This latest recording gave me the opportunity to catch up with someone I’ve worked with and celebrated so many good times with over the last 30-years, Darcy Miller. Darcy is an artist, an author of the bestselling book, "Celebrate Everything! Fun Ideas to Bring Your Parties to Life," a celebration expert, and an entrepreneur. In fact, she just launched a new business, where she advises people on celebrating the most meaningful moments in their lives in the most unique, personal, and one-of-a-kind ways. Darcy was also a founding editor of Martha Stewart Weddings, and for many years its Editorial Director, working on what would become one of the most beautiful weddings magazines ever.
Here are photos of some of the good times we've had over the last three decades and don't forget to listen to my podcast.
Here I am with Darcy inside the charming Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center, where we recorded my podcast. Look closely, Darcy drew the phone and the oversized champagne coupes in the photo.
Not long ago, I visited Darcy at her “Celebration Expert” headquarters in Manhattan. It’s full of Darcy’s whimsical artwork and favors she’s created for celebrations honoring her various clients.
The studio is where all the creating, crafting, and celebrating happens—or at least where it all begins. From floor to ceiling, wall to wall, the small space is filled with everything needed to create or entertain.
Here’s a photo of her meeting table and desk. And yes, that’s Darcy’s own artwork on the wall.
I always appreciate Darcy’s attention to detail—her art is on the macarons, the cookies, the matchboxes, and even the custom confetti on the table.
Here’s a favor she created for a baby shower.
… and another favor she did for Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
Here is the late Associate Justice of the Supreme Court herself, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, several years ago holding her own favor.
This photo is from an elegant dinner party Darcy threw for her parents’ 45th wedding anniversary—pictures of their life together made the most beautiful and meaningful décor.
And here I am with her girls that night. Even the girls were dressed in the event’s gold, white, and black color scheme.
Those looking for fun ways to celebrate their own occasions turn to Darcy’s book, “Celebrate Everything,” as well as her website, and her Instagram page @DarcyMiller.
One of the Celebration Expert services Darcy offers is LIVE drawings at events. Here is one she drew of me.
She also draws from photos to create portrait favors for guests at weddings or corporate affairs.
Darcy may be the Celebration Expert now, but she’s been bringing that celebratory spirit into my life for 30 years, from the day she became an Editorial Assistant at Martha Stewart Living in 1992. She was so creative and so hard-working. Darcy would do everything—from answering phones and dying Easter Eggs to styling shoots and sourcing craft supplies. I think she’s the only person who ever had me paged in a Walmart – true story.
We traveled all over the country together for shoots. Here we are in a hotel room getting ready for a wedding, the one time she towered over me, thanks to standing on that bed. I think it was the late 90s, judging by my shoes, which are back in style, by the way.
She became so indispensable that when we launched Martha Stewart Weddings in 1995, I knew she had to be a founding editor of the magazine.
Over the years, Darcy brought her magic to so many weddings and to Weddings the magazine—even though, as she was fond of saying at the time, she was “way too single to be a weddings editor.”
Some of you may know – I’m a problem solver, so I introduced Darcy to the smartest single young man I knew at the time —my lawyer, Andy. And guess what, it worked, and they eventually got married.
Their wedding was at New York City’s Four Seasons. It was such a beautiful wedding, which you might remember from the magazine. So, you’re welcome, Andy. And Darcy. And Daisy, Ella, and Pippa, their three daughters.
Over the years, I also got to attend so many of Darcy’s own amazing parties. Here I am at Daisy’s first birthday with my own Chow Chow baby.
I remember that party had a Daisy theme–the flower was everywhere. And that’s what Darcy does. She takes something meaningful, something personal, and she uses it to create a party, or a favor, or a craft, or an illustration, or a memory that no one else would ever think of.
Look at this table of treats! (Photo by Allan Zepeda)
… And she shows you how to do it too. Darcy shared some of those party ideas on my television show. Here I am with Darcy and her two older girls doing a pajama party segment. And would you believe Daisy, pictured here on the right, is in college now?
Darcy also threw me the most amazing 70th birthday party. It was themed around everything I love, from playing Scrabble to gardening to cooking.
Here’s my birthday cake – complete with a big “M” on it.
For that party, she drew all these portraits of me and used them for decorating – here I am doing yoga, sewing, antiquing…
… and of course, gardening.
If I sound like a proud mentor, it’s because I am. There’s no one I’d rather celebrate with than Darcy. And I’m thrilled that now everyone gets to celebrate with her. Please listen to our podcast today—I guarantee it’s worth celebrating.
The gardens are full of color and life at my Bedford, New York farm - so perfect for a spring day gathering.
If you follow me on Instagram @MarthaStewart48, you may have seen my photos. Over the weekend, I hosted a luncheon at my home for a group of 20. My friend, Chef Pierre Schaedelin from PS Tailored Events, and I, planned a delicious menu that included steamed giant artichoke with poached egg and Hollandaise sauce, golden Ossetra caviar with brioche melba toasts and crème fraîche, heirloom tomato, comté and Gruyère tart with jumbo green asparagus and honey-lemon dressing. And for dessert, we had palmiers with baked pink rhubarb and homemade sorbet along with coffee and tea. It was a delicious meal.
Here are some photos.
Here I am in my Brown Room the morning of my luncheon. My housekeepers and I always work on the table settings together. We try to make each one different and beautiful.
And if we can, we always try to incorporate some freshly cut flowers from my gardens. These are some of the first herbaceous peonies to bloom this season. These bold pink blooms were cut just hours before guests arrived and then placed in small glass vessels the entire length of the Brown Room dining table – it looks so cheerful and inviting.
A second table was set on the opposite side of the room – also with charming cut flowers from the garden.
On this second table, we used white peonies. When using peonies for cut flowers, gather them early in the morning, and always cut the stems at an angle before placing them in water.
This arrangement on my kitchen counter is made of azaleas in various shades of orange and yellow.
My head gardener, Ryan McCallister, also added various houseplants to decorate the rooms.
In my Winter House kitchen, Chef Pierre prepares all the asparagus from Mister Spear in Stockton, California. Look how big these stalks are. I like to trim an inch and a half off the bottoms of the asparagus stalks and then blanch or steam them.
And here is the fresh rhubarb cut into pieces and baked for the dessert.
Triangular melba toasts prepared for the Ossetra caviar.
Pierre also prepared several tomato tarts – enough for all my hungry guests.
All the artichokes are ready to stuff. These are also from Mister Spear.
Watching all the activity from the kitchen courtyard door are my four doggies, hoping to come back in, so they could maybe get a little bit of something…
Chef Pierre and Moises fill the artichokes – each with a poached egg, a drizzle of Hollandaise sauce and topped with frisée.
Here is one ready to serve. Frisée is also known as curly endive. It’s a leafy green with frilly leaves and a subtly bitter flavor. And it is actually not a member of the lettuce family at all, but rather the chicory plant family.
Moises works here at the farm as part of the grounds crew, but he is also a very skilled sous chef who helps me in the kitchen.
Here is a plate ready serve – a big slice of heirloom tomato, comté and Gruyère tart with jumbo green asparagus, a garden salad, and honey-lemon dressing.
For dessert, I served palmiers. Also known as elephant ears, shoe-soles, palm trees or palm leaves, palmiers are delicious pastries that can be served for breakfast or dessert. They have a delicate, flaky texture and a sweet buttery taste.
Each palmier is served with a layer of baked rhubarb, sorbet, and a sprig of mint.
Here is my dessert. Everyone loved every bite.
Of course, to accompany dessert, we all enjoyed some coffee.
Here in the New York City area, the day was very wet – it rained hard most of the afternoon, but I led a brief tour through my stable to visit my dear horses, the greenhouses, and around the farm to see the various gardens from the inside of our Polaris off-road vehicles. Despite the weather, it was a most enjoyable day with friends – old and new.
The outdoor terraces and stone ledges around my Winter House are filled with potted plants.
This time of year, I always display a variety of warm weather specimens around my home. These tropical plants are usually kept inside my greenhouses where they can be properly maintained, but it's nice to see them outdoors in beautiful ornamental urns during spring and summer. Last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, filled a collection of pots outside my carport. Some of the smaller ones were planted with calla lilies, wild ginger, alocasias, and ferns.
Here are some photos.
Before potting anything, Ryan places the plants in their designated spots and positions them in the order that looks best. He selects plants that not only fit the containers but also look good grouped together.
Each of these ornamental urns has a drainage hole. It is important to make sure any planter has at least one. Plants will only draw up as much water as they require. Drainage holes serve allow excess water to ‘drain’ out, thus helping to prevent the soil from becoming soggy and causing root rot.
Ryan places a layer of weed cloth in the bottom of this urn to protect the vessel itself. This will also make it easier to remove the plant next autumn, when it is put back in the greenhouse for the cold season.
Here, Ryan pots up a calla lily, which will flower from early to late summer.
The plant is potted at the same depth it was in its plastic container. Ryan uses compost that was made right here at the farm.
Calla lilies have smooth, sword-like foliage that looks neat and attractive all season long. This plant fits just right in this container.
And don’t forget to feed – I always say, if you eat, so should your plants. Ryan adds a sprinkling of Osmocote – an all-in-one plant solution containing essential nutrients and a unique resin that controls nutritional release.
In this pot, Ryan drops a scoop of compost first to weigh down the weed cloth.
Then he cuts the cloth to fit – just big enough to line the vessel’s interior but not drape over the sides.
Here he pots up a bird’s nest fern to match the four others that share this ledge.
The bird’s nest fern, Asplenium nidus, is an interesting plant with long, erect, spoon-shaped, bright green fronds that rise from a central rosette.
Here’s a close look at the frond of a crocodile fern, sometimes known as an alligator fern native to Australia. The fern gets its name from the scale like appearance of its leaves.
Also on this ledge, an alocasia, known for the distinctive and stunning broad arrowhead-shaped, textured leaves.
Next – wild ginger. Ryan carefully removes it from its pot. We always save these plastic pots for storing plants during the off season and for potting seedlings and bare root cuttings – nothing gets wasted here at the farm.
Before potting up the plant, Ryan makes sure to loosen the root ball. Loosening, also known as teasing or tickling, the roots before planting stimulates the roots and helps it form a good foundation.
He top dresses every pot with some mulch – also made right here at my farm.
Wild ginger has large, heart-shaped, deciduous dark green leaves – some varieties with silvery white markings.
And every pot also gets lifted off the ledge with wood shims, so water can drain properly.
We make our own shims from extra pieces of wood and use them over and over again.
Finally, Ryan uses our battery powered handheld blower from STIHL to clean the ledge of any dirt and soil. This blower is less noisy and perfect for around my Winter House.
Using potted plants to decorate the outside of one’s home can totally transform a space. These plants will thrive in this location. What did you plant over the weekend? Share your comments with me below.
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