Wednesday, August 27, 2008


MARTHA TV UPDATE: The first episode of the show will go something like this... "Joined by over 100 guests, Martha will take viewers from one part of her modern-day farm to the next, interacting with her audience while she unveils vegetable gardens, green pastures and much more that are sure to inspire her legion of passionate and loyal fans." The show also announced that Emeril Lagasse will become a regular contributor to the show, and "Everyday Food" host Sarah Carey will join Stewart for weekly Cooking School segments. Those segments start Oct. 21, the same day the cookbook by the same name is released.

Last night I discovered a great group on marthastewart.com: dreamers into doers. Members of the website can join the group and share ideas about their dreams, as well as learn from others about how to make some of your own homespun dreams come to fruition. The section of the website features a selection of women, chosen by the editors, who have mini-pages of their own and full galleries of their ideas come to life.

The reason I find myself so drawn to this particular section of the site is because it demonstrates the very real metamorphosis of a dream unfolding into reality. In many cases, the realization of the dream can also lead to business opportunities. One can earn a living making a dream come true, day after day, for others to enjoy.

Below are two examples of two women whose ideas I particularly loved. They took their talents and turned them into enjoyable and lucrative careers, which I find very inspiring, especially in an economy that seems so anonymous, impersonal and corporate these days. These were just 'ordinary women' who recognized their talent and worked hard to perfect their craft, something that I believe we all have in us.

To read more or join the discussion, and share your dreams with others, go to http://www.marthastewart.com/dreamers. Who knows, the editors may pick you as an example of a dreamer who became a doer!

BethAnn Goldberg: Studio Cake:

Designing cakes became a passion and hobby for BethAnn after she created a green caterpillar cake for her daughter's first birthday. "Cake is at the heart of our most cherished events -- it's a gesture of sharing and giving the best that we as hosts have to offer to our friends and family." Today, BethAnn tries to honor her passion and drive daily by learning the craft of beautiful cakes, understanding her customers, and creating her own opportunities for success. This summer greets the opening of Studio Cake, BethAnn's first shop specializing in wedding and specialty cakes that also doubles as a shared kitchen for a handful of women-owned start-up food businesses.
It's very hard to believe these are edible. They look more like sculptures. But I'm told they're quite delicious!

Tracy Garcia Kids' room designs:

"I have always had a passion for painting and decorating," says Tracy Garcia, who decided to become a stay-at-home mom in 2001 in order to raise her two boys. To escape from the daily chaos of changing diapers and chasing her toddlers around the home, Tracy turned to her hobby -- painting. "I would paint anything I could get my hands on," says Tracy, who first painted her sons' bedrooms, then started designing canvas paintings to give as personalized presents when the boys were invited to birthday parties. Pleased at how well her paintings were received, she painted several samples and took them to a local boutique to gauge their response. To her surprise, the store bought her entire inventory on the spot, and her company, Petite Suites (petitesuites.net) was born. Today, Tracy paints wall murals for baby nurseries and custom paints wall decor for children's rooms; she even had the opportunity to paint celebrity nurseries for actresses Brooke Burke and Samantha Harris. What's next for the decor diva? "I'm in the process of designing a new line of paintings to be mass produced -- hopefully by September of next year!"
I'm particularly drawn to the room on the left. I love that old chest and the 'his' and 'her' cribs.

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