2010 Martha Stewart Holiday Craft Sale on December 4, 2010

Martha Stewart's annual Holiday craft sale is back this December in New York City. Last year I attended this fair in hopes to check out many vendors and their DIY goodies! (See my recap here.) I had a great time and it's such a great place to pick up any holiday gifts and support the local businesses! If you want to get the details...

Join the fun on December 4, 2010 at the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia building at 601 W. 26th Street, between 11 & 12 avenue in NYC. Admission is free and it starts 12 Noon to 6 PM.


See the list of vendors at www.marthastewart.com/craft-sale


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Valentine's Day this weekend!

It's Valentine's Day this weekend and however you will be celebrating, I hope there will be wonderful crafts involved. I was lucky to be an audience member of the Martha Stewart Show last week and it was an amazing experience. There were several taped segments including making a heart box and beautiful jeweled-like cookies!

The Valentine Heart Box is very simple and easy to make. To make yours, get the directions here: Valentine Treat Box


Source: www.marthastewart.com

You can also make these gorgeous cookies using this recipe here. This cookie recipe belongs to the Jewels of New York, a partnership between two friends who enjoy design and cooking! You can't help but notice the rich berry colors on the cookies! They are actually made of raspberry jam and to add more flavor and taste, lychee puree and prosecco is used. Yummy!

It's a simple sugar cookie and even Martha Stewart was surprised that there was no baking powder used (Apparently she uses it a lot for her own recipes.)

They sell these cookies (4 for $25) on their website, Jewels of New York if you are interested. But I think if you have the ingredients at home and have the patience to make them yourself, it will be a fun project! They will also be homemade and a wonderful gift for your loved one.

So after browsing the website a bit more, I found some great videos and features that they offer. If you remember my earlier post on Martha Stewart's favorite Mario Badescu products (Read more about it here), I saw the video in her Video Archive.

Not only is her video collection on past shows up-to-date, she has recipes, crafts, gardening tips, and so much more. My favorite is her Cookie of the Day feature.

Each day you will see a recipe of a yummy cookie dessert! Last Saturday's was a Creamy Fudge Heart, and the ingredients are so simple. It's basically milk, lots of sugar, and butter. They also have a Chocolate Mint Cookie (January 27) and it looks good and easy to make. If I can master this, maybe I won't need to buy those Girl Scout mint cookies anymore!



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Mario Badescu products

Even Martha Stewart loves them! On her January 6, 2009 show, she showcased a few of her favorite Mario Badescu products and gave some away to the audience.


Source: Mario Badescu email

Her favorites include:
1) A.H.A. Botanical Body Soap - which is made of fresh fruit extracts, including grapefruit and papaya

2) Citrus Body Cleanser - which is made of grapefruit extract

3) Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs And Rosewater

4) Special Hand Cream with Vitamin E - contains Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Wheat Germ Oil and Honey

It's interesting that two of her favorites are for body washes. Of the four products, I have only tried the facial spray and I like it because it is gentle and keeps my skin refreshed during the day.

I have tried other Mario Badescu handcreams, Elasto-Seamollient Hand Cream and their Fruit and Vitamin A&D Hand Cream (SPF-10). I liked the elasto-seamollient hand cream because it smells nice. It's light and quickly absorbs into your skin, but I felt I needed to apply more soon after for my dry hands. I didn't think the Fruit and Vitamin hand cream was anything too special. It smelled fruity and nice but that was about it.

Here are some of my favorites:
1) Almond & Honey Face Scrub -one of my favorite scrubs! Smells good and works well!
2) Honey Moisturizer - I would recommend using this if you're looking for a good moisturizer that will make your skin feel smooth afterwards.
3) Buffering Lotion (for acne) - great for whiteheads and zits that you feel coming.
4) Body Sunblock (SPF30) - This is the only sunblock that I use and have because I am not allergic to it :)


To try out Mario Badescu products for free..

If you are new to Mario Badescu, I recommend you filling out their questionnaire under their "Consulting" headline. After answering a few questions about yourself, they will send you a free sample kit of recommended products! I have received the Honey Moisturizer and Almond & Honey Face Scrub in my kit, and I'm hooked!

Free Gift from Mario Badescu!

Hello Divas!

I hope your day is filled with sunshine! Well the sun finally came out today in Atlanta. I am so happy!!!! Today's post will be short and sweet. A good friend of mine, Robin, wanted me to hip you beautiful ladies to a fantastic freebie. Mario Badescu skincare will give you a free gift, if you go to their website here, and fill out their skincare analysis survey! How cool is that??!!

If you lovely Divas do not know, Mario Badescu, is a world-renowned skin care line that is a MUST for celebrities. This skincare line treats problem skin such as acne, scarring, and aging skin. It is a favorite of Charlize Theron and Martha Stewart.

If any of you lovely Divas fill out the skincare analysis survey, let me know. And enjoy your free product!

Toodles!