Martha S.

The Beauty of Martha

Martha Stewart received the minimum sentence of five months in prison, plus five months of home confinement for lying to federal investigators about a stock sale that she called ''a small personal matter. The sentence came on a day when Ms. Stewart's supporters huddled in the courthouse in Lower Manhattan to cheer her on, and Ms. Stewart herself started to get teary eyed and animated.

The second of six children, Stewart grew up in Nutley, New Jersey, a working-class community near New York City. She worked as a model from the age of 13, appearing in fashion shows as well as television and print advertisements. She attended Barnard College in Manhattan, where she earned a degree in European and architectural history in 1962. While at Barnard, she met Andy Stewart, a Yale law student, and the two married in 1961. Six years later, after the birth of their daughter, Alexis, Stewart went to work as a stockbroker for the boutique firm of Mannes, Williams, and Sidle. She worked on Wall Street until 1972, when the family moved to Westport, Connecticut. Martha grew to become a high-class author of cooking books, entertaining and decorating. In addition, she expanded her brand of magazines and television program, serving as CEO of Martha Stewart Omni media. Stewart resigned her post in 2002, following charges of insider trading of which she was convicted. After the Stewarts restored the 19th century farmhouse they had bought, Martha decided to focus her energy on gourmet cooking, having trained herself by reading Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She started a catering business in the 70s, and soon became known for her gourmet menus and unique, creative presentations. Over the next ten years, Martha Stewart, Inc., was a $1 million business serving a number of corporate and celebrity clients.

Stewart expanded into the world of publishing with her first book, Entertaining, which became a bestseller and was followed in quick succession...