We are not Martha:
Hi! We are not Martha and just wanted to tell you a little bit about ourselves and how this lovely blog was started. It started long ago when we met in 2nd grade while in the same class in our wonderful hometown of Andover, Massachusetts. We grew up about a few minute drive from each other and went through all of grade school together. We also went through different circles of friends, flannel shirt trends, crushes, ups, downs, and everything imaginable in between; then went our separate ways for college. We always managed to remain close and always made it a point to be there for each other. Post college we both moved to Boston and got our own apartments. Contrary to what lots of people believe, we don’t live together, although funny enough, we only live a few minutes from each other just like we did growing up.
One thing that we always bonded over was our love of Martha Stewart. From her crafts to her cooking, to her style and overall togetherness, we always thought Martha was “it.” The thing is… not a lot of people our age agreed or understood, mostly because they were overwhelmed by what they thought was the complexity of her recipes and ideas. Once we were living on our own, we began entertaining more at our apartments, organizing parties for friends’ birthdays or holidays and realized it’s not that difficult and it’s a lot of fun! We also noticed some of our friends, who never cooked or experimented in their kitchens, were now starting to. As time went on we would casually chat about putting a blog together where we would post about all of our adventures in the kitchen and in Boston, ways to spruce up our city apartments, products we’ve stumbled upon, trips we’ve taken, and just details of the lives of two 20-somethings. It was January 2008, and after talking for months and months about this blog idea, we decided… “let’s just do it.” It was a new year and that’s the best time to start anything. And so we did it.
It’s comforting and fun having a friend so close in distance but the best part is having your best friend to team up with and start such an amazing and truly rewarding project with. This blog has made us both, individually and together, blossom into people we didn’t even know existed in us. Most importantly, it’s wonderful to know one day when we’re old ladies we can tell everyone we’ve known each other since we were 7 
About Sues:
Throughout my childhood, I’ve always known what I wanted to do when I grew up. I wanted to write. I went to the University of New Hampshire and graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in English and Communication in 2005, not sure what kind of job I’d get, but knowing I wanted to do something I loved. It was also in college, once I moved away from the dorms, that I started cooking a lot. After graduation, I went right on to grad school at Emerson College where I got my Master’s in Writing and Publishing. Mid-way through my degree, I started blogging and quickly fell in love with the people I came in contact with and the amazing communities I found. Around this time, I quit my day-job to focus on freelancing- I was still in school, so I figured I’d give it a try. I landed many fabulous writing, editing, and social media jobs and loved my 4 years of working for myself. All of this led to my current job as a social media marketing specialist at a mid-sized agency, where I work with many fabulous CPG and hospitality brands. I always knew I wanted my job to be a big part of my life; I wanted to get up in the morning and love what I had to do that day. And I feel so, so lucky that I’m already living my dream.
Though I absolutely love cooking and baking myself, one of my favorite things in the world is sitting in my parents’ kitchen, watching them cook, and having family dinners. My passion for cooking definitely comes from them and I can only dream of reaching their level of expertise some day (and Martha’s, too!). I’m also pretty obsessed with cupcakes, walking everywhere in Boston, hoarding magazines, discovering new music, being with the people I love, and the color pink. You can follow me on Twitter at our @WearenotMartha account and at @Susie, too.
Throughout my childhood, I quite honestly had very little idea of what I wanted to do when i “grew up.” Thankfully, as time went on, I found myself finding much interest in photography and graphic design classes in high school and sitting glued in front of the television watching HGTV and all of their design shows. I realized I loved colors, typography, pattern, and crisp clean design. I decided to focus on graphic design since I have a sick obsession for printed materials. I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2005 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. After college I did the whole 9-5 thing, worked a couple of marketing graphic design jobs when life happened and I was laid off. “Life”, most always, happens for the best. I’m currently doing freelance graphic design from home, mostly focusing on stationery design and design for weddings – invitations, programs, menus, place cards and the like. I highly recommend doing what you love.
Other things I enjoy regularly are redecorating my apartment and wardrobe, consuming massive amounts of bacon, volunteering, traveling, experimenting in the kitchen and spending time with people who will only make me better.
A very special thank you to our amazing photographer, Brett Malone!
