More life according to Martha

It’s billed as “the how-to-do, how-to-choose and how-to-live publication for women.” And Martha’s newest magazine -- which starts with two test issues, one on newsstands this month and one in the fall -- does squeeze an awful lot of “how-to’s” into its first issue.

From making martinis and jewelry to sewing hobo bags and selecting sofas or shoes, Blueprint aims to cover almost every aspect of a woman’s life, with little left out. Home, food, fitness, cosmetics, fashion are all jumbled in, creating a kind of editorial chaos.

There’s nothing wrong with that, but there’s nothing very right with it either. The cluttered look of the pages, and the somewhat retro graphic design, are reminiscent of those ‘60s and ‘70s icons, Cosmopolitan and Mademoiselle, with a bit of Sunset magazine tossed in.

If Stewart’s Omnimedia pals add some sex and good pulp fiction to the mix, they might just have a retro-style hit.

What’s missing so far is spice and focus. Some really fabulous how-to ideas for wall art and other do-it-yourself projects are buried in the maze of more pedestrian tips on what to wear and how to fix your face -- and the whole first issue lacks pizazz. It has enough potential, however, to warrant a second look.

-- Bettijane Levine