My Favorite Magazines

A few folks have asked me to share what magazines I read on a regular basis, and of course, I'm happy to do so!

To begin with, above you see the magazines pictured in yesterday's tea post. These are my "pretty" magazines:

British Country Living: My ALL TIME favorite magazine - the pictures are above and beyond beautiful! And I love the "seasonal" aspect to each issue - the recipes, gardening, homespun ideas. I also like reading about British agriculture and small businesses. I share this subscription with my Mum.

Artful Blogging: A lovely, once-in-a-while treat that usually gives me serious blog envy, lol! I bought this issue for myself with birthday monies. :)

Victoria: I've subscribed to Victoria since I was a young girl! To begin with, my grandmother and I shared a subscription ... and I was so upset when they went out of publication. I was therefore delighted when they started up production again a few years ago. I don't find the new issues as captivating as the older editions ... but I won't complain. It's nice to have Victoria back.

Country Home: The American version - my mother subscribed when I was a kid and I just loved it. I was always reading it, and thinking about my "someday home" and the recipes I'd like to try. In fact, I still have many of those issues saved! The look and feel of CH has changed over time, but I do still enjoy it very much.

Sew Beautiful: This is a gorgeous catalog that appeared in my mailbox the other day. I have no idea how I got on this mailing list but I'm very happy I did. :)

The Baking Sheet: The King Arthur Flour newsletter - a must for seasonal bakers!

Mollie Makes: I just discovered this delicious British craft magazine a few months ago. Seriously, no one does magazines like the British! I love how MM includes a small craft project with every issue.

Teatime Bliss: This arrived in the mail just the other day ~ it's a special Victoria edition all about Tea!

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Now, I'm the first to admit I'm a bit persnickety about my magazines ...

I keep all current (and recent) magazines in this roomy basket, and they are stacked in a very particular order. Over the weekend there is a pile of "weekly reading" on top which includes sections from the Sunday Globe, our Parish bulletin, new catalogs, Time, People and Entertainment Weekly.

Other magazines I read regularly include Everyday Food (my *favorite* food magazine), Martha Stewart Living, Everyday with Rachel Ray, Food Network Magazine, Mary Janes Farm, Family Circle and Woman's Day.

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I'm often asked what I do with all these magazines - do I save or recycle?

Well, I pass some of them on, and I recycle most of the rest (after I've clipped things I want to save). I do keep my issues of Everyday Food, British Country Living, The Baking Sheet and Martha Stewart Living. (And I only save MSL because I have every issue dating from her very first one!)

As for all those clippings, well I save them in my journals ...

And I've been keeping these journals for years and years. They're a compilation of notes, mementos and magazine articles, pictures, quotes, etc. Seasonal stuff, mostly. I started keeping them when I was a teen ... I guess they're like personal scrapbooks or idea books. (Maybe these were my "blogs" before I was blogging, lol.) They cover about a few months' worth of "stuff" at a time.

Here's a page from my current journal, going back about a month or so. I have here a sweet message from my Crackerjack (I found it in his papers - it was a "rough draft" of my birthday card), a pretty calendar page, and a recipe I wanted to try that weekend (but alas, did not).

In the back of the journal (which is just a plain, old 3-subject Mead notebook) are stashed clippings that still need to be filed. I try to work in my journal at least once a week. I find it a very relaxing and satisfying hobby.

It can be hard to find time to sit and read, I will admit that. But I can be patient. As you can see I often have many magazines in my pile "to be read." I try to find a few hours over the weekend to catch up ... and then I keep that basket in my reading corner to read through when I can. I often find time to do a little reading when the boys are having lunch or in the evening after I've started supper.

As for subscribing over buying ... well I'm currently in the process of subscribing to most of the magazines I read. It makes sense since one saves a good deal of money with a subscription. Though I do love visiting the newsstand and there's just something so fun about spying a brand new issue, all stacked fresh and pretty on the shelf. (I'm sure some of you know what I mean!)

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Well, such is my affection for magazines! For as long as I can remember I've been quite an addict a fan. I love the format of magazines ... the feel of the pages, the layout and text, the photography ... all the creativity and inspiration. I love how - by their very "timely" nature - they capture a certain time in our life: current news, recent trends. I love the excitement that arrives with a new issue and the spark of energy that comes with new ideas and information ...

But now my friends - now that I've virtually chewed your ears off, lol! - I'd love to hear about your favorite magazines! What ones do you read regularly? Or perhaps once in a while as a little treat? If you have a  moment, leave me a comment and let me know ... :)

For now though I'm going to sign off ... the day's getting late. And as a matter of fact, it's snowing like crazy here right now! The first snow we've seen in weeks ... months? Looks like March will indeed come in just like a lion ...

So have a good night and as always, thanks for stopping by. I'll see you again very soon!

❤

Comments

[Marianna]

I'm as much of an addict as you!! Some of my favorites are Southern Lady, Victoria, Life:Beautiful, and the Hoffman media specials (Cottage series and Celebrate).

The only one I currently keep all issues of is Southern Lady. I have every ME Home Companion and Cottage Living issue and I still miss both!

[Kristina]

I saw that Teatime Bliss magazine at the store the other day and it made me think of you and your tea time posts :-)

Two magazines that I have found recently that I love are Life:Beautiful- it has stuff from Joyce Meyers and other christian contributors in it... it reminds me of a Christian version of Woman's World and Ladies Home Journal. The other is All You. It's a new magazine and we have found some amazing, healthy budget friendly recipes in it along with coupons, diy, organizing ideas etc.

I recently subscribed to two other magazines, but for the life of me I can't think of their names... one is an organizational magazine i know that. I will have to look later. Currently I am out of town enjoying a quiet house (everyone else went to visit a winery) while looking out at beautiful Table Rock Lake in Missouri... so my brain is a little to relaxed to think :-)

I don't keep many magazines. I read through them, tear out what I like and adding them to my journals. Recipes, I put those in the recipe basket till we try them at which point they go in the recipe book if we liked them or trash if we didn't.

[Dawn]

Thank you so much for these lovely comments!

I have to mention a magazine I saw at the bookstore which looked so gorgeous, but I honestly could not justify the purchase (as I'm not a true knitter): Jane Austen Knits. Oooh, how yummy!

Kd, I have a very odd system for that kind of thing ... If a recipe is tied in with the season or an event, I like to incorporate it into my journal. (I go back through my journals regularly.) If it's one I want to try or make again, I photocopy it and place it in my recipe files.

I do want to get better about "indexing" what's in my journals, because I have SO many now it's easier to lose touch with the information inside. That's a project that's always "ongoing."

Lindsay ~ Thank you for the Birds & Blooms reminder! I actually used to subscribe to that one, but let it lapse years ago. I spied one at the grocery store this morning (the nesting issue) and could not resist. :)

Have a lovely weekend, ladies ... blessings to you all!
~ Dawn

[Lindsey]

Not to add to your pile :) but you should give Birds & Blooms a try. As much as you love feeding birds, nature, and flowers, I think you would really enjoy it. It's relatively cheap too, about $10 a year for 6 magazines.

It's my personal favorite!

[kd]

If a recipe is in a journal....how do you ever find it again when you need it? Love this post. Thanks!

[Heather]

Thank you, Dawn for sharing your magazine life with us. :) I also like that you are continuing in some hobbies that you had as a teen plus that you have shared subscriptions with your Mom and grandmother through the years. My mom and I have started to do that this year. And it was while she was here visiting me two weeks ago that I discovered the British Country Living(I think I mistakenly referred to it as "Country Life" in my comment on your last post) and I showed it to her and she really enjoyed it as much as I did. I agree with you about magazines, they are the right combination of all the right things. :)

[Elizabeth Quigley]

Hi Dawn,
You know how much I love magazines. I know the thrill of spying that special one at the newsstands. The British ones are my favorite too. I get most of the ones you do. There are few other really good British one that I buy and BN.
Country Home and Interiors,Ideal House,Period Living and Handmade. I love Mollie Makes. I have every issue from the begininng. All of Stampinton Magazines are wonderful eye candy. Oh my friend I could talk magazines all day with you.
But I have a stack of yummy ones waiting for me.
Have a wonderful day.
Elizabeth

[Kristie]

Magazines are the perfect matterial for moms. Grab one quick and you can actually complete a whole articule while the kids play. I love Better Homes (as does my hubby who often reads it before I do!), Parents, Family Fun, and just subscribed to Martha. Not really a big fan of hers, but it included the Food one too, so I couldn't pass it up. That one is a good one, and I can always use recipe suggestions! My favorite catalogues right now are homeschool supplies, as I contemplate homeschool and ideas.

[Chris]

I, too, enjoy Victoria and Martha Stewart Living and Everyday Food. I have periodically subscribed to Better Homes & Gardens and Southern Living, too. I also read Smithsonian and National Geographic (I have a thing for history and photography.) I also read a couple of magazines about book collecting. Fine Books & Collections and Firsts Magazines are great resources for booklovers.

[Susannah]

Along with Victoria (I've subscribed forever as well! I loved when they came back!) I also subscribe to Life : Beautiful and La Vie Claire. They are sooo worth it! :]

Now I just need to find the British Country Living since you are the third person to say they love it!

[Sue]

Wow! You are the magazine queen! I love magazines, but the only thing I get right now is Magnificat, because overseas subscriptions are so crazy expensive (at least double, if not triple or more). :o(

Maybe I'll splurge again some day. You had me practically drooling!

[Angela Nelson]

I need to show my dh this post, so he can see I'm not the only one :). I am a long term Martha fan as well, and have subscribed most years except the 5 years we were overseas. I also save clippings, though I have them in page protectors in conventional binders organized by theme (one for each season, plus crafts, home dec/organizing, and garden ideas). A few recent faves for me: Living Crafts, the Debbie Bliss knitting magazine (current issue is lovely!!), Real Simple, and "Hobby Farms Home," (a keeper, I've been saving these!), and I let myself buy the Houses issue of Fine Homebuilding every year as a treat.

[Catherine]

I love how you've made up those scrapbooks. How delightful!
I have a huge collection of magazines I have trouble parting with, but scrapbooking them would be very helpful.

The selection of mags you have in the US are so lovely. I had subscribed to Sew Beautiful for a time, but haven't purchased a copy for a while.

Recently my daughter and I discovered the Australian Homespun magazine at our library. It has a beautiful collection of craft ideas for various skill levels. I'm thinking a subscription here would be well worth it. :)

I also have a collection of Better Homes and Gardens, Grass Roots and Australian Country Craft and Decorating.

[Diapeepees]

That is the absolute sweetest -- that you've been compiling these scrapbooks of ideas since you were a teen -- somehow, that just makes it sound so beautiful, that you are still enchanted in the same way as you were when you were younger...

[Arlene Grimm]

I love magazines too Dawn...I think it is part of my "paper" addiction. I do not enjoy reading them on my kindle. I read Southern Lady...it is published by the same people who publish Victoria.(and I agree, the new magazine is not a good as the old one!) Southern Living, Country Woman,Victoria, Country Living, Veranda, Town and Country( I got a deal that combined both of these magazines so I subscribed). I also buy People and I have recently found the HGTV magazine. I really enjoy it but then I LOVE HGTV. I have subscribed to MSL over the years when I get a good deal on it. I am impressed that you have all the issues!!