11.10.2009

Margaret Roach's New Book

Margaret Roach, former editorial director for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, author of the excellent book A Way to Garden and current administrator of its companion blog, awaytogarden.com, is in the midst of writing her new gardening book. I was excited to hear over the weekend that the first draft of her 70,000-word tome was turned into her publisher just a few days ago. In a newsletter to her regular readers, Margaret shares some information about the new book, which is due out sometime in November or December of 2010. I'll share them with you now:

"It was the longest piece of writing I'd ever attempted, and also the most personal. It's a book about dropping out, at midlife and in peak career; about trying not to be afraid of lost prestige or about money - or about snakes or electric storms and whatever else rattles my cage.

"It is a story about starting to realize a dream I'd had for more than 20 years but always been too afraid to try - to live in my rural garden fulltime and return to the personal creativity that got lost in my executive years in publishing. It's a book about letting nature be the guide, finally, and listening to its signals; about looking for (and finding) some peace.

"...Awaytogarden.com was the first thing I created in the aftermath of my old life. It is the most precious possession in my new life, largely because of how welcome and connected all of you make me feel each day, even as I sit alone at my table in Nowheresville at my old table littered with all my writing stuff, pondering."


Margaret is an exceptional writer and is certainly my favourite garden writer. She perfectly blends the philosophical with the practical, which is so much of what true gardening is about. She uses language gorgeously, weaving engaging sentences that make the reader want to get down into the dirt and start digging. I'm sure this new book will be incredible and I can't wait to read it!

Entertaining with Martha and Emeril

Martha Stewart Living Radio is proud to present a special live broadcast of Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse, together, for an hour-long discussion about holiday entertaining. They will take your calls and questions and are excited to be making a very special announcement, so be sure to tune in to Sirius Satellite 112 at 4 pm to hear the news!

11.09.2009

Good Things Come in Threes!

What's big and glossy and filled with cookies, crafts and glitter? Why, it's the December issue of Martha Stewart Living, which arrived in my mailbox today. It is an utterly beautiful, utterly fantastic, utterly inspiring issue to behold! What's more, the December issue this year comes with a triple cover! (See them all below!) I always suggest to all my friends, whether they're Martha fanatics like me or not, that they get the December issue of Martha Stewart Living. It's like nothing else on the newsstand this time of year.

In the issue, there is everything you'd come to expect from the issue, which is actually very thick this year. In the issue, Martha describes the virtues of artificial trees and shows us some from her collection. Crafts and recipes for Hanukkah and Christmas make up the bulk of the Good Things sections. There are plenty of new cookie recipes, including chewy chocolate raisin cookies I'm dying to try! Try your hand at a Hanukkah menu this year or embark on some no-knit craft projects to create gifts for friends and family. Learn how to wrap everything in a special gift-wrapping section or make a chocolate-chestnut mousse cake.

In the well of the magazine, there is an alphabet of ideas, including a special remembrance by Martha in which she reflects on the quietude of her Bedford farm at winter and the beauty of the snow on the landscape. On newsstands on November 16th!


Martha takes the actual cover.Martha's crochembouche is featured the second cover.


A pair of glittered bells is on the third cover. (I love how the titles of all three covers are glittered galore!)

Winter Destination Weddings

The Winter 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings is a sublime celebration of destination weddings, a special travel issue devoted to everything you'll need to plan and perfect the ultimate wedding abroad. As I've said so many times here before, I read Martha Stewart Weddings for its excellent entertaining ideas, from centerpieces to stationery to flowers to cakes. It's all there, whether the celebration is a union of two people in love or something entirely different. In this issue, we discover light wedding dresses for tropical locations, creative ways to personalize your destination wedding (gift baskets for guests with location-appropriate goodies) and learn about 51 of the best places to host a destination wedding. There is also a feature on the best locations in the United States to host a destination wedding, if passports aren't your thing. We get an inside look at two gorgeous weddings, one in the Caribbean and one in Ethiopia. Ít's a beautiful, lavish issue, perfect for the conquering the gray days of winter.


Holiday Planning Calendars

The uber-organized editors at Martha Stewart Living have come up with a fine new holiday shopping list to help you make sure that you're fully prepared and organized for the season. Click here to download the list! It includes categories such as Gifts and Cards and Ornaments and Stockings with all the essentials you'll need to craft your way to a festive holiday. For more holiday tips and secrets, be sure to join the Christmas Workshop at marthastewart.com. It starts next week!

PLUS: You can also download Martha's personal holiday planning calendar here!

11.07.2009

A Year In the Country (via suds)

Working at one of Canada's three new Anthropologie stores has numerous perks, not the least of which is being surrounded by luxuriant scents for the entirety of my time on duty. Within the store is a glorious selection of home and personal fragrances, carefully chosen by our offices to reflect the image of our brand, including candles, perfumes and soaps.

I was thrilled when I learned several months ago that two friends of mine had joined the numerous vendors that Anthropologie brings on board on a continuous basis. Dr. Brent Ridge (a former health editor at Martha Stewart Living magazine) and his partner Josh Kilmer-Purcell (a novelist and advertising executive) are owners of the prolifically productive Beekman Farm in Sharon Springs, New York. They now sell various examples of their fine, all-natural goat's-milk soaps at Anthropologie, including an exclusive new boxed collection of 12 handmade soaps, straight from the mills of their farm.
Their "A Year In the Country" soap collection features all twelve of their custom-formulated scents (12 soaps with particular scents that reflect seasonal fragrances) and comes in a beautiful, sturdy wooden box.

I adore the label on the tin!

When I told Brent about my little scream of delight when I received the delivery of his soap at our store in Toronto, he informed me that he personally made, by hand, each of the metal lids on each of the hundreds of boxes that are being shipped to Anthropologie stores across North America, and to the new store in London, England. He also had to hand cut each of the small holes on the lids, which act as gripping mechanisms to slide the lid open. His effort paid off -the collection is beautiful!

Underneath each monthly soap is a description of the scent and the natural derivatives that were used to achieve it. All the soap is handmade at the Beekman farm by Brent and Josh (with help from Farmer John!) using the milk from their prized goats.

In any case, the soaps are delightful and are so beautifully packaged that I will naturally be buying myself a box. I urge you to seek them out at the Anthropologie nearest you or order them online at anthropologie.com

NOTE: I will be visiting Brent and Josh at the farm in December, so I'll have a full report about their beautiful little piece of earth, with photos!

11.05.2009

Martha's team of elves has put together a six-week Christmas Workshop to help you get ready for the holidays. You will find plenty of ideas to help get you inspired about the season, including:
  • Martha's best holiday tips

  • Instructions on making handmade gifts, stockings and ornaments

  • Expert tree-trimming and wreath-making techniques

  • Hostess how-to's and a magnificent holiday menu

  • A gingerbread-house contest

  • Photographs of inspirational holiday decor

  • Photo contests and a chance to share your ideas with other members

  • Winter crafts and much more!

More than 100,000 people have already signed up for the workshop. Don't miss out on the fun! It all begins on November 16th. Sign up here at marthastewart.com!

11.04.2009

MSLO Posts Third Quarter Losses

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia's third-quarter loss widened on lower revenue and a continued slump in advertising in its publishing division, the company's most profitable department. Each of the core elements of its business was hit with losses, including merchandising as the company transitions out of its lucrative deal with Kmart.

For the third quarter, the company posted a loss of $12.1 million, or 22 cents a share, compared with a loss of just $3.7 million in last year's third quarter. Total revenue decreased 25% to $49.8 million. Ad revenues in the company's magazines declined by 22% and a slump in newsstand sales and subscriptions was also noted. MSLO's merchandising division saw sales fall by 39% this quarter as the segment's profit dropped by 59%.

On the up side, the company has expanded its retail business by incorporating new relationships with Home Depot and PetSmart in recent months with the announcement of exclusive products at these stores. These partnerships, in conjunction with new product launches by Hain Celestial Group (Martha Stewart Clean) and an expansion of the company's line of prepared foods, are expected to help bolster merchandising revenue.