I’ve been doing some Spring Cleaning (yes, I think the capital letters are appropriate in this instance) and I’ve learned some things.

First, I learned that I’ve been harboring some items for far too long. Way beyond their useful lifespans. Why? I’m not a hoarder. Am I? No. Most definitely not. However… I do have “collections” of things that I really don’t need to collect. Some of it is purposeful, but some of it has crept up on me over the years. I really didn’t need to keep those stinky old sneakers and that sweater I loved as an undergrad.

I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but I managed to purge my closet of six bags of items. It’s all shoes and clothing, and that makes me somewhat embarrassed, but I’ve gotten quite a few nice new items over the past year, and I feel really good in those clothes. As a result, I don’t wear some of the older items, and frankly some of them were really never quite “me” from the get-go. Six bags later, and I feel relieved. Less stuff. Less clutter. Less to fret over.

So that takes me to the concept of “never will I ever.” Here are some things I’ve decided fit in that category:

NEVER WILL I EVER

Read all of the books that I’ve loaded onto my Kindle and loaded into my bookcases
Sew up all the beautiful fabric that I’ve collected over the years
Complete all the unfinished projects that are collected in bags and boxes
Completely break the clutter habit
Figure out the keys to maintaining healthy habits

My home feels better than it did. Lots of little projects have been accomplished over the past week, thanks to Spring Break, but there are so many others that haven’t even been touched.

Never will I ever run out of things to do, that much is for certain.

TODAY’S QUESTION

Day 13: What are your favorite magazines, or publications? What’s the common theme amongst them?

I’m a magazine hoarder, at least according to my sweetheart. It’s true that there are quite a few under my roof. There’s a stack on the side table, a few on my night table, and three or four more still in the mail pile. Then there are the dozens and dozens of stored publications.

I get teaching magazines, housewife magazines (my name for them, although I think housewives no longer exist), and quilting magazines. The teaching magazines are useful for inspiration and resources. I keep these filed away if there’s something I will use in them, but I’ve become far more selective about what I keep. I’ve cut back on the number of these publications I receive, and I keep fewer and fewer of them, since so many excellent resources are available on the internet.

The “housewife” magazines are fun while they last. I don’t pay much for these (I always seems to be getting a free promotion for some reason), and for the price, they are entertaining. I use their recipes, skim their articles, and scoff at their version of “everywoman” fashions. They come into my house, sit around for a while, then are flipped through and recycled.

Finally, there are quilting magazines. These are the ones I keep. I love picking up the latest issue to see what trends are in vogue, and to get inspiration for my own creative endeavors. I’ve been quilting since the late 1980’s and its fun to see how trends have changed, but classic quilts never go out of style. I have learned so much from decades of different designers and teachers. I’ve viewed thousands of quilts on their pages, and I’ve created dozens of my own, using their patterns and ideas as a catalyst for my own creativity. Dozens of them are neatly stored in magazine boxes, and I pull them out to look through them every now and then.

I’m trying to simplify my life, at least a little, and I know I should keep new magazines out of the house, but I just can’t quite kick the habit. The feel of a magazine in my hands, the clean graphics and engaging text, and especially the photos keep me coming back. You would think a pinterest affecianado like me would be so enamored of the internet that an old fashioned paper magazine couldn’t compare, but the fact is, I love the look, feel, and content of magazines, and I will keep subscribing for many years to come.