Oh glorious purple slimline, come to thee . . .

Friday 8^th June 2012, 3:45pm - when it all started . . .

 

Oh my goodness!  My heart is pounding . . . my brow is sweating . . . how can anyone have such an extreme reaction to something as simple as a Filofax?!

 

I feel I must explain myself. Some of you may know that I’ve been after a slimline Filofax for a while now, but I REFUSE to use a black one. And I’m positively allergic to brown. So that rules out approximately 75% (if not more!) of all available slimlines!

 

So, when I was doing my usual trawl of the internet a couple of weeks ago and I spotted a positively tropical one in the form of a purple (damson) Adelphi in 'immaculate condition', my laptop nearly short-circuited from all the drool that dribbled off my chin!!! A 13mm slimline in PURPLE!!! OMG!!! Ok. Keep calm Mrs Lastic. It’s only a Filofax. And breathe.

 

‘I must win said Filofax,’ I said to myself. This is the only colour that would be more-than acceptable to me out of the choice available for slimlines. (Well ok, an Amazona in red or Classic in Cherry or Pink would have done I suppose.) Behold, much to my horror, the auction was scheduled to finish during a time that I would be at work! OH HELL! And breathe.

 

So, I wrote two notes in separate sections in my Filofax. I put three reminders on my Outlook at work and two on my mobile phone (one visible only and one audible only). I rescheduled a meeting. I was ready.

 

3 minutes to go.

 

Relax. It’s ok. You’re quiet at work. Meeting rescheduled. Nothing that can’t wait a few minutes. Nobody’s watching.

 

2 minutes to go. Oh gosh. Mustn’t get distracted and find myself actually WORKING, then forget to bid!

 

1 minute to go. Concentrate. Eyes glued to my minimised screen. Still nobody watching or demanding my attention.

 

30 seconds to go. Input bid. Heart beating 10 to the dozen . . .

 

10 seconds to go. Confirm bid . . . sweat dripping . . .

 

And . . .

 

YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I won it by 2p. HOLY COW!!! *Jumps up and down with excitement*

 

Then remembers, ‘At work.  Sit down.  Shut mouth.’

 

Oooooops.


Thursday 14th June 2012, 5:30pm.


Home from work to find a red card from the Postman on doormat saying they'd tried to deliver a parcel. NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! It's a slimline! PUT IT THROUGH THE LETTERBOX! And breathe . . .


Friday 15th June 2012, 8:45am.

 

Whizz straight to the Post Office before work at 9:30am. OK so they didn't put it through the letterbox because I had to sign for it. Fair dos. Anyway, I'VE GOT IT!!! I couldn't actually wait until I got home so here's a picture of the parcel in my car . . . just in case you don't know what a parcel looks like . . .

The parcel in my car before I RIPPED it open!

And get ready to stroke your screens . . . wait for it . . . NOW!!!

Ooooooooo!

Aaahhhhhhh!!!

Mmmmmmmm . . .

I can't tell you how many times I took it out of my bag at work and stroked it. It's sooooo soft and flexible . . . I'm really surprised because I've never handled one before and I thought they looked a bit tough and plasticky online. Oooo! Think I just invented a new word there. Go me.


Now from my experience, this particular model of Filofax in this colour is actually a fairly rare find on eBay. Has anyone ever seen another purple slimline before? I've only seen a purple (amethyst) Deco on the Filofax site (never eBay). I've been looking for this Filofax in this colour for ages and I'm so pleased I managed to get it. To say they hardly ever come up on eBay is an understatement. I think I paid a fair price, especially since it's as rare as hens' teeth!


So of course the second I got home, I began to 'move in'. I had been using my compact raspberry Chameleon and that will be my main 'at home' Filofax. My slimline will be my 'satellite' Filofax and live in my bag. And I have to say that I've noticed a big difference in the weight of my bag already - it's lighter!  Plus, with it being so slim, it takes up very little room and is lot less bulky than my compact pocket even.


The pen loop is really really tiny but this actually works surprisingly well. You just slot the clip of your pen into it and hey presto! It's as solid as a rock. (I'm using the barrel of a purple 0.5 Frixion with a 0.7 refill in it by the way.)

Only a pen clip will fit in the tiny loop.

When you want to use the pen, you can just pull it out of the clip (one-handed) and it's as easy as that.

Just pull the pen off the clip and away you go!

It lays flat no problem and I've managed to fill it up with all my tabbed sections, apart from my 'Projects' one which just contains a few to do lists that can realistically stay at home. My other tabs are Notes, Information, Financial and Addresses and I have a 'week on one page with notes' diary from 11 June until the end of the year. There's also a clear top-opening envelope at the front for receipts that I may need.


As well as the above, I'm also using the following DIY self-made templates that I've previously blogged about here:

• Telephone numbers;
• Passwords;
• Work holidays;
• Petrol usage;
• Overtime;
• Card/jewellery sale log;
• Payments made (a new one); and
• Sat Nav postcodes.

I also have some WH Smith financial pages in the Financial section to keep a track of my spending.


More pictures . . .

My shopping list on the front top-opening envelope.

Inside of the purse section with a few business cards and my stamps.

The card section with my library cards, driving licence and business cards.

The back with a few dot stickers and some papers slotted into the slip pocket.

Here it is fully loaded and laying flat.

(The eagle-eyed of you will have spotted that I'm going to see Michael McIntyre tonight . . . OMG! Sooooooo excited!!!)

A top view of the contents.

And here it is compared to my personal Domino and compact Chameleon. (Bear in mind they don't have any cards or bits and bobs in the card holders or zipped/slip pockets and the slimline does.) Excuse my knees.

So you can see that I have everything I actually need in my slimline, including my driving licence, library cards, business cards and stamps etc in the purse section and two folded A4 forms and a receipt in the slip pocket at the back. I have actually had to remove very little to downsize from my compact, which I'm very pleased about.


Tuesday 18th June 2012


I've been using it for a few days now and I have to say, I think I've found my perfect Filofax. I absolutely ADORE it! The 13mm slimline is definitely for me. Now to begin the one-woman mission of persuading Filofax to make more feminine-looking slimlines!


That's it now, no more Filofax purchases for me. Unless a magenta one comes up on eBay of course. Or a red Amazona. Or even black really 'cos the Amazona in black still looks classy and a bit feminine. A Classic in cherry or even in pink would be nice too . . . sorry! I'm rambling . . .

******

A big thanks goes out to Alison at Filo Obsessed who bought my Teal Finchley and funded this purchase!!!

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