Many years ago I went through a stage where I stopped all magazine subscriptions.  I would occasionally buy an art magazine – stamping, beading, creating – but decided that the magazines themselves would not be coming to my house.  The environmentalist in me won out until I started qualifying for free magazines of different types.  I would get those that would inspire me. 

Early in my adult life, I was also a holiday magazine junky.  Every holiday magazine I would see out on a stand was in my hands, in my shopping cart.  As you may know, this will make for a lot of clutter at a time when clutter is not what is needed.  At the urging of a dear friend and her Christmas Countdown, I began a tear file.  I kept the holiday ideas that were truly doable for me.  I kept the recipes I might actually make.  I kept the crafts and ideas for gifts that may actually be something I would do or give.  And there began my tear file addiction.

I now subscribe to several magazines.  I also get alumni magazines from the colleges my children attend and have attended plus the university I attended.  I always find a few things that I like so I spend my evenings reading articles and looking at menus.  I, then, start tearing.  I have about seven files – eight to ten around the holidays – and some articles go in these files.  I tear out clothing I like.  I tear out articles about people that I find interesting.  I tear out ads that have URLs in them and I want to investigate further.  I tear out color that I want to use to create.  I love to tear!!!!