Yesterday I finally got my Filofax. ^_^ Yay! I've been all giddy about it I could barely stay put all day. My first surprise was the size of the box: it was so tall. It was half filled with airbags, so that explained it and relieved me, because I really didn't want to figure out how to fit that box in my bag. So I took the box home and unpacked all the parts. I was surprised not to see the same box all other filofaxes come in - at least in videos and blogs - but a simple "paperback" like sleeve, opened on the spine, which housed my Personal Size Sketch filofax. Chocolate color ^_^. Of course chocolate!
The inserts came all without any missing, so I was rather pleased. A black loose ruller came also along, which I didn't order, and I'm not sure what to do about it. If I knew that it's added by mistake for sure, I will return it - no questions asked - to filofax. However, unlike my brown ruler - which I did order - came in a pack, while the black one didn't. The puncher is nice but really hard to use - unless it's just me who needs to put more elbow grease into it, but I did tried it out on the page included with it and I was close to grab a hammer and smack the freaking thing close. Hopefully it's much easier to operate with thinner paper.
The filofax itself is beautiful. It came with an insert of Week on Two Pages calendar, which I pulled out because I use the Page per Day planner and the Month on Two Pages calendar. I've got monthly tabs to make the maneuvering of agenda. I had to make compromises as often months started on the left page, which ended up with me putting the tab between 1st and 2nd, though most likely as we get there I'll move the tab one page back, so I can still clearly seen 1st and 2nd at one glance. June and October start on the right, so I'm very happy about it. There were also some 2 or 3 To-Do pages and some 13 contact pages. Well, contact pages I would need more, that's for sure. Not because I keep my personal phonebook in my planner, but because I keep my penpal's addresses in my planner. It does makes sense, right? Track paper on paper.
There were also six colored, numbered dividers and also colored Two-Letter dividers for contacts. I didn't expect the contact tabs, which is why I ordered the colored Two-Letter dividers. A waste? Well, maybe not. As it happens, the colors of the numbered dividers and the Two-Letter ones is... well, it's not pretty. I don't know how to explain them, but they are... ochre colored. Do you know ochre? When I was little this colored stone powder was used un humble homes to color the floors. Anyway, the dividers come in the darkest, most somber colors of ochre red, and ochre green and ochre blue... and something else that might be ochre yellow, orange, brown or khaki. I can't remember. Then, the paper for the notes, which are far too little in number, came also in those dreaded, dark colors. There were a couple of sheets in white, but the other were in Nightmare Ochre. I haven't replaced them yet, but most likely I'll add the brighter colored Two-Letter dividers and then make my own for the other inserts from either scrapbook paper to maybe plastic, colored paper or whatever I come up that inspires me.
I'm not a "pretty" type of person, full of frills and glitter and rhinestone and shiny things. I don't do shabby chic either. I do... me. And me is more clean cut, straight lined, solid with the crazy packed in here and there. I do post-its.
The filofax in itself is just... wonderful. I didn't make pictures of it as I was burning to set it up. The Calendars come with these segments of personal infor and all sorts of things I don't really need. Yes, they are interesting, but they take space, and you know when will I consult them? On Never Day. Just let's be honest here for a moment: yes, it's nice to have at the tip of your fingers info such as the holidays in many places - specially if you have friends across the globe - and a list of holidays by religion (and I wondered why Pagan celebrations weren't included in the calendar, but oh well, and why wasn't Mardi Gras included, but there you go), and information about countries and all that... but how often are you realistically going to need it? Clothes sizes and conversions, yes, I could use that rather often, but I could take from the lists those I need more often, like gallons to liters and inches to cms. A post-it can do that for me. As for sizes, I can write down my own and be done with it, right?
It was bothersome that the Personal Information page came in four or five languages... one on the back of the other. If I wanted to use the less pages possible, and keep the info insert, I would have to keep the Italian one. No, I have nothing against Italian, and I can rather understand it from Spanish, but I'm not carrying stuff on Italian! Italian isn't a language that currently interests me, so... no.
Now, I could go around that quite easily, for instance by making my own page. After all, I already have the paper puncher, and cutting is easy and simple, right? Besides that way I truly control what information I want out there. For instance I'm not one to note on the Personal Info stuff like who's my doctor - not like I have one - or what's my insurance number and so on. However I've signed on my Driving License to be an organ donor in case I die in a car accident and there are still usable spare parts someone else can profit some. Well, personal information usually don't include that, so I included it.
This to the left is my first template. I love peacocks and peacock feathers, in case you haven't noticed. So, then on the back of this page you can add up all the stuff you need from all those other extra pages of useful and smart information you never really use. Just you know, have what you really need.
Now, so far so good. Is this the "filofax fail" moment? No, if it would have been only this I would have gotten over it and been a happy camper. The "filofax fail" moment came after I fit my Page Per Day planner in my filofax, and realized that It was too stuffed. But what did I had in in by then? Well, the Personal Information and added pages, the Month on Two Pages, the dividers, the Page per Day, the few note pages, the To Do pages and contacts. And that was it. You see that yellow notepad pad? Yep, that didn't make it in. The plastic envelopes? Only one got in. I was devastated! What about all my plans? What about my sections? I had it all very well planned: Fuel tracking, Office project tracking, Blog post tracking, List of 13, Other Lists, Notes, Literary Ideas, Economics Ideas... They were all to find a home in there! Was I supposed to now get another filofax?
I fitted the filofax into my smallest bag, and it fitted perfectly, so no, this would have to do it. Bigger rings? No chance, that would take up hangbad space I can't afford. Thinner paper? No chance, for the paper is of very good quality. Taking out the PPD and getting the Wo2P back in? Well, I don't have to admit it, I really don't, but it seems that that's the only solution if I want to add the rest of the things. But I don't want to! I really like the space PPD gives me... :-( Taking part of the PPD and putting it back as I need it? Nope, I want the whole thing in one place. So what should I do? As it is, the last and first pages are really hard to reach and hard to turn.
What to do? :-( Do I really have to make peace with the Wo2P? Really? Even after I've already marked up the PPD with all my important stuff, such as birthdays, appointments, holidays and all the dates of Mercury Retrograde (I like being prepared for the communications and technology crash downs. We are now in a Mercury Retrograde, you know?)? That's not fair. Plus I really, really use up all that space. I would show you a picture of my planner right now - which is an A5, on thin, Bible paper, so you can see how I go filling up the pages to the brim, but I tend to write stuff that shouldn't be out there, such as the phone numbers I must call, account numbers I need to reference to, amounts paid and so on.
I had a small - really small - planner in 2010 which sported a Wo2P, and I somehow managed, so maybe, JUST MAYBE! I'd be able to make it. Oh hell, isn't it a blessing that I still have a month and a half to go over this?
I've just one question: how people who use PPD or Do2P do it?
I'll mull on it and when I've gone over it and settled with my filofax, I'll post you a picture of it. (However, anyone with replies and suggestions, please don't hold your tongue!)
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