Martha, Martha, Martha

My husband is forever telling me I shouldn’t support a “crook”. So she made a mistake. A pretty darn big, embarrassing, life-altering, multiple-felony mistake. But it seems like Martha Stewart has paid her debts to society. She coughed up the monetary fine, did some hard time (and probably brought new hope to her fellow prisoners by conducting classes on how to create custom wall art with nothing more than toothpaste, TP and a couple of box springs), plus she suffered through a whole season of dead-on impressions every Saturday night by SNL’s Ana Gasteyer.

I’m so over it. Felon or not, Martha is still queen of the domestic kingdom. If I’m ever in a design rut or need ideas for baby shower favors or a fool-proof brunch recipe for overnight guests, I can always turn to her for inspiration.

My poor bedroom is currently a hodgepodge of antique and modern furniture, ill-fitted sheets and a mind-numbingly boring color palette. Thank goodness the eight hours a night I spend in there are with my eyes closed. For some irritating reason, I can’t seem to put my finger on what exactly I want to do in there.

I’ve been frequenting the usual suspects online – Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware – but I still keep coming up blank. Then I wandered over to marthastewart.com where I noticed an adorable little logo for a new publication of hers called Blueprint, Design Your Life. What the heck, right? Its only 15 bucks for a subscription and I’m desperate here.

Well I got my first issue in the mail yesterday. Normally I like to spread my magazine reading over several days so it will last longer and the wait for the next issue doesn’t seem so grueling, but every page in this glorious issue (Issue No. 6, pictured above) fit my style to a T. I had to read through to the last editorial on the back page. I got some great ideas for my bedroom, but also took away tidbits about "Dressing the Part" (finding your personal style and then dressing accordingly) and the "Secret Shortcuts of Healthy People" (11 easy ways to live a healthier life).

I may be jumping the gun since I’m only one issue in, but so far the only downside I see is that Blueprint is only published 6 times a year instead of 12. I guess I have to start spreading my reading out again. If I’ve piqued your interest, you can sign up for a FREE preview issue of the mag here.