It's going to be a while before we can do any serious adventuring, so while I'm inside tuning up and trying out my new bikepacking set up, I've been spending some time flipping through these magazines for daydream inspiration.
Adventure Journal is an online magazine devoted to outdoor adventure in all its forms. The website has a blogs devoted to bike travel, overlanding (4 wheel drive capable travel/camping), and a gear blog for some hopeful-future purchases.
The Explorers Club is an international organization dedicated to the advancement of field exploration and scientific inquiry. From vast ocean depths to the frontiers of outer space, The Explorer's Journal offers first-hand reporting from those pushing the limits of knowledge and human endurance.
Think National Geographic, but fit for your coffee table instead of stacked in boxes in your dad's basement.
Sidetracked is a magazine featuring a collection of personal stories of adventure travel, exploration, journeys and expeditions. The stories capture the emotion and experience of adventures and expeditions throughout the world and will hopefully inspire your own.
Ernest is a journal for enquiring minds. It's made for those who value surprising and meandering journeys, fuelled by curiosity rather than adrenaline, and guided by chance encounters. It is a repository for wild ideas, curious artefacts and genuine oddities, replete with tales of pioneers, invention and human obsession.
Ernest values honesty, integrity and down-to-earth storytelling - and a good, long read now and then.
Another Escape is a lifestyle journal for those who love the outdoors, telling stories of passionate people inspired by nature. They encourage people to connect with the natural world in meaningful ways so they may become active stewards of our planet.
]]>I got so many nice emails last week after I sent out my Shut-In Shopping List I decided to do it again this week. As you may or may not know, Vagabond Heart started out as an Etsy shop, and while now we have our own home base online at www.VagabondHeart.co and everything in the shop is available on Amazon, I still keep the Etsy shop open.
That’s why this week I’m going to be showcasing a few of my favorite Etsy stores. While Amazon has shut down most of it’s shipping of non-essential items, and big box stores are getting overwhelmed with customers trying to book a week in advance to pick up their groceries, there are tons of people working from home, cranking out some really cool stuff, and shipping from their local post office.
And while of course most companies are struggling to keep the lights on these days, it’s these small one or two person shops that could use the most help. So, with that being said, here are a few of my favorite things this week.
Like last week, one of our features is on a print design company. Call me crazy but with all the time I’m spending inside, it makes sense to spruce the place up a bit.
The Quote House, as the name implies, focuses on prints with quotes from bands like Fleetwood Mac and David Bowie, all the way through to The National and LCD Soundsystem (the “If I could see all my friends tonight” print is getting more and more prescient by the day).
These quotes, in bold sans serif or rash paint brush strokes, are juxtaposed with the soft focus of renaissance paintings of floral arrangements and portraits. With over 175 different designs on offer I’m sure you’ll find something that fits your musical preference, though I think my favorite is this Smiths inspired print.
+ + +
Let’s face it: if you didn’t like flair, you wouldn’t be reading this. And if I didn’t like flair I wouldn’t have started a company that makes patches and pins. That’s why even though nicenicenice makes a ton of great stuff, like these color-pop socks or these bold printed cushions, it’s their ABC pins that caught my eye.
In fact, I love these bright, Art Deco inspired pins so much I bought three so that I could have my initials on my daily bag.
If pins aren’t your thing but you love the way these look, click over to their Etsy store and browse around. Everything in stock is made with the same eye for color and shape.
+ + +
Communication is important! At this point even our parents are becoming masters at Zoom calls, and that’s great, but there’s something to be said for going old school.
Get hands on with this beautiful print of a hand painted card, made from high-quality recycled paper, printed locally & assembled by hand in our studio.
Idlewild has almost 100 different cards available in their Etsy shop, but for some reason this one is speaking to me right now.
]]>OK, admit it. You’re trying to work from home, but the mind wanders. The mouse wanders. You’re bored and you want to go for a walk, maybe pop into a few stores, grab a cup of coffee, shop for something you didn’t know you needed until just right now.
We feel it too. That’s why we’re going to start compiling and sending out a short list of places you can check out online, just to spend a few minutes wandering the aisles between zoom calls, and maybe find something fun to cheer you up, or even...improve productivity?
]]>OK, ADMIT IT.
You’re trying to work from home, but the mind wanders. The mouse wanders. You’re bored and you want to go for a walk, maybe pop into a few stores, grab a cup of coffee, shop for something you didn’t know you needed until just right now.
We feel it too. That’s why we’re going to start compiling and sending out a short list of places you can check out online, just to spend a few minutes wandering the aisles between zoom calls, and maybe find something fun to cheer you up, or even...improve productivity?
I spent last summer on Prince Edward Island and, among other things, spent a fair amount of my time on the water learning to sail. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with it. The fresh air, learning the mechanics of the boat, and the whole aesthetics of the thing.
These bags, made for sailors and wannabes alike, offer the option of a stylish, weatherproof tote, with a 100% waterproof bottom to protect you from city puddles or high waves.
The bags are handmade in Cowichan, BC and come in a variety of colors, including a stealth city all-black, though I think my favorite is this blue option with the safety orange handles.
. . .
I also ran into Liv’s work while living on PEI last year. Seemed like every one of my friends had one of her amazing boob mugs on their shelf! Since one of the few things I genuinely enjoy collecting is ceramics (both vintage and new, handmade stuff), I had to order one... Actually I ordered three.
While I had definitely planned on giving two of them away as gifts, I’m having a hard time deciding which one is my favorite. But that’s alright. At least for the next month or so, I could use the company.
. . .
There’s no better time than now to work on your home. After you’ve finished with your spring cleaning, treat yourself with something new to brighten up the place.
Since I know you love to travel as much as I do, why not check out the prints made by Jen at This Charming Print? Whether you’re looking to be reminded of a great trip in your past, or looking for a beacon of hope--“When this is all over I’m finally going to Paris!”--these prints are sure to brighten up that wall you’ve been staring at for the last 3 weeks.
Personally, I’ve got my eye on this Rhodes print, to help bring back some sunnier memories from last October when I went island hopping in Greece with a few good friends.
]]>