Confessions of an Accidental Martha Stewart
This summer, my best friend slept over after I'd finished landscaping my backyard for the first time. She woke up early, wandered outside, and found me out there watering the garden before coffee. Her exact words: "It's like I'm staying with Martha Stewart."
She wasn't the first person to say it, and she definitely wasn't the last. The Martha Stewart jokes started as a running theme, but the truth is, I never set out to be anyone's Martha.
It's not just the table
The backyard is proof this isn't only about hosting. I landscaped it myself this year, and friends noticed before I'd even mentioned doing the work. The same way I pay attention to every table scape and how the space will feel for anyone walking in, I approach events with that level of personal care. Whether it’s arranging a garden or setting a table, I focus on the details that make an experience memorable for each person involved.
It was never really about grand gestures
What people actually noticed, over and over, was how put together everything was, book club, a girls' night, a craft night, it didn't matter the occasion. The comment wasn't really about any one big thing, it was about how far down the details went. I think about each person who's actually going to be at the table, not just the group as a whole.
At a Halloween book club night, one of my friends is vegan, so I made sure the feta in the salad was served on the side instead of mixed in, small enough that most people wouldn't notice, but it meant she didn't have to pick around her plate. At Galentine's, one of my friends was pregnant, so alongside the cocktail menu I built out a mocktail option too, so she still had something that felt special instead of just water or a seltzer straight from the can.
None of that is complicated. It's just the difference between planning for "guests" and planning for the actual people showing up.
The cookies that made it official
Last Christmas is probably where the nickname really stuck. I made homemade cookies for family and friends, and instead of just handing over a plate, I made custom gift tags for every tin, personalized with each person's name and a seasonal "baked with love" note. That was the year people started saying it outright: you're basically Martha Stewart. Cookies don't need custom tags. But once I've noticed the detail, there's no version of me that skips it.
Where it actually comes from
I've thought about this a lot, and I think it comes down to growing up watching someone do the same thing long before I ever did. Holidays in my house were never just about the meal. There was always a reason the table looked a certain way, a reason for the extra step nobody was going to comment on unless it was missing. I didn't think of it as a skill being taught, it just looked normal to me. It wasn't until I found myself doing the exact same thing, unprompted, in my own house, that I realized how much of it I'd absorbed without meaning to.
So, if you want someone who pays attention to the details,
Not because they set out to become Martha Stewart, but because it just happens naturally. Every thoughtful gesture, every little extra, is simply a part of who I am. That’s the real confession behind my accidental Martha Stewart reputation.That's what sets me apart. If you're looking for someone who will remember the vegan guest, the pregnant friend, and the little seasonal touches that make gatherings memorable, that's exactly what Stay Awhile is all about. Reach out to talk about your next event, or connect with me on Instagram to see more behind-the-scenes.
