Filofaxes I Don't Understand

Hmmm. This is going to be quite a risky post, I guess, but I'm feeling daring today. :)

Every once in a while a certain hype about a certain Filofax model develops. To most of them I fall victim, I admit - the formula of falling in love definitely works its magic on me! But there are certain models of Filofaxes that most people seem to adore, while I just - well, don't get them. And, mind you, I even own some of them! :)

So, these are some of the very popular Filofaxes for which I wonder why they got so much buzz about (all the photos are official ones from online stores):

1. Kendal

2. Finchley in Imperial Purple

3. Malden in Crimson

4. Regency

5. Chameleon in Raspberry

6. Ostrich

7. Siena

8. Classic

So, please, don't loose your patience with me; try to convince me otherwise instead! ;)

Multipens - How Did I Ever Manage Without Them?!

I wasn't much of a colour-coder before, mostly probably due to my to-do system that is still functioning well for me; therefore the common Bic Two Colour Fashion pen did the trick for me.

But then Doris sent me this lovely, lovely thing, and I'm hooked and now there are multipens everywhere!!

I wanted to share with you my favourite three of them.

My NUMBER THREE is a Twin Tip from MAPED.  

I love the four colours (I chose the girly ones, but you can get it in the classic blue-black-green-red combo as well), it writes really nicely and then there's also the fact that it is chunky enough to stay in the rings of my Filofax when on the go.

And when I came across this even girlier limited edition a couple of weeks ago...

Well, of course I had to make a stash!

My NUBER TWO goes to Clip On Slim 3Colour ZEBRA.

  

If you like ball points... well, from my experience, a Zebra will just never fail you. And this one is for those of you who like slim, nicely shaped pens that just melt in your hands, and the beautiful pastel colours are just another bonus.

But my NUMBER ONE is...

A 6 Colour Multipen by MUJI. This is the one that Doris gave me and I haven't been around without it ever since; I love its array of colours and design - like a sparkly rainbow space shuttle! Along with its emotional value it literally brightens my day.

Doris, thank you so so so much once again!!!

As it is chunky (and I love chunky pens!) I just stick it behind the closed clasp of my Filofax and it stays there obediently.

So, given the Muji, Zebra and my usual pen - I get to have 10 colours in my binder!

How many colours do you have inside yours?

Pretty Little Things #9

These apples come from a tree that is decades older than me. And for the whole summer, when still high up on the branches of the tree, they were watching my home and my loved ones.
I wish each of them could share those sights with me now and make me feel less alone in this cloudy City.

Top Tabs à la Angela

I'm not into using stickers in my filofax very much; it probably has something to do with the fact that I've used Morning Glory organizers and stationery for years while still in school and I feel so grown up now! :)

But a certain post of Angela from Paperlovestory - you all know her ! :)  - left me craving to have a glimpse of such cuties back in my planner. So ahead I went and copied her (among other things, but not today about those) with these:

I wanted to use them both as my sticky notes and as my top tabs and while they were cute stickies, they didn't work out for me as the tabs I visualised. The reason was they didn't stick on paper too well, they kept falling off and they covered too much of the page they were on - both is proved here:

No go, right? So when I abandoned the idea, a few days later the inspiration returned in the form of a transparent bookmark I use.

So this is what I did: I cut off the poor kitten's head, stuck it on a transparent flyleaf with double sided tape and cut it out with a bit longer transparent body so I could stick it onto the page using the clear double sided tape again. Better! :) 

And this is how my top tabs peek out of my filofax; much less scary than an ordinary tab saying "Finance", isn't it? :)

All Stars Guest Post: Helen from Fennel Books

Hello, without much further talking - the first Philofaxy All Stars Team Guest Post is here!!! :)
Thank you, Helen, for sharing your secrets of how to feel good day in day out, you definitely made me think about my hmmmm... routines! :)


I’m a creature of habit...

... the problem with that is that my habits are not exclusively good ones! Like many people I want to lead a healthy lifestyle which supports my long term health and wellbeing. The problem with that is that work, fun, blogging and other of life’s activities can get in the way and it is really easy to neglect yourself.

I am a great believer in lots of little things can make a big difference. About a year ago I was on an extremely tough and fast schedule project. Everyone was working flat out and then some on topI was snacking instead of eating properly, not exercising or relaxing. I became exhausted. One weekend, when I became so tired and grumpy I couldn’t even be bothered to read, normally an activity I would do at any opportunity, I decided something had to change. I made a list of health and wellbeing activities and decided to pick one each week to work on rather than one huge change. Over a period of a few months I worked out what really works for me to help keep me on an even keel. So, in no particular order, here are my top five wellbeing habits...

1.      Exercise. I know, it can be a bit dull, but it’s important. We all know it keeps blood pressure down and general vitality up. I am not one for slogging away at it in the gym, it just isn’t for me, although I know a lot of folks really enjoy it. I do a mixture of exercise, depending on how I am feeling on the day, but each week I make sure I do two cardio sessions and two weights sessions. I do two further sessions of whatever takes my fancy. Sometimes it is yoga or pilates, or a nice swim.  With all my sessions I do a minimum of 20 minutes, as if I am not in the mood or am very tired that seems a manageable amount. Having said that, once I get going I tend to do 45 – 60 minutes. Making time for this is really important. Generally it means a little less time pointlessly surfing the net!

2.      Food. Again, perhaps obvious, but so important.  If you don’t put good quality food in your body, you will feel terrible. I don’t snack at all now. I read a great book called Eat Stop Eat, which is about fasting. Snacking is essentially a way for food companies to get us to eat more, and we really don’t need to do it. I have a big breakfast and lunch to get me through the working day, and then a smaller dinner, as I don’t tend to be so hungry in the evenings. This works for me, a different spread of energy intake may be better for others depending on what their day looks like. The result of having proper meals and not snacking? I lost 3 stone in weight... bonus!

3.      Walking. I love a good walk. It is good for my body and good for my mind. I wrote a blog piece for the All Stars over at Filo-Obsessed about walking and how to get started.  Walking is low impact, so no worries about damaged joints, it is easy, cheap and best of all it slows you down so you get to appreciate what is around you. It really helps my stress levels stay under control. I walk every day. Without fail. 

4.      Reading. I am a big reader, as you can see from my blog, but last year I was in such poor shape I didn’t even have the enthusiasm to do my favourite hobby. I read for an hour each night. It helps me wind down (after my walk!) and no screen time before bed helps me sleep better. Making room for hobbies is really important, even if it is only a few minutes per day.

5.      Water. Again, perhaps obvious, but if you haven’t tried substituting caffeine and sugary drinks with water, you won’t know the benefits. Your body and particularly your brain need water to function properly. The recommended level is 2 litres per day. That is a lot to start off with! I ramped up over the course of a week, replacing other drinks with water.  You might find you are a more regular visitor to the “smallest room” for a few days, but the benefits of being able to think more clearly, weight management and glowing skin have to be worth it! Often when we think we are hungry we are actually thirsty, so this will help you with item 2, if you want to snack, have a drink first. You might find that your hunger disappears.

So, these are my top five daily health habits. Why not sit down and think of a couple of small changes you could make over the next few weeks? If you change one thing per month which is positive, over year you will make a big impact on your health. You don’t have to make enormous changes, they are too hard to handle with everything else going on around you, but small changes are very manageable, and have a bigger benefit than you might think.

Many thanks to Vanja for hosting my post!

I'm Glad It's Autumn

I expected this month to be demanding, but in the end it turned out to be a challenge beyond my expectations.

Therefore I deeply thank you, my readers, for staying faithful and for the warm and caring emails I received asking about my absence. I cannot tell you how much this means to me.

I managed to follow the blogs I love quite regularly as they were my daily dose of your company and optimism, but couldn't produce a single post of my own. Therefore I apologize to those readers that I maybe neglected by overlooking and not responding in the comments...

I think I'm fit enough to restart now, and because it's been a month, let's start with something simple! :)

WHY AM I GLAD IT'S AUTUMN?

1. Because it means thick body lotion in the first cold mornings.

2. Because it calls for us to return to our homes and make them cosy.  

Whenever I need a boost for my housework, this tea does the trick. Not a coincidence, since it's a blend for the Earth component according to the Chinese philosophy, and the rich scent of roses is just incredible!

3. Because it's time for demure colours.

 4. Because the change of weather means new wardrobe...

 5. ... and finally more no-kidding-heavy-duty handbags!  

6. Because staying at home more means more cooking - and cute kitchen accessories.

7. It is time to put things in order - Doris, thank you so much for the idea! :)

8. In autumn good old vintage pieces of jewelery get their come-back.

9. And long afternoons indoors mean more reading.

10. And most of all - organizing yourself becomes imperative again. 

Yay - you Filofax lovers know what I'm talking about! :)

11. And a new bonus for the season? :)

Some great guest posts  from my favourite bloggers in the coming weeks!!! Gosh, this is such a treat! :) 

So, because I know you like LimeTree, Helen, Angela (to name just the first few!) - stay tuned!

Mmm, I'm so glad I'm back... 

...and am hoping for your company - let's make one awesome autumn! :)

Pretty Little Things #8

After two years (!), finally at the beautiful, exquisite Sushimama with my sister again!

Want some more? Beware, it's DELICIOUS!

It Is Getting Started...

... and I'm so excited! :)

A Formula Of Falling In Love - And It Works For A Filofax, Too!

I'll be on a short break till Sunday and I wanted to make at least one "bigger" post before I leave, but just didn't make it. 
This is why I'm leaving you with a bit of thinking instead:

My professor of Social Psychology explained falling in love with a formula that goes something like this:

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

I can't help but confirm it ever since. Even when it comes to Filofaxes!!!

Seriously, apply it to one of your Filofax purchases and see! Agree? :)  

PS. I guess this is the key to enabling, too? 

Friday'sFilofaxPoll Results!

Before I sum up the results, let me just share this: it's an amazing feeling when you publish a poll and get such an instant response from the readers! Thank you, you are awesome!!!

And here's the results: hm, only 16% of you DO stash up on a certain beloved Filofax model.

Well, me too! :)
Amazona, Piccadilly, lovely lovely Baroque, the certainly underrated Finsbury Zip that I have in all colours... but shhh, I should not tell it all! ;)

Have a nice week and stay for some more posts to come*

Friday's Filofax Poll #5

Good morning, my dear friends,

it's been a while and it's time to start again! :)

So please, take a sip of your coffee, join the poll and let me know:

have you ever bought a "copy" of your already present Filofax organiser (meaning the same model, size and colour) just because you loved it and wanted to have a back up (or just in case this particular model vanishes from the planet)?

Pretty Little Things #7

I'm so fascinated... and it made me question myself: am I capable of such a strong love, too?

Friday's Filofax Poll Results: You Stalker You!

Hello, dearies,
this week took me a bit longer to sum up the results; my sister's wedding is due next week so you can imagine my Filofax is bursting sparks from to-do's overload and the frequency and speed of my page-turning!

Anyway, here are the results to the question what kind of a Filofax buyer you are:

* 5% of you are absolute impulse buyers,
* 8 % of you decide in a day or two,
* 13% of you take a week or so to see a binder, like it, want it and buy it,
* 51% stalk upon the liked one for weeks on blogs and other web sites and
* 21% buy 1 or even less a year.

Great and interesting results, aren't they? A BIG THANK YOU to all 37 participants for taking your time - you really made my day!

Pretty Little Things #6

A part of my everyday's walk to work - magical mornings!

Friday's Filofax Poll #4

Good morning, sweeties,

another Friday, another nosy question of mine!

Are you an impulse Filofax buyer? Or do you make a case study on your new-binder-to-be before actually purchasing one?

I'd love to hear your answers and comments! Thank you, and have a great Friday*

I Trade A Personal Finchley In Teal For A ...

Hello everybody,

now this is going to be  one strange post, you have been warned! :-)

Lately, thanks to my fellow bloggers and Filofax addicts, I've been lusting over a certain Filofax. And, OF COURSE, it is another discontinued binder that is hard to find!

So I had to be inventive: how do I get one, what offer to make to maybe persuade someone to give hers away? :-)

I hope the offer is challenging (and fair) enough, because I chose to trade one of the lovely, very much sought after (and discontinued) Filofaxes as well:

I trade my Personal Finchley in Teal for a Personal Baroque in Turquoise. 



Let's see what happens: anyone willing to trade? :-)

Friday's Filofax Poll Results: Is There Such Thing As A Filofax Cemetery?

Hello my friends,

here we have the results of the last Friday's poll asking about ruining Filofaxes: 3 people out of 27 (which is interesting 12%, mind you!) DID ruin a Filofax helplessly in their Filofax career so far!
(And thank you very much guys for taking part in the poll, I really appreciate it! Nothing is as precious as another person's response...)

These last results therefore led me wondering, where do broken Filofax binders go? Is there such thing as a Filofax Cemetery?

End Of June: Sand In My Daugther's Little Hands, In My Jeans And In My Filofax

June is over, and I wish it had lasted a bit longer.
Because June is when the lime trees scent the evenings. June is when peonies on the marketplace remind me of my grandma's house and my childhood. June is when my heartbeat slows down and melts with the beat of the lazy city preparing for the hot long summer.
June is when I can spend my free mornings with my little girl in the sandbox and afternoons in the shade of the ancient old trees, watching her sitting proudly on a swing all on her own in the soft afternoon light.

And since June is also time for my faded jeans and new flip-flops... well, then June surely is time for a new Filofax, too!

I love leather binders, not only because they are so very tactile but because they seem so reliable, too, in keeping all my records. But, see, since everything seems to be moving into a lighter version these days - my binder did, too.

I'm talking about Personal Filofax Urban in Slate; it's an old (and again a discontinued - such a pattern here!) model I heard much praise about, and on flickr there are some good shots of it, while Nancy re-designed hers geniously.
And so having read all these quite a while ago, one day, trying to choose my "summer filo", the idea of the Urban came to my mind. It just seemed a perfect binder to accompany a holdall filled not only with my urban paraphernalia but mostly with my daughter's toys, bottles, biscuits and growing collection of pointy stones. Definitely not a place for the Amazona in Almond that I intended to use in the summer when still deep back in the cold winter!

I must say that I'm more than pleased with it: it is lightweight, has the same internal layout as the Amazona has plus a handy zip pocket on the back outside, and the canvas is lovely made; I wasn't too keen on the colour first when I saw it online, but it is a nice light shade of grey, much more feminine than I expected (and prepared myself for it to be).

So let the pictures do the rest of the talking! Here's my Urban in action:

As my setup usually stays the same not matter which binder is currently active, the only thing I did change were my dividers; given the binder's name, colour and materials I went for something urban and cheery and tore some ads out of the magazines and just glued them on the original Filofax dividers. 

As I already mentioned above, there's a handy zippered outside pocket on the back of the binder. It is a gusseted one, too, so you could use it for coins if you used this one as a wallet, too; I just keep my driving licence in there (and please remind me where it is if I happen to forget I put it in here, haha)!













 (please forgive the bananas and pears, I meant to capture the Urban in action only! :-)  )

There. A huge fan of a Personal size, I guess I could say that I'm filofax-done for the summer. But that would be just plain old boring, wouldn't it? :-)
Apart from my Compact experiment that is still to be run, I'm also still trying to figure the Pocket size in my spare time.
So if I promised plans B and C last time - I think the alphabet is only getting longer from post to post, haha!

(But since these funny little things named Filofax make my day... what the heck , right?)