Stop Hurting Me, Martha!

Dear Martha,

I started young. Right out of college, I found Martha Stewart Living in a grocery store and sensed I'd hit upon something good. In fact, before I knew it, I was a charter subscriber who was hooked--reading every page and soaking it all in.

I loved finding out how to build my own classical music library, and I happily memorized names of the various styles of sofas. I knew next to nothing about gardening, but suddenly I was learning about peony varieties and heirloom tomatoes. I'd never seen dish soap decanted into lovely glass bottles, but once I had my first kitchen, I wouldn't have dreamed of leaving my liquid in its original plastic housing. I loved this new world of homekeeping I'd discovered just by happening upon a magazine. Things were going well.

But then you went and made more great magazines--ones that hooked me as much as MSL, but that ended up doing the unthinkable: they went away. I'm speaking, of course, of the beloved Kids and the hip and modern Blueprint. Both of these publications gave me what I felt was missing in the otherwise-comprehensive MSL: a younger, edgier vibe. This appealed to me as a new parent and owner of an accumulating array of household kitsch and quirk that would certainly never make the pages of the more-sedate MSL.

I enjoyed these sister publications more than I care to say, and I simply can't fathom what would make them leave the scene. Surely everyone could see how wonderful they were! I admit it--I've not taken their demise well, but I know I'm not alone. I, and many other readers out there, don't really understand why they didn't make it for the long haul. Please tell me that Everyday Food and Body & Soul won't go the same route--I'm pretty sure I couldn't stand the pain.

Yours,
Disappointed but Loyal

P.S. At least Bluelines is sticking around--I can console myself with that. And the Good Things for Kids series is a very good thing indeed.

Blueprint to Cease Stand-Alone Publication

Blueprint magazine announced yesterday that the January/February issue would be its last.

From the press release issued yesterday:

"Going forward, the company will produce Blueprint as focused special interest issues within the home category, which it will introduce to brides-to-be through its established Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. Bluelines, the Blueprint blog, will continue and the company anticipates growing Blueprint digital content across its websites. Blueprint magazine will discontinue publishing on a stand-alone basis after the January/February 2008 issue. "

I'm sad to see Blueprint go as a stand-alone publication. It had such fun decorating ideas, and great resources (many of them accessible via the Internet) in every issue. However, this is good news for brides-to-be, since it means they're revamping their wedding focus, and including destination wedding special issues, as well as expanding their wedding website.

Newsstand Alert: November/December Blueprint!

The November/December issue of Blueprint is on the newsstands now, and there are some great ideas in it for punching up your personal style.

I love the Jewelry Box feature on new ways to use costume jewelry (see picture, right). I have several rhinestone pieces that belonged to either my mother, or my mother-in-law. They’re fun, but a little dated- looking if I wear them for their intended use. However, using the earrings as an accent along the collar of a silky blouse, or pinning a brooch to a strip of velvet ribbon and wearing it as a bracelet would update their look instantly. What great ideas! Although perfect for a holiday gathering, these pieces could be worn any time of the year--for a birthday dinner out, or even just for a fun evening with the girls.

And speaking of ribbon, a wide strip of silky ribbon tied in a big jaunty bow around the foot, with a ballet flat (or simple pump) worn over it looks so fun! I think it would be great to have pieces of ribbon in both a contrasting color, and in a color similar to the shoe. That way, you get two looks from one shoe! An expression of style that also stretches the wardrobe budget—can’t beat that!

To help those on your holiday gift list express their personal style, Blueprint has some super how-to ideas for giving—cufflinks, earrings, business card cases. Go to blueprintmag.com for instructions. There are also lots more great holiday ideas, decorating suggestions, and some fabulous (and easy!) ways to dress up even basic holiday sugar cookies. Check it out!

Picture from Martha Stewart

Blueprint Magazine: Making Your Workspace More User-Friendly!

The September/October of Blueprint has some great suggestions for personalizing your workspace. Many of us spend so much time at the office or in a home office, why not make it an extension of our personalities?

Here are some of their ideas:

* Inject your workspace with a favorite color, using just a few subtle instances of it, so it doesn’t become overwhelming. File folder labels, for instance, or paper cups out of which to drink water.

* Add small personal touches. Find meaningful items that speak to you, and display them. They may be something as simple as a shell or rock that reminds you of a special day at the beach, or in the mountains. Or perhaps a small toy that was one of your child’s favorites that they’ve now outgrown.

* Find your best way to work, then tailor your workstation to it. Do you work best with no distractions? Clear everything superfluous from your desktop. Do you prefer to have everything in view? Try see-through folders and envelopes to store things. Are you very visually oriented? Perhaps organizing things by color would help you find things more easily.

As Blueprint home editor Page Marchese Norman says, “Just because we need office supplies doesn’t mean the office-supply store is the only place to buy them.” Look around your home and see what you have that could live a secret life in your office or cubicle.

Included in the article is a link to a free fun calendar to print out. It can be printed as a dodecahedron, or as a rhombic dodecahedron. Find it at http://www.ii.uib.no/~arntzen/kalender/.

For photos of additional Blueprint work spaces, go to blueprintmag.com.

Blueprint has a Blog?!

Did you know that Martha's magazine, Blueprint, has its very own blog? No? Me either.

Peppered with posts from the magazine's staff, it covers a wide variety of topics, including great scientific art, party ideas (Versailles anyone?), and even local foodie finds.

My favorite part? That it's all sorted by category, using the handy black and white boxes on the left sidebar. That makes it easy to jump to the parts I like, and skip the ones I don't. Happy browsing!