A Skylands Party for Friends of Acadia
During the summer, I love entertaining at Skylands, my home in Seal Harbor, Maine.
Earlier this month, I hosted a wonderful cocktail reception and dinner for Friends of Acadia and some of the organization's biggest supporters. The mission of Friends of Acadia is to preserve and to protect Acadia National Park and its surrounding communities. As many of you know, Acadia National Park is very important to me and to my family. Acadia is a beautiful 47-thousand acre Atlantic coast recreation area primarily on Mount Desert Island. It is filled with pristine woodlands, rocky beaches, clear ponds and so much more. I love hiking its many trails and always enjoy the stunning views and tranquility - especially now that my grandchildren, Jude and Truman, can join me.
You may recall, last year was an incredibly important year for both Acadia National Park and Friends of Acadia - the park and the National Park Service celebrated their centennials. As part of the celebration, Friends of Acadia announced its most ambitious fundraising campaign, the Second Century Campaign, which raised more than 26-million dollars for several key priorities including youth engagement, visitor experience, and protecting Acadia’s fragile resources. Here's to another 100-years at Acadia - a truly magical place. Enjoy these photos from the party.
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- This is my circular driveway at the front entrance of Skylands. The driveways and all the carriage roads at Skylands are covered with crushed pink granite stone. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- Kevin Sharkey always creates such beautiful arrangements. This one is all white, and looks spectacular on my Living Hall table. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- I love how the smoke bush flowers, Cotinus, look in this arrangement – like a puffy cloud of “smoke”.
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- I love this view of my terrace through the leaded window panes. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- Blue agave always looks so stunning in these Gertrude Jekyll style pots. Gertrude was an influential British garden designer, horticulturist, artist and writer. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- All my chaises longues are perfectly lined up under umbrella shades on my terrace. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- Here are my glazed terra-cotta sphinxes watching over the terrace. These sphinxes were designed by Emile Muller. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- Here’s a tranquil view through the woodland. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- I love to plant uniquely shaped succulents in this ancient English stone trough. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- Heather Kirkland and I add some finishing touches to the table. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- FOA President, David MacDonald, and I take a last look at all the party preparations. Kristin Clements, our server, prepares the bar in the background. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- We served wines from Martha Stewart Wine Co. For the evening, I chose a delicious Villa Ruby and Marquis de Bacalan. Bacalan is a sauvignon blanc. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas) http://marthastewartwine.com
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- For cocktails, we made caipirinhas, martinis, and served tequila. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- David presented me with a hostess gift – a lovely vintage carriage road sign of Seal Harbor. The wrapping paper is the iconic image taken by Howie Motenko. It was used as the campaign image in many publications. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- Here I am greeting guests in my Living Hall as they arrived – Henry Schultz, Bob Kogod, David Rockefeller, Susan Rockefeller and David. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- On my large faux bois table in the Living Hall, I always have a guest book opened for everyone to sign. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- Here I am with Henry sharing a funny moment on the terrace. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- Sorrel soup, gougeres, cheese straws, and deviled eggs were passed around to guests. A gougère, in French cuisine, is a baked savory choux pastry made of choux dough mixed with cheese – everyone loved our hors d’oeuvres. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- Here I am joined by Henry Schultz, Susan Rockefeller, and Bob Kogod. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- This is Lisa Horsch Clark from FOA – she worked with me to plan the evening’s festivities. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- Everyone had such an enjoyable evening. About 40-guests attended the party. The event was to thank those for their contributions to the Second Century Campaign. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- During dinner, I shared some of my deep ties and love for Acadia. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- FOA President, David MacDonald, welcomed our guests, thanked campaign donors, and shared updates on recent work in Acadia made possible by the guests’ support. (Photo by FOA/Julia Walker Thomas)
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- Dinner was prepared by my friend, Chef Pierre Schaedelin, of PS Tailored Events and his great team. The first course was a flavorful Risotto with chanterelles. http://pstailoredevents.com
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- Here is Pierre plating the entree – Soupe de Poission, with Lobster, mussels, clams, potato, and fennel.
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- Warm pieces of toast with rouille were also served.
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- For those who do not like seafood, we served lamb chops.
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- During dinner, Jude and Truman presented their lists of what they loved about Acadia – this was so special to me. You can see a closer look of the list on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48. What a wonderful evening.
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