I'm British, So Filofax

Adventures in Trying to Organize My Life


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Office Space: Where I Plan

I have been on an organizing kick lately and so it only seems fitting to post a blog showing my creation space… my office. I made a commitment to myself when I moved back from Florida to keep a tidy office and leave my laptop out of my bedroom and so far I am doing pretty well! In order to keep my space clean though, I feel like it has to be visually appealing. Just like with planners… I am more likely to look at my schedule and to do’s if it is in a pretty planner and fun to look at. So, without further ado, my office! I racked my brain and scoured the internet before posting this blog looking at others blogs and video tours of their planning supply organization and craft areas. I came to two conclusions; 1) I’m not everybody else so I can have my own style 2) I am not good at making videos. At least not yet. So I took some photos instead. Hope you enjoy and are inspired to organize your own areas!

Where the magic happens 🙂 Notice the Target Dollar Spot Haul supplies as decoration!

So here is my desk… God bless Ikea for letting us create our own spaces. It’s as if that place was made for planners. You will see the name Ikea more than a couple times throughout my blog. I love that place. I got two drawer units and a table top from Ikea and made my own desk. I feel like it’s a large enough space to utilize without being overbearing. Of course in a dream world I would have an L shaped desk that took up half the room but this is reality and I am working with the space I have. O:)

My laptop doesn’t leave my desk. It’ s a HP Envy, the first non-Vaio I’ve had, and while I am not a huge fan of the new Windows I like the size of my laptop and it definitely holds it’s own with the amount of damage I do downloading and saving files. Pinterest, WordPress, Facebook, Instagram, and Google+ are all neatly settled in my favorites bar ready for me to surf the internet for hours on end!

I won’t show you all the drawers because they aren’t all planner related. This drawer dutifully holds my electronics; my camera, camcorder, Pringo photo printer, and label maker. It’s also home to my 6 hole punch which is a Japanese import you can easily purchase on Amazon and adjusts to punch holes for all three sizes of Filofax! It can be found here. I also have a recently purchased flag punch, binder clips, pen loops, paper clips (who knew I would one day pine over paper clips), and an assortment of charms as I recently started making my own planner charms.

This is where I display my planners… the highlight of the room! The shelving unit is also from Ikea and is meant for the back of a desk but was repurposed with the help of a good friend to fit on my old dresser so I could show my entire collection! ❤

In this mix we have several Filofax (Domino, Saffiano, Finsbury) in different sizes and colors, a Heidi Swapp planner used as a memory planner, a Heidi Swapp planner used as a blog planner, the Happiness Planner, a Get to Workbook, a gold Lovedoki, two fauxdoris, Websters Pages Color Crush planners, two journaling prompt books, and my Listers Gotta List notebook. And can’t forget some of the most useful money I ever spent… my laminator! Extremely inexpensive considering the use it gets!

   

In my dresser, I have one drawer full of paper (A4, letter, photo paper. Pringo paper, cardstock, etc) and extra print cartridges [not pictured]. Then I have a one drawer dedicated to my personal size inserts and one for my A5 inserts. Personal size inserts are stored in a mix of Target Dollar Spot accordion folders, a color crush planner box (great for storage!), and an Avery mini binder filled with folders and mini sheet protectors. The A5 inserts are also stored in mini binders with file inserts made from scrapbook paper as shown in a previous blog to accommodate the size of the inserts. I have my Passion Planner stored in here also as I have unbound certain sections and periodically used them in my A5 Filofax. I just used binder rings to bind my collection of dividers and dashboards neatly together. I also store another mini binder in this drawer with sheet protectors containing acrylic stick on stamps sorted by type and a small dollar haul accordion file containing some journal cards that I printed out from Pinterest.

Now this beauty is a new family member… it was actually a gift from a friend and also another Ikea find. It’s called the Sprutt and it was found in the closet and shoe storage section of Ikea. It is a 6 drawer unit that is made of metal like a high school locker. I just found a pretty font and printed out labels glued to blue scrapbook paper for the front label section. The unit goes back approximately 12 inches and the drawers are nice and deep!

The six drawers contain 1) notebooks 2) stickers 3) post its/sticky notes 4) page flags 5) stamps 6) ink.

            

I’m a lucky girl! I just got this over the weekend and he even built it too! 😛

Then in the corner of my room I have a drawer unit from Hobby Lobby that was in my bedroom in Florida that I have repurposed as a printer stand since I now use my dresser as a display for my planners. And the room would not be complete without my Ikea Raskog. For less than $45, this cart comes in so handy as you can stock it with current supplies and move it around not only your office but your house and it tucks away neatly in a closet when I am cleaning up. I use the top section for pens, scissors, hole punches, glue, etc. The second shelf contains some more stickers and washi tape (all my pink themed stickers and washi as I am going through a phase where I feel it is necessary to have my decorations match the patent cover of my Filofax…. it’s really hard….). Then the third shelf contains small containers (also from Ikea) with all my remaining washi tape. The green container is actually full of black, gold, and tan washi tape sectioned out for when my Nude Original arrives… I am telling you… this color coordination thing has a grip on me right now!

  

Well I hope that you enjoyed my photo tour. I am proud to say that no matter how messy I make this room while planning and decorating, I always make sure to leave it tidy before I close the door. This is a big deal for me considering my innate ability to be a clutter bug. 🙂 I take pride in this room though and since it is where I spent a large percentage of my time outside of work and sleep, I feel it deserves to be well taken care of. 😀

Sweet dreams folks!

XOXO

Sarah


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More Soon!!!

I made my first Filofax tour video. It’s hilariously poor in video quality but first times always a learning chance right! I will be uploading it later this morning but I wanted to announce that I will be doing a Give-a-way for my readers. I have several color themed RAK’s sorted so when you reply down below with your name also list your fav planner and favorite color so I can send a slightly more personal selection of things!!!  The winner will be picked at random and a fun RAK will be headed their way!!! I’m so excited to say thank you to everyone who follows and those who’ve stopped by!


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Official Diagnosis In; Stationary Addict

I saw this on a FB group for PlanNerds and had to share… I know you will all be sitting there reading shaking your head yes at each one. 🙂

Telltale Signs You’re a Stationery Addict

I finally purchased a Scotch thermal Laminator and I have no idea why I didn’t spend the $17 way back when! It is sooooo much easier for laminating I can’t even begin to tell you. So I created a new fly leaf and some new dividers. 





I also made a notebook for the back of my Domino A5 with graph print outs I love and a hot glue gun… easier than pie!!! Well, certainly easier than finding a notebook that fit in America. 🙂

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Will be face timing with my cousin tomorrow for a planing sesh. :)


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Proud Cousin!!!

So as I mentioned my cousin joined the filo lover club…. I promise there was zero pressure from me! She lives in England and got a Pink A5 Domino from WH Smith and was anxiously waiting for what seemed like *forever* for it to come in. She has been a great supporter of my blog and my filo love so I feel it is only right to show you how awesome she has decorated so far! She has gotten tons of ideas from pinterest, etsy, and links you guys have suggested. I’d say she’s a natural!

emmafilo

She went with the pink theme and her dividers are waiting to be laminated (and a hole punch to arrive in the mail) but here are the pictures…

emmafront emma1 emma2 emma3 emma4 emma5 emma6 emmadividers

She’s waiting on new weekly inserts but has started on her monthly ones…

emma8

And she even sent me this picture…

emmamatch  She is 1. definitely related to me and 2. initiated!

Since she is in England and has WH Smith she got me the pocket Union Jack Filo too!!! I can’t wait to get it! She spoils me and she’s my baby cousin! 🙂

emmagift

I hope she loves her filo care package I’ve already put in the post and thank you to everyone for the suggestions! She reads the blog so keep ’em coming!!!!

Sarah


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Supply Chaos

I’ve been hoarding more and more Filofax supplies by the day… no… hour. As a result, my organizing system is constantly being rethought. I found these pictures online that use household products as holders in a large shoe box and it might work…. I would love a whole new room just to dress out in ikea stuff and for filofaxing but this is reality and I’m not Belle so no castle here.

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Things I want for sure…
– easy to figure out and keep organized
– adaptable
– possibly portable (if I find something that isn’t, i will have a separate little organization kit like I do now when traveling)
– neat and hard to make clutter-y

My other idea is to get the smaller make your own caddy drawers from Target or such and use dividers in those. Someone on pinterest came up with a great idea for organizing washi tape by using old saran wrap holders decorated with scrapbook paper and packing tape for a laminate look. You could score clear pencil holders from dollar stores to separate pens, pencils, highlighters, etc. Then you could take a binder and put your stickers in sheet protectors by type, keep a washi tape swatch page so you know what you have already, and then use the divider folders for labels, unopened packets, etc. I currently have my extra filofax pages not in use in accordion style filing packets… but they were a dollar store find for my personal size and I already had a relatively inexpensive one for the A5 size paper. We will see if that sticks.

8) officially addicted.