Living with Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart is an international TV and magazine icon. Her TV show and her magazine are both named Martha Stewart Living. She became popular for her ideas that include interior decorating and recipes. She had her own line of decorations, craft supplies and linens.

Stewart was born in New Jersey on August 3, 1941. She was brought up in a very strict home where she learned cooking, sewing and gardening because of the need to help augment the family’s meager income. When she was in high school, she began modeling, which helped her finish schooling until college. She met Andrew Stewart while she was studying art history at Barnard College who eventually became her husband in 1961.

In 1965, Stewart left modeling and moved to Wall Street. Without background, experience or training in trading, Stewart was lucky to be hired by Moness Williams and Sidel, a stock brokerage firm. With sheer energy, drive and keen business acumen, she earned the firm’s respect and was regarded with a good salary. When the crisis in 1973 broke, Stewart left trading and considered a change in career.

The Stewart family moved to Connecticut. While thinking about her change of career, Stewart put her energy in rebuilding, renovating and decorating their old farmhouse on Turkey Hill Road. On her free times, she taught cooking and catering classes. Soon, her cooking and catering business grew. With a following, Stewart established a formal catering business with her friend Norma Collier which they named Uncatered Affair.

When Stewart and Collier parted ways, Stewart continued with her catering business which she named Martha Stewart Inc. She catered for many celebrities and wealthy clients. She started contributing to decorating, cooking and gardening columns in national papers such as Good Housekeeping and House Beautiful.

Together with freelancer writer Elizabeth Hawes, Stewart compiled her decorating ideas and recipes into what became a best seller in 1982. The success of the book published by Crown Publishing earned Stewart a nationwide following that resulted in speaking engagements and book tours.

Stewart started her first TV show, the Holiday Entertainment with Martha Stewart in 1986. Another magazine came in 1987 through Time Warner entitled Martha Stewart Living; after that followed her TV shows and internet.