Thoughts On A Rainy Day In Spring

“This is what you do on your very first day in Paris.

You get yourself some rain, not just a drizzle but honest-to-goodness rain.

Then you find yourself someone really nice, and drive her through the Bois de Boulogne in a taxi.

The rain’s very important, because that’s when Paris smells its sweetest.

It’s the damp chestnut trees, you see.”

Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina.

picture from here

Absolutely At The Beginning

My new year's resolution number 9 was: keep on blogging.

I never expected the long planned transitions that happened in between to take up so much of my energy, though. It feels as if I'm waking up from an intense, incomprehensible dream, still figuring out between the here and now and the there and then.

The feelings when you try to start your life anew.
It is the first time I'm trying to start my life completely anew.

It's overwhelming.
Things are slowly, gradually dawning on me.
Things like needs.
Things like wishes.
Things like plans.
Things like insights.

B recently posted this video and being blown away by its emotional intensity I realised how much emotion there still is lying beneath my seemingly numb surface - long lost emotions and heart's genuine desires.
It was rather scary to get such a sensory display of them all at once.

But I was grateful.
I'm starting a long long trip, and an additional push was very needed.

A Mental Note To Myself:

I must relaunch this blog.

(pic found here)

Shall I Name It The Balmorikat???

How can it be that only a couple of hours after reading THIS - THIS happened:

You know - in a hurry, in a store - and suddenly there was the whole bulk of cards in my hands when I opened the mini. Plus the ring mechanism itself! I swallowed hardly, already knowing what was going on, and just stuck it to the bottom of my bag. I didn't even want to look at it when I came back home.

After a couple of hours, however (probably when the steam got off my head?) I gathered the courage and did the autopsy anyway. And guess what I noticed?

The ring mechanism, despite being obviously broken off the metal in the spine of the binder, has small metal tags that match the place where they were broken off. Which means - yes, I can reattach them!!! :)
(And I guess I have finally gotten the clue as to how the Ikat conversion into a ringless clutch works...)

It works for now, the mechanism still holding on in there... Hm, let's see how it behaves in action, OK?
Please keep your fingers crossed, and I'll update you on it in a couple of days!

Pretty Little Things #15

Another idea by sweet Angela. It works wonders, being greeted by this in the foggy early morning! :)

Pretty Little Things #14

Japanese fried noodles in classic Yakisoba sauce. I could eat tons of them!

All Stars Guest Post: DEM From Thoughts & Exploration

I'm so happy to be able to publish such a lovely post - another round of Philofaxy All Stars Guest Posts! This time it's from Deborah, and as it's always with her, it's thoughts-provoking (and enabling!) post with her trademark brilliant-photos - you must check her beautiful, beautiful blog for more!

I’m really pleased to be a guest poster on Vanja’s lovely blog.  Thank you, Vanja!!  I enjoy reading this blog and decided to focus my post on an experiment that Vanja wrote about here.  The formula for falling in love…with a Filofax…so here goes!

Since discovering Filofax I’ve purchased a total of three Pocket Filofaxes – a spring green Chameleon, a grey Malden, and a brown Kendal.  I’ve sold all but the Kendal.  After reading the formula for falling in love I decided to apply that formula to the Kendal.

I moved into the Kendal a couple of weeks ago.  I was excited to pull it out of the box and actually start using it because the leather is just sooooo gorgeous!  Here he is along with his big brother:

How can you resist that leather???

This is the formula that I used during my two weeks:

FALLING IN LOVE = FREQUENCY OF ENCOUNTERS * PLEASANTNESS OF THEM.

I first stripped Kendal of his calendar.  I have to say that it was a bit of a wrestling match!  He just fought me all the way!  He didn’t want to stay open for me which was a bit frustrating.  I think it is fair to say that our relationship began on rocky footing.

Then I pulled out the wallet that I had been using – Saddleback Leather’s Big Wallet.  Take a gander at the difference in size!  As soon as I put these two together I started to worry.  How was I going to get everything from my Big Wallet into this FF?

 

 Just look at all the space in my Big Wallet!

After wrestling with Kendal I wasn’t about to give up so I squeezed things into him and ended up with this:

I placed 4-5 cards in the top open envelope.  The three card slots on the inside left fit two cards in each slot.  So it turns out that I was able to fit everything in but it was cramped.  I placed my loose change in the back zip pocket and my dollar bills in the back outside pocket.

I carried this handsome Filofax in my purse and took it everywhere with me for two whole weeks.  I had it in hand when enjoying a fall weekend day at the pumpkin patch with my family, I used it to pay for my wonderful husband’s birthday dinner, I had it with me each time I headed to Starbucks for my yummy coffee drinks, etc.  All things that brought me much pleasure...

But after two weeks of using this stud of a Filofax, he just couldn’t win my heart as a wallet, and unfortunately I don’t prefer the Pocket size as my planner; I’m a Personal-size kinda gal. 

So now what?  I’ve moved back into my Big Wallet and Kendal has been lovingly placed back into his box.  I fear that I won’t pull him out again. 

I’m seriously contemplating selling him to someone who will use him.  Is there any interest out there?  If so, feel free to contact me at thoughtsexploration@gmail.com.

 

The good thing is that at least I tried.  Now I won’t wonder whether or not I could learn to love and use a Pocket FF.  Thank you, Vanja for encouraging me to give it a try!

Deborah, thank you for sharing the experiment - and like I already told you, with a fine wallet like this, many popular Filofaxes would loose the match, I'm sure! SO it is obvious which one gave you more pleasant encounters so far! :)I hope you sell the Kendal soon and successfully!