Something Ringless: Midori & Co.

If you've followed my blog in the past weeks, you might have seen that I recently got into carrying around a planner. At the moment this is a personal-sized Filofax, which is working quite well size-wise. I have now also found inserts that I really like, though I am still tweaking how exactly I am using them and deciding on which version I will continue to use.
 
The rings are, of course, what make a Filofax a Filofax. Having them means I can chop and change my setup really easily, add pages if I need more writing space or rip out a page where I’ve done something I’d rather not see again. This is certainly much more flexible than buying a ready bound planner and especially helpful for me now when I'm still in the figuring out phase.

However, there are two things I'd like to change – and both are inherently linked to the rings themselves:

1. They get in my way and I really can't be bothered taking pages out to write on them. This means I don't utilise the space as well as I could or my handwriting is even more aesthetically challenged than it already is.
2. When moving used up pages out of my planner, they end up clipped together in a box. I would really like to archive pages in a way that invites me to flick through them. I still pick up old planners or diaries form over 20 years ago and would love to preserve some of the stuff that is going on now for years to come. I think this applies even more so as little M seems to be growing up so fast and I'd like to record little anecdotes.

By immersing myself into the wonderful world of plannering I discovered something recently that might just fit the bill. It's called a Midori or Traveller's Notebook and it is, essentially, just a leather cover with string that allows you to slot in various inserts by slipping them behind an elastic band. Midori Traveller’s Notebook is a brand name of a specific company but the concept seems to have spawned (or supported) a whole industry. You can get these covers now in all kinds of sizes and I am drawn to either the traditional TN, which takes inserts measuring 11cm x 21cm or a cover that takes Field Note sized inserts, which measures 9cm x 14cm. 

So yes, the FN is much smaller than the TN but whether it would work would all depend on how I'd set it up. I like the idea of having one insert for my planning/calendar and then another one for journaling rather than to write down personal notes in the planning section. But then again I imagine it would be nice to have the luxury of 22cm x 21cm on an opened up page to scribble, sketch, stick in things...

I've been going back and forth on this so I think I'll just have to take the plunge and try one. My current favourites for both TN size are:


Midori TN Blue Limited Edition £45
An "original" Midori but in a limited edition blue

FauxDori by Ink Bandits £22.99
Extra-wide Midori-style cover made from real leather and available in some lovely colours. Extra-wide means you can slot in a larger number of inserts and really cover all your planning needs.

Gillio Giramondo €180
From what I have seen in recent months, Gillio are the ultimate in planner luxury due to the quality of their leathers and the craftsmanship applied. Given their fantastic choice of colours, I am probably being pretty boring picking something that would match my Mulberry oak items but I just love that kind of leather and what it does when it ages.

And for Field Note size:

Pelledori Leather Journal in Lush Grey - Pocket Wide £23.11
Pocket size wide should accommodate 4-6 Field Note sized inserts and give me the flexibility to add all the sections I want. Oh, and I love the Pelledori colours! 

Pelledori Honey Tanned Leather Journal - Pocket Wide £23.11
Same as the above, just in a lush natural leather colour.

Explorer 3 Leather Notebook Cover by FennerCRAFTS £54
The leather on this looks so sturdy and gorgeous and I love the subtle detailing

So I really just need to decide on size, right..?