It's Time to Celebrate!

There's a lot to celebrate during the month of October. House Blend will officially celebrate it's 'blogaversary,' the newest book, "Martha Stewart's Cooking School" will be released on October 21st, Macy's will be celebrating its 150th birthday, and of course there's Halloween!

What better way to celebrate than to give readers of House Blend the opportunity to win a wonderful prize package. Here's what you have to do:

Since this blog is about 'grabbing a cup and talk about Living' I want to know what "Living" means to you. Martha has often said that what the company does is help people enhance their day to day living. So what is Living to you?

Write a short essay (and here's the catch just to make it interesting) in 150 words or less describing what Living means to you. Submit your essay to:

HouseBlend@comcast.net

No later than Sunday, October 13, 2008. All essays received will be forwarded to our distinguished judge (and friend of House Blend) Dr. Brent Ridge, who will review all the entries and select the winner. The winner will be announced here on House Blend, the evening of October 20, 2008.

The winner will receive a wonderful Living inspired gift basket:

• A selection of kitchen tools from the Martha Stewart Collection at Macy's
• An assortment of favorite craft items from Martha Stewart Crafts
• 2 bars of Beekman 1802 Goat Milk soap

Submit your essay and help us celebrate Living!
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This contest is NOT sponsored by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia or any affiliates of MSLO, Macy's Inc, Martha Stewart Crafts, or Beekman 1802.com. This contest is sponsored soley by the author of this blog who wants to give back to those that have given so much of their support and kindness to visit and enjoy this space.

Martha Stewart Halloween and Christmas Crafts Featured on QVC

UPDATE!: This news just available from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia:

For the first time, Hannah Milman, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia’s Executive Editorial Director of Crafts, is scheduled to appear on QVC to demonstrate new Halloween and Christmas products from Martha Stewart Crafts. Viewers will be able to purchase custom-kitted products, which were created especially for QVC, during the one-hour broadcast. Custom-kitted products include a Cutting Tool Kit, Halloween Punch Kit, Christmas Ribbon Storage Kit, Food Packaging, and Glitter Stamp Craft Kit.

What are you doing Friday, September 26th? If you're a QVC shopper, it could be your lucky day to purchase craft products during the Martha Stewart Crafts hour.

During Martha Stewart Crafts, learn how to use Martha’s signature tools, glitter, embellishments, adhesives, paper, and holiday decorations to complete many different projects from paper crafting to seasonal decor.

During this hour, special craft merchandise 'kits' will be made available for the first time at special QVC prices.

Martha Stewart Crafts on QVC: Friday, September 26th, 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. (eastern) 6-7 a.m. PST.

Martha Stewart Craft items will be available through QVC at 1-800-345-1515 or through QVC.com

Welcome Autumn

Monday, September 22 marks the first day of Autumn.

We officially say, 'goodbye' to summer as the days become even shorter and the temperatures begin to drop.

The autumnal equinox (which happens at 11:44 a.m. EDT) is the point where the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, from north to south. It is told that on the day of the equinox, the sun rises exactly in the east and sets directly in the west.

While the word 'equinox' means equal night, it's not necessarily true on the exact date of the autumnal equinox. The precise day when the sun rises and sets at the exact same time varies across the country. Here in Michigan, September 25 marks the day when the sun will rise at 7:23 a.m. and will set at 7:23 p.m. providing exactly twelve hours of daylight.

Why Leaves Change Color in Autumn

Tree and plant leaves contain pigments that give them their color. Three pigments are involved in fall color:

Chlorophyll — gives leaves their green color.

Carotenoids — provide the yellow, orange, and brown colors

Anthocyanins — give the red and purple colors. In contrast to the other two pigments, anthocyanins are produced in the autumn, in response to bright light and excess plant sugars in the leaf cells.

During the growing season, most tree leaves are green because they are full of chlorophyll. Plants use chlorophyll to capture sunlight for photosynthesis, the process that enables them to manufacture their own food. The amount of chlorophyll is so high during the summer that the green color masks all other pigments present in the leaf. As the days grow shorter in the fall, chlorophyll production slows down and eventually stops. The carotenoids and anthocyanins that are present in the leaf then become visible.

Amaze your friends with this bit of information!

House Blend Celebrates!

House Blend is celebrating an exciting milestone: a consistent visitor count of over 1000 hits per week!

From very humble beginnings, House Blend has grown to be a favored destination of many to find information of interest on all things Martha, the Martha Stewart brand, and other resources for good Living.

Inspired by several different blogs (which are linked in the sidebar), House Blend was designed and created not to ‘compete’ with other blogs; but rather to serve in a similar way as an information source.

I’m very grateful that so many of you have made this blog a regular part of your Internet travels and have returned time and time again to enjoy this space. I thank you.

Martha and Emeril Cooking Up a Grand Opening of Two New Macy's Stores!

Just days before it celebrates its 150th birthday, Macy's is opening two new stores in New Orleans with one giant party. Honorary co-chairs Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse will join Macy's, Inc. Chairman, President & CEO, Terry Lundgren to welcome an array of local and national celebrities to Macy's Cocktail Gala benefiting The NOCCA Institute. The evening's star-studded festivities will be held at Macy's new three-level store at Lakeside Shopping Center, and feature a first-time-in-New Orleans cooking demonstration by Martha Stewart & Emeril Lagasse, plus a high-energy celebrity fashion show.

CATCH THE STARS/STAR-GAZING PERMITTED

Look for Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse, Tommy Hilfiger, Russell Simmons, Clinton Kelly, Steve Madden, Chef Tyler Florence, Chef Cat Cora, Chef Dave Lieberman, Gavin DeGraw, Irma Thomas, Nestor Torres and Sunny Leigh on the red carpet as Macy's all-star celebrity line-up arrives for the evening's events.

6PM - Celebrity and VIP guests walk the red carpet.

6:30PM - Private Megastar VIP Reception begins.

7PM - The in-store gala gets under way at Macy's Lakeside Shopping Center. Guests will experience wonderful culinary delights, cocktails, and entertainment on all three levels of the store. Meet some of your favorite celebrity friends and designers in their department as our buzz-worthy television commercial takes a real-life twist.

8PM - Guests enter a tented venue and, for the first time in New Orleans, Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse will cook together - including a recipe from Martha's newest book, Martha Stewart's Cooking School!

Stay seated for an exciting fashion show featuring a dynamic combination of fashion and dance with stunning models, edgy street dancers, local celebrities and pillars of the New Orleans community strutting the runway.

Private VIP Megastar Reception tickets are $500 and Superstar Cocktail Gala tickets are $150. For tickets or more information, please call 504.940.2900 or visit http://www.nocca.com/. All guests will receive a complimentary gift bag designed by a local NOCCA student. Note: For press credentials to the event, please contact Vanessa Mayfield at 504.210.1304.

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Photo courtesy of the Martha Blog

October Everyday Food

It's that time of year again... time for comfort food!

The October issue of Everyday Food will be hitting the newsstand in the next couple of weeks (and it's already in some mailboxes!) with a wonderful array of recipes that will warm you as the weather begins to turn cooler.

The cover shot is an incredible spinach and prosciutto lasagna. The best part, it only takes 10 minutes of prep! (page 87) Inside, you'll find the best lasagna and mac & cheese recipes; quick prep slow cooker surprises your entire family will love; dark chocolate treats and Chinese take out favorites without the guilt.

Make sure you pick up this issue. You're sure to find recipes that will have your family asking you to make it again and again!

Martha's Cooking School Sweepstakes

To celebrate Martha's new book, "Martha Stewart's Cooking School" (due for release on October 21st) the Martha Show is holding a contest! Log into marthastewart.com/cooking school and enter to win fabulous prizes! There will be five grand prize winners of an incredible prize package:

• A trip to New York City to see the Martha Stewart Show on the first day of the new cooking school series on the show
• $250. gift card from Macy's
• A complete set of cookware and cooks tools from the Martha Stewart Collection at Macy's
• Martha's newest book, "Martha Stewart's Cooking School."

After you enter, you have the opportunity to 'spin the Martha wheel' to instantly win a great cooks tool prize. Enter often and good luck!

Martha Stewart Living - October Issue

Halloween is right around the corner and you'll have a frightfully good time at Halloween with inspiration from the October 2008 issue of Martha Stewart Living!

Here's a peek at what's inside:

Frightful Endings
Conjure a brood of seriously sinister sweets, including creepy cakes and ghoulish cookies, sure to delight even the most jaded tricksters (p. 152).

Night Visions
For a memorable All Hallows’ Eve, cast a magical spell with eerie, glowing party décor, such as a bewitching display of hors d’oeuvres (p. 166).

An October Feast
Celebrate the flavors of fall with a simple update to the classic German Oktoberfest, including sausages with apples, sauerkraut, and onion (p.84).

The October issue will be on newsstands September 22nd!

Also, don't forget... the experts at Martha Stewart Living are on hand to help with the first ever Halloween Workshop. Follow the link on the sidebar of this blog for great workshop projects.

Are you inspired by the covers of Martha Stewart Living? Scroll down this page and view all of the October issues through the years! It's a fun look back in time at Living!