Panama Planning: The Birthday Filofax Reveal...Part 3

The birthday Filofax haul - aren't they gorgeous?

So I've written at length about my stunning birthday present Filofax the gorgeous Amethyst Deco here and here BUT I was lucky enough to also receive a second leather bound, 6 ringed beauty!

The very lovely AJ (who it has to be said while new to Filofax addiction has outstripped me already with a haul of around 20 different binders!! Hopefully she will start taking some pictures as her self-designed A5 diary and notes pages are super fabulous!!) emailed me regarding the Philofaxy mention of the Great German Train Robbery where so many stunning binders were on sale for just 9 Euros (yep 9!!!!!) and asked if I would like anything for my upcoming birthday - you can see why I think she's fab - such a great enabler lol.

So after browsing though the vast number of binders on sale I spotted the Personal Panama on the site...I've been obsessing about this particular binder since Caribbean Princess featured her pocket size in a blog post here . It just looked so sleek and posh especially with the gold rings! So once I'd saw it was part of the promotion it was an easy decision!

Isn't she lovely - and very regal!

The lovely gold clasp opened up

I really do love the different closure of having the leather loop over the gold coloured clip. Do I worry it might tear/break/scratch - only a little bit. But if I know one thing about Filofaxes it is that they are mightily more durable than you would ever think!

However as you know I do have 1 or 2 Filofaxes (ahem or possibly a couple more...) but one this lovely needed a purpose and it just so happens I had the perfect task for her. The Chartered Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing study Filofax. As I wrote about here I've started a new course which will take the next 18 months or thereabouts to complete and with the amount of reading, home working, assignments, exams and the like I need to keep on top of a dedicated Filofax was necessary. Now I was planning on using my Personal Grape Domino (currently unused, lies flat, wouldn't worry if it got bashed too much in a school bag) but as soon as the Panama arrived it was clear that she would become my grown up school planner!! I'll just need to make sure I'm careful with her ;0)

Now I've been reading lots of posts by other Filofax bloggers on the art of setting up a successful study planner - Caribbean Princess, Imys World and  Life of the Perpetual Student being particular faves as well of course the huge wealth of information on Philofaxy which is always my first port of call for information on all things Filofax.

So here is how I've set up my planner - now this is bound to change as I'm only 1 week into the course but I had to start somewhere:

And she lay flat virtually straight away too - winner!

I really like the open pocket and the credit card slot layout in the Panama. It will be really handy for using with clippings, post its etc in the future.

It's the week on one page again...

This Filofax arrived with a Cream week on one page diary for 2011 as well as a week on two pages 2012 diary. As I've mentioned many a time my favourite layout is the week on one page with notes so I've hacked my own version here inserting in a cream to do page in the centre of the two weeks - and it seems to work really well. The diary is really only used currently for logging when I have to be on site for a class or when the assignments are due etc. It is the list of to dos that is key for me - as you can see from this week I've added the topic name on Monday - External Environment and on the to do page the list of activities (read the slides, listen to podcasts, what I need to be reading etc etc) so I can tick off as I've done them.

With a different topic each week and different tasks (and an assignment plan due on the 28th October) keeping on top of the workload is going to be paramount to whether I succeed at this course or not!

The next week and to do list...

2012 week on two pages

Now this is the week on two pages diary. Yes it is in German - but even I can work out what the days of the week are! I love the fact that it has lines under each day (hello UK Filofax stores could we not have a format like this?) This week in January shows when my first assignment is due (gulp) the pink lines indicate that I will in fact be away in Canada skiing then (double gulp) so being extra organised to get the assignment in on time is CRUCIAL.

I really like this layout but I don't think it will work for me as well as the above hack week on one page - this does mean of course I could move it into the Deco which is my everyday planner for a trial in 2012! We'll see how we get on in the run up to Christmas on that me thinks!!

Super cute lined days of the week plus a little top notes section!

Handy zip pocket

The handy little zip pocket is currently empty but will no doubt end up full of passwords or trinkets!

Look at that gorgeous leather...

So that's my current student layout in the Panama. What do you think? If you have any suggestions on planners for studying or tips do let me know!!! But I really should do some instead of just blogging about it I guess...

Lx

The birthday Filofax (es) Reveal....Part 2!

My Deco Family

So if you haven't already read I was lucky enough to receive an Amethyst Personal Deco for my birthday from the gorgeous Mr P (well normally gorgeous but today a little worse for wear after a work night out last night hehe) and while I blogged about it here the photos I took were terrible and really didn't show the beautiful true colour. So coming up are some more piccies of my new baby and some shots of how I've now set her up...WARNING very picture heavy post ;0)

A truer representation of the colour - gorgeous no?

Clasp close up - ooh and you can see my iPhone too!

Look at the gorgeous suede interior...

As you open up my Deco I have some key essentials like stamps and a couple of business cards. Then right at the front is my first clear open top pockets - I love these for storing cuttings, notes etc. In this one I have some Tesco sticky tabs (so so cheap!!), a Christmas party clipping for a venue we are thinking of using, and some magazine clipping of lustful items including a stunning red bag, leopard print belt:

Turning over the clear pocket....

Here I also have a clipping of this gorgeous Kurt Geiger purse - I don't need a new purse as I have a super cute Marc Jacobs one but the colour is so pretty so I clipped it with a view to birthday/Christmas presents for people (such a great price too!)

Next up we have the obligatory Filofax sticky notes holder - I treated myself to a new one last week in London (I am getting through tabs at a rate of knots now I'm studying hence the cheapy Tesco ones as well being in here!)

I will be registering Deco as soon as I finish this post!! Can't believe I haven't done that yet!

Some more business cards including my CIM membership card and the Prada gift card (you'll have seen that before - if not I can tell you -Yes it's in here just because it says Prada I am that shallow!)

Then we get to the planner section.....



 As always I'm using my favourite format the week on one page with notes. I really wish they did this a) in Cream and b) without all the multi languages, takes up so much room! But I do still love this layout - allows me to see the whole week, I can have lots of to dos, remembers, lists on the right hand page and I have the dinky month dates in the right hand page bottom left! I've tried many other but this is still my fave!

Super cute post-it marking the start of 2012

So after the 2011 planner comes the start of 2012. This is the start of my Things I Want to Do in 2012 list - not very big so far but I'm sure I'll be padding it out soon!!

I'm currently using a month on two pages format for 2012 - this allowed me to start planning in key dates but not have all the room in Filo sucked up with 2012 stuff. I'll change over to week on one page format at the start of 2012 (I've bought the Cream week on one page and some cream to do sheets to create my own hack of Cream week on one page with notes - not sure if it will work but I'm road testing it in my study Filo - post on that coming soon!)

Look at me I'm going Skiing!!!

Behind my Projects tab are all my notes about Paris (less than 2 weeks and counting) plus lots of lists of books/movies/games etc that I want to read/watch/play:

Behind notes I have lots of blank paper, blank to do's and some rough notes. Behind the information tab I have lists of spin classes, holiday time booked off from work and remaining days available, Christmas party planning information, websites etc etc

The Financial tab currently doesn't have anything behind it....I need to be far more up to date with CP's Fab Frugal I've been very lax!

I have no address information in there yet that's all stored still in the Malden (will fix that now)

Another clear pocket at the back - this time with a clipping of some tiles (how cute are they!!) plus my Filofax stickers, London underground map, Take That concert ticket from the summer and hole reinforcers. The 10 Ways is a magazine article on how to de-clutter your mind and focus on the task in hand - something that is key for me now I'm juggling work and studying.

Finally several gratuitous shots of the suede pocket and close ups of the Amethyst leather - sighs at the beauty...

So there we go, my Amethysts Deco all set up and working beautifully. Now to download the pattern for the Filofax protective felt bag done by Thomas which is just as fabulous as it is practical, to make sure I don't wreck her in my ginormous handbag of doom!!

Lx

The birthday Filofax reveal....part 1

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Hello all and a very happy Sunday to you.

Now as some of you may know it was my birthday on Friday, yes I was indeed 21 again (ahem!) and I was lucky enough to receive lots of lovely gifts from all my fabulous friends and family...and Mr P of course, who took me totally by surprise with a new Filofax for my birthday.

Now bearing in mind this is the man who whinged about how much room the current collection took up, mocks my obsession regularly and thinks it's antiquated (but cute) that I'm so anti-tech with my diary system. So you could have knocked me down with a feather when I opened up the wrapping paper on this particular present and saw the Filofax gift box:

So what was inside that yummy black gift box I hear you cry? Well I opened up the lid and saw:

Can you guess what it is yet? So by this stage I am squeaking with mounting excitement I started opening up the tissue paper and found.......

Yes, that's right, only an Amethyst Deco! You know the amazing, limited edition Deco Filofax that is sold out everywhere....in Personal!!! The photos are rubbish I know but I was so excited I just had to show you all, look at that gorgeous clasp, the deep Amethyst colour, the luxurious printed leather...

And it truly is the most gorgeous Filofax I've ever seen let alone had the chance to hold in my mitts. And it's mine, all mine (cackle, cackle) so here in it's glory is the super new addition - cue lots of photos....

A first look inside

The diary pages ooh look see it's my birthday there

That super soft suede back pocket

And there is the pocket all open

So I'm off to play with the set up to make it just right to start using as my main Filofax (although it is too lovely really I think I need to research a little cloth bag for it to live in when bashing about in my handbag) more on that soon....

And as this wasn't the only Filofax I was lucky enough to get this birthday I've got another post to write about the other new gorgeous addition to the Filofax family here but that will have to be day so stay tuned...

Lx