Well Planned Life

Today's post is over at Philofaxy .

[Yes, I realize that “awesomer” is not a word, but it works here.] Back in the spring, I read a book for a book discussion that has become my (latest) go-to recommendation for just about everyone.   It is rare that I enjoy a book thoroughly (and by that I mean every aspect of the book—its story, its characters, and its writing) that I recommend it to practically everyone who asks me for a reading suggestion.   This time is was The Secret Keeper by Australian author Kate Morton (no relation to the great Steve Morton that I am aware of). I don’t want to talk about the book too much because I don’t want to give anything away, and there is a lot to give away.   But here are the basics: it’s a historical fiction book/mystery that goes back and forth in time, between the present day, the 1960s, and the 1930s.   (Fear not, however; you will not be lost as to which decade you’re in while reading.)   The story unfolds from Laurel’s perception, and the reade...

Today's post can be found over at Philofaxy .  Check it out here .

We all know the drill: when you’re little, you’d give anything not to have to take nap.   You rail against it.   You fight it.   You cry and kick and complain.   You wear yourself out until you just fall asleep, giving into what you were fighting in the first place. When we’re older, we’d give anything to sneak in a nap.   Well, at least that’s been my experience, especially here in the US where we value hard work and perseverance over rest and relaxation (generally speaking). I don’t really remember kicking and screaming and fighting against naps, but man, did I hate the idea of stopping my play in order to take a nap.   But what I hated more was that someone told me to do just that. These days, naps are a luxury.   Catching a little rest in the middle of the day is so rare and so special.   I look forward to and revel in those days when I can actually partake in this glorious ritual.   My naps are sacred.   There are ...

Why can’t we notebook lovers just stick to something simple, stick to one brand, stick to one system?   Because it’s too much fun to try new things, that’s why. And I, apparently, am easily swayed. A few months ago, I wrote about my Traveler’s Notebook .   Simply put, I was using it as a spirituality notebook.   I had three books in the leather cover—one for a church committee, one for a second church committee, and one for motivational quotes and gratitude lists.   It was great having all of these things in one book. However, I noticed that it was difficult using this notebook as whole, especially when it came to writing in it while it sat on my lap.   I found that the books would shift, moving off of the notebook behind it.   In addition, using the front and/or back notebooks meant that one side was much higher than the other.   Basically, I spent more time fiddling with it than I did actually writing in it.   As much as I l...

Almost immediately after receiving my first Van der Spek planner , I knew I’d be getting a second one, specifically for the spring and summer months.   Just like my first one, I knew I’d want something that represented something I love—the colors had to be chosen very carefully.   But I didn’t know what those colors would be.   I had time to think about it, though, so there was no rush in deciding. One day, quite out of the blue, while driving to work, it hit me. Then, I started to see my choice everywhere. Do you see it?   Do you see my inspiration? Green and blue. My favorite colors are yellow and green.   But my favorite color combination is green and blue.   It reminds me of fresh air, of trees, of clear skies, of summer.   The only question that remained: which green and which blue and what combination exactly? I had decided that since I already own a Filofax personal Jade Finchley , the green would be the inte...

It has been just about 3 months since introducing you to Cappuccino , my first Van der Spek binder.   Although I first wrote about her in April, she arrived in March, so she’s been my active planner for more than 3 months. I can honestly tell you that she is a thing of beauty.   I love her.   She is aging quite nicely.   So here is a little update on how she’s aging.   Without stiffener or foam, it’s all about the leather. She has gained a bit of a shine to her (I believe this is called patina, though I’m not well versed in leather lingo, so correct me if I’m wrong).   Still, she has not lost her super soft suppleness.   And she still smells divine. One thing I have noticed is that the undyed leather interior is faded somewhat.   Well, I thought it was fading, but after speaking with Zoe , I have learned that it is simply tanning.   You can see what I mean here: The lighter color is where my inserts l...