10 May 2015

Reader Under The Spotlight - April

Today I would like to introduce you to April

Hello! My name is April, and I live in Southeast Michigan. My husband and I have no children, but are enslaved by our multiple cats (all rescues.)  I'm employed by an automotive supplier as Accounts Payable and Office Manager.  My interests/hobbies include reading, quilting, crochet, music and kayaking our Great Lakes. I also collect fountain pens and paper goodies.


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

Emulating my boss at an early job (early 1990s), I had some sort of spiral, week-on-two-days planner.  Four months after our wedding, we were in a serious motorcycle accident when an SUV ran a stop sign. My cheap planner quickly became indispensable to record crucial appointments and events, medical and legal, as well as contacts, and I referred back to it for years after. I'd hardly used a planner prior but was forever after a planner addict. The next year and in a more demanding job, I jumped into the deep end with a full Franklin system.

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

Franklin-Covey, DayTimer (considered), Levenger's Circa system (love the paper, hate disc binding), but overwhelmingly Filofax.

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

I've been in an A5 (or Junior in Circa-speak) for some years, most recently a red Belgravia; but just this month I downsized to a Filofax Personal Holborn in brown. I'm trying to move into a brighter color for summer, like my red Personal Finchley, but I can't seem to pry myself out of my Holborn.  I think it's Filofax's best design ever, sombre color selection notwithstanding.

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

Egads. I still have a compact Franklin Covey binder somewhere, two Websters' Color Crush binders, and several Circa folios. Including wallets, I have about 20 Filofax binders.

5. What is the oldest organiser in your collection?

My abovementioned FC with a snazzy buckle, purchased around 2001. I sold my other, older Franklins on eBay, but that one is too cute.

6. What do you use your organisers for?

Storage for previous years' planner pages, and future calendar inserts and accessories; but I also have an A5 Holborn for information and brochures for the essential oils I sell; a navy A5 Original for quilt patterns and fabric samples; and a green A5 Finsbury that is my gardening notebook. Oh, and travel journals. I still want to develop a crochet organizer as well as a book/reading log.

7. How many sections do you have in your organiser and what is each section used for?

Seven sections. Monthly pages, Daily pages (Etsy), Notes, Projects, Expenses, Contacts, and then my plastic inserts containing business and credit cards.

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

Its modular, flexible nature. It really can cater to anyone's needs and personal style, especially with the inserts available on Philofaxy and Etsy.

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

Basically, a Holborn but with Finchley color choices. Oh, and some elastic in those leather pen loops!

10. How do you carry your Filofax?

Now that I'm back in a Personal size, it goes nicely in my handbag. When carrying an A5, I carry separately (if not in my workbag) but just leave in my car when out and about.

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

Holborns but I have them in all sizes already. Love Finchleys too, but I'm not sure they're still in the current line-up.  My next planner will likely be Van de Spek, so as to combine quality leather with colors I actually like.

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

My beautiful green A5 Finsbury, just recently on eBay. $230. But it'll make me happy to plan and review my garden in it through the long winter, and was worth selling several other binders to afford.

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

I love being able to download MS Word versions of inserts, do a minor tweak for my own preference, and print out. It's empowering lol! Other tips? YouTube!

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

Dedication to the topic and flexibility in mentioning non-Filofax planner options.

15. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?

I don't really get the Pinterest prohibition, I guess. 

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

"Under the Influence" by Elle King. Love her voice!

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

No, and maybe. :-)

18. What was the last movie you watched?

Just caught "Cross Creek" on TV, about Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Very good.

19. What was the last book you read?

Re-working my way through the "Cobra" series of novels by Timothy Zahn. I don't read a lot of sci-fi, but I like Zahn.

Thank you April.

As you know we are always looking for new people to appear in our 'Reader Under Spotlight feature, you don't have to be 'well known' or a long term user to be considered to appear in this 'spot'.

So please contact Steve philofaxy at gmail dot com today. Thank you.

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