Hand-Hooked Skylands Rug

I received a beautiful email recently from a textile artist named Micheline Mann, who creates stunning hand-hooked rugs from her home and studio in Paisley, Ontario. She had come upon my blog and wanted to share images of this rug she hand-hooked for Martha for her home in Maine. The inscription reads "Skylands 1925" (the year the home was built) and featured prominently in the imagery is a pair of ring-necked pheasants, which are native to Mount Desert Island.

Micheline sent the rug to Martha and not long after she received a personal call from Martha's assistant thanking her for the rug and letting her know how much Martha loves it. I wouldn't be surprised if this rug is now somewhere in that sprawling hilltop estate.

A photo of the work in progress.

That's the completed rug, above. So much detail! To see more of Micheline's beautiful rug work visit her website at mannmadestudios.com.

Martha Stewart Pets

My friend Kenn - a fellow Martha Stewart sleuth - picked up this flyer today at PetSmart. Ever the unabashed inquisitor, he asked the store manager when the products would actually be on the shelves. The manager said they would be setting up the store displays next week. I'm really anxious to see this line of products, which will also be available at PetSmart stores in Canada. Watch for them!

Apricot-and-Berry Tart

Trips to the market lately have resulted in a fridge full of berries and all manner of fruits: apples, mangoes, oranges - never mind the big bananas in the basket on my kitchen counter. Big piles of cherries, mounds of berries and all manner of freshly-picked delights at the local grocery store are too enticing to pass up, especially since this produce is at such low cost because of its seasonal availability. Dreaming of how I'll use it all up before it begins to spoil got me thinking about yummy summer desserts that involve fruit. Pies and tarts were the first thing that came to mind. Leafing through the June 1998 issue of Martha Stewart Living I discovered a dessert I had not noticed before: a delicious-looking summer tart that looks surprisingly easy to make. I may make it when I have a bit more time to spend in the kitchen but for now I'll share it with you and add it to my to-do list before summer (and all its bounty) expires. I hope you try it! If you do, let me know how it turns out.

6 apricots, about 13 ounces, pitted and cut into eighths

1/2 cup assorted berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)

8 tablespoons of sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup whipped cream (optional)

1. Heat oven to 400 and have ready an ungreased, 8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. In a medium bowl, toss together the apricots, berries and 4 tablespoons of sugar. Set aside

2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, cornmeal, 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, butter, egg yolk and vanilla; pulse until dough begins to come together. Press dough into the tart pan and up the sides. Bake until golden and slightly puffy, about 15 minutes; Remove from oven. Using a spatula, gently flatten the bottom of the crust.

3. Reduce the heat to 350. Meanwhile, arrange the fruit in the crust. Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoons of sugar. Bake until apricots are juicy and tender, about 15 minutes more. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool. Remove the tart from the tart frame. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Blog of Interest: Design Sponge

A friend of mine recently told me about a great blog called Design Sponge. She was astounded that I had not heard of it, since it is apparently one the best-known design blogs out there. I took some time this morning to explore it and I am now obsessed with it. What I love about it is that it showcases a wonderful mix of 'the everyday' and creative inspiration. There are DIY projects, crafts and interior design how-tos, many of which are submitted by readers of the blog. Below are some examples of what you can find on Design Sponge. Please visit the site and bookmark it for continuous design inspiration.

This kitchen in an 1876 Victorian home in England was once in shambles. Karen Barlow, a freelance interior designer, gave it a contemporary but traditional reno, keeping it light and airy and functional.

I loved this DIY project: converting an old gray filing cabinet into a pretty, moveable kitchen worktop table with a cutting-board surface, storage for utensils inside the drawers and casters on the base to wheel it around the kitchen as needed.

Another DIY craft project: a simple felt tote bag with a Scandanavian embroidery design.

A DIY laundry hamper.

A Push for Greener Urban Playgrounds

I received an email today from a group called CEFA (Core Education and Fine Arts) which runs Junior Kindergarten schools all across Vancouver and the province of British Columbia. The group is looking to 'green' school playgrounds - in the most literal sense - and needs your gardening expertise or unwanted gardening tools to help realize this dream.

Because of a lack of outdoor space and funding, playgrounds attached to schools and early-learning centers are often surrounded by pavement and have little connection to nature.

Studies have shown that young children who grow up in urban environments without regular exposure to green spaces and access to nature lose interest in physical activity, show signs of increased stress and are at higher risk of developing attention deficit disorders.

Every few months CEFA leads a school-wide project called I Contribute which involves doing something as a collective to contribute to the world. Just last month CEFA students raised money - by asking for donations, earning donations through chores, bake sales and other creative ideas - towards the earthquakes that devastated both Chile and Haiti.

For this project CEFA decided to take a look a little closer to home, in fact right outside the classroom windows to the playgrounds beyond.

To help bring some colour and life to her schools' playgrounds CEFA and a number of the students will be hosting a drive of sorts, between now and July 30th, to help raise awareness and get volunteers on board to bring plants and gardens to playgrounds at city schools. If you would like to volunteer your skills, knowledge, time or gardening materials to this cause, please write to greens@cefa.ca. To learn more, please visit their website at cefa.ca.

Evolution of the Splash Page

In many lifestyle and fashion magazines, the core features are located in an advertisement-free zone towards the end of the issue, rather like the feature film following the previews. In the publishing industry this zone is referred to as 'the well.' Few magazines handle the well more beautifully than Martha Stewart Living, both in terms of its stylistic presentation and in terms of its theme.

To introduce the well, the editors at Martha Stewart Living have have always provided readers with an enticing splash page, a sort of photographic invitation to explore the features that lie beyond. It is a gateway, a quiet beckoning to come inside (or go outside!) and linger for a little while.

Below I've selected some summery splash pages from past issues of Martha Stewart Living to demonstrate the evolutionary motifs the editors have employed to get us readers all set to dive into this welcoming well!

From the beginning, Martha Stewart Living has introduced its well with a splash page. The early pages included a photograph - a lifestyle moment - with a reflective, almost poetic paragraph of prose to further expand on the feeling of the month or season in question. This image, above, is from the summer 1994 issue of the magazine. The paragraph reads: "Our needs are simple now. A couple of chairs. A large, sturdy tree. A patch of sunlight dappling the shade. This is the season when life moves outdoors and everything seems easy. Friendships deepen over casual dinners. The coals on the grill go cold, but the conversation lasts well into the evening. By fall, we'll have it all figured out." The MSL splash pages maintained this style of presentation throughout the 1990s.

By 2003, the editors had decided to shake things up a bit. Throughout 2003 and 2004, the splash page became a more informative addition. The popular "Do You Know?" column had moved from the front of the magazine to the splash page itself, featuring interesting facts about the month or season in question. To offset the factual element, a creative tableau of the season's best offerings was arranged.

In 2005, the editors had yet another approach: a seasonal representation against an all-white background with the word of the month somehow incorporated into the scene. For this August, 2005, issue the editors had a sand castle built and used small flags to announce the month on each of its spires and turrets. Another example was calligraphy on an invitation, or embroidery on a linen napkin.

For their 15th anniversary year, the editors looked back to locate some of their favourite imagery from the magazine. Each month, an editor would select his or her favourite image for the splash page and explain why it was chosen. For the June issue, collecting editor Fritz Karch chose this image of an assistant food editor with an apron full of berries picked from the grounds of Martha's home in East Hampton, Lily Pond Lane.

In 2008, it was pared-down simplicity. One word was chosen for each month by the editorial team and then a photographer would interpret that word. In this case, "Breezy" was beautifully represented in a photograph by Katherine Wolkoff.

In 2009, we see a blend of almost all former elements: a thematic representation of the season (shells and sand) but mixed with text. In this case, it is a list of things to do, a table of contents of what can be found in the pages beyond.

Back to simplicity and fun this year! The editors had special wine labels made to spell the word "Living." Set artfully on a table, the suggestion is that of a free-spirited but elegant party. The white space used in the image provides scale in the most ingenious way. Does anyone have a favourite splash page from years past?

Martha's American Food

On Martha's blog the other day, she subtly made reference to a new cookbook that is in the works. She showed a photograph of one the kitchen staff at Omnimedia working on new recipes for the book. With my interest piqued, I naturally sought out more information. I found this on Amazon:

Martha Stewart's American Food

Hardcover: 272 pages

Publisher: Clarkson Potter (Oct 2 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0307405087

No cover yet, and the release date seems too far away for my liking, but it's worthy to note that it's in the works. Obviously, at this early stage, the title and stats for the book may change. I am most intrigued by Martha's new Entertaining book, which will feature photographs and menus from Bedford, Skylands and Lily Pond Lane with an in-depth look at how Martha entertains today. I've heard very little about it of late and there is no word on its release date yet. Stay tuned!