Are we there yet?

We are road trip people, even now, with the price of Gas soaring.
I can't explain it. My husband used to fly constantly for work, and grew not to mind it as much. Me, however, I can't stand it. It's not a fear thing as much as a boredom/cooped up thing.
Our daughter is exactly the same way...
She loves the windows, the stops, to odd touristy things and the extra special pit-stops where we feel like we've stumbled upon some wonderful secret which no one else knows exists.

The Martha Stewart website has a basic recipe for this. It's a travel kit for your kids.
Honestly, I can't remember where we first got the idea, all I know is it is a miracle worker! We started a kit when our daughter was 4, and over the years it's changed quite dramatically. We've gone from Color Wonder to a diary and pen. Her container changes, as she ages, and the kit itself has not only become a boredom pleaser, but a cherished childhood treasure...

As we near July 4th, and families across the country hit the road, this would be a great time to pull out a container with markers, stickers and other supplies and give their imagination a ticket to come along on the family's journey!

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.

Cute Up Your Office

Yes, I'll admit it...I'm one of those people: I like everything around me to look cute. Whether it be the handwriting on a card or my grocery list, I want it to be pinch-those-cheeks adorable. So a couple of weeks ago on The Martha Stewart Show when they made little notebooks out of scrap paper from their offices I thought , "Perfect! Now even the scribble-y notes to myself can be cutsy!"

Here's a quick Pictorial on how I made my "Scrap Book."
(Scroll over the photos for quick instructions or View full video instructions here: "My Commitment.Org")


Supplies (for two books):
25 sheets of scrap paper with one side blank (I got mine from the scrap paper pile at work, too)
Paper cutter (or very steady hands to cut with scissors)
Card Stock (2 sheets)
2 Large Paper Clips
Ruler
Stapler (that can staple through 30 sheets or more of paper)
Double Stick Tape
Pretty Scrapbook paper
Bone Scorer

This isn't quite as easy as they make it look on TV...but it's worth it.

Here's one hint that I wished I'd had on this first book: when they cut the scrapbooking paper for the cover, they talk about cutting it a little shorter than the 8 1/2 inches (down from the 12x12 sheet)...but really you need to cut it a little longer. That way you'll have some overlapping at the end that you can trim to match the page size perfectly.

I actually plan on making several more of these - we have so much scrap paper at work that just keeps piling up near my desk. This first one will be my flea market wish list, and I can write down everything I want to look for when I go this Sunday.

Also, this past weekend, I picked up Good Things for Kids: Crafts, and they had more very cute things to make for my office.

Cereal Box Organizer...
Supplies:
Old cereal box
Scissors
Wrapping Paper

...and Matching Pencils!
(the original project called for painting the pencil, but I was out of paint so I improvised.)
Supplies:
Pencils
Tape
Glue
Wrapping Paper

What are some of your favorite office crafts from Martha?