Storing Tear Pages

Today's Agenda: Starting this week off right.  Well-rested and ready to take on the week.  At my desk mixing up biz stuff and design stuff, all while having a load of laundry and dishes going and mahi-mahi thawing (b/c that's what working from home is about, right?? And all while I haven't gotten out of my PJs...). 

So, even though magazines seem to be disappearing one by one over the past few years, my tear pages are still ever accumulating!!! Why is that??

I have a couple of bins for them where I can toss them in.

 I have a bulletin board where I put my favorite ones or most current/applicable. 

 

(Aside) This is how I want to do my hair for some fun event...or just an evening in Paris (you really need to be prepared for things like this, you just never know...)...

But what I really want is the ability to categorize them by room -- bathroom ideas, bedroom ideas, etc.

I had been using three ring binders for each type of room and sliding images into clear plastic sleeves (as a former lawyer, I'm *slightly* obsessed with these -- If I could plastic sleeve my life, I would!  And I've tried!)...but it takes a lot of time, and, well, a lot of sleeves.  And those darn Real Simple and UK mag pages are closer to that silly A4 size paper that I actually love than the 8 1/2 x 11 size of the sleeve.

What I was looking for was a fluid, easy to reference and portable solution.  And then I found these.

Thank you, John D. & Target.  This accordion file has just enough files and labels to go with.  It's fun to look at and just leave around the house.  Easy to take to client meetings or on a trip (love car trips for organizing tear pages!).  Nice and large so pages from Real Simple and UK mags fit in easily.  And, I've labeled each tab something equally generic and specific - e.g. BATH - for easy reference.

So, my new system is three part (b/c no system should really be more than three steps...):  (1) tear out inspiration pages, usually on read no. 2 through a magazine, (2) put them in the bin I already had that looks nice in my office and (3) sit and go through the bin and file them in accordion file when I have time or am looking for something.  This way stuff is pretty organized even when I don't have time to be fastidious about filing my awesome tear pages away!