Why I love Filofax

There are actually more reasons of why I love Filofax, but their customer service is probably the first!

Thank you Filofax, and keep up taking care of your customers. We love to be pampered :)

And now for something completely different....

I received some very bad news yesterday that have left me quite depressed. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do to 'make it better'.

The only thing I can do is try not to think about it too much. I've been doing that by playing Borderlands on the pc for 10 hours straight yesterday, and today, by watching videos like these:

This is an ad for a jumbo sized dessert in Japan.

Nice to make your acquaintance, Clairefontaine!

This afternoon I convinced my boyfriend (F) to please please please go to the store with CF products after our shopping trip. He did suggest we go tomorrow, but after he saw my face and heard my lame excuse that the shop might be closed tomorrow and I wouldn't be able to wait until Monday, he realised it was better to get it over with as soon as possible.

Once inside the store, a typical valencian school supplies store, I had to ask the clerk if they actually had any CF/Rhodia products. He kindly proceeded to direct me towards three stands with them. He explained to me that they didn't carry much of "Rodilla" (in Spanish it sounds funny because it means knee) because it wasn't too popular. Nevertheless, they had 5 Rhodia pads, some 11's and some 12's, with an orange, leather-like cover.

Not too convinced by what I found, after all it is just a simple paper pad and rather expensive, I directed my eyes to the QuoVadis line. There was a modest selection of the Havana range and other notebooks, but what really caught my attention was a white notebook with the title "Memoriae-My Joys". It resembled the Moleskine, only the cover and elastic were white, the size 10cm by 15cm.

I looked for more of these since I wasn't too convinced with the colour, but it was the only 'My joys' themed Notebook.

On the third stand they had another line called "Dazzle Cover", fancy hard cover journals like the Paperblanks, except the paper seemed thinner. F suggested I should get one, since he knows how much I love PB's. But I didn't. The designs didn't quite convince me plus I already have a new PB waiting eagerly for my current PB to come to an end.

I stood there, not knowing what to do: they had no Webnotebook (didn't even know what it was) and the Rhodia blocs weren't cheap. So I did what anybody with a way of thinking like mine would do:

I bought the Rhodia Bloc nº11 for 5.50 €, the white Memoriae for 13.70€, and even threw in a clairefontaine Graf It 90g sketchbook for 1.20€!

Not that I needed any of these items, but.... they are pretty and make me feel all tingly inside :P!!

I will write my impressions on each of them later this week, once I've tested them!

It was a good idea for F to come with me, else I would've come back home with three J.Herbin ink bottles and new fountain pens, and some nice Pilots, and all that lovely crafts paper...

Excitement on Rhodia

Last week I wrote an email to Clairefontaine, asking where I could get the 90gr version of the Rhodia Webnotebook. They replied this week telling me that the 90gr version had only been sent out for tests in the US, and that it would be available here in Europe by February 2010!

Considering that the review I read on that particular item, made me salivate by describing how awesome the paper was for writing with a fountain pen, I started to look everywhere on-line for it, but could only find the current version: 80gr paper (not Clairefontaine paper). 

So I thought I would first try out a Rhodia pad or other product, but couldn't find any store where to get them. Luckily, the person who replied to me from Exaclair offered to give me the names of the stores that carried their products in my city.

So, this afternoon, after I eat my sammich, I'm going to check one of those stores and try not to come home empty-handed!

My boyfriend thinks I'm a geek :P

Filo templates

I am thinking of designing/making two types of inserts for my Filo:

1.) A version of Muji's Chronotebook.
One sheet per day, divided in a a.m. page and p.m. page. One circle in the middle and a single line on top for the date. I don't want to write the hours since I currently don't wake up early; thus shortening my morning to roughly 1-2 hours.
If I do make these, I must remember to position the AM & PM in the correct page; I want to be able to see a whole day spread in my Filo. (AM on left side, PM on the right).
I am aware that perhaps the pocket format is going to be too small for this, but I've been wanting to try this "chronotebook" ever since I found out about it. Unfortunately I can't buy it online from the EU site (boo for Muji).

2.) The other insert I had planned to design, occurred to me while daydreaming about the day we might finally leave this country and would have to go 'house hunting' in a new city: I call it the "House Hunter"!
A page or two with all the necessary details we would look for in our new home-to be. Things like pet policy/rules, number of bathrooms, carpeted floors, A/C-Heating, elevator, etc...
I was thinking of organising all data that can be answered by a simple yes/no into checkboxes, and then adding lines for other notes.
It should have a header with the address of the house/flat, the date and the price. (It has been all drawn nicely in my 'Blognotebook' :) ).
These inserts will help us find the right home for us, by recording all those details that one sometimes forgets or overlooks, and by helping us ask the right questions!

I still don't know when I will start working on these two types of inserts, although I have thought of trying out the chrono this december. Should I like it, I will then consider making either more inserts for Filo (if the size isn't an issue), or even make a notebook.
Regarding the "House Hunter", there is no hurry in working on it yet, since my significant other is still looking for a job overseas, and we don't even know where we'll be going yet.
I just hope is somewhere nice with awesome food and nice stationery stores!!

Blognotebook

Kitteh gunna eat dis grissini

This afternoon I created my own 'Blognotebook'. Basically a notebook where to write down all the ideas and suggestions I get for my blog entries when I'm not on the computer. Ironically, I usually get my inspiration when I'm away from my pc...
I made a basic coptic stitch notebook using three signatures I had already cut for future projects, and reused cardboard from a box of grissini .
The reason I made it so thin is because I want to try and see how this notebook works out for me. If I end up using all of it quickly and find myself in the need of another one, I shall make myself another one, even better.

First post

Introducing Filo
Originally uploaded by Onigiri-sama!

This is the first Filofax I ever owned. I only acquired it last year, but we've become inseparable! It is a pocket purple Finsbury. most of you already know him from the pictures in my flickr.