I have addiction to magazines. Always have, always will.  They just plain make me happy.   I am tempted by their colorful covers, glossy pages, and enticing headlines like “10 Trips That Will Change Your Life” and “A New and Affordable Miracle Breakthrough in Hair Removal.”  I am a grocery line flipper. I’ll never spend a dime on USWeekly or Life & Style, but I sure will stand there mesmerized for a good half hour turning page after page until at least 10 people have asked me if I’m in line.  I would love to multiply my subscriptions by 20, but I kind of like having a husband. I do, however, have piles and piles of magazines around the house at all times.  Ernie prefers to live clutter free, while I don’t mind the lived -in look (a strong characteristic of coziness).  They take up space under the coffee table, on the bedside table, and in the bathroom. I also have a stack of Marie Claires on our bookshelf from a two year career with them back when I lived in New York.  Can’t get rid of those, as they contain various pieces I wrote and a handful of cameo appearances in the fashion/beauty columns (all of them favors to editors, I’m no model). Basically, I’m not going to rehab. I’ll eventually make my way through the old issues only to make room for new ones. I’ve also been known to tear out the articles I want to read and discard the rest.  As you can imagine, I also have a growing pile of articles I need to plow through. If anyone has any creative ideas on how to wrangle this issue, please share!  Here are some of my faves when I need a fix:

Afar — LOVE the off-the-beaten path and fresh take on travel journalism.  Spin the Globe is the best: they pick a destination at random and send a writer there with as little notice as possible.

Budget Travel Magazine — my go-to for realistic trip ideas.  Reader tips and real deals are what I read first.

ELLE — packed with vitamins. I flip to the back first to see which dude they’ve chosen to interview for the one-pager Q & A.  Highlights: interviews with interesting women, astrology page, features with new designers, and must-do check list.

ELLE DECOR — a fantasy island in the world of decor magazines, here’s where I get ideas of how I’d decorate my house if I won the lottery. They also give a peek inside fabulous celebrity homes.

Marie Claire — more than just fashion spreads, I love and respect that they delve into serious women’s issues around the world.

Los Angeles Magazine — their neighborhood guides inspire me to day-trip it out to a new part of town.

Anthology — can I please jump into the pages and live here??  Gorgeous photography and loads of ideas for decor, food, lifestyle, etc.

Lonny — another fantastic home decor mag that is filled with inspiration.

Lucky Peach — love this off-the-beaten path and quirky food mag.  Illustrations are so fun.

The WEEK — it’s like a shot of current events when you don’t have time to savor a cocktail. There’s something for everyone, but my faves are the real estate column and the television show suggestions.

Vanity Fair — keeps me up to date on the zeitgeist and can’t live without the Proust Questionnaire.