My unicorn is a pink Baroque Filofax but they are so sought after I know I will never find one for sale at a price I can afford. The thing is, if I did somehow stumble across one I'm not sure I would be able to use it. Can you imagine finding your dream planner and then being too scared to even put it in your bag? Could you spend money on something and then only ever look at it longingly and never put it to use? Now I have always been very careful my Filofaxes. I try to keep them spotlessly clean and avoid getting marks on them and they are just regular, easily available filos. I hate to think what I would be like if I tried to use a Baroque! I have been in my fluoro pink Original for the last five months which is the longest I have stayed in one Filofax since I started my collection. It still looks brand new but I am fed up of having to check every surface before I put my planner down on it just to keep it clean. A lot of the time I write with the Original balanced on my knee but that makes for messy notes and it annoys me.
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| My pink Original still looks brand new |
I want a change, I have decided that instead of a unicorn I need a workhorse. I want a binder that I can just use, one that will improve with age and who will develop imperfections that I will see as part of it's character. I want a binder that I can fill with everything I need, something to carry my life around in, to take everywhere and use it as a planner and my purse. I want a binder I can use until it falls to pieces. If I am going to do that then I will to need bigger rings! My Original is already stuffed as full as I am comfortable with, I don't want to damage the rings by overfilling them and the strap doesn't allow for much more to go into it anyway.
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| Stuffed full |
I have been looking at the 30mm ring Van der Spek organisers for a while now and I think one of these would be perfect for my workhorse so I have started saving up for one. I love the idea of designing my dream planner and the option of such big rings is the icing on the cake! I have spoken to Petra from Van der Spek (she is lovely by the way!) and ordered some leather samples so I can find my ideal combination. Once they arrive I will take some pics and share them with you. At the moment I am thinking dark and practical on the outside with a pop of colour on the inside.
It might take me a while to save enough money so I am going to move into my white and gold Webster's Pages Colour Crush Planner until then as it has larger rings than my Filofaxes. I can tweak my set up and see exactly what I want and need in my planner, it can be a dry run before I commit to the custom VDS.
What kind of planner do you prefer, a unicorn or a workhorse? I would love to know!
I'm workhorse all the way. I'm currently in my teal Colour Crush and love it, I put it down wherever to write, I throw it in my bag, it's holding up well so far (3 months in) and I can fit everything I need in it.
ReplyDeleteThe teal is so pretty, it was the one I wanted but it was out of stock while they were on offer so I ordered the white instead. It's definitely going to be a big change for me to stop babying my planners!
Deleteworkhorse!!!
ReplyDeleteI solved my 30mm ring problem with a Kikki K :)
Do the Kikki K personal size have 30mm rings too? I didn't know that! But I have just received my leather samples from Van der Spek and they're beautiful so I'm going to stick with them for my perfect planner :)
DeleteWorkhorse all the way!
ReplyDeleteI think I'm going to love having a workhorse!
DeleteWorkhorse! I need something I can bring everywhere and not had to worry about dirt and scuffs!
ReplyDeleteThanks Beth, I need to feel that way too now :)
DeleteA good workhorse binder that you don't have to worry about scuffs and such is either a compact size Franklin Covey (TONS on eBay), or if you want really luxurious but durable leather - the medium Gillio Compagna with the full back wallet pocket. I recommend epoca leather, in black or brown. It has 26mm rings, which are roomier than Filofax, but not so huge that it makes the planner too chunky and heavy. The Compagna doubles well as a wallet, and takes personal size pages like Filofax inserts. You can request silver or gold rings. Scratches and dings rub out with a finger on the epoca finish leather, due to its natural oils. Best prices are second hand in Facebook "Gillio Market Place" group, or eBay.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the info Songbird! Franklin Covey aren't a big thing here in the UK so getting hold of one might be a problem unless I wanted to pay international postage and the ones I have seen on Instagram and other blogs haven't really piqued my interest.
DeleteI am in the Gillio Facebook group and the Market Place one too and I do like the look of them. I have even gone so far as to request leather samples from them but I really love the idea of making my perfect planner with Van der Spek. They give you the option to add extra pen loops and pockets etc and I know 30mm rings will make a bulkier planner but I don't mind that. I would rather have the extra room than a lighter, more compact planner. I always carry a big bag anyway so it shouldn't be a problem:)
Workhorses have their own beauty. Mine is the FC Compact Boston in green. That thing gets tossed around and stuffed to within an inch of it's life (ok, not that often 'cause I can't stand my planner to be that stuffed.) When It goes on a serious diet, the Pillarbox Red Original makes a showing. It was a Mother's Day present, from me to me, so it's new and I'm enjoying the slimness. Mine has the shorter strap which forces me to keep things to a minimum (read: 1 slim pen in the innermost elastic strap.) I don't see this lasting too long. Too many missing pieces. I need my beautiful workhorse back.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delay in my reply, this week has whizzed past me! I understand workhorses being beautiful in their own way, I think that is why I am drawn towards owning one now. I do love my Originals but keeping them slim and perfect is more work than I want to do at the moment! I would compare it to wanting a soul mate and not a string of new dates if that makes sense?
DeleteWorkhorse of course! I have all kind of filofaxes, a Franklin Covey with huge rings, Day Runner with smaller rings, anything I wish. However, I always return to my Malden in Ochre. It's getting way old now-I got it from a person whoused it for a while and also got it from someone else used. I think about buying another one just like that. And I have a Filofax that us a unicorn for many people-a personal Filofax in aqua!
ReplyDeleteMySummerTouch1.blogspot.com
I bet your well used Malden is beautiful especially in the ochre colour! I can imagine it would be hard to move out of it :)
DeleteWhich aqua Filofax do you have? It is one of my favourite colours.