Dec 4, 2012

Shall I Name It The Balmorikat???




How can it be that only a couple of hours after reading THIS - THIS happened:


You know - in a hurry, in a store - and suddenly there was the whole bulk of cards in my hands when I opened the mini. Plus the ring mechanism itself! I swallowed hardly, already knowing what was going on, and just stuck it to the bottom of my bag. I didn't even want to look at it when I came back home.

After a couple of hours, however (probably when the steam got off my head?) I gathered the courage and did the autopsy anyway. And guess what I noticed?





The ring mechanism, despite being obviously broken off the metal in the spine of the binder, has small metal tags that match the place where they were broken off. Which means - yes, I can reattach them!!! :)
(And I guess I have finally gotten the clue as to how the Ikat conversion into a ringless clutch works...)


It works for now, the mechanism still holding on in there... Hm, let's see how it behaves in action, OK?
Please keep your fingers crossed, and I'll update you on it in a couple of days!


Nov 19, 2012

Pretty Little Things #15




Another idea by sweet Angela. It works wonders, being greeted by this in the foggy early morning! :)







Nov 13, 2012

Pretty Little Things #14







Japanese fried noodles in classic Yakisoba sauce. I could eat tons of them!









Nov 6, 2012

All Stars Guest Post: DEM From Thoughts & Exploration



I'm so happy to be able to publish such a lovely post - another round of Philofaxy All Stars Guest Posts! This time it's from Deborah, and as it's always with her, it's thoughts-provoking (and enabling!) post with her trademark brilliant-photos - you must check her beautiful, beautiful blog for more!

I’m really pleased to be a guest poster on Vanja’s lovely blog.  Thank you, Vanja!!  I enjoy reading this blog and decided to focus my post on an experiment that Vanja wrote about here.  The formula for falling in love…with a Filofax…so here goes!

Since discovering Filofax I’ve purchased a total of three Pocket Filofaxes – a spring green Chameleon, a grey Malden, and a brown Kendal.  I’ve sold all but the Kendal.  After reading the formula for falling in love I decided to apply that formula to the Kendal.

I moved into the Kendal a couple of weeks ago.  I was excited to pull it out of the box and actually start using it because the leather is just sooooo gorgeous!  Here he is along with his big brother:


How can you resist that leather???

This is the formula that I used during my two weeks:

FALLING IN LOVE = FREQUENCY OF ENCOUNTERS * PLEASANTNESS OF THEM.

I first stripped Kendal of his calendar.  I have to say that it was a bit of a wrestling match!  He just fought me all the way!  He didn’t want to stay open for me which was a bit frustrating.  I think it is fair to say that our relationship began on rocky footing.

Then I pulled out the wallet that I had been using – Saddleback Leather’s Big Wallet.  Take a gander at the difference in size!  As soon as I put these two together I started to worry.  How was I going to get everything from my Big Wallet into this FF?





 Just look at all the space in my Big Wallet!




After wrestling with Kendal I wasn’t about to give up so I squeezed things into him and ended up with this:



I placed 4-5 cards in the top open envelope.  The three card slots on the inside left fit two cards in each slot.  So it turns out that I was able to fit everything in but it was cramped.  I placed my loose change in the back zip pocket and my dollar bills in the back outside pocket.

I carried this handsome Filofax in my purse and took it everywhere with me for two whole weeks.  I had it in hand when enjoying a fall weekend day at the pumpkin patch with my family, I used it to pay for my wonderful husband’s birthday dinner, I had it with me each time I headed to Starbucks for my yummy coffee drinks, etc.  All things that brought me much pleasure...

But after two weeks of using this stud of a Filofax, he just couldn’t win my heart as a wallet, and unfortunately I don’t prefer the Pocket size as my planner; I’m a Personal-size kinda gal. 

So now what?  I’ve moved back into my Big Wallet and Kendal has been lovingly placed back into his box.  I fear that I won’t pull him out again. 

I’m seriously contemplating selling him to someone who will use him.  Is there any interest out there?  If so, feel free to contact me at thoughtsexploration@gmail.com.
 
The good thing is that at least I tried.  Now I won’t wonder whether or not I could learn to love and use a Pocket FF.  Thank you, Vanja for encouraging me to give it a try!

Deborah, thank you for sharing the experiment - and like I already told you, with a fine wallet like this, many popular Filofaxes would loose the match, I'm sure! SO it is obvious which one gave you more pleasant encounters so far! :)I hope you sell the Kendal soon and successfully!
 

Nov 5, 2012

Pretty Little Things #13




My beloved Yi Xing mugs - one for the Green Guardian and the other for the Long Jing. 
And they really do make the difference!!!







Nov 4, 2012

A Year!!!


Last year, on this day, my first post on this blog was published. The first post is now reverted to drafts for some reasons, but the rest is - still here! :)  

The thank you goes to you, all my readers, for your great support, for your company and for teaching me so much so far!  **


                                                    The picture is borrowed from here.






Oct 31, 2012

The Charmer



Malden was such a big news last year, it was starring the talks everywhere and everyone seemed to be bitten by the Malden Bug! Well, so was I.


I was looking for a treat for completing my Master's degree and the Vintage Pink Malden just came out. There were loads of different opinions on it, but for me it was exactly the colour that helped me decide - I already knew which model to get, but... Black? Too usual. Ochre? Too rough. Crimson? Red is so no me.
While Vintage Pink seemed warm and creamy and feminine and even still professional looking.

I ordered it online without seeing it in life first, and I loved the colour when it came. I set it up immediately and was using it faithfully. But it wasn't a good-for-Malden period of the year, you see: I just saw Imy's famous video on her Amazona and couldn't get it out of my mind.
So at last this lovely one went back into its box and far away into my stationery drawer. But I guess it was because of the pocket layout mostly - the binder just didn't seem comfortable enough.

Well, like I said... After having used Finchley in Teal through the springtime, Urban in Slate this summer and then the Aqua Chameleon later... I just so longed for the warm, creamy colour with autumn beginning! I was suspicious about the Malden, though, having known we just haven't bonded before.

But surprise, surprise - the chemistry was there immediately and all I did was transfer the contents directly into it! The funny thing is, now I cannot be without it! I even tried and teased myself by installing other binders, but I didn't even manage to stay with them for a day - back to my Malden it all went! :)

So in case you're interested or just like peeking into other people's planners as least as much as I do... here, let me give you a tour around it!

The front pockets are stuffed with various sticky notes - a vow to myself for this season: no dull stickies, please...:



My Diary is the first section and has no separate divider page; I just use the frosted ruler as a Today marker. Otherwise, only 4 tabs left: Me, Lists, Daughter and Info:


Off to my Diary section first!

Usually there are no blank spaces in my diary, odd... my planner pages tend to look as the right one in my Diary: 


I'm developing a Timetable, in which I'll incorporate all my repeating weekly routines - be it beauty, domestic, reading or whatever-wise; until I find the right setup, I have them written in pencil:



I also use a yearly fold-out planner for 2013 at the end of my Weekly diary.

My Me section is organized by top-tabs (oh, the photo is still form my previous Chameleon!) and these sub-sections are Blog, Finance, Journal and Life Organizer:



My Blog section: Ray&Steve's Month per view for keeping track of my blogposts:



And in that same section, to-do lists with blog ideas and Angela's too cute Blogpost planning inserts - I find them so helpful in managing my blog!



Finance section - track of my spending, saving and planned purchases:



My journal - I  now use the standard W2P with an occasional added ruled page, and transfer the whole lot into a stay-at-home journal occasionally:



Life Organizer's Mindful Questions: Something I've been back to completing obediently, having realized my life always turns out better when I do:




The next section which has added to the weight of my Malden significantly recently is the Lists section - I have so many new projects and plans and a list for practically anything! Filofax ideas, Ways of improving myself the current month, Wishlist, Reading List, Random tunes I love, Appartement decoration ideas, Best beauty buys - just name it, it's there! :)


And then the Info section (I omitted my daughter's one because it keeps her very personal info) contains my urban encyclopedia - bus schedules, web pages, contacts, cards...:



There. Can you imagine how chunky my organiser must be? Can you really imagine??? See this and weep! :)


And please don't yell at me about it, ok? :) And don't ask me how much it weighs, please, because I have actually weighted it and stood in shock staring at the scales - I take the news on my bodyweight much better! :)

But you must agree, it is soooo satisfactory when you pop your Filofax flat open and find the searched-for info immediately! :)


So, as you can tell, things are going on harmoniously for me planner-wise and it's nice to be calm and comfortable finally (my apologies to those who face major planner fail recently, I know there are quite a few of you out there!).

Now, the only dark cloud I see approaching is this:




Yes, the colour started to peel of, and I even don't abuse my Filofaxes badly (ok, apart from stuffing them mercilessly full)!!! It came off like this in just 2 weeks time of use and as I write, the peeled-off areas appeared on the corners and borders of the cover, too. I haven't heard of this happening to Maldens out there... 
Have you ever heard of this? 
What do I do? 





Oct 29, 2012

Pretty Little Things #12




A brand new, totally divine treat from LUSH!






Oct 26, 2012

A Child In Me: Artbox Delivery!



I'm not into Kawaii stationery that much. I already said that it has to be from years of being a Morning Glory devotee.

But recently the playful part of me started to counterfeit the sober one. It probably has to do with infamous foggy days here, too, that begin with the end of October and last till February!!!
And, without a doubt, with much enabling help from lovely Angela who polished the art of Lady-With-A-Hint-Of-Kawaii to perfection!

I simply longed for a bit of cheerfulness and design in otherwise quite simple ways of my planner. So here's my little Artbox delivery:







 Notepads have two different designs of paper. Great for my to-dos!




 Sticky notes.


And finally some stickers:
 Don't you just love this heavy-weight champion??

The one showing his back looks just like my daughter in her payjamas! :)


I hope it cheered you up, too!
xx



Oct 25, 2012

Anniversary Of A Different Kind



Late in the evening.
"Honey, go to sleep; it's late and, besides, tomorrow will be a very special day."
"What will be, then?"
"Tomorrow the last soldier will leave Slovenia."

I looked in disbelief. They said that so many times, they promised it so many times, and yet they were still here. I didn't see or meet any, but I wasn't feeling safe. I knew there were a lot of them and that they could decide and start the war anytime again if they liked.
"How do you know that?"
"They told it in the news and this time it's for real, trust me. You will hear the sirens go off tomorrow when the last one goes on the ship that will take them away and you'll know it's for sure."

"Mum, I so wish they were really gone, I have this bad feeling knowing they're still here."
"Me too, honey, so let's just hope for the best, OK?"


This conversation between my mum and me was taking place on October 24th, 1991.
I was 12.

The next day the sirens really did go off and I blinked back the tears and swallowed hardly: I dreaded this sound for months now. But that day it was the best sound ever, the one I was waiting for: the last ex-Yugoslav Army soldier went on the ship. I was full of hope the fear I felt that summer will go with them, go for good.

Because there were sound alarms waking me up in the morning, warning us from the enemy airplanes.
Because there were news of shooting and dead people nearby - I lived only a few kilometres from Austrian border and the Yugoslav Army wanted to block the outer borders of Slovenia.
Because my mum had to go on duty straight to the line of fire - she was a nurse.
Because my dad had to stay at work - he was an engineer at the factory that produced parts which army could use for their vehicles; they had to be there to prevent army from taking the factory over.
Because I watched my grandma accept the news that her youngest son is in fights on the other part of the country: she was born in 1920, she has been through the turmoil of the whole century, and then in her 70's she had to experience that...
Because I was left alone with my 6-year-old sister and my grandparents, not knowing if I'll see my parents again or how will I prevent from anything bad happening to my family.
Because my dad built a safe room in the basement and we had to hide there everytime the sirens went off.
(I cannot tell you how the sound of such alarm feels like. It's like your chest will collapse into itself. I cannot tell you how it's like to be hiding in the basement, fearing for life, either.)
Because noone knew what will happen next.

The war in Slovenia was only 10 days long. We were lucky. We were so lucky, you all know what happened only months later in Croatia and Bosnia. And that wars are still going on in the world.

So I shudder when some speak about it mockingly nowadays ("a mini war", I often hear).
Because what I felt back then was for real.

Luckily, it's 21 years later today. And October 25th is a very special day indeed.

Today my prayers go to those who are still waiting for the sirens to signal the departure of the last enemy soldier.

Koper, 26. 10. 1991 - Zadnji vojak s svojo opremo zapušča ozemlje Slovenije, za njim stoji slovenski policist v Luki Koper