Boy, do I love these planners.  The one on the right is a late 1980's Filofax TravelFax in genuine pigskin leather.  It is missing its snap on the button closure.  It has a wonderful, orange patina and the leather is incredibly soft from years and years of wear.  I purchased this planner before my backpacking trip to Europe during my junior year in college (circa 1988).  The planner housed my passport, boarding tickets, Eurail passes, notes from my travels, currency and so much more.  I absolutely adore this thing and will never get rid of it.  It brings back a flood of memories every time I pick it up.

The brown planner is the first planner I had out of school and in my first professional job. My father bought this for me.  He had my initials put on the front, which I thought was very classy! It's a Daytimer made of genuine cowhide.  My dad was a huge Daytimer fan, so he introduced me to the system.  I used this planner for a year or two before I realized that I needed a larger planner for my day to day use.  No matter how hard I have tried over the years, I am a personal size or an A5 size planner gal.  I just have too much to write!
As I recall, the Daytimer format is very user-friendly. However, as I've gotten older, I prefer the ring system to the spiral bound system.  I like the flexibility of the ring system.

Two years ago, I ordered bespoke engraved stationery from Nancy Sharon Collins Stationer in New Orleans. I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  Nancy Collins created a custom cypher for me (shown above) and together we selected the perfect pink - Precious Peonies - for the cypher.  The border is another shade of pink - Unspoken Love.  The letterhead is 6 x 9. The second photo shows the back of the stationery. I love how the engraving looks on the flip side. 

I also ordered a custom French-fitted case to hold the stationery and envelopes.  The case is made of aubergine silk and has a turquoise silk lining. Every time I pull out a piece of stationery from the box, I feel like the Queen of England.  Luxury at its finest.

After two years of pretty constant use, I am about to run out of stationery.  So it's time to decide what format I want to use for the next few years.  I have enjoyed the 6 x 9 size, but I'm thinking I may want to change to a notecard format.  I try and write at least one handwritten letter a week.  And I want the recipient to feel special when he/she receives it.  Is a notecard any less special than a piece of stationery? Am I overthinking this? I would love your comments.