Be Inspired by Magazines!

Remember that big fat Back to School issue of Seventeen magazine? … It may be the first connection many of us had with magazine reading.  I tend to read a collection of magazines on a monthly basis but always enjoy compiling a stack of special ones for summer days or travel.  Here are a few of my favourites …

    

Mental Floss

If you love trivia and good wit you’ll love this! A great Father’s Day gift too.

On the website they answer the question: What is mental floss magazine?

“For the record: mental_floss magazine is an intelligent read, but not too intelligent. We’re the sort of intelligent that you hang out with for a while, enjoy our company, laugh a little, smile a lot and then we part ways. Great times. And you only realize how much you learned from us after a little while. Like a couple days later when you’re impressing your friends with all these intriguing facts and things you picked up from us, and they ask you how you know so much, and you think back on that great afternoon you spent with us and you smile. And then you lie and say you read a lot. “  (Loving it already aren’t you?! )

La Vie Claire

Not always easy to find this one in our town but worth hunting for – absolutely scrumptious photography and inspiring articles about creative and entrepreneurial folk. They describe themselves at La Vie Claire as: Celebrating the art of living a creative life with passion, purpose, and inspiration. With beautiful photography of extraordinary places, La Vie Claire invites you to escape.

It’s a special treat to splurge on occasion and venture into the international section of the rack.  You may spend a bit more but I assure you that you’ll find exciting new ideas and images based on refreshingly different sensibilities: recipes, gardens, entrepreneurial ventures, fashion, essays, decor, travel, shops and yes, even reading recommendations.

       

Country Living, The English Garden

Country Living – UK edition has stunning photos as well that will make you feel like you’ve traveled through the English countryside yourself.  My garden may never strike even a faint resemblance to the gardens featured in The English Garden but a gal can dream!

Cote Maison

Leave the UK and head south to France and any of the Cote Maison series (Cote Sud or Cote Ouest/Est and Cote Paris) A little European vacation … you’ll be so inspired!

     

The summer season prompts many magazines to publish special editions. Business might not be your first pick at the beach but take a peek at Fast Company and its 100 Most Creative People in Business edition or Entrepreneur magazine’s 100 Brilliant Ideas issue.

You may pick up your magazines at the grocery store or pharmacy check-out but if you want a perfect rainy day adventure and you are in Vancouver head to Does Your Mother Know? magazine mecca in Kitsilano at  2139 West 4th Ave just west of Arbutus Street. You will not believe the variety!  Don’t be intimidated by the shop’s name – it’s a bit odd and has no doubt intimidated a few meek souls fearing the worst.  The neighbouring shop is Readerwear which sells nothing but reading glasses so if your eyes are dim and you cannot see you won’t be adrift in the magazine shop.