Martha Stewart Living February 2016 edition

We are all just getting into 2016 and wanted to ease into it with a nice and easy post.

 

I haven't made any proper new year resolutions or none that are original enough to mention.

 

Just looking at Martha's monthly schedule makes me laugh.

Mine is more like this.

 

Monday - recover from weekend

 

Tuesday - Browse Netflix and try and get something done

 

Wednesday - finish TV show marathon on Netflix, eat, and try and get something done

 

Thursday - feel empty because your show marathon is over and look at the piles of things around the house of projects you have started and thinking about working out

 

Friday - think about working out and finishing projects around the house while wondering what to eat for dinner

 

 

 

Loi from one of my favourite blogs Tone on Tone

has been a busy bee too!

 

We all knew he was talented and his home in Maryland and his holiday house in Maine demonstrates his aesthetics and

design sensibility along with showcasing his beautiful Swedish antiques and other collections such as the white ironstone.

But his home is featured in this issue!!

 

If you are reading this Loi,

Congratulations and I am so happy for you!

For regular readers, you will know how happy I was to see a neatly folded and placed throw!

 

I loved seeing his home in a proper publication and appreciated looking at his home from this professionally edited vantage point.

 

I do love his kitchen in its simplicity and functionality.

It is one of those kitchens you can't imagine anyone won't like.

 

I can't imagine those who are not as of yet following Loi

but if you haven't you really must visit his blog where he shares pictures of his home but also his garden.

( Click on links to see his garden )

He also has a green thumb!

I hope that Martha decides to feature his garden as well in another issue in the feature.

 

Do you like pretzels?

The taste is not that noticeable for me apart from those obnoxious salt crystals or the MSG ramen powder cheesey thing they sometimes dunk the pretzels in.

But I like the shape.

It's the shape that people must be attached to otherwise they should have gone extinct centuries ago.

 

I only included this segment because of the different ways to make the various shapes.

 

 

Do you have your pencils in a candle jar at home like I do?

 

But do you want an alternative mature option of carrying around pencils in your bag instead of in

a Hello Kitty cotton candy pink zip pencil case?

There aren't many adult version of pencil cases around.

This looks simple and easy enough to make.

After all the parties and entertaining, I think people are now doing more drinks but I love this little snack or tapas to serve with cocktails.

 

Another preferred version of this type of hors d'oeuvre is one that Ottolenghi does in his catering menu which is dried apricots stuffed with blue cheese mix and walnuts.

So easy and tasty.

 

I just included the citrus picture because it's a beautiful image.

Instagram is okay and all but even the most ardent amateur IGer won't buy and cut up all that citrus fruit for a simple shot.

 

We still buy magazines for that thank you very much.

I am surprised Martha included these chocolate cakes as it is the false diet hope month of January even though it is the February edition.

 

I suppose this is for those Valentine's day treats.

I do think espresso shots should be provided with cupcakes instead of lemonade because I get such a sugar coma that espresso is one of the few things to even out the sugar.

Leave it to Martha to remind us to sharpen our knives

after all that chopping and backstabbing.

 

I hope you have a fabulous weekend wherever you are! xx

 

All images via my iPad edition of Living