Last night I flew back from a whirlwind 11-day, three state tour-de-Midwest. My husband and I attended friends’ weddings in Milwaukee and Bismarck on the weekends, and spent the middle part of our trip with friends and family in Minneapolis, where we both lived for a long stretch.
As good as it is to revisit old haunts—including the Blue Door Pub, which makes the best Juicy Lucies in the world – and catch up with longtime friends, there is something SO GOOD about walking in the front door of one’s own home after time away, even if it’s 12:30 a.m., and you spent the day driving from Bismarck to Minneapolis and flying to Baltimore. (And that does take the WHOLE day.)
So getting home last night was a treat – and to make it even better, my first issue of Verily was waiting in the mailbox.
Friends tipped me off to this new magazine via Facebook a couple months ago, and I have been impatiently waiting for the “teaser” issue to arrive. From what I can gather, the mag’s purpose is to reach out to women whose experience doesn’t fully resonate in the pages of Cosmo – women who are interested in relationships, not just sex, and inward beauty as much as outward.
According to the website, “Verily is starting a new conversation – one for those who want a fresh take on life; an honest message that relates to their experiences which is uplifting, affirming, and true.”
And so far I like what I see. It’s well designed, and that is a huge plus. Sections focus on style, relationships, lifestyle and culture. From the drama of Downton Abbey to women’s reproductive health, the articles dovetail with topics my friends and I actually talk about, which is refreshing.
(Image from VerilyMag.com)
It’s totally weird to page through it and think, this was made just for me.
Because that’s how it feels.
I ordered one for my lil’ sister, too, and I haven’t heard her final verdict yet. The magazine fully launches with its first actual issue later this year (probably WITH advertising – the teaser was ad free). I really, really want to see this venture succeed, because the image of women it presents is brimming with integrity and wisdom and reality.
So, check it out. Really. It’s like the glossy manifestation of Saint Paul’s command to the Philippians: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”