As crazy as she is (and we all know she's a total loon bird) Martha Stewart has built an empire based on grace, impeccable style, and (usually) good etiquette. I'm proud to say I've learned many things from flipping through the pages of her magazine, like how to bark orders at cleaning ladies…oops…I mean, how to look for depression glass, when to stencil and when not to, how to properly fold a sheet (well, I actually have a brain, so figured that one out on my own). Sitting behind my desk are copies of my favorite editions of her magazines, including one featuring a house we lived in long before I knew I'd move to the east coast (I won't bore you with that story again). Clearly Martha has had an incredibly talented team of designers, photographers, writers, gardeners, cooks and producers at her side from the very beginning (my Joe was one of them) and while most of us will never attempt her ideas, they sure are fun to look at…and some, believe it or not, aren't that complicated. Pardon me while I gloat, but a recent visit to Martha's website found me giggling at two of her holiday decorating tips…both I've been doing for years (and, no, they didn't involve consuming candy cane martinis)! Fifteen years ago at my parents home in Atherton, California I wandered around their yard collecting leaves before Thanksgiving dinner (maple trees in the front yard had littered the driveway with remarkable fall colors). I ran inside and sandwiched each leaf between a charger and glass plate for, dare I say, a stunning pop of color at the dinner table (something Martha has suggested this week on her blog). While I'm the furthest thing from a gardener or florist, I love creating dry autumnal arrangements with found objects in our yard..twigs, berries (as long as they aren't poisonous or squirrel poop), pine cones, etc. and I love using gourds as vases. And guess what Ms. Martha suggests you do to jazz up your dining room table? Well, aside from having twenty young Peruvian men chisel it with their teeth, she also suggests adorning it with natural items found in your backyard (if you live in an apartment in a big city, I'd hate to see what you come up with). The point is, and yes I have one..you don't have to be a millionaire to decorate like one!
