Home with the kiddo – painting

I think we are never too young to expose our children to art and exploring creativity. A bunch of my friends have been having their kids paint on canvas and I had filed it in my memory for such a time as this! I had brought my mother a finger painting Caitlyn had done with my mother in law in daycare and my mom was like thats great I would love it on better paper. I was like really mom ! It’s a finger painting not a van gogh! But when I was thinking of a Valentines day gift for my parents I went out and bought canvas! Canvas, a variety of different brushes and of course paint. I set it up in the living room and let Caitlyn have at it and here we go!
Would you like to do it?
Materials:
-4 paints of different colors – I used Martha Stewart Crafts- Satin in valentines day color palate
– 4 to 6 different brushes
– coffee filters to use as disposable paint trays
– painters canvas bought at your local craft shop
– time and patience
1) on a clean and roomy area, place canvas on table
2) place colors in their own coffee filters and place on a paper plate to protect the area you are working on
3) invite your child to paint their heart out!

Knitting for Christmas

I dont know about you but there are just not enough hours in the day to knit. I have hats that are supposed to be given on Christmas Eve and they are still not even wound. So what is a knitter to do? Pay a baby sitter? Cry? What would you do ? There are just not enough hours in the day… Oh and did I mention I have to make an ugly sweater for the Martha Stewart show by wednesday! Fabulous!

Mrs. Jerry, Knitting, Martha Stewart, Suzy Allen and Pine Cones

“My baby-sitter Mrs. Jerry raised me with a glue gun in one hand and a whisk in the other”. Those were the first words I emailed the people at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia when I got an email from the audience department looking for a member of the audience to craft with Martha Stewart on her television show.
After about 5 days of emails back and forth and numerous phone conversations, I lived one of my most amazing dreams ever! I got to craft next to and WITH Martha Stewart. I am still pinching myself to see if this was a dream! But as far as I know it was real.

Today I arrived bright and early at Martha Stewart’s Studio. I was greated by two amazing producers Molly and Jenn. They lovingly introduced me to the staff I have so often seen on the show, walked me through rehearsal and then gave me to the awesome hair and make up department. ( Debra the makeup artist rocks ! and boy can she work wonders ! Some people are just really awesome at their job and are also super great people and that is Debra in a nutshell!)

We (Martha and I) made pine cone fire starters for a fireplace on those brisk autumnal nights. Such a simple but brilliant craft from the wonderful staff at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
Martha also highlighted two of my original designs on the show. One was my Vermont Twilight Fair Isle Hat and the other was a monkey rattle I had designed for my very soon to be born niece. The Vermont Twilight Hat was designed as part of the Hurricane Irene Relief effort to help Vermonters after Hurricane Irene caused massive floods and damage to a lot of rural Vermont. This was part of a partnership with one of my favorite local yarn shops in the greater Burlington area called Kaleidoscope yarns.They also have a great internet business that ships worldwide (www.kyarns.com) The pattern is available via their website under the hat download page.
The monkey rattle is a soon to be released pattern that I designed for my soon to be born darling niece baby girl w. (Can’t wait to meet you baby girl !)
As I write this I am so thankful and grateful! I cannot praise God enough for the tremendous overflowing blessings he provided me with today…..I am also exhausted and will with thanks head to bed. I will be sure to write more tomorrow… and as far as my blog… there is great stuff to come so stay tuned !

p.s. its also really cool to watch yourself trend on facebook. Thank you to all my friends who posted! Like me on facebook East End Home Arts!

15 days and counting till Christmas! Pastries and Prosecco!

As an avid crafter and baker every holiday season I am on the lookout for the best books and gadgets. This season is no exception. What a great year to be a foodie. My cookbook collection has over 50 cookbooks 10 or so signed by the authors (Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto, Giada DeLaurentis, Lidia Bastianich, Michael Simon, Duff Goldman, Paula Deen, The Deen Brothers, Ellie Krieger and more).
This past Wednesday at Book Revue in Huntington NY I added another great one to my collection… Mr. John Baricelli, host of Everyday Baking, a regular to the Martha Stewart Show and owner of So No Baking Company in South Norwalk, CT. This was an amazing signing. It was a small and intimate gathering. John is a Long Islander hailing from Valley Stream, NY. He was joined by many of his friends and family as well as some clergy from the school he attended. The best part of it all is that we got to taste amazing pastries that were in his book oh yeah and he also brought prosecco! Delish! I tried to taste one of everything but I became fixated on the lemon meringue tarts. I even brought one home for my husband because lemon meringue is his absolute favorite. I also tasted the fruit tart, opera cake(which will be featured in his next book) and a chocolate covered macaroon.
John shared that baking and catering is a tough business but in the end its more a labor of love then for profit. He also said that he just signed on for another book that will be due out by Mothers Day 2012.
John shared his humble start with us and how he met Martha Stewart. He states that he was doing what he loved when she tasted his amazing creations and then he found himself having coffee and ice cream discussing business with Martha Stewart in his bakery. So you never know!!! Maybe one day that will be me or you !

So my top 5 must have cookbooks for this season are…..
1) The SoNo Baking Company Cook book by John Baricelli
2) Momofuku- David Chang (owner of the award wining Momufuku restaurant in the city… on my Christmas wish list)
3)Barefoot Contessa Made Easy- Ina Garten
4)Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy – Lidia Bastianich
5) Nona Tell me a Story- Lidia Bastianich

So to all my foodies out there. Here are your holiday must haves. And if you are going to a cookie exchange or two in my case… You MUST check out John Baricelli’s new book !!!!!