Things [ Hand Made ]

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My chance to wonder about hand made things and tell the world about those I make, love and cherish!

Friday 10 June 2011

Come Home

 J has just returned from a work trip to Japan.
None of the trauma of last time, thankfully.
 Not quite as many gifts as last time either! One of my gifts this time was a magazine. I had asked him to look out for Come Home magazine.
I am not quite sure where I got the name from but I had an idea that it was a craft/home style magazine.
He found one this time and I have been quite excited to flick through it.
 Of course it is entirely in Japanese so i have no idea what it is about but it does have lots of great pictures, styled in a very Japanese way (well, they are to me).
Pictures like this one above of a set of shelves, if only I had only one, box, a bottle and a small jug to store, this would be how I would do it!
 The pages are generally room layouts, showing a very simple, homely style.
Lots of naturals, woods, baskets etc.
 Pretty, attractive clutter so they must not have any of the plastic tat we have in our homes (!)
No T.V either!
 If I had corner shelves like this then I am sure I would only put the 8 things you can see on them. Life would be so much easier with less stuff.
Actually I think the Japanese do tend to have less stuff as many live in such small spaces. The trouble is that we know that house magazines give an idea of the décor but not really the reality and I am trying to judge how true all this is.
 I love this idea of shelves in front of a window. A good way to display pretty glasses and hide dirty windows.

 Just in case you like some of these ideas the magazine has some instructions for you.
 It all seems very simple and straightforward.
In fact I am not quite sure what is stopping me......
 I really, really like this idea of a little basket for cutlery to take to the table.
 It  might stop the 4 year old from dropping it each day.
 In fact she might even enjoy carrying a little basket and not moan quite so much about her daily job of laying the table.
Its a machine sewn coilwork basket in such pretty colours.
(Big sigh) My wardrobe could look so pretty if only I had 4 white dresses and 4 white shirts to store. 


 Then I could live this simple lifestyle, getting my pretty white shirt splattered as I cook!
it would all be so charming and sophisticated. Actually lets just have a closer look at the shelves,
ah yes my sophisticated life would definitely have SPAM on the shelves.
I have just re-read this post through and in places I do sound a bit sarcastic but its not meant to be really. Its a great magazine I just have this approach to all lifestyle/decor magazines.
Maybe it's just I seem to be having tremendous trouble with my lifestyle.

7 comments:

Joanna said...

Thank you for sharing these pages, they were really interesting.

Other people's homes in magazines always look so gorgeous and neat and tidy and streamlined and, well, not like my home. I would love my home to be more like those in the magazines but know that it won't be in a million years. Never mind, I can dream, huh?!

menopausalmusing said...

I have serious "wanties" for that little basket.........

Jane Housham said...

Very enjoyable post. Only a little sarcastic, and very enjoyably so. I think it's obligatory to be sarky about perfect home magazines.

Unknown said...

Japanese style is amazing! Who needs words when picture tell a story! lol!

Bridget Farmer said...

Hi there, thanks for stopping by on my blog and leaving your message, it was lovely meeting you at Sue's too. I need a good long time with a cup of tea to have a look at your lovely looking blog and read up on your postman knocks info!

Bridget

Emily said...

I have recently decided that if I wasn't English I should really be Japanese! There's so much I love about Japanese life style- bento boxes, kawaii, origami, minimalist clean lines in their homes etc. Love that little basket! I found a tutorial on the web for how to make one ages ago (can't place it right now sorry) but it's a coil pot made from fabric covered cord that you sew together using a sewing machine! Really cute & apparently very easy! MUST make one & put little buttoned handles on it! :o) Nice reading your blog. Love Emily xx

Emily said...

Found the link for the fabric baskets if you're interested (& even if you're not here it is anyway!! LOL!!) http://www.craftstylish.com/item/33825/how-to-sew-a-fabric-bowl

There are videos on youtube & all kinds if you google it too.

Love Emily :o)