Reader Under the Spotlight - Kirsti

Today I would like to introduce you to Kirsti. 

I’m an Australian public servant working in Indigenous economic development with staff around Australia as well as a blended family of seven with various school/sport/musical/social timetables so I’m thanking my lucky freaking stars for a planning community and system to help me out!  I love reading everyone’s stories and set ups and I hope Philofaxy will be around for a long time to come.  I’m finding it harder and harder to find Filofax supplies in the physical sense (stores) but the online community seems to be thriving which is fantastic.

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

I can’t quite recall when I purchased my first Filofax but it was a slim personal size that lived in my packing boxes that I carted from Melbourne to country Victoria to Canberra, Australia so that’s got to be around 1995……

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

To be honest, I’m gaga about Gillio’s right at the moment.  My obsession is quite pathetic. I really need to get interested in something else…. I’m pretty impressed by my gold epoca leather a5 Mia Cara Gillio, and I have a pocket black with orange coming any day now, to use as a wallet/satellite planner.

I have tried Kikki-k diaries and their version of the Filofax, but at the end of the day, I think part of the Filofax obsession is about a good quality leather product, and I feel Kikki-k aren’t quite there yet. Having said that, their Stockholm brand of work bags are beautiful, so there’s a consumer tip. I’ve also tried Erin Condren, but at the end of the day, I’m keen to create something that works exactly with my lifestyle - a customisable system.

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

My fav is the A5 Gillio Mia Cara.  I’m sorry.  It’s all about the Gillio at the moment.  Stunning leather, beautiful smell and wonderfully customisable.  I’m like a besotted lover in the first few months of a relationship before the beef goggles wear off. Before this, it was absolutely the Filofax a5 original.  I have it in fluro pink, patent purple and patent grape.  I love them.  Perfect size for writing notes.  I use one for work, personal and goal setting (by my bed).  I get lots of comments on the fluro pink and the size is the right size for organising my busy personal life.my busy work life (Indigenous economic development with 70 staff around Australia) and my goals (never-ending and sometimes actually achieved!!!)

I did spend a good part of my life on eBay waiting to purchase a Cavendish personal with its alluring 30mm rings, only to be disappointed with the style of it all.  I was pretty happy with a Malden personal, and have also tried a Maldon wallet (zipped), a Classic black A5, a personal Cuban, a Calypso yellow and a Cavendish pocket.

4. How many Filofax or other brands of organisers do you own? 

Right now I just own three original A5s, a Gillio A5 Mia Cara and I have a pocket Mia Cara coming.  I now know that I will always be in search of the perfect planner, and for now, this week and possibly this month, I have found Gillio and I think I might have reached some state of nirvana….

5. What is the oldest organiser in your collection? 

My Cuban personal, which my 14 year old daughter is using.  So proud.  Think it might have been passed down in my DNA.

6. What do you use your organisers for? 

LIFE. Work, personal planning, goals, dreams, recording medical notes, planning new frontiers to conquer, orthodontic appointments for my children – literally everything.  I feel like recording things on some app on my iPhone 5 does not have the same effect as writing things down. I’ve hit 40 and you can call this old-fashioned without even remotely hurting my feelings.

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

Customisation. Making it my own. Making my Filofax exactly the system that I need to keep me and my busy life on track; to inspire me when I have the odd moment to think and  plan a plan – to just to make planning fun! I also completely love that there is a community of planning nerds out there like me.  So glad to have found you all.

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

30mm rings A5 with Gillio leather, a place to put my iPhone and a properly designed place to put post it notes, instead of card holders. We are all stationeryphiles – let’s accept it and design planners around it.   Just a few simple adjustments.  Nothing major.

9. How do you carry your Filofax? 

Under my arm and everywhere. Everyone calls me old school.  Poke fun, I say.  Sticks and stones… Work days – it’s in my Kikki-k Stockholm workbag; and by weekend, it’s in my Elk leather tote. I’m in planner/workbag/casual bag heaven.

10. Which Filofax in the current range do you like the most? 

Are you going to buy it? I’m all Gillio at the mo. Would like some more interesting colours like the Filofax range.  In Australia the Filofax range is limited too…. Can Gillio do a fluro-pink?

11. What is the most you have ever spent on a Filofax or other brand of organiser? Which model? 

Gillio for sure.  Nearly had to sell an organ/child. $800 AUD.  That’s the upper limit of my obsession.

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

Ebay can take care of your errors in planner judgement.  Just keep searching to fund your perfect planner system. And enjoy the journey.  It’s freaking wonderful.

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

I love that there is a community of planning nerds that even my nerdy husband can’t understand.  People thinking a lot about planning their lives, their days, their weeks, goals and dreams. I’m so glad I found you!!!

14. And what do you not like about Philofaxy? 

I need more Gillio at the moment to feed my addiction. More Gillio YouTube  set-ups please. But thank you for creating and supporting this wonderful community that allows planning nerds like us to come out at night.

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

Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever.  My eldest is Emma, but an old school colleague talked about this album being the soundtrack to Saturday morning at a café, watching life go by and I couldn’t agree more.   

16. Have you ever attended a Philofaxy meet-up? if not do you intend to one day?  

NOOOOOOO!! I would love to attend one in Canberra, Australia.  Fellow Australians – no need to hide any longer.

17. What was the last movie you watched? 

Actually it was my 14 y.o.’s birthday last night, so it was Guardians of the Galaxy.  But the one that I went to before that, willingly, as an adult was Lucy (disappointing) and The Trip Italy (laugh out loud funny).

18. What was the last book you read? 

The Minimalists, Everything That Remains.  Fascinating book for those of us who are fed up with our current consumption patterns and are keen to do something different (planner obsession excluded).  I got rid of 546 items in my house within one month. And my original Filofax fluro-pink helped me immensely, to get this big job done.

19. George Clooney or Brad Pitt? 

Neither.  Was pretty keen on David Tennant but after catching the first episode of the new Dr Who I’ll take either my husband David or Peter Capaldi.

Thank you Kirsti. And if you would like to be part of this continuing feature on Philofaxy, please contact philofaxy at gmail dot com.