Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion



Sue's Pre-Ramble

The Househusband, Teen Genius, and I subscribe to a variety of magazines. Some are educational, some support our hobbies, and some like Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine are pure enjoyment. When I first get it, I rip it out of its plastic wrap and then I make no pretense of reading it the first time around. I just flip from page to page feasting my eyes on Mary's whimsical illustrations, the home and garden photographs, and pictures of the holiday crafts and foods. I read all of the articles after this initial pass at a more leisurely pace throughout the next two months while impatiently awaiting the next issue. The articles are substantial like Martha Stewart Living, though the magazine itself is smaller in size and length. It is not at all fluffy like Woman's Day or Ladies Home Journal.

I hope this review shows you enough of the flavor, and you see how you can savor Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion for yourself. It includes a physical description of the magazine with my comments, then a longer overall opinion of what I do and don't like about it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments.


Subscribing/Cost

The cost to subscribe to Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion for one year, six bi-monthly issues, is $19.95, the single issue price is $4.99. There are usually several subscription cards in each magazine, or you can subscribe online at maryengelbreit.com. My current issue (October/November, 2003) arrived on September 5, and has 112 pages, including the front and back covers. Of those, only 27 pages (and cover) were advertisements, for a scant 24%. Most ads were full-page and from page 47 to page 93, which included the cover feature articles, there were no advertisements at all.


Regular Departments

The regular columns are (with my summary and/or opinion):

Mary's Scrapbook - Letters to the editor

First Place:
Just a Note - Mary's letter to the readers. It is usually seasonal, but lets us in on her life.
From the Bottom of My Heart - a beautiful perforated seasonal lithograph that can also be ordered in larger size. This month's is autumnal with a poem about wood fairies.
HeartBeats - on the reverse of the picture are numerous quotes about autumn, October, and Halloween.
IQ; Inspiration Quotient - A different artist, author, musician, or dancer interviewed about creativity. This month is Anita Shreve, author of "The Pilot's Wife" and "All He Ever Wanted."

Eye Spy - Cool finds! Some are decor, some fashion, all are great. Pictures, snappy blurbs and web addresses for neato stuff.

Finders Keepers - Great collections! This month: art deco picture frames. Whether you collect pictures, frames, or art deco stuff, this is a great article.

Take Care - health and beauty finds, includes info on Lee Jeans support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Creatures Comfort - It's all about the animals. Sometimes cute things for them, sometimes cute things for us with an animal theme.

Saturday Mornings - what happens when girlfriends go shopping! This month the girls go to the Philadelphia Art Museum Craft Show.

Artist's Workshop - the nuts and bolts of where it all gets done. In this issue, Christy Silacci is highlighted. She takes the neatest found items and creates creatures.

Out on a Whim - usually decor or entertaining. This month it is a magical autumn party complete with all the decor information, right down to color names and manufacturers.

Handmade - a crafty project. This time we make light-hearted Halloween treat bowls using soda pop bottle tops for color.

Ann Estelle - Mary's alter ego turned into paper doll. This month Ann Estelle is a cheer leader and wears a hippie outfit for Halloween.

Getting the Goods - a listing of all the companies used in the articles.

Home is Where The Heart is - an essay about hearth and home, family and friends. This month is about a circle of friends.


Featured In This Month's Issue

Senti-Metal Journey - A house in Seattle is furnished and decorated with all things metallic: from the wire mesh chairs, to the tin lunch pails and steel steamer trunks.

Feathering Robin's Nest - Texan fabric artist, Robin Brown shares her love of Victorian country decor. What a mix! Western and Victorian.

Create 2 Bewitching Boudoirs - A mom, "Queen Linda" and her princess design beautiful new bedrooms to fit their own styles.

A Delicate Balance - A home in Santa Monica is doubled in size, yet retains its small-house character .

Versatile, healthful, and ohhh so flavorful olives - includes recipes for four olive entrees and a salad, as well as fun olive facts.


What I Like Best

The one feature I like best about Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion is "Finders Keepers." My Househusband, Teen Genius, and I each have a variety of collections--Brownie cameras, rocks, shells, miniature books, books about baseball, books in general, stuffed animals, baskets, clocks, radios, and key chains among others. That said, I adore seeing what other people collect, how they collect them, and great ways to display them. In addition, since the whole of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion is built around living a life of joy with our things, surroundings and activities feeding that joy, "Finders Keepers" is absolutely integral to the rest of the magazine.


What I Hate

It is too short! I almost wish they'd get a few more advertisers (Heaven forbid!) and lengthen it. But what makes it bad is what makes it good. Mary Engelbreit and Barbara Elliott Martin seem to retain a lot of control by editing most of the magazine themselves and the quality is apparent.


Final Recommendation

Sue's Acid Test -- what happens to this magazine when I'm finished reading it? Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion is nearly in shreds when I'm through with it. When I first receive it, I almost immediately remove the tear-out seasonal lithograph, which I then put in a frame and enjoy until the next arrives. I pull out the removable paper doll sheet and send it to my 12-year old niece. Then I spend a couple of months enjoying each article. When my new issue comes, I tear out ideas from the old issue: quotes, crafts, recipes, pictures for collages, and the page with web addresses that relate to the issue. Whatever is left, goes to the recycle bin, but it resembles a roast beef bone that has been picked over, boiled for soup and then chewed on by the dog. Every bit of it is used up.


If you liked this review, you'll want to read my other magazine reviews:

Country Discoveries
Ladies Home Journal
Martha Stewart Living
Poets and Writers


In addition, I have reviews of the following Mary Engelbreit items

Time for Tea with Mary Engelbreit
Mary Engelbreit's Outdoor Companion: The Mary Engelbreit Look and How to Get It
Let the Merrymaking Begin: Christmas with Mary Engelbreit Volume 1



Recommended: Yes