These you can put on your computer desktop to inspire you or print out and stick into your weight loss Filofax. As well as being inspiring it will distract you from food and keep your fingers busy if you do it when you feel a nibble coming on.

I was absolutely floored today to discover I had been nominated on Philofaxy for the Best All Rounder for my blog and Facebook contributions.  I was flabbergasted because I never imagine people actually reading my blog. I write about things I love and it is strange to think other people enjoy reading about my passions. Regarding the Facebook Group, I really love being around other Filofax users.

If you haven’t voted yet, pop on over to this post and do so. I am not going to campaign for myself (I would make a terrible politician) but just say thank you so much to whoever nominated me and good luck to all the nominees!

I have always loved navy blue and deep green. But when it comes to clothing and accessories they have always seemed like the ‘poor relations’. Hard to find and don’t have the status of black and red. I have often wished that there were more Filofaxes available in navy blue and green.

This post is dedicated to green binders – look how beautiful they are! Soothing, classic, stylish…

Karen Lee’s Green Filofax Original

Karen Lee’s Green Gillio Planner

Karen Lee’s Green Original Filofax

Karen Lee’s Green Gillio planner

Karen Lee’s Green Gillio planner

Karen Lee’s Green Gillio planner

Green binder by Kikosattic on Etsy

Green binder by Kikosattic on Etsy

Green binder by Kikosattic on Etsy

Green binder by Kikosattic on Etsy

Green binder by Kikosattic on Etsy

Pictures of Bromley from Filofax website

At the moment I am using a Rizzo wallet, which is the best one I have ever had. I often buy two of something if I like it but in this case I didn’t and they don’t make them anymore. So have been searching for a replacement for it for quite a while. I like it because it has lots of card slots. In Sweden you have to carry ID at all times, I have various bank and loyalty cards and four pass-cards to various buildings I work in.

My battered Rizzo wallet

In the Filofax shop in Conduit Street London I found my replacement at half price on sale. The leather is soft and smooth yet sturdy and will age well. There are places for several different currencies, a pen loop and it is trifold. On the back are four more slots for papers you need at hand. It is snug so nothing falls out and there are different depths to the pockets so that it can fit anything from a business card to a boarding card. A passport fits perfectly.

When I decided to get it, I was given NOT a shelf copy, but one that had never been touched – in a beautiful box with all the padding and protective thin cards to keep it pristine. It was reduced from £70 to £35.

Filofax shop, Conduit Street in London. Photo used with permission of Paula from Roses in December

I love jewellery, beauty products, stationery and jeans, so whenever I go anywhere those are the things I make a beeline for first. I was in the UK last week and got my fix of everything I love.

For stationery I went to the Filofax shop in Conduit Street, and the one in Covent Garden (which is now, sadly, all boarded up, having closed about a year ago), Paperchase in Tottenham Court Road and Artbox in Covent Garden. I stopped at every Filofax, Aspinal and Smythson concession in the big department stores. I also went to Kate Spade in Covent Garden.

My favourite of all was the Filofax shop in Conduit Street – they had a really nice sale on with gorgeous binders for up to 70% off. There were so many Maldens on sale for half price it was all I could do to stop myself buying a few. But nope, I stuck to my Bromley Travel Wallet and the Pocket Amethyst Deco. I also bought 2013 and 2014 Time Management inserts. The range of inserts available at the Filofax shop was amazing and the sales assistants were marvelous – patient, knowledgeable and let you inspect the rings and the leather before you buy.

At the Kate Spade shop in Covent Garden I found they don’t carry organisers anymore. Because they did not receive 2014 inserts they sent all their binders to the Bicester Outlet. Not sure when that was but it may be worthwhile giving them a ring if you are after a cheap Kate Spade Binder.  Here are the contact details 

Paperchase had lovely own-brand organizers – I was particularly enamoured of the turquoise tooled leather A5 and a Butterfly personal. I sped very quickly into and out of Aspinal and Smythson because I usually only buy on sale and everything was full price. I went into Muji to buy a rubber (the last of the big spenders, thats me!) but didn’t look further as there a fairly big Muji in Sweden.

The Filofax Range at Selfridges is pretty small. When I was in Peter Jones in Sloane Square there was a young guy looking for a Filofax. They were all full price and the selection was abysmal. While the assistant went off to find out the names of the different binders for him, I told him that there was a sale at Conduit Street and he mapped it and was on his way there by the time the assistant came back.  I really hope he found a nice one!

There is a lovely italian stationery shop at the Picadilly Circus end of Regent Street – I went in but shot out pretty quickly because their leather journals and beautiful pens were making me drool. Also at that end is The Pen Shop. 

Photo used with the permission of Paula from Roses in December. Me on the left and Christa on the right. My A5 Gillio is peeping out of my bag in this shot. I also took my Personal Ebony Deco

I was so happy to be in London at the same time as a mini-meet was happening. At noon on Saturday 20th July, I met Paula from Roses in December and Christa from Organised Heaven at Vapianos just off Oxford Street. Vapianos have a really nice ordering system which allows you to be billed and paid individually so it is perfect for large groups and meet-ups. The food is also lovely – Paula and I had pizza and Christa had pasta (which looked and smelled delicious). There are quite a few Vapianos in Stockholm but I have never eaten there – after my experience in London I will definitely visit one soon.

It was so nice to put faces to the names and chat about Filofaxes. Paula brought a personal pink Classic and Christa brought an A5 pink Classic. I felt them (the Filofaxes that is) and squeezed them and the leather was so soft and smooth yet slightly puffy and hardy. I don’t have any Classics but I have always wanted one – ever since I just missed out on a cream one on sale a few years ago. Both of them had their Filofaxes beautifully decorated and organized. Each of us at some stage in the meeting opened up our binders and made notes – it was nice to see because the people I usually spend time with don’t do that and often tease me about my lists and notes. I saw my first ever washi tape and could ask some questions about how to use it. Paula had a brilliant way of using an envelope to hold papers and receipts which I am going to try that soon. My Filofax is always very plain so it was inspiring for me to see Filofaxes that are so pretty as well as functional. I am one of those people who can recognise beautiful things but not create them but I have been so inspired after seeing Paula’s and Christa’s beautiful dividers and stamped inserts that I may try and make some myself.

After lunch we walked to the Filofax Shop in Conduit Street where we spent a while browsing. I normally like going straight into a shop, finding what I want, paying for it and leaving. I am not a browser – unless it is Filofaxes and then I like to spend ages just looking. We each bought something and Paula and I picked up their catalogue which is very nicely written this year – they have a nice fold-out chart at the back showing prices, colours, sizes and so on. The nice thing about this shop is that it is all about Filofaxes – so everyone in there has Filofax on their minds one way or another. I liked watching the other foreign visitors trying to choose between different models and asking other customers what they thought. Each customer was really keen and helpful about which ones they would choose.

Christa (left) and Paula (right) deep in Filo-conversation. Both had spotty bags which I fell in love with.

Below is a list of clickable links to my different Filofaxes. If you are interested in a review or how they look on the inside, just click the relevant link below.

• A5 Metropol in black
• Personal Mode in Aqua
• A5 Bronze Domino Snake
• A5 Grey Malden
• A5 Brown Kendal
• A5 Brown Amazona
• Personal Brown Belmont
• A5 Cinnamon Siena
• A5 Orange Finsbury
• Mini Teal Baroque
• Personal Ebony Deco
• Pocket Amethyst Deco
• Personal Red Lizard
• Compact Violet Temperley
• A5 Epoca Gold Mia Cara Gillio
• Agenda Oak Mulberry
• Personal Camel Savannah
• Black Slimline Eton
• Black Bromley Travel Wallet
• A5 Pink Classic
• A5 Aqua Malden

This is a black slimline Eton. Also bought as a present for a male friend. Lovely soft lambskin with a gunmetal popper on the front and a nice pocket constellation on the inside. It has no flap closure but as far as I know none of the Slimlines do (if you can think of one which does, please let me know). It is very soft to the touch and I can see why this had a very high price (I bought it on sale).

My plan is to set it up complete with inserts but he will have to choose between the camel Savannah or the black Eton. Whichever one he does not take I will probably sell.

This was a question asked in the Philofaxy Facebook Group recently.

So, how many Filofaxes do I have? Not sure I want to answer that but here goes anyway:

1. A5 Cinnamon Siena
2. A5 Cinnamon Siena
3. A5 Grey Malden
4. A5 Grey Malden
5. Personal Brown Belmont
6. Personal Brown Belmont
7. Personal Aqua Mode
8. Personal Aqua Mode
9. Compact Violet Temperley
10. Compact Violet Temperley
11. A5 Bronze Snake Domino
12. A5 Brown Kendal
13. A5 Orange Finsbury
14. A5 Black Metropol
15. Personal Red Lizard
16. Agenda Mulberry Oak Planner
17. A5 Mia Cara Epoca Gold Gillio
18. Mini Teal Baroque
19. Pocket Amethyst Deco
20. Personal Ebony Deco
21. Personal Camel Savannah
22. Slimline Black Eton
23. A5 Pink Classic 
24. A5 Brown Amazona
25. A5 Aqua Malden

Eeek. How do I use them?

1. Personal Camel Savannah or Slimline Black Eton are going to be gifts
2. Pocket Amethyst Deco is going to be a gift
3. Compact Violet Temperley is going to my stepdaughter
4. Mini Teal Baroque is used when I travel
5. Compact Violet Temperley is my wallet
6. A5 Gillio is used as my office and ‘mothership’ – my papers go in the back flap and my bookings/invoicing details/directions/articles/work-related lists/lesson ideas go onto the rings.
7. A5 Aqua Malden is going to hold my student notes and attendance registers when I have finished a course.
8. A5 Bronze Domino Snake archives old pages which don’t go into the Malden
9. A5 Pink Classic is my journal. I journal in the Gillio and then when the pages are full I will pop them over into the Classic
10. Personal Red Lizard holds brief versions of #6  - for example appointments and addresses.
11. Personal Aqua Mode x 2 - are going to be donated to people who can’t afford  a Filofax but would like to start using one.
12. Personal Brown Belmont - holds all my usernames and passwords (and is kept in a very safe place!)

This was delivered at 7am this morning. It took only one and a half days from the UK. Profuse apologies for the bad quality and fuzziness of the pics. It is a very cloudy day so my phone battles to focus, plus this is a very difficult colour to photograph.  Will whack up some better photos over the weekend. This will hold all my client records and notes. I am very pleased with the medium wrinkliness of the binder and the rings are perfect. Though I really wish they would send them in boxes nowadays. Mine was delivered by DHL so it was probably not thrown about as it would have if it had travelled via regular postal service – even so, it could have been damaged in transit.

I am sitting doing the most complicated layout of materials I have done in a long time. Each one has to have certain words different from the others but the files had to have the same name. I was working across Pages (Mac), Word (PC) and Adobe (for upload and printing). The phone kept ringing and I felt like I was going to scream because I kept forgetting which file had which special words in it and they all look the same and have the same name.

Then I looked at my Red Lizard Personal Filofax and realised it went with everything. Like the little black dress of Filofaxes. Here it is photographed with the Smythson manuscript books I am using to work with these three different projects.

Which is your favourite colour combination?

I read this absolutely fantastic blog post here  on the lovely http://stampingsongbird.blogspot.com - it is so nice to know that other people feel the same way.  I am well-known for loving

• Stationery – particularly handbound journals, lockable diaries and Filofaxes
• Handbags
• Jewellery – especially charm bracelets and rings

I am quite open about my ‘collections’ and always write about them and talk about them under my own name. I know that lots of people think it is weird but to be honest it doesn’t bother me too much. Everyone knows what to get me as presents and they know I don’t drink or smoke or have children living at home so I can afford it. People do tease me and sometimes make sarcastic comments but, for the most, I am secure enough in myself and my quirks to let it run off me like water off a duck’s back. Sometimes though I do tend to go on too much of a spending spree and then I think ‘oo-er’. I have a compulsive personality so I have learned to watch when I am bordering on obsessive. With me one is never ever enough!

So – how many IS too many?

I was a  senior moderator on the Handbag.com discussion forums for many years. One question came up in there quite often – ‘if these forums makes me sad, is it time to leave?’

But the question was a valid one. Online life is very intense and there is an inherent enabling force when people gather in large groups to discuss certain things about which they are very passionate. I used to see it in the Fashion and Beauty boards where crazes would sweep the board and people would buy like there was no tomorrow. It was just enough for one person to mention something and soon everyone had one, or wanted one. But the next thing came on within weeks and then the frantic search was on for something new. People sometimes buy things to keep up with others on the board. Or to make themselves feel better about themselves. But that does not work so they spend in increasingly desperate cycles to find perfection.

I often used to feel worried about certain users because I knew that some were really over their heads. They would be in the Money board talking about bad debt problems and declaring personal bankruptcy and simultaneously in the Fashion forum buying designer handbags by the armful.

A few questions have been going around various Filofax boards about multiple purchases of Filofaxes and people feeling (whether jokingly or seriously) that it may be too much.

I would say go for it if:

1. You can afford it
2. It makes you happy when you are not in the group
3. You can talk to someone in real life about it. Maybe not everyone you know, but at least one person who knows you well.

They are not a waste of money if they bring you joy and you can afford them. You can rotate your binders – use one for a couple of months and then switch. Use some for archiving. Give some to loved ones – you may inspire a love of Filofax in them as well. Or just put them somewhere so you can look at them and feel happy.  If you are happy then go for it – who cares what people think!

BUT think twice if:

1. It is getting you into debt
2. You are cutting out on basic necessities to fund your purchases
3. It makes you unhappy when you are not in the group
4. No matter how many you buy you just want more but none of them feel right and just leave you feeling a little empty
5. With each purchase you feel a little more hollow and strangely sad
6. You hide the extent of your spending from your loved ones
7. You are withdrawing from things you usually like doing and spending more and more time online buying Filofaxes, reading about Filofaxes and watching Filofax videos
8. You are neglecting family and friends
9. You hide your purchases

Ultimately in the virtual world (which is as real as ‘IRL’ but in a different way) people are largely strangers to you apart from the passion you share. They have different financial situations, different ages and come from different walks of life. So when you switch off the computer and look in the mirror – how do you feel? Listen to that and choose your path. You don’t need to stop being in the groups you love but if you feel you are being enabled more than you can afford – step back for a while and maybe join a group which focuses on using Filofaxes for planning and time management – it may make you see that you don’t need all those binders. You may just need one or two which are set up to manage your life. Tell your online friends you need to take a step back – anyone who cares about you will absolutely understand.

Remember also that not everyone buys Filofaxes all the time – it may seem like that but it is often not the case. I have 25 but I have collected them over a period of almost 30 years. I can go a year without buying one but then suddenly there are several I really want cheap on sale or a rare one that suddenly comes up for purchase. So then I buy a few at a time but not all the time. I also sell Filofaxes on a regular basis. So it may seem like I am a constant buyer but that is not the case.

There are ways of indulging your passion without overspending. If you have a blog, write about how your binder is setup instead of  new binders, join sales and swap groups to refresh your stocks without breaking the bank. Adopt the one in one out policy. Use what you have in different ways. Set a budget for Filofaxes and stick to it. Use the inserts and dividers you already have. Ask for Filofax-related presents for birthdays and Christmas, or gift vouchers to put towards new Filofax purchases. Sell things you don’t need to fund new buys.

Why does this happen?

I think part of it can be personal – one can have a compulsive or obsessive aspect to one’s personality, or low self-esteem, or want to be one of the gang. A part of it can be peer pressure or the enabling factor of being part of a group that shares your love of something.

But I think a big part of it is a result of companies manufacturing demand in order to sell product, and built-in obsolescence. We have ALL been there I am sure. Loving something which is discontinued. The hunt to find one. The shock of finding it sold out everywhere. The all-encompassing regret that you did not buy it when you had the chance. Resulting in buying one in every colour the next time you find something you like. Or buying multiples in case you wear it out and never find it again (I do this all the time). And the words ‘Limited Edition’ are enough to strike fear into anyone  afraid of losing out on what could be the best product ever.

Product cycles are becoming shorter and shorter with new models being introduced all the time to attract the same audience again and again. It is not often nowadays that you buy something for life – least of all a Filofax. Whereas before you would buy one which would last you at least 20 years, now the catalogues and press releases encourage you to buy several per season.

Witness what has happened to the fashion industry. Before you had two big fashion seasons – spring/summer and fall/winter. Then a cruise collection was introduced to bridge the gap between seasons, supposedly for those folks who went on cruises and needed things such as bathing suits in February. Now there are more collections – pre-fall for example. Not to mention that chain stores now have stock being introduced weekly (and sometimes even daily) guaranteeing that you will want want want all the time. As if that was not bad enough, they have fake sales just to fool you into thinking you just need that bargain – before it is gone and you never have the chance again. Clothes which are often manufactured just for the sales and were never available at full price except (if they need to follow the law) at one store in the back of beyond for a week or so.

Sometimes it is healthy to step away from the hamster wheel of purchasing cycles.  Just sit out one cycle. Or two. Who knows, what you come back to may be the best thing ever! Or maybe you will find that you don’t want to come back.

As mentioned on the Philofaxy Facebook Group today, I have a project in mind which would involve me giving away Filofaxes to people who would then undertake particular projects with said Filofaxes and then report on them on my blog. Any and all ideas are very welcome as this is just a very diffuse idea at the moment. Also, if you wish to join the project without receiving a binder, or donate binders to the project please feel free – all interesting projects will be a fantastic addition and very welcome.

There is no limit to what you can pitch for the project but I would prefer it to be mainly on how to USE a Filofax for time management, planning, sorting your life. I am not averse to one of the Modes going to someone who would like  purely to decorate it and make it pretty. But no more than that. If you can make any of the others pretty and functional that would be perfect! But function is key here.

For giveaway I have the following:

• A5 Siena in Cinnamon  (has been allocated)
• A5 Malden in Grey
• A5 Amazona in Brown
• A5 Black Metropol (damaged cover so would be perfect for someone who would like to re-cover a Filo in leather or textile, or emboss it.
• A5 in Black Leather
• Personal Belmont in Brown
• Personal Mode in Aqua
• Personal Chocolate Aston (Thank you, Gail, for the donation!)
• Personal Mode in Aqua
• Personal Savannah in Camel 
• Compact Violet Temperley*
• Pocket Chino in Fawn (contains a few personal expense sheets – may be ideal for someone tracking a project or general expenses)
• Pocket Chino in Fawn
• Pocket Mode in Red
• 1 purple leather A5 Ordning och Reda organiser with complete set of inserts – the rings may be a Swedish standard though – I would have to check
• 1 black croc A5 Ordning och Reda organiser, as above.
• 1 A5 Red Patent Binder (Thank you, Yu, for the donation!)

Of these only the Amazona has been used for more than two months. The others are either brand new or used for a week or two.

For the 2 Aqua Modes I would like to them to go to two new Filofax users who will then document how they set them up and what they use them for. And then show how you use them over the course of at least a month after you have set them up.

For the others I was thinking of the following:

• Create and set up a teacher’s or student’s Filofax from scratch
• Use it to co-ordinate and manage this project (project has been allocated)
• Create and set up a Filofax to organise a family or a business
• Create and set up a diet Filofax
• Create and set up a customized Filofax for me (you can send me the inserts afterwards)
• any other project that someone would like to pitch to me.  Each of these must involve setting up and then using the system for at least a month. And for my blog, five or more long posts or ten or more short posts on the progress of your project.

If there is anyone who is familiar with WordPress and/or would like to co-ordinate this project for me then the Malden or Siena is yours. (Update: J, who is co-ordinating the project has chosen the Siena and will be using it to document this project.) If you want to work together with someone else that is also fine. It is good practice learning to blog and create Filofax systems.

I welcome all suggestions for projects you would like to use a Filofax for. In about a week I will gather all or most of them and put them out to a poll. Whichever comes out on top, you will receive a Filofax in the post and as soon as it arrives, away you go.

I will send each Filofax along with a full set of inserts which you can choose yourself from the stocks I have. I have inserts, dividers, rulers, calendars.

I am going to give preference to people who are active members of Philofaxy and/or The Philofaxy Facebook groups. This is not because I am playing favours but because I want to know that the binders are not going to disappear into the ether, never to be seen or heard from again. Where you are from doesn’t matter as I will send binders worldwide. If you have a blog, feel free to link to your project on my blog but all writing about it must be done for my blog.

Please make all suggestions in the comments field – your first comment on my blog has to be moderated but after that they are automatically approved.  Most important for me is to see if anyone would like to manage this project for me. I am going into the most hectic time of year work-wise so if I manage it myself, it will be weekends and maybe evenings if I don’t work too late.

*this Violet Temperley is brand new but has crooked rings. I received it as a gift and then had to get the receipt and send it back. When it was returned to me the rings were even worse. I couldn’t bear to ask the person for the receipt again and make them worried and upset so I kept it and bought another one on the quiet. This one has never been used but if you do want it,  just be aware that the rings close but are not aligned. I am not sure they are fixable or if you could return it to Filofax for a new one without the receipt.

Why am I doing this?

Several reasons really. Firstly I am in the lucky position of having multiple binders. They are all very special to me but my duplicates are not used. I wanted them to go to good homes where they will be loved and used. At the same time I felt that the planning and management function of a Filofax needed more focus. They are beautiful but you can also do all kinds of things with them – I wanted to see what some of these things could be. Hopefully it will help and inspire people. I also wanted to give people a chance to blog – maybe you have been thinking of setting one up but not had the energy or courage. Maybe you would just like to contribute now and then.

By the way, as a teacher I am used to giving students projects – it CAN happen that a project you thought would be fantastic does not work when you get down to it.  If this happens to you, don’t panic – you can either pass the binder along to someone else who has a project idea. Or you can try another project.

Well, it’s never happened to me before. But it happened yesterday and gave me the loveliest warm and fuzzy feeling ever. I was RAK’d!

RAK stands for Random Act of Kindness and the FiloRAKs Facebook Group allows people who love Filofaxes and Filofax-related accessories and prettiness to make someone’s day by sending them little surprises.

I was RAK’d by the lovely Millie S who sent me Post it notes,  stickers, tabs (the Martha Stewart ones I have been longing for), to do list paper and a lovely CD/bits ‘n pieces pouch – all of which are in my Filofax making me smile as I write this. When I saw the envelope I wanted to jump up and down with joy!

Often I feel I can’t join in on things because I am in Sweden, but this came all the way from the US so I felt like I was part of the gang! And this made me want to pay it forward and surprise other members of the group too.

Thank you Millie you made my month and your kindness felt like stardust sprinkled over my very stressful week – making it suddenly pretty and bright. You are such a kind person and you deserve only good things to happen to you. x

Exciting news! The Filofax Project now has its own Facebook page! All project posts will still be here on This Bug’s Life, however, the Facebook group will be a place for further conversation, ideas, and sharing!

Head on over to Facebook and search for The Filofax Project to join the group.

And remember, the deadline to submit your project proposal is 11:59 p.m. CST – we’ve had a few additional binders donated so make sure to read the original post here!

The moment is here! I can’t believe how quickly this project has taken off! A huge thank you to Janet and all of those who have donated binders. And a huge thank you to all of you who have submitted fantastic proposals and offered words of encouragement! At the time I’m writing this we already have 60 followers on our Facebook page – and it’s still steadily climbing up!

But you aren’t here to read all about that – it’s the binders you want to find out about I’m sure! Let me ramble on a bit more to share how difficult this process was. SO many excellent projects were shared. Even with an incredible 17 binders donated, it was very hard to narrow it down. In the end, decisions were made based on the project proposal itself, how much it relates to time management and planning, and how active you are in Filofax Groups. Hopefully, if this project really takes off, we can have a round 2 to select even more participants! This time around, we did our best to select a wide variety of project types as the whole purpose is to have as many people benefit from your experiences as possible. So here goes:

A5 Siena in Cinnamon: J (me) w/ The Filofax Project
As the project coordinator, Janet asked me to select either the A5 Siena or the A5 Malden. But I’m not cheating – I’ll still be participating in the project! I plan to use the binder as a management tool for The Filofax Project, but also to venture into life using more than one binder. I’m notoriously known as a one Filofax girl so I plan to set up the binder as my first A5 and my first binder exclusively for work (if these darn job opportunities will call me back already!)

A5 Malden in Grey: Joseph David Quinton w/ The Teaching Project
Joseph will be using the Malden not only to manage his classroom, but also to create a resource that will be made available to other educators. The project will focus on syllabi, attendance records, rosters, assignments and lesson plans. Many teachers have been asking in the Philofaxy Facebook groups for teacher inserts.

A5 Amazona in Brown: Paula Gibbens w/ The Diet Project
Paula will use the Amazona to focus on diet and healthy eating. Paula previously lost a great deal of weight and has experience in creating health related inserts for visits to the doctor and recording side effects of medication. Paula is also very good at recycling materials to create inserts and dividers.

A5 Metropol in Black: Michelle w/ The Crafty Project
Michelle will use the Metropol to manage her Etsy store and other aspects to the crafty side of her life. She will also document her success in using fabric to recover the damaged binder.

A5 Black Leather Binder: Loretta w/ The University Project
Loretta will use the binder to track her second year of University. She will use it to keep track of lectures, deadlines, budgeting, and travel. It will also be her first venture into blogging.

A5 Red Patent Binder: Wendy Van Camp w/ The Jewelry Project
Wendy will use the shiny patent binder to set up a portfolio for her artisan jewelry business.

A5 Ordning och Reda in Purple: Sherry w/ The Gardening Project
Sherry will be using this binder to overhaul her garden including initial groundwork and planning for spring.

A5 Ordning och Reda in Black: Hyperpattern w/ The Lifestyle Project
About to undertake a huge lifestyle change, Hyperpattern will use this binder to chronicle her track to recovery from ME/CFS.

Personal Belmont in Brown: Lauriemcf w/ The Comparison Project
Laurie will be using the Personal Belmont to compare the merits of multiple types of inserts in the personal range in an effort to increase time management and decrease distractions

Personal Mode in Aqua: Joykanani (and her daughter) w/ The Mom/Daughter Project
This binder will actually be used by Joykanani’s daughter, who is a senior in high school. Together, they will create inserts to manage her class schedule and extracurricular activities, along with college planning.

Personal Mode in Aqua: Tina Francis w/ The Book Project
Tina will use the second Mode to track her book list and to organize book reviews.

Personal Aston in Chocolate: Tammy B. w/ The Family Project
Tammy has already purchased planners for her three daughters – the Aston will be for her to organize her family and to document evening meetings where the four of them will sit and go over their planners together.

Personal Savannah in Camel: Maryanne Moll w/ The Budget Project
Maryanne will use the Savannah to document her experiment with the popular envelope system of budgeting money.

Compact Temperly: Swatibee w/ The Medical Project
Swatibee will not only share her attempts to fix the Temperly’s wonky rings, but it will also be used as a medical file to document medical visit necessities including registration information, symptoms, insurance info, and recent test results.

Pocket Chino in Fawn: Heather w/ The Spiritual Project
Heather will use the Chino as a way to record her journey through her Parish’s RCIA program and to journal her bible studies and prayer requests.

Pocket Chino in Fawn: Cindy Huston w/ The Survivor Project
Cindy will use the second Chino as a way to keep track of life with cancer and chronic illness. As a two-time cancer survivor, the binder will be used to share her journey.

Pocket Mode in Red: Katie Louise w/ The Travel Project
Katie will set up the Mode as an expedition-planning binder for university, including travel, accommodation, subject, and fundraising.

Whew! What an incredibly diverse group of projects, am I right? I am so excited to read about all of these adventures and reflections on budgeting, crafting, spiritual journeys, triumphs and tribulations… I’m inspired already!

Of course, now we have to talk about the nitty gritty for those who shall be receiving a binder. But even if you weren’t chosen please read on! I’ll also be sharing the details on how you can participate as a guest poster with your own binder on This Bug’s Life!

For those of you chosen above, you MUST email me at thecrazylifeofj[at]gmail[dot]com no later than 11:59 p.m. CST on Wednesday, August 28 with the following details:

• Your full name (as it would appear on a mailed item)
• Your mailing address (as it would need to appear on a package, especially critical for out of country mailings)
• The project name I’ve listed and the binder you are supposed to receive

Because we have so much interest and the main goal here is time management, if you do not email me with the details by this deadline, we will be reallocating the binder to another participant – consider this your first time management lesson! If you have been chosen and can no longer participate, please email me to let me know so that the binder can be reallocated to another participant.

Once I receive your email, your contact information will be shared with the appropriate donor and your binder will be mailed out ASAP. Once the binder is received, you MUST email me again to state that you have received the package. I will respond as soon as possible with your posting schedule. As per the original project concept, each participant will be required to write FIVE posts which will APPEAR ON THIS BUG’S LIFE. Therefore, you will receive a posting schedule that will detail your deadlines for five posts: a first post on your initial thoughts and set up, three intermediary posts on your progress, and a final post on your project results. All posts (along with photos) must be emailed to me at thecrazylifeofj[at]gmail[dot]com and I will then post them on the blog. (Man, if I were a teacher, I’d be the evil super strict one, huh? Blame it on the deadline driven journalism background, I suppose…) While I’m being strict, please also note that if you cannot complete your project and need to drop out once the binder is sent to you, you are required to send it back to Janet or the back up participant at your own expense. While we understand that sometimes life can get in the way, the whole point of the project is for each project to be shared with others!

If you were not selected to receive a binder but still want to participate, just skip the first few steps and send me an email at thecrazylifeofj[at]gmail[dot]com with the following details:

• Your name
• The binder you will be using for the project
• A brief description of the project you would like to complete

Once I receive your original email, I will write back with a posting schedule that will be identical to the structure above – the same five posts will be required. Your posts may also appear sooner on the blog as you already have the binder and can hit the ground running!

Now, who is excited?! Can you tell I am???? Maybe if I use a few more exclamation points????!!!!!! Let the fun begin!

And of course, if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below

We were thrilled to find that so many of you were interested in The Filofax Project that you started asking us if you could participate in your own binder! Since the deadline to participate ended yesterday (at least for round 1) I am excited to share that we have four participants in addition to the 17 participants who received a binder for the project. You can read all about the original 17 HERE.

In addition to those wonderful participants, we also have:

Belen, who will be using a Personal Domino for The Start Up Project, which will chronicle the process of starting up a new business.

Cori, who will be using an A5 Finsbury for The Career Project, serving as a career journal and goals management tracker.

Joseph, who will be using an A5 Chameleon for The Spiritual Project. Joseph is also participating with The Teacher Project – he will be busy!

Clara, who will be using an A5 Malden for The Design Project, where she will create her own custom artwork inserts.

How exciting is that?! For now, we will be capping the participation at these 21 folks – but if you didn’t get to participate this time, we’re already hoping to set up a round two!

Remember, if you are receiving a binder, you MUST email me at thecrazylifeofj[at]gmail[dot]com as soon as you receive it. From there, we will work out your posting schedule. The first post you write should contain details on your project and the initial set up you will have in the binder. From there, you will have three posts due about two weeks apart, detailing your progress and things you’ve learned using the system. A final post will share your project results and how you plan to move forward! This is a big commitment which will span the next two or so months – if for whatever reason you’ve realized you cannot participate, please email me ASAP so that your binder can be reallocated!

Thank you all so much for your interest in The Filofax Project and all the sub projects that have been established – the next few months are going to be very exciting!

The next batch of binders will go out later today. I am short one envelope – for the black Ordning och Reda one – but will get it later today and send off tomorrow. I am not going to lie, it was not easy to say goodbye to any of these binders but I am so glad they will be in good loving homes and appear on my blog holding exciting projects.
Looking forward to seeing the reveals and posts about them soon!

A5 Grey Malden, going to Joseph for The Teaching Project

Compact Temperley goes to Sara for The Medical File Project

A5 Black Metropol goes to Michelle for The Crafty Project

A5 leather Ordning och Reda binder going to Sherry for The Gardening Project. This binder has Swedish ring spacing so have included lots of paper in it. A single-hole punch will probably be necessary for this one.

The A5 Black Metropol going to Michelle for The Crafty Project

Personal Brown Belmont going to Laurie McFadden for The Comparison Project

Personal Brown Savannah going to Maryanne Moll for The Budget Project

The A5 black Ordning och Reda binder goes to Caroline for The Lifestyle Project

Hi All! The moment is here for the first post for The Filofax Project! I’ve renamed my sub-project “The Management Project” just so that there wasn’t any confusion going forward. Since I’ve already received the gorgeous A5 Siena, I figured I’d get the show started!

My green envelope arrived on August 26. Inside was the absolutely beautiful Cinnamon Siena, my first binder in the A5 size. I’ll do a quick tour of the binder, followed by my initial set up for the project!

How stunning is this binder? I love the scratches, details, the smell, everything! It is super soft and incredibly well made.

The inside left pocket has six credit card pockets, two larger pockets behind those, and a full length vertical pocket in the back. There is also a pen loop.

The back of the binder has a notepad slot and additional pen loop. For now, I’ve fitted the binder with a Zebra F-301 ball point and a Sakura Pigma Micron 05.

Janet had this binder stuffed with a weekly 2013 calendar, two sets of A-Z dividers, 2 black rulers, and a TON of notepaper. I’m only holding about 2/3 of what I received in the photo above.

Not to mention, who could resist those GOLD rings?!

Anywhoo, on to the important bits. As you know, I’m using this binder to manage The Filofax Project and to keep details on a job that I have applied for. In the long run, this will hopefully be my work binder in my effort to separate my personal and work lives. Let’s take a peek at the initial set up…

As soon as I knew I would be receiving an A5 binder, I purchased a KW Trio hole punch. When the binder arrived, I punched out a poem I wrote a few weeks ago to serve as my front page in the binder. Behind that, I have a bunch of note paper, just to even out the calendar section so that the rings don’t get in the way.

Then I have my weekly calendar. I’m using the weekly calendar to track my status with a job I’ve applied for. I’ve listed the posting date and the date I applied, and I plan to include any communications with HR, interview dates, etc.

Behind the weekly calendar, I have a monthly calendar I printed from Philofaxy. I plan to use this calendar to manage posting dates and deadlines for the participants of The Filofax Project. The pages look pretty blank now, but I’m sure as soon as participants begin receiving binders, these monthly pages will be quite full!

After the calendars, I’ve decided to try the system of using the A-Z dividers as a filing system of sorts. So far, I’ve filed project contacts under C, project notes under N, and project summaries under S. This is a system I’d also love to use for work – this will be my mini test to see if it works!

In the back of the binder, I have a bit more notepaper, plus a card holder and a really cool filing pocket that Janet included. Both are pretty sparse for now, but I’m sure I’ll find good use for them!

There is the initial Siena Set Up! I think this should definitely help me manage The Filofax Project – although I do have a lot of the information stored digitally, I really do need to see it all on paper! I’ll be back in a week or so to let you know how it’s going, or if I add anything else!