Viva Print Media: Just Not Here

new specialty one-off: bohemian home

It was a landmark day! Friday I made my monthly trip to B&N to checkout the new magazines. As the dazzling global, eclectic home tours and editorials were flashing before my eyes, an idea occurred to me: don’t buy these, go home and buy digital copies from Zinio. And, save for one title, that is what I did. And, for once, it’s a relief to forego the physical magazine in favor of digital. Reason being, I’m currently digging my way out from under a massive stockpile of magazines. That’s right. I’m that lady who brings ‘em in every month, but rarely takes any back out. Just politely stacks them in corners and under furniture until there’s no more out-of-sight space to conceal them.

That’s what finally gave me the will to start putting my old magazines to the curb…where they belong.

what was behind a chair: four huge stacks being sorted by title

Now, we both know, stockpiling magazines is not that uncommon. Publications celebrate interiors where people have waist-high stacks wedged under consoles, or whatever. Even in the drive to digital substitutes, many of us know that no device – no matter how portable – can substitute for the pleasure of curling up with a magazine. The screen image may be pristine, but it’s also somehow sterile and at a remove. Not the same at all.

stacks of catalogs and books, and linens that also have no home

That said, buying new magazines conflicts with my mission the same way you can’t pay off a credit card while you're still charging on it. It just won’t work. So, I’m committed to dropping a (really large) bundle of magazines on the curb until I’m down to the true keepers (domino, etc). Almost all of the catalogs are gone now, save for the Anthros to be sold online. It’s really liberating seeing them go, now that I really noticed how deep the situation had gotten. And it wasn’t just magazines. The books have gotten out of hand too. Those I give away. And some of the bedding must go. 
 

it really is all too much once it's all out in the open

By summer’s end, I’m really looking forward to reclaiming my storage space and not having more than fits into them. The going is slow, but steady. 

Wish me luck!