domino deep pink review

Due to this too-good-to-pass-up post, I couldn't resist purchasing two Filofaxes from Filofax UK. Because of the sad demise of my Affair, I could justify getting a further two (along with the Malden I had purchased previously too... but I'm not in love with it though it makes a lovely storage binder). Here is the first one. A personal Domino in deep pink.

The colour is wonderfully vibrant:

The inside. I like the slight diagonal thing going on the inside.

It came with the 2012 and 2013 WO2P diary, but not in the cotton cream unfortunately...

Doesn't quite lie flat but with some 'training' (i.e. the use of very heavy Biochemistry textbooks - hey, at least they came in handy even if I haven't opened them in three years!), it now lies flat after training it for a few weeks!

I also like how the pen holder is elasticated and further up as opposed to slap bang in the middle.

A closer look at the card slots - just look at that glorious pink poking through! *swoon*

And the back. I like the slanted flap for receipts, etc.

Love the colour, don't like the fact it's not leather (but at least, I won't be so worried if I were to spill anything on its exterior) and don't like the fact it does not lie flat out of the plastic wrapping it came in (no slip box or black box unfortunately).

BUT:

The Domino is a cheap and cheerful Filofax - which is part of its appeal, in my opinion as it is aimed as more of an entry level Filofax for people who want to chop and change from time to time and for people who see it as more of a fashion accessory. I love its range of colours and am even looking at the Violet colour now too!

Overall, 7/10 for me. Price is great and it is cheap and cheerful! Though I do miss the smell of leather and the ability to lie flat out of the box so it loses 3 marks for that reason (but it does lie flat after a bit of training).

Next up? The other Filofax I purchased in this order...

my filofax week #6

Another week down, just over 2 weeks til my dissertation is due! Anyway, here is my week.

{ cause for celebration on the day my boyfriend finished his third year exams }

{ a lot of life admin to do and to be postponed }

{ you can see that on the Wednesday, I had a Filofax package arrive. Two posts have been scheduled with what arrived (it had to be split into two posts!) }

{ my Filofax has been filled with dissertation to-do's as well as random things to do with this blog and halls stuff I have to organise }
{ although my week has been pretty boring, my week still seems to have filled on these two pages?! }

What were the highlights of your week? And what have you got planned for next week?

Malden review

After my Affair was sent back due to issues with the rings (see my previous post on this), I decided to order the Vintage Pink Malden from City Organiser. It was on sale and I wanted to see the hype behind this model so I couldn't resist! Here are some pictures and my thoughts on it.

As soon as I saw the box, I was excited...

Then I saw the colour which looked quite nice...

And then I took it out of the slip box it came in...

The leather is very, very supple. It feels more delicate in comparison to my Finchleys. Upon opening of it, I saw the zipped compartment, 6 card slots and under that, a sleeve for other things.

And finally, how the inserts looked in the Filofax.

The ring mechanism in this Filofax is fine. It closes properly and it opens and closes in a much more gutsy way than my Affair ever did. However, there was just something about it that I didn't really like. I can't put my finger on what it is but it may be due, in part, to the leather as it seems a lot more delicate than my Finchleys. The colour is fine but it doesn't seem like it would take to being thrown around like I usually do with my Filofaxes (as I just throw them in my bag and then leave the house).

So, I'm not one of the many Malden lovers out there but I've decided to keep this one due to the fact that they no longer make this colour and also in the event that I fall in love with it in the future!

the demise of my affair...

As some of you who are active on Twitter may know by now, I have had problems with my Affair in that the rings didn't close properly. For a Filofax costing that much, I knew this had to be solved so I got in touch with Filofax. They were brilliant and the customer service I received was second to none (and 'rightly so' according to my boyfriend once he heard how much I had paid for the Affair!).

Unfortunately, I will never hold this baby in my hands again...

Anyway, I was sent a replacement but this didn't cut the mustard either as one of the rings was wonky when closed and another had a 1mm gap once closed too. This was even worse than the one I had had for two and a half months so even though I would've loved to have pretended not to have seen these imperfections, they were just too obvious when pages were turned.

As a result of this, I have been offered a refund or a replacement model (plus partial refund) but I don't really love any of the current models. I like the Malden and I like the Domino in deep pink but not enough to want to get one just yet...

That is, until I spotted the vintage pink Malden on offer at City Organiser. Armed with a 15% off discount code, this was too good of an offer for me to pass up and so one is on its way to me now and the Domino in deep pink is also on my 'to buy' list but I am going to earn that money first through either surveys, cashback or any other means.

Here's hoping that something wonderful appears on the Filofax website later this year! I do like the Compact Osterley in plum but I don't love it enough to fork out for it at the minute.

Sorry to bring bad news to you all but this'll explain why there will be no more posts about the Affair (though there are one or two scheduled - ones I wrote before the problem got too much for me).

my filofax week #5

So, it's been a mixed week for me. From good news within my personal life (we got an offer accepted on a house we love) to bad news at the week - in the form of having to return my Affair - and yet more bad news at the weekend (apologies for some expletives used on Saturday night on Twitter!), here is my week for you all to see.

So, what has changed and what have I realised looking back?

{ Limited Space }
As you can see on the Wednesday, I ran out of space to write 'offer accepted' in dashed writing!
Also, some days are more cramped than others.

{ No Day Structure }
This has meant that my productivity this week has been somewhat lacking. However, I have more personal life stuff planned for next week so it will be more busy than this week seen above.

What have you realised after looking through your previous week?

your filofax week: Helen!

This week, you really are being spoilt! Not only is there the usual 'Filofax Week' post from myself, you also get one from one of my lovely, lovely readers, Helen of I'll Take Afternoon Tea (her blog is full of posts about stationery and beauty products - my idea of blog heaven...!). Seriously, her planner is organised beautifully and it is also beautiful on the outside too! Take a look for yourself if you don't believe me...

First, the planner on the outside (it's from Artbox!):

See, I told you it was organised beautifully! I love the handwriting too and it's so simple, yet elegant; and I love how everything is written in so neat!

Here is what she had to say:

I've just started using the "Journey is Beautiful" planner from Artbox (http://www.artbox.co.uk/artbox-scheduler-journey-beautiful-p-8541.html). Up until recently I'd been using a personal Metropol Filofax, but due to how expensive inserts such as extra note paper and such can be I didn't use it very well. So I thought I'd try a different style of planner, and I love this one and how pretty it is with different pictures on each page based on locations in London, Paris and Venice. Though I've only used it for a week, I've already fallen in love :)

Hope you enjoyed this sneak peek into her planner (I certainly did and it makes me want to get my hands on it 'in real life' just to flick through it cos it does look amazing!).

pilot frixion vs muji erasables

I recently acquired two Pilot Frixion pens as I had a Union Shop voucher to spend. As a result of this, I decided to review it against the Muji Erasable pens I bought a month ago. Here they are side by side:

Obviously, there'd be a marked difference due to the Frixion's nibs being 0.7mm whereas the Muji Erasables were 0.5mm. Here is a close up of both sets separately:

I'm not sure which one I prefer but at the moment, the Frixions' are winning a bit as they seemed to flow better when in use but I do prefer 0.5mm nibs.

Next, the rubbing out process and comparison with the Pilot blue first:

Then the Muji in blue:

It appears that the Muji ones rubbed out better. I later tested the Frixion in blue with the Muji rubber and the end result was better so it appears the rubber design was the difference here.

And now, both Frixions' rubbed out...

And then both alongisde each other (Frixion on the left and Muji on the right)...

It's not particularly clear but the Muji left less behind bar a pressure imprint whereas the Frixion left some ink residue behind and the rubber left some residue behind too.

One notable difference I noticed was that the Muji erasables had the rubber on the cap so when you write and rub out, there is less of a requirement to remove the cap, then erase, etc. Whereas the Frixion pens have the rubber on the same side as the nib and so, if like me, you put the lid on the pen while you write, rubbing out can be a bit of an annoyance. 

Overall, I rate the Frixion at 7/10 as the flow is brilliant but the rubbing out not so much (and that is one of the main marketing points) whereas I rate the Muji ones at 8/10 as the rubbing out is fine and the flow is fine but not as good as the Frixion; plus, the Muji ones were cheaper for me. However, that can be attributed to the fact that I bought the Frixions' in the Union Shop where things are priced higher than in other stationery stores.

Have you had a personal experience with both? Do you agree with my review? Was I just unlucky with the pens I bought? Let me know in a comment below! :)

my filofax week #4

So this week, a lot has changed...

I have sent my Affair back to Filofax as I was having a problem with the rings. The rings had never closed fully and eventually, this became such a niggle for me that I had to get it sorted as pages kept getting caught when I was turning them. Filofax customer service has been fantastic about this, however, and they said that either a repair will be carried out or a replacement will be sent. Fingers crossed that it won't take too long as I miss my Affair dearly at the moment!

Anyway, I'm currently back in my jade Finchley and although it is a lovely Filofax, it's not quite the same! It was previously my Fashion Filofax where I had pages and pages of style that inspired me and things to do with fashion though I am trying to find a new use for it as trends come and go so my current pages will be out of date in about a year's time!

Sorry for such a long prelude. Here was my week:

{ It's been quite a boring week for me. I went home for a few days and it's been mainly work, work work this week! }

{ I've tried to maintain a colourful way of organising as that makes my week easier on the eye which will induce a mood where I want to organise but also make me want to look at it in the first place. }

How has your week been?

pretty pen holders with washi tape - #upcycling !

Ever spent quite a few pounds/dollars/euros on an unattractive pen pot just because it looks practical or because you needed one and a pile of pens on your desk was becoming impractical? Well, I decided to make my own.

First of all, I had to seek out something that would be a good container for pens and for this reason, I chose soup tins. Baked bean tins or tins of a similar shape work great too. And now, the best part.

Washi tape.

"Say whaaaat?" you say? Well, see my previous post on it.

I used different patterns of washi tape to decorate my pen pots and here are the end results of two of these pots. Obviously, I washed the pots first before doing anything with them!

And a close up of the first one:

And the second pot:

And a closer look...

A cheap and cheerful alternative to boring pen pots! What other things have you done washi tape or what other desk hacks have you done that have worked? I'm all ears as my desk is pretty boring to say the least!

japanese washi tape!

I don't know how many of you have heard of these tapes but Japanese washi tapes are big in the crafting community as well as in Asia. Anyway, I was after some cute ones and I got these:

A selection of cute tapes.

Some tape in cute packaging!

A pack of 20. Assorted colours...

A bird's eye view of the 20 pack again...

And with the packaging off so you can see the colour clearly...

And an example of the tape in use. I used the red spot one. This post-it note is a reminder to do squats - need to get
that bikini bod ready for the summer :)

These tapes are lovely (I got them from washitapes.co.uk) but I still think they are quite expensive for what they are. I'm on the lookout for a cheaper retailer but I may be heading to Hong Kong in the summer so if I am, I'm going to look for washi tape there as it will be far cheaper. I just know though, that if I go, I will inevitably come back with a suitcase full of stationery!

my filofax week #3

Another week down. How time flies, eh? Anyway, here was my week. Nice and colourful (I always decorate the top of the right hand side sheet in some sort of pattern) and quite a few to-do's too on each day. Again, the more personal stuff has been pixelated.

As I said last week, I'd like to start featuring readers' weeks too in this weekly slot in addition/in place of my own boring pages. If you'd like to be the first, send me a tweet (@paperlovestory) or send me an email (fadingskylines[@]gmail.com) with a picture of your week plus some text if you want.

Unfortunately, next week is a bit more boring as things stand; but with things happening quite spontaneously for me at the moment, that may change! Have a good week :)

my april review!

In a month full of mixed weather from (very) sunny spells to (very) rainy ones and also a month where I had very busy periods and not so busy periods meant I have a variety of April essentials. As a result of this, I will split it into categories instead of each individual item that I could not have lived without last month!

1) Beauty

With the weather blowing hot and cold (literally), I have found my hands getting very, very dry. As I had left my Body Shop almond hand cream thing in London, I needed a quick and cheapish alternative for these few weeks and this I did. Boots, usually overpriced and whatnot, had this Garnier handcream on offer and it was less than £2 so I thought I'd try it out. I chose the one for dry, rough hands as I'd rather over-moisturise to get super soft hands than under-moisturise and have to keep applying on a regular basis.

Second, and lastly, in this topic is a tube of Burt's Bees lip shimmer. I have two of these - one in rhubarb and one in watermelon. I only had the watermelon one with me and that was fine. It's like a lip balm but slightly tinted so it adds a little bit of colour and I found this ideal as my complexion is quite pale for a Chinese person so it helps with making me look a bit more alive! (Blusher and bronzer also helps too, I've found).

2) Organisation

Having started on my dissertation which requires a bucketload of journal and paper reading, these notepad and sticky notes have come in very, very handy. Plus, I've also used them in my Filofax which has made it look infinitely cuter :)

3) Food

With April the month when Easter falls, how could I not indulge in an Easter egg or two? I bought one for my mum, one for my sister and one for myself. My dad refuses to eat anything sweet after he was diagnosed with type two diabetes years ago.

Hopefully, next month's will be much more interesting; but this is April's for now. What couldn't you have lived without in April?

review: Muji erasable pens

So, I popped into Muji the other day and saw these instore. I had originally scoped them out online but chose not to order online as the delivery charge is a bit extortionate for a few pens! Anyway, they are Muji Erasable Pens and retail at £2 each. They had them in eight colours: dark blue, light blue, pink, red, purple, green, orange and black. 

With the popularity of erasable pens within the stationery community, I thought it'd be a good idea to review these seeing as this is also my first foray into this world.

I chose three colours out of the eight: dark blue, light blue and pink. I actually really want the purple, red, green and orange too but can't justify it at the moment cos the colours I most need to be erased are usually blue or pink!

Here is the sticker on the pink pen (but it's the same on the light and dark blue ones).

And this is how they look when written with:

As a big fan of Muji pens and a longtime user of their gel ones, I was not disappointed with how wonderful it was to write with the pens. They flow well, the colour is decent but not overpowering - how I like my pens to be; and they also look good when not in use!

Next, the erasing of each of the colours.

You can see that the dark blue left behind a little bit of the imprint; you can see the word 'test' still but that maybe because I press down too hard?

However, the light blue didn't leave anything behind...

And neither did the pink.

Overall, I'm impressed with these pens and I'm considering investing in all of the colours but at £2, they are a bit steep so I'm going to wait til I'm next in Hong Kong or til someone I know goes so I can *hopefully* get them for cheaper. I haven't used the Frixion ones though which are the ones getting the best reviews on the internet but I have to say, these Muji ones are pretty good! And plus, they also look very pretty on your table and in your hand! I guess the minimalism aspect of Muji items has a 'je ne sais quoi' about them :)

NB: Excuse my French - I've not used it since my GCSE days which feel like an eternity ago now and I'm not entirely sure if that is right :)

Post and pictures updated on 31/12/2014