or Daniel Cleaver? 

I think I'm going to have to go for Darcy...

Thank you Katie for contributing to Readers Under The Spotlight.

23 November 2013

Web Finds - 23 November 2013

So here are the latest Filofax blog posts from around the Internet:
  1. My week round-up #46 - Paper Lovestory
  2. Okay, trying this again... - The Crazy Suburban Mom
  3. Filofax detox - Cloudberry Musings
  4. 5 Rules For Using Your First Planner - Giftie Etcetera
  5. I'm having a filo crisis - It's Bluetiger
  6. Comparing Check List Stamps for Your Planner - Part. 2 - My Purpley Life
  7. 365/30: Who are the five FiloTubers did you must see each week? - Filomaniac
  8. Planner Filing System Made Easy - The Contemplative Belle
  9. Planner Setup: Personal Domino - Break of Light 
  10. How old is the oldest page in your Filofax? - My Summer Touch
  11. Filomaniac fragt... Babsi - Filomaniac
  12. Purple Dreams... DO Come True!!! - The Filofaxtory
  13. 365/30: Solitary Confinement - Filomaniac
  14. Cult Pens mini fountain pen review and give away - Anita Lim
  15. Creative spark within the GTD system - GTD Times
  16. 85th Anniversary Filofax Personal Eton and Wallet - This Bugs Life
  17. Vintage Ostrich Triplets - Cloudberry Musings
  18. Arrival of another Gillio, another Mia Cara in A5 with gold hardware! - My Filo World
  19. I have joined the Malden family..... and it's not aqua! - She's Eclectic
  20. Oops....well accidents DO happen, right? - It's Bluetiger
  21. 4 Ways You Can Enjoy Better Work Productivity - Day Timer Blog
  22. Thankful Thursdays - Getting It together - Just A Girl... Atlanta
  23. Filofax Enabling - The University Project
  24. OMG. Philofaxy Web Finds :)  - Break of Light
  25. Trying something new. - Life of Kitty
  26. Post No. 5 for The Budgeting Project - This Bugs Life
  27. Over Scheduled Planners - Giftie Etcetera
  28. A4 in America - Rhodia Drive
  29. Planner Art Decoration (Filofax) -week 47 - My Summer Touch
  • Your blog post could appear here next week if we missed you this time around. Email us the details and we will include it if we can. 
  • We can not guarantee people will read your posts, but we know there is a higher chance of people reading your posts and returning to read other posts if you make them interesting with pictures and good hints and tips. Do not forget to give your posts a title... 
  • For some general tips on Filofax Blogging, please see this post
And here are a selection of the latest Filofax videos for your enjoyment.
  1. Win your wish list with Filofax.co.uk - Filofax UK
  2. The A5 Flourish Range - Filofax Refills - Life is Crafted - Life is Crafted
  3. Comparing Check List Stamps for Your Planner - My Purpley Life
  4. My new Ordning and Reda Planner Flip through and comparison - Tracey Reinhardt
  5. Filofax Week 47 Decoration - Sugarpandax3
  6. UPDATED filofax wallet/planner and home management system - Mummylifestyle
  7. Filofax weekly decor: week #47 - MsPassiontea
  • For tips on how to improve your videos, please see this post
Enjoy

22 November 2013

Free For All Friday No. 262

Christmas is creeping up on us. Have you started planning for it yet? What part does your Filofax play in planning for Christmas?

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

Have a good weekend

21 November 2013

There can be only one

After writing my post about using the A5 size, I had a good long hard think about what I want from my Filofax. I may have said it before, but I've really come to the conclusion that I only need one personal binder. No spares for holding inserts, or any waiting in reserve for when I fancy a change. I know this works for lots of people, but from experience it's just not for me. Surely that's all OK as I sold my crimson personal Malden and I'm completely satisfied with my beautiful Ascot? Well, not exactly... 

I admit I've been having some doubts about the Ascot. I went for a long weekend to Athens recently and it performed admirably as my wallet and travel documentation holder combo. However, one night I looked at it on the restaurant table and it just didn't feel like me, almost like it could belong to someone else. I shrugged the feeling off as it seemed silly, but the thought only came back with the idea that it would be my sole binder. I knew straightaway that if I only own one, it would need to be red in colour. 

The sale of my crimson Malden had been delayed and it was still tucked away safely in its packaging, waiting for its new owner's payday to come. On purpose, I hadn't looked at it since the sale was agreed, but I took it out of the box and knew what I was going to do. I hate going back on a promise, but I emailed the buyer to say that I was very sorry, but I had changed my mind. Luckily, she was very understanding.   

Hang on a minute, this looks familiar.


Hey, didn't you say you were returning to one of these before??


Yes, I did.
Looking back through my old emails, I got my first crimson Malden in May 2011 as a replacement for a faulty Classic. After some quite enjoyable detours with different models and sizes, I'm back for good, done, finito. 


20 November 2013

Retailer Under the Spotlight - Cult Pens


Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Cult Pens, a UK company that specialises in pens and writing instruments.

1. Where is Cult Pens based?

We are an on online shop, so Cult Pens lives in a cloud. Our representatives on Earth are based in Tiverton, in the rather beautiful county of Devon, in the UK. It’s a corner of the country best known as a holiday destination, which makes it a bit like living in Disneyland. There are no giant talking mice, though, unless we’ve been sniffing the permanent markers.

2. How long have they been in business?

The Cult Pens website was launched in May of 2005, so it’s over seven years old now.

3. What sort of things do you sell? Apart from pens... obviously?

Apart from pens? More pens! We have a huge range of pencils, too, both mechanical and wooden, and quite a few accessories. We have some really great ranges of notepads, notebooks and paper, along with rulers, drawing templates, lots of erasers, and glue.

One thing that sets us apart from most other pen shops is that we're just as interested in selling refills as pens. Many people come to us because they already have a pen they're very happy with, and are having trouble tracking down refills. If we stock the pen, we’ll always stock the refills if we can, in all the tip sizes and colours we can get, and we even stock refills for pens we don’t have. Even a lot of the pens people usually think of as disposable do have refills available, and using them is better for the environment and saves money.

4. Do you ever get any unusual requests... ones you can share with us.

We've been asked for pens to write on almost any surface you can imagine, and withstand all sorts of conditions. We had to suggest one customer speak to a professional when they wanted a pen they could use to restore a relative's gravestone, and we've seen cases where it was a problem that the marker ink changed colour when put in a furnace.

5. What are the most popular ranges? (Fountain pen, Gel Pens, Ballpoints etc)

That's a very difficult one for us to answer - variety is key for us! Every type of pen has its fans, and every pen is someone's favourite.

6. Do you support the notion that despite the increasing use of smart phones and tablets, the use of pen and paper is still strong? Why do you think that is?

People still find something very simple about pens and pencils, and they can be more tactile than a tablet. A pencil never makes you think about how to use it; so you can think about what you're doing, not what you're using to do it. Sometimes, we need to apply all of our brain to the task, not the tool.

Having said that, as an online retailer, we need the gadgets too. You can't order pens online using a pencil!

7. For our Filofax users what tips do you have with regards selecting pens and types of inks to use?

With all the tradition and tactility of a Filofax, the choice of pen has to be all about what feels right for each person. Some people love the flow of colourful ink from a fountain pen. Some love sharpening wooden pencils, while others find the quick click of a mechanical pencil more convenient. Love extra-fine, colourful lines? You can’t beat Pilot’s Hi-Tec-C. Want super-smooth, instant-drying, waterproof ink? Uni-ball’s Jetstream may be the perfect fit for you.

We love multipens for this sort of task - you can colour-code your notes and have different tip sizes in a single pen. Some people, though, simply want one pen that holds a lot of ink. We're all different, otherwise Filofax would only make the Personal-size Identity, and Philofaxy would be a dull place.

8. What is the best way of choosing fountain pen inks for particular brands of pens?

Generally, any fountain pen can be filled with any good quality fountain pen ink. There are manufacturers who recommend you use nothing but their own brand ink in their pens, but most fountain pen lovers cherish their inky choices, and some of the most popular inks come from manufacturers who don’t make pens at all. Diamine, right here in the UK, make some of the best fountain pen inks in the world, including our own Cult Pens Deep Dark inks. Picking from a selection of hundreds of ink types and colours is what separates us from the animals. If we only wanted black ink, we could have stayed in the ocean and borrowed some from a squid.

9. Are their differences in the formulations that make one ink more suited to a particular design of pen or not?

Almost all fountain pen inks are, essentially, coloured dye in water. The differences are relatively small, but those small differences are where many obsessions are born. Browsing the ink reviews on Fountain Pen Network should soon convince you that these small differences can be very important.

There are specific cases too, like Platinum’s Carbon Ink, which is waterproof pigment ink, and therefore needs special care to make sure it doesn't dry out in your pen. Platinum's Slip and Seal system, in their Century fountain pens, is a way around this. It uses a spring mechanism inside the cap to create a better seal over the nib, so the ink won't dry out, even if left unused for over a year.

Many calligraphy inks aren't safe to use in fountain pens at all, and can only be used with dip pens.

10. A lot of us use erasable ink pens (Frixion etc) in our organisers. What do you think will be the next exciting development in pen/ink design.

If we knew that, we wouldn't tell you until the patent had been granted!

The Frixion has been a huge step forward for erasable ink, taking it from being something you'd only use if you really needed it, to a perfectly nice thing to use all the time.

One of the interesting changes we're seeing at the moment is that the exciting stuff often happens outside the big brands. We've seen many really interesting new products and designs on sites like Kickstarter, where ordinary people fund the development of a new idea, helping to turn a design into a product.

What other information that you think will be of interest to our readers.

We add new offers and new products all the time, and you can keep up to date with these by following us on Twitter or Facebook, or checking on our What’s New and Special Offers pages.

But those things are available to everybody! You’re special people at Philofaxy, so you deserve your own special offer. So, for you, there's 10% off everything until the end of 2013, at Cultpens.com  when you enter the following coupon code: FAXY2013

Thank you also for the promotion code, I'm sure some of us will be using that especially in the run up to Christmas!

Thank you Cult Pens for answering all of our questions, I'm sure we might think of some more to ask... 

19 November 2013

Web Finds - 19 November 2013

So here are the latest Filofax blog posts from around the Internet:
  1. Digital Paper - Quo Vadis Blog
  2. Compact Holborn Setup! - The Filofax Lifestyle
  3. How it all Started: My Planner Obsession - Break of Light
  4. Design Request for Filofax from Cissy - The Contemplative Belle
  5. Filofax Friday: A5 November 2013 "before" - Avo's Life
  6. Filofax – Project Kel Week 2 Complete - Kel & Filofax
  7. It’s a ladies prerogative apparently – I’ve change... - Heather Holistics
  8. Personal Baroque Filofax on its way to me! - This Bugs Life
  9. Parenting with a Planner - The Contemplative Belle
  10. My Financial Planner (Pocket Metropol) - Break of Light
  11. #bedn- something different - Just a little insight in to my mind
  12. Post No. 5 for The University Project - This Bugs Life
  13. Forcing myself to use daily inserts in my Filofax. - My Summer Touch
  14. Covering Mistakes in Your Planner - The Contemplative Belle
  15. Weeklies: Why They Are Superior To Daily Pages - Giftie Etcetera
  16. LMI V02 Add-On | LM Clock - DiY Fish
  17. Post No. 4 for The Book Project  - This Bugs Life
  18. Filofax Friday: Random Fandom - Cherry Sprinkle
  19. 2 online options for learning more about GTD this week - GTD Times
  20. Filofax Weight Loss Posts - This Bugs Life
  21. Planning: More Than Just Writing It Down (Aka Talking Turkey) - Giftie Etcetera
  22. Post No. 5 for The Medical Project - This Bugs Life
  23. The “Goal” To-do List - Platinum Plans
  24. 365/30: Dear FiloSanta... - Filomaniac
  25. Tips for Buying on Ebay - This Bugs Life
  26. I'm back with an update and my weekly decoration - Yashiras's Creations
  27. Video- Filofax Personal Saffiano Update Sections & Brain Dumping - Just A Girl... Atlanta
  28. Filofaxes coming up for sale - This Bugs Life
  29. Plannerisms orders from Collins UK shipping next week! - Plannerisms
  30. Time management Mondays: When do the holidays start… to overwhelm? - Quo Vadis Blog
  31. Setup of Filofax Savannah for Money Envelopes  - This Bugs Life
  • Your blog post could appear here next week if we missed you this time around. Email us the details and we will include it if we can. 
  • We can not guarantee people will read your posts, but we know there is a higher chance of people reading your posts and returning to read other posts if you make them interesting with pictures and good hints and tips. Do not forget to give your posts a title... 
  • For some general tips on Filofax Blogging, please see this post
And here are a selection of the latest Filofax videos for your enjoyment.
  1. Decorating my Filofax week 47 Personal Sized Domino - Mits T
  2. Update on Day-timer Desk (A5) Malibu planner - Crystal Charles
  3. A5 Month on 2 Pages Inserts Flourish Design Life is Crafted - Arienne Gorlach
  4. Amazing 3D Pop-Up Christmas Tree for Filofaxes - Kent from Oz
  5. Filofax Holborne Comparison - Sonia S
  6. A5 Flourish Day Per Page Inserts Quick Overview Life is Crafted - Arienne Gorlach
  7. Instructions for Amazing 3D Pop-Up Christmas Tree - Kent from Oz
  8. Filofax Decoration W.47 - adamsfilo 
  9. A5 Flourish Week on 2 Page Inserts Quick Overview Life is Crafted  - Arienne Gorlach
  10. Thrift store found planners - Sonia S
  11. Update Filofax Setup: Inside my Personal Raspberry Metropol - Yashira Marie
  12. Gillio Unboxing! Croco Fuchsia Compagna - Kirsty Sherrod
  13. Overview of my grey Gillio Firenze Compagna planner. - Debbie Hockedy
  • For tips on how to improve your videos, please see this post
This weeks offer...

Ryman have got a 10% off offer on until the 24th



Terms and Conditions: Valid Online Only. Vouchers expire 24th November. Enter RMR3 at the checkout when ordering online.
Discount cannot be applied retrospectively. No cash alternative. The offer excludes: gift vouchers, EPAY products, Post Office products, DHL services, charity products and Kindle, Tablets, Cameras, PC Software and Apple products.
This voucher is not to be used in conjunction with any other voucher or discount card including staff discount, student discount and Ryman Business Accounts. Ryman reserve the right to withdraw or change these offers at any time.

Enjoy

Free For All Tuesday No. 146

Tuesdays are your chance to ask any Filofax related questions you might have.

So fire away and we will collectively try to answer your questions or offer opinions.

18 November 2013

To A5, or not to A5: that is the question

In my previous post about my beautiful red A5 Amazona, I started off with the sentence 'I don't know what it is about the A5 size as I've never properly settled down into using one'.
It seems that previously I thought it was just because I hadn't found 'the one'. I adore the Amazona as it's got a gorgeous print, isn't too big for its size and is a stunning colour. I decided on what sections I wanted, bought some hardwearing and cute dividers, and yet I'm still not really using it!

My personal Ascot lives under the laptop stand on my desk and is the one I always reach for. My poor Amazona must be feeling unloved sat on the end of my bookshelf, watching on as the Ascot gets carried about into the kitchen, bedroom or into my bag and out the door. I love the idea of having the larger A5 size for planning projects and using all that lovely extra page space for writing. And yet, it never quite happens...

There's definitely something about the bigger size that keeps drawing me back, but I'm beginning to realise that maybe it's just not meant to be. Maybe it's bit like saying to yourself, "I should like olives" but each and every time you try them, it just doesn't do it for you? I keep trying, but the evidence is pointing to my conclusion that I don't think I can cope with having two binders in use at the same time. I think I could happily use the Amazona as my main binder, but it's a bit too big for me to happily use as a wallet, for travelling or just to pop in my bag.

When I first thought about writing this post, it was meant to be to mull over the pros and cons of different sizes, and how to use them together. I'm a bit surprised that I've found that instead I'm talking myself out of owning an A5! However, I know what I'm like, so I'm going to pause before I make a decision as otherwise the Amazona will be up for sale by the weekend. I think I'll remove the contents, put it away and set a deadline to see if I've missed it at all and then make a final decision.

Our cat definitely likes A5
I know that lots of you use multiple binders, and I'm curious as to how you manage to successfully get them to work together? Or are there other people like me that find using more than one just hurts your head??

17 November 2013

Reader Under The Spotlight - Courtney

Well Hello there! I'm Courtney, a little Aussie artist, bride to be and mother of two little mop haired brown eyed babes. I have been a stationery geek for as long as I can remember, being introduced to it through my mum at a very young age, I have always had a love and adoration for paper. I have always kept a journal, and a planner together from my high school days to uni days into motherhood. You can find my little nook over here :- http://ravenscauldron.blogspot.com.au where you can read about my planner life, my epic weight loss journey and how a planner helps me with it,also my daily art journal practice.

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

I have carried a ring binder back in high school and it was a no named green thing that got beaten to death in my school bag, but it lasted the distance. When it comes to the brand Filofax, my first was in June of this year, when I bought a personal Malden in Orche. It was love at first sight. My first filofax is lovingly in her box awaiting Christmas, and will be given to my Mum as her xmas gift, as I have moved on.

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

I had been a total Filofax Fangirl, owning an A5 Original for my wedding planner, a Vintage Green Tejus, a personal pink Finsbury and the Orche Malden, oh and a raspberry Chameleon! Until I got eyes for Gillio. My oh my! did they steal a leather lovers heart. I had looked at the other Aussie brands around as well, but nothing really grabbed me, although I do now own an a5 KikkiK planner for our family Planner.

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

My favourite style is the inside of the Malden, I do admit when I moved into my Dark Brown Medium Companga, there were elements of the Malden that I missed! I had my setup perfect in the Malden, and it got thrown when I moved into my Gillio. I think if the Malden and the Companga were to take notes from each other there could be a super planner to be had!

4. How many Filofax organisers do you own? 

Currently in my possession I have 2 A5's 2 Personal sizes and 1 Pocket on its way to me. I have 2 personal sitting waiting for their new owners as well as one pocket about to be posted to her new owner. I don't count the sold planners to be mine anymore. so I have 5 that are actually mine 2 A5's 2 personals, and one pocket.

5. What is the oldest Filofax in your collection?

If I was go to out into my studio and find my beaten up high school one, I'd say it, but it would be The Vintage Tejus. When it arrived, you could smell the age on her. Filled with vintage discoloured paper, full of mystery and wonder.

6. What do you use your Filofax for?

I call it my brain. Even though I am relatively young...I forget things like a goldfish. If its not written down, it gets forgotten under the mass of housework, what the heck do I cook for dinner tonight, and many of  'mummmmm Elijah is annoyyyyying meeee' and so on! I use my planners to keep myself in check, from housework, to weight loss, to cooking, shopping lists, to  keeping track of the mail I send out and receive ( being a big penpal girl). I have notes for my blog, ideas for my book, Swap information, all the upcoming school stuff, my fiance's work schedule. My commission work for my business, everything and anything is held between the pages of my planners! I even have an whole a5 devoted to my wedding next year. They are extensions of myself.

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

I cant break it. When it comes to technology, I usually somehow, some way break it...I am the clumsiest woman you will meet. And it would take a hell of a lot for me to break my planner! yes the rings might miss align but it wouldn't spin out my world. I love that I can compartmentalize my life into sections, so that it is easier to think about on single thing...then a conglomerate of things. It helps me be more clear and focused on the task at hand than my 'oh squirrel' attitude I sometimes get as an artist.

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

I think I already touched on this, the Companga and the Malden having a one night stand and making my super planner. With the card slots of the Malden, and the back pocket of the Companga. I think there is a bliss waiting to happen in that idea.

9. How do you carry your Filofax?

If you catch me on my kid free day where I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off doing all my errands, you will find me racing around the shops with my planner in my hand, always checking the mammoth to-do lists, checking things off, writing out addresses onto envelopes. If you find me any other time, it is thrown into my handbag, with me at all times. I also use a pocket Mia Cara Gillio as my wallet, so I will probably always have a planner at my finger tips.

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

I still adore the Malden, and if I wasn't a complete Gillio convert I would still have my Malden in my hands, but I know my Ochre will be loved by Mum. Although that Charleston is rather lovely!
If I was to buy a Filofax right now if I could get my hands on it, it would be an A5 Mustard Finchley. Makes me smile just thinking of that pretty colour.

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

The A5 Original in fluro pink was my most expensive. Once converted to Aussie Dollars and Postage it cost me about $160 AUD. That is the most I've spent on a Filofax...lets not work out the digits on my Gillio's though...because that is...moving on.

12. What's your favourite Filofax tip or hack?

Hmmmm I like to use Hambly overlays as my dividers, so that if I have things I need to remember about a certain sections, I can post it note the to-do or the idea to the front of the section, so I'm not flicking through the pages trying to find that to-do list I wrote last week in amongst my scrawl. I make them all moveable too by slitting the holes so they can be moved in and out without opening my rings. I also made clear plastic tabs for the dividers, so they wouldn't get ragged with use and time. I also loved cutting up baseball card protectors to house family photos at the front of my planner.

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

The absolute variety of the posts. There is no bias, there is no right or wrong...there is just information, and so much of it! When I got back into planners, this blog was a lighthouse of information for a new comer to drink up and absorb like a sponge. It really is an amazing source to have at our fingertips.

14. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?

I don't think there is anything I don't like about the blog, it used to the be overall look! but that recently has changed and looking mighty fine! so with that being rectified nothing at all!

15. What was the last music track you downloaded or bought?

Kiss Me by Ed Shearen, which is the song I am going to walk down the isle to.

16.  Mark Darcy or Daniel Cleaver?  

Mark Darcy of course!

Thank you Courtney for your contribution to Readers Under The Spotlight.

16 November 2013

Philofaxy Exclusive: Write At Home - Discount

Our dear friends at 'Write at Home' have passed me a promotion code for all of you to make use of.... so get on over to their site and get buying...

Use the promo code philofaxy at the check out and you will get 20% off of your order... but you must place your order before the end of this month...

Thank you once again to Write at Home.

Web Finds - 16 November 2013

So here are the latest Filofax blog posts from around the Internet:
  1. Handy Notes for Planner - The Contemplative Belle
  2. Filomaniac fragt... Corinna - Filomaniac
  3. Well Planned Life on Instagram! - Well Planned Life
  4. Planning and Shaping Up - Lime Tree
  5. My only boner - The Crazy Suburban Mom
  6. Franklin Covey Her Point of View Weekly Inserts for Filofax - Platinumplans
  7. Post No. 4 for The Gardening Project - This Bugs Life
  8. 365/30 Lists: Philofaxers! (Goals for November) - Joseph David Quinton
  9. The Hunt: Using Your Filofax As a Job Hunting Tool - Platinumplans
  10. Seven ways to make a molehill out of your mountain - Plan Create Succeed
  11. 3. Meet up in Köln (Update) - Filomaniac
  12. Filofax Swap Shout Out: Finchley for Finchley - The Storage Studio
  13. November 4th Philofaxy meetup at Letts/ Filofax!!! - Plannerisms
  14. Franklin Covey: Her Point of View Weekly Inserts for Filofax - Platinumplans
  15. Start Planning Now – Organization Tips for the Holidays - Day Timer
  16. In The Press - Filofax Blog
  17. Post No. 4 for The Travel Project - This Bugs Life
  18. The Problem With Post-Its - Homemakers Daily
  19. Insert ideas… - Life of Kitty
  20. A Change Of Filofax And A Change Of Setup - Roses in December
  21. To Sync or Not to Sync.... That is the Question - The Contemplative Belle
  22. How to cut LM Inserts effectively, cleanly and accurately? - DiY Fish
  23. Free For All Friday No. 10: Planner Temptation Triggers - Plannerisms
  24. Alternative to the Planner Dashboard - The Contemplative Belle
  25. Project Thanksgiving: Planning A Potluck - Giftie Etcetera
  26. Introducing Ms. Cali My New Calipso Deep Pink A5 Filofax - Just A Girl... Atlanta
  27. The Original A5 Filofax Personal Organizer Review - The Contemplative Belle
  28. A Reusable Packing List for Your Planner - Renew Your Filofax
  29. Here’s Your Life Raft in a Stressful World - Day Timer Blog
  30. An Ochre Malden Update - According to Andrea
  31. Secrets And Lies Of An Organized Life - Giftie Etcetera
  32. Die nie endende Suche... - Teil II - Seelen Zucker
  33. Fun Friday Finds - Fun Friday Finds
  34. A Smythson Christmas Wishlist… - Life of Kitty
  • Your blog post could appear here next week if we missed you this time around. Email us the details and we will include it if we can. 
  • We can not guarantee people will read your posts, but we know there is a higher chance of people reading your posts and returning to read other posts if you make them interesting with pictures and good hints and tips. Do not forget to give your posts a title... 
  • For some general tips on Filofax Blogging, please see this post
And here are a selection of the latest Filofax videos for your enjoyment.
  1. Filofax Update - Pocket Finsbury as a Wallet - Leslie Hickis
  2. Filofax Pocket Aston Set-Up ft. Christmas Planner - The Glossette
  3. My Filofax Collection - OATTBlog
  4. Kent from Oz Reveals His Washi Tape Stationery Drawer - Kent from Oz
  5. My Main Filofax Set Up - AKCaraboo
  6. Decorating My Filofax Friday - Week #47 - My Purpley Life
  7. Planner Art Decoration (Filofax) -week 46 (no washi and stickers!!) - My Summer Touch
  8. Filofax Tip No 56 - Introducing the OTD Memory Marker for Filofaxes - Kent from Oz
  9. Filofax Metropol Compact Size VS Apex Personal Size - Ruby Dumbrique
  10. Upcycling Clear Packaging for Filofax Tab Dividers - Natasha Hensel
  11. Setup of my Filofax Compact Metropol - Ruby Dumbrique
  12. Updated Desk (A5) Malibu Day-timer - Crystal Charles
  • For tips on how to improve your videos, please see this post
Enjoy