I love magazines because I know how much work (a lot!) goes into making them. They’re like good meals—a bunch of different ingredients coming together into one lovely package/dish that feeds (me!) in one way or another.

I love them even more if they’re about food/crafts. I recently went on a mag hunt to seek out other titles I may not be familiar with. Stalking newsstands was fun because it led me these awesome crafty reads. Here’s a rundown of my finds.

1) donna hay magazine
“special made simple”

I actually knew about this title before my magazine rampage. Donna Hay is dubbed the “Martha Stewart of Australia” and also has several books on cooking and entertaining. After reading about her in a random food blog one day, I searched high and low for a copy—any copy—of her magazine, just to see what it’s like. I was even eyeing some back issues for sale on eBay, when I found the latest issue in Borders (Century City) just this past weekend! I practically swooned. The magazine is very “Martha-like”—even down to some of the typeface—but somehow has its own charm with stunning food photography, well-written articles and delicious-sounding, practical recipes. I can’t wait to kitchen-test them myself.

(Side note: For some reason, every time I say this magazine’s title, I find myself going: “donna heeeeeey” Heehee.)

donna hay website: donnahay.com.au
Published: bi-monthly
Subscription Rates: AU$40/12 issues, a hefty $119 or so for the same in the US (boo!)

2) Craft:
“transforming traditional crafts”

I can’t begin to describe how happy this mag made me! I mean, it has tutorials on stuff like KNITTING SNEAKERS or making your own SPEAKERS for goodness’ sake. Lord, help me. I was beside myself in crafty bliss. The website is a can’t-miss resource for craftsters. CRAFT says:

CRAFT will be a quarterly, 160-page, project-based magazine dedicated to the renaissance occurring in the world of crafts. Celebrating the Do-It-Yourself spirit, CRAFT’s goal is to unite, inspire, inform, and entertain a growing community of highly imaginative and resourceful people who are transforming traditional art and crafts with unconventional, unexpected and even renegade techniques, materials, and tools.

Craft: website: craftzine.com
Published: quarterly
Subscription rates: $34.95/4 issues (digital edition available)

3) Saveur
“Savor a World Of Authentic Cusine”

Not entirely unfamiliar to me because I’ve read this title on and off, ever since I spied a copy in an airport newsstand the first year I came to the US. What I like about Saveur is its size–easy to take on the plane, the bus or a favorite nook in a coffeehouse to read. And more than likeable is the food writing in it. One word: superb. I consider all the other food mags more like “snacks” to graze on throughout the month. But Saveur is different: I sit down and dedicate time to read it, sometimes taking up to a week to go through a whole issue, savoring the articles like they were courses in a prized meal. Those words, man, they demand respect.

Two friends have told me I should try writing for Saveur. I answered one of them: “That would be like asking Jesus if I could write one of the Gospels.” Sacrilege aside, maybe someday, eh?

Saveur website: www.saveur.com
Published: 9 times/year
Subscription rates: $19.95 for 8 issues (also comes with a digital version)

4) Domino
“THE GUIDE to LIVING WITH STYLE”

Domino fuels my decorating frustrations and is my replacement for the canceled magazine Blueprint (by Martha Stewart Omnimedia). It’s a resource for design and art that I hope to somehow translate into my crafts. It was this magazine that led me to my current obsession with wall paint colors (celery, anyone?) and the possible delights of a cheese-course lunch (with blood orange marmalade and walnuts-yum! Yes, including blue cheese!)

Domino website: dominomag.com
Published: 10 times/year
Subscription rates: $10 for 10 issues (sometimes comes with special Lucky magazine subscription offer)

Hope you get to enjoy a copy of any of these soon. Maybe this weekend—it’ll be a crafty, cook-y one for sure!