Luncheon at The Mar-a-Lago Club
Last Wednesday, I travelled to Palm Beach, Florida, where I attended the American Humane Association’s (AHA) luncheon at Donald Trump’s The Mar-a-Lago Club. I was very honored to be presented with the National Humanitarian Medal for my advocacy of animal care and protection. The AHA is a wonderful organization that protects the most vulnerable among us and is true to the ideals – safety, shelter, and protection – that I try to advance in my life and work.
Mar-a-Lago is a lavish 126-room villa built by Marjorie Merriweather Post, (Post Cereals) upon 20 sprawling acres, completed in 1927. It was designed in the Morrish-Mediterranean style and this very ornate structure took nearly four years to build. After Post’s death in 1973, Mar-a-Lago was transferred to the federal government to use as a diplomatic/presidential retreat. However, because it is surrounded by water, security was nearly impossible. In 1985 Donald Trump purchased the estate and began a major restoration project, maintaining the property’s historic and architectural integrity. Today, Mar-a-Lago is an exclusive private club.
1 Once again, we departed from Westchester County Airport. Here's a glamour shot of my longtime PR agent, Susan Magrino, who travelled with me.
2 There were extra seats on the plane and Carlos jumped on board, as he needed to visit his family in Florida and conduct some business there.
3 After takeoff, we flew over an affluent area of Westchester.
4 Then we flew over lower Manhattan and captured this stunning view!
5 Susan wanted to discuss some business and update my calendar. Eliad, my techie/social media guy, came along to photograph.
6 The skies were friendly that day and that makes for happy pilots and passengers.
7 Descending into Palm Beach - a more inviting and verdant landscape than Westchester at this time of year.
8 A photo with Carlos's father and stepmother - they met him at the airport.
9 Arriving at Donald Trump's The Mar-a-Lago Club
10 The name Mar-A-Lago is Spanish for "Sea to Lake" and is the only property remaining in Palm Beach that extends from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Worth.
11 Beautiful outdoor dining
12 The palatial living room with its elaborately carved and gilded ceiling.
13 Trump converted the servants’ quarters to a world class spa and beauty salon.
14 One of the elegant massage rooms
15 The spa's hot tub
16 The entrance to The Trump Spa Store
17 The shop sells all sorts of interesting items.
18 The Mar-a-Lago crest upon a polo shirt
19 One of two swimming pools
20 The official Mar-a-Lago Club plaque.
21 The Mar-a-Lago entry.
22 Mrs. Post commissioned Florence Ziegfeld’s set designer to paint mural panels for the formal dining room walls and these are original along with the gorgeous chandeliers.
23 Mrs. Post purchased a collection of 36,000 hand-painted Hispano-Moorish tiles, some of which date back to the 15th century.
24 The tiles are imbedded into the walls as accents throughout Mar-a-Lago and incorporated into the architectural décor.
25 The luncheon guests started to arrive in many fancy cars.
26 Here I am with the notable Lois Pope - generous supporter of AHA - and Dr. Debbye Turner Bell, CBS News, The Early Show Correspondent, Miss America 1990
27 Posing with Bill Abbott - CEO of Hallmark Channel
28 And with Tinsley Mortimer - an AHA National Ambassador and New York City socialite and handbag designer
29 The media was there in full force.
30 Tierney Monaco presented me with some really fun packaging.
31 Look who are on the label!!!
32 Every guest received a bag which included our magazines, one of our new doggie coats available at PetSmart, and a $25.00 PetSmart gift card.
33 The tables were decorated with beautiful spring flower arrangements and an assortment of breads.
34
35 The ballroom is quite opulent with mirrors and gold. I sat with PetSmart executives and managers. - Adel Karam, Jeff Edwards, Robert Landeta, and Chad Thimons
36 Dr. Robin Ganzert President and CEO of AHA presented me with the award.
37 Along with Tierney Monaco
38 During my acceptance speech, I spoke about my love for animals and what an important role the AHA plays. The ballroom has 17 Austrian crystal chandeliers.
39 Here I am with G.K. as a puppy.
40 And my beloved Paw Paw, who was featured on the cover of Martha Stewart Living.
41 Empress Tang - one of my gorgeous calico Persians
42 Rinze - one of my 5 Fresians
43 Posing with some of my 200 chickens that keep supplying me with an ample amount of eggs.
44 Some of my former pets, many of whom were rescued animals
45 A very appropriate 'doghouse' dessert
46 And of course, an edible cat!
47 Adorable chocolate pops
48 A nice gift from Talin Lyman of Talin Tropics in Boca Raton. Francesca will enjoy her meals sitting on this! http://www.TalinTropic.com
Photos By Martha Stewart @marthastewart and Eliad Laskin @joemartha
Congratulations, Martha!!
You were blessed to be in such a beautiful, old building that continues to be in use after all these years.
Keep the Blogs coming...I really look forward to seeing where you'll be next, or what you'll be doing.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | March 16th, 2011 at 12:53 am
Our 17 year old cat, Toots, passed away last fall and we were very sad for some months. While we miss her much, we went to the Feline Rescue (no kill animal shelter in St. Paul, MN) and found our Willow. She's a gray tabby, about a year old and is a special needs cat. She's great, and we love her. Working on getting her to eat a grain less diet. Tried raw food, but she really didn't go for it. We did find some grain less hard food and we're trying that out now. Wish us luck. Thanks for the blogs. We love all animals.
Posted by: Gretchen | March 16th, 2011 at 7:03 am
Let me preface this saying DUMP TRUMP. Loved the photos of your trip and time in Miami. Thanks for adavancing safety, shelter, and protection, your life and work is admirable.
Posted by: ann | March 16th, 2011 at 7:05 am
Martha, WOW,thanks for the inside look on such a beautiful historical landmark. What a "TREAT".Charles
Posted by: Charles McKenzie | March 16th, 2011 at 7:16 am
What a fabulous setting to receive your award. Paw Paw looked so stunning in that photo. Francesca and Sharkey on the dog food labels was off the chart. You must be thrilled. And it looks like Franny has a very nice gift waiting for her when she returns home.
Posted by: Karen | March 16th, 2011 at 7:52 am
I have never met an animal I didn''t like. What a great cause and what a fun time.
Posted by: Janette @ The 2 Seasons | March 16th, 2011 at 7:54 am
A well deserved honor, Martha! I've long admired how you take such exceptional care of your animals.
Posted by: Julie | March 16th, 2011 at 9:19 am
Martha, did I miss something? Did the Donald apologize for being mean to you during The Apprentice feud? He really crossed the line and made a big stink about nothing. You handled the situation very professionally, as usual!
Posted by: Keith | March 16th, 2011 at 9:45 am
Martha, glad that you were honored with an award. Thanks for sharing this beautiful trip with us.
Posted by: KLBrown | March 16th, 2011 at 9:47 am
Hi Martha, Thanks for another terrific blog posting. Once again these photos are absolutely stunning and the comments are superb! I love seeing photos of any part of the world that you visit from above in an airplane as well as on ground level. The Mar-a-Lago Club is beautiful and all of the photos of that area are stunning! Sure was fun to see it through your tour for us. Congratulations once again for the AHA honor that you certainly deserved! Loved seeing the photos of your wonderful animals at Bedford! Paw Paw is the best! Love the Cesar dog food labels and will have to get some for DDR! How fun that Carlos got to go with you to see his folks! Last night's appearance of you on Craig Ferguson's TV Show was amazing! I never watch him usually, but when I saw your name on his show on my TV Guide I just had to watch it. Glad you straightened him out quickly and then showed him how to make an omelet! Sure hope Francesca is back home today! Will check 'The Daily Wag' to read her latest blog post. Have a great day! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | March 16th, 2011 at 10:42 am
Hi Martha,
If I needed another reason to admire you, your love of animals would be it. I think animals are the best thing ever and I’m sure all animal lovers agree. It was nice to hear that you received a well-deserved medal and what a beautiful place for the ceremony. I’ve only driven by Mar-a-Lago but have never seen the inside. It certainly is beautiful and makes me wonder why anyone had a need for a 126-room villa in the first place. Lots of entertaining and guests I suppose. Now it’s an exclusive club and I think yearly dues are around 75 thousand a year which leaves me out! Lol
~
I just had to look up Talin Tropics in Boca and found out they are right around the corner from me on Rogers Circle. They have painting classes for all ages which I never would have known had you not mentioned their name. Amazing! Trish
Posted by: Trish | March 16th, 2011 at 10:45 am
Martha,
While I'm sure Mar-a-Lago is lavish, to me, nothing is as beautiful as your Bedford estate, even in the barren landscape of winter. Actually, my favorite place is your guesthouse in Maine. Your mixture of nature and simplicity beat out the gold and glitter of Mar-a-Lago any day!
Posted by: Lee | March 16th, 2011 at 11:02 am
Martha, these photos and the history of Mar-a-Lago is fantastic. Your speech that day was outstanding -- heartfelt and lovely. You have many lucky animals under your care.
Posted by: Annie Howell | March 16th, 2011 at 11:19 am
Ms. Martha, as busy as I can see you are, I'd like to ask you and the readers of this blog to join us in our endeavours to stop the use of exotic animals in circuses. The elephants in particular are my passion. They are sentient beings, very intelligent and very social. Even if they're not being "abused", the life itself is a kind of torture. Elephants having to be in a circus is analogous to us being kidnapped from our families as toddlers, "broken" to obey, and made to work on a chain gang! If anyone has doubts about my stance, go to youtube and watch the 7 part series about elephants and captivity. I also encourage people to visit the elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee via the internet to watch elephants being elephants. Well , I could go on, but every one reading this is busy too. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Posted by: Jacelyn Yonkees | March 16th, 2011 at 11:35 am
Martha, glad you were so deservedly honored in Mrs. Post's grand former home in Palm Beach. Congratulations! With so much in common with Marjorie Merriweather Post -- businesswoman, philanthropist, role model and icon for women of your time -- you may enjoy learning more about her and her legacy in Washington, DC, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens (she so loved her pets that she included a memorial pet cemetary on this beautiful 25-acre estate).
Posted by: Lynn | March 16th, 2011 at 11:37 am
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful trip and it's for such a worthy cause. Please don't forget rescue efforts taking place in Japan to rescue the animals! Many organizations are on the ground doing this important work.
Posted by: Bonnie | March 16th, 2011 at 2:35 pm
Love the blog. First time I read it. Loved the photos with the comments. Examples would be the treats in a dog bone, fire hydrant etc. and the reference to the history of Mar-a- Lago. Congrats on the award! Love that you have chickens and so many other pets. Martha you are everywhere! Last night sitting up waiting for my son and his 5 month old daughter to arrive I caught the Late Show with Craig Ferguson and guess who the guest was???? You
First time I saw his show; he is a hoot! So enjoy the magazine, the shows and all the great ideas and information from your shows! Enjoy your Spring!
Posted by: Rhonda Evans | March 16th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
Wonderful event at an amazing venue.
Posted by: Ellen | March 16th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
I enjoyed seeing the mansion. It is quite different than I remember, since I am a native of West Palm Beach, and I used to pass the home while taking my children to the beach. Also, my husband was an installer/repairman for Southern Bell Telephone Company and he worked many hours in the mansion when it was the home of Mrs. Mariweather. Thanks for all the new pictures. We both enjoyed seeing them.
Posted by: Carolyn Alford | March 16th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
Exquisite surroundings for your to be so honored...love those cute desserts and the treats for your pets!
Posted by: sherey | March 16th, 2011 at 5:21 pm
What a great honor for you! I love what you do for the cause. I especially liked seeing your beautiful gift from Talin...I will go to her website to see about getting one for my silly little poodle! Take care and congratulations on the new grandbaby.
Posted by: Teddi | March 16th, 2011 at 6:49 pm
Love the Pet High Chair...Soooo cute...Too bad I have a golden retriever...I don't think she will fit!
Posted by: Allyson | March 16th, 2011 at 6:59 pm
I simply must have one of those doggy high chairs. I went through all the photos and finally found something for my Pekingese! That chair is adorable!
Posted by: Celeste | March 16th, 2011 at 6:59 pm
What a most wonderful honor!!! As an animal lover and avid rescuer myself - I am so happy for you!
Posted by: Cheryl Jones | March 16th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
What a wonderful daytrip! I especially like the doggie highchair...smiles.
Posted by: Ellen | March 16th, 2011 at 9:29 pm
Amazing gift presented by Talin Lyman - love to acquire a doggy high chair - what a terrific idea !
Posted by: Susan D. Lapham | March 16th, 2011 at 10:55 pm
I could use your help with an SPCA issue in my county. I will send you some press clips. I simply love that you received this award. I love this theme that runs through your life and work. I so enjoy it running through your blog and all your multi media work. I honestly feel connected to your animals and to their keepers. I wish you continued good health to pursue making the world a healthier place for all of us. The MSLO family is invaluable to me!
Posted by: Teresa Touey | March 17th, 2011 at 7:32 am
After flying "private" a few times, I know why you enjoy it! Thanks for all you do.
Posted by: William H. Stoneman | March 17th, 2011 at 7:52 am
Martha,
Will Francesca and Sharkey 'share' the doggie high chair? What a smart idea- my imperial shih tzu would LOVE to eat at the table!!!
Posted by: Eric | March 17th, 2011 at 8:38 am
That doggie seat it too cute! Where can I buy one? Exactly what my Welsh Corgis need! : )
Posted by: Mary Yuhas | March 17th, 2011 at 9:56 am
Love the doggie high chair from Talin. I need one made super sized for my SPLAB spaniel/lab mix "Shadow". She is such a discriminating{snob}that the chair and Mar a Lago are a perfect fit.
Talin is an amazing artist and should go far.
Posted by: Charles Case | March 17th, 2011 at 10:47 am
Talin makes an intriguing doggie high chair. Hope I can one in a store soon. Great artistic work in designing and building this.
Posted by: Larry | March 17th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Congratulations Martha on your honor. You are so deserving of it. You continue to be an inspiration to all of your fans who admire your talents as well as your noted humanitarian works and advocacy of animal well-being. I wish there were more people like you who would care for and respect the animal kingdom which bring so much beauty to our lives.
I believe there is truly nothing as so precious as those grandbabies who complete our lives with their presence. This child will be surrounded with so much love. What a blessed little girl. Again, Congratulations to all 
Also...many congratulations to the new Grandmama and MaMa on baby. What a lucky little one who no doubt will only be blessed with all of the "Good Things" life offers.
Posted by: Becky Kuchefski | March 17th, 2011 at 1:43 pm
I love the doggie high-chair..would like to get 2 for my favorite "Grand-doggies"..a couple of adorable Schnauzers! Always love your products..Janet
Posted by: Janet Jensen | March 17th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
I think Martha has brought awareness to animals but I wish she would address a growing problem. Dry cat and dog food is causing major health problems for our pets. All dogs and cats eating this awful bagged junk as they age develop health problems. This can range from kidney and bladder disease to joint and digestive issues. When are people going to learn that what we fed in days gone by was the best....can food and table scraps. Dry food was only developed as a convenience for people who were too unhappy opening cans. My pets are living past the vets age charts, and never sick. They eat what we eat and can food. I pay for others people's vet bills when they can't afford to and all are kidney and bladder disease and all feed dry food. See the connection. Google dry food and see what it is really made of and you won't ever buy it again!
Posted by: jan Malley | March 25th, 2011 at 4:46 pm