Country Living July - August 2014

Features 70 Blue and White Done Right! America's favorite palette is ready for an up-date: Freshen up this classic color combo with green, pink, yellow, and orange. 80 Summer Homestead At their farmhouse in Washington, three siblings re-create childhood memories. By Elizabeth Jenkins 86 Al Fresco on the Farm A Kentucky couple hosts a summer supper celebrating a bounty two decades in the making. By Monica Michael Willis 94 From Dull to Delightful Fifteen tips for adding character to your home, including millwork and farmhouse details. By Susan Heeger ON THE COVER Add a pop of pink to blue and white for a cheerful twist on the classic color palette (page 72). Photograph by Annie Schlechter; styling by Christina Wressel. The porch of the Hoedemaker siblings' Washington retreat offers a…

Dear Country Living… What you had to say about our May issue "I was thrilled to see an African-American family highlighted in your May issue ['A Recipe for the Ultimate Kitchen,' page 46]. We are not rep-resented enough in interior design/lifestyle magazines. Showing that all people appreciate style and beauty breaks down inaccurate stereotypes." —Kathryn Price, Western Springs, IL "I always get excited when Country Living arrives in the mail. I made the trivet from 'How Smart Is That? [page 14] when I was a 4-H member in grade school and still have it. (We won't say how many years it's been!) Thanks for a great magazine." —Jo Ann Murphy, Vineyard Haven, MA JOIN THE CONVERSATION! facebook.com/countryliving twitter.com/countryliving pinterest.com/countryliving E-mail: countryliving@hearst.com Mail: 2901 2nd Ave. S., Suite 270, Birmingham, AL…

The best the countryside has to offer this month, plus summer fashion finds use the free blippar app to buy products from this section. How Smart Is This? Ribbon-tied BERRY BASKETS make sharing summer's bounty a cinch. STEP ONE Snip off the outer lip of a standard paper plate. STEP TWO Make four cuts toward the center, as shown. Fold each section up to make a box. STEP THREE Overlap the edges, and use craft glue to adjoin. (Paper clips will help hold the shape.) Once dry, remove the clips and wrap with ribbon. Having a Moment: Circle Skirts Flattering and feminine, the 1950s favorite has come back around. FLORALThis flowery version has a wide waistband that nips in at the narrowest part of your silhouette. ($59.99; modcloth.com) EYELET Ella…

We've rounded up 51* Made-in-the-USA products crafted from sea to shining sea! * Yes, D.C., we're including you! New York-based artist Sarah K. Benning stitched this American-made hoop (page 30). ALASKA Find good chemistry with this glacial clay mask that contains more than 60 elements, including detoxifying magnesium. ($34; alaskaglacialmud.com) ARIZONA*Pedal this silk-screened pillow cover, which sports ruffled fabric flowers in a bike basket, into your decor. ($58; 18" x 18"; etsy.com/shop/applewhite) ALABAMA Tie on a black gingham butcher apron sewn in Muscle Shoals. ($55; idyll-wilde.com) ARKANSAS Freshen up drawers and closets using handmade sachets available in fresh scents like Honeysuckle Rain. ($4 each; eleven-point.com) CALIFORNIA Pretty meets practical with these ombré measuring cups glazed in peachy hues. ($54.95; etsy.com/shop/graydecember) COLORADO Spotlight your appetizers on a hardy painted serving tray…

Vintage finds and what they're worth, including a picnic basket for $150! 1. PULL-DOWN Wall maps began appearing in American classrooms in the 1940s. This one was produced by Chicago-based Nystrom in 1951. At more than 5 feet wide, it makes a big statement for just $400. 2. PICTORIAL More artistic than technical, illustrated maps were a common way to promote tourism in the early 20th century. This 1935 example, by artist Ruth Taylor White, tells the history of Delaware and now fetches $45 (9"W x 12"H); especially popular destinations, such as Hawaii, command up to $125. 3. OUTDATED BOUNDARIES This 1794 map of the United States was one of the first to depict an American eagle. That feature combined with obsolete state lines (North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia…

My mother bought this basket in 1989. Has it increased in value? —S.H., ISLIP, NEW YORK WHAT IT IS: 1980s LONGABERGER PICNIC BASKET Handcrafted from hardwood maple, this basket is a signature piece by the Ohio-based Longaberger Company. In 1989, it would have sold for $59.95, plus $19.95 for the liner. Today, it would command between $50 and $150, depending on condition. Yours appears to be in great shape, so it would pull in something at the top of that range. WHAT IT'S WORTH: $150 I found this scale in my Grandma's attic, and it still measures accurately. Is it collectible? —P.P., LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS WHAT IT IS: MIDCENTURY SEARS ROEBUCK SCALE At the start of the 20th century, the arrival of the Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog in the mail…