Friday, June 3, 2011

the magazine dilemma

Whether to cut up whether to keep. Such is the magazine lover's dilemma. Cutting out almost always wins out in this house, with our house being on the small side. So every few months I cut out my favourite pictures and recipes and donate or toss the rest. My husband dreads this little ritual, as he finds magazines strewn all over the lounge room floor for days.

But it's something I've done since I was a child, this scrapbook thing, starting out with Mum's English family-style magazines or Family Circle. It's something I still enjoy doing. I guess I haven't really changed over the years.



 I purchase those big scrapbooks that are made for kids and cover them with with Frankie paper - these were free wrapping papers from a few years ago and a calender.






So many images that were just too good to throw out. The above house was actually inspiration for the exterior of our house.

What do you do with your old magazines? Do you like keeping them in pristine condition, valuing them as you would a book, or do you hack at them?

19 comments:

  1. I am definitely a hacker :) I used to keep magazines for about 6 months then go through and do the same thing, though my pages get kept in a box. I was going through my box recently to cull it and was amazed at how much my tastes/style has changed in the four years we have been in Australia..so it was culled even further.

    Though I must say I can't bring myself to cut up my Country Style magazines...they have become more of a keepsake and are the only magazine I buy now :)

    x

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  2. Ah don't get me started on Frankie! I discovered Frankie from issue 2 & fell in love with it. It was unlike any magazine I'd seen before & it was so me! I back-ordered issue 1 & collected them from then; I didn't even take the posters out. Then, just before we moved from Sydney, just post-Punk's-birth, I had a massive purge & recycled (YES! RECYCLED!) the whole lot.

    I have regretted it ever since & now... (this is where perhaps the need for therapy comes in) ...I pretend Frankie doesn't even exist. It upsets me too much!

    I rarely buy new magazines these days, but I don't think I'd keep them if I did; nothing could beat the collection I threw out & our house is too teeny anyway.

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  3. I love magazines and have purchased a lot over the years, more when money was more abundant and less when not so. I generally just keep mine BUT have given box loads away as they really do just become more clutter otherwise! I still have way too many. I like your idea of making scrapbooks. What a lovely way to look back at what you liked at different times in your life. Now I try not to buy them but I think I am addicted!

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  4. About six months ago I realised that I just didn't have the space for all my magazines. So...I spent a day flicking through them and ripping out the inspiring pages. All those pages are now tucked away in box...awaiting moments when I'll peek at them again. I do like your scrapbook idea though...and that last pic of the girls - that one's most definitely in my box (it was a paper wings feature in country style i think)

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  5. My name is Allana and I am a magaholic! I have cut back in the last 12 months and have been making a real effort to cut out inspirational parts and scrapbook but I too can't seem to cut country style, frankie or peppermint. I just stopped buying home beautiful after 15 years (have almost every issue since I was 17) as it mostly doesn't suit me anymore but I love real living and only cut them after 12 months. I try to mark the pages I like with a sticky note to save time later.

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  6. I keep them and regularly drag them out to go through all over again. I rarely buy magazines now, I have plenty to go on with!

    Your scrap books look great! It is a good idea but I dont think I could bear to cut mine, I think of the money I have spent getting my collection together lol.

    xTania

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  7. If you check out my blog I have awarded you a Liebster blog award x

    What a good idea, I keep my magazines but could maybe try cutting my favourite bits out too x

    Although I would find it really hard as I would think what if I still wanted to look at the other stuff.

    When my magazines get out of control I do get ruthless and give away but don't do this with my knitting,craft mags. I just can't do it :)

    Have a great weekend

    Leah x

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  8. Oh my, you're so organized! I pretty much only buy Frankie (I used to buy notebook as well and was super sad when they folded) and i do keep those. They're kind of precious to me, but i don't know what i'll do if i ever move. I love your idea though!

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  9. i'm a minimalist. off they go to the recycle.

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  10. Unsurprisingly, I'm a big magazine consumer but now limit myself to one a week. I have several titles I buy every issue and keep them for a year (I'm a bit of a filing nut) so going through old issues and keeping tear sheets is a regular thing for me. I'd be on A Current Affair as one of those serial horders the neighbours call the council on otherwise.

    Besides who can remember what's in every issue of every magazine in the house. I'd never find anything I was looking for!

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  11. Fabulous idea. I still have those Frankie papers too.

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  12. I'm exactly the same as you. I have three scrapbooks, one for our current house, one for everthing garden and one for a contemporary style house we would love to build one day in the country. It's interesting looking back at all the cuttings that inspired our last renovation. Some of my tastes have changed, some are very much a constant. I received a Belle magazine subscription when we sold our old house and they are so not me I've never cut a single thing out! Home Beautiful and Country Style are my faves, Real Living is quite good as well. Lately I have been letting them pile up a bit though while I mull over our kitchen renovation. melx

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  13. I'm a hoarder of magazines. I keep scrap books too but not as neat as yours. Sometimes I make pin boards for inspiring pictures.

    love~mongs
    mythriftycloset.blogspot.com

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  14. cut the magazines up..and then buy frankie's 'spaces'. you'll have your eye candy combined in there without the cutting up guilt. :)

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  15. I buy mags from op shops. I tried what you are doing however sometimes the great article / image is on both side of the page...

    What do you do then?

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  16. HIya,
    When I need to cull a magazine I rip out all the pages I don't want and keep the rest. You get a bound collection of just what you want and much slimmer to store.
    Dale
    Melbourne
    Australia

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  17. I just recently decided I would cull mine right down, I resisted the urge to even flick through one last time. I knew that I'd waste hours if I did flick, so I boxed them up for the kids school art dept and for the local op shop.
    I think blogs have helped me to actually cut back on buying them. I still cannot resist Green real living and frankie. I have decided to can Inside out as it is filled with 12,000 dollar chairs, I will never be able to afford.

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  18. I cut out inspirational pictures from magazines as well... there would be no space in the house if I didn't. I used to glue mine into a scrapbook, but I now store them in plastic sleeves in a folder, as I find my taste changes over the years. I look back on some of the things I have cut out and wonder if I glued in the wrong side. BUT it is also nice looking back on what you used to like and how you have changed.

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  19. You have awesome style. I'm envious but inspired, too. Thank you!

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