Cat's Corner

So I finally succumbed to the infamous Malden Filofax!  If you’re reading this because you like Filofaxes, this is no revelation I’m sure, but I think it may actually be the perfect binder!!

I wrote in November about my new setup and hole punch in personal size (here), which really opened my eyes to how useful a binder for social/home use can be.  I was also looking to use it as a purse, so the obvious choice was the Malden.  Fortunately just before Christmas it went on sale on Filofax UK and I snapped it up at half price!

My setup was fairly well worked up and had been serving me well to keep a track of my social life, birthdays, to-do lists, etc so I haven’t changed it too much.  I really feel like for the first time that my personal life is organised and having my purse in the same place helps me to keep on track of my budget too.  I even planned out our hectic Christmas – presents, hosting, cooking, ordering food, etc, and it worked a charm!

How am I using it?

Take a peek inside…

I’m still using my Paperchase postcard as a cover and the little owl tabs too – I thought I was being so original and then saw both on other blogs within days of getting mine, doh!  I recently found a matching pen with the owl design so I snapped it up – it even fits in the pen loop!

First I have two sheets of card inserts, then a plastic wallet for my shopping vouchers and stickers before we move into section 1, maps.  Section 2 has my week on one page diary, which I’ve tabbed month by month using sticky flags (from Muji) and inserted my to-do list next to it using pastel paper.  I’m also using diary stickers from hubby’s Moleskine because he didn’t want them and they’re so much easier to lift off the backing than the Filofax ones!

Section 3 holds my other to-do lists (I have a lot of those!) and then section 4 has my blog notes and plans.  Section 5 has my personal finance and work expenses sheets as well as a plastic wallet for my expense receipts.  That just leaves section 6 for my birthdays pages (WHSmith ones) and addresses, which I’ve recently rewritten using a Frixion pen, so that I can rub out and make updates when people move.

2012 planning = sorted!

Why do I love the Malden?

• You can feel the quality, but it feels workable, not precious (in a good way)
• It lies flat from day 1 – whoop!
• It has a zip coin pocket on the front and four card slots
• The rings are a decent size to fit LOADS of pages in!
• Space for a pad in the back (or a moleskine notebook, as I’m planning to try)
• The colour – although I hear there will soon be a PURPLE version (my fave colour!)

In summary, I love, love, love the Malden – can you tell?! 

Grab a bargain Malden on Amazon UK here

Just over a year ago I told you about my fab Dr. Martens 1460 boots (here) - they’re still going strong and look brand new, despite my having worn them at every given opportunity!  They’re so comfortable that I began wishing that they had heels so I could wear them out dancing.  A quick search on Amazon found me Dr Martens Darcie Boots - before you could blink, they were in my basket and winging their way over to me!

I’ve actually had them for almost a year now and like the 1460s, they still look pretty much brand new – the only difference being that the wooden heels pick up a bit of dirt.  Comfort wise, I’m very happy to report that they’re just as comfy as the 1460s, despite the heel!  I have read in other reviews that some wearers find DMs (of varying models) hard to break in, but I have to say I have found both my pairs comfy from the word go.  I tend to wear them loose around the top laces (tucking in the laces, rather than doing them up) with thick ski/walking socks and plain black leg warmers over the top for an extra layer.  This gives some extra padding around the heel so that there’s no chance of rubbing and means that I can walk all day or dance all night in total comfort!

Mine are red with a wooden heel, but there are many, many different colour ways to choose from and there are often bargains to be picked up on Amazon – check them out here:
Dr Martens Darcie Boots

As I recently mentioned in my Philofaxy interview a few weeks ago, I had not one, not two, but nine Filofaxes - oops!  It didn’t seem right to have such an odd number, so it wasn’t long before Filofax number ten came along!  It was my birthday recently and I took the day off to go into London with hubby, who of course I dragged along to the Neal Street Filofax store.  I couldn’t persuade him to come in, although that turned out to be a bonus, as he couldn’t vet my purchases haha!

The thing I love most about going to the proper Filofax shop is the clearance section at the back – there’s usually rows of tantilising bargains, and it’s inevitable that I’ll leave with something new!  I managed to side-step the Malden stand, which I must admit, held a lot of appeal – it’s a very tactile cover, I can see why many have fallen for it! 

Lurking at the back of the store was a beautiful red Slimline Amazona, which I snapped up immediately at half price!  What a lovely replacement for my sadly broken red Balmoral Mini!  Now I know I only recently bought a Slimline Finsbury, which is a bit of a shame, but it served its purpose for finding out if the slimline would work for me.  I’m sure it will go back into use at some point!

I also upgraded my new purchase to next year’s diary and bought some cotton cream notepaper, which has a lovely quality to it.  When I mentioned I was treating myself as it was my birthday, the lovely lady who served me also gave me a pack of trial inserts, including the little black book, which I like as a cover page (no secrets within it, I promise!).

I’ve changed the last tab in my setup now, from ’sketches’ to ‘expenses,’ as I’m finding that keeping receipts in my purse means they don’t always make it into my work Filofax (an A5 Balmoral, in case you were wondering!).  Now they’re centralised in a plastic pocket (also bought at Neal St), and I’ve inserted a Finance sheet to keep a track of my mileage – much more organised!!

Now that the sketches section has disappeared, perhaps I could use the Finsbury as my planned Filofax sketchbook!

Anyone else using a Slimline?  How do you get on with it?

Cat x

PS  The pen is from Swarovski – an xmas pressie last year!

Toning shoes have been around for a while now, but I hadn’t really taken much notice until Crocs came out with their own range and in particular, the Crocs Tone Skylar Flat.  Similar to my beloved Malindi Crocs, these cutie pumps are smart enough to wear in the office, comfy enough for long lunchtime walks and light enough to wear on holiday…

Sweet, right?  Here’s a comparison of the Skylar (in Light Grey/Rose) with my black Malindi – they’re a slightly tighter fit than the loose fitting Malindi, but as with all Crocs, they conform to the shape of your foot for a custom fit.  Mine only took a couple of wears to become super comfy, with or without tights.

So how do Skylar flats work to tone your legs?  Crocs say that their ”Sculpted outsole creates a rocker effect while you walk that can help initiate key muscle activity to provide toning benefits.  [The] toning ring is designed to help moderate movement and provide support contributing to increased muscle activity.”  Watch a video about the Crocs Tone Skylar Slingback Flat here.

I wish I’d done a before and after photo of my legs, but alas, I was too excited to start wearing them!  I can tell you though, that there’s a marked difference in muscle tone and my legs feel stronger as a result of wearing these a couple of times a week for the past few weeks. 

They also have the usual circulation nubs on the foot bed and are super comfy for all day wear, I love them!

There are several other styles in the range, including a more traditional style Croc (Skylar Clog), flip flops (Skylar Flip) and a closed ballet pump (Julia Flat).

Check out the Crocs Tone range on the Crocs website here or on Amazon UK here.

If you’re a Filofax fan and by some miracle you haven’t come across Philofaxy – go check it out now!  It’s the place to be for all the latest news, reviews, ideas and resources from Filofax fans from all over the globe.  The site regularly interviews its readers about all things Filofax – today it’s my turn! 

Read the interview in full on Philofaxy here
Read all my Filofax posts here.

As usually happens around the mid-year mark, I’m bored of my everyday diary… time for a new Filofax! 

Last year I was using a vintage personal sized Filofax and the paper size was perfect, but I found the weight a bit much for everyday use (see it in this post) .  Previously I’ve also used a mini size and loved it, but sadly the rings came away from the binder and it couldn’t be fixed – hence my switch to the bargain vintage one, which I thrifted from a charity shop!

Anyway, I saw a post about Slimline Filofaxes over on Philofaxy a while back and was intrigued – the paper size of a Personal Filofax, with the depth more akin to a pocket notebook – and it can double as a wallet!  I’m surprised I’ve resisted for so long, but now seemed to be the right time; I ordered a Slimline Finsbury in black.

A couple of days later, however, the plot thickened… I popped up to the charity shop near my work one lunchtime and lo and behold in the bric-a-brac corner was a brand new Filofax Finsbury Mini in purple, my favourite colour!  Guess how much?  The grand price of £1.50!!

So now, a quandary – which would I use?  Well, the slimline arrived and it wasn’t love at first sight…at all!  It was black and shiny and nowhere near as appealing as the cute little purple mini.  Left confused, I decided to leave it a few days.  I asked my Filofax friends on Twitter and concluded I’d set up the slimline and see how I felt. 

It wasn’t long before I was in love, it’s perfect for my needs.  Not too heavy, a paper size I can cope with, it lies flat and even has a few card slots for the cards I carry, but don’t need access to at all times.  The quandary is not completely settled yet, as I still love the mini, but I’m thinking perhaps that will do for next year’s everyday planner.  I’m not sure how I’ll cope going back to the tiny paper size though!

Do you have a mini?  I’d love to hear some views on what you use it for and how you get on with it – please leave a comment on the post!

Find a Filofax bargain on Amazon UK here.

Read all my Filofax posts here.

I recently purchased the latest generation Amazon Kindle (Free 3G + Wi-Fi) and I love it, but I’ve had a bit of trouble finding stylish fashion covers and cases to accessorise it with! 

So why am I telling you this?  Well, it took me several evenings of searching the thousands of Kindle accessories on Amazon to find something stylish and good quality at a decent price.  I’m hoping that this post might help others on the hunt for an alternative to the rather pricey official Kindle lighted leather cases too.

I’ve always been a bookworm and a gadget girl, so it was inevitable I’d buy a Kindle at some point, but I must admit I wasn’t overly keen on the grey casing - far too plain for a colour lover like me!  But then I saw Gelaskins’ range of protective skins and I knew that could do the trick!  So my first purchase was the understated, but chic Gelaskins ‘Blue Willow’:

These skins come supplied as a sticker, so you simply lift off and place over your Kindle.  I usually find this kind of thing a bit fiddly and past attempts have not ended well – however, Gelaskins protective skins use 3M technology (from the Post-it people) that lets you peel off and reposition without leaving a sticky residue behind – amazing! 

Even with my impatient fingers, I was able to get a nice result and I feel like my Kindle has been absolutely transformed! 

There were even stickers to cover the individual buttons, but I just used the larger ones, like the page turners and selection key and I’m happy with the look.

Now, this makes the Kindle look fab, but what about protection?  The Gelaskin protects from surface scratches, but I still needed something to stop it from getting knocked about it my handbag…

This is where, after hours of scouring Amazon and reading reviews, I discovered the Acase Vintage brown leather case:

One of the things I like about the Kindle is that you can hold it in one hand and therefore I didn’t want a ‘book’ shaped case for it.  I also like the idea of being able to stand it up, which is handy whilst on a lunch break, at the beach, lying in bed, etc.  The Acase serves both these purposes, whilst still protecting the Kindle with padding and a quality leather outer – all for a mere £15.99!  It even came with a free clip-on battery powered light, so I really couldn’t resist!  The case can be used with the front folded back (ie one handed, as in the very top pic of this post), or stood up at several different angles, making it very versatile.  And it’s a subtle unisex style to suit the fashion conscious amongst us – perfect!

I won’t go on to review the device itself, as there are hundreds of blog reviews out there that you can look up, but I do hope this helps you on the way to find your perfect Kindle covers and cases!  Do let me know in the comments section if you’ve found another gem!

Oh and P.S. UK buyers, did you know you can redeem your Nectar points on Amazon?!  I bought my skin and cover using points and will be saving up for my books that way too – free books, woop!  Finally, a silver lining to the ever-increasing cost of petrol ;o)

Shop for Kindle covers and cases on Amazon UK here.

Buy your latest generation Amazon Kindle here.

Last Sunday saw the first ever UK Trollbeads Convention and it seems it was met with mixed reviews!  I will attempt to write a review of the day as I saw it…

I have been long awaiting this event and made a long journey with another trollie friend (thanks for driving!).  We arrived pretty much exactly at 11am, the start time stated on the ticket, and joined the queue in the pouring rain!  Whilst waiting, we spotted other collector friends and discussed our expectations of the day – we agreed that as it was the first year, we weren’t expecting everything to run smoothly.  However, people were already complaining when they saw the length of the entrance queue – this increased ten-fold when we got inside and saw what a small room and what a huge queue there was for the ’shop’! 

Fortunately, I wasn’t just there for shopping and I don’t think it’s fair to chastise Fable Trading or the supporting retailer, Steffans, too much as they clearly had no idea of quite how crazy it would get!!  Personally, I was really glad I went, as I loved seeing all the retired beads in Lise Aagard’s private collection (the ‘museum’ – see pics below) and hearing Niels from Trollbeads HQ speak about the history of the brand and how our beloved beads are made.  My favourite tip was when he told us that pearls should always be worn, rather than hidden away in your jewellery box, as the oil from our skin “keeps them alive!”  [Although, of course, be careful of hand cream, hairspray, perfume, etc!].

Later in the day, Steffans had separated out some of their stock (v smart move!) and I was able to pick up a limited edition red jasper and an OOAK in the same colours as the elusive ‘Tibet’ bead that I’ve been looking for to complete my Tibet set!!  You can see both the new beads on my latest design here <-

I also got to meet some of the lovely people from Fable Trading, which was great as they like the blog too ;o)  I think that they were genuinely shocked at the turnout and I was pleasantly surprised to see how they reacted to the negative feedback they got from other fans – not only was there a public statement but today I also received a letter in the post promising for better things next year – I can’t wait!!

Overall I had a great day, was able to see some of my trollie friends, got to see some old beads and hear more about the brand!  My suggestions for next year?  Put up the entrance fee but include a limited edition bead (so no bun fights for them  in the ’shop’!), include an area for chilling out and for bead ’swaps’, a much bigger venue, something for the husbands not interested in beads and maybe…consider removing the shopping element?  A step too far?!  Certainly it needs more thought regarding crowd/queue control.

Anyway, I hope the fans will come back for 2011…in the meantime check out some of my museum snapshots…

Read all my Trollbeads posts here

If my love of jelly shoes and plastic jewellery wasn’t enough of a hint, my love of Filofax should tell you I’m a child of the 80s!  I grew up in an era where business women wore pencil skirts, shiny patent court shoesand huge shoulder padded suit jackets – but there was one accessory all these women couldn’t be without – a Filofax!

I seem to remember it started for me with a Mickey Mouse organiser and I worked my way through the years with a variety of sizes and colours, taking a see-through pink jelly mini organiser with me to University.  When I graduated and set up my business in 2003 I took a trip into London with a friend and we visited the flagship store of Paperchase in Tottenham Court Road.  If you like stationery you will, like us, have hours of fun in this store!  It was there that I spotted an A5 black leather Balmoral Filofax(below) half price in the sale (around £60 from £120).  What a bargain!  As a busy freelance photographer it was the perfect place to store my appointments, client details, job notes, business cards and financial information.  Now, seven years on, it still serves me well in my job as a Marketing Exec and is the perfect place to plan my busy work schedule.  If you have a job that requires planning, a hefty A5 Filofaxwill be a great asset – choose a leather one for longevity.

Over the years I’ve cleared out many of my older Filofaxes but I still have four others that I chop and change year to year as a social life diary.  In the past I’ve favoured the mini and pocket sizes for their compact size in my handbag but more recently I’ve rediscovered the personal size.  This is big enough to use comfortably for notes, diary, and in my case, the odd sketch or two, whilst still fitting into most of my handbags.  I use mine for fun but I think it would be just as well suited to business use.

I’ve tried to use digital planners, like Psion, Palm and iPaq but they just don’t suit me – I like a to-do list that I can satisfactorily scribble out each time I’ve completed a task!  It’s an essential for me to always have a pen and paper to hand – Filofax fills that need!

If you’re like me, or you’d just like to give it a go, grab yourself a Filofax here!

View more pictures of my Filofaxes on Flickr here or read all my Filofax posts here.

My love of Trollbeads has connected me to other collectors around the world and I’ve been lucky enough to receive collectors’ books in Dutch and German – great for looking at but sadly I can’t read them!  So when I heard a coffee table book was being released in English, I knew I had to get a copy!

Each chapter explores a different area, speaking with the Trollbeads family themselves, the designers, the fans and even exploring the materials and production processes used to make our beloved beads.  The supporting photography is stunning and includes pictures submitted by the fans – I even spotted several of my trollie friends!

One of my favourite features is the explanation and illustration of the making of a silver figure (pictured below), designed by Søren Sølvsmed.  Søren created the first ever Trollbeads in 1976 and says of his job, “making something pretty, beautiful and pleasant to look at is fun…a lot of the time I just sit and play, trying out different techniques.”

I’ve been collecting Trollbeads for two and a half years and thought I knew pretty much all there was to know, but this book lets you deep into the Trollbeads family and unearths a multitude of insights.

Get your copy and free Mocha bead here!