What do you do with things you need to keep close at hand to reference later? (Details)

This question has two parts:
1. How do you organize papers that you need to browse through and keep separate from your big old file in the office…interesting bits of information, small quotations, cuttings from newspaper, catalogues, bits and things for inspiration or pictures?

2. How do you keep magazines sorted? Magazines that have articles/ideas that you want to reference later? (I do design work, so always refer back to old magazines for inspiration. I also keep spiritual magazines for the same reason.)

Explanation:

What do you do when you want to keep a catalogue at hand, a brochure at hand, or a flyer or a magazine…in other words, there is something that you want to reference later ? You don’t want to keep it in a larger file because it’s something of greater interest or need (for example, it contains a blue vase that will match perfectly with Auntie Jane’s bedroom and her birthday is coming up.) I don’t really sit in a home office, I like to browse through things wherever I can find a comfortable place and a few minutes.
I have sooo many things that keep getting buried/lost because I don’t have an organized system of some sort. It has to be portable…and maybe I will need more than one.

How do you organize (first) your important papers? Then, other things that you need to look through? (I’m looking for ideas).

Also, aaaaaargggggghh….magazines…and catalogues. I don’t have enough shelf space and that’s because after every season, I through out last season’s catalogues! Where do you put your catalogues? How do you organize them?

Magazines…someone suggested once that I cut out the pictures I like and file them (I like decorating magazines for ideas) in a notebook. Well, I tried to do that, but the magazine pages are too big to put in a normal binder (for example, with plastic sleeves). I tried a scrapbook, but that wasn’t large enough, as decorating mags are usually larger. either. And most magazine articles have photos on both sides (which you usually want to keep to view).

So, how do you organize the “little stuff” you don’t want to lose in the larger files….and magazines and catalogues?

(Sorry this took so long to explain).