I have felt out of place for the longest time. Not for lack of friends or confidence. But for my not-so-secret obsession with planners, lists, Post-its, or any other sort of organizational device. I get made fun of at work because I almost every surface is covered in sticky notes. I get made fun of at home because if I can't find something to write a list on, I repeat it over and over out loud until I can write it down.
So I have been walking down a lonely road. Occasionally a planner would make me happy, but none of them cut it. I used my Franklin Covey on and off for a year, but it had so many downfalls I retired it pretty quickly. After trying out a bunch of generic bound planners I was about to give up on planner bliss. And then I discovered Filofax. And not only Filofax, but all the people who are as addicted (or even more so) than I am!
My first (and only) Filofax was delivered to my doorstep Nov. 24, 2010. I have been in love ever since. I now spend hours poring over planner blogs, borrowing ideas from other Filofax lovers. I look through pictures, hoping to find another tid-bit or system that will work for me. Really, I feel a bit like a creeper, because I have never introduced myself to these people, who seem like a pretty tight knit- and awesome- group.
I figure now is my time to give back, and share my Filofax with the world. After spending hours on filofaxusa.com, I found the perfect Filo for me: A personal slate domino.
Isn't it beautiful! I was a little sad when I opened the box- the "streaking" on the cover threw me off a bit. I am not sure if it got wet, or if it is just a defect, but I almost sent it back. Almost. Because after I held it in my hands and looked at it (in all its defective glory) I fell in love. Plus, I thought, I wouldn't be as mad the first time I scratched the cover if it was already banged up a bit!
Filo, Blackberry and tea- what else does one need?
Open at work with my beloved Lamy Safari. I use a Wo2P diary amongst a bunch of other inserts. The Lamy stays tucked in the rings when the Filo is closed.
A fat Filo that is bound to get fatter if I don't stop ordering inserts like a lunatic.
A bit on how I use my Filo: After my checkbook holder, this is the first thing I see. It makes me happy, and eager to use my planner.
Then starts my tabs, an idea I borrowed from The Glamourous Grad Student. My tabs go in this order: Diary & To Do, Lists, Musings, Recipes, Work Notes, and Everything Else.
My musings tab has everything from New Years Resolutions to blog ideas and journal entries.
I love to cook, therefore, I have about 20 cookbooks. I keep recipes in my Filo that I use often enough I want to spare searching through hundreds of pages to find. I have come to find that most of them are for sweets and baked goods... oops!
After my tabs comes my address book (pretty boring) then my world map and top-opening envelope that I use for coupons. The map hasn't proved useful yet, but it is pretty cool and takes up minimal space, so I keep it in here. The top opening envelope is a life-saver, second only to my zip envelope which stays up front and holds paperclips, stamps, bank deposit slips, and other odds and ends.
Finally, I have my credit card holder which keeps all of my insurance and medical information and my beloved sticky-notes. I don't know what I would do without them!
In the end, I do realize that I am a big dork. But it is a bit comforting to realize that there are a lot of people like me out there who not only love planners and Post-its, but have discovered the amazingness that is Filofax. So for all of those out there that "get it" Happy Filofaxing!!!Labels: Filofax
