Soak me in Autumn; Steep me in Fall



Martha Stewart’s “Halloween” issue and her “Living” issue entitled “The Magic of Fall” are on the newsstands now. I admit to not taking to Martha as a role model or even a personality (does she have one?), but as a mogul who wants to sell the seasons, she’s without peer.

On my day off, I purchased both magazines and popped in the movie “Ten Little Indians,” pulled back the curtains, and made some hot apple cider. For a few hours, I was soaked in Autumn; steeped in Fall.

The Halloween issue had the most genius costumes (her staff is awesome!) There were nature-based costumes like a beekeeper, a lady covered in butterflies, and cute little baby bugs. There were spookier more classic costumes including the Gray Lady (a popular ghost figure--shown above) which was so brilliant I immediately pulled that page out for my buddy. She wanted a costume that was classically spooky and traditionally "ghostie."

On the cover of the Halloween issue, you can see Martha as a ghostly equestrienne. There are also instructions for the costumes. The pumpkin designs, as always, are awesome, and the recipes for creepy foods and drinks are fabulous! I might just change my punch recipe—hers was yummy sounding and I liked the touch of using a twisted licorice stick for a straw!

The “Living” magazine about the "magic of fall" (gourds stacked into toadstool shapes on the cover), will so immerse you in Autumn, you won’t want the ride to ever end. What I love most about what she does in Autumn/Halloween is stick with the classics and the spooky stuff, nothing campy or abrasive. It’s all about mood and atmosphere (women’s two favorite things when it comes to designing parties and interiors). There are also strong ties to the season of autumn and the influences of nature instead of mass-manufactured plastics.

Page 50 is my favorite with ideas for petrifying potions, glass jars with lids filled with water colored to a soft amber and filled with poppy pods and coneflower heads and such that look botanical and eerie. There’s “Autumn in a Jar” (I have no idea how they fit me in there—hee hee). It’s basically an awesomely healthy and yummy trail mix.

Page 128 has an amazing spread of a macabre buffet. There are yummy cider recipes, and yummy food recipes, as well. Interspersed through all the pages are hints of nature. After all, this is the time of year we can safely wander outside without ticks and mosquitoes (well, everywhere but the desert southwest) and enjoy the colors and pick up things from nature to make crafts like pine cones and drying wildflowers from summer’s bloom, seed pods, and abandoned bird’s nests.

I highly recommend both magazines. I keep them in my Halloween supplies every year so I can thumb through past issues when I pull them out the next autumn time. There’s always some great idea I didn’t use the prior year that I might be in the mood for this year.

Keep me posted if you try any of her crafts or recipes, I’d love to hear how they turn out for you. I’ve never had a miss when following the instructions, they’re usually very successful.

Comments

  1. Fall is my favorite. I haven't had time to sit and relax with her Halloween issue, but now you have me impatient. I think I will sit on the patio tomorrow morning and indulge!

    Oh, and regarding the sunset and being in the pool....wasn't the water a bit cool? LOL

    I also like Hospice of the Valley. They helped through a very trying time in life...they do great things.

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  2. Yeah, Hospice does an amazing job. I've had to escort a lot of my family from this plane and they helped a lot when my brother died here in AZ. I'm so excited you're going to read it--you must let me know what you think. The pool is finally down to 82 degrees which is still TOO HOT for me. I like to swim from 66-70 degrees, so it'll be a while until I'm happy. I know, I know, I've lived in AZ forever and I never got that thin skin people talk about. I'm Scandinavian and Highlander and the combination makes me unable to sweat, unable to tolerate even a little heat, and I can handle the cold, especially cold water, like nobody's business. I'm a freak, but then, that's why I write this blog. Hee hee

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  3. i have the martha stewart halloween mag. has a lot of cool stuff.
    autumn, you're like my mom, she cannot handle the heat; she literally gets sick every summer on super hot days. nothing seems to help her cool down. she hates summer.

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  4. Oh wow! Check out this new template. HOT! I'm so glad you wrote this. I totally forgot it's Fall!!!! It's sure starting to look like Fall around here. Some of the leaves are beginning to turn (which actually seems early, but...maybe it's on schedule and it only seems like it's early.) But it doesn't feel like Fall. Still hot and humid.(Humid thanks to all the rain we've had!) But next week there's hope cooler temps will follow. I was in the store today and stood inhaling the cinnamon-scented brooms they put out...love that! Yep, it sure looks like Fall. Great time of year. You picked a GREAT name!

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  5. Courtney;
    I finally found a template that fit all my needs for three columns and spooky but not distracting. You lucky lucky girl! I wanna live where there's autumn! (wah! crying like a baby and stomping my foot). I live vicariously through you lucky ones. It got cooler today on my day off. It was a whole 97 degrees! At least the pool cooled down a touch. It's almost refreshing now. I can go out with the crescent moon and skinnydip before bedtime and go to sleep with my skin feeling chilly. I can't wait until the water is cold and I feel all alive and tingly! I'm a viking at heart!

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  6. You're speaking my language.

    I love autumn, and every thing about it.

    I can't wait to decorate!

    You really need to move to the mountains! :)

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  7. I have never bought one of her magazines...you should be getting a kickback cause now after reading your review..I gotta have it for myself.

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  8. @eloh;
    I surely don't want to make her more successful, if I could have snatched it on the blackmarket, I would have. That woman just gives me the creepy willies. One time I was sick at home for a week and I was stuck watching her dumb show and it never ceased to amaze me how she could completely NOT listen to her guests as they're cooking and doing crafts together. She fusses over what they did wrong with their thing and never hears a word they say. What a pompous ass. But, damn, she has a really good crafty staff around her that cooks up all these great magazines in the fall!

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