My forever EDC - Absolute planner peace...at last!

This has been one heck of a journey!  There are a few differences this time that I feel will make me want to stick with the one planner for the foreseeable future...important differences.  The main one being that this has been my dream planner forever and I never thought that I would ever get one, I couldn't justify the cost to myself.

But thanks to my wonderful husband - who has probably suffered the whole planner journey with me and therefore the purchase price was not a lot to pay to make me shut up about it! - I have finally got my Louis Vuitton agenda!!  I chose the small ring (pocket) size as that is the one that I need to have with me wherever I go and so needs to fit in ALL my bags, not just the larger ones. 

Matching pair!

Had to get it hotstamped in gold :)

This is probably the smallest bag in my collection and it fits
...with room for a purse, phone and keys!

I was especially excited to also find a pen that fits in that tiny pen loop!!  It came in a pack of three, a white one, shocking pink one and a blue one.  They all have the little 'TAKE NOTE' message.  So cute and they write good too with a twist nib action.

I have said before that I don't really decorate and I don't have lists and lists of things, my planner is my agenda, it tells me where I'm going and when, it tells me what I need to do and when and it is there for me to jot down notes when needed.  It always has been and whenever I have tried to make it more than it is, I've failed.

So stripped back to the bare basics and this is plenty big enough!  I am so in love with this little guy that I really cannot see me using anything else as my every day carry ever again - unless I am lucky enough to get another LV in a different print, but the size will stay the same.

I have other planners that I love but those stay at home as they are A5 size.  I am currently using the fluorescent pink Original on my desk and I adore the huge pop of colour in my otherwise muted office.

It is time to de-stash all the others and all the related things that I have bought and never use.  I crave simplicity in my little office, it is getting far too cluttered with things and it stops me from seeing the things that I really love...if that makes sense.

Until next time, take care xxx

2016 Set Up - for the fourth time!

Ok it's been quite a challenge but after moving from one planner to another and in different sizes I am finally set....I think!

The change-about came when my new Fossil Personal came in, but I didn't really want to move out of my Personal Original but because it was new....you know the story.  And what that led to was total unsettlement.  No longer was I set on using a personal size so I downsized to a pocket.

Then I decided that I wanted to buy a Louis Vuitton PM Agenda for my birthday next month and after watching video after video I realised how damn small those rings are!  So I downsized again into my Extra Slim Guildford Mini (those that have followed this blog know that this one seems to be my constant go back to!) as the rings seemed similar in size - about 11mm.

But I didn't like how people were saying that they can carry 'quite a few months at a time' - What?? No, it has to be a full year for me.  Although they did have quite a few sections, which I don't.  And quite a few card holders, which I don't.  So I'm thinking it may be possible for me...

I like notepaper and lists but they don't seem to do that in the same golden gilt edge as the diary so that would irritate me too and the size of those rings are really bothering me.

So I looked a Mulberry - the layout and the size of the rings looked promising BUT silver rings and a gold/brass popper?  No. I can't do that either.

I went onto our lovely Van Der Spek store with a view to designing my own - with gold rings AND a gold popper!  I couldn't find black mock croc anywhere...have they discontinued this??  And then I had to purchase separately a zipper pouch, and as I was getting carried away with my lovely custom order I realised...

I have the almost perfect planner already sat on my shelf in it's box...

Junior Touch Me in Brown

Zipper pocket included - and on the good side :)

Sparkly 'TODAY' on my day marker

One of my favourite photo's

Another favourite photo and my Annual Leave record

Shopping Lists and a bit of glitter :)

My Fossil Piggy Bank charm

And there we have it.  

I say almost perfect as I would have designed exactly the same planner but without the back pocket. Whilst I do use it and I do find it extremely useful I don't like how it makes that bulgy bit when it's open but I can live with that - totally compensated by the delicious leather smell it still has after owning it for all this time!  It smells divine, the leather is buttery soft and it is just a beautiful planner that wants you to 'Touch Me' - I loved it then, I love it now and I can't see why I would want to replace this with a Louis Vuitton piece that will certainly irritate me after the initial excitement of the purchase has been made.  I'll spend my money on another LV piece that I can love instead.

Until next time, take care xxx

Fossil Personal Agenda

I didn't even know these existed so imagine my glee when I saw one on Ebay, of course it was in America, that's where all the good stuff is, but as I have lovely friends over there I managed to arrange for it to be sent to the lovely Rebecca who forwarded it on to me at a fraction of the cost of Ebay's Global Shipping Programme - which I've used before and it was terrible!!

So here is a pic of the new handsome Fossil Guy...

Rich conker brown with zip around

Different pockets inside

Card slots and an elasticated pen loop

And she included some wonderful stickers that I'd never seen before and I reckon I could actually use ALL of them so before I do I am going to see if I can photocopy them onto sticker paper and then hopefully I will be able to recreate my own when I run out - if it doesn't work I will have to charm the lovely Rebecca into sending me some more!!

I really like this planner and I love the zip around as it stops pages from getting crumpled in my bag but I'm not sure if I am ready to move out of my Personal Red Original yet, I did feel remorse when I was moving out before I'd even finished!  I will probably be moving back in before the week end is out but this Fossil one is fantastic for a Fossil Collector which I appear to have morphed into!  

I guess if I just found the right shade Fossil bag.....

Until next time, take care xxx

Filofax & Slimming World

I have created some new inserts for my Personal Original and my A5 Original to accompany me on my Slimming World journey and I have also created a new blog to help me achieve my goals, share hints and tips and anything else that I can find.  My new blog can be found here and it is all about finding myself and my style - I have an image in my head of how I want to be and this is the very start of my journey so if you are interested, check it out.

So here is my recipes section in my Personal:

And I have also started to create my A5 that will be coming with me to class and also be used for anything and everything related to weight loss - recipes, weight and measurement tracking, exercise routines, exercise logs and schedules, etc.

I cannot tell you how determined I am this time to get my act together!!  

It's also a great way to use my planners :) win win!

Until next time, take care xxx

Personal Original in Pillar Box Red for 2016

It was the NEXT VIP sale and I just couldn't resist I'm afraid.  Despite my best intentions of minimising and downsizing I just had to get this, at this price it was a steal!

I love the A5 I have in the Fluoro Pink and I did love the Patent Nude but had to sell that one on as I was too scared of it getting damaged or scuffed or worse dye transfer!

Enter the Personal Original in Pillar Box Red.

Sparkly gold dashboard

To Do Section

Notes Section

Addresses

Diary Pages

I have put the diary section at the back as initially I had the dividers in but the pen was crushing them when the planner was closed so I took all the dividers out, which is something I normally do anyway but I had realised that the rings are less of an issue when writing in the diary when it is further back so I left it like that.  I do love just using the clear tabbed sheet from Filofax as my today marker as it doesn't obstruct anything that is written.  I have a couple of them in my planner, the other one marks the start of the notes section.

My trusty Frixion Slim with orange ink is still with me, I love this pen!

So this is all set up for 2016 and the inserts are from Wilkinsons.  They are pretty good quality for the price and take fountain pen ink providing it isn't too dark or wet which is a bonus!  I did have to repunch it all though as the top holes were just ever so slightly out so it made page turning a little difficult.  I rounded all the corners too which I love doing in all my planners.

I like how lightweight the Original is and how streamlined it is.  It lays flat right out of the...cover...and is just classy.  I think/hope the leather will hold up as I don't carry my planner in a case, it's just thrown in my bag with everything else although I do keep my keys in a separate pocket and my brush is a foldaway one so there isn't much that could damage it anyway.

Let's see how long I am in this one!!  Although I have to admit that I do have another one on its way to me via a friend in America - I will update you once it has arrived but I am quite excited about that one :)

Until next time, take care xxx

Yet another set of 2016 Inserts

I had to share this find with you!  Although I am settling on using just a pocket diary, as per my last post, for 2016 I still want to use my filo's at home.  They are far too pretty to sit on a shelf unused so I am still setting them up in readiness for the new year.

Today while in Wilkinson's I came across a set of personal filofax compatible inserts - the whole lot for just £3!  They did their own style planners which weren't too bad for £6 but the inserts are lovely and then I spied the set and immediately purchased it.

Here is what you get - modelled by my beloved Personal Deco in Ruby...

Diary / Addresses / Notes / To Do sections

Personal information page

Yearly overview followed by the usual measurements, holiday pages etc

Forward planning for 2017

Equal days of the whole week and lines!

Address pages

Notes pages

To Do pages

It seems pretty good quality paper, I will do an ink test later and let you know!

Until then...take care xxx

Planner -v- Diary for 2016

I feel like I have committed the biggest sin ever...and yet I am feeling slightly enlightened at the same time.  

I have decided to purchase a new diary for 2016.  It is the layout I love.  It is the size that I love.  It is also....bound.  Eeek!!

I don't know what happened, I saw it and thought it would be such a great idea as my diary layout never changes (and it was only £1!!).  It is the SIZE of diary that changes, i.e. the size of planner.  I seem to bounce between mini, pocket and A6 and each time I have to re-write everything as I hate having blank days PLUS whenever I think I can leave some information out that is exactly the information I need and always at a time when I am in my other sized planner!

It is very rare that I ever need to refer back to notes as I don't really tend to write notes, or lists (other than my To-Do list - and this is now on my iphone as I found a great app called 'Google Keep' which means that it is not only on my phone but my ipad and my computer at both home and work and the great thing is that I have 'shared' my shopping list with my hubby who is on an Android phone and it still works!!  Now we both know what we need when visiting the supermarket without having to ask!)

My idea was that if I get a small enough diary then I can just pop that into what ever size planner I am using then I will never have to re-write stuff and it wont add any bulk into my chosen planner.

What I think is actually going to happen is that I only end up carrying the little diary and the planners are going to get left on the shelf...in fact, the little diary that I bought even fits into my purse!

It is even a possibility that I may never return to a ringed planner...and what do I do with the ones that I have sitting pretty on the shelf in my office??  This is not a decision to be made lightly as I do have some lovely ones that are going to be extremely hard to part with such as the two Filofax Deco's and the sumptuous Van Der Spek's - I will never part with any of the A5's as I like to use them for projects and general stuff.

Am I on the slippery slope to leaving the planner world???

Until next time, take care xxx