My visit to The Martha Show & Tour of the Martha Stewart Offices

What a week.  I can hardly believe it myself.  Here's a hint... it was ReMarthable. 

I've been a Martha Stewart fan since I was very young.  We're talking 20 years, at least.  For someone that is 29, that is a fairly substantial chunk of time.  I can vividly remember VHS recording the Martha Stewart Thanksgiving specials (how to roast the perfect turkey, baking the perfect pie, etc...) to watch after volleyball practice when I was in 7th grade.

I've not only been a fan of her style, magazines, and TV series, I've been a fan of Martha as a business woman.  I've studied her path, read all of her books (highly recommended : The Martha Rules) and followed her story.  How did she turn her passion into an empire?  What her influence has done for the entire image of "Domestic Arts?"  How did she manage to run a creative company like a business?  How did she become so darn successful? 

Here I am in our seats before the show started.

The set was meticulous.  I loved looking at all of the staging details.  

I got some great "Fallizing" tips for my house... maybe another "Fallizing" post coming.

This is the Michael's Crafts section.  Martha did a project with her new paint products in the Martha Stewart Crafts line at Michael's.

Photo Credit : “David M. Russell/The Martha Stewart Show on Hallmark Channel”

 
The new line of paint featured a pearlized paint and a crackle paint that I'm very excited to try.  As a gift for attending the show, we got some of the paints along with a spray gun that attaches to the craft paint bottles.  That's right... it turns it into spray paint.  You all know what a huge fan of spray paint I am.  I can't wait to try it!

Photo Credit : “David M. Russell/The Martha Stewart Show on Hallmark Channel”

 Martha did a cooking segment with Food Editor, Sarah Carey.  I really like Sarah - she seems very down to earth and her recipes are so approachable.

Photo Credit : “David M. Russell/The Martha Stewart Show on Hallmark Channel”

They made this delicious looking chicken soup...

Photo Credit : “David M. Russell/The Martha Stewart Show on Hallmark Channel”

...and this Apple Cake.  I think I'll have to make this cake in the next couple of weeks.  I recently had an apple cinnamon scone that really hooked me on apple baked goods.

More house inspiration from the set.  I really like that table with the scalloped trim.

Some of the stylists getting everything ready for the shot.

Every part of the set was perfectly styled - even the Twitter-er's desk.  Notice the LePens - my favorite!

Mike was most impressed by all of the lighting... the entire ceiling was just packed with lighting equipment.

I loved watching her during the commercial breaks.  She would continue working on the project they had been doing in the segment until it was finished.  You could tell that she still loved being hands on and creating something, even after all of these years.  For instance, in the segment that they had prepared an apple cake, during the commercial break after the segment was over, she would stay on the set and finish scraping out the bowl, getting all of the batter into the cake pan, then she precisely smoothed it out with an offset spatula.  It made it seem as though it wasn't really about just putting on a show, it was about her getting to create something and doing it well.  She still enjoys it.  

She was very gracious to the audience, taking questions even after the show had finished taping.  I was so impressed with the thought that she put forth to give helpful answers.

After the show, I met with a member of the PR team for a tour of the Martha Stewart offices.  Yes.  It is true.  I got to see where all of the magic happens.   

The space was bright, clean and simple - truly a clean and open space for creativity and productivity. 

I got the chance to chat with Everyday Food Editor, Anna Last, in the test kitchen.  We talked about different challenges we face as food writers.

The test kitchen was so neat and organized.  It was set up like a professional kitchen.

Well, that concludes my first "Martha" day in New York.  The next day was another exciting one - a party at Darcy Miller's (the Martha Stewart Weddings Editor) home with all of the "who's who" of the wedding industry in attendance (Peter Callahan, Sylvia Weinstock, Preston Bailey, etc.)... including little ole' me.  Stay tuned for the post!