I feel like every time I mention that I feel good my brain is like HAHA PSYCH and brings me back down. I'm over it. Ugh. At least now I'm in the mood to watch one of my favorite movies again, so Forgetting Sarah Marshall is officially on the weekend to-do list. So there's that.
I've been on the hunt for a new work bag. I've been feeling super disorganized and am tired of having a shoulder-only bag. I've been really wanting a backpack that has enough space for all of my junk that I like to lug around day to day, but also won't make me look like I'm late for class when I'm walking around campus. I'm happy to report that today I *think* I finally found a bag that has nearly everything I'm looking for!
This is the Panama backpack/tote from Ron Pon Pon. It's a cross between a tote and a backpack! The colorful strap is for your shoulder and there's also backpack straps when you need your hands free. After reading over some reviews it looks like most folks use it for a work bag and can easily fit a laptop into it, which is perfect for the size computer I use on a regular basis for my job. The bag was on sale so I opted to go ahead and snag the gray, pictured above! I'm excited for it to come in and see how well it works for me. Hopefully it's a good fit!
Tomorrow morning I'm waking up and running 14 miles for marathon training. Training took a hit through all this mental illness BS but I'm trying to get back on the horse and find some motivation to keep pushing through to get prepared for my October race. Wish me luck!
Happy October everyone! It literally feels like I just sat down to write out my September goals. But here we are in yet another new month and it's time to set a new handful of goals to keep ourselves motivated as we head into one of the busiest times of year! October is always an exciting month for me. For the last 3 years it's been the month I've run a marathon in. It's the month we celebrate Brett's birthday. It's the month of my favorite holiday - HALLOWEEN! And it's the month to cozy up, enjoy the changing colors of the leaves, yummy warm food, football, and scary movies. I really love October and I'm pretty positive it's tied with July for my favorite month of the year! <3
1. No book buying!
September.... I went fairly crazy in the book buying department. It seems like with every paycheck I was perusing Book Outlet for new deals and filling up my cart to the brim with new reads. I feel like I'm in a place where I should cool it when it comes to book buying for a while and focus on the books that I have unread on my shelves. I have plenty! I do have a couple of pre-ordered books that will be coming throughout the rest of the year but no more book buying at least through the month of October (save for books I plan to purchase as birthday gifts for others)! 2. Finish the Green Mountain Marathon
Gah! The Green Mountain Marathon is happening in just 5 DAYS I'm feeling super nervous and not really feeling all that prepared, but I'm pretty sure that's how I feel before every marathon that I've run. Again, the goal is to finish. I was toying around with the idea of hitting a sub-5 hour marathon this time around but considering how the tail end of my training has gone (read: not great because September eats my whole life every year) I'm again, just shooting to finish. (Though beating last year's PR of 5:08:24 would be icing on the cake!) 3. Read 6 books
I have 6 books I want to finish this month (which does not include the books I plan to read for the readathons I have planned for October):
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A reread originally intended for Tackle Your TBR
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Originally intended for Tackle Your TBR
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Buddy reading this with Shannon!
What the Dog Knows by Cat Warren
A non-fiction study of dogs who work with police and in other investigative capacities
Bloody Mary by J.A. Konrath
For the PopSugar prompt "A murder mystery"
This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
This has gotten such positive reviews AND it's about monsters so totally appropriate for October
4. Participate in Inktober
I'm going to try my hardest to participate in Inktober this year. Inktober is a month long challenge that prompts you to create one drawing using ink each day. I've been sharing my drawings on my Instagram so make sure you're following me there to see my progress! I'm not sure if I'll complete all 31 days, but I'm definitely going to try to do as many days as I can! 5. Participate in SpookAThon & BookBuddyAThon
These are the two readathons I will be participating in this month! SpookAThon will be taking place fromOctober 17th to October 23rd and encourages you to read (you guessed it) spooky books! There are a few prompts to this readathon which follow the theme of reading thriller/horror novels and include:
-Read a thriller -Read a book with red on the cover -Read book with a spooky word in the title -Read a 2016 release -Read a book with a paranormal character/creature
BookBuddyAThon is a readathon that you participate in with a buddy! My friend Shannon and I will be participating together. This readathon overlaps with the SpookAThon by two full days and will be running from October 22nd to October 28th. There are also several prompts for this readathon which include:
-Read a book with a title that starts with the same initial as your book buddy's name (since I'll be reading with Shannon I have to choose a book that starts with 'S') -Buddy read a book with your book buddy (We'll be reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn throughout the month and have chosen to count it as our buddy read for this readathon as well!) -Read a book with pictures in it -Read a book that you really want to read -Read 5 books
TBRs for both of these readathons will be going live the week before they begin, so be on the lookout for those! I'm looking forward to another month filled with reading and getting to know people in the bookish community! 6. Prepare and officially announce BorrowAThon
I've been mentioning this in my YouTube videos and very briefly in my Reading Challenge Update that I posted last week but I am hosting a readathon in November called BorrowAThon! You'll be getting all of the information about this readathon on both this blog and my YouTube channel this month but please go follow the BorrowAThon Twitter page for more information for the time being! :) Hope you can all make it in November!
And those are all of my October goals! I hope you all have a fabulous month and accomplish everything you want to in the first official month of fall! <3
I.... bought a lot of books this summer. I mostly blame it on my discovery of the world of BookTube (the side of YouTube that discusses reading an reviews books). I've always been one to drop money on new books and have always been a lover of reading (I mean... there really isn't much better than the smell of a fresh new book and bookstores are a definite front runner for my happy place). I'm constantly asking for book recommendations and when I stumbled upon BookTube I found hundreds of people just giving me book recommendations for fun. Basically, I've been in heaven this season finding so many new books I want to read and I went a tad crazy on the book buying front. Anywho, click play to watch me freak out over my new stack of books! I look forward to making more bookish videos on my channel!
Goodreads links to the books discussed in this video:
Spring is finally here everyone! (Even though we just got a snowstorm yesterday.... #NewEngland) I'm excited to finally wear springy clothes, shed a few layers of coats, and finally not have to wear heavy socks and clunky boots everywhere (anyone who knows me at all knows that I prefer to be barefoot, but if I have to wear shoes I'm a sockless-with-slip-ons kinda gal). Something that I believe I've only done once before on this blog, I thought I'd put together a style dream board for spring. Because, why not? Enjoy!
Maxi Dresses - I've only just recently (i.e. last spring/summer) gotten on board the maxi dress train and I honestly don't understand why i didn't hop on sooner. Maxi dresses are comfortable AF - it's basically like you're wearing a form-fitting blanket around under the disguise of it being formal or dressy. Now that the ground is drying up, it's officially safe to start wearing maxis around once again and I am super pumped! I'm hoping to grow my collection a bit over the warmer months this year.
Slouchy Cardigans - Although it may be warming up in New England, we're still at a time of the year where the temperature is doing whatever it wants and is basically confusing everyone at all times. Is it hot? Is it cold? WHO KNOWS. All I know is having a solid collection of slouchy comfy cardigans is always a good idea and, in my opinion, are still a perfect wardrobe accessory in the springtime.
Boyfriend Jeans - If you can't tell, the over all theme to this post/my life is comfort. Jeans are no exception to this rule, and the fashion industry caters to people like me with the boyfriend style of jeans. Loose and comfy yet still feminine - I'm a big fan. Pair these with cute sneakers and a fun tee, it's the perfect combo for a spring day out and about town, or for lounging around the house.
Round, Horn-Rimmed Sunglasses - This style of sunglasses is my new favorite. I just picked up a similar pair while I was in Florida and while I'm usually pretty picky about the sunglasses I wear, I really like the way this style looks on me! I'll probably be rocking my pair all spring and summer long.
Bright Yellow Handbag - With the reemergence of the sun comes the reemergence of my love for NEON. I recently moved into my Flouro Pink Filofax Original in celebration and I now have my sights set on a bright yellow handbag to take on the go. I particularly like the one pictured above, the Merona Mini Satchel Handbag in Peace Green (though we all know this is neon yellow) from Target. I have a feeling that I'll be popping into my local Target sometime in the near future to make this gem mine!
Sperry Original Boat Shoes - As I said in my intro, I'm really a no-socks-slip-ons kind of gal when it comes to footwear. The easier the better, and nothing is easier than a comfy pair of boat shoes. Sadly, one of the Sperry Originals that my mom so kindly bought for me last year went M.I.A. toward the end of last summer and I have zero idea where it went (I think it fell out of my trunk when I was moving laundry in and out and it was never found again). So sad! I loved these shoes to death so I need to invest in a new pair. They're seriously the perfect pairing to almost any outfit and absolutely fantastic for spring.
Woven Flats - This style of shoe is making a serious comeback and the cross between sandal and ballet flat makes it a great pick for spring. I can totally see myself living in a pair of these throughout the entire spring and summer months, and even stretching it into fall! Though I have a feeling a pair of shoes like this is going to give me a seriously funky tan line on my feet!
Though I don't have a ton of disposable income (insert obligatory complaint about student loans here), I have developed quite the addiction to perusing Etsy over the past few months and obsessing over all of the cuteness that is that website. If you start going through the site and favoriting items and shops, the site draws you in by recommending similar items and shops, which you then in turn favorite more items and shops, then it recommends EVEN MORE items and shops... it's just a vicious circle. An adorable, handmade, vicious circle. Ooof. Here are the items that I'm eyeing lately (and if I'm honest with myself will likely be purchasing in the near future #noselfcontrol #whatretirementfund).
I've fallen back into a bit of a FauxDori/traveller's notebook obsession and I blame all the fabric FauxDori creators on Etsy. I'm particularly fond of the shop MelonJournal - they have so many designs for covers, and they will customize the hell out of your notebook! You can add pockets, pen loops, charms, etc. I'm really tempted to buy one for the traveling I'll be doing in the coming weeks! (As if I need MORE journals and notebooks....)
I first saw these on FiloAlly's Instagram and instantly fell in love! Shopsomebunnyy makes these hilariously awesome cutouts of characters from The Office as well as a few of my other favorite shows like Parks & Recreation and New Girl (which unfortunately are all sold out at the moment... D:). I love that every single one has a bow on it to make it "kawaii" - a little playful poke at the kawaii stationary trend! These are so silly and awesome and I want them all.
Speaking of FauxDoris, LyraandCo makes the CUTEST inserts! A step away from the plain-Jane covers, this shop offers inserts with all sorts of cute patterns on them. I'm particularly fond of the fox insert (shown above) and the citrus fruit inserts that are in the shop, but there are just so many to choose from. I have a feeling that I will be spending lots of my play money on this shop. So, so cute!
When I put in a sticker order from LemonPaperCo. on Black Friday, a sample pack of these adorable planner stickers was thrown in with my order and I LOVE THEM! I totally need to purchase more as the sheet is almost gone, but they are so adorable and the perfect way for me to note when it's time to sit down with my planner and plan out the week. These also come in a daisy design which I am, of course, in love with as well.
Kind of straying away from the stationary theme... How cute is this little plush?! This came across as a recommended item for me and Etsy was *dead on* - I love this little guy! He's so cute and would make a great addition to my desk at work or my bookshelf at home. I'm always looking for cute and interesting new items to spruce up my environment and this is something that I feel would always make me smile. :) Those gap teeth and the ice cream? Come on. Way too adorable.
Do you use Etsy? What's your favorite online shop?
Bad news: it's officially winter and soon the snow-pocalypse will be upon us again. Good news: the days are going to start getting longer, so at least there's that! With the end of the season comes time for me to review all of my favorites for you all, and that's exactly what I'm doing in this post! To make things a bit more ~streamlined~ I'm going to try to keep my favorites posts under 10 items from now on (this summer's favorites post was a little out of control), so you're not going to see all of the categories I've used in the past, but I think I definitely summed up my favorite things for this fall with this list! I hope you all enjoy!
Apparel | L.L. Bean Wicked Good Camp Moccasin
These are so comfortable and warm! I wanted a nice durable, comfortable slipper for this winter and these are 100% it. I've worn them around for the entire month of December so far and if I could wear them everywhere without ruining them I totally would. I'm excited to have these to keep my feet warm when the temperatures start falling under zero. Book | The Help
This was hands down my favorite book that I read this season. I already dedicated an entire blog post to my thoughts and feelings about this book, but seriously if you've never read it you totally need to get on it! It's definitely reached the ranks of some of my favorite books ever. Fitness | Brooks Launch 2
I got these at the end of September as my Asics were making my feet kill during my training runs leading up to my marathon. I had never tried Brooks before but with my legs hurting me that badly and the Maine Marathon right around the corner, I was willing to try something new if it meant my running would feel better. Turns out it made me feel MUCH better and I PRed in my marathon! SO, of course, these had to be my fitness favorite of the fall. Home & Office | Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Generation 2 Coffee Maker
My sister bought this amazing contraption for me as a Christmas gift and I'm a huge fan! I live by myself most of the time, and Brett is not a coffee drinker, so brewing a whole pot of coffee never really makes all that much sense. This gem not only brews singular cups of coffee, but also allows you to replace the filter with w K-Cup, so if I'm feeling extra lazy I don't have to do much work do get caffeinated! Double score. Movie | Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
I mean... obviously, right? I won't talk about this in too much detail because I know there are still plenty of people out there who have yet to see it, but the new Star Wars film was so great. It's got action, it's got emotion, it's got nostalgia, and even a few good laughs. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly, highly recommend that you do before it all gets spoiled for you! Purchase | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Illustrated Edition
When this was first announced I knew that this was how I was going to build a Harry Potter collection that I would one day share with my children. I was not disappointed when it arrived in the mail. Every page is so gorgeous and it just enhances the story so much. Part of me is glad I grew up without too much guidance in what things looked like, but I also think I might have enjoyed the books that much more with pictures attached. Anyway, I totally think it's worth it to add this to your book collection! Video Game | Zelda: Majora's Mask 3DS
Brett got this for me as a graduation gift back in May, but I only just got around to playing it this season. I'm not too far into the game but I am having so much fun! I never got the chance to play Zelda as a kid (I also wasn't much for one-player games growing up), but I am so happy that they released a 3DS version of this game so that I can enjoy it as an adult! I'm looking forward to playing this more during some downtime over winter break.
Memory | Patriot's Game
This was 100% my favorite memory of the fall! My parents very generously gave Brett and I tickets to go see the Patriots play at Gillette Stadium, and this was my first Pats game ever! We tailgated all day and had so much fun at the game, despite the fact that we ended up attending one of their only two losses this season... >_> Regardless, we had a fantastic time and I will always remember that day!
Christmas is this week which mean that for many of us out there, it's crunch time! One of my favorite things about Christmas morning is opening up a stocking. You find such random and sometimes useful things in there and really gets your Christmas off to a fun start! There are stocking stuffer guides out there for every demographic under the sun, but I have yet to see one for Planner Girls! If you have a Planner Girl in your life (or even just someone that loves office & craft supplies), use the list below to come up with ideas that she will love! (And trust me, as a planner girl myself, I guarantee that she will love any of these things!)
1. A Package of Their Favorite Pens - Every single planner girl has a specific favorite pen that is their absolute favorite, so getting a fresh pack of her favorites are sure to put a smile on her face! My favorite are Pilot G2 pens (shown above), but other popular planner pens are Sharpie pens, Papermate Flair pens, and Staedtler Triplus Fineliner pens. Find it: Any office supply store Price range: $3 to $12 2. Stickers - Whether or not your planner girl likes to decorate her planner pages, stickers of something that she's interested in is always super thoughtful! Stickers are always a fun thing to find in your stocking as well, and there's stickers for every interest and occasion, so a few sheets would be a great addition! Find it: Scrapbooking section of a craft store, or Etsy Price range: $1 to $5 per sheet 3. Washi Tape - Washi (decorative craft tape) is all the rage in the planner community and used by many to enhance and decorate pages. I would double check with your Planner Girl to see if she's one to decorate her planner, but if she does she would love to find a couple rolls in her stocking! There's thousands of designs available to purchase, so find something that you think would suit her interests or personality! Find it: Scrapbooking section of a craft store, or Etsy Price range: $1 to $5 per roll 4. Glue Dot Runners - These are super helpful for creating your own dividers and dashboards for your planner, as well as adding embellishments to planner pages, such as photos, important notes, invitations, etc. If you're shopping for a craftier planner girl, this would definitely be well- received! Find it: Scrapbooking section of a craft store Price range: $3 to $6 5. White Out Tape - These things are a lifesaver for whenever you might make a mistake when writing in your planner! These are so much better than liquid white out because you don't have to wait for it to dry! These tend to come in packs of 2 or 4 and last a pretty long time, so it's a gift she can definitely use throughout the year. Find it: Any office supply store Price range: ~$5 per pack 6. Hole Punch - These are especially good for planner girls that have binder or ring-bound planners such as a Filofax, Kikki.K, or Franklin Covey. Having a hole punch is very handy for when you want to insert a new page, divider, or dashboard to your planner. It allows you to truly customize your planner! Find it: Any office supply store, or the scrapbooking section of a craft store Price range: $5 to $10
7. Sticky Notes - These are always a good gift for any stationary lover, but especially so for Planner Girls! Your planner girl will be able to use these for future planning without having to damage her actual planner pages when she's not ready to put plans in ink. (Sounds crazy, but trust me, it makes sense to us Planner Girls!) Find it: Any office supply store, Target dollar section Price range: $1 to $5 per pack 8. Small Notebooks - Planner lovers are always looking for something to write on, and a pack of small notebooks would be a perfect addition to her stocking! Moleskine is a really great brand for notebooks and have multi-packs of them. Target also has a really great selection of multi-packs of smaller notebooks! Find it: Any office supply store, Target Price range: $3 to $15 9. Gift Card to Michael's/Hobby Lobby/craft or stationary store of your choosing - I know that gift cards are often seen a impersonal and lazy, but Planner Girls understand that this hype over paper supplies and organization can sometimes be confusing. Giving a Planner Girl some money toward a craft store shopping spree is one of the best gifts that you can give her! Find it: Any craft or stationary store Price range: Your choice! 10. Pocket Sized Planner - Lastly, a bit on the pricier end, any planner girl would flip to find a planner in their stocking! A pocket sized/small planner is the perfect size to stick in a stocking as a little surprise. Pocket planners are perfect for on-the-go planning and can also be used as wallets! Find it: Filofax, Kikki,K Price range: $30 to $80
I hope that this stocking stuffer guide is helpful and makes your holiday season just a *little* bit easier! Check out the coinciding video below to get a few more thoughts from me on these items!
I went a little crazy on Black Friday this year... ^_^''
I definitely came away with quite a haul and I thought I would share it with you all! Most of what I bought was online and won't be in my possession for a few weeks as I bought a lot from smaller planner shops and one large item from an Australian-based company (can you guess which?), so a video wasn't super realistic for a haul as I wouldn't have a ton to show off. Hopefully you can get an idea of what I got through the links and photos I provided below! Clothes & Accessories
This category definitely wasn't one that I was focused on for myself, but the majority of these items (everything from L.L. Bean!) were gifts from my parents for Christmas (we did an early Christmas this year when my sister was in town for Thanksgiving), all of which I'm very excited about! I'm feeling prepared for the winter with my cozy flannels and fuzzy slippers! :)
Hobbs Creek Flannel in Mallard (I couldn't find a photo online of the correct color, so it is shown above!)
$10.00 from Bass Pro Shops
As well as several more items from Bass Pro Shops that I will be giving as gifts so I cannot show them here, but found some really great deals on! Planner Goodies Now this is where I went a little nuts. I've definitely been building up my planner goody supply over the last few months and it feels like I've grown is by a very significant percentage with these purchases! It's pretty hard not to go crazy when things that are usually $2-$3 are on sale by nearly half off! ^_^'' The photos shown below are all from the shops themselves (aside from my quick snap of my Hobby Lobby purchases!) so make sure you click on the links provided to get a better look of each item! Hello Papercat
Hello Papercat is one of my favorite planner goody shops online, so when her Black Friday Sale was announced I went a little crazy. Her sale started at 6PM PST on Wednesday, so needless to say I was anxiously waiting its start at 9PM EST in my childhood room in New Hampshire the night before Thanksgiving!
Hello Papercat's Black Friday Sale: 50% off orders $50 or higher OR 20% off with no minimum spending. (Of course I went with the 50% off option!)
"This is Me Now" A5 Dashboard - $3.00 (originally $6.00) - I already had the Tina and Louise dashboards from this shop, so of course I had to complete the set with Gene!
Karolina's Krafts is a pretty well-known shop in the planner community and rightfully so - her products are stunning and there is a relatively big selection! Unfortunately her products are also on the more expensive end of planner goodies so ordering from her isn't something I can do regularly. However, with her Black Friday sale, I saw it as a perfect opportunity to purchase some planner stickers from her! If you order from here, make sure you are super patient - with the high influx of orders she receives, it can take 3-6 weeks for you to receive your order!
Karolina's Krafts Black Friday Sale: 40% Off Entire Shop!
I found this shop when the owner followed me on Instagram earlier last week and her stickers are so cute! Her selection isn't too large but she had a few sticker designs that I've been meaning to purchase for use in my planner. She ships from Singapore so it does take a bit of time for it to get to you, but I think the adorableness is worth it!
Lemon Paper Co's Black Friday Sale: 30% Off Entire Shop!
I also found this shop through Instagram (I believe they liked a photo of mine) and I absolutely fell in love with it when I clicked onto Etsy to check them out! The stickers on this site are bright and vibrant and so, so cute. I went a bit crazy in this shop as well, but some of these sticker sets I know I'll use frequently so I bought multiple sheets. I totally recommend checking out this shop if you're into bright colors and kawaii desings! (And I mean, who isn't in this community?!)
Hello Cupcake Plans Black Friday Sale: 40% Off Entire Shop!
Another shop found via Instagram! She doesn't have the biggest selection if you're not an Erin Condren user (and I found through my shopping that most of the shops on Etsy focus on ECLP which can be a bit frustrating if you do not use the LP), but I managed to find a few sets that I love!
Lisa Lorene Plans Black Friday Sale: 40% Off Entire Shop!
Zero Fox Given Stickers x3 -$0.60 each (originally $1.00 each)
Plus one sheet that I will be using in a holiday planner swap for the New England Planner Girls Facebook group! :)
Hobby Lobby
Being a planner girl, it's pretty surprising that I had never been to a Hobby Lobby, and so when my mom offered to bring me to the Hobby Lobby by her on Black Friday, I jumped at the opportunity! There was a huge sale on all things from The Paper Studio, so I went a little crazy with the Washi. I also threw in a couple of glue runners for dashboard making and a whole slew of things for the holiday planner swap the New England Planner Girls Facebook group is doing!
Hobby Lobby's Black Friday Sale: 50% Off The Paper Studio items (and many other items, but The Paper Studio is what I was focused on!)
-5 pack of functional skinny Washi (Pink "important", black & white chevron, pink and white stripes, gold "noted", white and blue "to-do")
-5 pack of solid color skinny Washi (blue, lime green, yellow, orange, red)
-2-pack of Washi (triangles & arrows)
-2-pack of Washi (gold foil pineapples & polka dots)
-Deer Washi
-2 glue-dot runners - needed these to make more dashboards!
Kikki-K
Last but certainly not least is my purchase from Kikki-K! I've been eyeing this planner since it released a few weeks ago, and I've always been in love with Kikki-K's mint-and-gold color scheme planners, so when I clicked on to the website Wednesday night and saw their Black Friday sale, I knew it was time to finally pull the trigger and buy by 2016 planner! Shipping is a bit expensive as these products ship from Australia (roughly $10 to ship to the US) but with the sale, I still paid less for the product and for shipping than I would have paid for the product at full price - SCORE. I am so, so excited for this planner to arrive and to move in! (Of course, I'll be showing this off in a video as soon as it arrives!)
Kikk-K's Black Friday Sale: 20% Off entire online store!
I'm pretty close to being done with my holiday shopping after this little haul (I picked up several things for Brett and for friends through my shopping as well - it wasn't purely selfish! :P) but I do have a few more things I'm eyeing for Cyber Monday tomorrow (mostly a laminator and printer ink to make more planner dashboards!). I don't know what it is this year - the deal bug has bitten me hard!
Hello planner and non-planner people alike! In today's edition of Organize My Life, I'm going to talk all about the planners that I am currently chasing after to add to my collection. Some people may think that having more than one planner at a time is a little out of control, but as I transitioned into becoming more of a ring-bound planner girl, my eyes were opened up to the hobby of not only planning itself, but actually collecting planners and changing them out throughout the year. I was also quickly introduced to the concept of "unicorns" or planners that are either discontinued or extremely hard to find through any kind of typical shop and usually are purchased from other planner collectors.
I never really felt that I wanted to add multiple planners to my collection until very recently and I have found that I'm lusting after quite a few different models and even have a few unicorns of my own that have sadly been discontinued from their carriers. *le sigh* I decided to throw them into a list to share with you all... and to possibly drop some holiday gift hints to any Santas that might be out there... ;) Hope you enjoy the list (and if you have any idea where I can find my unicorns that would be super awesome!). Discontinued Planners - My Unicorns A5 Domino Ultra Violet - Filofax
I really love the original Domino from Filofax and I've seen it in several different colors in the past, but once I discovered there was once a violet version of this model, it shot to the very top for my ISO (in search of) list! The image above is from a review on the blog Philophaxy that was published in 2011, so I'm sure it's been out of circulation for a while which is sad. I don't know if this color will ever make its comeback (the original domino is still available on the US Filofax store but only in black and red) but if it does I know that I'll be snatching one up immediately!
This Kikki.K planner was extremely popular when I was first getting into the planning world and had my focus turned onto Erin Condren planners, but now that I've fallen in love with ring-bound systems I'm kicking myself for not taking advantage of the opportunity to have this beauty in my possession! I know that Dokibook has an imitation version of this model, but of course it's not nearly as well-made as a Kikki.K and I usually have a real problem with companies that totally rip off others (they even currently stock an imitation of my current planner, the Filofax Pear Saffiano! :| ). I not only love this planner because of how gorgeous it is, but I've always been a fan of the inside-flap storage of Kikki.K planners - especially this one!
Currently Out of Stock A5 Original in Flouro Pink - Filofax ($111.00)
The color of the Flouro Pink Filofax Original is absolutely stunning. I don't really spring for pink too often, but when it's this gorgeous bubblegum neon pink I'm all about it. I first saw this planner in the personal size on a Miss Trenchcoat video when I was first getting into binder systems and immediately fell in love with the color. The Filofax Originals are so well made and this colors so beautiful that I would LOVE to add it to my planner collection.
When these planners first released I was SO EXCITED, but they only released in the personal size at first. I really wanted the teal and white striped planner, but at that point I had already realized that the personal size is too small for me. A few months later they released a limited A5 line and, much to my happiness, included the teal and white striped design! From what I've read and what I've seen in YouTube videos, these planners aren't as great of quality that you'd get in a Filofax or a Kikki.K, and are a bit thinner and taller than the typical A5 planner, but I would still love to give this brand a try (and get my hands on these beautiful nautical stripes!).
Currently in Stock - Planner Wishlist Pocket Patent in Lemon - Filofax ($43.00)
I would normally never ever ever go for a pocket size planner, but I've been toying with the idea of using one as a wallet/on-the-go calendar. Though I love my A5, it does take up quite a bit of room in my purse, which I'm fine with for daily work life, but not so much for running errands and the like. When perusing the pocket sizes on the Filofax website, I came across the Patent pockets and they are so adorable - especially this color! I would love this addition to my collection. Personal Malden in Ochre - Filofax ($110.00)
Maldens are so beautiful and I'm especially a fan of the Ochre color. However, I think that the A5 Malden doesn't look as great as the personal size, so if I were to take the plunge and pay for this beautiful leather planner, I think I'd stick with the personal. I think the interior of this planner is perfect (Zip pouch? Yes please!) and the brown leather is such a classic look that you could use it for years and years without it ever going out of style. It has such a collegiate look to it, which is perfect since I'll be spending most of my time on a college campus for the rest of my life! #HESAlife A5 Original in Dark Aqua - Filofax ($111.00)
I'm going to echo a lot of what I said about the Filofax Originals that was mentioned in the Flouro Pink description toward the beginning of this post. These have such a classic look to them and I would love to build up a collection of these in tons of beautiful colors, including the above Dark Aqua and Patent Purple! Large Time Planner in Ice Blue - Kikki.K($79.95)
I've always loved how Kikki.Ks have been made but I've never fallen in love with any one planner (aside from the mint & gold above!) until they released this beautiful ice blue number! I think this color is perfect for winter/spring and the interior (as it always is with Kikki.K) is incredible (pockets, pockets, pockets!). Kikki.Ks are always so well-made and I think that this would be a beautiful addition to my collection!
My life in a nutshell right now... WHY IS IT SO COLD WHERE I LIVE D: *cries in a corner*
Hey everyone! After many a school and work cancellation, I've finally fallen into a routine in my schedule... almost. This week we've had our first Monday in a month and it's definitely thrown me off a bit! Today I showed up to a meeting that I usually have on a Wednesday thinking it was totally normal, only to find out hours later that I definitely was not supposed to show up there. Woops!
Aside from that, the last few weeks have been a bit of a grind. Wake up, go to designated work location, come home, eat, yoga, sleep. It's been really easy to lose myself in my work lately and the spring semester is already FLYING. I've still been able to manage to take some time to visit loved ones regularly, though, which is definitely a blessing.
I spent Valentine's weekend with Brett before he jetted off to warm and sunny Florida. We celebrated with a trip to on of our favorite breakfast restaurants that we hadn't been to in FOREVER (Bill's Bread & Breakfast in Putnam, CT... check them out!), and for dinner we had our traditional Brett & Riley special, some steak tips, and watched the movie Chef, which I thought was a really cute, heartwarming movie! It was a wonderfully low-key holiday and a perfect way to hide from the blizzard outside. (HUGE SURPRISE. IT WAS SNOWING.)
(Did you guys notice how hilarious Timehop was on Valentine's Day?
I thought this was so cute I had to take a screenshot.)
Work has been a lot of fun lately and it's making me dread the end of the semester so much. Every day that goes by I feel like I'm becoming more and more connected to my students and knowing that I won't be at BSU next year is really bumming me out. These students crack me up so much and make it feel like my work isn't work... that's the dream! I can only hope that the students that I work with next are just as awesome as these bears. (I'm sure they will be, but I'm still going to miss BSU!) I should stop typing this before I start tearing up and just share this awesome item that was on the PC agenda last week...
I was dying laughing when I read this event title.... XD
This past weekend I went to visit my parents and pups in NH. It was a really relaxing weekend which is always nice and it's so fun to bond with Mom & Dad! Mom and I went to get pedicures (which is usually not the most pleasant experience for me because my feet are SO ticklish, but at least my toes look pretty for our vacation!) and the three of us went shopping. My parents were very nice to me and bought me some interview clothes for my #SAsearch (which is a bit slow at the moment but is officially underway!) as well as some vacation outfits!
Truck selfies with Kiwi!
#BusinessRiley in full effect
Since Brett has been away I've really been trying to get ahead in my school work. It's been challenging because I'm really putting way more on my plate than I actually need to and I still am working the same amount at all of my positions, but I keep reminding myself that it will all be worth it when I don't have to worry about assignments when I'm lounging in the sunshine on vacation (11 MORE DAYS). So excited!
My favorite study buddies. :)
The next week and a half is going to be hectic what with getting homework done, scheduling blog posts, pretending to know what I'm doing when it comes to looking for a job, and still packing for our trip and attempting to have some resemblance a social life (insert Liz Lemon moment here). Not to mention I'm headed off to a professional conference this weekend which is always a whirlwind! As stressful as it is, I'm sure I'll accomplish everything I need to before jetting off to the warmth. And hey, it's nothing a coffee and a brownie batter donut can't solve, right?
