Remembering: Martha Stewart Living

 Hello, friends! I'm back from the ether. Recent events in the world of Martha Stewart have prompted me to revisit the blog and post some updates. Stay tuned for upcoming posts about my experience at Martha Stewart's Great American Tag Sale at her farm in Bedford, New York, as well as the remembrances of my friends Bernie Wong and Dennis Landon. I'm looking forward to working on those posts and sharing photographs from the event - which was such a dream come true!

Also, I could not let the cessation of my favourite magazine go undocumented here. As I'm sure many of you have heard, Martha Stewart Living magazine has ceased publication. Several weeks ago it was announced that Dotdash Meredith, which owned Martha Stewart Living magazine, had decided to stop its publication, both online and in print. Many readers were initially shocked by the news, since there didn't appear to be any sort of lead-up or forewarning from the publishers. The May, 2022, issue which is on newsstands now is the last issue we will see. Most of the magazine's staff was laid off and it's still slightly unclear how or when the magazine's content will find a new digital voice. 

The first issue of Martha Stewart Living, left, was published in November of 1990. The final issue of the magazine was published last month: May, 2022.

During a brief conversation with Kevin Sharkey, EVP of Design for Martha Stewart Living, at the tag sale a few weeks ago, he assured me that the magazine wasn't "finished" but rather in a state of flux as they search for new ways to deliver lifestyle ideas, recipes and design inspiration to its former readers. In the initial press release about the folding of the magazine's print edition, Martha urged readers to pay close attention to Martha.com and a new platform emerging there called Martha Now. Be sure to visit the link and sign up for exclusive offers and content!

I know many of us will miss the monthly delivery of the magazine to our mailboxes, or perusing it at the checkout stand or newsstand. I certainly always enjoyed receiving Martha Stewart Living and taking time to carefully leaf through its pages. You all know how much of a dedicated "Martha student" I've been over the years, so it does feel odd to know I'll never again receive a new issue of my favourite magazine. It had been a part of my life for 25 years. Thankfully, I have over 200 of the best issues the magazine has ever published and I frequently go back and read them, cover to cover, always finding something I missed the last time. They are treasures I'll never part with. 

To read about my favourite issues of Martha Stewart Living, be sure to browse through a monthly column I wrote several years ago called Looking Back to Move Forward, highlighting what I feel are the magazine's best issues, month by month. 

Also, click here, for a brief history of Martha's magazines, including Martha Stewart Living, and click here for a celebration of the magazine's 25th anniversary with posts about the 25 Best Things about MSL.

During one of the lockdowns, I endeavored to organize all my back-issues of Martha Stewart Living. The first step was getting them all out of storage to see what I had. I love this photo of this 'pile' of wonderful issues. I've organized them by month in sturdy magazine holders from IKEA. I prefer to read them by season.

Remembering: The Anniversary Issues

With the arrival of the 30th anniversary issue of Martha Stewart Living, I was prompted to look back at some of the past anniversary issues the magazine has published. Each one is a treasure in its own right, a perfect little capsule of time and reflection in the magazine's history. With each edition, they editors made sure to give readers a little dose of something special. And in true Martha form, the attention to detail in each issue was tantamount to excellence. Below is a look back at each of the anniversary issues. I hope you enjoy it!

So far, there has been an anniversary edition of Martha Stewart Living to celebrate the magazine's tenth, fifteenth, twentieth, twenty-fifth and thirtieth birthdays. The tenth and the fifteenth were January issues that kicked off the anniversary year in question. The others were all December issues that concluded the anniversary year. I imagine that since the December issue is more popular with readers, the editors decided, instead, to cap off the anniversary with a festive bang. Each one is a delight to read, filled with remembrances and highlights from past issues. Martha, of course, is featured on the cover of each.

The tenth anniversary issue was published in January, 2001. The editors took the opportunity to deconstruct, even analyze, some of the hallmarks of the Martha Stewart Living ethos. There is a beautiful look at some of the popular visual glossaries that had been published. These glossaries were the brainchild of then Creative Director Gael Towey and were a true signature of the magazine's visual underpinnings: different examples of one thing (sunflowers, citrus fruits, spices, silverware) photographed in one artful picture. The editors also compile a list of the best "Good Things" and devote a good 25 pages to the column. In the features section, the magazine's love affair with colour is examined with past editorial photographs. Then, a 'Decade of Decadence' looks back at some of the best confections the magazine created in its first ten years on newsstands. Martha concludes the issue with a "Remembering" column reflecting on how and why she started the magazine. 

January 2006 was the fifteenth anniversary issue. To open, Martha reflects on how she created the first issue of the magazine and shares anecdotes, such as shooting the cover on the balcony off her bedroom at Turkey Hill on a hot summer day in the squinting sun. The editors share the most popular Good Things from the magazine to that point: not necessary the best Good Things, as presented in the tenth anniversary issue, but the most popular. These include the dishwashing-soap bottle, strawberry pincushions and homemade glycerin soaps. In the features section, the editors examine the virtues of crystal glassware, the traditional 15th anniversary gift. (This was a suggestion I had made to Margaret Roach in a letter to the editor the year prior, anticipating the 15th anniversary issue. Whether or not she had already considered that idea, I cannot say. But I like to assume my suggestion at least got the wheels turning). There is also a beautiful feature showcasing a cake for each month of the year.

The 20th anniversary issue (December, 2010) is over-the-top! Maybe even too much so - and I can't believe I'm actually saying that! It is almost too saturated with its sparkle and splash. It is still a delightful issue, however. Martha's column is about a holiday brunch she hosted for the magazine's top brass, including familiar names like Eric Pike, Kevin Sharkey, Hannah Milman and Gael Towey. (This feature was later used in the "Martha's Entertaining" book). Once again, there is a roster of classic Good Things from issues-past. Vanessa Holden, the editor in chief at the time, had three different covers commissioned by the art department to celebrate (each cover is presented in the issue), which I thought was a pretty fabulous touch. This was also the year the magazine launched its first ever digital special issue: all new content produced for the iPad in an issue called "Boundless Beauty" which I thankfully have saved to disc!

For the 25th anniversary issue (December, 2015), the editors commissioned a cover painted by artist Will Cotton, who specializes in painting confectionery landscapes. It is the only cover of Martha's magazine, to date, that is not a photograph. One of the best things about this issue was the inclusion of a detachable cookie advent calendar: a cookie a day! The recipe for each of the cookies was included in the magazine. It was so much fun to reveal a new cookie each day of the month! In the well of the magazine the style editors were asked to come up with their best version of a Christmas tree: my favourites include those by Kevin Sharkey, Marcie McGoldrick and Eric Pike. As with the 15th anniversary issue and its look at crystal glassware, the editors took the traditional 25th anniversary gift, in this case silver, and played with it in creative, festive ways through crafts, table settings and decorations. 

That same year, the editors put together a standalone special 25th anniversary issue. Martha selects her favourite covers over the years, a selection of the best Good Things and compiles her best (and most essential) "101s" at the front of the magazine. At the back of the magazine, some of her favourite editorials from the magazine are reprinted in full, each representing one of the core-content areas of the magazine's focus. This was only available on newsstands and was not part of a subscription. It's a very nice issue to have!

And, of course, the most recent issue of all: the December 2020 issue, which is the current issue on newsstands and the 30th anniversary edition of the magazine. For this issue, the editors reached out to some of Martha's friends, colleagues and admirers to submit their reflections and thoughts about what Martha has meant to them over the years. These quotes were peppered through the magazine at the bottoms of the pages. (I'm on page 70!) There is a collection of the most popular holiday recipes Martha has published over the years and a look back at 30 years of the magazine's editorial landscape as well as a fun look at Martha's holiday party last year. 

Each of these issues is a collectors' item that I will hold on to and cherish. If you don't have them and would like to add them to your collection, look for them on eBay or Etsy where they frequently turn up.

The December Issue: Celebrating 30 Years of "Living"

 Martha Stewart Living magazine came into my life in a rather beautiful and gradual way. It started, as most love affairs do, with longing glances. I'd spot this gorgeous magazine at the newsstand of my local grocery store and would always secretly admire its stunning covers. This state of flirtation lasted a good four years in the late 1990s until I graduated to flipping through its pages, and then finally to purchasing copies. From that point on, there was no looking back! I was hooked. I became an official subscriber in 2002 after a few years of buying it monthly on the newsstands, and I have not let my subscription lapse since. For nearly 25 years, Martha Stewart Living has been a part of my life - and thank heavens for that! It has taught me so much about subjects no one else deigned to teach: most notably, for me, the subjects of cooking, baking, cleaning and organizing. Learning how to do those things correctly (and frequently) really transformed my view of the domestic arts and my desire to become an 'artist' in these realms, myself. 

In its 30 years of production, the magazine has elevated the everyday to such heights of inspiring excellence (and elegance) that it spawned an entire industry of shelter publications that sought to trade on Martha's values of good living and DIY. But there was only ever ONE Martha. And so it shall remain.

The 2020 December issue of Martha Stewart Living is a special one, indeed, since it is the 30th anniversary issue! (It is not explicitly noted, but I did catch the subtle use of pearl tones on the cover; pearl being the traditional symbol of a 30th anniversary celebration). The magazine is filled with celebratory content - not only for the holidays but also for the milestone anniversary. Below is a look at some of the highlights. If you are not a subscriber (and, really, why aren't you?) then I hope you pick up a copy!

Martha's column is a look back at the beginnings of the magazine - a fun read with old photographs from the offices at Time Inc. and a page full of Martha's favourite covers over the years. Both the Good Things and the Good Living sections are devoted almost entirely to holiday fare, and there is a multi-page gift guide as well. (Even Kevin Sharkey gives us the 411 on all his favourite things!) The Everyday Food section is a combination of festive treats and quick meals for those busy 'in between' nights when revelry isn't on the menu. There is a nice wine guide included as well, in the Potluck column, which I found informative. 

My favourite article from the Good Living section was an article on Dresden Paper and all the ways it can be used in holiday decorating, from making ornaments to stationery to labels to vase sleeves to gift wrapping. It was a very creative and festive article with lots of great ideas. 

Throughout the magazine, at the bottom of each page, there are quotes from people who have either worked with or have been inspired by Martha over the years. Quotes from celebrities, including Snoop Dogg, Jennifer Garner, Blake Lively and Ralph Lauren, mingle with remembrances and kind words from world-famous chefs and authors. In each quote, there is an effusive note of gratitude and respect for Martha and everything she's created. 

Imagine my delight and surprise, then, when I saw MY NAME at the bottom of page 70, the opening page of the Ask Martha section! Around this time last year, editor-in-chief Elizabeth Graves had reached out to me to ask if I had any thoughts about what I've learned from Martha over the years. I submitted a letter and really never gave it much thought after that. When I saw a quote from that letter printed in the 30th anniversary issue of my favourite magazine... well, I was overwhelmed. I'm so honoured to have been quoted and featured. Here is what I wrote:

It's the well of the magazine, of course, that heralds the veritable cornucopia of ideas and celebration content. It opens gorgeously with this sparkling splash page with a closeup of one of Martha's Christmas trees in her green parlor at Bedford. Tantalizing, to say the least!

The first feature is an ingenious collection of some of the classic Martha Stewart holiday recipes that have been featured in the magazine and in Martha's books over the years, starting with her rich, decadent, boozy eggnog. I like that the editors didn't simply reprint past pages but instead endeavored to create a new editorial spread, presenting the food in a modern but classic way in photographs by Gentl & Hyers. 

From there we head over to Cantitoe Corners, Martha's farm in Katonah, New York, to enjoy a look at her holiday party last year, which was brimming with cookies, Christmas trees and merry revelers. 

One of Martha's glorious trees, looking luminescent in the Summer House.

A small selection of the cookies on hand at Martha's party last year. (The recipes for each are included in the magazine).

Amish 'Evening Star' quilts were the inspiration for a craft story about their pointed designs on textiles, Christmas stockings, garlands and tree ornaments. The projects are very simple and would make very nice gift ideas.

A welcome 12-page spread looking back at some of the best of Martha Stewart Living was just what this issue needed, and the editors really delivered. Divided into subject categories (Celebrating Beauty, Celebrating Food, Celebrating the Home, Celebrating the New & Old, and Celebrating the Handmade) the editors, past and present, dive into some of their favourite memories, articles and ideas, from the creation of the legendary 'visual glossaries' (thank you, Gael Towey!) to the revolutionary way food was photographed in "Living." There is a look at Martha's iconic homes and a tour of some of the best collecting articles, as well as a reflection on how and why 'the handmade' will always be special to the editors of this magazine. 

To close the issue, there is a feature that really speaks to the promise of a great future for Martha Stewart Living: the editors take us right back to the roots of the magazine's ethos - DIY. This collection of twelve homemade gift ideas is just what so many of us are looking for right now, amidst so much turmoil and uncertainty. Rather than buy all your gifts, take some time to make something for someone. The thoughtfulness involved in the act of creating a gift is not only a joy for the recipient but is a moment of reflection and peace for the maker, as well. I love these handmade marbled soaps, which evoke the festive swirls of peppermint. 

I hope you'll pick up a copy of this special issue of the magazine, if you haven't already. I know I will treasure my copy for many years to come.

DECEMBER ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS:

Favourite Good Thing: Jolly Gingerbread Ranch

Favourite Recipe: Martha's Classic Eggnog

Favourite Find: Aarmy Gear (Thank you, Kevin Sharkey!)

Favourite Feature: "30 Years of Living"

The November Issue

November is always a peculiar month for me. In Canada, there are no holidays this month to speak of, aside from Remembrance Day on November 11th, which is somewhat dour and mournful. All of the leaves on the trees have fallen, leaving bare skeleton branches silhouetted against a perpetually grey sky, which has not yet produced any real amount of snow to make the landscape look at least a little more cheery. It's cold. It's damp. It's ugly. For these reasons, I turn to books and magazines more frequently for inspiration and joy. Now begins the season of fervent page turning as I look for new ideas, new inspirations, new projects and new recipes to try in the kitchen. The November issue of Martha Stewart Living, which is on newsstands now, has always been one of my favourite issues of the year. Even though Canadians have long since enjoyed our Thanksgiving meals (October 12th) I still look forward to seeing the pies, the side dishes, the homey/cozy interiors and the fall craft projects that the editors compile for this issue.

The cover is a bright collection of Thanksgiving pies baked by Martha for her annual Thanksgiving dinner; she actually makes dozens of pies to give to her staff at the farm - lucky recipients! Inside, there are all sorts of ideas and Good Things for the American Thanksgiving holiday, from tinting cloth napkins to ways to use wheat in decorative craft projects for the holiday table. There are tips on how to use up those leftovers in soups and stews, as well as ways to stock your kitchen with American-made goods and utensils. I loved the article by Elyse Moody about how to refresh your home for fall, or as she writes, "simple ways to dust off the last several months." The ideas are simple to achieve but effective antidotes to what has been a challenging year spent largely indoors. 

My favourite Good Thing from this issue is the reworking of this mid-century modern hutch by home editor Lorna Aragon. New seagrass-covered doors add a lightness and the wallpaper backing behind the shelves brings it all to life. I could actually stare at this image for hours! It's so me!

 

The October Issue

I picked up the October issue of Martha Stewart Living on one of the warmest September days I can remember. Wearing shorts and a t-shirt, I lunged for it on the newsstand. I NEEDED a dose of fall. The magazine dispensed it perfectly. It is not your average Martha Stewart October cover and that, as she would say, is a "Good Thing." I like Halloween, but occasionally it's nice to give the autumn season itself a bit of love - ghosts and goblins aside. The cover, with its multitude of shapely and colourful pumpkins and gourds, tucked somewhere gray at Martha's farm, is the perfect mix of joy and restraint: a photo by Ngoc Minh Ngo.

True Halloween devotees will be a tad disappointed with the scarcity of ghoulish content, but do keep in mind that we're in the midst of a pandemic and that trick-or-treating will look extremely different this year - if it happens at all. My assumption is that the editors are being cautiously moderate when it comes to presenting a host of ways to celebrate a holiday that essentially involves going door-to-door to strangers' homes. Still, the Good Things section of the magazine is entirely devoted to Halloween fun - and fun should certainly still be had, albeit with a small circle of friends and family.

The September Issue

In the late nineties, after a few years of reading Martha Stewart Living magazine on a regular basis, I came to view the September issue as the most prodigious. It was, during that phase of the magazine's history, the issue that was wholeheartedly devoted to decorating and all things to do with making the home beautiful, livable and enjoyable. The September issue has evolved over the years - and has gone through various incarnations - but this year seems to mark something of a return to those late-nineties vibes. 

The cover is beautiful, featuring a photograph by Noe Dewitt of Martha's turquoise McCoy pottery at her home in East Hampton. (A friend of mine recently exclaimed: "The best cover the magazine has had in the last decade, hands down!") Inside, there is a devotion to the late-summer/early-fall season and some of the best ways to enjoy it. There is a visit to a dahlia grower in Washington State; a tour of a beautiful, refurbished home in Philadelphia; a gallery of the most delicious-looking baked goods you'll ever want to make, and a feature on how to use up that tomato bumper crop. There are four pages devoted to maximizing your laundry routine and a series of Good Things you'll keep flipping back to: on-the-go breakfasts, ways to streamline your home office, and some DIY 'crop art' for kids and adults alike.

 Dahlias Are Forever: a gorgeous bouquet by dahlia grower Erin Benzakein in Washington State. Photo by Ngoc Minh Ngo

What strikes me this year more than ever is how important the home really is. This past spring, we were required to spend months indoors for the good of public health and are only now gathering the courage to maybe venture a little further afield. And yet, that feeling of 'being home' still brings us the most comfort, I find. Thank goodness for Martha Stewart Living to unabashedly help us navigate and elevate the humble home. 

SEPTEMBER ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS:

Favourite Good Thing: Page 24, Crop Art: DIY your way back to school. Click here.

Favourite Recipe: Page 87, One-Bowl Chocolate Layer Cake

Favourite Find: Page 13, Martha's impressive McCoy collection makes me want to start one too!

Favourite Feature: Page 74, Florals for fall really IS groundbreaking! Dahlia Fields Forever

Remembering: Subscription Incentive Booklets

In the early days of Martha Stewart Living magazine, subscribers would often be enticed to renew or gift a magazine subscription with special promotional incentives. These could be tote bags or calendars, but more often than not they were small how-to booklets based on Martha's "Good Things" from the magazine. A renewal thank-you card would be sent to your address (such a nice touch) along with the booklet, which always centered on a theme, whether it was gardening, cooking, crafting or collecting. 

The booklets were always printed in colour on very nice card-stock and measured approximately 5.5 by 7 inches. They were usually about 20 pages in length, advertisement-free. As you can see in the photograph above, each "Good Things" booklet was based on a particular theme: homemade gifts, collecting, cooking, giving, holiday projects, etc. With images and ideas selected from past issues of the magazine, each booklet contained instructions, recipes and advice.

Martha Stewart Living offered these booklets to subscribers for about ten years, between 1994 and 2004. They are fairly rare today and each booklet can fetch between $3 and $6 on the secondhand market, depending on condition and rarity. 

The July/August Issue

As summer quickly unfurls and temperatures soar to new heights, there's something comforting about a lakeside lounge with a good magazine. That's precisely how I enjoyed the new July/August issue of Martha Stewart Living, which is on newsstands now: seated on a chaise-longue at "the point" (as we call the rocky promontory that juts out into the water) down by the lake at my parents' cottage.

I was a bit taken aback by how thin the issue is for a double issue - just over 100 pages - recalling the summer issues of years past that approached the 200-page mark. But such is the state of the magazine industry these days. I'll take what I can and savour it just the same.

The issue feels good - a nice ode to 'summer splendor' as the front cover announces. There is a thorough summer guide to 102 places in the United States worth visiting that I'll file away for my next visit south of the border, which may not be until a year or so from now, given the state of things. The Good Things section has a nice recipe for homemade vanilla ice cream I may have to try and a nice five-ingredient chocolate-chip cookie that is gluten-free. Everyday Food presents four easy summery pasta dishes that look truly delicious and a tart-looking fruit kompot that uses peaches, plums and strawberries to give it an extra zing.

The well of the magazine covers all the bases, from food to gardens to interiors - which is something I always appreciate. It opens with a feature devoted to simple, seasonal meals that make the most of summer produce and fresh ingredients. A garden feature by Johanna Silver and photos by Claire Takacs about the evolution of a Washington state property from a fussy English garden to something decidedly more Zen (and lower-maintenance) was a good read. It proves you can change your mind when it comes to your garden choices and still come out ahead. The star of the issue, however, is the cover story about peaches by Christian Wright and photos by Paola + Murray. Who doesn't love a ripe, juicy peach -  not to mention that cute emoji? This versatile fruit is the very definition of midsummer.

Five desserts are presented that put peaches in the starring role. There's a fluffy meringue, a creamy tart, a tangy fruit salad and refreshing fruit pops. But the centerpiece of the article is definitely the Cardamom-Scented Peach-Apricot Cobblers with its warm, syrup-glazed fruit under a fluffy shortcake topping. It's on my "to-bake" list for August.

The issue quietly fades out, literally, with a feature on using sheer fabrics in interiors to lighten the space. The ideas are great but I found the palette of the feature to be a bit grey and dull. I know they were going for "light as air" but some blue or light green touches would have infused the photos with a little more vibrancy. Still, the little mesh screen on page 94 would look wonderful in my living room.  All in all, a fun issue and a nice poolside or lakeside read on a warm summer afternoon.

JULY/AUGUST ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS:

Favourite Good Thing: Five-Ingredient Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, page 54

Favourite Recipe: Cardamom-Scented Peach-Apricot Cobblers, page 86

Favourite Find: Colour-blocked pillows by Coterie, page 27

Favourite Feature: A Natural Progression by Johanna Silver with photos by Claire Takacs, page 76

The June Issue

Although summer has not yet officially arrived, the June issue of Martha Stewart Living is always a good pre-launch read. I've said before on the blog that summer issues of magazines are not generally favourites of mine. In Canada summer is basically just a sneeze in a long, long winter cold (to borrow a Joni Mitchell line) so there's such an urgency to get outside and experience it rather than read about it. Still, Martha's summer issues are always good guides to making those long, languorous days a little more inspired. The June issue - which is the annual food issue - has an excellent flow to it that keeps the reader engaged.

It's been interesting to witness how the editors of the magazine have re-imagined the content to suit a quarantine situation these last couple of months. Traditionally, the June, July and August issues of the magazine have heralded outdoor entertaining and summer gatherings with friends and family. The editors have not descaled their presentation of food and drink but have certainly been responsible about presenting socially-distanced scenarios or suggesting the reader file away their ideas "for future gatherings."

There is some excellent photography in this issue, particularly in the well of the magazine, which has a generous wealth of visual delights. An article called "Crystal Clear" by writer Kevin West with photographs by Chris Simpson is a chronicle of a charmed third act for an older, creative couple who began a new business on the Caribbean island of Bequia. The photos just immerse the reader in everything summer; you can almost feel the warm sun, smell the salty sea air and taste the tropical fruit.

Another favourite is the article "Kentucky Classic" by writer Monica Michael Willis with photographs by Ngoc Minh Ngo: a historic house, long abandoned, is restored by a landscape designer who had long admired the property. The results of his efforts as a gardener are beautifully chronicled here.

There are other great things to admire about the issue, too. The requisite June article on grilling was lost on this apartment dweller (who has actually never been attracted to the art of grilling) but many will enjoy the plethora of delicious-looking offerings. There is a delicious cake recipe to try. I tried it and it's been added to my list of 'Best Cakes' which I keep on file on this clunky old PC. There are some fun Father's Day crafts and Martha serves up some fun cocktails to try this summer. It was a pleasure to read this issue.

Subscribers will enjoy an alternate cover featuring Martha wearing a dress by Nili Lotan.

JUNE ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS:

Favourite Good Thing: Fun Father's Day shirt cards, page 25

Favourite Recipe: Lemon Cake with Raspberry Cream-Cheese Frosting, page 64

Favourite Find: Christophe Pourny's Studio Store, particularly the hats, page 46.

Favourite Feature: "Crystal Clear" by Kevin West

The May Issue

May is my favourite month of the year. This is the time when Spring really begins to take off here: the flowers burst open, the trees become green, seemingly overnight, and there is consistent sunshine, fresh breezes and the promise of something new. The May issue of Martha Stewart Living, which is on stands now at grocery stores, is a nice complement to the season.

On the cover is a bouquet of peonies - one of my favourite flowers - in a photograph by Stephen Kent Johnson, beautifully styled by Tanya Graff. And if it's flowers you're looking for then you'll be delighted by Martha's column, which beautifully celebrates the art of flower arranging and cutting straight from the garden.

In a series of photographs by Thomas Loof, we see how Martha displays her blooms indoors at her home in Bedford, New York. They are casual but delightful arrangements that celebrate the bounty of the cutting garden.

There are also helpful homekeeping tips throughout the issue, such as a thorough primer on painting house exteriors, complete with helpful historical colour palettes traditionally used on various styles of houses, from Tudor to Craftsman. The "Good Living" section kicks off with a gentle reminder to deep-clean your dishwasher with daily, weekly and monthly to-dos to keep it running at peak performance. In cooking, "Everyday Food" has a wonderful primer on Eggs Benedict as well as four easy hot-sandwich/wraps for quick and casual dinners at home.

In the features section, entertaining menus mingle with garden tours and home renovations. A book excerpt from "Still: The Slow Home" by Natalie Walton, which is published May 19, looks at three different homes that have been revamped and revitalized by their new owners to reflect their specific needs and tastes. But my sweet tooth was immediately tickled by the feature on bundt cakes, "Hole in One." All six delicious takes on this retro classic leave me wanting to start collecting bundt pans, which of course I have absolutely no room for.

I hope you'll pick up an issue, if you haven't already. It's guaranteed to bring some cheer.

MAY ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS:

Favourite Good Thing: DIY baked taco shells and taco bowls, page 26. (Seriously, so clever!)

Favourite Recipe: Cauliflower-and-Chickpea Pitas With Creamy Yogurt Sauce, page 69.

Favourite Find: Still: The Slow Home by Natalie Walton. Publishes May 19.

Favourite Feature: "Hole In One" - an inspired collection of six recipes for bundt cakes, page 84.

The April Issue + The Importance of Home

As the world hunkers down to help contain the spread of COVID-19, many of us are employing social-distancing measures and working from home. Still others have been forced to stay home as the companies they work for temporarily shutter their doors to reduce public interactions: retail stores, gyms, restaurants and coffee shops. The home, always a retreat and a place of respite and calm, has taken on even more importance in these days of self-isolation.

Martha Stewart Living magazine, which has always been my favourite magazine, has proven itself, yet again, to be such a consistent source of comfort to me. The April issue, which is on newsstands now (although a subscription offers so much more value) is just what I needed on this first Monday of enforced public closures in the city where I live.

Its pages are filled with the perfect kinds of projects we can all do at home, from spring cleaning to Easter crafts. There are excellent recipes to try, too, if you can manage to source the ingredients in a calm and safe way at your grocery store. I'm eager to try the carrot-cake/humming-bird cake hybrid and all those delicious vegetarian dishes in the Everyday Food section. I know that I'll read the issue cover to cover, as I always do, and I'm sure it will help me appreciate the comforts of home even more.

April is also Earth Month, and the editors have put together a spectacular list of 50 things we can all do to minimize our footprint on the planet, from changing our eating habits to making our own cleaning products; from supporting local businesses and growers who adhere to eco-friendly practices to reducing single-use plastics in our homes and workplaces.

There is nothing quite like leafing through a copy of Martha Stewart Living with a cup of tea. It's a ritual I have cherished for almost three decades and it's a ritual that brings a more poignant level of comfort in these days of uncertainty. Happy reading!

APRIL ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS:

Favourite Good Thing: Using handlebar tape as a gripping device on brooms and brushes, page 30

Favourite Recipe: Hummingbird Carrot Cake, page 69

Favourite Find: Hop Tea , page 24

Favourite Article: "Living Legends" (the article about magnolias on page 96)

The March Issue

When you've been bundled up in sweaters for the last twelve weeks and cranking the heater while it snows outside, it's nice to receive even the tiniest promise of spring. The March issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine is just such a promise. Martha takes the cover of this issue (first time since October, 2017) and I loved seeing her in her green Marc Jacobs top standing behind a table laden with a St. Patrick's Day feast. (All the recipes are included inside, don't worry).

The issue has a freshness to it, a devotion to airiness, colour and light. It starts with the cover and continues throughout the issue. There's a feature on the glories of olive oil, visits to a crafty shop in Ojai, California, an arid garden in Phoenix as well as a sunny home in Philadelphia. In the front of the issue, too, there is reason to linger. I love the article on meditation (something I need more of in my life) and the "Change Maker" column about Kei & Molly textiles in New Mexico whose beautifully printed linens will have you wanting to fill your entire home with their colourful prints.

Sarah Carey and her team of food editors give us fun and healthy recipes in the Everyday Food section (that tuna-salad hand roll has my name on it) while the Good Living section reveals the best locations and vendors used by interior designers to source their best goods.

Starting with this issue, I'll select my favrourite features from each: the best Good Thing, the most intriguing recipe, the best find, and the most engaging article. Here are my picks for March, 2020:

MARCH ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS:

Favourite Good Thing: stout shandy on page 24

Favourite Recipe: Spaghetti with Garlic, Olive Oil and Chile on page 76

Favourite Find: Chance by Chanel (Mother's Day gift = solved!) on page 44

Favourite Article: "Just For Us" - the home tour on page 92

The issue is on newsstands now! Be sure to pick up a copy.

The January/February Issue

Who doesn't love a fresh start? I am one of those few people who really enjoys this time of year: the post-holiday quiet time when there's a chance to reflect and also put things back in order. My late friend Kenn always used to call this phase his "winter white" phase when he would fill the house with blooming paperwhites and get busy with organizing chores. He adored that clean, pared-back feeling in the house when all the decorations were put away, when a clean slate awaited the year ahead.

The January/February issue of Martha Stewart Living is a lovely little guide to help you though these chilly grey days. Without feeling predictable, it delivers everything we're craving, from handmade Valentine's Day cards and crafts to the most delicious-looking beef stew recipe. There's a very fun article on modern mending that would probably drive your grandmother crazy with its praise of contrasting stitchery in vibrant colours and patterns to repair damaged clothing. But it feels fresh to me!

For the winter escapists, there is a trip to a sunny Florida home and a very beautiful article about its decoration. Martha takes us through four of her most personal gardens (Turkey Hill, Lily Pond, Bedford and Skylands) and outlines her vision for each landscape as well as what it taught her about the arts of landscaping and gardening.

The last page in the issues throughout the year will be devoted to "Remembering" - just like old times - with reflections from Martha and others about life and living and learning.

It's on newsstands now so do pick up a copy!

The October Issue

I recently told friends that the October issue of Martha Stewart Living is to me what the September issue of Vogue is to its readers. I anticipate its inspiration and its commitment to celebrating fall. There is something about the magic of October that just invigorates a sense of creativity, it seems. It's not just Halloween; it's the changing of the leaves, the crispness of the air, the longer shadows and longer nights. All of these elements lend to a sense of change and reflection, I feel, and maybe therein lies the key to its allure for me. October is one of the best months of the year and Martha Stewart Living always seems to recognize that.

This year's issue is really quite excellent. The cover is gorgeous with its gourd owls perched on an autumn tree. Inside, too, there are pages of inspiration. The disappointment (and frustration) I experienced with the September issue is nowhere in evidence this time around. All the boxes have been ticked: there is plenty of Halloween content; there is lots of interior design content; a buffet of fall recipes to keep you and your family satiated: pasta by hand, hearty fall salads, soups and more. There is even a garden feature about how to use stone in a landscape with beautiful photos of an estate in Vermont. 

I was also very pleased to see the return of downloadable templates. Almost each issue of the magazine used to have templates the reader could download and print to use in craft projects. There would frequently be labels for organizing, checklists and calendars one could download, sometimes even entire booklets on preparing for Thanksgiving or for a holiday party, let's say. In this issue, there is a template to create the bats shown on page 19 of the Good Things section. The cute little sign used on the log candy dispenser on page 24 is also available to download and print. 

The QR codes so many readers had difficulty with in the last issue are still in this issue but they link to content that is truly extraneous. With the September issue my gripe was about the fact that the recipes for all of the cookies in the feature "Bite Club" were not printed in the magazine; the reader had to follow the QR code to obtain them. I felt this alienated quite a few readers. (The link for the cookie recipes happened to be malfunctioning at first, which also didn't help matters.) I feel that if food is shown in the magazine, the recipe should also be printed in its pages. In the October issue, the QR codes take the reader to additional content that merely enhances the content already printed in the magazine, which is how it should be. 

I hope all of you have the issue by now and that you're enjoying it. Happy Haunting!

The September Issue + QR Codes

The September issue of Martha Stewart Living is on newsstands now and it is always a little reminder that the routines of fall are something of a comfort. I'm anxious to organize my closet and put on a sweater again; I'm looking forward to making lunches for work and finding time on Sundays for a flea market or two.

The current issue is quite food heavy. There is a gorgeous shot on the cover by Marcus Nilsson of a roasted chicken with a rousing chant in bold print beside it: "LET'S GET COOKING" - a not-so-subtle indication that the content inside will be mostly culinary in nature.  Inside there is a full feature on cooking chicken 10 ways - a helpful repertoire for serving the most popular meat in America. There is also a feature on cookies that uses examples from Martha's forthcoming book Cookie Perfection (October 15, Clarkson Potter) and an Everyday Food section that is overflowing with ideas for weekday lunches, quick after-work dinners and a yummy dessert.

Sandwiched between all this food are the topics I enjoy most as a reader: a great garden feature about the cacti and succulent garden at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California; a feature about New York artist Kiva Motnyk who makes natural dyes and weaves gorgeous textiles, and a really fun feature on hardware store DIY projects for the home: think pegboard organizers, sawhorse desks, copper piping towel racks and steel shelving.

Best of all is the Good Living section, which encourages us to print some of those smartphone photographs that are perpetually locked on our screens. The editors urge us to display them and frame them in evocative ways at home. There are great insider tips from professional photographers and stylists on how to compose and arrange your photographs to great effect. I've taken note!

Kudos to the magazine, too, for continuing its monthly American Made and Change Maker features: they are two columns I always look forward to reading.

QR CODES: ARE THEY WORTH IT?

For the first time, the magazine has included QR codes throughout its pages, enabling readers to access online content and the company's social media platforms. By hovering your phone (having your camera on helps) over the digital icons that are subtly printed on the pages you are taken immediately to online sources for content not included in the pages of the magazine. This, of course, allows the magazine to print fewer pages, which are costly. For instance, the recipes for the cookies featured in the article "Bite Club" are not printed anywhere in the magazine. The reader must access the QR code to be taken to an online source to retrieve them. As a reader, I'm not entirely on board with this and I'll explain why.

From a business angle, this is smart, of course: Meredith Corp. can save by not having to print the recipes on an extra page or two and the reader is exposed to more advertising through accessing the online platform. From a reader's perspective, it's not great. If you don't have a smartphone you simply cannot access those recipes, unless you find them online after the fact. This alienates a chunk of readers. In my opinion, all of the recipes for all of the foods presented in the magazine should be printed in its pages. It is content we are ostensibly paying for as subscribers and newsstand shoppers so it should be there, in print, ready to be used - now and in the future. It is part of the parcel, part of the product we are buying.

Then there's the potential for technical difficulty. For example, I encountered quite a bit of trouble trying to access the aforementioned cookie recipes by attempting to scan the QR code on the page. I was taken to a Meredith Corporation page that asked me to log in. The image above depicts the login page I was taken to when I hovered my phone over the code. Perhaps it's a glitch with the code? Whatever the case, it was a frustrating experience and I soon gave up. The link has since been fixed, and the reader is taken to marthastewart.com for the recipes, but I would simply like to turn the page and see the recipes for the cookies presented in the pages of the magazine. The QR code should be an alternative, not the only way a reader can get content she is ostensibly paying for by buying the printed magazine.

I suppose my point is that shuttling readers to other sources to get content that ought to be right there in front of us is not especially user friendly. This is not really "additional Living content" we're accessing; it's content that is actually missing from the pages of the magazine we paid for in order to complete the recipes for food showcased on its pages. I hope the editors rethink this approach to perhaps make the process of hovering one's phone over an icon a little more rewarding for the reader, such as providing original or behind-the-scenes content. 

UPDATE:

The editors have since provided a link to the recipes from the Bite Club feature in this issue. It is a PDF of all the recipes, which you can download and print if desired. Click here to get it.

Summertime And the "Living" Is Easy

I've been enjoying the July/August issue of Martha Stewart Living, which has been on newsstands for a couple weeks now. My preference is always for the fall/winter issues of the magazine but I've been gently training myself to linger a little longer on the pages of the summer issues. I've already decided to make the pasta salad recipe featured in the Everyday Food section of the magazine for a big family BBQ in August (I will likely double the recipe) and those gorgeous looking brownies on page 60 of the magazine (Fudgy Turtle Brownies - hello!) will be made for a summer potluck later this month.

What I'm enjoying about the summer issues is the simplicity of the recipes; there is an ease to them that I find appealing and yet the editors are still aiming for complex and layered flavours. Like summer itself, the food presented in the issue is down-to-earth, lending itself to alfresco dining with just that little touch of elegance that keeps it from being paper-plate fare.

Speaking of paper plates, the lean towards a greener life in the magazine is something I've really taken to. I'm enjoying the overt and subtle ways the magazine is steering the content towards a more eco-conscious track: more making, a little less buying; raising awareness through the "Change-Maker" column and always including a garden feature to make the reader stop and think about the earth and its bounty. This magazine is still my favourite.

This will be my last post for awhile. I'll see you when the September issue hits the stands. Happy Summer!

The June Issue: Sheet Cake Surprise

The arrival of the June issue of Martha Stewart Living always imparts a sense of excitement in me. While it is true that the fall/winter issues of the magazine are my favourites, the delivery of the June issue brings with it that childlike anticipation of the longer, warmer days ahead; caution is thrown to the wind and as many hours as possible are spent outdoors enjoying the best of summer.

The best feature in this issue is the cover story: six delicious sheet cakes to get you through a myriad of summer occasions, from family picnics to gatherings at the cottage with friends. The cover photograph is a beautiful tribute to these easy summer treats. Shown here is a strawberry shortcake sheet cake, topped with mounds of whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Inside the issue are five other sheet cakes you'll want to add to your repertoire of summer entertaining recipes: easy as can be and perfect for a crowd. (There is something nostalgic about sheet cakes, too. They make me think of my grandmother and the wide, icing-laden versions she would make when we would visit her at the cottage).

Dennis Landon, a member of the Martha Moments Facebook group, tried his hand at making the cover's confection in the breakroom at his office! In a pinch, he used a standard cake pan instead of a sheet pan and a toaster oven instead of a standard oven, but says the recipe held up perfectly. Since his colleagues were eagerly awaiting their slices, he topped each piece individually with whipped cream and fruit and served it immediately, rather than decorate it as shown on the cover. Dennis says this will now be his "go to" shortcake recipe because of its delicious flavour and its ability to adapt to his whims of improvisation! (I can't wait to try it, myself!)