The Charmer

Malden was such a big news last year, it was starring the talks everywhere and everyone seemed to be bitten by the Malden Bug! Well, so was I.


I was looking for a treat for completing my Master's degree and the Vintage Pink Malden just came out. There were loads of different opinions on it, but for me it was exactly the colour that helped me decide - I already knew which model to get, but... Black? Too usual. Ochre? Too rough. Crimson? Red is so no me.
While Vintage Pink seemed warm and creamy and feminine and even still professional looking.

I ordered it online without seeing it in life first, and I loved the colour when it came. I set it up immediately and was using it faithfully. But it wasn't a good-for-Malden period of the year, you see: I just saw Imy's famous video on her Amazona and couldn't get it out of my mind.
So at last this lovely one went back into its box and far away into my stationery drawer. But I guess it was because of the pocket layout mostly - the binder just didn't seem comfortable enough.

Well, like I said... After having used Finchley in Teal through the springtime, Urban in Slate this summer and then the Aqua Chameleon later... I just so longed for the warm, creamy colour with autumn beginning! I was suspicious about the Malden, though, having known we just haven't bonded before.

But surprise, surprise - the chemistry was there immediately and all I did was transfer the contents directly into it! The funny thing is, now I cannot be without it! I even tried and teased myself by installing other binders, but I didn't even manage to stay with them for a day - back to my Malden it all went! :)

So in case you're interested or just like peeking into other people's planners as least as much as I do... here, let me give you a tour around it!

The front pockets are stuffed with various sticky notes - a vow to myself for this season: no dull stickies, please...:

My Diary is the first section and has no separate divider page; I just use the frosted ruler as a Today marker. Otherwise, only 4 tabs left: Me, Lists, Daughter and Info:

Off to my Diary section first!

Usually there are no blank spaces in my diary, odd... my planner pages tend to look as the right one in my Diary: 

I'm developing a Timetable, in which I'll incorporate all my repeating weekly routines - be it beauty, domestic, reading or whatever-wise; until I find the right setup, I have them written in pencil:

I also use a yearly fold-out planner for 2013 at the end of my Weekly diary.

My Me section is organized by top-tabs (oh, the photo is still form my previous Chameleon!) and these sub-sections are Blog, Finance, Journal and Life Organizer:

My Blog section: Ray&Steve's Month per view for keeping track of my blogposts:

And in that same section, to-do lists with blog ideas and Angela's too cute Blogpost planning inserts - I find them so helpful in managing my blog!

Finance section - track of my spending, saving and planned purchases:

My journal - I  now use the standard W2P with an occasional added ruled page, and transfer the whole lot into a stay-at-home journal occasionally:

Life Organizer's Mindful Questions: Something I've been back to completing obediently, having realized my life always turns out better when I do:

The next section which has added to the weight of my Malden significantly recently is the Lists section - I have so many new projects and plans and a list for practically anything! Filofax ideas, Ways of improving myself the current month, Wishlist, Reading List, Random tunes I love, Appartement decoration ideas, Best beauty buys - just name it, it's there! :)


And then the Info section (I omitted my daughter's one because it keeps her very personal info) contains my urban encyclopedia - bus schedules, web pages, contacts, cards...:

There. Can you imagine how chunky my organiser must be? Can you really imagine??? See this and weep! :)

And please don't yell at me about it, ok? :) And don't ask me how much it weighs, please, because I have actually weighted it and stood in shock staring at the scales - I take the news on my bodyweight much better! :)

But you must agree, it is soooo satisfactory when you pop your Filofax flat open and find the searched-for info immediately! :)

So, as you can tell, things are going on harmoniously for me planner-wise and it's nice to be calm and comfortable finally (my apologies to those who face major planner fail recently, I know there are quite a few of you out there!).

Now, the only dark cloud I see approaching is this:

Yes, the colour started to peel of, and I even don't abuse my Filofaxes badly (ok, apart from stuffing them mercilessly full)!!! It came off like this in just 2 weeks time of use and as I write, the peeled-off areas appeared on the corners and borders of the cover, too. I haven't heard of this happening to Maldens out there... 

Have you ever heard of this? 

What do I do?