I hear you! Sometimes I look through them and find a clipping that is so completely not my style -even offends my design sense in some cases!- and I can't see why I saved it. But if I puzzle over it for long enough, I can usually figure it out, like, "oh, it was the way the trim died into the wall in that corner..." or something minute like that.

I was hoping this was to show inspiration - not throwing them away! I just added to DD2's folder before heading to GW. She purchased a new home the end of last year and I ran across several album covers while helping her unpack. I suggested she find/buy a few of the album frames to hang them, but ran across this (in link below) today. I love this idea! DH and I have all our old albums, so she can go through them to have enough for a display wall.

I went through my stack of pulled pages after we built our new home, but some I just couldn't part with (for next house ;) ). Some I had no idea why I saved... and many I wish I knew where they had come from. I started making sure the page either has the magazine name at the bottom or attach a Source page for information.

Here is a link that might be useful: Album Wall

No on-line inspiration folder, but i've got stacks of magazines, some at least 10 years old! A couple of years ago I went thru them and cut out articles, pictures, ideas, etc., and filed them in folders, but still kept a lot of magazines, and have since added to them.

I like to sit in bed at night and skim thru them~usually with a stack of ten or more by my side.;o)

my inspiration folder is mostly from online photos anymore. i save the images with a name that tells me why i like them "lighting mounted thru mirror" so now i don't forget why i liked them.

what i do enjoy is leafing thru my older saved images, it gives me a great tool to examine my taste - what was just a passing crush and what are my enduring loves - i don't winnow the images because then i'd be less able to winnow my taste if that makes any sense ;)

something i just discovered recently is that if you use some sort of photo managing software (i use picasa, it's free), that if you are looking at an image that you can't save because it's copywrited, you can use control/printscrn buttons to do a screen-shot and hten save the image. it's a little bit lower resolution, but for my purposes, to just be able to capture the inspiration, it works just fine -

I don't do an on-line inspiration folder, but I have an old fashioned hard copy one. The one I have now is mainly decorating and gardening ideas. Many are pulled from blogs or other places on-line, I will simply print out the pic and any info, etc. I enjoy looking through it.

When we built our house, I started out with files, binders, etc. Many of the notes, etc. I got rid of, but we have every invoice, etc. for anything bought for our house. I also saved samples of all flooring, shingles, etc. that we used. I moved everything from files, binders, etc. to a good size briefcase. It's handy if there is some info we need, or want the name of a subcontractor we used, etc.

Allison, we have a bunch of albums also. That's a neat display. I even have *Thriller*. LOL

tina

I work part time as a decorator, so I have an entire file drawer of inspiration photos! They're filed according to subject: kitchens, fireplaces, color, furniture, bedrooms, etc. I probably have about 20 folders. If it's not obvious why I tore out (or printed) the particular page, I write a small note on it, e.g., "light fixture" or "wall color". (If it's a wall color, I look at the back of the magazine under resources and if the paint brand/name is given, I write that on the page as well.) I will say that I also have a ton of decorating books, but these folders are much more useful to me.

Absolutely! I don't generally forget what I like about something in a photo (usually magazine clippings, sometimes printouts from these forums), but it certainly makes me think about that lyric, "What a difference a day makes"-- or a year! For me personally, I used to save clippings of ultra-modern/contemporary looks. I've since turned that dial down a few notches. Generally my style has remained the same, tho I did save a few "country" looking photos because the paint colors were bright and fabulous; I guess it was a reminder that country isn't "static," that it can evolve, too, depending on country (the Scandinavian countries, esp.).

Well, now I know to label why it is I saved a picture or catalog page. But I was probably thinking "I love that ____________" and didn't imagine that 18 months later I wouldn't still love it or want it or be able to identify it.

On a side note, before I read a magazine I tear out any page that has ads on both sides but I don't tear out the resources page just in case I do want more info about a certain picture.

I started tearing out the ads years ago to make the magazine lighter when I was re-sending them to my sister in Europe. Why pay the extra postage or make my luggage heavier than it has to be? Today I did a tear-out of 5 magazines I'm packing to take on vacation. I weighed the pages on my kitchen scale (because I was curious, I don't normally do that) and they weighed 1.4 pounds! That another article of clothing I can pack!!