Martha Stewart to Accept Lifetime Achievement Award

Advertising Age magazine has announced that Martha Stewart will accept the Media Vanguard Lifetime Achievement Award, on November 30 at the Ad Age ME conference. 

According to Ad Age, when the MVA judges and editorial staff from their publication discussed who would be the recipient of the award, it was hands down unanimous:  Martha Stewart. 

Throughout her career, even in the early years, Martha understood and mastered multimedia.  From her first book, "Entertaining" to her PBS video series and regular appearances on the Today Show, Martha took advantage of multimedia to become one of the most familiar American icons to date. 

In 1997, Martha took her company public, with a full out "Omnimedia" approach to the ever growing library of how-to content.  Books, television, merchandise, Internet, and digital all have their place with a single project.  The approach is recognized as one of the most brilliant business platforms.

The Lifetime Achievement honor comes just as Martha Stewart Living magazine starts a year long 20th anniversary celebration. 

Congratulations, Martha!

Less is Merrier - 2010 Decorating

For years, Christmas was EVERYWHERE in our home, beginning the day after Thanksgiving (sometimes even a bit before..) This year I decided that it would be a bit different. Less is more, and less is merrier.   Here is a quick look at some of the holiday decorations for this year: 

Every year, one of the first ornaments I put on our tree, is an ornament given to me by David's Mother.  Prior to her illness and eventual passing, we would share the joy of the Christmas season.  Hanging this ornament on our tree each and every year, always reminds me of her unselfish love.  How I miss her...

Our tree is pretty much red/white/silver (I know, Mike... SO last year..).  A mix of vintage ornaments, and newer ornaments cover the tree.  With my love of all things retro, I found some plastic icicles from the late 50's that just hook over the tree branches.  I spruced them up a bit with a fresh coat of fine white glitter.  I love them! I remember my Mom and Dad having those same icicles years and years (and years) ago.

Another treasure that was found this year.. glittered pine cones.  These pine cones were 'decorated' (and a couple painted teal green) by David's Mom, years ago.  David found them recently while cleaning out a  few things.  These have to be at least 20-30 years old.  I placed them in a beautiful metal basket I bought during our trip to Sharon Springs last spring. 

Making it merry, but keeping it simple.  Since the color scheme is red/white/silver, I decided to take this antique red/white pitcher, place it on a white square plate, fill the plate with faux cranberries and VOILA! Festive, but subtle.  As we get closer to Christmas, I'll fill the pitcher with fresh evergreen boughs.

I have these large canisters in my kitchen and one always seems to stand empty.  I filled it with blue/green ornaments. 

We inherited Davids Grandmothers Hoosier cabinet a few years ago.  Here, white cake stands, red/white holiday plates, and a large white casserole are displayed.  I'll be cutting pine boughs for decoration in the casserole.  It makes a wonderful display piece!

Shades of blue ornaments fill apothecary jars on our mantel shelf in the kitchen eating area. 

In honor of Martha's 20th anniversary, I pulled out the Jadeite cake stands to create a nice centerpiece for the kitchen table.  The snowmen were purchased at Kmart several years ago (Martha Stewart Everyday) The tablecloth is a vintage (50's) table cloth with a beautiful retro print. 

Except for adding some fresh greens (likely next weekend) the house is ready for the holidays.  Now, I need to start working on the over sized decorated sugar cookies!

A Brief Delay

My usual routine of having the house converted to a Christmas wonderland in a day has been slightly delayed.. (so much for tradition, eh?)  I'll be posting photos soon!

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I'll be back on Friday with holiday decorating 2010!
xoxox

Beatles Music Library On iTunes?

Rumors are swirling after Apple made the less than subtle announcement that the company had something to share at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. 

The Wall Street Journal and other news services are reporting that after years of negotiating, Apple and EMI Records have come to an agreement to sell a library full of Beatles music through iTunes.  The one gap in the Apple extensive music catalog has been the missing Beatles library. 

Apple currently sells more music than any of the large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Amazon. In the last several years, CD sales have declined as digital music services have become more popular.

Apple is scheduled to make an announcement at 3pm, Tuesday, November 16th. 

Martha Stewart Living Radio Thanksgiving Cookbook

 Once again this year, Martha Stewart Living Radio will make Thanksgiving a breeze with their Thanksgiving Hotline, on November 22, 23, and 24th. 

Join Martha and huge lineup of your favorite chefs as they provide helpful hints and tips, delicious recipes, and emergency rescue advice for the Thanksgiving host/ess. 

Also available on the Sirius/XM website is the 2010 Martha Stewart Living Radio Thanksgiving Hotline Cookbook.  This cookbook is available to download and best of all, it's FREE!  VISIT the Sirius/XM - Martha Stewart website to download your cookbook today - and listen the week of Thanksgiving (Sirius 112 / XM 157) for all the help you could ever need.

Martha Stewart Living Goes Digital for the iPad

Twenty years after Martha Stewart launched her groundbreaking magazine, she's set to shake things up again with a special premiere digital issue of Martha Stewart Living. 

Log into iTunes and you can download an entire issue of brand-new content you won't find in print anywhere else.  Created and designed especially for the iPad with astonishing animation and interactivity, this special edition has all the original, inspiring, authoritative information, recipes, and how-tos that you've come to love from Martha.  It's a whole new way to experience Living.

The special issue, entitled "Boundless Beauty" features: 

More than 23 recipes for delicious dinners and desserts
20 slide shows with step-by-step instructions
5 behind the scenes videos
4 panoramas

Download this special issue and you can:

Scroll through a slide show of Martha's early years:  her modeling portfolio and her first home, cooking, and gardening projects.  Plus, listen to an interview with a fellow creative guru. 

Take a panoramic 180-degree tour of Martha's peony garden and watch a video of how she makes her spectacular arrangements. 

Find out what happens when two decorating editors go head-to-head, then vote for your favorite room and get live voting results.

Experience the untouched Alaskan landscape with its glaciers, mountains, and rugged shoreline;  ride along with a salmon fisherman on the pristine Copper River; and learn new recipes to make wild Pacific salmon at home. 

Get inspired for your next celebration with - bubbles!  Fizzy drinks and floating decorations plus sweet and savory treats add up to an effervescent atmosphere.

Go glam:  Get a holiday makeover with festive product picks.  Toggle between before and after shots to see the stunning transformations.

Be jeweled!  Learn how to make fantastic plastic jewelry using not much more than polymer clay, your oven, and a few basic molds. 

Boundless Beauty is a special issue that is not included in a regular subscription to Martha Stewart Living magazine.  This issue is available for $3.99 and is available HERE.  Be warned!  Boundless Beauty is not a quick download. 

Macy's To Unveil Holiday Windows on November 18

It's a holiday tradition as the Christmas windows are unveiled to kick-off the holiday season!

Macy's Herald Square unveils its Christmas windows at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18 with the classic holiday story of Virginia O'Hanlon, a little girl who chose to believe in Santa Claus. And, this season is sure to be more animated and theatrical than ever, as Macy's brings the magic of the Broadway stage to the world famous Broadway windows in its first-ever collaboration with PRG Scenic Technologies in bringing the animated television holiday special "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus," to life.
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Photo courtesy of Macy's, Inc.

"Believe" is Back This Holiday Season

Building on the strength of its beloved ‘Believe’ campaign, Macy’s  announced exciting elements of its third-annual national holiday effort to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation®. Adding to the campaign’s unprecedented success collecting more than 2.5 million letters in the first two years, Macy’s will again ask customers to mail their letter to Santa at Macy’s to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Additional efforts include launching another National Santa Tour to 26 new cities and celebrating the second annual National Believe Day on Friday, December 10. The campaign kicks off on Sunday, November 7, with a new animated television spot that will nod to the “Yes, Virginia” animated holiday special produced by Macy’s last year. “Yes, Virginia” will air again this year on December 17, on CBS.

The nostalgic holiday campaign, inspired by the New York Sun’s famous “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” editorial from 1897, features letter-writing “Believe Stations” in Macy’s stores across the country with Macy’s making a $1 donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for each letter deposited in Macy’s Santa Mail, up to $1 million.

“Macy’s ‘Believe’ effort continues to inspire people across the country to celebrate the season’s spirit of generosity and goodwill,” said Peter Sachse, Macy’s chief marketing officer. “Last year, we collected more than one million letters and hit our $1 million goal for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, but more important, we saw an outpouring of support by schools and communities coordinating letter drives to help support this effort or to come out to meet Macy’s famous Santa on his whirlwind bus tour. This year, we’re building on these new traditions, and we have some special new elements in store to celebrate National Believe Day.”

Beginning on November 7, believers of all ages are invited to drop off letters – stamped and addressed to Santa At The North Pole – at any Macy’s store in the Santa Mail letterbox. For each letter received, Macy’s will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, up to $1 million, to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

“The Make-A-Wish Foundation is proud to join with Macy’s to make wishes come true through the ‘Believe’ campaign,” said David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer. “It inspires people to embrace the generosity of the season and think hopefully about the future. ‘Believe’ ties in perfectly with our mission to grant the heartfelt wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions, and we appreciate the support of Macy’s and everyone who takes part in the campaign.”

‘Believe’ elements this year, include:

Macy’s National Santa Tour (Kicks off Nov. 27) – For the second year in a row, Santa will embark on a whirlwind American tour, spreading joy to girls and boys across the country following his celebratory kickoff of the holiday season in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®. Stopping in 26 cities across the U.S. through December 22, Santa’s National Tour will give children the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the man himself. Visit www.macys.com/believe (site goes live November 7) for scheduled stops and to track Santa’s latest location.

National Believe Day (Dec. 10) – On Friday, December 10, Macy’s will again celebrate National Believe Day to celebrate the spirit of the season and to inspire kindness and generosity from coast to coast. The special day will again focus on the season’s message of humanity and charity toward others.

As National Believe Day approaches, more details will be released on this year’s effort.

“Yes, Virginia” Animated Special (Dec. 17)

Back by popular demand, CBS will re-air the original animated special, “Yes, Virginia.” Building on the story of 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon’s letter to the editor of the New York Sun in 1897, the holiday special takes us on a charming adventure about the existence of Santa Claus and the curiosity amongst believers. During the creation of “Yes, Virginia,” a special wish was fulfilled for then 11-year-old wish kid Taylor Hay – whose voice and likeness were captured for one of the characters. The half-hour holiday program will air on CBS on Friday, December 17, at 8 p.m. ET. Featuring an all-star cast of voices including Neil Patrick Harris, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Alfred Molina and Beatrice Miller in the title role, “Yes, Virginia” was created and produced by Macy's and JWT in conjunction with The Ebeling Group and MEC Entertainment, a division of Mediaedge:cia.

“Yes, Virginia” Merchandise

First a popular animated special on CBS, now “Yes, Virginia” is available as a DVD and book that families can share throughout the holiday season and entire year! Plus, each sale of the “Yes, Virginia” book and DVD at Macy’s helps spread kindness with a donation of 10 percent of the purchase price to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. “Yes, Virginia” fans can also purchase holiday ornaments and a snow globe exclusively at Macy’s and Macys.com, all inspired by the original story that continues to make a believer of everyone!

Virginia Balloon

Making her debut in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year is a little girl who taught everybody to believe! Modeled after the animated version of 8-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon, Virginia is ready to kick off the holidays for her inaugural flight. And although, she "saw it in the Sun, so it must be so," Virginia will have a special treat when she escorts Santa Claus himself down the Parade route.

macys.com/believe (Site is live on Nov. 7)

• ‘Believe’ Activity Guide – Based on continued response from schools and teachers, Macy’s and the Make-A-Wish Foundation will again share a downloadable online toolkit to facilitate interest from teachers and schools that would like to use ‘Believe’ as a writing lesson or activity during the holiday season. The toolkit – which includes an updated letter-writing template to allow for more interactivity and design, coloring sheet and “I Believe” bookmark cut-out – can be found on macys.com/believe, then can be printed and mailed at Macy’s.

• Santa Tour Tracker – Macy’s ‘Believe’ microsite will also feature a map with Santa’s whirlwind tour schedule. All Santa stop details will be listed here for believers of all ages wanting to meet the man himself.

• Celebrities Believe – New on macys.com/believe is a “Celebrities Believe” page, showcasing all the celebrities that believe in the magic of the holiday season, on tour and at home, and still write their own letters to Santa! New celebrity letters will be posted periodically throughout the season.

Facebook: The ‘Believe’ Challenge (Site is live on Nov. 17)

Calling all Facebook users: help Virginia and Ollie get their letters to Santa! New to this year’s campaign, members of Facebook can “Like” Macy’s for a chance to play The ‘Believe’ Challenge. Inspired by 80s computer game Frogger®, the goal is to get your letter delivered in a certain amount of time, without getting hit by a flying snowball! Successfully deliver the letter and Macy’s will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, up to $250,000, above the in-store donation. Members can help raise additional funds by posting their win on their personal page or inviting others to play!

The ‘Believe’ campaign is rooted in a letter to the editor written by 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon in 1897 asking if there is a Santa Claus. The New York Sun newsman Francis P. Church responded with a poignantly worded essay on the importance of believing, including the famous line “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist…”

The ‘Believe’ campaign launches on November 7 and runs through December 24. For believers who want to help make a difference, just look for the Believe Stations in every store that feature a Believe Meter, letter-writing station and an official R.H. Macy’s Santa Mail letterbox.

The Home Depot Offers Christmas Light Recycling

Once again this year, The Home Depot is offering customers an opportunity to recycle their old working or non-working Christmas lights and receive $3.00 off any energy efficient LED light sets in the store, including Martha Stewart Living lights, new to the Home Depot this year. 

From November 4 - November 14, customers can take in any working or non-working lights to their local Home Depot to receive their $3.00 discount.  There is a limit of 5 recycle strands per customer. 

Recycle and save this holiday season with energy efficient LED lights. 

First Digital "Living" to be Released Thursday, November 11

The first digital issue of Martha Stewart Living, titled "Boundless Beauty" is to be released on Thursday, November 11.  No pricing specifics are yet available.

"Boundless Beauty," made specifically for the iPad, is being released as the company begins the Martha Stewart Living 20th Anniversary Celebration. The very first issue of Martha Stewart Living hit the newsstands 20 years ago this month.

Inside Martha Stewart Living, Boundless Beauty, readers will find articles on:  Sparkling Celebrations; DIY Jewelry; Arranging Flowers; Entertaining with Martha; The Prettiest Good Things From the Last 20 Years; and The Making of Martha:  A Photo Gallery. 

Watch the Martha Stewart website this coming week for more details.

Martha Stewart Young Turkeys

It's time to think about and talk turkey.  Once again this year, Martha Stewart is offering all natural young turkeys in cooperation with Plainville Farms - one of the countries leading natural turkey growers.

Each whole turkey is juicy, tender, and delicious, humanely raised, and vegetarian fed. Martha Stewart Young Turkey is free of antibiotics and growth hormones, making it a healthy choice for your family.

These delicious, natural turkeys do come at a premium price, from $59.99 for a 12 pound bird to $79.99 for an 18 pound turkey.  Turkeys are shipped via UPS.  Additional shipping charges apply.

View more details about Martha Stewart all natural young turkeys here.

Martha Stewart Cookie App for iPad Now Available!

The Martha Stewart Makes Cookies app for the iPad is now available! I downloaded the app first thing this morning and it is an incredible cooking app!

The splash page is enticing and beautifully created.

Welcome to the cookie 'runway.'  Simply scroll through the runway to select one of your favorites or select a new cookie to bake.

Once you select your cookie, you'll come to the cover page for that particular cookie.  Simply touch on the recipe link to find the recipe. 

As you read through the recipe, you can set a timer, if it's required.  For instance, if the dough needs to chill for 30 minutes, you can set the timer at that point in the recipe and walk away.  The timer will sound when the required time has expired. 

Spin the cookie wheel!  Looking for a particular type of cookie? You can use the wheel to select cookies by your own criteria. 

Also included in the app is a great shopping list feature that will automatically create a shopping list from the selected recipe(s).  You can email the shopping list to your smart phone or to your email address.  Many of the recipes include a how-to video or packaging hints and tips.  You can even email yourself templates for specific labels and cookie packaging options!

This app is creative, it's helpful, and it is sure to become a valuable baking resource for years to come!  Best of all, there are no cookbooks to store, and worry about keeping clean!

The Martha Stewart Makes Cookies app for iPad is slated for an additional upgrade in January 2011.  The app costs $7.99 and is well worth it!

You can download the app here.