Country Living articles from July 2006

Country Living archives from July 2006

July.(editor's journal)(Editorial)
July 1, 2006... Even though summer officially starts June 21, if you're like me it's the weekend of July 4th that seems to kick off the season. That's when most of us take advantage of an extended weekend and go to the beach or lake, join family and friends...

Feeling inspired by Country Living.(your letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... Feeling inspired by Country Living, I have begun to pull more of my antiques out of storage, move some furniture around, and consider collecting antique cuff links (Antiques, May 2006)! Thank you for showing me how to display the things I love....

Texas pride.(your letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... I thoroughly enjoyed your most recent (May 2006) issue. As a fifth-generation Texan and a direct descendant of Davy Crockett, I especially enjoyed "True Colors." The photos of Carol Taylor's Texas home evoked a lot of emotion in me, which is...

Celebrating creativity.(your letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... The Women Entrepreneurs event that Country Living hosted in Chicago in March was so exciting for me. I've been a subscriber for over 20 years and I feel so connected to the magazine. Over the years, your staff has felt like family, and I loved...

Winning blooms.(your letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... The article on your Comfort Contest (May 2006) is great. You did a wonderful job describing Mary Rowan's efforts to launch Garden Partners and her dedication over the years. As a result, we have already had calls and visits to our website...

Inn the know.(your letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... I was thrilled to see the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park as your Inn of the Month (Calendar, May 2006). My family stayed in the Coolidge Room in June 1987. After taking a wrong turn we were very late arriving, yet the staff greeted us...

Summer glory.(country classics)
July 1, 2006... just for fun Baldwin & Company's hand-painted Humpty Dumpty figurines introduce a touch of whimsy to a wall. Large: $45. Small: $20. (310) 899-0655; baldwinandco.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] starry bright Serve guests in style...

Summer party tricks: make use of everyday items from around the house to create unforgettable touches at your next backyard gathering.(entertaining)
July 1, 2006... party preparations 1 personalize settings Place cards always say "welcome." Here, guests' names are written on fresh lemons, a perfect complement to the outdoorsy theme and the party's color palette. Any small fruit will work just as...

By the sea.(inspirations)(shells)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Exquisitely formed, shells possess both the romance of the ocean and their own structural integrity to ensure they look beautiful anywhere. Rethinking shells is an exciting--and inexpensive--way to alter surfaces and change the tenor of a room....

Beach combing: even without a trip to the ocean, pretty seaside treasures can be gathered for an instant, luminescent display.(market report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... stars & stripes Starfish and Mexican flats dance along this sheer chiffon ribbon garland. Hang one across a fireplace or in swags along a porch. Shell & Ribbon Garland; 36"L; $17. harvestofbarnstable.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] be...

A day at the beach: discover crafts that begin with a stroll across the dunes. Washed ashore in pretty shapes, shells inspire artistry.(simple projects)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... 1. sun spots Invite the first rays of a summer morning to cast hoop-shaped shadows on a wall. Gather shells such as oyster, jingle, and limpet that the ocean has worn down into rings and tie them at regular intervals to glistening white...

She sells seashells: bring the ocean indoors with inexpensive maritime accents you introduce at home.(solutions)
July 1, 2006... shopping for loose shells Q: I'd like to educate myself about what shell varieties exist, then buy the ones I like the most. Any ideas? L.H., RENO, NEV. A: If shopping online, Marian McEvoy recommends, request a print catalogue for...

Needle books.(antiques)
July 1, 2006... From their debut in the late 19th century until the 1950s, humble sewing-needle books were also wonderful little works of art that depicted subjects ranging from women shopping together, household objects, buildings and townscapes to such...

Patriotic shields: professional appraiser Helaine Fendelman identifies and evaluates your collectibles and antiques.(what is it? what is it worth?)
July 1, 2006... valued at: $3,500 In the United States, wooden patriotic shields were first designed to commemorate the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876 (a World's Fair held in Philadelphia, Pa., to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the...

A bird's best friend: at home in Missouri, Rick LaChance turns salvaged wood and metal into birdhouses with architectural appeal.(country living guild)
July 1, 2006... There is an honorable farm tradition where nothing goes to waste--where objects that are past their prime are given new purpose and discarded goods are refashioned into something worthwhile. In some cases--like that of our newly inducted...

A beach redo.(house makeover)
July 1, 2006... establishing a theme Owner Jim King enlisted designers Ann Nicholson, Deborah Whitfield Nash, and Donna Dutton of the interiors firm Brocante to spruce up his second home. "The house was dated and tired, but it had great bones," Ann said...

The fragrance factor; Look beyond color and shape to find a garden's most appealing feature: its scents.(your garden)
July 1, 2006... Scent is thought to be our most powerful sense. One casual whiff of a familiar smell can cause a flood of memories. Creating a garden focused on scent, then, can evoke happy memories from the past while sating our senses today. ...

By the pool: here, a look this month at houses with in-ground pools that are for sale around the country.(real estate sampler)
July 1, 2006... Built in 1994, this two-story home situated on a 9 1/2-acre property in McRae, Ga., has two attractive facades--the approach side, as well as the poolside exterior in the back. Both the front and the back of the home have a covered porch area....

Bug off, already! Keeping bothersome parasites away from beloved pets is a challenge. Here's how to make it easier.(you & your pet)
July 1, 2006... Conventional insect control does nothing to repel parasites such as fleas: To be exterminated, blood suckers must take a bite out of your best friend, turning pets into pest bait. What's more, once bitten, many animals experience an allergic...

Houseplans you can buy.(home plans)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... To order house plans, call (866) 473-4069. You can see many more on the House Plans Finder at countryliving.com. The Lawndale features: 3 bedrooms 2 baths Total sq. ft.: 1,152 The exterior of Grant W. Fox's compact,...

An insider's guide to Nantucket.(weekending)
July 1, 2006... There are no fast-food restaurants or neon signs on Nantucket, which is just the way Barri Leiner and Marie Moss, the owners of M & B Vintage, a company specializing in custom-assembled vintage charm bracelets, like it. Each summer, the best...

Top picks for July: our monthly listing of antiques shows, crafts fairs, food festivals, garden events, and other notable happenings.(out & about)(Calendar)
July 1, 2006... small towns, big celebrations On the road this month? Check out these standout Fourth of July celebrations: Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.: Uncle Sam and a crew of decorated bicycles and wagons parade along a shady route to a traditional...

To the rescue: antiques dealer and designer David Drummond breathes life into an old barn, making it his home in the process.
July 1, 2006... "I am always broke," says David Drummond, "because I keep buying houses to prevent them from being torn down." His most recent rescue, a late-19th-century house and barn on five acres in Pennsylvania, is a perfect case in point. "I decided to...

Art lessons: a painter's palette informs the artful decor at her family's farmhouse in the New York countryside.
July 1, 2006... BARN raising historically means celebrating the team effort involved in the construction of an outbuilding. But Dick and Jennifer Lanne gave the term new meaning with the renovation of the couple's once-dilapidated 1782 farmhouse and...

Undiscovered Michigan: with its lakeside beaches and mild summer temperatures, the shoreline of northern Michigan's mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula hardly resembles the rest of the Midwest. Its down-to-earth residents, however, prove that a little geography can't take the heart out of the heartland.
July 1, 2006... It turns out that Midwesterners have been holding out on the rest of us: They've neglected to mention their best-kept secret--the lakeshore of Northern Michigan. The area is a haven of sandy beaches, smooth hills, and glacier-cut bluffs, where...

Style on a budget: filled with vintage finds, brightly painted furniture, and fire-engine red collectibles, designer Kitty Bartholomew's comfortable kitchen suits her value-conscious spirit as much as her circa-1940 Santa Monica, Calif., home.
July 1, 2006... Storage This vintage green cabinet, found at a local antiques mall, replaced a bank of plain white cabinets. The cherry-print wallpaper Kitty tacked up makes a cheerful backdrop for her finds. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION...

Juicy decor: Minneapolis stylemaker Kristi Stratton loves color, quirky vignettes, and all things practical.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... At state fairs and antiques shows, Kristi Stratton has an advantage. Not only does her lanky Norwegian ancestry serve her well for surveying the pickings, but also this talented Minneapolis shop owner makes swift decisions according to a...

1 cake 3 ways.(cake)
July 1, 2006... 1 BASIC VANILLA CAKE Basic Vanilla Cake MAKES 8 SERVINGS (ONE 8-INCH CAKE) WORKING TIME: 20 MINS. | TOTAL TIME: 55 MINS. 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (1 stick)...

Take the cake: decorate with sweets from the candy aisle. The results look professional, and no pastry chef is required!(word of mouth)
July 1, 2006... Decorating a cake shouldn't be work. So, play instead. Leave the pastry tubes and rosette tips to bakeries, and surround yourself with candy and cookies. Colorful designs can be planned ahead or made up as you go. Add the embellishments just...

Shopping guide.(reader's resource)
July 1, 2006... country classics PAGE 15: Basket: Marston & Langinger Curlique Basket is available in antique or painted finish in all 48 Marston & Langinger paints; $110. Stars: Lavender Fields Roof Top Stars in Red, White, and Blue. 18"H; $36 each. Tea...

Simple country pleasures.
July 1, 2006... A flash of color beneath the sky: Hats off! The flag is passing by! --HENRY HOLCOMB BENNETT, THE FLAG GOES BY