New Video! Mulberry Postman's Lock Agenda

There is an upcoming post on my Mulberry Postman's Lock Agenda (tomorrow, hopefully!).  But until then, I wanted to make sure you could check out my video on my YouTube channel that I just filmed detailing the agenda.  Enjoy!

Filofaxes, Quality Control, and The Planner World

So, I posted part of this as a reply to a post on the Philofaxy Facebook page, but I also wanted to post it here as a blog post to get thoughts, as well. So bear with me as I'm thinking "aloud" here about quality control, Filofaxes, ring mechanisms and general planner stuff.

Here goes...I'm beginning to think that there isn't just one company at fault when it comes to binder issues such as ring mechanisms, and that it's just quality control everywhere. I don't thing the faulty issues can just be blamed on Pens and Leather or Goldspot or other retailers or necessarily Filofax themselves (although the customer service whether good or bad from each of these can certainly be blamed on them!)

I've had DayTimer, DayRunner, Franklin Covey and even Kate Spade planners with gapped and misaligned rings, too, but I think it is more often seen with we Filofax users because we actually get together and talk about it, or at least those of us who follow Philofaxy do. We take pride in our planners and even collect them--something I don't see other planner users doing to the extent we do. In fact, I for one never even looked at the rings of my old binders from these other brands at the time of purchase, but I went back and sure enough, these issues were there in some.

I'd say the majority of people buy planners for personal or business use without much thought to the planner's make and mechanism or whether or not it is in perfect working order. And while we also buy them for the same uses, we are a particular bunch who expects quality for our money (AS WE SHOULD). It may not necessarily bother the other buyers if there is something wrong as long as the binder still just works decently for the purpose they want, just as it actually may not bother many Filofax users who aren't part of our groups. This could also account for Filofax's 1% comment on the response from the petition several of us signed and sent to them. According to them, "Whilst there has been lots of comments about ring mechanism quality in the social community in recent months, we do believe that as a percentage of our total worldwide production, these issues amount to less than 1%." (See full post on Philofaxy.)

We as Filofax users among the Philofaxy group see our planners differently. Don't get me wrong, as I think we should see them differently and demand quality, but are we in the planner-buying minority as far as thinking about quality control? Maybe so, I have lots of friends who use different planners and have paid as much as we do for Filofaxes, but they see them as just a planner that is for the use it was made and don't worry about whether or not the rings are misaligned or gapped.

Of course, I absolutely think we need to keep on Filofax about quality control, and we should also keep on the retailers about quality control and customer service, but I worry that we are in the minority about all of this, so I wonder know fast Filofax will work on the issue. I hope, as rest of you do, that they get if fixed quickly and correctly, and I do not blame anyone who gets upset at getting a defective binder. I do sincerely thank Steve and the rest of the team from Philofaxy for always making sure to keep us updated on talks with Filofax and actually making some progress, and I thank Kate from The Life of the Perpetual Student for getting the petition together. I hope we can eventually make some progress with them.

These are seriously just random midnight thoughts, but with all the issues with every Filofax retailer and Filofax themselves, it just got me thinking. None of this post is meant to anger or offend anyone, and I apologize if it does. I just wanted to get my thoughts out there. Personally, I will continue to use my Filofaxes as I do love them, and I like their range better than other planning systems. I would like to try maybe a Mulberry or Louis Vuitton organizer eventually, but for now Filofax still makes me happy.

Happy Filofaxing!

Planner Fail & Filofaxes

So, believe it or not, I think I'm in PLANNER FAIL!!! GASP!!!  I know that several of my Filofax friends on Philofaxy and other places have experienced the same thing.  I started really thinking about the fact that I'm in planner fail yesterday after I filmed my Filofax Organization Tote video.  I have spent so much time buying stickers, tape, inserts, dividers, and other stuff, that I have actually neglected my Filofax and really have no idea what I'm really using it for.  I watch Filofax videos quite a bit, and I am always on Instagram and Flickr looking at everyone else's set up.  But I really don't give much thought to my own set up and how it should be so that it really works for me.  I looked at my calendar and found out that I don't really have a clue what I really want to use it for.  I write down random things that when I look back make no sense.  I desperately want to use my Filofaxes, which should be evident by the amount of them I own and keep buying...

So, I thought about a post on Imysworld that I read a while back about the Filofax Circle of Life.  I thought, well, that's a good place to start.  According to the ever-wise Imy, there are five stages to this circle of life:  (1) Baby Filofaxer, (2) Young Filofaxer, (3) Middle Age Filofaxer, (4) Mid-life Filofax Crisis, and (5) Mature Filofaxer.  So, I looked again at these stages to see where I stood in the Filofax Circle of Life.  I have decided that I am somewhere in a mix of Middle Age Filofaxer to Mid-life Filofax Crisis.  Why did I pick these?  Let me explain...

I genuinely LOVE Filofaxes, I really do.  Even with all the ring issues and other Filofax problems, I really do love the Filofax lines and the binders and accessories.  And I love to be organized, but it seems that recently I'm so disorganized I don't know what to do.  I've owned two (very expensive) Franklin Covey binders and several other cheaper binders in my time, and none really compare to the love I have for Filofaxes, but alas, I still can't seem to find my groove with them.  I enjoy blogging about them and making videos and such and I love having one with me all the time.  But I can't seem to find my true reason for using one.  I'm no longer in the administrative position I had at my job (really long story that I won't get in to) so I don't have appointments.  I never think to write down the fun things or not so fun things that happen in life randomly in my binder.  I keep buying journaling cards, sticky notes, washi tape, stickers, and the like to decorate and use in my binder, but I can't seem to find the perfect way to use them.  I also keep buying Filofaxes, and if you are a Filofaxer, you know this is not a cheap hobby.  I have over 20.  Yep, over 20 Filofaxes.  Do I use them all?  Nope.  But I have managed to sell a few, but that only funded other Filofax purchases.  So what's a girl to do?

I've decided that I'm going to sit for a few days and "research" exactly what I need a Filofax for.  Appointments? Family stuff? Journaling? What?  As I always do, I'll be present on YouTube, blogs, Philofaxy, Facebook, Flickr, etc. looking at everyone else's setups, uses, and Filofaxes, but I'm going to sort of sit and see...How do these folks use theirs and what do I really need mine for?  I'm hoping to also put a few ideas down on paper and brainstorm to see what I really need a Filofax for and what I like and don't like to use them for and what I like and don't like to keep inside mine.  I'm hoping I get a jolt of inspiration that leads me to a whole new way of Filofaxing, and if that happens, I'll definitely share here and on YouTube!  Thanks for listening and if any of you are in planner fail, I can totally sympathize!  Happy Filofaxing!

Filofax Organization Tote

If any of you are on the Philofaxy website or facebook pages, you've probably seen the newly popular organization tote for Filofaxes. If you are into Filofaxes (like REALLY into them) like I am, you enjoy decorating them and having fun with them. Sometimes that obsession leads to other obsessions--washi tape, stamps, sticky notes, etc.--that prompt the need for an organization tote so you can organize your Filofax anywhere!! So, I went on a hunt to find one. I travelled through the seven levels of the Candy Cane Forest--wait, wrong journey... Ok, so I went to Hobby Lobby, Michaels (which is an hour away from me), and both Wal-marts in my town. I finally found it at the LAST Wal-Mart I went to, which is actually the closest store to me--go figure.  Anyway, I bought this great tote for $17 there, and immediately went home to set it up.  It really works great and I've actually got it next to me on the couch now.  I decided to make a video, which you can see below, about the tote and how I organize it.  Enjoy!

 

Liebster Blog Award Nomination

A big THANK YOU to Lori of Purple is My Happy for nominating me for a Liebster Blog Award.  So exciting!

So what is a Liebster Award?

Pretty much, the origins are a mystery (or at least that's what I could--or couldn't--find about it).  Bloggers nominate other bloggers who have 200 or less followers, and I guess I qualify...actually I really don't know how many followers I actually have!!  :)  This award is really a great way to read other blogs and find out which ones you like and enjoy reading.

There are a few "rules" to being able to "accept" the award, so here goes:

1. Post 11 random things about yourself
2. Answer the 11 questions from the tagger
3. Create 11 new questions for the 11 blogs you nominate.
4. Inform them by commenting on their blog.
5. No tag backs!!

 

So here are 11 random things:

1.  I have always wanted to study paleontology and become a paleontologist.  If I ever win the lottery, I'm totally doing this!
2.  I majored in History in college, but had enough hours to teach English, so that's what I do.
3.  I graduated college in 3 years instead of 4.
4.  I am obsessed with Filofaxes!
5.  I have been to Walt Disney World 17 times (I think) since 2004. EPCOT is my favorite park and the Grand Floridian is my favorite resort.
6.  I played tennis in high school and college.
7.  I have played the clarinet and saxophone for over 20 years.
8.  I can sing well (especially gospel), but I rarely get a chance.
9.  I collect Bibles and other religious texts.
10.  I LOVE Harry Potter!
11.  My home office has hot pink walls.

 

Here are the answers to the questions from Lori:

1. Are you a morning person or a night person?

Totally night!!!

2. What do you do for a living?

I am a teacher.

3. What is your favorite book of all time?

Oh this is a tough one!  Probably, The Great Gatsby.

4. What is your favorite dessert?

I'm not a big sweets person, but it is hard for me to turn down vanilla cake/cupcakes with plain buttercream icing!

5. What's your favorite kind of pen?

It is a tie between the Frixions and Coletos.

6. Do you drink coffee?

YES!!!

7. What is your favorite breakfast?

Pancakes (from Cracker Barrel), Fried Eggs w/ Toast, Bacon, and some sort of potato.

8. How many siblings do you have?

None, I'm an only child.

9. What kind of cell phone do you have?

iPhone 5

10. Share a favorite memory.

Winning the WBBJ educator of the week, which is always given as a surprise.  One of the administrators made the WHOLE school come in my classroom under the ruse that they were in trouble, but it was a set up for the award.  The door was shut and there was total silence in the room and suddenly the TV cameras came in and announced I'd won and I totally was shocked and cried!  One of my students had nominated me and I got to see the letter she wrote and was on TV and everything.  So much fun!

11. Who is your best friend?

Probably Erin.

 

Here are my questions for the nominees:

1.  What is your favorite quote from a movie or book?

2.  On a scale from 1-10, how organized are you?  (Even sometimes we filofaxers may not be as organized as you think!)

3.  What is your favorite type of coffee (or drink if you don't like coffee)?

4.  What is your most and least favorite book you've read?

5.  What is your favorite song?

6.  How long have you been blogging?

7.  Where would your dream vacation be?

8.  What is your favorite type of animal?

9.  What kind of computer (and/or tablet) do you own?

10.  Do you have any hidden talents?  What are they?

11.  What is your favorite Filofax (or other planner) that you have?

 

Now, finally, for my nominations (in NO particular order!).  This will be really, really hard as I think some of these may already be nominated, but hey, it's all in fun!

1.  Imy's World

2.  The Life of the Perpetual Student

3.  My Purpley Life

4.  Filomaniac

5.  Organized Heaven

6.  PaperPensInk

7.  FiloCuteness

8.  Well Planned Life

9.  The Wonderful Life of Alice

10.  My Filo World

11.  Anita Lim

Thanks again to Lori for my nomination!  I hope that everyone has fun with this!!

My Filofax Week #15

Hi, guys! I'm back finally!  It's been crazy with school, work, and home lately so I've not been able to update as often as I'd like.  I've missed lots of "My Filofax Week" posts, too!  Sorry about that!  But I'm trying to get back started again, so here's  my past week (Week 15) in my Filofax.

I've started trying to decorate more and I've also started using a new week on two pages layout.  I bought one of the Punctuate Barnes & Noble planners that everyone in the filofax community raves about, and I do think I like it.  I got the one with the purple inserts since I've been using purple planners lately.  I'm currently in my new Personal Purple Malden.  I didn't know how I'd like it at first, but she's starting to grow on me.   Look for a YouTube video on my new set up soon!  Anyway, here is my week at a glance for Week 15.  Enjoy!

Filofax Compact Regency - 2013 Setup

Hello, all!  Recently I did a YouTube video about my Compact Regency Filofax as requested by a few Filofax fans on twitter.  In it I explain how I set up my Compact Regency & how I choose what goes in my regency.  I will soon be doing a blog post about my Regency, too, but until then I wanted to post the video so you could all see it.  BTW, it is my very first Filofax video on YouTube!  Enjoy!

-Kristy

New Filofax Personal Finsbury in Antique Rose (and a small rant)

Filofax sales are entirely too easy to take advantage of....so of course, I got sucked into one.  They were having a huge 60% off sale on lots of binders, and who can resist, right?  I caved and purchased an antique rose personal finsbury.  So far I like it ok.  The color is really pretty, much darker than you see online. Here's the front of the binder...

You can sort of see that it is a little darker than it shows online.  It seems to be a very good quality leather, and the pattern is nice and different.

There are some paler spots and those somewhat show up in the picture but it doesn't bother me really.

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, the leather is very, very stiff as you can see here.  When you open the binder, it doesn't stay flat, which is something I do like in my Filofaxes, so I'm not sure if this one will continue to be used as my main diary or if I will use it for something else.

It also doesn't lie flat when you open it up, even though I have my diary more towards the middle of the filofax.  It's not a huge inconvenience, but it is bothersome.

But the only real complaint I have is that one ring is misaligned, and I think another may be, also.  I almost don't want to even send it back (1) because it was so cheap and (2) because this will be the THIRD Filofax I would have sent back since like October.  I'm getting really peeved at their lack of quality control.  I've sent back an Ochre Malden and a Regency, both personal since then for exchanges, and I'm glad to say that the Malden did come back with good rings.  I'm not sure about the Regency yet as I only sent it back last week.  But it is my FAVORITE Filofax so I really hope the new one comes back ok.  But if not I still have my compact regency and another one on the way from the lovely Imy from Imysworld!  So I'm definitely not Filofax-poor.  But I am quite irritated.  I've used other systems before (Franklin Covey & Day-Timer) but I really, really like Filofax and want to stick with them, especially since I don't really like any FC binders other than an old Classic one I have, and I don't really want to go back to that size at the moment.  Oh, what to do!!!  Filofax, why can't you just get better?  I so want to love you whole-heartedly again!

Anyway, my rant is now over, sorry for those who didn't want to read it, but I had to get it off my chest. I hope you are enjoying my Filofax posts as they are quickly becoming a big part of my blog.  I promise some book reviews will come soon!

My Filofax Week #3

Here is what my Week 3 of 2013 looks like currently.  I don't expect much change as it is Saturday and the week is over.  But at least this way you get to see my whole week filled out!  Enjoy!

[caption id="attachment_224" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Filofax Week 3[/caption]

My Filofax Week #1 & #2

I'm getting a late start on Paperlovestory's Filofax week blog posts, so I'm combining Week #1 & Week #2.  We are into week #3 already, but I'll be posting it probably Saturday as that's when I've got time next.  You can CLICK HERE for her first week (which is awesome, by the way!).  You can also still join in with this Filofaxish fun by CLICKING HERE.  Lots of us are joining in so you should, too!  If you want to check out some others who have joined, see the list here.

So why did I decided to join you ask?  I thought this would be a fun and interesting way to keep my blog updated weekly and let everyone see a bit into my personal life (but not too much, notice the smudged out parts.)  So, here are my first two weeks (as I said, I was behind), with a special glimpse at my monthly calendar, too!

[caption id="attachment_207" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Filofax-January 2013[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_208" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Filofax, Week #1[/caption]





[caption id="attachment_210" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Filofax, Week #2[/caption]





So, you probably noticed that I have LOTS of decorative tapes, stamps, etc. filling my filofax.  Why?  If I have a slower week (or I forget to write in my filofax *gasp*), I fill up the empty days with my stamps and washi tapes.  It gives me something pretty to look at and makes me happy, and there are days that's a very good thing, especially if I've had a particularly long or rough week at work.

So, I hope you've enjoyed my first (and second) My Filofax Week Posts!

What's in my Personal Regency?

It's here!!  My first "official" filofax post on Coffee & Literature.  So exciting!!!  I know you are just as excited as I am, right???  Thought so!  :)  For my first "official" post I wanted to do a sort of introductory filofax/what's in my filofax post.  I just got a new Personal Regency in Brown, and I LOVE it.  But it does have a small ring issue on the third top ring, so sadly, I think it may be going back next week (Filofax, please work on quality control of rings!!!).  But I do have a Compact Regency I can use until I get a replacement. Anyway...here's how I'm using my filofax at the moment.

Here's my beauty! I really love this filofax.  The leather is so soft and has an ostrich type pattern on it.  It lies COMPLETELY flat out of the box, which is one of my ideal filofax qualities.

Here's what you see  when you first open her up:  I keep my student ID (grad school), a cute panda gift card, some sticky tabs, a modeS4U business card, some random gift cards, and some of my business cards are tucked in the long pocket.  On the clear flyleaf I've decorated it with some stickers--pandas (my favorite!!), sock monkeys, Bambi, Pooh Bear, etc.  The pink glitter behind it is just a piece of card I cut into a divider.

Moving on...I've got some cute colorful star stickers and the personal filofax organizer stickers.  I use the stars for blog posts and the organizer stickers for, well, what they're intended for.  You can also see my sheet where I keep up with my washi tape to see what I've bought.


For my diary, I use month to view and week to view in 2 pages per week, cotton cream.  I love the paper quality on the cotton cream.  I use stickers and stamps and washi tape to decorate the inside of my diary.  I love my Hello Kitty stamps!


I also keep a few A4 size sheets in my filofax for necessary purposes and I just fold and punch holes in these so they fit.  Easy as pie!



And finally (I do have other stuff in there but it's rather boring) I have a clear envelope in the back where I keep vouchers, receipts, tickets, stickers, everything.  Here is what is currently in the back pocket: neon arrows, Spongebob stickers, metallic star stickers, colored dots, a voucher for an Etsy seller, my ticket from Condoleezza Rice's speech at my university, and my Aerosmith/Cheap Trick ticket from last week (so much fun!!).



I hope you've enjoyed my little filofax tour!  Let me know in the comments what you thought and also any other posts you'd like to see.  I also have a YouTube channel that only has one or two non-filofax related videos on it now, so let me know if there are any videos you'd like to see, too!  Happy planning!
-Kristy

An Update...Blog Changes

So, I've had this wonderful blog for a while now--since June 6, 2010 to be exact. I've blogged about books, techie stuff, bags, journals, and other things. I've had lots of readers and met lots of great authors through my blogging experience. In that time I also started another blog--Southern Belle, City Style--about fashion, makeup and such. I've enjoyed that one quite a lot, too. I've met great people and done great interviews!

But after thinking about it for a while, I've decided to make some changes to this blog. I've grown and changed as a person, and I have new interests (ever changing, probably). I wanted to leave Southern Belle, City Style alone as it deals with specifics, but I gave some thought to changing Coffee & Literature up a bit. So, let's explain...

I'm one of those crazy folks obsessed with filofaxes, stationery, and the like. I love reading about them and watching YouTube videos about them. So, after much thought, I decided I wanted to blog and maybe video about them, too. But I was in a bit of a situation...I didn't know if I wanted to create a whole new blog dealing with filofaxes, planning, and such or if I wanted to change Coffee & Literature. I'd already done blogs on here about things other than books so I thought, well, I've already got this blog going and pay for the domain name and hosting and such, why not use it?

So, that's what I've decided to do. To those who liked my book reviews, I'll still be doing those periodically, but with my promotion (I'm now an Academic Dean) and going back to grad school (again, for an Ed.S. this time), I don't get to read too much, but I'll still try to do some every once in a while so keep watching.

So, to sum it all up, I've decided to make Coffee & Literature more of a personal blog where I do all sorts of posts about mainly filofaxes, stationery, & books with a little personal stuff thrown in. To really make it "personal" I've taken off all monetizing things and such, and I've deleted the facebook page for the blog. So now, I think I'm ready to blog again. I'll forewarn you, though, that I'm still keeping the whole "new blog" idea in the back of my mind, but I'll let everyone know before I do.

Happy reading & planning!

Filofax Planners

Like many bookish people, I'm all about writing things down in my own handwriting and organizing in my own handwriting.  Although I love my MacBook Pro, my iPhone, and pretty much any technology, I'm still one who likes to have a nice handwritten planner on me.  I've been using a Moleskine 18 month planner since it was easy to carry in my bag daily, but I really missed the different sections and pockets and things about my larger Franklin Covey leather planner.  I was at a loss.  That's when I discovered filofax!  As a part of the flickr group of What's in Your Bag?, I discovered this nifty little planner that a lot of European people who were members of that group had.  I'm all about all things European, so I went on a search for this planner and discovered that I could get them in the U.S. at some bookstores and online.  I chose the online way since the closest bookstore that sold them was about an hour away.  So, let me tell you about this sweet little discovery.

I chose the Personal sized Classic Cherry Filofax.  It is the perfect size to fit in all my bags, and it is easy to carry around with me at school.  It has all the bells and whistles of a Franklin Covey planner that I love, and a few more.  I will apologize in advance for the poor color on the photos.  I took them in a hurry and didn't get the lighting right using my phone.
You can see that the planner isn't too big, nor too little.  This is it on top of my 13" Macbook Pro keyboard.  You can also judge the size by looking at the pen I have with it.  It is the perfect size to fit in any bag.

One thing I love about filofax is that you can purchase an insert that has sticky notes & flags on it so you can flag important dates, times, etc. It costs $8 initially, but I think I can easily refill it with cheaper stuff once it runs out.

The flags really help me stay organized and know when something is coming up that I need to be aware of, such as when I've scheduled students' tests or when things are due.

The sticky notes also help me make notes to be able to move from week to week if needed.

You can also see the blank tabs behind this pic.  The planner came with tabs filled out, but I wanted to be able to make my own, so I ordered the blank tabs from filofax and I just need to fill them in with a permanent marker.  I'm planning on a notes section, to-do section (it came with to-do pages), a lists section, a books section (yay!), a websites section, and a miscellaneous section.  Those seem to be the sections that I will use the most so, hopefully they'll work.

Here's the last picture with you looking at the planner from the side.  It isn't too thick, nor too thin, and my favorite papermate pen fits perfectly.  I would have rather had an elastic pen loop, but the planner that I chose only had the leather one.  There are lots of planners to choose from, so I may end up getting another one so I can be flexible with which pen I want to bring.

All in all, this is a great planner for those of you who want to make sure you stay organized with everything.  I still use it and my iCal on my computer and phone.  That way I have a constant organizational tool with me. The final verdict on the filofax planner...Four stars (★★★★☆) because there are a few changes I'd make to the planner refills and possibly to the leather planner itself since I'm very partial to my franklin covey unstructured snap binder.  But if you want a great quality planner that will go anywhere with you, filofax is the way to go.