Self Portrait Tuesday: Imperfections #1

This months theme is challenging.  I don't want to use it as a way to bash myself, which I have been doing all day with the list of "imperfections" that keeps adding to itself in my head. At the same time I recognize that in some way its a theme I could have fun with when out of this particular mind frame.  I am in a challenging space today, so I decided to start gently and hope to continue the exploration as the weeks move on.

So here we go!  Imperfection #1 (which may give clues to others)

What you see above in those two messy obstructing piles are my "to be read, finish reading, need to read last months because this months has arrived" pile.  Now the big confession is that they are generally not in these piles near my bed.  No, these piles are usually mini piles throughout the house, in my car, my back pack, purse, and work. They are every where because I figure that no matter where I'm at, if a minute or two presents itself where I could read them then I would get through them faster.  It just makes for cluttered counter tops, or book baskets.

The truth is I am a magazine WHORE.  There.  I actually typed it.  Whore.  I love magazines and subscribe to more then I will readily admit to.  In this pile is Scientific American, Gourmet, Bon Apetit, Food and Wine, O, Vogue, InStyle, Living, Yoga International, Vanity Fair, WholeLife Times, Yogi Times, and a few poor books waiting for their turn as well.  Oh, and catalogs!  Garnet Hill, West Elm and Pottery Barn! 

But I am always behind, they are always piling up and then it crowds into my book reading time.  I tell myself to just stop buying/subscribing to them and stick to books, or hand-me-downs from the office I work at, but I can't.  And the pile up continues.  Its like this greedy addiction.  I love to read, I love periodicals, and I love the glossy images and the snippets of d.i.y. advice.  I love Martha Stewarts October issue with all its Halloween dreaminess, and cooking!  I love my food magazines!  Vanity Fair... I love Vanity Fair!  I am hopeless.

The truth is I spend a fortune on so many magazines.  I think that if I were to add it all up, I would freak out.  And in the last month a few renewal notices have come in and I decided to let go of 2.  Just two.  I am trying to motivate myself to adding it all up in order to give up a few more. 

I'm not there yet.

Comments

[Lainie]

Uh huh! I am totally with you on this - except I am a BOOK whore. I have a pile of books next to my bed, in the study and in my car that I am supposed to get through by whatever deadlines I set myself. But for some inane reason I never seem to be able to read them all. What is worse, though, is that I have more books coming from Amazon in the next week or so. Ooops. Don't tell my husband. I will have to pretend that I have always had them - he just never noticed.

[jonathan]

We all have our collections that give us our comfort. It is hard to define though how much we're willing to spend on them though. Be strong and add up the cost of all of your subscriptions, and then earmark that money for something that will do you some true good (ie. ipod, camera, computer, retirement account, cooking stuff, etc.)

[boho]

i love this little insight into the lovely person that is you. your books & mags actually look beautiful spralled out the way they are... ; )

[C. Delia]

I think these piles are beautiful, not "flaws" at all. They show that you are interested in the world, in written word, and in gleaning new things from life. If they are stacked all over and sprawled all around, who minds that? (This, typed from behind several stacks of books of my own...)

[deirdre]

I'm laughing because I love magazines too. (I think the printers put some addictive substance into the ink.) I've called a moratorium on buying magazines right now because I own a business and the publishers send them to me FREE. And it never fails that if I buy one, actually spend money, it will arrive in the mail within days. FREE. I could stop them by calling a certain phone number, it would save trees and gas, but I just love magazines. And this way, when I'm done they get taken to a local hospital. So, do I think a curious mind is an imperfection? No, no, no. And donation takes care of any lingering guilt.

[RennyBA]

I'm here from Peeps25 and say hello from Norway! I'm glad I came to your blog - a great read and your self portrait is nice! I've ben in Adiarondaks too - one year ago - and the top of the cream was of course for a winter sport Norwegian to Lake Placid:-)

[DebR]

I can relate, I really can. Until just a few years ago I'd hate to think how many mags I subscribed to, but I've been gradually letting them drop over the past few years and am down to only a half-dozen or so now. There's no hope for me and books though. That's a sickness I don't believe I'll ever get over.

I really LOVE the colors in your home!

[Georgia]

Oooohhh... you could always send a few of your xtras over to me... I am always looking for new magazines to snip stuff out of for collage.... I am a book whore... I hoard them and stack them up and rarely ever get the chance to read them lately... but I still keep getting more.

xoxox

~Georgia

[susannah]

tee hee - i love this :-) i'm a book whore, magazine whore... god, just a WORD whore i think... can't get enough of them. i don't see this as a flaw at all - it's a quality to be chersihed :-)) ox

[girlfriday]

Love love love your pile of magazines and books ... and can *so* relate ... except I don't subscribe: I pretend to myself that I don't buy the same mags *every* month so I don't need to subscribe LOL

[conceptvessel]

imperfections? i say this is a perfect artistic statement of bibliophilia - especially given the presence of gaston bachelard's amazing ~water and dreams~...

and perhaps you might enjoy one of my favorite online treasures for lovers of words: visual thesaurus (http://www.visualthesaurus.com/)

enjoy the journey!!

[conceptvessel]

so sorry! the link is http://www.visualthesaurus.com/