DARLING MAGAZINE'S MISSION STATEMENT Artwork by Angela Duncan: http://www.theangeladuncan.com/

While I would never classify Darling as a Christian magazine, their attitude towards the "art of womanhood" often supports values that we as Christian women hold so dear - virtue, modesty, wisdom, intelligence, and beauty radiating from within.

Darling celebrates women for who they are not what they 'should' be. Having committed to never re-touching a model's face or body with Photoshop, they rightfully deny their readers a craving for unattainable beauty and present them with real people with real joys and struggles. At Darling, there is a respect for femininity that shows through the pages as 'sexy' is redefined as a combination of modesty and fashion sense.

It is not ever on Darling's agenda to tear down anyone, not even celebrities. Gossip is a forgotten concept, and the famous are only ever discussed in a "positive light."  Though, with all due respect to those in the spotlight, Darling strays from promoting products only attainable by them and their fortunes and focuses again on those that real people with real pocketbooks could consider.

Though I have yet to purchase Darling in print, their online resource is absolutely marvelous. the clean black and white style of their webpage is both classy and modern and the playful photography adds an exciting twist. Articles are categorized by eight different "personas" of womanhood: the Hostess, the Dreamer, the Confidant, the Stylist, the Explorer, the Beautician, the Intellectual, and the Achiever. I have enjoyed articles in all of these categories with specific partiality to the Dreamer, the Stylist, and the Achiever. If you haven't already noticed, I love this categorization concept so much that I imitated it with my blog (#guilty). When I see my interests compartmentalized in this manner, I get so inspired to spend more time exploring my artistic or journalist side.

Of course, now we come to the handful of drawbacks that cannot go unobserved while talking about Darling. While many values held are similar to that of a Christian woman, their articles should always be read with caution. Advice given, especially on difficult, personal situations, is often extremely secular and completely godless. These women go beyond finding confidence in themselves; they live for themselves. I'm certain their ballad as an organization is "The Greatest Love of All" (Whitney Houston) where she speaks of this love being that of loving yourself.

So be cautions; but don't allow these few issues to drive you away -- Darling is such a relaxing, informative, and well-written resource that I often enjoy in my downtime.Let me share with you briefly some of my favorite articles from their website.


THE DREAMER // HOW TO FIND THE 25TH HOUR IN YOUR DAY

I absolutely love this idea. Except for the earlier alarm. But, I may just give this a shot over the next two weeks and see how it impacts my morning routine for the good.

THE ACHIEVER // THE BEST FINANCIAL DECISIONS TO MAKE IN YOUR 20s

Okay, my love for this one could simply be because of how much I respect the one from whom her inspiration is drawn. 

THE STYLIST // WHY I DON'T DO CAPSULE WARDROBES

This pretty much sums up my entire attitude towards heading down the road of capsule wardrobes, and why I also have not done it. 

THE ACHIEVER // NEED MOTIVATION? WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE A LIST

Yes, please, Darling, tell me to make more lists.


I hope you learn to love Darling as much as I do!

xo, Alyssa