The mini-baroque filo-purse

Time to put my new purchases to work! I bought the pink baroque mini to use as a purse (wallet), with the idea that it would also have notepaper and the diary in it, in case I needed them.

The mini out of its box

When it arrived (thankfully DH was out so I could drool in peace) I moved essential cards from my purse into the four slots in the left-hand cover of the mini, tucked coupons into the first pocket behind them, put my coins in the zipped pocket behind that and then notes (money) in the pocket behind that.

The right-hand cover has a notepad slot, but a) you can’t buy the lined notepads in the UK and I didn’t want plain, and b) it’s far more useful to tuck some other odds and ends in – things I don’t need every day but wouldn’t want to be out without – roadside assistance membership card etc. My supermarket loyalty card is one of the ones designed to go on a key-ring so I’ve just hooked that onto the rings of the filofax instead of carrying it in a card slot (and when I went shopping last night and opened the filofax to have the card scanned I got a really approving look from the cashier!!).

I used the mini as a purse for the rest of the week and it’s working pretty well. In the end I decided I didn’t need to carry the diary – since I am usually carrying my Paperblanks book (which I won from Plannerisms) which has loads more space in it (and looks divine).

The only thing that didn’t quite work was the zipped pocket. Once my cards were in the pockets, it was really difficult to get the coins out! The mini’s big sister, the personal baroque, has the zipped pocket outside the card slots – which is probably a much better design.

So, I’ve now made a brilliant (to my mind!) hack. Years ago, in one of the Clinique bonus events, something came in a tiny, zipped purse. I mean, tiny. I have never used it. But… I have an eyelet tool and so I marked up where the holes would need to be and have punched 5 eyelets into the purse and hooked it onto the rings.

Ta da!!

up close and 'purse'onal

So, now I have stamps in the zipped pocket and coins in the Clinique hack and it all works like a dream! The Clinique purse is small enough to fit in the mini and big enough to carry all the coins I need.

in use

in use (2)

Still closes!!

So, the mini is my new “purse-plus” (filo-purse?) – it carries cards, money and coupons and has space for notes, built in. And it’s gorgeous! And the whole things is no bigger than the purse I used to carry around (though in fairness, my other loyalty cards etc have been relegated to an old card holder, to be carried only when I need them…)

Success!!