Last Thursday, both the TV Crafts Department and the creative team for the upcoming holiday special took a trip down to the John Derian Company store on East 2nd Street in Manhattan. After a glowing review from Martha and Kevin Sharkey, we knew we had to check out the newest Christmas wares on display and …

  If you’re seeking inspiration for your Thanksgiving table (as well as a festive fall day trip north of New York), head to Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture this weekend for a workshop on projects from “The Vegetable Feast” story in the November issue of Living. We will show you  how to use …

On Friday night I had the privilege and great pleasure to accompany Martha and various guests to the New York Restoration Project’s annual “Hulaween” party at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. Hosted by none other than the fabulous Bette Midler, this year’s benefit was given the  theme of “Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead)” …

Shopping for supplies here in the Crafts Department has led to the discovery of some wonderfully kooky shops in New York—some of them are just great places to find general supplies, others are super specific. A few of my favorites are below. If you live here or are planning a trip soon, check them out! …

Last night I went to an event called AudioWear, created by my friends Christie Wright and Arjen Noordeman, who call themselves Elasticbrand. AudioWear is a collection of porcelain musical jewelry that you can wear but also play. I remember having dinner at their apartment a couple years ago and seeing the first sketches of these pieces …

This weekend my family and I attended Make magazine’s second annual Maker Faire New York, a festival created to “celebrate arts, crafts, engineering, science projects, and the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mind-set.” Our two boys, 5 and 8, had a great time making, crafting, and playing. All the volunteers that we met were incredibly generous with their …

Here in the Crafts Department, we like to be in the know when it comes to the latest and greatest craft communities, workshops, and alternative spaces. That said, I was delighted to stumble upon the newly founded Los Angeles–based cooperative fabrication shop and design studio called the Knowhow Shop, founded by architects Kagan Taylor, Justin Rice, …

A couple weeks ago, I was lucky enough to take a day trip down to Kutztown, Pennsylvania, with the Collecting Department. Fritz and Liz toured me around a large outdoor antiques show, as well as several antiques shops that Fritz knew well in the area. There were so many treasures—I’ve never seen anything like it! …