The Martha Blog » Entertaining http://www.themarthablog.com It's a blog about Martha Stewart and her daily adventures. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:04:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.3 en hourly 1 Partying in style with Sean 'Diddy' Combs http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/11/partying-in-style-with-sean-diddy-combs.html http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/11/partying-in-style-with-sean-diddy-combs.html#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:04:52 +0000 Martha Stewart http://www.themarthablog.com/?p=3124 Yesterday, Thursday, I attended, what was being dubbed in the news as ‘the party of the century.’ It was the 40th birthday party for hip hop mogul, Sean Diddy Combs, held in the Grand Ballroom at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.  Diddy, who is known for his extravagant parties, hired event planner, Bronson Van Wyck, and asked him to create a fantasy dreamland.  The party was simply stunning and I had such a fantastic time!  Please enjoy these photos.

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1 My friend, Sean Puffy Combs 'Diddy'

2 Diddy's jacket was amazing.

3 The man of the hour

4 Sean Puffy Combs's son, Justin

5 Diddy's younger son, Christian

6 Here I am being greeted by the press line.

7 The hand of each attendee was marked with a black light-sensitive stamp.

8 Ballet students from the Dance Division of The Julliard School were poised throughout the party.

9 Oh - to have a ballerina's body

10 Sarah Goldman, daughter of Amy Goldman - garden author - was my guest for the evening.

11 Holla at me!

12 I was happy to meet Rapper Nelly.

13 Designer Zac Posen, his mother, Susan, and me

14 Here I am with the Reverend Al Sharpton.

15 Comparing shoes with a guest

16 Here I am with Paul Schindler - entertainment lawyer - and his wife, Jane.

17 The plaza was decorated exquisitely - here with real ferns. The security was great.

18 The floral decorations were extraordinary!

19 Clusters of berries mixed in with the arrangements

20 Here I am with Bronson Van Wyck - event planner for this party.

21 Real apples hung from the branches.

22 Cocktails were served in this greenery-filled 'holding pen.'

23 Well-dressed bartenders - Ciroc vodka was a sponsor for the evening.

24 Another sponsor

25 Here I am with entrepreneur, Russell Simmons.

26 Candles and cattleya orchids decorated the room.

27 Here I am with Anthony Anderson - actor - who was a guest on my television show. We made beautiful stone planters together. I'm eating a delicious grape popsicle.

28 Posing with another guest who.......

29 who proudly showed me his bling.

30 Posing with a guest

31 Everyone was texting and taking pictures.

32 Body guards were everywhere.

33 Orchids mixed into the greenery

34 A body guard

35 Chocolate sticks dipped in dragée were a big hit.

36 Tim and Helen Schiffter of LeSportsac

37 Voluptuous lady guests

38 This table was reserved for Diddy.

39 The crystal chandelier is the actual one in the plaza. All the others were brought in for the party.

40 Large black orbs

41 The DJ and emcee announced guests as they arrived.

42 Getting friendly with a horse lamp

43 More ladies

44 And more ladies

45 Incredible flower arrangements

46 Another view

47 Gorgeous hydrangea

48 Great shot of Diddy entering the party

49 Another guest

50 This looks like ice sculpture, however it's glass!

51 Love this jacket

52 The ballroom was furnished with giant black velvet couches.

53 The scene

54 The ceiling

55 Posing with the body guards

56 More guests

57 A very tall guest

58 Another shot of the ceiling

59 Fashion designer RIchie Rich on the left

60 Part of the decor

61 Andre Balázs (left) - New York City hotelier - with a friend

62 Dar Coaxum "The Prince of Harlem", Designer who had an amazing bow tie - www.bellaartistry.com

63 Closeup of Dards riding boots

64 Diddy's intern from Columbia University

65 My friend, Harvey Weinstein

66 Striking a pose

67 Guests leaving (Ed Burns & Christy Turlington) - Bono is at the front of the line, but I didn't get his photo.

68 Sassy

]]> http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/11/partying-in-style-with-sean-diddy-combs.html/feed 2 A cocktail reception in my neighborhood http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/11/a-cocktail-reception-in-my-neighborhood.html http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/11/a-cocktail-reception-in-my-neighborhood.html#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:01:09 +0000 Martha Stewart http://www.themarthablog.com/?p=3083 One year ago, I proudly accepted the Native Plant Center's NPC first Acorn Award, a recognition of an individual or group that inspires people to learn about native plants and to grow them in their own environments.  NPC was established in 1998 under the auspices of the Westchester Community College Foundation, and soon became the first national affiliate of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas.

This year, NPC chose to honor Gregory Long, the President and CEO of the fantastic New York Botanical Garden.  The cocktail reception was held at my friend and neighbor, Phillis Warden's, lovely home, Nine Gables.  Food was provided by Steering Committee member, Cynthia Brennan.  Cynthia runs Table Local Market in Bedford Hills, NY, a wonderful food establishment that sells artisanal quality goods from the regional area.  Please enjoy these photos from the other night and congratulations again to Gregory Long!

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1 Here I am with my good friend, Phillis Warden - Acorn Award Reception Co-Chair.

2 At the door, there was a sign-in table with information regarding The Native Plant Center.

3 The entrance into the party was decorated nicely with some of Phillis's potted plants.

4 Little Foxy Warden - forever hopeful for a morsel to drop

5 One of the beautiful and cozy rooms in Nine Gables

6 Pianist Marilyn Brandt provided lovely music for the evening.

7 The silent auction table - wonderful offerings

8 I donated VIP tickets to my show, autographed cookbooks, and a cupcake kit.

9 Assorted pizzas - all delicious!

10 An offer of a burrito stuffed with sweet potatoes - really good!

11 Quesadilla

12 Colorful vegetarian spring rolls

13 NPC Steering Committee and Benefit Committee members - Cynthia Brennan and Denise Santomero

14 I enjoy visiting the kitchen - it reminds me of my own catering days.

15 Warming a quesadilla

16 Here I am with this years Acorn Award Recipient, Gregory Long - President and CEO of the New York Botanical Garden.

17 Ron Gushue - architect of Nine Gables, me, and my friend Laura Blau - another Co-Chair of the Acorn Award Reception

18 Michael Citro (Laura Blau's husband) and me

19 A view from above

20 Peter McQuillan, Adam Rose - Board member of NYBG, me, Darrin Duling - Director of Native Plant Center, and Stephen Cirona

21 My neighbor, Tink Callahan and me

22 Grace Marie Dell' Angelo, Phillis, Dr. Robert Dell' Angelo, and me

23 Laura, Todd Forrest - VP of Horticulture at NYBG, and his wife Alison

24 Lena Crandall and Robert DelTorto - NPC Steering Committee member

25 Leslie Henshaw - NPC Steering Committee member, Laurie Sturz, and Ingrid Connolly

26 Cindy Mooney and Susan Cohen

27 Allison and Laura

28 Here I am leaving, trying to persuade Rascal Warden to go back inside.

]]> http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/11/a-cocktail-reception-in-my-neighborhood.html/feed 10 Mezzo-soprano Susan Graham comes to dinner http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/07/mezzo-soprano-susan-graham-comes-to-dinner.html http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/07/mezzo-soprano-susan-graham-comes-to-dinner.html#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:01:26 +0000 Martha Stewart http://www.themarthablog.com/?p=2611 When it came to my attention that my friend, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, was to open the season at the Caramoor Interanation Music Festival right down the road from my farm in Katonah, I thought it fitting to host a dinner party in her honor. As in opera fashion, the evening began quite dramatically with a severe thunderstorm. Thankfully, unlike an opera, there is nothing bad to report on that front. The storm passed quickly and the dinner party was a delight. Please enjoy these photos and by the way, which is your favorite opera?

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Picture 1 of 26: Here I am with Susan Graham, the guest of honor for the evening.
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]]> http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/07/mezzo-soprano-susan-graham-comes-to-dinner.html/feed 39 A Pink Party http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/05/a-pink-party.html http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/05/a-pink-party.html#comments Wed, 27 May 2009 04:01:46 +0000 Martha Stewart http://www.themarthablog.com/?p=2508 I went to a really fun party recently held by Darcy Miller's parents (Darcy is the Editorial Director of Martha Stewart Weddings) at their apartment in New York City. When I opened my invitation, it read "No more blues…..think pink! Come celebrate spring." I really didn't know what to expect, but one thing for sure - there was definitely a pink theme to this party. Guests were instructed to leave all negative feelings at the door and to just enjoy the lively spring color of pink. This wasn't a difficult assignment, as the entire apartment was glowing warmly and filled with music supplied by www.elanartists.com. Come and see how clever and delightful this event was.

Some great Pink resources from Marthastewartweddings.com

A Pink Bridal Shower photo gallery

Pretty in Pink Cakes and Desserts Gallery

A photo gallery of pink, orange and yellow candy

Our pink subchannel with lots of ideas in pink

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Picture 1 of 25: Darcy and her daughter, Daisy.
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]]> http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/05/a-pink-party.html/feed 35 Chef Martin Brock cooks dinner at my home http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/05/chef-martin-brock-cooks-dinner-at-my-home.html http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/05/chef-martin-brock-cooks-dinner-at-my-home.html#comments Tue, 05 May 2009 04:01:00 +0000 Martha Stewart http://www.themarthablog.com/?p=2434 This past Saturday, I hosted a dinner party at my home in Bedford. One of my guests was clay sculptor, Clare Potter. Inspired by the bounty of her gardens, Clare creates amazingly life-like representations of flowers, fruits, and vegetables, all sculpted in porcelain and beautifully hand-painted. Some of Clare's work will be on display at Malett Inc. at 929 Madison Avenue in New York City, for two weeks beginning May 11th. My guests all agreed that the spring menu was superb. I invited Chef Martin Brock of Atria Restaurant in Manhattan to come and prepare the food. His culinary skills are rooted in French technique, but Chef Brock incorporates many global flavors, making for a unique dining experience.

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Picture 1 of 6: This is Chef Martin Brock, who looks very comfortable in my kitchen.
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]]> http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/05/chef-martin-brock-cooks-dinner-at-my-home.html/feed 29 Decorating for Easter at my home http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/04/decorating-for-easter-at-my-home.html http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/04/decorating-for-easter-at-my-home.html#comments Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:10:53 +0000 Martha Stewart http://www.themarthablog.com/?p=2320 I know that people are curious about how my house is decorated for Easter, so I thought I'd give you a little peek. Laura Acuna, my housekeeper, always does such a nice job helping me with setting out the decorations. Many of these decorations are handmade and you can find instructions for all sorts of wonderful projects in my new Encyclopedia of Crafts, which, by the way, is #2 next week on the New York Times bestseller list! Congratulations to all who worked so hard on this volume.
This is an especially busy week with Passover and Easter being just a few days apart. I really love traditions and was so fortunate to attend a lovely Seder at my friends, the Slotkins. Now, I am gearing up for Easter and I am preparing a lunch for family and friends. The menu I am planning is:

Rack of lamb

Martha Stewart ham from Costo

Pierogi (I really miss Mom)

Artichokes

Asparagus

Garden salad from the cold house

Homemade rolls

Lemon meringue tarts

Chocolate sorbet

I wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday.

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Picture 1 of 21: The brown room mantle with porcelain bunny candy dishes from my Macy's collection (in store only) and pedestals topped with glittered eggs
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]]> http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/04/decorating-for-easter-at-my-home.html/feed 42 A casual lunch at my home this past weekend, and a cute visitor! http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/03/a-casual-lunch-at-my-home-this-past-weekend.html http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/03/a-casual-lunch-at-my-home-this-past-weekend.html#comments Mon, 02 Mar 2009 04:35:58 +0000 Martha Stewart http://www.themarthablog.com/?p=2116 On Sunday, I was paid a visit by my good friend and former counsel, John Cuti, his wife Sarah, and their adorable little boy, Eli. Eli is already twenty months old and I’m very impressed by how well he speaks and in full sentences. He is a very adventurous little boy and it seems that he tries and likes all kinds of different foods. I always love when he comes to visit.
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Picture 1 of 6: All bundled up for the cold - me, Eli.
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Since Pierre is no longer working for me full time, I am doing a lot more cooking at home myself.  On Saturday, I invited six friends to join me for a casual lunch.  Lily, my weekend housekeeper and I prepared this meal together.  Lily is Chinese and happens to be a superb cook.  We made fresh egg noodle soup as a first course.  Lily also made jasmine rice, which she steamed in a Pyrex bowl set in a big covered pot.  The rice was served with jellied pigs feet, chicken with fresh bamboo shoots and tree ear mushrooms, Chinese broccoli with ginger and oyster sauce, pea sprouts with garlic, and sautéed bok choi.  As you can imagine, everything was incredibly delicious, incredibly fresh, and extremely healthy.  I always enjoy cooking with Lily.

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Picture 1 of 11: These are the big crepe-like pancakes that are cooked in a skillet first, then rolled and cut into noodles.
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]]> http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/03/a-casual-lunch-at-my-home-this-past-weekend.html/feed 41 A small gathering at my house for Valentine's Day http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/02/a-small-gathering-at-my-house-for-valentines-day.html http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/02/a-small-gathering-at-my-house-for-valentines-day.html#comments Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:49:37 +0000 Martha Stewart http://www.themarthablog.com/?p=2062 I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day. I was hostess to a small gathering of loved ones. The menu was delicious - terrine de foie gras (a gift from Pierre now at Benoit), bucatini with black truffles and butter, garden greens and herb salad, and buttermilk panna cotta with passion fruit and heart-shaped cookies - chocolate, ginger, and lemon-sugar. We all really enjoyed ourselves.
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Picture 1 of 21: Here's an overview of the table - white crispy linens, big pink M monograms on the napkins, rosy pink glassware, pink luster plates and silver cups with more orchids.
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]]> http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/02/a-small-gathering-at-my-house-for-valentines-day.html/feed 54 My Christmas party on a snowy afternoon http://www.themarthablog.com/2008/12/my-christmas-party-on-a-snowy-afternoon.html http://www.themarthablog.com/2008/12/my-christmas-party-on-a-snowy-afternoon.html#comments Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:01:27 +0000 Martha Stewart http://www.themarthablog.com/?p=1780 Last Friday was my annual Christmas party for all of the people who work at my Bedford property and for those who provide their services. Unfortunately, the weather reports called for snow and wintry conditions and about half of the invited guests played it safe and did not drive the distance to attend. I’m sorry they couldn’t be there, but, as it turned out, they made the right choice because the roads became treacherous very quickly. Take a look at what they missed.
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Picture 1 of 52: Manny and me
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]]> http://www.themarthablog.com/2008/12/my-christmas-party-on-a-snowy-afternoon.html/feed 28 My assistant Liesl's wedding revisited and this time on TV, too! http://www.themarthablog.com/2008/12/liesl-and-kevin-tie-the-knot-my-exclusive-photos-of-their-wedding.html http://www.themarthablog.com/2008/12/liesl-and-kevin-tie-the-knot-my-exclusive-photos-of-their-wedding.html#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:01:06 +0000 Martha Stewart http://www.themarthablog.com/?p=1421 Update:

Do you remember last October when I showed you the photos taken at my assistant, Liesl’s wedding? Well that was a very popular blog and I decided to put it up again. I also want to inform you that her wedding will be featured this Saturday evening on the Style Network - check this link for times in your area!. You’ll also be able to read about it in Martha Stewart Weddings, on newsstands December 29th. It’s beginning to look a lot like Liesl and Kevin’s wedding all over again!

On September 26, my assistant, Liesl Menning and her fiance, country musician Kevin Haynie, got married in the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee, in front of 100 guests. I don't want to tell you too much about it on this blog because the wedding is being featured in Martha Stewart Weddings, on newsstands December 29. Also in December, there will be a one-hour show about the wedding on the Style Network. Also, make sure to visit WeddingWire if you are planning to tie the knot soon!

I will tell you that the food was wonderful and so was the music. The award-winning bluegrass group the Grascals performed, as well as the Time Jumpers, an award-winning western swing band, and country star Billy Dean. The famous Josh Turner was even there! Please have a look at these photos. Liesl certainly looks beautiful and Kevin, quite handsome. It was a really fun and memorable wedding. Don't forget to check out their honeymoon photos on the Brides' Guide blog!. And check out Kevin's music!

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Picture 1 of 71: Liesl, Kevin, and me
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