Time and Inspiration

Where do you get your inspiration?  From nature, from fashion magazines, where?  For me, inspiration can strike anywhere, anytime.  Even the most seemingly mundane things can give me some kind of "artistic" inspiration ~ which usually means I get the "need" to sew.  Once I saw a gift bag divided in unequal thirds.  The colors were hot pink, lime green and black with white polka dots and I thought, "That would make a great dress combination." The problem is that usually when inspiration strikes, I'm not always behind my machine OR I don't have paper and pencil handy to so I can write down my ideas.  Has that ever happened to you?  What do you do to make sure that your great idea doesn't become a memory?