Friday 17 August 2012

Can I Live in a Pocket...?

Blimey – it’s my 100th post already, so what more fitting thing to blog about than one of my favourite things – my pocket Malden!!!
As I showed in this post I was recently the recipient of the wonderful pocket Ochre Malden.
Looking a bit chunky!!!
I was desperate to try out this little gem of a Filofax as it can hold my iPod so I can have it with me everywhere I go.
I set to work setting it up, working out everything I wanted it to do (everything except work basically).
I wasn’t too sure what diary layout I wanted, so threw together a basic WO2P using my quadrille FF paper.

I knew I wanted some pretty dividers, but wasn’t going to make them with proper tabs for the first ones, just cut some dotty scrapbooking paper to size and use some post-it tabs. How hard could it be? ...not very, if I could add up!!! I measured the size I needed using my pocket today marker (why don’t I already have the table of sizes printed out from Philofaxy? – note to self: must do that), and proceeded to cut the paper using my rotary cutter, which doesn’t have the measurements going high enough along the side that I needed them on – (really? I must check that out before I hit publish for this post…). Once I had cut them all out (schoolgirl error, cut one and check before continuing) I discovered they were too small – significantly too small.
At this point I was given the helpful advice “Measure twice, cut once” – yeah, thanks!!! The fact is, it wasn’t my measuring that was the problem, it was the adding to get it correct on the cutter that was the problem – OK, OK, I’m an accountant so I’m supposed to be good with figures – it was late…
So I got some of my Sentimental Circus notepaper and cut those to size instead, and here they are looking lovely in my filo.

Confession – these were actually the second attempt, the first attempt I got all the papers lined up so I could cut the bit I didn’t want off and do them all in one go, and then put them into the cutter the wrong way round and cut the wrong side off – it wasn’t one of my finest hours :o)
I’ve been using the Malden as my purse as well as my carry around filo at the moment, as I lent my Pennybridge to a work colleague to try out, so I’ve had it with me at all times, but still haven’t finished setting it up.
This is the grand plan for the layout:
1                    Capture pages

As you can  see, this has mainly been used for info from Web Finds posts
2                    Diary pages – WO2P with a section for my Flylady zone as cribbed from DEM
3                    101 in 1001 days – just a simple list for monitoring and to check when I have a spare few minutes to do some planning.    

4                    Flylady – 6 sections using my 1-6 Paperchase tabs (again cribbed from DEM)  

-          Routines
-          Weekly plan
-          Zones
-          Menu plan
-          Crisis cleaning
-          Quarterly/seasonal tasks
5                    Logs & info – sectioned using my Paperchase London buses tabs (love them) 

-          Exercise
-          Food
-          Work hours
-          Addresses
-          Birthdays/anniversaries
6                    Section for photos to carry around (none in it yet – I need to print some).
This evening I figured I would actually get round to finalising the setup (or at least get the Flylady stuff written in ready for use).
So what happened?
… Oh my God!!! How is it possible to write properly on paper this small???
That pretty much sums it up. I could do it on paper and then add it into my filo, but surely the point is that you should be able to write on the paper that you already have in there…
But… I worked out that I don’t need my work stuff with me all the time, so… how much of this do I really NEED with me?
Answers on a (very small) postcard please.
LJx

12 comments:

  1. Looks lovely though. I'm ignoring the voices telling me I'm crazy and I'm actually using a personal and pocket at the same time, for the same purpose. I know, I know. Lots of copying dates and moving stuff about. But sometimes I want to carry something lighter - and what's all this lovely stationery for if not to touch?! They need a size in between I reckon!

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    1. I've just got a compact, which is probably more suited to me, but I think I will stick it out with the pocket for a bit longer (if only because it fits my iPod). Although I could be tempted to put it into a zip-lock envelope in a bigger fill :o)

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  2. This looks great, love your set-up :)

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  3. Looks lovely and functional! I have a pocket Malden too but I split with a Personal Compact for work questions. To lighten the weight (given than I too keep my iPod there and it's my wallet) I just keep about five months around (but I think I could do with just two) whilst coupling this diary with notepaper and a yearly view. And for page size I've found on the long run that the pocket filos are more workable with than the personal... but it could be (horribly-writing though) me. That's it :)

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    1. I do love this baby - I just toss it in my handbag and drag it around with me. I'm surprised it hasn't scratched yet like my A5!!! Definitely going to hang in there for at least a while longer cos it's just so lovely and soft (and it makes me smile) :o)

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  4. Beautiful! Makes me want to start using my pocket Kendal along with my personal binder. Only problem is that I just don't use the rings/paper in the pocket size very much... I use it more as just a wallet.

    Thanks for the mention, LJ! I hope your Flylady section ends up working for you (in whatever size you end up using) :-)

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    1. I'm just starting out on decluttering at the mo and GTD... must buy some decent filing stuff - hurrah, another visit to a stationery store!!! It is just so hard to find what will work best for me, and have the patience to just get on and do it and not be continually distracted by other ideas to try (or pretty things - I am Dory!!!) LJx

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  5. It's such a cute size. Love the Malden, love the papers, love the dividers! You have to have an extremely fine point pen to write really small. Good luck! LOL!

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    1. I got myself a pack of lovely coloured fine ballpoint pens (0.4) while I was at Hong Kong airport earlier this year. I am so disappointed though because they just seem so scratchy to me... my handwriting tends to be quite big which doesn't help (I blame my teachers when I was little, because they complained that my writing was too small and made me write with those big thick pencils - bleurgh!!! Although if I saw pencils like that now I'd probably think I'd died and gone to heaven... ooh, think I may have to look online to see if I can find any :o)

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  6. Love your blog! You have inspired me! I might just splash out on a pocket Malden,its so beautiful!!

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    1. Thank you :o) And you definitely should - I just want to cuddle mine, it's so lovely!!!

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