2014 System Revamp: Starbucks Binder*

(Disclaimer: Links provided—except for the ones from the starbucks.com domain—might not be affiliated with the Starbucks company.  I am in no way saying the linked websites are affiliated with, managed by, seen by, or approved by Starbucks.  They are websites I have come across in my search on the topic.  I am not affiliated with these websites, I do not back these websites, nor am I saying they are authoritative in any way.  They are linked for reference purposes only.)

The final post in my 2014 System Revamp series is the one people have been waiting for.  I hope it’s not disappointing.

If you’ve been reading my blog for long enough, you are aware of my love for coffee.  You might also be aware that because of that love, I have a love for Starbucks.  I have created a Starbucks binder.  I am using a compact brown Regency for this purpose.

The deep and dark browns of this binder make me think of coffee, so it is a perfect fit!

Before I get into the details, I’ll tell you how the idea for this binder came about.

A while back, not long after our first trip to San Antonio, Texas to visit my sister- and brother-in-law, they sent the hubby and I Starbucks gift cards.  But these weren’t your run-of-the-mill gift cards.  This gift card was specifically stamped with traditional Texas icons.  We thought they were awesome—we had never seen a Starbucks gift card specific to a state.  We had seen a couple for New York City, but never a state.  Upon a little research, we found out that there are themed gift cards.  So the hubs and I decided to collect as many of these cards as possible.  (It would be great if we could collect these cards by traveling to these destinations ourselves, but as of right now, that’s not possible.  We had some help in this area.)

As with any collection, we needed a place to house the cards.  What better way than in a Filofax?

I started the binder with the New York City card because it’s our home city (we don’t live in the city itself; we are about 2 hours away, but it’s our closest city).  Then comes the Texas card since it was the inspiration for this collection.  From there, I continued with the city/state cards, followed by other generic cards we’ve picked up along the way. 

Thanks to J of the Crazy Life of J for sending me the Chicago card.

Thanks to my friend for sending me the Washington, D.C. card while she was there.

Each time we go into a Starbucks now, we check out the gift card offerings in the hopes of finding something new.  It gives us more fun to add to our pleasure of buying coffee.

At the moment, this is all I have in my Starbucks binder.  However, I’m contemplating adding lists as well, perhaps for coffees and espresso drinks I’ve tried and what my thought it on it was.  I could also add different Starbucks locations I’ve visited.  I could maybe even turn the binder into a generic coffee binder and open up my collection to other companies, though in truth, we don’t visit other coffee shops as often, and if we do, we usually stick with just plain coffee.

One list I will add to my binder is for my new collection of Starbucks mugs.  This is also a collection that began by accident.  My sister-in-law sent us out first mug from San Antonio.

We enjoyed this little piece of Starbucks memorabilia as well.  Then, for Christmas, my other sister-in-law gave me a mug from Alaska and one from Philadelphia; she picked them up when she visited each place.

My friend, too, bought me the Dallas mug for Christmas when she visited there.  (I don’t yet have that mug in my possession.)  Funny, how different people thought of different Starbucks city mugs for me.  I guess I am that easy to buy for!

Because we have collected so many mugs over the years, there was no place to put the Starbucks mugs in the cabinet.  We’ve decided to showcase them in our bookshelves instead.

So there we have it, the Starbucks binder.  Should I add anything to this binder, I will be sure to post an update.

This concludes my 2014 System Revamp series.  I do have other ideas—and other binders—for future specialty binders.  I will be sure to add those posts to the blog as well once they have been completed.

*Note: I am in no way affiliated with Starbucks.  I am merely a happy customer of the company.  All opinions are my own.