Showing posts with label midori travelers notebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label midori travelers notebook. Show all posts

Introducing my new Filofax setup – The Original in patent fuchsia



The start of a new project is always the perfect excuse to experiment with a new Filofax planner – introducing my new Filofax, The Original in patent fuchsia.


My new Filofax – The Original (in patent fuchsia)


I've had this Filofax for a while but I only used it for about a month. 

The truth is that I've been struggling to appreciate all of my Filofaxes since discovering the Midori Traveler's Notebook. 

There is something about Midori's simple design and the raw nature of the leather that I find really appealing. I fell utterly in love with my TN, and now my Filofaxes just haven't seemed to do it for me.

However, I do feel that Filofaxes are more practical when it comes to project planning because of the rings. So I've decided to move into one now. Yes, I have an exciting project in the works :)

I'm using this patent fuchsia Original Filofax because it's fun and exciting for my new project. I'm not normally a 'pink' person, but this is a darker shade of pink that  find quite appealing, and I think the black/charcoal-coloured leather interior helps to give it a cool edgy feel – not too girly.

It's a personal-sized planner, which I think will be great for getting started with my new project.





Filofax personalisation


Many people like to fill their planners with lots of pretty things. I'm not really one of these people. 

I felt a bit overwhelmed when I was browsing Youtube earlier and saw just how amazing some women's Filofaxes have grown to be! I've been disengaged with the Filofax community for about a year since I started focusing entirely on my Traveler's Notebook. 

I'm going for a more simple (boring) interior design than a decorated one though. It'll help me to focus on what is important so that I can use my planner effectively – to plan!





The only decorative things I have in the planner at the moment are a couple of business cards, but they are related to my new project.

I also have a silver 'Z' bookmark at the front, which is decorative but also functional. I'll probably use to clip in notes that need my immediate attention. It's a very old bookmark that I got from Waterstones many years ago - I think they still do them.


More about my Current Filofax setup...


I'm not bothering with dividers. I'm not really into those. I feel they take up too much space and I always end up ignoring the sections anyway. I tend to feel more disorganised if they're in there without a use than if I didn't have them at all, which is just one of those odd things. 

Instead I'm using little silver metal petal bookmarks, also from Waterstones. At the moment they are not marking anything in particular so I have slid them onto the elastic at the front. 

I'm using two Filofax clear rulers as dividers. The first is to mark where I am in my diary, and the second is to mark where all my paper is – I have a selection of blank, lined and squared paper ready for use.






The diary section is homemade. I'm just drawing up each month as I go with a week on one page and then a blank page on the opposite side. It's inspired by the Moleskine diary design that I've always enjoyed using.

The way I use the weekly diary is that I plan and record daily tasks in the week on one page, and the blank page on the opposite side is used for notes, reflections and plans for the week ahead. I'll probably clip to do lists on that side during the week too.

I used this system before in my A5 and found it a really great way to keep tabs on everything I was doing towards my freelance writing business. Sometimes when you are self-employed you can feel like you aren't getting anywhere. But if you can go back over your diary and see a record of what you've achieved throughout the week and month, it's easier to see and evaluate progress.

I've also hole-punched and popped in a little envelope at the back for any receipts and expenses.






That's it really. I'm sure that the system I'm using will develop the more I get into it, and I'll try to keep you updated with videos and blogs. 

Thanks for reading. Please scroll down and leave your comments, as always I love to read and respond!






See you in the next post!



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How I'm combining my new slimline Filofax with my Midori Traveler's Notebook.



If you're struggling to choose between a Filofax or ring-bound planner and a Traveler's Notebook keep reading to find out how I combine the two systems by using a slimline Filofax ...


What I use my Traveler's Notebook for


My main use of my Midori Traveler's Notebook is a journal. It is essentially a brain dump of all the things I have going on in my head.

Sometimes I journal about my thoughts, feelings and experiences in a deep and reflective way, but a lot of the time I just write about mundane things like what I did today and who annoyed me.

My journal is like my best friend, only better. I go to it for non-judgmental consolation. It helps me to organise my thoughts, understand myself better and live a happier and more productive life. 

Because Traveler's Notebook covers can carry more than one notebook, I also have notebooks in there to jot down creative ideas for stories, characters, scenes and creative projects, because I'm a writer. I like to make lists and doodle too.


Why I swapped my Filofax for a TN


When I discovered the Midori Traveler's Notebook I abandoned all of my Filofaxes because I felt that my attention was too divided, and that my Filofaxes were preventing me from bonding with my gorgeous new leather TN notebook. 

The main appeal of the Midori for me is that it is a very personal possession which will grow with me, gaining more and more personality as I handle leather, acquiring all the wonderful nicks and marks that make TNs  so unique.

I wanted to use my Midori exclusively, so I sold most of my Filofaxes and designed a weekly planner in one of the Midori Notebook Refills instead. This was a mistake by the way – NEVER sell all of your Filofaxes, you WILL regret it eventually. Just store them away somewhere safe.

After a while I found that whilst bound notebooks are perfect for journaling, sketching, scrapbooking and jotting things down due to the chronological nature and subsequently more 'permanent' vibe, I really missed the 'organisational' aspect of having rings and being able to move things around as I planned my weekly schedule and daily tasks.

The problem I faced was that I didn't necessarily want to carry my Midori Traveler's Notebook AND a bulky Filofax - if you are a lover of the Filofax you'll know exactly how bulky and cumbersome they tend to get! 

I needed a Filofax that was discrete enough to complement my TN and create a perfect and complete portable system.


How I solved my problem by combining a slimline Filofax with a TN


The main problem was that while I wanted the use of a Filofax 'ring-bound' system for my everyday planning, I didn't want to start using a Filofax that would end up stuffed and take over from my TN. 

I was lucky enough to find the perfect solution on Ebay ...

I discovered (and won the bid, so it was obviously meant to be) the slimmest and most discrete Filofax I have ever seen in my life. 

It is an old vintage Filofax so it doesn't have the model name or type embossed on it, but it does have the 'f' symbol embossed on the side and 'Filofax, Made in England, Real Calf' printed in gold inside the back cover. So it's definitely a Filofax!

It is really good quality, durable black grainy leather with a slight sheen, and the rings are SO dinky because it's a 'slimline' – about 1 cm.

It sits perfectly on top of my Midori Traveler's Notebook and I have bound them together with a large clip that also acts as a pen holder. 


Why this Filofax/TN setup is so great

 
I love the flexibility and organisational aspect of being able to use the ring-bound system of the Filofax planner to move inserts around when I am doing my daily, weekly and monthly planning.

I also love the fixed chronology and sense of permanency I get from the TN with bound notebooks for journalling, doodling, sketching etc. 

I had toyed with the idea of trying to find a way to attach rings to the inside of the Midori, and I know that this has been done with Filofax Flex notebook binders, but I couldn't bring myself to go that far. I knew that I needed a Filofax that I would be happy carrying alongside my Midori, and this slimline fits the bill perfectly.


What is it like to have tiny rings in a Filofax?


Normally I would definitely NOT be able to deal with having such tiny rings in a Filofax, especially if I were using the Filofax as my main organiser – I like to really stuff them! So you may be wondering how I am dealing with such tiny rings. 

The truth is that they force me to use the Filofax specifically for what I intended – a day-to-day planner for the here-and-now. The small rings encourage me not to carry around a load of inserts that I'm not really using on a daily basis. 

I used to carry a whole year's worth of diary planning inserts, plus extra paper, and it just wasn't necessary. It actually made me feel less productive because my Filofax became less focused and less organised. As a result I felt increasingly overwhelmed.

Now I reserve my Midori TN for all of the creative stuff, and I use the FF ring-bound system purely for planning. 

I really do love the tiny rings. Because the appeal of the slimline Filofax is its portability and slim profile there is no desire to stuff it. When there is too much paper in there it starts to become more difficult and less enjoyable to physically use, so you have no choice but to take a few sheets out so that the pages can move more freely again.  

This is a good reminder of when it's time to declutter. I regularly re-evaluate what I really need, taking out inserts that are no longer useful. 

This minimal set-up is helping me to stay more focused and I have a much clearer idea of what I need to do next, which means I don't feel as stressed. 

I design my own inserts and only draw up a month or two at a time. I intend to remove and archive the months as I go.

I have to say there is something very satisfying about minimalism, and only using what you need.




I hope that you have enjoyed reading about my new Filofax and TN combined setup, and that it has inspired you to think about how you use your own planning and journaling tools.

As always, please head down to the comments section and leave your thoughts, I love to read and respond to all comments!

Intrigued by what it looks like to use these two beauties together? Watch my video where I show you my secret trick to help them both together.



See you in the next post!


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What do you use your Midori Traveler's Notebook for?

Feel free to pin or share this image with a link back to the blog, thanks.


If you are anything like me, then you probably get great pleasure out of finding out how other people use their Midori Traveler's Notebooks. So I have decided to share with you a few ideas...


The GREAT thing about Midori Traveler's Notebooks...


...is that you can refill them with notebook refills that are cheap to buy and easy to make yourself. 

If you make your own you can make your notebook refills with any number of pages to suit your individual needs. The less pages you decide to have in each notebook refill, the more refills you can fit into your TN and the quicker you can get through each notebook – which personally I find quite satisfying :) 

It's also convenient if you're still getting used to your Midori TN, and you're still not entirely sure how you want to use it. You can try out different refill designs for a short time without feeling anxious about waste.


TN refill ideas


There must be an infinite number of ways you can use your TN refills. 

You can get so many ideas just by browsing other people's blogs, chatting to other Midori Traveler's Notebook users on Facebook, or just thinking about your personal interests and looking at stationery online. 

Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing ...


Dream journal 


If you're a vivid dreamer, recording your dreams might be a fun way of looking into your subconscious and working through desires and fears.

If you keep your Midori, Traveler's Notebook by your bedside, when you wake up first thing in the morning you'll be able to quickly recall details of your dreams and record them. 

This can assist a very interesting and personal journey. You should try it! 

It might also help you to develop an emotional connection or relationship with your journal, which is what all of us Midori fans strive to do through personalisation.


Doodle book 


If you like to let your pen wander aimlessly across the backs of envelopes when you are on the phone, maybe you should consider keeping a doodle book. 

Who knows, each page could turn into wonderful abstract pieces of art!

Doodling is also a wonderful mindful exercise that can help you to unwind.


Brainstorming pad 


Everybody has a preferred way of taking notes to remind themselves of ideas for shopping lists, blog posts and other things. 

Why not try brainstorming as a free and visual way of generating ideas? 

Dedicate a notebook refill to your brainstorming– it'll encourage you to use this open form of note-taking and reap the rewards. 

The best thing about brainstorms is that it is easy to add onto your ideas any time, linking ideas together and seeing where you end up!

TIP: Use your notebook horizontally for more space!


Stamp or sticker collection


People who like to collect things things might enjoy dedicating a TN notebook refill to collecting, say stamps, stickers, receipts, lists ... it's up to you!


Recipes ideas 


How about a notebook dedicated to yummy recipes? 

It can accompany you to the supermarket when you go, and then you can take it out to make space for something else when you know you won't be doing any shopping!

What inventive ways do you use your Midori Traveler's Notebook refills? Tell me in the comments below ...


See you in the next post!









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I Found a New Zipper Pocket Insert for my Midori Traveler's Notebook!



Who needs the original Midori Traveler's Notebook zipper pocket refill when you can just go to your favourite stationery store and find exciting alternatives?

I think I must have just got lucky though. I was browsing the sale section in the flagship Paperchase store in London the other day, and I came across these fabulous traveler's notebooks with plastic zipper pocket covers. I think I paid something like £3 – can you believe it? Maybe I should go back and get more! Who wants one?


What's so great about them?


Well, they fit in my Midori Traveler's Notebook for starters!

They're not a perfect fit, but it definitely works. The zipper pocket bit is slightly wider than the rest of the notebook so it sticks out the side of my Midori slightly. 

But that doesn't bother me, especially when I put the insert into the middle of my Midori so that it doesn't interfere with my pen loop which is stuck to the inside of the back leather cover.




The front inside-left has two long full-length slots and a cool card slot that flips out to the side. 

I suppose now that I think about it, you could actually use it like a page marker to mark where you are at in the notebook!




The back-right has the full length zipper pocket (see picture with ruler below), and on the inside it has various card slots and sticky label slots, plus one full-length slot which I have shown with my ruler again further down.







The whole plastic cover can be used by itself or you can use it like a notebook cover protector. 

Unfortunately the Midori Traveler's Notebook refills are ever so slightly too long height-wise to slip into the cover without the card warping, but only by about a millimetre, so you could just trim the refill cover and then it would slip in easily. 

In all honesty though, you don't need to slip the refill covers into the actual plastic because the notebook is held in place with the Midori elastics anyway.

The cover is a clear and shiny plastic, which means it is fairly sturdy and not floppy. It has a cloud pattern printed on it which I think is rather cute. This means that the colour or design on your refill notebook cover will show through. 

The notebook it comes with has mint green vertical stripes and then coloured stripes going across horizontally with an aeroplane design to show it is intended as a travel journal.






Here is a picture of my beloved brown Midori Traveler's Notebook with the new zipper pocket notebook inserted. 

You can see it does show a little bit at the side, but if you like your Midori stuffed and groaning with goodies then you probably won't mind things sticking out.






I'm currently using the inside front slots to house my favourite stickers for quick and easy access, and I will probably use the zipper pocket at the back to store loose bits of paper, receipts... you know, that sort of thing :)







See you in the next post!

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Midori Traveler's Notebook & Filofax video




This is a rather sleepy video of me showing off my Midori Traveler's Notebook...

Why? Well because I keep meaning to do more videos, and I keep putting it off. But last night, I wasn't having much luck getting to sleep, so I bit the bullet and this was the result. 

I think I will wait until I look a little bit more presentable for the next one though! Sporting a bit of a bedhead.


WATCH THE VIDEO HERE



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Swapping my personal Filofax for a Midori Traveler's Notebook




The appeal of a Midori Traveler's Notebook is the raw and rustic, non-pretentious, gritty realness of it. There's something incredibly honest and humble about a traditional leather notebook cover – it kind of feels like another limb, another part of me – and the more I use it, the more battered and beautiful it becomes.


There's something about a tatty old journal that has lived with you through the good times and the tears that makes them really personal. 

My old journals are all dog-eared and warped having acquired that 'used' look over time. So I knew I was going to fall for a Midori Traveler's Notebook the moment I discovered them.

The thing I love about the Midori is that you can refill it. This means you can have the joy of watching a leather journal age with you, but also enjoy a brand new notebook refill every other month or however often you use it. 

This is perfect because I love old and tatty but I also get excited by a crisp new notebook.

My dilemma is that I am a dedicated Filofax Lover, and I have a blog all about Filofaxes!


How I use a Midori and an A5 Filofax together


Surely there's no need to give up my Filofax system completely though? 

My beautiful A5 Aqua Chameleon Filofax can remain as my 'work' organiser. It's already set up and works well. Plus, because it's big and heavy I keep it at home where I work.

My new TN has more portability so I have decided to use it as my everyday non-work-related planner, journal and sketchbook all rolled into one.






The one ongoing issue I've felt when using a Filofax is the feeling that nothing is fully permanent. 

I think this is because I know that anything can be taken out, replaced, re-ordered etc. While that obviously has its benefits, I've always missed the more permanent nature of a bound notebook, which is why I usually have a separate notebook as my personal journal for thoughts and reflections.

It's is something I can bend on its spine, snuggle up in a chair and get comfortable with, and secretly share all of the thoughts inside my head. 

In a similar way to the Flex by Filofax, the Midori Traveler's Notebook gives me the opportunity to use bound notebook refills and go back to taking a pride in the marks I make on the page because I know they'll be kept forever. And because there is the capacity to use more than one notebook in the same cover it'll be easy to have a journal, a diary and a sketchbook together.

I love seeing how other people personalise the diary pages of their Filofaxes, but I have never really enjoyed decorating pages in a Filofax in the same way that I have enjoyed expressing myself creatively on the bound pages of a notebook ...

...so I'm looking forward to seeing how my everyday personal planner evolves creatively into something that I can enjoy looking back on over the years to remember what was going on in my life at different times.


My Midori Traveler's Notebook setup


Don't ask me how I did it but I managed to fit FOUR refill notebooks into my new leather Midori binder. Yes it's fat n' gorgeous, but still easy to carry around with me.

I love the Midori refill system, it's so simple and clever. The Leather binder comes with a doubled piece of elastic attached to its spine so that you have two pieces of elastic to slip two notebooks through and carry in the leather binder - but you also have the option of doubling-up! 

To do this you get two notebook refills and attach them together by fitting an elastic band down the spine in the centre of the two notebooks so that they are held together. You could just fit the covers of each notebook together with the elastic, but if you do it down the centre they stay together better. 

Then you open them up so that you have one notebook on each side, held together in the middle by the elastic and slip them through one of the elastics attached to the Leather binder. So now you have two notebooks in the binder and part of the doubled-up elastic for two more to be fitted in the same way. 

There are different ways to do it though, that's just mine. I don't know if it makes any sense... I should have included a diagram. 

Anyway... of the four notebook refills in my Midori, one is my personal journal...






As you can see I have many thoughts and I am already into a second refill! 

I like to decorate my journal refills with lots of cuttings from magazines and stickers. I like personalise each one for they all feel different with their own personality. They are like a reflection of who I was at different times in my life. 

It'll be interesting in years to come to look back through my Midori refills to see how much I have changed. I love looking back through old journals. 

In the front of the journal refill I made my own little slip-pocket for my stickers ...






In the back of the journal I stuck an envelope, which is really useful for slipping loose bits of papers in and receipts. 

Also I do this cool thing now when I come to the end of a journal – I like to write myself a little letter as a sort of reflection on the past few weeks. I write about what I think I've learnt, things I want to remember and thoughts or prompts for the future. Just a few things I might find interesting to read back over one day.






I also like to create lots of secret pockets, because they're useful and they make things feel even more personal. So when I tape the envelope to the back of the refill, I only tape the top and bottom, so that I have an extra secret pocket behind the envelope - cool huh?

You can pretty much do this to all your refills and have secret pockets all over the place.

I decided to make my own diary because I like the layout of the Moleskine Diary with a week-on-one-page and the opposite side blank for notes. 

Yes it took a while to draw it all up, but I managed to fit six months in, so I'm sorted until Christmas just about. I filled in each page of the TN refill by hand with a ruler and pen.






I use this refill book as my daily planner in the same way I'd normally have used my everyday Personal Filofax. I love the scrapbook-feel of it. I know that I can't move things around like in my Filofax, but I like the fact that I can stick things in and clip notes here and there with paper-clips to create a kind of organised chaos that only I can decipher.

I also have an artist's sketchbook refill with thicker cartridge paper for sketching and using my watercolours, and an extra home-made refill book at the very back that I just use for scribbling and doodling in.

I find it very easy to section the Midori as a whole. I have a silver leaf pendant attached to the original Midori  string page-marker which I use to mark my place in my personal journal section, and a pink metal bookmark clip from Paperchase that I use to get to my 'Today' page in the planner section. 

That's all I really need, but I do use little silver petal page-marker clips from Waterstones to mark out sections I use regularly like my Artist's sketchbook and general notes section.

I have to say that my Midori has a wonderful way of opening up onto the page I need when I need it.






And that is that! I hope you have enjoy reading my ramblings. Leave your thoughts in the comments, I'd love to read them.


See you in the next post!


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Unboxing: My new Midori Traveler's Notebook arrives



When you fall in head over heels in love – nothing will stand in your way. No, nothing... Not even a fifty quid price tag! 


I discovered the Midori Traveler's Notebook months ago, and no matter how much I tried to push it to the back of my mind, I knew there would come a day when I would, loaded with guilt, dip my hand into my virtual pocket and part with fifty quid for this slice of leather, some elastic and an over-priced paper notebook refill. It was inevitable.

Last week I had enough of the self-torture. I'd justified it to myself in every way shape and form – for weeks! It was too late for any more consideration. I hit the purchase button ...






It arrived in a matter of days. 

I was so nervous in case it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I've spent many evenings ogling pictures online, and I knew it would arrive in brand spanking new condition, and that the leather would improve the more I use it because that is what attracts so many people to the Midori Traveler's Notebook. So I was preparing myself to initially be a bit disappointed at the newness.

I opened the package and I was very pleased with the simple cardboard container, I knew I'd put that to good use with it's cute elastic band. 

I was equally pleased with the thin canvas pouch that was revealed next when I opened the cardboard packaging up. I took the Journal out of the pouch and this is what it looked like ...






I was prepared for this. I knew about the natural animal fat that would be present on the leather, and I was actually quite relieved to see it, because it showed the product's authenticity. 

How exciting! 

It was very easy to wipe it off with a soft cloth, and the leather underneath was exquisitely... and I don't know what other word to use except... divine! It is velvet black and I am completely in love.

The Leather Journal cover came with one plain notebook insert, extra elastic, and a smell that reminds me of my dad who used to own a small leather factory. 

I felt immediately connected to the journal, and I have a feeling that my Filofaxes have some stiff competition!

You will be hearing a lot more about this little beauty, trust me.


See you in the next post!



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