The Summer Issue of Martha Stewart Weddings

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker graces the cover of the summer issue of Martha Stewart Weddings, which is on sale June 1. In the magazine, she shares all her wedding secrets and talks shoes, shoes, shoes! The summer issue is usually a favourite of mine: all those flowers and beautiful outdoor table settings! Be sure to pick up your copy! Click here for a brief behind-the-scenes look at Sarah's photo shoot for the magazine. And click here for more from Sarah's feature in the magazine.

Martha's Porch at Bedford

Each one of Martha's houses has something iconic about it: a feature, or group of features, that makes each house unique in style and design. At Cantitoe Corners, Martha's farm in Katonah, New York, it is the prolific use of a subdued and warm shade of gray (Bedford Gray) and that long, inviting porch that flanks one side of her farmhouse, overlooking the fields, the paddocks and the stables beyond. This porch has certainly occupied my daydreams on occasion. I have imagined sitting with Martha here sipping a glass of cold lemonade, taking in the beauty of the property. Below are some photographs of Martha's porch, with information about its uses, benefits and design details.

When Martha purchased the home in 2000, the porch was on the other side of the house, facing the street. Martha reconfigured the plan of the house and re-oriented the porch, the living room, the dining room and the kitchen to face north, allowing for ample views of the property as well as the sunrise and the sunset. In the photo above, the full expanse of the porch is shown. It is accessible only by the central entrance with stone steps that spill out onto the formal gardens of the terrace. The porch is fully covered with surrounding balusters. There is a door into the main hallway of the home and floor-to-ceiling windows that look into the dining room and living room.

In Martha's vast greenhouse, she grows an assortment of tropical plants. During the summer months, many of these plants are migrated to various spots around the property, including the porch. In this photo we see large and luxuriant ferns hanging from the ceiling: an alternating pattern of staghorn ferns and Boston ferns. The ferns create a very nice diaphanous screen to further shade the porch from hot sun.

Martha prefers to fill the porch with foliage plants during the summer: an assortment of ferns (including Boston, staghorn and Maidenhair) philodendrons, palms, fancy-leafed geraniums, ficus trees, rhipsalis and potted mosses. Because she likes to entertain so frequently, there is always ample seating. Martha often enjoys hosting intimate gatherings on the porch: breakfasts, lunches, afternoon teas, even the occasional dinner party.

Martha's pets love the porch in the summer. It gives her cats and dogs refuge from the sun and some of the wildlife that can pose a danger to them, such as hawks, porcupines and skunks. The cool stone floors are perfect for an afternoon snooze.

Many of the staghorn ferns Martha keeps on the porch are mounted, adding visual interest and sculptural and textural detail to the neutral space. Because the floor is stone, the plants are very easy to water. Keeping the floors clean is often as simple as hosing them down, although Martha does keep a broom handy by the door.

The morning sun filters through the ferns and the weeping katsura tree planted near the east end of the porch. The table and chairs are from the Martha Stewart Signature furniture collection with Bernhardt. The teak furniture is twice stained and the chairs are powder coated to ensure resiliency.

This is a beautiful example of one of Martha's mounted staghorn ferns. They act as natural artwork on the exterior walls.

Two stone pillars act as plant stands for faux-bois planters. Martha also uses ceramic pots on the porch by one of her favourite potters, Guy Wolff. Many of Guy's designs are custom made for Martha. During the summer, Martha often keeps the front door open to allow the breezes to flow through the screen door.

Photos by Martha Stewart Living and The Martha Blog

Martha's Triscuits: Have You Tried Them Yet?

Perhaps it seems a bit silly to get excited about a cracker, but when Martha's face and name are on the box, well, I get a little tingly. To my knowledge, this is the first collaboration between a cracker-maker and a celebrity chef. It's kind of a brilliant idea! Triscuit approached Martha Stewart Living last year about a collaboration. It began simply enough with a few web videos showing Martha preparing regular Triscuit crackers with various homemade toppings to serve as hors d'oeuvres. By late last year it was announced that a new Martha Stewart Triscuit flavour would be hitting store shelves this month.

It is the flavour that really sets the cracker apart from its competitors: toasted coconut and sea salt. Martha and her team played with a variety of flavour combinations and settled on this one because of its potential as both a savory and sweet snack. It was Martha's choice, ultimately, and if early test-market results are any indication, it was a successful one.

People have written in to Martha Moments saying they picked up ten boxes at one time (Martha's Triscuits are only available for a limited time - throughout the summer) and that the combination of the salty with the sweet coconut is addicting.

While the cracker on its own is a tasty snack, Martha suggests a number of toppings for the cracker: avocado slices with hot-pepper flakes or crab meat with a splash of lime juice. For something sweet, she suggests melting a square of milk chocolate on top and adding a toasted marshmallow for an instant s'more. Sounds good to me!

I have not seen Martha's Triscuits anywhere in Toronto yet. (Perhaps they will not make it to Canada.) If anyone does see them, please let me know. They are popping up in grocery stores all over the U.S., however, so go out and look for them and let me know what you think of them!

I'm not sure if there will be more Martha-inspired flavours from Triscuit, but I hope so!

The Editors Want Your Feedback

Some of you may have noticed this full-page ad in the June issue of Martha Stewart Living. It is an open call to join the magazine's "creative circle" by signing up to receive occasional surveys and feedback forms from the magazine's editorial department. The link, msloinsiders.com, has existed for quite some time and many subscribers have been asked to join the conversation, but this is the first time the magazine has publicly advertised it in the magazine. It's certainly worth the few minutes it takes to sign up: you will receive special event invitations, learn about new Martha Stewart products and have the opportunity to share your thoughts and opinions about the magazine with the editors through surveys and feedback forms. Click here to join.

The June Issue

I received my copy of the June issue of Martha Stewart Living today. Seeing it in my mailbox always makes me smile. This is the annual food issue and, as such, the pages are filled with summer food ideas, from grilling to pita wraps, from farm-fresh produce to summery cakes whose sweet fillings are the real stars. But gardeners and decorators need not fret: there is a good mix of content: decorating, gardening, crafting and cooking are all represented in this issue. The issue is on stands on May 11th.