Planner

Raspberry FInsbury Filofax: Initial Review

2:58 PM


A few months ago, I noticed my Filofax Metropol was beginning to show wear and tear. The corners are starting to peel and there were quite a few scratches on both sides. I love the Filofax brand have been using them for quite a few years, but the craftsmanship of the Metropol was a bit shoddy even though I know it’s made out of vinyl.

With that in mind, I went ahead and purchased the Finsbury in the raspberry colour even though I’m not a great fan of pinks. It was on sale and the organiser came with a free mini Filofax pen in the same colour.


As I was inspecting my new organiser and could hardly contain my excitement in transferring my pages, I found that the leather is still quite hard and does not open as easily as the Metropol. I figured that since it’s pretty new that it would take some time for it to get flexible. After all, it’s made out of soft leather. 


I also found that the right pen loop is quite small and I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to use my Pentel Energel pens. I’m not keen about using the pen that the organiser came with since I love using the needle tip pens. I’d have to stick to my Marvy Le Pen for it to fit in the pen loop. Not quite a fan of felt tip pens when writing in my organiser as the ink tends to bleed to the other side of the page.

In comparing both the Metropol and the Finsbury, I found that I’m able to stuff more “crap” in my Metropol than with the Finsbury. It will be quite a challenge to minimise the things that I put in there.
I’ve taken photographs of both organisers with minimal inserts inside. See the difference.I’m also disappointed that the rings don’t fully align on the Finsbury, but that’s easily remedied. I googled how to fix binder rings and altough I don’t want to pound on my new organiser, the instructions did help. The instructions can be found here: http://www.ehow.com/how_2253025_repair-broken-binder-ring.html 







Food

Tin Fish Restaurant, San Diego

7:24 AM


A couple of weeks ago, M and I were in San Diego for a mini holiday. Well, I was on a mini holiday whilst M attended a conference.

On our first night there, we ate at the Tin Fish Restaurant located in the Gas Lamp district of San Diego. It was a block away from the hotel, so we trekked on down to have some dinner. It was unusually cold in Souther California to the point that I was wearing a jumper, scarf, jacket and knee high boots. Cold weather calls for some clam chowder. M ordered some and I had a sip despite my intolerance for anything that’s dairy.

M and I love to share our food. We’ve been doing this for a couple of years now. Instead of each ordering an entree, we “discuss” the menu choices and make a decision of what we would like to eat. We’ve already visited the Tin Fish a few years ago, so we knew what we were getting.

The menu prices were decent (considerig their location) and the service was fast. The seating varies. There’s the bar, the outdoor seating, and indoor seating. Since it’s cold out and there’s no one sitting outside, we decided to eat indoors.

We ordered Fish, Oyster, and Chips, a bowl of clam chowder and ceviche.

The clam chowder was creamy, flavourful and delicious, though I only had a couple of spoonfuls. Although the clam chowder was excellent, the fish and chips were disappointing. It was fried a little too long that the batter on the fish was slightly hard. When I took a bite, I can almost taste the beginnings of burnt batter. The ceviche was also delicious, but they gave way too many tortilla chips for little a container of the dish.


I would recommend trying it out if you don’t want to wait in line or spend too much on either lunch or dinner. Let’s just say that this is good eats that will fit anyone’s budget.


Planner

New Stickers

6:58 AM

I always had a love affair with stationery items. This love affair produced an abundance of it. Whilst living in the San Francisco-Bay Area a few years ago, I’ve accumulated quite a large stash of cute paper products that ranged from Sanrio, San-X, etc. I brought them all with me when I moved to Sacramento.


My stash hasn’t quite diminished at all. With my drawers running out of room, I made a resolution to use it all up before buying more which prompted to the custom note inserts in my Filofax.

Sadly, that resolution came to an ends a couple of months ago.

I just couldn’t help myself when I walked into a Sanrio shop. I ended up purchasing a Little Twin Stars paper tape, two sticker sets, and two stamps. The downward spiral continued.






I was a Target shopping for Christmas presents when I found a 50-count Harajuku Mini sticker set. As always, I head over the stationery/office department and found the most amazing end cap display — Paperchase. They had binders, sticky notes, journals, candles and stickers. I would have bought the journal and the binder, but I had no need for just because I already have quite a few. I did pick up the stickers. 



Planner

Filofax Right Pen Loop

9:39 AM

In my last post, I talked about the Papermate Flair Pens.  As much as I enjoyed them in my Filofax, they needed to go since they bleed on to the back of my diary.  I went back to using my Marvy Le Pen felt pens, but sadly, they don't fit in the pen loops of my Filofax Metropol.  The pens are super skinny and they tend to fall out of my Filo when its stored in my bag or when I'm getting it out.  It was so frustrating that I stored my Marvy Pens and started using my Pentel Energel Pens again.

The pen fit nicely in the left pen loop of my Filo and I was ecstatic.  When I tried to put another Energel pen in the right pen loop, it would not fit.  It wouldn't even go half-way in.  Frustration sank in as I tried to find a red pen that would fit in that pen loop.  So I trekked down to Staples to buy a red pen that could possibly fit.


I purchased the Staples brand pen called Strata.  The pen seemed small enough to fit into that tiny loop. Whilst there, I picked up a pack of Martha Stewart's removal colour-coding labels.  This might prove so much easier to pack around instead of my Expressions Tape.  I'll review how these work later.


When I got home, I opened up the pen pack, tried it put it in the pen loop and to my dismay, it did not work.  I'm all out of options and it's highly unlikely that I'll be buying every package of gel pens at Staples to see what will fit in my Filo.


But there is a silver lining to every dark cloud.  Since I love rectractable pens for my Filofax, I realised that I can unscrew the bottom of pen to add refills.  An idea popped into my head and I unscrewed the pen and found that I can remove the rubber grip.  BINGO!  The pen fits nicely into the right pen loop of my Filofax.  It just won't have the grip, but I don't really care.  



Planner

Papermate Flair (Review)

2:50 PM

For the last few months, I’ve been using the Papermate Flair Pens in my Filofax. It was on sale at Staples and I love the colour variety. I would have used Le Pen by Marvy with my Filofax, but those pens were too thin and fell out of the pen holders quite easily. So when I saw the sale advert on the Papermate pens at Staples, I purchased the set.







I loved it at first. It was fantastic. I was able to continue the colour coding on my appointments, chores, etc. I used it for a few months even though I don’t like how the ink bled through the inserts. There was also the problem with writing on the Scotch Expressions tape. It’s almost like paper tape, but it’s glossy. To write on it, you’ll have to use a sharpie or a ballpoint pen. The quest for the right pen continues.

Planner

Papermate Flair (Review)

2:50 PM

For the last few months, I’ve been using the Papermate Flair Pens in my Filofax. It was on sale at Staples and I love the colour variety. I would have used Le Pen by Marvy with my Filofax, but those pens were too thin and fell out of the pen holders quite easily. So when I saw the sale advert on the Papermate pens at Staples, I purchased the set.







I loved it at first. It was fantastic. I was able to continue the colour coding on my appointments, chores, etc. I used it for a few months even though I don’t like how the ink bled through the inserts. There was also the problem with writing on the Scotch Expressions tape. It’s almost like paper tape, but it’s glossy. To write on it, you’ll have to use a sharpie or a ballpoint pen. The quest for the right pen continues.

Planner

Filofax Week #42

10:24 AM

For the past two weeks I’ve been relatively lazy after going for dental surgery three weeks ago and then on a holiday the week after. 


So after looking at my schedule tis week, I was pleased that I was getting back into the swing of things. However, it’s not quite pleasant since I ended up with a cold. Since it’s election season in the United States, I’ve been working my butt off on some political campaigns. Tomorrow, I get to cook and bake for a funcion: a precinct walk for two School Board members running for re-election and the day after that, another catering event for a precinct walk at a different city. I can’t even begin to fathom going to a friend’s wedding reception after the event on the same bloody day!






As I sit in my office, studying for the CSET exam coming up in January 2013, Iʼm also doing some research. Being sick is not ideal at all, especially when I have things to do. Thankfully, I work from home, so itʼs comfortable and convenient. Also, I was quite irritated at one of my students. Sheʼs been in a community college for the last three years and has three more years to go before she can transfer to a university. So, she employed me to tutor her in her hard classes such as English, History, and Science. Sheʼs scheduled Monday and Wednesdays after two oʼclock for tutoring sessions and she does not show for both sessions. A friend of mine said, wait
until next week and if she doesnʼt show up, then give up because there isnʼt any point in helping someone who isnʼt serious about helping herself. Iʼm all about second chances and even third, but I draw the line there. Today, Iʼm going to get some rest and take it easy. Maybe drink a lot of green tea whilst I sit in my office and work. My companion ...




Wish me luck. Iʼm trying to get rid of this yucky feeling by tomorrow morning!

Planner

Filofax Week #42

10:24 AM

For the past two weeks I’ve been relatively lazy after going for dental surgery three weeks ago and then on a holiday the week after. 


So after looking at my schedule tis week, I was pleased that I was getting back into the swing of things. However, it’s not quite pleasant since I ended up with a cold. Since it’s election season in the United States, I’ve been working my butt off on some political campaigns. Tomorrow, I get to cook and bake for a funcion: a precinct walk for two School Board members running for re-election and the day after that, another catering event for a precinct walk at a different city. I can’t even begin to fathom going to a friend’s wedding reception after the event on the same bloody day!






As I sit in my office, studying for the CSET exam coming up in January 2013, Iʼm also doing some research. Being sick is not ideal at all, especially when I have things to do. Thankfully, I work from home, so itʼs comfortable and convenient. Also, I was quite irritated at one of my students. Sheʼs been in a community college for the last three years and has three more years to go before she can transfer to a university. So, she employed me to tutor her in her hard classes such as English, History, and Science. Sheʼs scheduled Monday and Wednesdays after two oʼclock for tutoring sessions and she does not show for both sessions. A friend of mine said, wait
until next week and if she doesnʼt show up, then give up because there isnʼt any point in helping someone who isnʼt serious about helping herself. Iʼm all about second chances and even third, but I draw the line there. Today, Iʼm going to get some rest and take it easy. Maybe drink a lot of green tea whilst I sit in my office and work. My companion ...




Wish me luck. Iʼm trying to get rid of this yucky feeling by tomorrow morning!

Crafts

DIY Stamps

9:58 AM

I've been carving small and I mean, small eraser stamps with zeal last week. Since I've been practicing, I figured I'd make medium sized stamp using my digital panda drawing.

I transferred the drawing onto the eraser and started carving away using my new lino cutters. The stamp didn't turn out exactly like the drawing, but it still looked good. It just needed a couple of minor touch-ups.


I also wanted another medium sized stamp. Since I don't have a lot of Hello Kitty stamps, I decided to carve on, with Hello Kitty wearing a hibiscus flower instead of a ribbon. I wish the flower turned out nicer than it did, but it does take practice. I wonder how many eraser stamps I'll be making until I get the carving done right?


Life

Decluttering

10:43 AM

After a few weeks of slacking off from studying for the CBEST exam I'm scheduled to take in November, I decided to trek into my office and actually study for it.

As I dove into the guide, fifteen minutes later I found myself overwhelmed as I looked at my desk.  It's a fairly large L-shaped desk, but it had so much stuff on it.  I had books stuffed in one corner, in another corner sat mounds of unused flashcards and at the end of the desk was my all-in-one printer.  I felt claustrophobic and the feeling got worse when I opened my desk drawer and found I have crap stacked on top of crap.


I felt sick.  I had just organised my office not too long ago and now its back to a state of utter chaos.

My first order of business was to get all those books and pack them away into my bookshelf (despite the little room I have left).  I realised that I don't use those books that often and if I do have a need for them, I'd just pick them off the shelf and put them back when I'm done.  I did keep a couple of books such as my American Sign Language, The Craft of Research, Writer's reference, two thin moleskin notbooks and my dictionary and thesaurus.

The next step was to get all of my eraser stamps packed neatly into a box along with the inkpad.  I've been such a carving fool the last few weeks and probably will continue to make stamps as I've just purchased linocutters and a carving kit.  

I've also noticed that I have an overflowing vase of pens and a set stashed in my bag as well as inside my bedside table.  I have to go through these and maybe give some to Michael to take to his office.

I'm also planning to take out the speakers and the sub that used to belong to a PC that Michael bought several years ago.  I used to use it when I watched my lectures online, but now I have no need for it.  I'm tempted to put them in my charity pile, but somewhere down the line, I will need it and wished I had never donated it.  So off it went into the closet.

The final step is my top desk drawer.  I need to get my stationery organised and to use it all up.  I'm quite hesitant to use them as some of the Sanrio ones were made in Japan.  now, all are printed in China.  But I can't be sentimental about that if I'm planning to keep my desk in perpetual order.  Guess I'll have to scan the pages to keep as a reminder.

I didn't spend much time this morning cleaning it up and I was surprised that it looks good.  I'll be decluttering my desk quite a lot as the weeks and months go by.  My plan right now is to type of all of my university notes and put them in PDF format to get rid of all the notebooks I've accumulated over the years.  Now that will take some time, but for now, I will relish in my accomplishment that I've made my desk look clutter free.





Planner

Stampin' Up!

3:35 PM

I love the Sunday paper, particularly the Sunday advert inserts.  I love browsing through them whilst eating breakfast and I can find pretty good deals.  I never usually peruse through the Staples advert, but for some I did yesterday and I found something pretty cool.

It's the Scotch Expressions Tape in a variety of colours and it's removable without damaging the paper for $1.50 each.  So I head on over to Staples and buy four colours ... Green, orange, purple and blue.  I though these would be the perfect things to label and decorate my Filofax without damaging any of the sheets.


At first I was skeptical.  A tape that won't damage paper?  RUBBISH!  But I stand corrected.  It does do the job.  



I think it's the beginning of a new friendship with me and Scotch Expressions Tape.  They'll do the job, but they won't replace the other things I seem to put in my Filo -- such as my doodles, stickers that I purchased from the Dollar Store, and of course, the stamps that I've been making.

I've been so obsessed lately with making rubber stamps.  The last one I made, which was this morning was that of an apple.  The more I make rubber stamps, the better I get ... I guess.  But I think it's time to move on to bigger more intricate stamps rather than the small ones I've been making.




Crafts

stamps! making my own.

8:12 AM

- warning - image heavy post -

Since my Filo has been looking quite bland lately, I wanted to customise it by drawing, stamping, and adding stickers.  So I dug into my rubber stamp box and found that many of them are just too big to stamp into a day on my Week-On-Two-Pages.  I remembered reading a blog post several years ago about making your own rubber stamps by using erasers.  Well, why not?  I'll give it a try.  I'll post the instruction towards the end.

I didn't have erasers when I first decided to try it, but I did have some craft foam that I used to use when I was teaching my Spanish Speaking kids how to read English several years ago.  I have two sheets of that red craft foam and no longer have any need for it, so I decided to use it as my first try.  I glued three small cut up pieces of foam together using a glue gun and prayed that it would work.  I got started cutting and I wasn't quite thrilled at how it turned out, but still not bad for my first time.



With this result, I told myself the next day that I'll get a pack of erasers from the Dollar Store and try again.  In my previous post, I showed pictures of the pack of erasers and the super big eraser I found at the dollar store.  With those in my hand, I got to work.

I love Starbucks or better yet, I love espresso (since I make Starbucks drinks at home anyway).  I went ahead and drew a coffee cup, traced the drawing onto tracing paper and transferred it onto the eraser.



I started sculpting the stamp which was 2cm x 2cm (very small).  I thought it was going to be easy -- I thought wrong.  It was hard getting into the small crevices and I wondered how people made small and detailed stamps.  I guess practice makes perfect, so I grabbed another part of the eraser and made on in cherry. 


I continued on my route practicing and I ended up with four very small rubber stamps.


Here's what you'll need:

Xacto Knife (Make sure the blades are sharp.  It won't work if its dull).
Rubber Erasers
Tracing Paper
Pencil and an eraser you use daily.

1.  Draw whatever image you want on a piece of paper.  Take the tracing paper and trace it with a pencil.
2.  Transfer the image onto the eraser by rubbing it on the eraser.  Use another eraser, one that you use daily to transfer the image.
3.  Start carving your stamp.  It's a good idea to angle your xacto knife when you're removing parts of the eraser in the inside of the image.
4.  Carefully rub the traces of pencil left on the eraser.
5.  Ink it and stamp away!


  

Planner

Filofax Week #33

11:19 AM

I can't believe last week was relatively calm, slightly boring and uneventful.  My week was filled with a series of chores that ranged from filing away paperwork (I can't convince Michael to go digital) to caulking the bathroom trim after replacing it nine days ago.


I'm also trying to add more character to my Filo by putting stickers and using a colour coding system to organise my schedule, adopting my iCal colours in my Filo.  Personal Family Work/Study Miscellaneous  Travel (still unsure about the Travel).  I also use pink to underline and strikeout items in my Filo, which is helpful because I can spot the time slot for each entry.

Since I love to doodle, I've also started to draw the weather entry in my Filo, which I am finding quite difficult since the summer days in Sacramento are HOT-HOT-HOT.  I did however start adding stickers, especially those kawaii note/stationery sets that I found in the back of my office drawer.

I intended to buy more kawaii items at Oto's Marketplace (a local Japanese Grocery), but they didn't have much kawaii items in their "Daiso" department, so my last resort was the Dollar Store and I did find cute stickers whilst I was there.


Everything was a dollar, with the exception of one sticker that I found for 50p.  I don't quite remember which one it was.  Since the Care Bears and My Little Pony were on the shelf, I decided to get those as well since they were my favourite characters during the 1980s.  Yikes .... I'm that old?  

I also found erasers that I can use to make my own stamps, of course, to use to decorate my Filo.  I tried making my own stamps yesterday from foam sheets I used to use to teach my Spanish speaking students to read English.  I'll post that experience when I have the photos edited since I've been using my iPhone to take the photographs.


I was really surprised in finding a really large eraser.  The big bright blue one measure 14cm x 5cm whilst the pack of small erasers measured at 4.5cm x 2cm, pretty small, but I can make small stamps out of them -- hopefully.  More on that later.


Planner

Filofax Week #33

11:19 AM

I can't believe last week was relatively calm, slightly boring and uneventful.  My week was filled with a series of chores that ranged from filing away paperwork (I can't convince Michael to go digital) to caulking the bathroom trim after replacing it nine days ago.


I'm also trying to add more character to my Filo by putting stickers and using a colour coding system to organise my schedule, adopting my iCal colours in my Filo.  Personal Family Work/Study Miscellaneous  Travel (still unsure about the Travel).  I also use pink to underline and strikeout items in my Filo, which is helpful because I can spot the time slot for each entry.

Since I love to doodle, I've also started to draw the weather entry in my Filo, which I am finding quite difficult since the summer days in Sacramento are HOT-HOT-HOT.  I did however start adding stickers, especially those kawaii note/stationery sets that I found in the back of my office drawer.

I intended to buy more kawaii items at Oto's Marketplace (a local Japanese Grocery), but they didn't have much kawaii items in their "Daiso" department, so my last resort was the Dollar Store and I did find cute stickers whilst I was there.


Everything was a dollar, with the exception of one sticker that I found for 50p.  I don't quite remember which one it was.  Since the Care Bears and My Little Pony were on the shelf, I decided to get those as well since they were my favourite characters during the 1980s.  Yikes .... I'm that old?  

I also found erasers that I can use to make my own stamps, of course, to use to decorate my Filo.  I tried making my own stamps yesterday from foam sheets I used to use to teach my Spanish speaking students to read English.  I'll post that experience when I have the photos edited since I've been using my iPhone to take the photographs.


I was really surprised in finding a really large eraser.  The big bright blue one measure 14cm x 5cm whilst the pack of small erasers measured at 4.5cm x 2cm, pretty small, but I can make small stamps out of them -- hopefully.  More on that later.


Crafts

Crayola Art

7:50 AM

There has been a craze lately on melted crayon art on Pinterest. You take a bunch of crayons and line them up on the bottom of the canvas, glue them on, turn the canvas upside down, and melt the crayons so the wax dribbles down.

I wanted to do the same type of art as I've got a crayon collection from the late 1990s. I had one more canvas left, so I set out to create a version of my own.

First off, I want to apologize for the blurry pictures as well as the lack of step by step photos. I'm working with my iPhone 3Gs.

The first thing I needed to do was lightly draw the image on the canvas. I chose a heart shape for this project and began arranging the crayons with the flat edge on the outline. I've also arranged the crayons by color type. Once I've got them laying on the canvas properly, I glued the crayons on with a glue gun and had the name of the color showing rather than the Crayola brand. They had some cute and funky names like "Atomic Tangerine."


Once the crayons were glued on, melted them slowly using a heat/embossing tool. There are some people who used a hairdryer to melt the crayons, but the results didn't come out as great since the hair dryer blows out the air forcefully and the crayons don't melt straight down.

Other suggested using a heat/embossing tool that scrapbookers use since it doesn't blow hot air quite as forcefully as a hairdryer. It blows out gently and at a very high temperature to melt embossing powder. Since I'm a scrapbooker, I used my handy dandy Marvy Embossing Heat Tool which I've had since the late 1990s. Before you start melting the crayons, I suggest getting some newspaper and laying it down. You don't want melted crayons all over your tile or carpet flooring.

With the heart shape, melt the crayons staring from the bottom while slowly turning the canvas. Once you're done, walk away. You need to let the crayons cool down and for the wax to harden.

I was pleased with the results!


So, if you have a set of old crayons that you don't have a use for. Try this project. It's quick and easy.

Fashion

What's In My Bag #2

12:42 PM

What's in my bag?  I haven't done one of these posts in a long time.

Since I'm spending the day with Michael today, I decided to change my bag from the very large white one to my black Roxy Tote Bag.  I love large totes since I practically carry the kitchen sink everywhere I go.

The contents of my bag kind of changed since the last time I wrote a "What's in My Bag" post.


  1. Barnes and Noble 16GB Tablet = I have all my books loaded onto this tablet along with movies and games.  I actually can't leave home without it since I tend to get bored a lot.
  2. Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet Charger = I have to have this with me at all times.  I just never know when I'll need it.
  3. JBL Roxy Mic/Headphones = Since it's illegal to use your mobile in California, I carry my mic/headphones and it comes in handy when I need to make a call as well as avoiding getting a bloody ticket from the CHP.
  4. Esprit Sunglasses = I'm light sensitive and therefore need these all the time.
  5. Le Sportsac Makeup Bag = My makeup bag is relatively light since all I keep in it are: Boots Pressed Powder, Boots Lipstick, Burt's Bees Chapstick, Bath & Body antibacterial, VS lotion and some Imitrex for those moments when my migraine just attacks.
  6. iPhone 3GS = I know.  I need an upgrade, but I'm waiting for the iPhone 5 to come out.  
  7. Liz Claireborne Wallet = Need I say more?
  8. Filofax Metropol = I cannot absolutely leave home without my Filofax.  It organises everything for me and I can see my schedule instead of having to swipe through my bloody phone for a day in the month.
  9. Pen Case with Pens = I'm a pen-a-holic.  All the colours are in my case along with pencils so i can organise my days in my Filofax better.  
  10. Tissue = My grandmum always told me to have tissue on hand because I'll never know when I need it and I do need it a lot during the Spring allergy season.
  11. Hello Kitty Coin Purse = I've accumulated a ton of coins over the years and one of my coin-banks are full.  Michael tells me I have to get rid of those coins.



So, there it is... in a nutshell what I pack into my bag daily.  There are some days that I cram all that and my Mac Pro along with my CSET Exam Prep Book into my tote which makes my bag even heavier as well as wearing down the handles.  I know at some point, my Roxy Tote will finally crack under pressure and I'll have to shell out a few quid for a newer, heavier-duty bag.

Crafts

DIY Kawaii Filofax Inserts

9:55 AM

Whilst cleaning my office a few months ago, I found some old Sanrio and Korean stationeries in the back of my desk drawer.  I didn't have much use for them, so there they stayed.  I could have put them in the donate bin, but I didn't.  For a few months I debated whether or not to just give them away, but there was something nagging me to keep them.

As I was writing my schedule out for the week this past Saturday as well as writing down important information in my Filofax when I came up with the idea.  Those cute stationary sheets that are just sitting in my desk drawer can be used in my Filofax as Notes refills.

I pulled one of the pads out (I have a lot), pencil, scissors, hole punch and of course, a note template and got started on my project.

First I have to apologize for the quality of the photographs.  I took them with my iPhone since both my Point-and-Shoot and SLR cameras were on the charge.



I knew the dimensions of my Filofax refills and could just work off with a ruler, but with the kind of stationary I picked up, it was much easier to trace the outline on to the stationary since it will give me a much uniformed look.


As you can see, placing the Note on top of the stationary gave me an idea where I can start cutting and keep the lines straight.



I made five sheets and placed them inside my Filofax, making it look less dull.  I've also made my own divider tabs a few weeks ago using a manila folder and again tracing the outline.  As much as I love all things Filofax, their refills can get quite expensive and I always change the organisation of my Filofax to fit the year.  



Planner

Filofax Week #31

11:00 AM

A few weeks ago, I attended a seminar at City Hall for the Charter City Commissioner elections.  I had no intention of running for public office and even after the seminar, I still felt the same way.  However, after a couple of weeks, I decided to run because even though its a big commitment, it was a way that I can make a difference.  Thankfully, Michael was thinking of running for one of the fifteen positions opened for this office and I joined him along with another hopeful.  We gathered signatures at the State Capitol.  


Whilst we gathered signatures, I realised that running or campaigning for public office is very expensive.  Many advised that I should put in for a candidate statement (which I read during election season) and they're right.  Many read those statements, but the cost of running a statement is $2,100 or more.  Given that I just finished university and unemployed, I can't possibly pay for a very costly statement.  On Tuesday, I dropped out of the race.

I'm slightly disappointed yet thankful that I'm not running.  Without an endorsement, the next few months are free for me to study for the CSET exam which will be held in November as well as trying to finish up my novel.  My next project?  I'm going to check Oto's Japanese Supermarket for some awesome hauls to decorate my Filofax.  The pages are slightly getting boring.

Planner

Filofax Week #31

11:00 AM

A few weeks ago, I attended a seminar at City Hall for the Charter City Commissioner elections.  I had no intention of running for public office and even after the seminar, I still felt the same way.  However, after a couple of weeks, I decided to run because even though its a big commitment, it was a way that I can make a difference.  Thankfully, Michael was thinking of running for one of the fifteen positions opened for this office and I joined him along with another hopeful.  We gathered signatures at the State Capitol.  


Whilst we gathered signatures, I realised that running or campaigning for public office is very expensive.  Many advised that I should put in for a candidate statement (which I read during election season) and they're right.  Many read those statements, but the cost of running a statement is $2,100 or more.  Given that I just finished university and unemployed, I can't possibly pay for a very costly statement.  On Tuesday, I dropped out of the race.

I'm slightly disappointed yet thankful that I'm not running.  Without an endorsement, the next few months are free for me to study for the CSET exam which will be held in November as well as trying to finish up my novel.  My next project?  I'm going to check Oto's Japanese Supermarket for some awesome hauls to decorate my Filofax.  The pages are slightly getting boring.

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