For the last couple of years, I've been trying to find a set of coloured pens to use to organise my time better. I started off with Marvy's Le Pen. It's a felt pen and I love the way it writes. It's small enough that I thought it would fit in the smaller pen loop of my Filofax Personal Metropol, but it didn't and the ink bled easily through the page. So, I scrapped that pen and tried to find a different one.

I moved on to to Papermate Flair. The pens were discounted at Staples. It's not a felt pen, so I assumed that it wouldn't bleed through the pages, but it did. They didn't fit in the pen loop of the Metropol or my Finsbury. They also tend to end up leaking and since I don't want blotches of ink in my Coach purse, off to the office they went.

The third set of pens that I tried was the Staedtler Triplus fineliner. It's also a felt pen. I know, it's another felt pen, but I can't resist. I love the Staedtler brands. The one plus side about it is that they fit in the pen loops of my Filofax organiser. I really wish they'd make the pen loops bigger.

Just when I thought I'd have to settle for ink-bled pages in my organiser, a solution came. I was watching the telly and an advert for Papermate Inkjoy pens came on the screen. I looked at the reviews on the pens before I decide to purchase them. Some reviewers said that it doesn't write as smooth, but it is a ballpoint pen. My experience with ballpoint pens is that they tend to clump up sometimes. Despite the negative reviews, I went ahead and bought a pack.

This week's schedule is pretty much filled with chores and I've already begun the countdown to Downton Abbey's Season 4. Since they left last season with Matthew Crawley's death, I'm wondering how the story would evolve.

I've also started jotting down the books that I've started and finished. I wanted to keep track of how long it takes me to start and read a book. I've also blocked out an hour to teach a friend's daughter (who I just gave one of my leather organisers and taught her time management) how to decorate her diary pages.

I'm also in love with my "H" post-it note. I found it at the dollar store a year ago and have since gone back for another one.

A week ago, I was at my mum's house going through all my childhood stuff when I came across this...an organiser I bought at Sanrio in the mid to late 1990s. She had tossed a lot of my stuff over the years after I moved out, but my Sanrio stuff isn't one of them. I can't tell you how excited I am when I discovered this in a box.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. Three months to be exact. I’ve been busy studying for the CSET exam, coping with a spring cold/flu and also trying to organise and decorate the house. Another reason that I haven’t blogged either is Instagram. I post a lot of pictures about my travels, food, and just about anything interesting. If haven’t blogged, the chances are, there are a lot of posts on Instagram.The “washi tape” craze has hit the market. Stores like Beverly’s Crafts are carrying an assortment of washi. It was hard to find washi. I normally purchased them on Etsy or at Sanrio Surprises.The first one I bought was the Little Twin Stars washi from Sanrio Surprises. I love this washi (even though it’s pink) because I can write on it without having the ink smear. There’s a downside to the this design though, I hate writing on Kiki and Lala, so I decided to use it as a border decoration on my Filofax pages.

I searched online and found a pack of Martha Stewart washi tape. I was thrilled with the pattern and went ahead and bought them on Amazon. I really don’t like Martha Stewart’s washi tape. It’s glossy and you can’t write on it. You’d have to own a sharpie to be able to write on it. It’s purely decorative. I went on to buy the Scotch Expressions tape which is similar to the Martha Stewart brand.Finally, I was able to find washi tape that’s similar to the Little Twin Stars Washi I have. I couldn’t believe when I found it at Target and the price was reasonable. Now I have an addiction.But the price of washi tape (including shipping) is somewhat expensive considering what I plan to do with it. I’m hooked and I need alternatives. Of course, I’d still buy them, but I have to set myself a limit.

The thing about being a Do-It-Yourselfer, I started thinking about ways on how I can make my own washi tape. And since I want more, I made the decision to try to make it. The cost of a generic brand of double-sided tape and whatever paper you want to use is cheaper than buying spools of washi. There are several different ways you can make your own washi. I prefer this method better. Here are the instructions with photographs. Please bear in mind that I’ve taken these photos with my iPhone and might have been a little lazy to edit them.

Materials:
Double-Sided Tape
Scissors
Patterned Paper
Commercial Grade Parchment paper.

I never thought I’d write about a television programme, let alone make it my first post of the year.I was dying to watch the Downton Abbey Christmas Special, but I was on a holiday to Disneyland and Las Vegas until after the New Year. So chances of watching the show is nill.

Over the last few months, there were rumours that Dan Stevens, the actor playing Matthew Crawley did not sign on for the fourth season and I wonder how the writers of the show would kill off his character. With the twists and turns of Season 3 — the emotional roller coaster the show has taken it’s viewers, I couldn’t expect anything less of what their decision of how, when and where.

Just one word before you continue on. If you haven’t seen Season 3, I would advise you to stop reading. This blog will contain spoilers.

When I came home two days after New Year’s, I quickly switched on my laptop to watch the Christmas Special. I prepared myself. I grabbed a box of tissues, sat them right next to me and prepared myself for the ride. I wasn’t going to be caught off guard again just like I did when Lady Sybil died in the fifth episode.

There were no tear jerkers, just an overall astonishment at how Matthew Crawley’s character was written off the script. It was such a good episode with Matthew welcoming his newborn son and heir, not to mention his marriage to Lady Mary is as strong as ever which made his untimely death at the hands of his automobile was quite a shocker.


After watching the episode, I couldn’t get that final image off my head and wondered how in the world are they going to open the fourth season. I wasn’t at all distraught at how it ended for Matthew Crawley unlike others who took it to heart. Yes, it was heartbreaking, gut wrenching and very sad, but it’s just a television show. Life would go on. Some viewers tweeted that they won’t watch the next season, but in my case, I will. I’m curious how to see who Lady Mary would adapt to her new life as a mother without her soulmate. So, yes. I have not completely written off the show and can’t wait for the next season to start.

The happy family before the tragedy.