Favorite Things - - Magazines You May or May Not Know

I love magazines!  I can't get enough of them.  If I am watching TV, I guarantee I also have a magazine in my lap.  A little habit I get from my mother.  She always had a magazine or a cookbook going while watching TV.  We don't "sit" well without a back up plan.

These are my five favorite magazines of the dozen I receive each month.

1. Victoria.  My friend, Janel, told me about this magazine and from the moment I saw it, I was hooked!  The pictures are superb!  There are articles about traveling, cooking, decorating and living the good life.  Beyond a doubt, this is my favorite magazine ever.  I never throw away a copy!  I read them over and over.  The pictured collections and place settings are beautiful.  We are collectors of dishes and pottery, but these books and magazines by Phyllis Hoffman blow my mind!

2.  Southern Lady.  This magazine is from the same publisher as Victoria, Phyllis Hoffman.  Again, great pictures.  I could hug the photographers!  A very lovely read too.  Great recipes each month.  This magazine is the written equivalent of sitting on a veranda drinking sweet tea.

3.  Celebrate.  Another Phyllis Hoffman publication.  Do you see a trend?  This magazine has lots of delicious recipes, gorgeous photos and fabulous ideas for entertaining.  The fall edition just arrived.  It reminds me of back to school, new beginnings and trick or treating.  Lovely tablescapes and decorating ideas for the fall season and Thanksgiving. 

There are several other Phyllis Hoffman publications including Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade, Taste of the South, Cooking with Paula Deen, and Tea Time.   All have the same beautiful attention to details.

4.  Country Living.  A favorite of mine for more than a decade.  For $1 or less an issue (by subscription), you get a boatload of ideas and recipes.  Very tastefully done.  They also give advice about antiques and collectibles.  I really enjoy this magazine and always have.

5.  Southern Living.  Another oldie but goodie.  Again, great ideas for southern style and comfort foods.  I love the recipes and the stories of the south.  Always makes me want to book a vacation to Charleston or Savannah.  Lovely magazine.

Oh, one more, why not?  Every Day with Rachael Ray.  For just over a $1 an issue, a wonderfully produced magazine that is about more than just awesome recipes.  Great fashion advice and home ideas too.  A little something about everything.

There are so many more, but those are the ones I would keep if I could only get five (or six).  Take a look next time you are in a store.  Or do what I do.  My Better Half takes me to Barnes & Noble, buys me a coffee and plants me in the magazine section where I peruse the publications and leave with a stack of those I think I can make a good home for!  As long as I purge the magazine cabinet occasionally, I don't have too many!  At least that's the story I'm telling myself.