A huge CONGRATULATIONS… and a Flashback Friday… to My Talented Friend, master baker & potter Martin Sorge!!! I just got my copies of his first cookbook “GREAT BAKES” through pre-order… open sales begin August 4th! So exciting… so beautiful, great photography, great styling, and I’m confident the recipes will be AMAZING as well!!!

We first met Martin when he signed-up for one of my pottery classes. He mentioned that he makes handmade OREOs… done! Then he mentioned that he had filmed “The Great American Baking Show” which was going to air during our class session. Of course we watched.. and I decided we needed to “gamble” on it… each student randomly choosing a baker-player. And then when their player was voted out, they had to bring snacks to our pottery class based on their losing recipe!!! Reality TV, gambling AND snacks???… I’m in!!!

SPOILER ALERT…

So as the show played out with judges Dame Prue & Paul Hollywood under the same “Great British Bake-Off” tent in England… we kept seeing this cast of American bakers strutting their stuff challenge after challenge. And Martin kept making it through & becoming the Star Baker a couple times even while baking with corn several times. By the end of the show… Martin was in the Finale… and eventually WON THE SHOW!!! Huge congrats Martin!!!

So then we decided we had to throw a big surprise party for Martin for our last class potluck. I invited the two other Chicago bakers from the show to join us – as they had all three become close friends. So Sarah & Nirali surprised Martin, partied with us… and even threw their first pots on the wheel. So much fun!!!

But after winning the show… what do you do next???

Well… Martin has taken his culinary skills to the next level… and written a full-on cookbook!!! Full of amazing recipes & photos. It’s already getting some big buzz… including from Bon Appetit !!! Listing his book as one of “The Best New Cookbooks of Summer 2026.” Be sure to go out and get one of Martin’s cookbooks… pre-order now… or buy it after August 4th!!!

Congrats Martin… we’re all so proud of you & excited for your new adventure!!! Your book is a huge achievement, a ton of work & it all looks AMAZING!!! And any time you need more taste-testers… we’re in!!!

So I got to the studio a little early… flipped on my TV…
Peacock came up… and something AMAZING showed-up on my screen!!!

THE TRAITORS CANADA!!!

And it looks like they dropped three full seasons all at once!!! OMG!!! I had no idea this was coming. I’m beyond excited… especially with the Survivor 50 Finale next Wednesday. Something wonderful to look forward to!!! The addition is real…

I’ve watched all forty-nine seasons from the very beginning! All building up to the BIG Survivor Premiere of Season 50!! Just minutes away… I can’t wait… this is gonna be epic!!! The Tribe has spoken!!!

And while we’re on topic… Who is YOUR all-time favorite Survivor???

So after a wonderful first day of my HOLIDAY HOME SHOW… I did a little clean-up, made a little dinner & then settled in for a great night of binging THE TRAITORS!!! The newest season of the British version just dropped… and I’m totally IN… even though I only know like two of these “celebrities “?!

Restocking the shelves for Holiday Home Show Day Two can happen in morning, right???

Okay, as someone us not a fan of glazing… a little TV diversion was called for.
Luckily, season two of the “challenge “ is now streaming!

#IYKYK… if you know you know!

Never fear, Cory did an amazing job pulling together a fine “Plan B” after her kiln challenges this week. We may have lost a few bugs along the way… a few we’re resurrected… and she might have added in a couple retro TVs with bugs. I put them all together with my tiles last night… and we still ended up with ten amazing collaboration pieces for this weekend’s ART IN THE GARDEN show. … whew! There’s only ten of these collabs… and they might go fast?!!!

Now don’t get too excited… this “LOST” retro television is MINE!!!
A special custom piece just for me & my addiction to the best TV show ever!
I just love having talented friends!

So while I’m in the studio all day today… I needed something fun to binge on TV. So why not go back to one of the best SURVIVOR seasons ever – Season 16 Micronesia!

Oh, how I love “old school” Survivor… and this season is “Fans vs. Favorites.” So we have some great returning players including my all-time favorite Parvati… plus Cirie, Eliza, Ozzy, Ami, James, Amanda & Jonny Fairplay! Lest not forget “ice cream scooper” Eric… who comes in as a Fan, but leaves as possibly the stupidest player EVER!!! Thanks to the “Black Widow Brigade.” I’m only a couple episodes in… but it making me very happy to be stuck in the studio working!!! Bring on the challenges. Bring on the Tribal Councils. I’m here for all of it!!!

HA!!! Saw this online & just had to share…

And YES, I admit it… I was on “Bozo Circus” back in my childhood!!! Yes, I am now officially old!!! And I was one of the luck kids chosen to play the group game at the end of the show. Sadly, not “Bozo Buckets”… but the group game. I had to hold a baseball bat vertically on the floor, while my partner stacked ceramic cups & saucers on the flat end of the bat. The tallest stack at the end of the game would win… AND WE WON!!! We each got a “ViewMaster 3D Scooby-Doo Slide Projector”!!! Which I really, REALLY wish I still had… it would make this story so much more colorful!!!

But who knew I would be playing with pottery even at such a young age?!
Perhaps that was the start of everything???

So we’re halfway through Season Three of THE TRAITORS… and I’m still anxiously waiting for these two to make their grand appearance… errr, re-appearance?!!! Yes, about a two-second glimpse of them in the TV trailer tells me that Kate Chastain & Parvati Shallow will be returning to the game at some point this season! Parvati is my favorite SURVIVOR player ever… and Kate is the most entertaining player to ever hit The Castle after her time on BELOW DECK.

Will they show up tonight?… or will we need to wait some more???

I’ve tried my best to be patient… and I may have re-watched a season or two… but I’m SO EXCITED that my current favorite Reality guilty-pleasure TV show is coming back!!! Emmy-award winning THE TRAITORS begins season three tomorrow!!! Amazing host Alan Cumming is back in all of his over-the-top campiness… along with lots of wackadoodle Reality TV stars playing the game. And yes, I watch a LOT of Reality TV… so I already know most of them too!

And I can only hope that if we’re getting a Season Three of the US version… season three of the UK & Australian versions can’t be far behind… and maybe Season Two of New Zealand? And I need to figure out how to see the newest Canadian version!

So yes, there might be a slight addiction problem here?!