You know how gift-wrap stations were all the rage several years ago? (I still drool over the idea of having one.) All these cupcakeries in Portland now have me seriously wanting my own cupcake station at home, and I have started collecting sprinkles, pretty jars to display them in, wrappers and decorating ideas — like these cute cupcake toppers. To celebrate my 9th wedding anniversary recently, I picked up a variety of mini cupcakes at my favorite cupcake joint and spotted a number nine sign to put on top. But at $2 a pop — more than the cost of the cake — it could get pricey to put one on every party cupcake. Hello, DIY! All you need are some lollipop sticks or toothpicks, plus a paper punch and stencil. This Martha Stewart snowflake punch or pumpkin punch would instantly make holiday treats more festive. Or download and print these really adorable ones for $2.99. OK, now I just need to get baking! –Ginny F.
Photo credit: Ginny Figlar

Just when I think I know everything there is to know about Martha Stewart and her perfectly manicured homes, gardens, horses and dogs, she surprises me with something else. In the October issue of MSL I found this treat: From My Home to Yours: Taxidermy Tips. Turns out that at her house on Mt Desert Island in Maine, she has quite the collection of stuffed critters. (Note to Martha: If your house has a name — like Skylands — it’s not a house, it’s an estate.) Apparently the queen of domesticity has been collecting the frozen balls of fur since her childhood. I, too, have a soft spot for mounted creatures (especially if they’re mystical, like the jackalope). As an animal lover, however, I am torn. I love looking at these wild beasts up close, but can’t imagine every hunting or stuffing one on my own. Martha and I agree on that point as well. She says she has never actually had an animal stuffed herself, but my guess is that it’s only a matter of time. I mean, if you want something done right…. — Angela M.