Have you tried Elm Biosciences yet? Even actress Courtney Cox says she can't wait to use my skin products!
Last month, Courtney joined me at New York City's Soho restaurant, Altro Paradiso, for a luncheon and moderated conversation about beauty, longevity, keeping healthy rituals, embracing change, and building brands. Also in attendance were more than 30 female founders, beauty insiders, makeup artists, and content creators. I hope you saw some of the photos and videos on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48. It was a great way to share more about Elm Biosciences and our innovative and unique approach to graceful aging and skin care. You're all going to love Elm! Click anywhere on this highlighted link to buy your beauty set right now!
Enjoy these photos.
Everyone is still talking about the lovely luncheon we had last month celebrating Elm. Here I am with Elm co-founder dermatologist, Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali and Courteney. Dr. Bhanusali and I developed Elm Biosciences with an innovative and unique lab-to-patient model offering a science-backed inside-approach to graceful aging and skin longevity. (Photo by BFA)
I love my A30 Elemental Night Cream and the A30 Elemental Serum – both formulas that help enrich the skin. (Photo by BFA)
I’ve been taking the Inner Dose supplements and using the creams every day and my skin has responded so beautifully. (Photo by BFA)
The event was held at Manhattan’s Altro Paradiso. On one side of the restaurant was a pop up stage where we held the moderated conversation. We used Vesper Corp for the event’s set-up and details. (Photo by BFA)
Courteney and I are both passionate entrepreneurs. (Photo by BFA)
During the conversation, I talked about business and passion, about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, the importance of staying excited, and one of my big mantras – to learn something new every day. (Photo by BFA)
Courteney spoke about her love for being busy and having many hobbies. (Photo by BFA)
Courteney and I talked a little about gardening. I said everyone should eat fresh vegetables from one’s own garden. Courteney said she’s ready to start planting! (Photo by BFA)
Our moderator was Jenny B. Fine, editor in chief of Beauty Inc. (Photo by BFA)
It was so nice to speak in front of such an enthusiastic crowd – I hope you’ve seen all the social media posts on this fun event. (Photo by BFA)
We reserved the restaurant for the entire midday event. The tables were dressed in white and decorated with fresh spring flowers. (Photo by BFA)
Some of the flowers used include Anthurium, Oncidium orchids, yellow sweet peas and dill. (Photo by BFA)
More flowers were displayed around the venue – created by Sweetscape NYC. (Photo by BFA)
All the place cards were hand drawn by artist Andrea Shine. (Photo by BFA)
The napkins were also embroidered with Elm.
And utter pats were personalized for the event. (Photo by BFA)
The formal symbol of our skincare brand is the elm bonsai. The bonsai, when thoughtfully and carefully maintained, becomes more beautiful as it matures. New England Bonsai Gardens loaned us several bonsai specimens for the luncheon. (Photo by BFA)
The menu included a starter of procscuitto, whipped ricotta and olives. The pane was followed by a Finocchio Fennel salad, Gamberi Crudo, and then Trota with Asparagus, Zuppa Mussels and Chickpea Soup. For dessert – Lemon Sorbetto and Ricotta and Rhubarb Tart – all by Chef Ignacio Mattos. (Photo by BFA)
Each guest went home with an assortment of products from Elm, and Courtney’s home and body collection. Be sure to go online now and buy your Elm Inner Dose supplements, A3O Elemental Serum, and A30 Elemental Night Cream. (Photo by BFA)
After the luncheon, there were many opportunities for photos. Here I am with Jenny, Dr. Bhanusali and Courteney. What a fun event for all. I assure you, there’s nothing like Elm Biosciences – just try it. (Photo by BFA)
Spring is a delightful season to celebrate any occasion!
Around this time every year, when my herbaceous peonies are in full bloom, I love to show off their splendor with a casual garden tour and luncheon. Not long ago I invited our friends from Maman and some colleagues up to my farm - perhaps you saw photos on my Instagram page @mMarthaStewart48. We enjoyed garden Grissini, beet soup and a green salad with vegetables from my garden, wild Alaskan salmon with peas and herbs, my farm fresh asparagus served with cured lemon vinaigrette, steamed baby potatoes, assorted pastries, and several delicious desserts. It was a wonderful meal prepared by our own Sarah Carey and Alex Utter.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
For just a short time from the end of May through the first weeks of June, my herbaceous peony bed is full of blooms in shades of pink and white. I planted 11-double rows of 22-peony types, all selected for their colors, their forms, and their long blooming periods.
Anyone who tours my gardens this time of year always asks to see these wondrous flowers in all their splendor.
I love to use plants and flowers to decorate my table whenever I entertain. Here are peonies in simple glass vessels lined up down my dining room table.
I also like to fill vases and place them in various locations around my home. This vase of dark pink peonies is in my servery, where all my guests can see them when they arrive.
At many of my luncheons, I serve pomegranate iced tea using concentrate from our friends at POM Wonderful – this one with fresh lime and berries.
This time, I also served a black mint tea with fresh mint and strawberries.
A tray of fresh citrus and strawberries was also offered for extra garnish.
Have you ever had Grissini? They are long, thin breadsticks infused with vegetables or herbs in the dough. We used parsley, carrot, and beet. The recipe is in my book, Martha Stewart’s Entertaining: A Year of Celebrations, Clarkson Potter 2011.
My garden produced so much asparagus this year – all thick, delicious and tender spears. This was prepared with cured lemon vinaigrette, fried capers, toasted breadcrumbs and parsley.
Also on the menu – steamed new potatoes served with sugar snap peas, English peas, spring onions, and spinach sautéed in a beurre blanc sauce and garnished with chive blossoms and lemon zest. It was a big hit.
The wild Alaskan salmon was baked with citrus and served with spring peas and herbs.
I also served a beautifully colored beet soup with beets from my garden. The soup is topped with crème fraîche, golden and red beets, cucumber, and dill blossoms.
And here’s a serving of the fresh green garden salad with lettuces from my garden, avocado, radish, pickled yellow carrot, toasted pistachio, and a rice vinegar dressing.
I never forget dessert! Sarah and Alex prepared an array of tarts and cookies.
These are giant triple citrus sugar cookies.
And these are my daughter Alexis’s famous chocolate chip cookies.
We enjoyed apricot tartlets served with whipped cream.
And my fresh rhubarb was used to make this beautiful tart also served with whipped cream.
These are strawberry shortcake cream puffs topped with pink craquelin.
The desserts were so good, every guest had a piece of everything.
Outside, many of the trees were also showing off lovely flowers. These are two of my horse chestnut trees at the foot of my long Boxwood Allée. The day was a little overcast, but still excellent for a spring gathering.
The gardens are glistening with color at my farm - so perfect for a spring day garden tour.
Yesterday, I opened my gardens for a private showing to a lovely group from the United States Seniors' Golf Association. Every now and then, I agree to these guided walks to show visitors what is blooming at the time. The weather was perfect - sunny with temperatures in the low 80s. Unfortunately, because of my busy travel and work schedule, I wasn’t able to join this group, but they had a very thorough and enjoyable tour with my head gardener, Ryan McCallister.
Here are some pictures, enjoy.
This group included 40 guests. I like to schedule these tours early before it gets too warm. This day was perfect and everyone was so enthusiastic.
The group started with a walk through my main greenhouse and out through the flower garden. So many flowers are blooming now.
The peonies are showing so beautifully this year. And so are the alliums.
And the lupines are everywhere. The flowers are produced in dense or open whorls on an erect spike, each flower about one to two centimeters long. The pea-like flowers have an upper standard, or banner, two lateral wings, and two lower petals fused into a keel.
Ryan talked about the how the flower garden is organized with all sorts of different perennials. I wanted the plants to be mixed, so every bed in this garden would be interesting and colorful.
Just outside the head house is another garden of peonies.
The group was amazed to see so many peonies, but at this point of the tour, they had not seen my giant herbaceous peony garden yet.
Ryan stops at various locations to point out specific allées and garden beds. He talked about the history of the farm and how it has evolved over the years. He also answered many gardening questions. I am glad everyone wore comfortable, cool clothing – there’s always a lot of walking during these tours.
The tour walked to the pool, where guests saw my antique staddle stones. I bought the staddle stones in 2017 from the annual NYBG Garden Furniture & Antiques Fair. Staddle stones were originally used in the 17th and 18th centuries as support bases for granaries, hayricks, and game larders. Lining two sides are my six Ginkgo biloba Goldspire™ Obelisk trees.
Then the group walked through the orchard, where I have more than 200 fruit trees.
Ryan led the group down my long Boxwood Allée. Some stopped to say hi to the donkeys in their pasture.
And no tour is complete without a stop at the bird enclosures. Here is one of my peacocks showing off his tail feathers.
Next, the group walked through my formal Summer House Garden. I began planning this formal garden more than 12 years ago. The focal point is the great old ginkgo tree at the back of the space that is original to the property. Over time, I’ve planted American and English boxwood, smaller ginkgo trees, smoke bushes, Siberian weeping pea shrubs, peonies, hostas, lilies, alliums, snowflakes, and so much more.
Next was my peony bed – it’s an extra special treat when guests can see this garden in bloom. My herbaceous peony collection includes 11-double rows of peonies, and 22 different varieties of peony plants – two varieties in each row.
One of the reasons these peonies thrive here at my farm is because of the soil. It has a pH of 6.5 to 7.0, which is ideal. It is also amended with superphosphate and Azomite, a natural product mined from an ancient mineral deposit in Utah. These natural additives improve root systems and overall plant vigor, resulting in this fantastic profusion of blooms.
The peony is any plant in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America.
Peonies are one of the best-known and most dearly loved perennials – not surprising considering their beauty, trouble-free nature, and longevity.
The peony’s fragrance can vary, but most have sweet, clean scents. And, do you know… pink peonies tend to have stronger fragrances than red peonies? Double form white peonies are also very aromatic.
Some asked what I do with all the flowers. Aside from using them for various video and photography shoots, I always cut fresh flowers whenever I entertain. Here is one vase of flowers on my Martha Stewart table from Pollywood. I always like to offer my guests a snack and cool beverage during these guided tours.
Enma pours glasses of pomegranate juice made using concentrate from our friends at POM Wonderful.
And here’s Patricia pouring glasses of refreshing iced coffee.
And of course, everyone enjoyed a cookie, or two. These are my delicious Ultimate Kitchen Sink cookies made by Maman. These cookies are so delicious and so easy to make – one doesn’t even need a mixer. The recipe is from my book, Martha Stewart’s Cookie Perfection. The recipe calls for dried fruits, nuts, chocolate, rolled oats, coconut. It’s all in there – everything but the kitchen sink. It was a wonderful end to a beautiful tour.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
