Martha Partners With Home Depot!

It's official! The Home Depot and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia are in business! The companies today announced an agreement to develop an exclusive Martha Stewart Living brand for the housewares retailer. (The Martha Stewart Everyday brand is not being sold at Home Depot, as rumours suggested. We're still waiting to hear about which retailer will carry that line.)

Categories in the Martha Stewart Living line at Home Depot will include Outdoor Living, Home Organization and Home Decor. Martha Stewart's team of designers is working side by side with Home Depot merchandisers and designers to create a unique and exclusive brand that will appeal to both the Home Depot shopper and customers of Martha Stewart Living.



Products in the Outdoor Living category will begin to hit shelves in January, 2010, in the United States and February, 2010, in Canada. The Home Organization category will launch in February, 2010. The Outdoor Living line will consist of many different styles of patio dining furniture and conversation sets, ranging in price from $399 to $1,999, while the Home Organization category will feature closet systems and versatile organization units for the home. Both companies are continuing to work on developing the brand further and will provide more details on additional products in the near future. All of the Martha Stewart Living products will be available at Home Depot locations in the United States and Canada, as well as through homedepot.com.

Martha's Christmas Cards

Martha Stewart's new lines of Holiday cards and invitations are now available through Crane & Company and at select retailers around the United States. They are sold in small sets and in box sets of ten, which retail for $20. Orders placed online will ship by the end of the month. I've highlighed some of the more lovely designs below. The clean, modern lines of this snowflake card are timeless, whimsical and elegant, especially with its icy silver tone.
Envelopes lined in gold-toned paper reveal more traditional cards (above and below) that hark back to the days of Turkey Hill. Martha used one of her perfectly-trimmed Christmas trees as the inspiration for the card below. The wreath image, above, is beautiful with its embossed design. This gorgeous invitation in a festive crimson is classic with its calligraphy flourishes paired with the formality of the traditional font.

This one is my all-time favourite. Calligraphy flourishes are taken to new heights in the shape of a Christmas tree. I love the different fonts and the joyful green.

Season Five Premier Preview

Click here for a sneak preview of the season premier of The Martha Stewart Show, which will include a tour of Martha's summer home in Maine, Skylands, as well as homemade dinner ideas and homemade crafts to try. I have still not been able to determine which station, if any, will carry the Martha Stewart Show in Canada, but I have 'people' looking into it for me, so I'll keep you posted. The season opener looks great! I can't wait to see the Skylands tour, which looks as though it will include a glimpse at the inside and outside spaces of the property!

Country Living at Kmart

As the Martha Stewart Everyday merchandise continues to ebb from the shelves at Kmart, plans are rolling onward for the launch of the new Country Living line, which is set to replace Martha's brand at the nationwide retailer. Jaclyn Smith, too, has launched a housewares line at Kmart, though it is decidedly less appealing to Martha's fans than the new Country Living line.

The good people at Hearst Brand Development, who are the designers and merchandisers behind the Country Living line, sent me these preview photos of some of the housewares from the line.

Given the warm relationship and understanding Martha Stewart Living and Country Living have always shared over the years, I'd say the new brand is a suitable and promising replacement. What do you think?

Modern Countryside comforter set

Egyptian Cotton Bath Towels

Cooper Red Dinnerware

Cooper White Oven-to-Table casserole dish

Labor Day Respite

Hello, everyone! I'm on a mini-vacation - a brief respite from the hustle and bustle of big-city life. I've come back to my hometown of Ottawa and have just spent a beautiful three days at the family cottage with my parents and some family friends. I will have more photos soon. It was a stunningly gorgeous weekend with non-stop sun and moderate temperatures, perfect for swimming and barbecues! There is nothing like lungs full of fresh forest air and the sound of the lake lapping gently against the rocks. Perfect bliss. My friend Jessie Hodgson took these photos of some of the insect life at the cottage. Though it's on the wane, there are still plenty of six-legged creatures to keep the branches and wildflowers humming. I will post some of my photos from the last few days when I return to Toronto on Thursday. I'll be peaking in now and then, so keep those comments coming.

Martha Show Season 5 Details

The first episode of The Martha Stewart Show for season five, which airs on September 14th, will include a full, guided tour of Martha's home in Maine, Skylands. This will be the first look inside Skylands on film. (So exciting!) The new season will also feature a regular serial hosted by Martha called "American Treasures," which will coincide with a column of the same name in Martha Stewart Living magazine. Martha will travel around the country and take an unprecendented look at landmark sites across the Unites States, from historical homes to botanical gardens, heritage parks, experimental architecutre and endangered forests.

Other highlights this fall include an increase in themed programs, such as a new hamburger show, which will air on the 18th. On September 30, Aerin Lauder, the striking granddaughter of the legendary perfume tycoon Estee Lauder, will be featured in a show that was filmed in Martha's peony garden at Bedford. Lauder will explain how scents are conceived and extracted from botanicals. The 'Tech Show' on October 2nd will feature a number of technology experts, including representatives from Facebook, Google, Yahoo and Twitter, who will explain all the newest developments in home technology and communication. Another ongoing series will trace the design developments of decorating editorial director Kevin Sharkey's new Manhattan apartment, which he is currently renovating and decorating.

Martha will feature an hour devoted to her new book Dinner At Home the day it is released, October 13th, and will also devote an hour to breast cancer awareness on October 16th.

Guests this fall will include Julianne Moore, Ted Turner, Serena Williams, Nora Ephron and Jennifer Garner, plus all the MSLO experts we've come to know and love: Emeril Legasse, Weddings editor Darcy Miller, pet expert Marc Morrone, Everyday Food staffers Lucinda Scala-Quinn, John Barricelli, Sarah Carey and Anna Last, plus Kevin Sharkey, Alexis Stewart and Jennifer Koppelman-Hutt of "Whatever" fame.

Looks like a great start to the new season!

New Edge and Corner Punches

New from Martha Stewart Crafts are these incredible edge and corner punches, which can embelish stationery with glamorous ridges and fancy borders, as shown below. The tools are available at Michael's craft stores, as well as select independent craft retailers.