Cover to Cover

Travel the world. Design on a dime. Cook the classics. For every hobby, there’s a magazine with the latest tips, tricks, and trends. We’ve grown an appreciation for these printed pieces — they’re current, fresh, and quick reads, for the most part. Cool things await you in a magazine. Here are just some that we’re reading cover to cover.

Town and Country

Fashion. Culture. Arts. It’s all covered in Town and Country. It’s a fun read, and if you’re looking for that perfect accessory — say, a watch for example, you’ll find one for a mere $20k. Not bad for inspiration!

The latest issue of T&C is an ode to New York City, with a nod to the true New Yorkers who make it so great, like Sarah Jessica Parker. Kudos to SJP for the namesake shoe store she just opened, but we can’t stop thinking about the $209 Hanifa “Miya”dress she’s photographed in! T&C also scooped that Broadway is heading to the cinema during the pandemic, but will coming back to the theater when appropriate. And speaking of accessories, we caught a glimpse of the collection of new jewelry designed by Louis Vuitton called Stellar Times, which is inspired by our universe... as in the stars and plants. It’s out of this world!

In its travel section, T&C featured Charleston, South Carolina — a young 350 year old city, with a dark past, of course. In this write up, they don’t shy away from the not so distant history of slavery, and instead they’re shedding light on it. They highlighted that Charleston will be the home of the International African-American museum, opening in 2022. It’s on the site where Gadsden's Wharf once stood, the disembarkation point of up to 40% of all American slaves. One by one, the city is also removing once revered, and now disgraced historical figures. The Confederate Memorial to John C. Calhoun, the South’s fiercest defender of slavery, was removed in 2020 from Marion Square. Long overdue, it took the protests over George Floyd’s murder for the city to take this step. Nevertheless, they removed it.

We also learned that Charleston is home to The American College of the Building Arts, founded in 2004. The College is dedicated to training new generations of students in iron work, masonry, stone carving, players to work, carpentry, and more. Charleston is also where you’ll find the Charleston museum (America’s first, opened in 1773).

The T&C feature on Charleston was only just a couple of pages, but it was effective. We just might visit one day.

Horticulture Magazine

Another one of our new favorite magazines is Horticulture Magazine. In the latest issue, they help readers learn about the houseplants are easy to grow indoor and how to keep plants from over growing their space. Horticulture Magazine also shows how to propagate the Instagram-friendly Swiss cheese plant, and gives a source of inspiration with Niki Jabbour’s year-round gardens. Her latest book is Growing Under Cover. This photo shows her with a selection from winter bounty.

The grand feature of the January/February issue is the Lyndhurst mansion, located in Tarrytown, NY. Held by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the gorgeous 67-acre parcel was once a summer home back in the 1830s. It's a gorgeous mansion with beautiful landscaping. The mansion has been closed due to the pandemic, but you can visit the grounds. It's $10 per person, and members can get in for free. Visit the website for more information.

Kiplinger’s

Kiplinger’s magazine has been steadfast resource for personal finances since 1920. In each issue, they talk investing, money, retirement, and fundamentals. If you’re new to Kiplinger’s, you may just want to scan few issues at first, to get acclimated. You might see an article about coffee shops, like those featured in T&C, but Kiplinger’s will educate you on which coffee chains are profiting and which are struggling, which ones you might want to invest in, or which ones you want to steer clear of. Since the magazine is dedicated to personal finance, it’s dialed down for the the layman who wants to be financially educated. And in truth, this should be all of us!

Magazines... who knew! Consider it to be a good habit to pick up. Your local library has many of the popular magazine. It’s great. You can borrow them, then give them back. How convenient!

Until next time, peace!