Return to the Senior Planner

ABOUT TURN!!

I tried the Junior and managed to last almost a week and although I love it's size, it's portability and it's downright cuteness...I can't do it.  It's too small.

I have returned to my Senior and already I want to pick it up and use it.  I've put some stickers in and done some stamping and generally just settled back in like a pair of comfy slippers.  I have found my partner in crime forever I think!  Thank goodness for that, this search was getting rather expensive!!

My birthday week, love the picture frame stamp!

These are just too cute - ideal for little quotes as I don't use the notes bit

I need to get some proper 'To Do' inserts in A6

I'm glad that I had the opportunity to trial it rather than buy it and realise.  I am very happy about that. The little Junior is packed away in his box and will be returned to his owner, with very grateful thanks!

I was contemplating getting a black Senior with gold rings but Van Der Spek don't have that option for the Touch Me range which is quite sad (and a relief!) as I much prefer the layout (and the back pocket) of the TM's and have no desire to get a custom one.  I believe that they are deciding on whether to do another colour in the Touch Me range and if they ever bring out a red one I'm most definitely getting it!!

I may have to look into their bag range as if they are as stunning as their planners then I am instantly in love...a little pricey but would be absolutely worth the money.  I love the tote one!  The bags aren't customisable - yet - but you can get a planner to match your bag!  If they ever bring one out that is like that tote but in the Touch Me brown, it's mine!

Until next time, take care xxx

Van Der Spek Touch Me Planner in Junior Size

I am in love.

I have borrowed this from a friend to trial and after being in it for just one day I am besotted.  Apart from it being the cutest thing ever, it has made my bag so light that it almost feels empty!!

I am going to give it at least a week to see if I can work with the downsize.  I should be able to as I was in a pocket size for years before I found Philofaxy and the associated Facebook groups - not to mention the thousands of you tube video's and blogs - and that turned my life upside down.

It's strange that in the years I was a filofax user I never once considered stickers or decorative dividers, I just used whatever inserts came with the refill pack - I didn't even discard the ones I never used!  I never put my own stamp on it, it was a posh diary and notebook combined and that was all.  I can't believe I never did anything at all to it, it was totally standard.  How?  How did I manage to use it for all those years without doing anything at all?  Why would I carry round sections that I had no intention of using?  How very very odd.

And then I burst into the crazy world of planners and my life changed quite dramatically.  Now I need an office, a craft space and oodles of sticky paper and pretty stickers.  I need to design and plan my own inserts to be able to function.  I need dividers that sparkle and pens that erase.  I have a whole army of planner friends to turn to in times of crisis - not the life or death kind of crisis but worse...which inserts to use, whether to round the corners or not, how to make card holders, it is all very life changing stuff!!

In all seriousness, I have made quite a few friends that share my bizarre interest.  I have made friends all over the world - funny how a little bit of leather and metal rings can have that effect - and no we're not talking Mr Grey and his 50 shades here!  lol.

Update to follow on how well (or not) I manage with the cute little pocket.

Until then, take care xxx

Planner decisions almost justified!

Here we go again.  I want a pocket planner and I want it to be a VDS Touch Me in brown but I am struggling to justify it.  At £83 including the postage it is a lot of money to possibly not be used but it is an absolute bargain for one of such amazing quality craftsmanship if it can work.

I absolutely adore my senior size but the weight of my bag needs to be seriously addressed!

I don't actually need to write or plan that much, I write appointments and birthdays and to do lists and that's pretty much it in my everyday carry, everything else gets put in my stay at home binder so do I really need all that space??

Massive dilemma issues....I guess I'm lucky actually knowing which exact planner I want so at least I haven't got those issues to add on top!

Aaaargghhhhh!!!!!

Until next time, take care xxx

Raindrop stamp from Inkylicious

Just had to show you my first quick attempt at a stamp that I bought from theocracy fair on Saturday from a company called Inkylicious....so easy and so effective, I love it!!

How cool is that?

I could get seriously addicted to this stamp!

Until next time, take care xxx

Planner Update

I'm not sure that I am going to be able to swap and change the inserts between the Deco and the Senior.

After a lot of hole punching and thought, the hole configuration is just too close too work, the pages would just end up tearing :( 

The pic below shows the holes in the grey leopard washi for both planners.

See how close those holes would need to be?

I did think something like this Satellite Notebook from Franklin Covey might have been the answer as the elongated holes looked hopeful...but they don't fit into the Senior - which is odd because it came with it!  It does fit perfectly into the Personal but it isn't going to work for the Senior.

  

So the thinking process continues...I am on the hunt for an oval hole punch, maybe that would work as the holes are not that far off from each other and if I could just get one oval hole instead of trying to get two that close and risk tearing then it could be a possibility.

So, I've had enough hole punching for one day....time to close up my desk and watch a bit of tv while my brain goes haywire trying to figure this out!

Until next time, take care xxx

Personal Ruby Deco or VDS Senior Touch Me? Planner crisis!!

My new planner arrived, and oh how beautiful!!  I love the Deco and even more so in personal size but I am having real trouble moving out of my VDS Senior so for now I've just set up the Deco very basic with new inserts and am just looking at it...

Side by side - Personal Deco in Ruby & VDS Senior Touch Me

Absolutely beautiful

Basic set up with bling

So now I am in one massive planner dilemma...I'm not sure I can give up the sumptuousness of my VDS Touch Me with that massive back pocket which gets used more than I thought it would, the many card and slip pockets and not forgetting the gusseted front zip pocket...I love everything about that planner, the size, the feel, the smell...everything.  It is functional and practical, tough and durable and just an amazing piece of craftsmanship.

BUT it isn't as pretty as the Deco.  It doesn't have that air of absolute decadence as the Deco.  The classy and gorgeousness, the pure indulgence, the deliciousness...aaargghhhh!!  What do I do?!?!?!

I wish the ring size was compatible so I could just swap out every other day and get to use them both equally but alas no, they are too different.  I must find a way!!!  I don't want to duplicate everything I write just so I have it in both, there must be an answer somewhere on how I can use these beautiful planners together...

I need to think this one through....I have to make it work!!

Until next time, take care xxx

Planner dilemma!

I may or may not have a new planner on its way to me, a personal size.  I am currently in my VDS Senior and already the guilt of leaving him is setting in!  I'm not sure whether I will be able to when/if the time comes...this is a good sign, kind of.

From the Philofaxy Website

I thought I would start designing some new inserts for the personal as it will arrive with no current diary and so I went onto the Philofaxy website and downloaded the word and source files for the week on two pages.  I like to customise my own inserts, changing the font and the colour and adding images, etc.  But this time, I just kept deleting the images I'd inserted.  I put some 'washi' down the side and deleted that too.  I put an image in the notes section but that too got deleted.  The only change I have made so far is to change the month from black to red.

I think I like the minimal look. I like the clean lines and the lack of fuss, the equal spots for week ends and that notes section at the top - I prefer it at the top than at the end of the week as I like to put notes about the upcoming week so feel it needs to be at the beginning.

I already have my VDS Senior set up for this year, it was a diary that I purchased from the supermarket for £1.75 and cut up, it is working well but the pages are a little bit too thin, I may need to re-do them if I stay in it but the layout would be exactly the same.  I can't decide whether I prefer them with lines or without, I don't think it matters so much to me.

Cut up diary pages

Oh the dilemma....I wonder what will happen...

Until next time, take care xxx

Ramblings of a Planner

It's the beginning of February and the start of using my new template mentioned here - I had lots of chilling out time, watching a film with my hubby, sorting bits out in my little room, having a planning session, generally just pottering around, getting the laundry done (yes, this is the only chore I actually like to do!).  I like days like this!  I'm planning on a nice hot bubbly bath later to end the day.

Makes me realise that I don't do it enough, I don't make the time to do it, I have the time but I don't make the time - instead I procrastinate my time away on the internet...I'd hate to see how much actual time I waste just doing nothing in particular, nothing that I actually enjoy doing, I'm just doing, Nothing more.

What did we do with our time before the internet?  Before Facebook?  Before Twitter?  Before Instagram?  How did we communicate with each other?  Oh that's right, we talked, we wrote letters, we went out to the local pub or restaurant...what a shame no one really does that anymore.  No-one really writes letters anymore either, and that is such a real shame as it would seem that thanks to texting no-one can even spell or use grammar anymore either!  I hate text talk and I hate reading posts on Facebook where even the most basic of grammar is incorrect, it really grates on my nerves.  

• There is no space between the word and an exclamation mark
• Does is not the same spelling as dose
• To know something is not to no something
• U/ur instead of you/your is just plain lazy!!  (In the days that there was an issue with the amount of characters you could text it was almost acceptable but not these days!)

I feel old and antiquated sometimes...but the art of writing is dying and it is such a colossal shame.  I love handwriting, especially the old fashioned cursive and calligraphy, I adore looking at old postcards and letters from the vintage era, even the language is different...more sincere and even romantic.

Anyway I digress.  I don't think I'm that keen on this age of everything being so fast-paced that you can't even think properly.  Don't get me wrong I love the efficiency of it all but it's all so - characterless and impersonal.

Maybe this explains my love of paper and stationery.  I love pretty notepads and fountain pens.  I used to love sitting down and handwriting a letter to a friend, but this doesn't happen anymore.  We still 'write' but it is in electronic form which has the advantage of being able to share photographs and images within the letter itself but that only goes some way into personalising it.

We have our paper planners and we love them, we love writing in them and decorating them but to what end?  To enable us to cram so much into our schedules that we barely have time to sit down and relax, reflect and recharge.  We actually have to schedule in time out!!  Ironic really.

There are so many issues to deal with and from watching You tube and reading Facebook there is a common theme - we are all totally obsessed with what other people think of us that we spend all our precious time trying to please them, be what they expect us to be, do what we are expected to do.  We all have quote upon quote about being yourself, being true to yourself, enjoy life, reminders to love yourself, laugh often, be unique, think positive, etc.  Do we really need this constant reminder because we are actually not being ourselves, enjoying life, laughing and being unique?  Are we all so pessimistic that we need positive quotes everywhere?  

Even in my own little room I have bought wall art that says "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams - live the life you've always imagined" and "Life doesn't get easier you just get stronger" - when did I get so weak that I needed these positive reinforcements everywhere I look?  

In the rush to get success, promotion, acknowledged and rewarded in life we have simply forgotten how to live.  I'm not so sure I want to live like that anymore.  It's exhausting!!  I'm sure our ancestors didn't need this constant reminder, they got on with their lives the best they could, with what they had.  Is there an almost urgent desire to have something better than someone else as a measurement of success.  I am my own worst enemy when it comes to that, I have more designer bags and accessories than is required and I'm sure it doesn't make anyone stop and think "Wow I want to be just like her because she is so successful and has the perfect life" - or does it?  Do we gauge our own success on what we have materialistically?  Do we gauge the success of others on what they have?  I guess our ancestors may have had the same kind of thing but it was how many chickens they had, or whether they had shoes on their feet, or a bed to sleep in - makes you think really...

Oh well, rambling over, I'd better get back to scheduling next week, I've got a lot on!!

Until next time, take care