DIY Planner - Analog / Digital - Comments

Thanks and congratulations

Fernando Frayre — Sat, 6 Sep 2008 23:17:58 -0400

I really want to say thanks for all this great material. Thanks, You save me a lot of time.

4X6 pouchette

Artbeast — Thu, 4 Sep 2008 21:14:53 -0400

The Moleskine pouch and pouchette are smaller than their 4X6 counterpart.

Arthur
www.renaissance-art.com

Nice creative kit Doug

Katrina — Thu, 4 Sep 2008 05:18:14 -0400

It's great that you've found a kit suits you.

My workplace encourages paper personal organising as it's impossible to connect any electronic devices (palms etc) to the work system. But being somewhat regimented at work has definitely made me less formal about my home and creative planner.

My home planner is "dinky" because I've discovered that if it's average or large sized ('personal'/A5 size or larger) then I'll leave it at home and won't use it.

So, I've got a cute little 2 inch long mechanical pencil I found at a weekend market (sorry, no packaging and no brand name so I don't know where it's from, although China is a good bet). With a Moleskine pocket diary (the vertical kind with note pages) and a few blank stickynotes in the back of the diary in case the notepages aren't enough space.

I was carrying a fobster and 3x5 cards, but I transferred the Fobster info onto labels I stuck into the diary and I found that I wasn't using the cards.

Please !!

ygor — Wed, 3 Sep 2008 20:28:03 -0400

My wifey might be watching !
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"I think the surest sign that there is intelligent life out there in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us." (Calvin and Hobbes/Bill Waterson)

You are wonderful!

SusanBeth — Wed, 3 Sep 2008 19:44:21 -0400

**smoochies**

You mean this one ?

ygor — Wed, 3 Sep 2008 19:16:34 -0400

said the silly admin after unspamming it.

I added you to the "notaspammer" group. You should now be able to post links with less fear of the Spam Filter.
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"I think the surest sign that there is intelligent life out there in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us." (Calvin and Hobbes/Bill Waterson)

Help! post eaten by the spam filter

SusanBeth — Wed, 3 Sep 2008 19:08:58 -0400

At least, I guess it was. :(

It was posted in this thread just a few minutes ago, title something like "Question about a RenArt product." and I did include the url of the product I was asking about.

If someone could please resurrect that post for me, I'd be grateful.

(I though I was on the 'not a spammer' list already?)

Question re a RenArt product

SusanBeth — Wed, 3 Sep 2008 19:02:41 -0400

I keep looking at the 'pouchette' for the 4X6 index cards -- I just love the way it looks, though I don't use 4X6 cards. I'm thinking, though, that I could adapt one into being the perfect 'clutch' to carry inside my big tote purse, just a little thing to grab and take when running off to lunch or whatever.

Er, this the url, I never learned how to do real links, sorry:
http://www.renaissance-art.com/Prod208/Product.aspx

What I'm thinking is, I would carry only a couple of dozen 3X5 cards in it, which would leave room to slide in, oh, a small spiral bound notebook behind them, and a few bills and a couple of credit cards. And the extra length would allow me to carry several 'mini' pilot pens, because I love to color code stuff. You know, 'standing up' at one end beyond the index cards. Maybe even slide in a lipstick. ;)

Anyway, the only picture is of the front, closed. Could I prevail on you to add one with the flap opened so I can see the inside and how the sides 'work'. I mean, how low they're cut, whether they are creased/belied in/whatever?

Oh, and also a shot of the back, if there is any feature there. Like one of the 3X5 cases has an extra pocket on the back, anything like that.

Thanks!

My take-along kit

JWhitt — Wed, 3 Sep 2008 15:29:30 -0400

I carry a 4x6 DIY circa-punched hpda. I print my office calendar (includes both work and personal appointments) onto 4x6 index cards, a section for to-do's, a section for each child and their school needs/dental and medical updates, and a list of important phone numbers.

I often covet the beautiful covers offered by RenArt, but recognize begrudgingly that the need for a lightweight and slim hpda trumps beauty and the heft of a handcrafted cover. I troll the dollar stores in the area, looking for 4x6 photo albums I can cut apart to use their covers and allow cover changes at a whim. I've also used plastic placemats (mentioned elsewhere on this site) to use as covers.

I have to admit, it can be a challenge making sure the hpda and the work calendars are in sync. I often think I can make this process more efficient, but acknowledge the act of writing things down twice or three times even makes it easier for me to remember.

Jenn

Personal Kit

Stewart — Tue, 2 Sep 2008 16:18:21 -0400

After spending 3 years using the Circa system (with the receipts to prove it), I've found that it was almost too fluid to fit my needs. While the removable pages were great in theory, I felt as though I was continually maintaining the system. My planner itself was perfectly organized. Putting the notes in an easily-referenced system while maintaining the chronological integrity of the notes proved difficult.

I've slowly transitioned my system(s) to a 4x6 hipster PDA and Black n Red notebooks for reference. I have three reference notebooks (work, personal, and academic), which I index by topic every Friday. I've tried other notebooks, but the Black n Red are the perfect size for my needs and takes my fountain pen ink wonderfully. I've even invested in leather cover to dress things up for important business meetings (Levenger Infinity journal cover, FYI). The 4x6 cards give me a bit of breathing room to write, while still fitting in my pocket when needed. I keep my calendar, email, and contacts online, courtesy of Google Apps.

This has been an important step in simplifying my organizational system, and it doesn't require nearly as much upkeep as my Circa did. It's working for me quite well.

Stewart

Some kit

shris — Mon, 1 Sep 2008 22:27:02 -0400

Heh. What kit? *sigh*

The piece that stays the same is my rolla 3x5 address book and password hint book. It goes with me everywhere except shopping.

I have to use outlook for work, so that's my whole calendar. I don't have enough personal outside that to merit a whole other calendar just for personal use.

For a few days now I've been experimenting with a daily scratch sheet inspired by Dave Seah. I made my own version of his ETP that doesn't have any little tracking bubbles. It's got the day down the left (I have it sectioned into planned and actual just for kicks), the top three sets of three tasks on the top right, and a big grid in the bottom right for notes and scribbles. It actually works better than I thought, so I might make a book out of that when I have to go work somewhere other than my desk. Not really necessary, since each day is a throwaway these days, once I transfer the important stuff to the next day or digital. This is letter size, so it's kinda big to be carrying around.

I have a leather classic circa foldover in navy. Right now that's serving as book notes for some books I'm reading that are workbook-y. I made another classic book (paperboard cover) that's waiting for a purpose. I might make that into a zentangles book or something, not real sure. I just made the book because I felt like it. :)

shris

Ooh, pretty.

caligatia — Mon, 1 Sep 2008 22:25:26 -0400

I like the look of that RenArt cover. I'm tempted.

I'm disabled and don't work, so my only kit is a personal one. It's simple -- a Circa compact translucent notebook with a couple of accessories I got on sale, and a pocket Moleskine.

The Circa notebook has one of those Levenger dual pen clips on the front for a pen and mechanical pencil. I love my fountain pens, but right now I'm enjoying a Pilot Precise V5 RT in blue. It's not the prettiest pen, but I love writing with it. The pencil is a cheap Office Depot store brand model. I have yet to find a pencil I love. The notebook is for my calendar, a few reference pages, and task lists. When I start back to school I'll add an assignments section.

The Moleskine has a booksling (recommended in a thread on the DIYP forums, actually) holding a purple-ink Pilot Precise V5. It's my journal and idea book. All the creative stuff goes in there.

I have a Palm Tx that goes with me everywhere, too, but that's for music and contacts and photos and games. I also use it for writing (along with a folding keyboard) and email/web when out at coffeeshops. I stopped using the calendar and to-do functions ages ago.

My Canon Elph sits next to the Palm in my purse. I can carry a small bag, but if I do then I have to carry a separate bag for my knitting. Right now I'm using a larger handbag that hold notebooks, gadgets, a book, AND my knitting. Slightly annoying to be carrying something bigger, but it's more convenient that juggling two bags. Of course, I'll probably change my mind yet again next week and go back to two bags. And then switch again a week later. I waffle a lot over my bags. :)

I agree wholeheartedly with

Ken — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:24:10 -0400

I agree wholeheartedly with Evernote. It works well on both my work laptop (pc), my home laptop (mac) and on my iPhone. I can't edit files on my iPhone (yet), but I keep index cards with me for quick notes-- anything worth keeping is migrating into Evernote. For contacts, I've been using Plaxo for quite a while now. It's well worth the $50/year to keep all my contact information synced regardless of what tool is in front of me. A nice feature is that if you blow up your contacts by accident (which I have done when trying to get my old laptop ready for my sister) you can go back to the last weekly server backup and restore all of your contacts.

Have you tried miquelrius

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 06:19:54 -0400

Have you tried miquelrius notebooks?

simplify

jonglass — Fri, 8 Aug 2008 09:56:50 -0400

I use my Palm Treo still, but I also use a Mac and the new MobileMe--and Google Calendar.

I think the key to all this syncing garbage is to not try to sync everything. What I do is synce my Palm to one Mac, and my one Mac to MobileMe. I subscribe my wife to my addressbook and iCal, so that, if she needs, she can look at me. If she used iCal much, I would subscribe to her iCal, and no more--not try to sync them all, just subscribe--one calendar per person, and no more. Syncing has always seemed to be an achilles heel to just about every system. The only way to get around that is to do what Now and other enterprise systems do--have a server-based system, and all the users as clients. I doubt you want to do that, however, as the costs are through the roof.

I look forward to the day that Apple perfects its MobileMe service, and gets syncing working, but honestly, I don't hold my breath--but if anybody can do a non-centralized sync system, then it would be Apple--Palm ended up blowing it, even! (Therefore, I don't hold out much hope for Apple--they blew it with the Newton, of course)

Anyway, to summarize, try subscribing instead of syncing. You might find it works better.

-Jon

D*I*Y Planner - Analog / Digital - Comments