This blog post is dedicated to my friends over at the facebook Midori Traveler's Notebook Resources group!
I'm very happily using my Midori Traveler's Notebook as my planner! It contains a diary (calendar) of 12 months of WO2P and MO2P spliced, an Organisation insert for my 'Current' lists and other lists (to-dos etc), and my journal. Here's my January MTN video if you want more info on my set-up!
I'm still using my Filofaxes for some key things: my Egyptology research (A5 Ochre Malden) and my Art Journal (I'll switch between my A5 Aqua Malden and A5 Espresso Siena). I think I'll also use my Mulberry Agenda to store my important information in the A-Z dividers, and my compact Raspberry Chameleon as my craft/art inventory so when I go shopping I don't buy duplicates of what I already have!
However, I have Filofaxes that have purposes for my other hobbies, but since I've been working full-time, I don't have the free time to do all of these hobbies, and I've found that I haven't been using these Filofaxes. I feel a bit of regret that those Filofaxes are sitting on the shelf not being touched for weeks or months, or in some cases, completely empty, because although I know what I want to use them for, I haven't set them up yet after a year! The problem is that I don't have the time or energy to do all of these hobbies, such as researching Tudor history, or if I do find the time to do them, I don't have enough to put in these Filos (maybe a few pages of writing per week) to justify using a whole Filofax for each of them.
Also, another problem is that these Filofaxes are 'stored' on my shelf, and I don't carry them around the house with me. Over the past few weeks when I've been using my notebook (an A5 Oxford Signature notebook, just for random notes, lists, etc- see this video), I've noticed that I've been using it all the time because I've been carrying it around the house everywhere!! So I really need to use something for my hobbies that has everything in one cover, and that I can carry around the house everywhere! True, I could use a Filofax with different sections for each hobby, but you guys know how paranoid I am about damaging my Filos, and I really love the Midori TN format- so I'm going to use an A5 Fauxdori instead!
A Fauxdori is like a Midori TN, but not made by Midori- it's a 'fake' (in the good sense of the word), made by a crafter for sale (e.g. Ray Blake's 'Raydori', Monique, Tracy) or by yourself- there are some great tutorials on Youtube, for example this one by Ray.
I intend to set up an A5 Fauxdori for all of these hobby things etc. I want to buy a leather one eventually, but I can't decide which colour to choose, so I'm going to use some stiffened felt to make one in the meantime while I decide. I want it to be A5 because that's my ideal size; while I have a couple of Raydoris I could use instead, these are based on Midori standard size, and I really want the width of the A5 page. I haven't figured out the set-up yet, but I think I'm going to put in my A5 Oxford notebook, and make my own A5 thin notebooks out of A4 paper! I've already made some pocket inserts for it during my tutorial in this Youtube video:
I'll make a video, and possibly write a blog post, when I've finished setting it up!
Therefore this fauxdori is going to be my fun-dori! It will be for my hobbies, fun projects, sketching, etc etc. I will play with it and use it in the evenings and during the weekends after I've done my chores, to-dos, and finished getting prepared for work the next day (e.g. making my packed lunch).
But you may be asking, why can't I have this hobby stuff inside the Midori I also use as my planner?
Firstly, I will be writing so much in this fauxdori, I'd run through a 64 page insert in a couple of weeks (I write a lot), and also I wouldn't be able to hold any information in there for long-term! But mainly, I know I need to keep them separate.
My planner is great for keeping myself organised, and I love playing with it, using it, and just looking at its gorgeousness during the morning, while travelling to and from work on the bus and during my lunch break (when I subconsciously feel the need to be organised), but during the evening, when I'm trying to feel relaxed and do fun things, I don't actually like opening it that much! I realised that's because when I'm trying to relax, I subconsciously don't want to look at something that has a big list of Things I Must Do- for a while, I was annoyed and disappointed that I never looked at my Midori planner when I'm at home, but now I know why, I know it's ok as long as I've memorised my to-dos and get them done, and write down any more to-dos I think, I'm allowed to leave my Midori on my bed or desk to use the next morning, and just pick up my fauxdori and have fun and relax!
I'm very happily using my Midori Traveler's Notebook as my planner! It contains a diary (calendar) of 12 months of WO2P and MO2P spliced, an Organisation insert for my 'Current' lists and other lists (to-dos etc), and my journal. Here's my January MTN video if you want more info on my set-up!
I'm still using my Filofaxes for some key things: my Egyptology research (A5 Ochre Malden) and my Art Journal (I'll switch between my A5 Aqua Malden and A5 Espresso Siena). I think I'll also use my Mulberry Agenda to store my important information in the A-Z dividers, and my compact Raspberry Chameleon as my craft/art inventory so when I go shopping I don't buy duplicates of what I already have!
However, I have Filofaxes that have purposes for my other hobbies, but since I've been working full-time, I don't have the free time to do all of these hobbies, and I've found that I haven't been using these Filofaxes. I feel a bit of regret that those Filofaxes are sitting on the shelf not being touched for weeks or months, or in some cases, completely empty, because although I know what I want to use them for, I haven't set them up yet after a year! The problem is that I don't have the time or energy to do all of these hobbies, such as researching Tudor history, or if I do find the time to do them, I don't have enough to put in these Filos (maybe a few pages of writing per week) to justify using a whole Filofax for each of them.
Also, another problem is that these Filofaxes are 'stored' on my shelf, and I don't carry them around the house with me. Over the past few weeks when I've been using my notebook (an A5 Oxford Signature notebook, just for random notes, lists, etc- see this video), I've noticed that I've been using it all the time because I've been carrying it around the house everywhere!! So I really need to use something for my hobbies that has everything in one cover, and that I can carry around the house everywhere! True, I could use a Filofax with different sections for each hobby, but you guys know how paranoid I am about damaging my Filos, and I really love the Midori TN format- so I'm going to use an A5 Fauxdori instead!
A Fauxdori is like a Midori TN, but not made by Midori- it's a 'fake' (in the good sense of the word), made by a crafter for sale (e.g. Ray Blake's 'Raydori', Monique, Tracy) or by yourself- there are some great tutorials on Youtube, for example this one by Ray.
I intend to set up an A5 Fauxdori for all of these hobby things etc. I want to buy a leather one eventually, but I can't decide which colour to choose, so I'm going to use some stiffened felt to make one in the meantime while I decide. I want it to be A5 because that's my ideal size; while I have a couple of Raydoris I could use instead, these are based on Midori standard size, and I really want the width of the A5 page. I haven't figured out the set-up yet, but I think I'm going to put in my A5 Oxford notebook, and make my own A5 thin notebooks out of A4 paper! I've already made some pocket inserts for it during my tutorial in this Youtube video:
I'll make a video, and possibly write a blog post, when I've finished setting it up!
Therefore this fauxdori is going to be my fun-dori! It will be for my hobbies, fun projects, sketching, etc etc. I will play with it and use it in the evenings and during the weekends after I've done my chores, to-dos, and finished getting prepared for work the next day (e.g. making my packed lunch).
But you may be asking, why can't I have this hobby stuff inside the Midori I also use as my planner?
Firstly, I will be writing so much in this fauxdori, I'd run through a 64 page insert in a couple of weeks (I write a lot), and also I wouldn't be able to hold any information in there for long-term! But mainly, I know I need to keep them separate.
My planner is great for keeping myself organised, and I love playing with it, using it, and just looking at its gorgeousness during the morning, while travelling to and from work on the bus and during my lunch break (when I subconsciously feel the need to be organised), but during the evening, when I'm trying to feel relaxed and do fun things, I don't actually like opening it that much! I realised that's because when I'm trying to relax, I subconsciously don't want to look at something that has a big list of Things I Must Do- for a while, I was annoyed and disappointed that I never looked at my Midori planner when I'm at home, but now I know why, I know it's ok as long as I've memorised my to-dos and get them done, and write down any more to-dos I think, I'm allowed to leave my Midori on my bed or desk to use the next morning, and just pick up my fauxdori and have fun and relax!
