What's in Your Weekend Getaway Bag?

Are you ready for the weekend? I can't wait to head out of town for a peaceful weekend in Nantucket. The crowds are gone and the air is clean and crisp. Sounds like a winner to me!

Try as I might, I can't get rid of my magazine habit. When i'm traveling a long distance, it's easy to have issues neatly tucked away on my iPad, but I really love to read magazines in the flesh. They are something I refer to again and again, often going back years. Truth be told, I'm a bit of a mag hoarder. I do try to read most books on my iPad now, and have to remember its baby steps with developing green habits-right?

Are you familiar with three of my favorites? They cover the subjects for which I have a real passion. Afar is a magazine committed to making travel experiential, with a fantastic online community of sharing wanderers around the world. Hand Eye has a deep focus on traditional crafts, connecting cultures and inspiring actions, and Edible Boston { which I introduced you to here} is all about sustainable, healthy eating in the Boston area. All three are cover to cover reads-kinda like Julie Andrews singing These are a few of my Favorite Things!

I discovered Edible Boston last year and felt like I had died and gone to heaven. It's filled with stories serving up a big dose of local and sustainable. If you're interested in the recent explosion of the cross country Slow Food Movement, search out one of the 65 versions written about your neck of the woods. Seasonal foods, local and small artisanal products are featured and even the ads are pretty. Find it at some of my favorite Boston area haunts including: The Newton Farmers Market, Flour Bakery, Bergamot Restaurant in Somerville and South End Fromaggio.

How can you not get excited about a magazine that tunes you in to producers in your own back yard, or a chef who goes to the painstakingly involved process of gathering his own salt!

First of all-I love the fact that West Elm has partnered with Hand/Eye. Their support of the international craft market is commendable. This color issue of the magazine goes in depth to look at the changing landscape of color around the world today. A little bit travel, a whole lot of textile and a focus on sustainable combine to give the reader a view of the state of color around the globe.

Travel is such a personal subject and for me, Afar hits all the right notes! The award winning publication has a unique point of view and a sensibility in sync with my own. Billing itself as a collaborative travel guide, the hip glossy is filled with gorgeous photos and features locations off the beaten path. The online community is involved and often highlighted in parts of the magazine. One of my favorite columns is called Spin The Globe, where they give a writer 24 hours notice to prepare to experience the joy of spontaneous travel. Then they see what happens...

All of the above have amazing web sites where you can get an in depth taste of what they have to offer, subscribe, or learn more. If you have enjoyed some of he subject matter I cover, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

I try to assuage some of my magazine guilt by up cycling beautiful photos into stationery, pinning pages onto inspirational mood boards and finally donating old copies to a give a mag/take a mag box at my local library.
Do you still read hard copies of magazines? What are your favorites.

Have a great weekend!