Filofax Personal Original Nude Review

NB. Don't forget to enter my Original Red giveaway guys! The post can be found here

As a birthday present to myself, I managed to get my hands on a wishlist item I've been searching for: the Original Personal Nude. I must say, it was quite a heart attack getting this. I purchased it on eBay through a seller called quickdraw_stationery. They had it on sale previously for AUS$90+ but I was on the fence about it and later regretted it when I saw that it had been sold out. But on the 30th of August, it had come back on sale again and I was notified by eBay emails (the one time I'm actually grateful for eBay notifications!). There were only 3 available for that same $90 price with only one left available by the time I got on it. So of course, I didn't hesitate and went on a clicking spree to make sure I was the one who bought it. And of course, I did. Hee.

It arrived Wednesday morning and I must admit, I think I had my expectations up just a tad bit too high for this one, and I'm not sure why, but I was a bit let down that I didn't have that ooh and aah appreciation as I did when I first saw my Malden. But either way, it's still pretty and it's growing on me as I speak! Just a little note to my readers: this post won't be so much a review as it will be a load of pictures as I have reviewed the Original multiple times now. You can find a review of the Original Pillarbox Red here and the Yellow here, So here comes the pictures:

Inside:

I like the fact that it's black on the inside, yet having the strap a darker beige colour. Their colour match for this nude was very well chosen.

Comparing to the Yellow and Pillarbox Red:

I'm looking forward to making dividers for this one!

Filofax Personal Antique Rose Finny Review!

This planner purchase was absolutely spontaneous and I actually didn't plan on keeping this at all. As it is, I never seemed to like the colour. It just reminded me of a dirty pink and never really understood why so many people actually liked it. So the moment I bought it, I sold it online. This would probably be the shortest time I owned a planner. I know there were quite a few people on Facebook that were looking for it after all, so why not share the love around, no? And seeing I had this organiser in my possession (though briefly), I managed to take a few moments to review it before sending it off to its new owner. I've reveiewed the Finsbury collection multiple times now though, with the recent ones being my Electric Blue and my pretty Pink, so I'll just be loading this post with pictures rather than words. Enjoy!

Personal Antique Rose Finsbury!

Back

 On the inside:

Back Pocket

Slowly closing on itself

As usual, it wouldn't open itself without wanting to spring back again.

The rings were ... acceptable. Slight gaping in the first and second rings, but nothing that would cause a problem... yet:

It's funny, the time I started writing this up, I was all for selling it without a doubt / regret in the world, but since I brought it home, was able to play with it for a while, photograph it, stroke it and stare at it a little, it has grown on me a little... and I'm beginning to wonder if I'll regret selling this one. I know that I've regretted selling my first blue Personal Finny, but I'm not too sure about this one. I know I won't use it though, that's the main thing, and I have plenty of those already on my shelf. So, I sold it.

Comparing with my Pink Personal Finny though, I must say, the leather is definitely much softer and bendable than the Antique Rose. Maybe it's the leather or maybe it's because the Pink has been sitting exposed for so long, but I much prefer the softer feel of its leather than the Antique Rose

And here's a little colour comparison:

Compare the pair: Antique Rose vs. Pink Finny

The Antique Rose would definitely be good for a more muted 'formal' pink, but to each their own. I'm grateful I've been able to own an Antique Rose for this brief period of time, but I think it's time to let it go.

Filofax Personal Original Pillarbox Red Review and Giveaway!

Second giveaway has now begun! As usual, I'll first review the item before giving the details of this week's giveaway. This week, I'll be giving away the beautiful Filofax Personal Original in Pillarbox Red. I've reviewed The Original series quite a few times already and you'l be able to find the A5 review of the Aqua here and the Yellow Personal here. I'm also expecting the Personal Nude Original soon, so expect another review in the coming week!

Lets look at some pictures first though, shall we:

Personal Original in Pillarbox Red

Famous popper

Back

The Pillarbox Red is actually a shade darker in real life, but it's still stunning either way

Inside:

I love that the inside is black compared to the beige insides of the Yellow Original. Apart from the black matching the red beautifully, black will also mask any dirt easily too. And as usual, the insides contain two pen straps on the front cover and one wider strap in between for (apparently) your phone (though it can only hold an iPhone from what I've seen). There are also two slits in the front to hold any cards. The whole planner is made from one piece of thick leather so the slits are literally.. slits; there is no pocket behind, which means anything that goes into the slits are also going into the full length vertical pocket.

The back has that awkward notepad holder (which I will never use) and another full length vertical pocket. It's absolutely floppy, of course, but still stable enough to write on. It also lays flat right out of the box plastic without any training. And for some reason, the leather feels a lot heavier / thicker than my Yellow Original. Maybe it's just me, but it really does feel that way!

The rings were great this time with no gaps / misalignment:

And just a little colour comparison with its yellow twin:

General Opinions
I love the Originals. I know that many people don't quite like them because of their useless front pockets, but in all honesty, I think Filofax has absolutely made this planner for people like me: I, for one, don't use my Filofax pockets because of the extra weight and bulk sticky notes / paperclips / washi gives to my already heavy and stuffed planner, and for another... I kinda have nothing to put in them...

I love the simplicity of the Originals and the fact that they're leather... and the fact that they come in all sorts of colours. I think Filofax is lacking in the colour aisle and the fact that they've discontinued beautiful lines such as Finchley and the green, orange, pink, and lovely blues of the Finsbury doesn't help. Their leather range only comes in the boring purple, red, dark blue, brown and black, which is fine if you're going for a more formal look, but when you want a little colour in your life, I think the Originals is the only way to go. We need more colours, Filofax. We're colourful people who needs colourful Filofaxes.

But I'm drifting off topic, my verdict for this Original: love. Compared to the Pocket Willow, I'm actually sad to let this one go. But seeing the lovely Patent Nude is on its way to me, I'm willing to let this slide.

And now that we've finished with the review, it's time to get to..

The Giveaway Details:
Because of last week's failed attempt at getting a widget to work for your entries, I am just going to do the same as last week ... just much simpler. To enter, all you have to do is
1- Email me your name and country of residence to lettersinnovember@gmail.com
2- Put the subject as Letters in November's Original Giveaway

That's it! Couldn't be easier than that. Competition closes Saturday, 13th of September at 11:59PM. One winner will be chosen randomly and I will announce it on Sunday, 14th of September. A new (and last) competition will be held on the 15th of September, 2014.

Good luck to all!

NB. I was not paid for this review. The lovely Nike from Filofax sent me this pretty Original as my winnings on the recent Pimp My Filofax challenge, but as you can see from my review, the fact that I got the item for free definitely did not influence my opinions in any way.

Filofax Pocket Willow Giveaway Winner!

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who got involved in this week's giveaway. I have read and loved each and every one of your responses. However, I can only choose one winner this week to get the lovely Pocket Willow. So in order to make the process a little fairer and decrease the bias, I have decided to put all your emails into a random generator. And remember, this isn't the last giveaway I'm having. There will still be another 2 giveaways coming up so don't lose hope just yet! You can read all about the giveaways here. I'll be holding the next giveaway tomorrow, so stay tuned!

But now to the moment you've all been waiting for. This week's winner of my first Filofax giveaway is...

Nicole Clark!

Congratulations Nicole! A brand spankin' new Filofax Pocket Willow will be heading your way soon! Please email me your best postal details and I will get the Pocket Willow out to you ASAP so you can create beautiful memories and planning havoc in your new Filofax!

Thanks again to all those who participated,
Nadia.

Filofax Personal Pink Finny Review!

NB: Don't forget to enter the Pocket Willow giveaway which ends Saturday, 6th September, 11:59PM AEST! Read this post to enter! 

I seem to always be in a cycle of buying and selling my Finsburys. I don't think I've ever kept one for more than 3 weeks... but I think this one will be different; this one is actually pulling my heartstrings in ways I never thought would be possible. And it's pink!

I found this little pretty in a shop on Melbourne's Elizabeth St called Pen City. I've seen it on the shopfront display for weeks but never thought to actually ask for it (mostly because I wasn't bothered), but on a bright and sunny afternoon on the 30th of August, I decided to get it. For a good price too. Every Filofax in the shop was currently 50% (which includes Personal, Mustard and Red Finchleys, Pocket Pink, Green and Chocolate Finchleys etc.) but the thing is: they don't keep them in their covers. They leave it on the shelf for people to touch, feel and mishandle. Most of the Filofax on the shelf, although new, have unsightly bottom edges due to their rubbing against the shelf etc and it has actually destroyed the Filofax (even if minimally). The pink Finny, however, hasn't been mishandled mostly due to the fact that it was stored away from people's reach (thankfully), so it was in perfect condition - even the rings were great - so of course I had to get it.

So here comes the pictures:

Pretty in Pink!

Back

I must admit, although this Finny is the same like any other Finnys I've had, in the sense that it will not for the life of me lay flat, the leather is somewhat... softer / more pliable than any I've experienced. Unfortunately for me, I've never actually owned more than one Finsbury at a time as I keep selling them, so I can't exactly compare. But unlike other Finnys, (I have learned my lesson with the blue), I will definitely be keeping this baby no matter what. If anyone sees me selling it, slap me and throw these words back at me. Thanks.

Now to the insides:

Inside

My thumb looks anorexic.. but ok

And as usual, Filofax had to spoil it all by having slit pockets in the Finny. I tried putting a card into its pockets but it's such a tight fit that I just give up altogether. I know that if I force it in, the sides of the pocket will expand and make the Filofax unsightly as ever, and I'm definitely not going to risk that in this baby.

The rings were great though; no gaps / misalignment (although you can barely distinguish it in the picture below..):

And like all Finsburys, this has an all leather strap in which I will barely (or rather, never) use:

Leather pen strap

I love it... despite the fact that I'm always an anti-pink person. I think for once, I'm prepared to make an exception because this beauty is just too damn lovely. And rare. That too.

Unbranded Yellow Planner Review

When I was on lunch break during my clinical rotations, I decided to hop into a shop near the hospital. I was mainly just browsing, not looking for anything in particular when I came across this:

I couldn't say it was love at first sight seeing I already own a Yellow Filofax, but the colour really was gorgeous and as bright as my Original. But see, the thing I didn't realise was the inside, and it was probably the insides (and the price) that made me get myself one. I mean, it even came with a free ballpoint pen!

Inside

Zip pocket!

The insides remind me a lot of the Large Kikki K planners. If only they had incorporated this style in the Medium Kikki K. I have always wondered why they didn't, and thought that maybe it was just too small for a zippered pocket, but this planner just proved otherwise.

Back

The back even held a notepad holder with the elastic pen holder located on the strap. Not too sure about whether this holder placement is a good idea as yet though seeing I haven't actually tried it out.

The rings were perfect too - no gaps / misalignment as most Filofax seems to have currently:

The only cons I can see this planner having includes:
1- It's not leather
2- It shows imprints really easily, so you have to be careful and store it on flat grounds to prevent any dents.

Comparing to the yellow Original Personal:

The Original is a small shade darker (and made of leather) but if you compare the prices of which the Original is probably 10x more expensive, I say you can't exactly complain. If this unbranded planner was leather, it would probably have won me over in an instant.

I have sold some to my US friends on Facebook and as such, the store where I bought this from has officially sold out (lol). I may sell this yellow in the future though, so keep a look out on my 'Items for Sale' tab :)

Filofax Pocket Willow Review and Giveaway!

As promised, the first round of giveaways starts today! I will first review the item (in this case, the adorable little Pocket Willow) before giving you the deets for this week's giveaway. You can read about the details of all the giveaways I'm holding this month here. So here we go:

Pocket Willow:

What can I say? It's adorable, and may have even changed my views on the Willow Filofax now that I can actually hold one! I must admit, I did look for this item on the market once upon a time, but because it wasn't leather (and because I know all I'll end up doing is sell it), I didn't go through with the purchase, and admittedly, I'm glad I didn't. Not to mention, isn't it funny how a few days ago, I wanted to try out a Pocket size Filofax again and well, now I actually can? And my verdict of whether I should get a pocket Filofax or not would definitely be a no. The size is just too small! Maybe it's just Willow (and the fact that it isn't leather), but I would definitely not bond with it whatsoever!

But before I get all opinionated on the item, let's just give a quick picture overview of the Willow:

Front with plastic covering

Back

Without plastic

The cover is actually squishy, much to my surprise. The strap isn't, mind you, because I didn't find out about its squishiness until I felt the cover hiding behind the plastic it came in.

The inside is baby pink with 4 card slots and one full-length vertical slot on the left and one phone / mini notepad / stickers / sticky note holder on the right:

Inside: doesn't lay completely flat yet but probably will with some training

Elastic Pen Loop!

It has a pink elastic pen strap which matches with the inside colour too.

It has the usual 6 rings which are 19mm, and for this Filofax, mostly gap-free except for rings 4 with a tiny gap and 5 which are slightly misaligned, but nothing that would cause any hassle or catch the papers in any way:

And now to a more detailed (and opinionated) review of the item. I will review the cover, pockets, and give my general opinions on it.

The first thing I will focus on is the material of the Pocket Willow:

Pros:

The colour inside and out is probably every girl's dream (even for a not-so-girly girl like me). The cover is comprised of tiny leaves of different colours (beige, light pink, pink, blue, purple) with a green backing, while the inside is just a plain baby pink colour, which matches quite nicely. I've read that some people might prefer the insides to match the green outer, but I think that would just create a green overload and wouldn't be as pretty as it currently is.

Cons:

It's not leather. This may appeal to some of you, but I'm a leather girl and I don't think I'll be able to live with a non-leather Filofax. And these are the reasons why:

1- It won't last. Maybe I'm wrong, but I always have this thought that it won't be as durable as a leather Filofax (though it does depends on the type of leather Filofax). But I've never had any fears with my Malden and it has lasted through all the times I've thrown it in my backpack (without any case whatsoever), thrown my backpack around with it inside, or thrown it around

2- It doesn't age like I want all my Filofax to do

3- It doesn't have that lovely leather smell!

But in particular to the Pocket Willow, it shows dents easily and scratches. Just a little press in with my nails and a little mark can be seen on the Willow. Maybe it's just the material it's made of, but I probably would never throw the Willow in my bag without a cover or something protecting it.

And one more thing that relates to the cover: the button on the strap seems to have super powers because it's actually pretty hard to unbutton it. When you do decide to unbutton it, the strap button pulls on the cover so much I was actually afraid that the button might pull away part of the cover material! And because it's so tight, I'm wondering if trying to open the button might cause a crease in the strap because of the force required to pull it backwards. Here's a little demonstration to make more sense of what I just said:

The Pockets:

This is not specific to the Willow nor a non-leather Filofax, I've seen this in the Cuban, Adelphi, Aston and probably a lot others, but I don't actually like these pockets:

I prefer pockets seen in the Holborn or Malden. I prefer the 'complete' pockets - those that are actually separated properly with stitching and not just a slit in the material. 

Because once you've slotted your cards in, stored it for a while and remove it, you can tell that it has expanded (even if a little) which can be unsightly. But that's just me

General Opinions:

Despite everything, it's still a nice product if you disregard everything I've said. It's nicely made and would be a great buy if you don't put too much thought into it (and if you can get it cheap, or free!)

The Giveaway:

So, if you absolutely do not care about my opinions and still hunger for a Pocket Willow or if you didn't read my review altogether and just went straight for the prize, here's the part where you've all been waiting for: the giveaway details

This week's giveaway was meant to be simple but because of a widget glitch I am forced to change this week's competition. All you have to do is email me with these details:
1- Your name
2- Why you want to win!
3- Put the subject as: Letters in November's Pocket Willow Giveaway!
My email: lettersinnovember@gmail.com

Once all those requirements have been done, you're officially in the draw of winning a brand spankin' new Pocket Willow. That's it! Couldn't be easier than that. Competition closes Saturday, 6th of September at 11:59PM. One winner will be chosen randomly and I will announce it on Sunday, 7th of September. A new competition will be held on the 8th of September, 2014.

Good luck to all!

COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

NB. I was not paid for this review. The lovely Nike from Filofax sent me this pretty little Willow as my winnings on the recent Pimp My Filofax challenge, but as you can see from my review, the fact that I got the item for free definitely did not influence my opinions in any way.