As most of you will know by now, my main Filofax in use was The Affair by Temperley for Filofax (until it's unfortunate demise, sob sob). The Affair isn't strictly a personal size Filofax, nor is it an A5 although the size does appear to be so - but more like a Compact-cum-A5 Flex.
Anyway, having used this for round about two months now, I've found it more of a relief than the Personal Finchley I had been using before. Yes, the rings are smaller, yes there are slots for Flex notebooks but I find the smaller rings liberating!
It's very tempting to cram a Filofax's rings to as full as possible - to lug around a whole 365 days' worth of diary pages, a whole load of blank lined inserts in case you needed to jot something down and also a load of reference sheets loaded with information you deem important and necessary to daily function. But do you really need those pages? The only reference pages I carry are the ones of my medical information such as my GP, his telephone number and my UCAS information - which is actually now defunct as my UCAS cycle has now ended and so I will be removing this in the next few weeks.
And did I really need the next 365 days in my Filofax? As it turns out, no, I didn't really - all I needed was really about three or four months from the current date in there. Any dates that came up after that could be written on a small post-it as these were few and far between for me. Obviously, I know this won't work for everyone but for me, this was another way to cut down what was in my rings in my Affair.
Finally, thoes blank pieces of paper. With a Flex notebook slot, I really didn't need these. I found that I usually used the blank paper for my 'Thriving on Less' minimalism project but this could all be moved to my Flex notebook instead.
Because I lightened the load of my Filofax considerably with the weight mainly dependant on what thickness Flex notebook I had in the Flex slot, I found that the weight of my bag also decreased; not to mention the fact that this helps me on my quest to be a minimalist. Next up - my bedroom and study area!
But now that I no longer have the Affair, I have to look for an alternative and at the moment, that is the Compact Osterley. And because the inserts are of the personal size, I don't have to invest in any new ones, winner! I'm also hoping that new Compact sized Filofaxes will be released in the near future
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| Credit: Pens and Leather |
Next step? To downsize even further to a Slimline!
Nahhh, just kidding. Downsizing into a compact was hard enough for me! (And it only made me even thirstier for a Compact but none of the current ones do it for me, unfortunately.)
I seem to have settled on approx. 35mm rings as pretty close to ideal for my needs. I only carry 2 months of daily pages (day on two pages) plus the coming 12 months in month on two pages. I have a good deal of reference info in my binder, plus project plans and lists. I keep it all sorted with A-Z index dividers. Now that I've upped to A5-equivalent page size, my contacts slimmed down nicely as I was able to fit almost twice as many on each page. I do review monthly and remove unneeded reference info or completed project notes, and discard or archive them away.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, 35mm rings?! You must have a lot of upper body strength to be able to hoist that around all day! Sounds like it works for you though :) I guess it's different for everyone; just for me personally, a Compact seems more ideal than 23mm rings as I tend to stuff that to the brim.
DeleteThat is a beautiful Filo - the leather pattern and the colour work so beautifully together.
ReplyDeleteI know! I'm hoping to head instore later this month to have a real stroke and figure out if I could ever see myself using it as my main Filo :) x
DeleteI also love the compact size but keep switching between pocket and compact. I love the personal sized inserts but sometimes even the compact can feel a bit bulky for me. Compact is definitely my maximum - mini is too small and personal is too big. I've got my first slimline on its way to me now!
ReplyDeleteYou finally got your Slimline, yay! Is a post coming soon? I'd love to see it!
DeleteNow that I've tried the Slimine, I can't wait to try the Compact.
Hi Doris! Yes I 'won' my first slimline on eBay yesterday, by 2p!!! Sooooo excited. I'll do a post when it arrives so keep your eyes open. And no surprise . . . it's NOT black! Yipee!
DeleteWhoa, which slimline did you order? I'm tempted to get a Slimline but don't know if it would work for me :) x
DeleteI managed to find a damson (purple) Adelphi in immaculate condition! Fingers crossed it is indeed immaculate and that I like it. Never used a slimline before so it was a bit of a gamble buying it online without ever seeing one. Keep an eye on my blog, I'll do a post soon. X
DeleteHaha, I was watching that for a while, so glad that you won it, can't wait to see it set up on your blog, i've been tempted by the pocket Adelphi in Damson!!
DeleteI've been in love with the idea of the compact Osterley, but I've yet to see and handle one (I can't find it anywhere in NYC). I'm not crazy about the finish that the pressed leather binders sport. I have a Topaz, so I'm familiar with it. The (+5yrs old) Topaz has aged nicely but it lacks the tactile comforts of other old, well-handled leather accessories. I have a Coach makeup pouch from about 15 yrs ago(!) that I hold and squish for comfort when I'm stressed out; it's my socially-acceptable security blanket. I have a 2-month old Traveler's Notebook that offers more (sensory) comfort than my Topaz. On the other hand, the Osterley is the only current Filofax style that really appeals to me. I've been on the fence since the model was first introduced.
ReplyDeleteAgainst my general trend of thinning out, I've lately been overstuffing my (personal) Filofax. I get a momentary (and false) sense of security/calm when I shove another sheet of paper (or entire tabbed section) in. And really, no Filofax is as pleasing thin as it is plump! -- oh yes, the allure of a compact to counteract the temptation of over-stuffing.
Yes I agree - I actually find my head is a lot clearer since using a compact, and keeping the contents very simple. With the personal, there was always the temptation to add lots of extra sections, and over-complicate my 'system' which I could never keep up with!
DeleteI'm on the fence with this Osterley model, just as you are M Ng :) Though, the more I look at pictures of it online, the more I want one!
DeleteNia - you might just have sold the Compact to me hehe, though which model, I'm unsure of atm as there is the Chameleon (bright colours) or the Osterley (more subdued but still elegant) that are fighting for my attention. The Chameleon is currently winning on the price front but the Osterley is winning on the style front. Hmmm, dilemma! x
The compacts are my favorite. I wish they made an A5 with compact rings. I hope they come out with more of them.
ReplyDeleteI've yet to try a compact and i'm longing after The Osterley too, but can I justify spending so much money when I don't even use all the filofax's i've got??
ReplyDeleteDespite moving into my A5 Malden, I must admit I'm tempted by a compact. I agree with other comments that it's easy to fill my filo up with stuff because I've got the space. However, it then feels hard to find what I'm looking for & then it's fat to carry around... Gotta love the zipped compact Malden :)
ReplyDelete