25 Jan 2013

a Kate Spade agenda

A few weeks ago, back in early January, Kristin on Twitter tweeted that she had a Kate Spade organiser for sale. I think it was the Wellesley organiser and it was a lovely shade of green, had a zip all around it and the interior was a pale nude colour. However, this binder was sold to Imy (a worthy recipient :) ) and I found myself lusting after Kate Spade organisers. As luck would have it, I found one on eBay and for a good price too, and when the final few seconds of the listing were approaching, I put in a last second bid (I always do this - I'm one of those dreaded snipers) and as there were no other bids, I got it for the minimum the seller was asking for.

Although it is not the same as the one that Kristin was selling, it's still a beautiful binder :) It arrived a few days after I paid for it and here it is, in all of its glory:



The red colour is a bright pillarbox red, and the clasp has the lovely 'Kate Spade New York' logo on it - adding meat and weight to the closure. The leather is pebbled (I have tried to show this in the picture) and the quality really is brilliant!

Upon opening, one is greeted with the view below. Note that you'll see 2012 diary inserts - the seller didn't include 2013 ones, as judging by the contents, she only used it for a few weeks or so before abandoning it. Look at those lovely gold rings! And the polka dot fabric interior, the card slots which should please those of you who enjoy carrying around loads and loads of cards. 

Furthermore, there are more pockets on the left than first meets the eye. You can see a bit of paper poking out of a full-length pocket on the far left, but what you can't tell is that there is yet another pocket under the stitching on the right. 


The rings are actually 30mm (I actually measured them to check) and so, they can hold a lot. The plastic ruler is clear, but is wider than a Filofax one. One thing I dislike about the ruler is that the bottom doesn't stick out like the Filofax one and personally, I use this bit at the bottom a lot to flip to my current page. However, it is clear and that is one thing that really appeals to me. The diary pages are week to view, with a notes section on the bottom right - and the paper is delicious (but more on this later!).


Separating each month is a picture/creative collage of some kind on the right, and the upcoming month denoted on the left. I have no idea what the space is for but you could use it to write notes for the upcoming month if you wished.


The month to view looks as follows:


One good thing about the month pages is that they appear within the weekly spreads. This means that there is no awkward flicking between one part of the organiser and another. I just love the design of these inserts! However, Saturday and Sunday share a single box in the monthly view - not something I'm a fan of. I don't know if it is any different in the 2013 inserts though.

Next up, I have a picture of the tabs for you. Yellow = notes; red = to do; brown = birthdays; green = restaurants; blue = addresses.


The notepages look like this:


To-do pages:


Birthday pages:


Restaurant pages:


Address pages:


The back has a secretarial pocket where you can store whatever you like in it. The pen loop is smaller than the one in my Smythson binder but I find it sufficient for my needs so I'm not complaining.


Now, onto the paper. For 2013, I know that Kristin and Hannah from Blue Bonnet Reads are both using the Kate Spade refills in their Filofax organisers - and I can definitely see why. The quality is brilliant, it feels luxurious and the collages for each month are so pretty.

The obligatory pen test:


The only pen where I had a slight feathering was my fountain - but that may be because I hadn't used that in a while?

And overleaf:


You could even use a permanent pen, if you wanted, if my Staedtler Lumocolor is anything to go by (it has permanent ink) as there was barely any show-through with that. The paper is thick too. Like, seriously thick - Filofax cotton cream paper ain't got nothing on Kate Spade diary paper, that's for sure.

There was a card that showed the pictures of each month (February was missing for me):


My favourite had to be January. The monogram flower background, with a hand holding a simple Ace of Spades card is simple, but for some reason, it really stands out for me. 


And nine other months (I missed off the March one as I just chose my favourite nine after January, sorry March!):



If you had read my blogpost on Wednesday about my new Smythson binder, you will have read that it developed ring problems on Tuesday - quite a big problem in that the rings do not close properly but leave a 0.5cm gap in each of them. As a result, I have now moved into this binder temporarily. I have to say, I'm loving the space I have with the 30mm rings, but ultimately, I would like to move back to my Smythson binder once the replacement arrives.

I love it too much to sell it - gold rings are something that really appeals to me (a love that @JoshuaLaPorte and I share!) but I love my Smythson binder too, so now, my binder collection has risen to the grand number of three (with an additional two that I am trying to sell, so a total of five).

NOTE: The text on the inserts came out as blue in these images - they are actually black. A mixture of the lighting and photo-editing made them come out as blue! Sorry :(

32 comments

  1. I love Kate Spade stuff! This organiser is so lush - I just love the pattern of the interior :) I might look into getting one. I'm in need of an organiser with bright, cheerful colours.

    ~Bevolee

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    1. Hehe, the pattern is definitely something different. I don't see myself using this for as long as I have my Smythson binder but this one is so pretty and with its 30mm rings, it might come in handy one day! x

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  2. Swoooning, I'd fallen in love with your Smythson binder, but the Kate Spade has stolen my heart. Off to have a browse in store later tonight! x

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    1. Hehe, the Smythson binder is beautiful - you should definitely try and seek one out instore if you can. I've not had a chance to pop into an actual Kate Spade store in London yet but it's on my list of to-dos once I move back to the capital next month :D Let me know what you find! x

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  3. WOW!!!!! I just got so excited about mine!!!!!! :D

    I would love a bright pink one though lol

    This is so much more exciting!!! I will need to go to Kate Spade to get some of those to-do lists though they are LOVELY !!!!!! xxxxxx

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    1. Hehe I hope yours arrives soon! I think they had a bright pink one of their website a few weeks' ago - not sure if it's still there.

      I really love the paper but it feels kind of rough to touch? As in, not that pleasant to touch...xxx

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  4. This was a great feature!

    I'm convinced to save up for one for 2014. ^_^

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    1. It really is beautiful! I think the design and gold-coloured rings make them prettier than Filofax organisers, so definitely worth buying :-) x

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  5. Super cute!

    There are very few places that stock Kate Spade items her in Australia. The planners we have a bright bold clashing Kate spade ones they aren't as lovely as this one. Enjoy!

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    1. There are very few places that stock Kate Spade items here in the UK too! The person I bought it off on eBay had originally bought it in the US as far as I know (she left her address written in, and it was an address in Florida) so I was quite lucky in this acquisition :-)

      I know that there is a Kate Spade store in London but I have yet had the time to visit it as it's kind of out of the way for me now x

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  6. Beautiful! I have the Wellesley zip in emerald green in my planner collection. I love it but not too crazy about zipped binders as I love stuffing my planners and can only carry so much in it.

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    1. Ah, I saw that binder on eBay US and loved it. I contemplated just shelling out for it and risking the customs fees and stuff but luckily, this one popped up on eBay UK for a fraction of the price! I would love a zipped binder as I do tend to carry a lot of bits and bobs :-) As for stuffing your binder, it has 30mm rings :o surely, that leaves a lot of potential stuffing even though there is a zip ;) x

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  7. Your planner is pretty. I have seen it in black. I bought a new KS planner too and I really like it. My planner is a bit different because it has very smooth leather throughout. It does not have the polka dot lining on the inside. I like the inserts also because the weekly pages are simple with no wasted space or designs. I also have a couple of personal Filofaxes, but my KS planner is probably my favorite. It also came in a lovely box. It might be hard for you to pick which planner to use since both of your new ones are so pretty!

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    1. Ah, I saw a KS binder on eBay at the same time as this one and it was smooth leather throughout and was also red in colour. It did look nice but the seller had stuck stickers on the actual binder so there were sticker marks.

      Yes, I totally agree with you about the inserts! I wish a pack of 2013 had been included, but never mind :) 2012 were just as pretty and I can use it as notepaper anyway. I find the paper is quite rough to touch though; don't know if you think the same or is it just me?

      And definitely a dilemma as to which binder to use. I think it will have to be the Smythson as I do love it, but if I ever need bigger rings, my Kate Spade will always be there, ready and waiting to be used :) x

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  8. Gorgeous! I just recently got a Filofax and was looking at the Kate Spade ones to compare. I ended up with the Filofax (mostly because the one I wanted was on sale :P) But, I'm thinking when I have a little more money, I'll probably shell out for a Kate Spade one.

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    1. A Kate Spade one is definitely worth it. The leather is of a higher quality compared to Filofax leather too, and they are just prettier? (Or maybe I'm biased!) x

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  9. Wow, that is GORGEOUS! I need one in my life!

    Lyndsay ♡
    Fizzy Peaches

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    1. Hehe, I have to agree with your comment :) x

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  10. What sizes do they come in - are they the same size as filofax? I really love the look of your red, so jealous!

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    1. I have no idea what other sizes they have unfortunately. KS agendas do seem quite rare here in the UK but this one takes personal sized paper if that helps? :) x

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  11. I am so in love with this planner! I haven't had a planner for a long while now but I'm thinking of using one very soon before the school year starts. I organize my life with various apps but I think going back to traditional paper has to be the way to go as a paper lover that I am! I want to share the notebooks I crafted inspired by Kate Spade ;)
    http://kraftmint.com/2013/07/02/quick-craft-kate-spade-inspired-notebooks/

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  12. so beautiful! this color is my unicorn! lovely

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  13. In LOVE with this organiser! I need it in my life. Gorgeous post!

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  14. Any chance you would be willing to sale your planner?

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    1. Hi Christi, I no longer have this planner x

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  15. Hi, I know it's a long shot but do you still have this planner and if so would you consider selling it? I have just found the matching bag and have the purse so the planner would be awesome!!

    Please let me know if you do xx

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    1. Hi Sam, unfortunately this binder is no longer in my possession. Hope you track one down soon x

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  16. Hi! I've been searching for this KS art. Would you be willing to share a scan of the colorful monthly art? Thank you!

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    1. Hi Ariadne, I don't think I have these inserts anymore, sorry! x

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