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April 9, 2010

They are not Martha - but Andover natives are having fun trying

Bloggers site attracting online crowd

By Bethany Bray

Andover natives Chelsee Adams and Susie Anderson were stopped in Boston traffic recently. With an excited look on her face, the woman in the car next to them - a complete stranger - rolled down her window and asked "Are you 'We Are Not Martha'?"

That's when the 2001 Andover High School graduates knew that their lifestyle and cooking weblog was catching on.

Anderson and Adams post photos and write about restaurants and recipes they've tried as well as tips on entertaining, travel, home decor and fashion at www.wearenotmartha.com. After more than two years of blogging, their site has a loyal following and between 1,500 and 2,000 hits each day.

The blog's tagline, "We are not Martha, but that doesn't mean we aren't going to try!" epitomizes Adams and Anderson's goal, to take projects homestyle maven Martha Stewart would do, and make them approachable.

"Martha Stewart, we love her dearly, but she seems too perfect," said Adams.

They feel cooking and entertaining should not be a fussy, complicated ordeal, and their blog posts deconstruct recipes and projects, explaining each step with a photo. The start of every recipe lists the ingredients, but also shows the lot laid out on a counter, unopened.

"One big lesson is don't be afraid to make a mistake, and throw stuff away. It's the only way you learn," said Adams. "Part of the fun is trying new things, and trying them with people."

One of Stewart's made-from-scratch cake recipes was Anderson's first blog post. Baked for her mother's birthday, Anderson went out with friends while the cake cooled, and frosted it when she got home.

"We want to show you can still have a life, and cook," said Anderson.

Adams, 26, and Anderson, 27, met at Sanborn Elementary School in town, becoming fast friends at age 7. After graduating from AHS, Adams went to UMass Lowell for graphic design and Anderson went to UNH for a writing degree.

After college, they moved into separate apartments within walking distance of each other in Boston. They both work from home - Anderson as a freelance writer and Adams doing freelance graphic design.

After months of talking about collaborating on a lifestyle and food blog, they started wearenotmartha.com in January 2008.

"We have always liked her (Martha Stewart), but no one (our age) really got it," said Adams.

In March 2008, one of Martha Stewart's assistants called them, inviting them to a taping of an episode focusing on blogging. The Andover duo sat in the audience and posted live blog updates as the cameras rolled.

"The fact that her people noticed us was amazing. We have a goal to be (featured) on her show, or Oprah," said Anderson, breaking into a smile.

While both blog on all topics, Anderson does a lot of the cooking and restaurant posts on www.wearenotmartha.com. Adams focuses more on the travel and lifestyle posts. They blog roughly five times a week, alternating entries.

Neither one has formal culinary training. They credit growing up in homes surrounded by good cooks and regular family meals as inspiration.

"My parents (Sharon and Bert Anderson) are really into cooking, they make dinner every night. A lot of us grew up thinking cooking is a job (chore). But seeing my parents cook together, they love it. It's part of their relationship," said Anderson.

Growing up, Adams would watch her grandmother, who had a knack for creating amazing dishes without a recipe.

They remain close with Andover friends they grew up with, many of whom are mentioned in blog posts or photos. On March 20, they hosted fellow 2001 AHS grad Jessica Taylor, a freelance makeup artist, for a party, posting photos on their blog. Party-goers sampled Dove beauty products while Taylor did makeup demonstrations, captured on video and posted online.

Companies offer regularly to send them products, hoping for a mention on the blog. They said they insist on accepting only that which they would have bought or used themselves.

Last fall, the Butterball turkey company paid to fly Anderson and Adams to Chicago to attend "Butterball University." Besides covering their expenses, the company paid them to write for the Butterball site, blogging turkey tips as Thanksgiving approached.

When the Gap shipped them a batch of 25 different styles of jeans, Anderson and Adams made food, invited friends and hosted a jeans party, blogging about the different styles and how they fit.

The duo agree they are living out a dream. "We didn't know it would turn into this," said Anderson. "It hasn't been that long, but I can't imagine our lives without it."