You know those stacks and baskets full of magazines all over the house? The one on your coffee table…the two in your bathrooms…the ones stashed under your nightstand? I’m sure I had some purpose in mind for them when I bought 8 lovely, matching magazine boxes to store them in. That must be why I filled all those magazine boxes and all my baskets.

Now they’re trash, trash, trash.

(Ok, some of them are trash because of the project I’m about to talk about. Some of them I recycled to our library–although judging by the look on the volunteer’s face when I brought them in, I have a feeling they might have trashed them.)

But before they hit the trash pile, I paged through every single one of them.

Yep. Every one.

And I started tearing out pages.

This is probably just wishful thinking, but wouldn't this be beautiful in my backyard?

I ripped out any recipes I was interested in and filed them in my overflowing, out of control, definitely on the TO DO list, recipe box (ok, boxes) and notebook(s).

And I ripped out any decorating pictures that I liked.

Thrifty furniture make-over for our front porch!

I started glueing them in my new homekeeping notebook. I stapled in some dividers to create sections for each of our main rooms. Each bedroom, bathrooms, kitchen and dining room, playroom, and master suite. I also have a section for outside, including porches and gardens.

Is there anything prettier than vases full of sunflowers?

I’ve started clipping all kinds of things. I saved a one page article on stripping and repainting wicker furniture. I clipped a listing of heat/drought tolerant flowers. I found several table settings and center-peice ideas that my kids will love to help with.

Plantation shutters are definitely on my list for our master bathroom!

It’s sort of like Pinterest on paper. I love it. I’ve also used it to start taking notes on changes and fixes that each section of the house needs. Curtains and blinds for the kids rooms. A taller shoe basket in the mudroom. One more under-the-bed box for our bedroom. And all the measurements for each improvement. All in one place. It’s great.

I love the colors and textures in this room!

This is totally an inspirational journal–that’s why I’m calling it my homemaking journal. I have a house-keeping notebook that’s much more nuts and bolts like cleaning schedules and menu planning. This one is all about making me smile and encouraging my heart to love my home. It’s about all the little touches that make a house a home. (Something like this, from Ann at A Holy Experience.)

This way also really works for me because it cuts down on the clutter and I enjoy pulling it out and using it. I know some people keep “tear files” of pages, but I never go in my filing baskets and cabinets if I don’t have to.  That would just be more clutter for me because I would never use it then either.

I'm trying to figure out how I could fit a sink AND a built-in dog kennel in our mudroom.

Do you like home decorating magazines? Most of mine were Southern Living, Better Home and Garden, and Country Living. (And Sheep, Hobby Farms, and The Stockman Grassfarmer.)

Do you keep yours or just keep tear files?