Make this: Fourth of July Watermelon Boat

This was a styling project idea that I came up with on a shoot down in Beaufort, North Carolina for Better Homes and Gardens. We were producing the Nautical themed Fourth of July story that is featured in the current BH&G July issue.  We needed a fun, easy to create food idea for our party scene

Fruit, food and fun; three necessities during any warm, summer holiday. The materials were all in front of me, the fruit, the ticking fabric and adhesive numbers: and with a quick brainstorm session, the light bulb popped on and the idea was evident.

The Watermelon Boat!

It's easy to make:

Cut a sail from blue or red ticking fabric (fabric store).  Use double sided tape or a glue gun to attach the sail to the dowel on the back side of sail. Make sure to leave 12” length of dowel under the sail to push into the fruit and watermelon. Add an adhesive number to the sail  (dowel and numbers both available from a hardware store). Cut and scoop out your watermelon and fill with fruit (cut it so it will sit flat and not tip). Push the end of the dowel into fruit to hold.

Create your own Fourth of July Wreath! DIY

Need a simple, yet impressive entrance for your home during your July 4^th celebration? These DIY wreath ideas will give your door a festive touch to wow all your guests on this holiday.

Nautical Rope Wreath on Door

This lovely rope wreath was the center of attention in the current Better Homes and Gardens July 2012 issue in the story called “Glory Days”.  The story had a nautical approach, so I was determined to create a wreath idea that revolved around this theme.  The rope was the perfect touch to create such a look.  It is easy to make, and here is how:

What you need:

24 Inch Lifesaving Ring (or use a Styrofoam ring for an alternate base)

175 Feet of Twisted Manila Rope 3/8 inches (Lowe’s)

Glue Gun

Two American Wave Flags on Wooden Dowel

Cut your 75 feet of roping into small pieces in order to make it easier to wrap the lifesaver ring (cut into approx. 25 ft pieces).  With one end of rope, glue gun end to back of ring and when dry begin to wrap around ring.  The rope on the inside of ring should be tight together with more space between the rope on the outside of ring. Glue end of rope on back and continue with new piece.  Flags can be glued at cross section and then glued down to lifesaver ring.  Then take some twine and wrap around cross section making an l l/2 inch wrap around.

Flag Wreath

In 2010, I created a 4th of July feature for Good Housekeeping filled with lots of DIY red, white, and blue projects.  This wreath is a favorite because it is so easy to construct. It also creates the perfect patriotic door decoration.

What you need:

Styrofoam wreath

Mini toothpick flags

  

Flag Garland

To add even more patriotic flare to your home entrance, you can add a simple garland draped around the edge of your door. Combined with the perfect wreath, you can easily create the ideal July 4^th look.

What you need:

Simple garland of rope

Mini clothespins

Flags

Styling a Favorite Garden for BHG June 2012

This garden story, which falls in the current June 2012 issue for Better Homes and Gardens magazine, is one of my favorite garden stories that I have ever produced.

It was last summer when I showed this garden space to the editor at Better Homes and Gardens. Her enchantment and excitement about the garden mirrored my own, and we both understood how well this small gem of a space would photograph.

I met the owners of the garden, Frank and Andra Mollica, seven years ago while styling their home for a Better Homes and Gardens home renovation story. At this time, the garden had not yet been fully developed, but the house was beautiful. I was in wonder of how this amazing couple was able to completely redesign their home all on their own with such great gusto and creativity. Every year I return to the Mollica house to see what incredible home projects they have taken on, and the garden was one of them. Over the years, I have watched this garden grow into a brilliant compact and inviting living space full of greenery, flowers and elegance. The perfectly trimmed bushes, flowers, foliage and garden accessories complement each other in such a captivating manner.

Styling this garden story with photographer Matthew Benson and my assistant Barbara Bougeois last June was very exciting. We propped the space to enhance the striking look they had already created. We arrived at 6:00 AM and had to race against Mother Nature before the sun got too strong to shoot! Here are some fun behind the scenes snapshots from the shoot.

You can get the full story on the Mollica garden in the June 2012 BHG Issue.

Fruit Vases Featured In Good Housekeeping Magazine June 2012

Last year Good Housekeeping magazine asked me to create and style easy summer projects for their  “Make It” feature. The "Make It" projects are quick,  fresh ideas that are easy to make and fun to do.

I sketched out a dozen ideas and this was one of many that the editors chose. It is also one of my favorites.  We set a day aside last summer to shoot these project ideas with photographer Michael Partenio. Check out Good Housekeeping June 2012 issue for more floral arrangements. 

Give it a try!

Cut a four inch opening at the top and Scoop out fruit.

Scrape out most of the fruity flesh. Place a small glass inside with water and fill with flowers that mirror the inner fruit color.

More Summer Entertaining! Setting the Garden Table with Daisies and.... (Part 3)

With America's birthday not to far away, I recall this story I did for a major magazine in 2010. 

A table setting that has the perfect patriotic grasp for any July 4th dinner celebration incorporating the red, white and blue in a lighter way. Easy to replicate for the 4th luncheon or dinner table, or any summer dining experience.

 

These centerpieces are easy to make with a few things you can buy and put together in a snap. 

The list of things you will need:

Glass chimneys

Pots

Candles

Daisys

Pebbles or Beans

 

The daisies also add a fresh summer feel to any summer table setting! 

Styling and Ideas created by Karin Lidbeck

  Photography by Andre Baronowski

Outdoor Entertaining! Setting the Table - The Hosta (Part 2!)

Another fabulous outdoor table setting inspiration! Bet you have never used this common plant from your garden, have you?

This nature inspired table setting allows you and your dinner guests to fully embrace the outdoors.

  

 I love using hostas from the garden to create a simple yet enchanting foliage centerpiece.

To create this centerpiece, you will first need a simple frog in a small bowl. The frog allows you to add in the hosta stems with ease. Begin by placing the leaves towards the outside of the frog and work inward towards the center. A flat, broken piece of soft slate makes for the perfect layer underneath the hostas. Next, look around your garden landscape for small, smooth stones to surround the centerpiece. The stones also look pretty tossed here and there upon the table and add interest to the table setting.

The stones can also be utilized as charming name tags. Set upon a luminous green leaf allows for a beautiful contrast which will have your dinner guests nothing but delighted by this most unusual, unique table centerpiece! 

Outdoor Entertaining! Setting the Garden Table

I was so thrilled when my friend Editor, Jane McKeon of Meredith's Outdoor Rooms magazine called me to design "6 Ways to Set the Scene and Create Pretty Looks for Tables" for their Summer issue.

Immediately I sketched out a dozen table top designs.  Jane picked her six favorites and I got work to make each design happen preparing for a photo shoot.  The biggest challenge was to find a home with great gardens and outdoor spaces to style and shoot all six tables and make them feel different.

The Photographer for this shoot was Andre Baronowski - another super talented and charming photographer I work with.  Andre really made these projects shine!

Straight from your garden to the table
                                           

You can make a unique and different tabletop setting yourself using flowers straight from your garden, a supermarket bouquet or farmer's market.

 On a white table cloth use different patterned place mats to compliment the flowers colors. Playing off the hues of the blooms enhances the table.

Place the flowers down the center down the center of the table using a funky assortment of mismatched glassware.  In the stylist world, we call this,  march the flowers down the table.

Display single stems or multiples of stems in each glass/container.

Toss some fruit casually upon the tablecloth. Blueberries , strawberries and peaches.

Adding tabletop additions adds to the festive array of color.

An Original and Unique tabletop which has had huge reviews.

This table setting always begins a good conversation starter!

Use sections of the New York Times for each place setting. Of course, you can use USA Today, The London Times, Boston Globe, LA Times, Chicago Times, Wall Street Journal - you name it.

To make your table runner use parcel post paper!

It is so easy!

 Stay tuned for more outdoor table ideas on my next post. Get ready to celebrate summer!!

Styling a summer Country Living feature

I had such a nice response to my earlier post on the Cover feature for Country Living magazine, I wanted to follow up with some highlights of the story.

It's all excitement when I get an opportunity to style a home for Country Living magazine, and  working on the feature in the current June 2012 feature in Cape Cod was no exception.

Country Living magazine cover
June 2012 

I had scouted this house with the architect of the home, my friend, the very talented John Da Silva of Polhemus Savery DaSilva last summer.

Architect- John Da Silva of Polhemus Savery DaSilva 
 Photo by Brian Van Der Brink

Loving the historic aspects of the 18^th century house and the  way it was renovated for 21^st century living, I immediately shared the location with Natalie Warady at Country Living.

It wasn't long after I set off with a full van to Cape Cod to style and design this feature, meeting CL Editor Natalie Warady and Photographer Miki Duisterhoff.

Every room, like a set, requires the stylist to portray a story.

The homeowners had described her house in the summer months filled with laughter,  summer gatherings of friends and family , and many much favored girls weekends that included a lot of cooking with local seafood and summer produce.

The Before Shot

You can compare the scouting shot above with the after shot and how I styled the kitchen to enhance the homeowner's story.  

From the before picture you can see how the industrial bar stools I brought in actually changed the vibe of the kitchen creating a less traditional look. The bar stools echo the black iron sink and together enhance the look.  The Simple arrangement of props set the stage for a meal being prepared while still allowing the design of the kitchen to be the dominant feature

The charming bedroom needed a different styling approach.

Before shot

We  loved the homeowners traditional quilt,  but we wanted to create a graphic look with color blocking working off the homeowners pretty pallete for this room. We played with different bedside tables she had in the house.

Featured shot

I needed to find vintage linen bedding and I needed it fast!  I sent out an SOS for help via Twitter.  Within the speed of light, I received a response from @tkpleslie, Leslie Carothers. She referred me to Pandora de Balthazár bed linens. The next day, three boxes of Pandora De Balthazár linens arrived!  The linens were a perfect fit for this styled shot! Thank you, Leslie! 

Here is another of options for the styling of the bedroom. Which is your favorite?

Thanks to Elizabeth Eakins  for the fabulous rugs they lent us for the shoot for both the bedroom and the living room.  Shopping locally, I found the great salvaged table at Midsummer   Nights in Chatham, Massachusetts to cozy up the seating area and give weight and interest  in front of the window.

I love the details in the house that show the historic past.

And the way John Da Silva created  this unique design of whimsical columns flanking the stairs

During our photo shoot, we had first hand opportunity to experience "the girlfriend weekend"  while we were there!  Not a bad place for a glass of wine!

We had some fun with the girls as Miki Duisterhoff took the group out for a photo shoot on the beach.

I took this shot of Miki taking her picture of the girls,
and Miki  took pictures of CL Editor Natalie Warady  and me!