New DIY Zine

I'll admit it - I'm a total sucker for magazines. There's just something about them that makes me weak in the knees. I love their seasonality, the articles and pretty pictures, plus they make great art and collage fodder.

So earlier today imagine my squee-ish delight when I spotted a zine I'd never seen before with the tag line, "Easy Ideas for Hands-On People." I practically started drooling. I grabbed it off the stand and immediately began thumbing my way through it. Inside I saw...

• an article on 13 smart ways to snazz up your kitchen
• building plans for a DIY kitchen serving cart
• an article about throw pillows complete with DIY instructions
• a piece on how to use color to create specific moods in various rooms
• plans for building your own outdoor dining table and benches
• decorating ideas
• tips on hanging art
• an article with instructions on 3 different ways to refinish an old table
• plans for an outdoor potting bench
• tips for DIY bouquets
• clever garage storage ideas
• plans for outdoor movable planter boxes
• plans for a kick-ass arbor
• a list of kitchen-scraps that make for great garden fertilizers
• plans for making and instructions for flying your own kites (both diamond and box-styles)
• tips on saving energy
• info on cooking, product reviews, and more

All that just in the one issue! Plus, each of the projects has a DIY versus purchase cost comparison along with a difficulty rating and estimated time requirement. Needless to day, the zine took up residence in my shopping cart and I've had my nose in it ever since I got home. The name of this new gift from the pantheon of DIY deities is "Fresh Home" and, at least for now, I think I'm in love. There's only one thing about it I don't like at this point, and that's it's decidedly yuppie feel. I'm used to consuming my DIY literature smothered in punk rock/alternative sauce. But I'm willing to look past the pastels and sweaters tied 'round the shoulders as long as they keep coughing up great ideas, projects and plans. If you're a hardcore DIY'er like me, check it out for yourself. Because it's brand new, you can subscribe for only $10 (half off the cover price).

Score!