Halloween has always been one of my favorite occasions, and whenever my schedule allows, I love getting dressed up in fun and creative costumes. Here are a few of my favorites from years past! Yesterday, I had the pleasure of appearing on the TODAY show in an Olympics-inspired costume alongside host Craig Melvin, who dressed up as my friend Snoop Dogg - also in Olympics red, white, and blue! I shared some festive Halloween entertaining ideas, including my no-bake spiderweb cheesecake, witches’ brew, and a ghastly goulash. I hope you had a chance to watch!
Enjoy these photos and have a fun Halloween!
Happy Halloween! Here I am in New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza at a beautiful Halloween decorated table.
The table setting included lots of gourds, pumpkins and spiders in webs – just waiting to crawl on all the Halloween-inspired dishes.
Here are some delicious apples for my witches brew – a mulled cider served with a spooky shrunken head in each cup.
The apples are skinned, cored and then carved – one can use a melon baller and chop stick to carve a face into the flesh of the apple. Add a clove in each eye socket for an even scarier look.
And here I am with Craig Melvin dressed as Snoop Dogg. Remember our appearances at the Winter Olympics in Milan?
I taught host Savannah Guthrie how to make my shrunken heads. Savannah is dressed as an NBC page.
Here I am with Craig, Savannah and can you guess? Dressed with long, brown hair is Carson Daly as country singer-songwriter, Ella Langley.
The morning show team dressed up to celebrate NBC’s 100th anniversary – some wore costumes showcasing various iconic shows through the years. Here I am joined by “Snoop,” Sheinelle Jones as a Radio City Rockette to honor the Music Hall next door, Laura Jarrett as gymnast Simone Biles, Jenna Bush Hager as Lisa Kudrow’s Phoebe Buffay, guest Jack McBrayer, and on my left, Al Roker as Gumby from Saturday Night LIVE.
Craig did a good job as “Snoop Dogg,” but there’s only one true “D-O-double G.”
Remember some of these following great costumes? Meet my dear husband, Frank. He’s the strong, silent type. We’re pictured in our well-appointed potting shed turned laboratory, surrounded by some of our most useful possessions – test tubes, newt brains and electrodes.
Here I am as Red Pirate Martha with my crew of ship rats!
Here I am as a scary scientist with my nephew, Charlie Plimpton.
I dressed in a lot of costumes for the covers of my Halloween Special Issues. This is “Bad Martha” from the 2007 holiday issue featuring 150 “bad things” such as ghoulish get-ups, scary pumpkins, and spooky party ideas. My “Glampire” cape was made from black silk woven with metallic threads. (Photo by Craig Cutler)
And here is “Good Martha”, with 150 “good things”, such as enchanting costumes, easy decorations, and tasty treats. (Photo by Craig Cutler)
Here I am dressed as a ghostly equestrienne with my handsome Friesian, Rutger, at my side. This costume was for the cover of our 2009 Halloween issue. (Photo by Diego Uchitel)
And here I am as “Motha” from our 2011 Halloween special issue – with my platinum-blonde bob wig, and flirty feathered lashes. (Photo by Ruven Afanador)
This is my “Fairy God Martha” costume. I wore a pink bodysuit and leggings underneath all this tulle fabric. (Photo by Fadil Berisha)
And here I am in a “Bloody Park Avenue Nurse” costume, inspired by the Richard Prince Nurses Series. (Photo by @douglasfriedman)
This is me as one of Roy Lichtenstein’s iconic “comic book women.” I wore a platinum-blond wig and outlined a plain white shirt with black stripes, and used red half-gloves.
And you know this superhero – “Wonder Woman” Martha!
At this Halloween party, I dressed as a many-plumed bird.
You know who I am here – Marilyn Monroe. Have a safe and fun All Hallow’s Eve.
Here at my farm, we work from a detailed checklist of daily and seasonal chores, but unexpected projects sometimes arise that require immediate attention.
When something new comes up, it’s important to assess its urgency, adjust the day’s schedule, and determine the most efficient way to get it done. Yesterday, Pete from my outdoor grounds crew took a short time out to repair the doors on a small wooden storage shed inside my chicken coop yard. The repairs will help keep bins of chicken feed securely stored and protected from curious, unwelcome wildlife. Even the smallest maintenance projects play an important role in keeping my farm organized, safe, and running smoothly.
Here are some photos.
In my chicken yard, I have five large coops that house my chickens, Guinea hens, and turkeys. I keep them as clean as possible to keep my fowl healthy and the unwanted vermin away.
This small shed needed proper doors to keep the bins inside well protected.
Temporary panels kept the space somewhat closed, but the wood could still be pushed giving access to intruders.
Pete measured the space for sliding doors that would work more efficiently.
In my back field, I store a lot of scrap materials for use on various projects. I always impress upon the crew to reuse, repurpose and recycle whenever possible.
One piece of scrap plywood was retrieved for the door project.
Pieces on the structure that were no longer needed were taken down.
Pete worked carefully and efficiently having all his needed tools close at hand.
As the adage goes, measure twice, cut once. Here, Pete measures the space again.
Because my chickens are raised around humans, they are very accustomed to all the activity and curious to investigate everything they see.
They use their beaks, which are rich in sensory receptors, to explore and peck at unfamiliar objects, bugs, and to navigate around obstacles.
Using a set square ruler, Pete makes the appropriate marks for cutting.
Pete tries to cut materials all at once before installing.
This hen watches from her coop doorway.
Here is a group of Guinea fowl – naturally active, independent foragers with strong curiosity, but they startle easily and keep their distance.
Pete secures a piece of 2×4 wood which will provide a base for the sliding doors.
He also attaches scrap wood to make usable handles for these doors.
Side pieces cut to fit will prevent the doors from sliding too far.
In the end, it is an easy and quick solution for an important storage need.
Lastly, the doors on this unit are painted my signature “Bedford Gray.”
Another hen comes to check out what’s happening.
This small maintenance job took less than one hour to complete, but it will protect the feed, keep the area neat and tidy, and possibly prevent any bigger issues from happening later.
Here at my farm, seasonal transitions follow a carefully planned schedule of tasks that I refine each year to keep the property in excellent condition.
Autumn has been relatively mild here in the Northeast, giving us valuable time to prepare for the colder months ahead. Over the last couple of weeks my outdoor grounds crew has been hard at work clearing fallen leaves, winterizing hydrants, installing storm doors, wrapping ornamental urns in burlap, and tackling countless other indoor and outdoor chores. Maintaining a working farm of this size is a tremendous responsibility, requiring constant attention, careful planning, and a dedicated team to ensure everything runs smoothly throughout the year.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Adan, who takes excellent care of my lawns has now transitioned his time from mowing grass to blowing leaves. Leaf blowers are noisy, but they are the most effective for gathering the bulk of leaves into large piles.
Jimmy helps by collecting the blown leaves with our industrial leaf vacuum. The machine relies on a high‑powered engine and strong suction to pull leaves and debris through a hose and into the back of the dump truck. The leaves are then taken to the compost area, where they will decompose and get used again as mulch.
Adan uses our trusted STIHL backpack blower. I’ve been using STIHL’s blowers for years here at my farm. These blowers are powerful and fuel-efficient. The gasoline-powered engines provide enough rugged power to tackle heavy debris while delivering much lower emissions.
This area behind my stable is all cleared of leaves… for now.
Nearby, my long Boxwood Allée is given a fresh layer of compost made right here at the farm.
Pasang fills wheelbarrows and then hand shovels a two to three inch thick layer under each shrub.
In another section, weeds are being pulled from the beds.
Phurba rakes debris as he works. It’s a team effort to get the jobs done.
All the boxwood is also fed a generous amount of plant food for the season.
Behind my Summer House, Pete continues to cover ornamental urns and other objects with burlap to protect them from the winter elements. This is my sundial that is located in the formal sunken garden.
It is wrapped with burlap and sewn closed in the same manner as all the other outdoor urns and garden ornaments.
Jimmy works in this enclosed plant nursery where I keep potted young trees before they are planted in more permanent locations. It will be cleaned up and prepared for the storage of more saplings.
Chhiring checks all the water supplies and closes the hydrants for the winter. Closing and winterizing the hydrants is essential to prevent freeze damage and maintain water flow.
At my Winter House, Carlos installs the storm doors – this one is for my kitchen.
Inside, Patricia organizes linens in preparation for all my fall entertaining. Doing this now will save lots of time later.
Pasang works in my terrace parterres, gathering and disposing leaves and other plant debris. He collects it in one of my giant Multi-Purpose Reusable Garden Totes. These bags can carry hundreds of pounds.
The crew also uses a battery powered handheld blower from STIHL to blow any leaves from the area.
The vents of the vegetable greenhouse are covered. This greenhouse is equipped with several heavy-duty aluminum vent systems that automatically open and close when needed to allow hot air to escape while simultaneously allowing fresh air into the space. Before winter, both the inside and the outside of these units are covered to help insulate the structure.
Pete puts a layer of industrial floor covering fabric left over from another project and cardboard between the vent mechanics and the cover to further prevent drafts.
Pete also covers all my air conditioner pits. I keep all my air conditioners in large pits, where they are well hidden behind each house. These air conditioner pits are covered with industrial strength plastic and plywood to protect them from the winter elements.
Here’s Fernando storing my giant birdcage for the season.
And no matter what the season, the horses are always well exercised. Helen rides them every day around the farm. Here’s Bond heading out into the autumn sunshine. Good luck with all your fall chores – the cold weather is on its way!
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