let's talk darling.
I didn't realize it until an Instagram friend pointed it out to me the other day...that even though I've mentioned Darling Magazine in a previous post, and have posted oodles of photos of past issues on social media sites, I've never fully reviewed the truly darling magazine on this blog.
I was first turned on to Darling back in 2013 while shopping at our local Anthropologie. They had a few copies of Issue 3 in their fabulous clearance room. As soon as I turned it over and read their mission statement (it's printed on the back of every Issue) I knew it was true love.
It was as if everything I felt inside was put perfectly into beautiful calligraphic words. I had such deep and passionate feelings about very single sentence in that mission statement. "Positive change...beauty apart from vanity, influence apart form manipulation, style apart from materialism...Darling leads women to practice the arts of virtue, wit, modesty and wisdom..." How encouraging is that?! It was everything I aspired to be. Maybe the most inspiring part of all was that there were other women who felt the same way, which thrilled me because it felt like I rarely met someone who seemed to truly understand me these days and here there was an entire community. It was a wonderful feeling.
So I opened it up and quickly read the letter from the editor. Let me tell you!! I was teary eyed! I tucked that magazine right under my arm and headed for the cash wrap. I've been hooked ever since. And since I was hooked, I of course had to force encourage Mommy, Geri and Athena to subscribe. Needless to say, they're hooked to0.The Glitter Guide recently posted an interview with Darling editor Sarah Dubbledam here. I'm including a couple of the most recent letters here for you to read. Now, if the "Letters From the Editor" are this good you can imagine how wonderful the rest of the magazine is!
Winter Issue 10:
Spring Issue 11:
Darling: The Art of Being a Woman is a quarterly magazine and is divided into sections based on personality. In the print magazine, each section opens with a witty poem and then offers a variety or articles, craft, home or recipe ideas. It's wonderful. Oftentimes, while reading I'll ask myself which category I fit more comfortably into. But I can never really decide. Each day, I fall into a different one. Some days I'm an explorer, while others I feel more like an intellectual. I'm always a dreamer and a hostess and on occasion an achiever. I'm a stylist hardly ever and a confidant most every day. I suppose it all just depends on when you catch me.
The only downside is it is a little pricey, $20 an issue or $80 a year which includes the print and digital editions. I try to limit myself to a certain budget every year (because I can be a major magazine junkie) but I enjoy this one so much--I literally read them over and over again--that I didn't renew some of the other magazines I used to subscribe to to get this one. I really believe in what they stand for and the type of positivity they're working hard to promote so it's worth it to me. Some of the photographs are a little too modern and edgy for my taste, not inappropriate in any way, just not my personal style. I love that they have a "no retouching policy" and all of the women they feature look real!I can go on and on about all the things I enjoy about Darling and why I think you will too, but instead of doing that I'll just post links to some of my favorite articles online. Of course, these don't do the print version justice but I think it will give you a good feel for it.Check it out and decide for yourself and be sure to stop back and let me know what you think! As you can see, I'm quite obsessed. :)Saying No to Slander Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies RecipeCreate Your Own Reading NookHow to Give and Receive Criticism WellPhotoshopping Our Souls AwayGinger Berry Crumble Recipe A Return to ReadingA Fruitful Life vs. A Successful LifeThe Three I's of Prioritize (4-post series)Happy Reading!!