Watermelon Days & Your Own Twist Link Up #46
I have a question…
When do you start on red and stop on green?
When eating a watermelon!
Did you know that July is National Watermelon Month in the United States? With the first big watermelon harvest happening just in time for the Fourth of July weekend, watermelon has become synonymous with summer celebrations in America and a favorite treat of many with the average American consuming approximately 17 pounds of watermelon each year. Now I wonder if that’s 17 pounds of the fleshy fruity center or if that just means 17 pounds of watermelon including the rind that I toss in the trash.
Did you know that the rind is edible and often used in stir fry dishes? I did know that but I never tried it. I bet it’s delicious and I think I will give it a try with my next watermelon.
There has also been an ongoing scientific debate about the classification of watermelon as a fruit or vegetable. Botanically, watermelon is a fruit that grows on a vine-like plant that originated in southern Africa. With its smooth exterior rind and juicy sweet flesh inside, watermelon is a kind of modified berry. But watermelon is also a member of the cucurbitaceae plant family of gourds (cucumber, squash, pumpkin) which is planted from seeds or seedlings and then harvested in the same way as a vegetable.
Because watermelon is grown as a vegetable crop and harvested as such, it is also considered a vegetable. However, at the end of hot summer’s day, whether watermelon is a fruit or vegetable really just depends on your perspective and how you prefer to consume it. If you cook the rind in a sir fry, you likely would consider it a vegetable. But when you are diving into the juicy cold center flesh to beat the heat and hydrate, then you would probably call watermelon a fruit. If you live in Oklahoma, watermelon was declared your state vegetable in 2007, so where you live may also influence how you categorize this melon.
I personally classify watermelon as a fruit so I will refer to it as such throughout the rest of this post.
Although we don’t know much about the history of watermelon, we do know that this fruit has been cultivated for at least 5,000 years. In fact, watermelon seeds have been recovered from the tomb of King Tutankhamen who died in 1323 BC. Watermelon was originally cultivated for its high water content (92%) because it could be stored and eaten during dry seasons not just as a food source but also as a water source.
It is believed that watermelon was introduced to Europe by the Moors in the 13th century during their rule of the Iberian Peninsula. The Spanish then brought watermelon to the Americas in the 1500s where Native American tribes began cultivating it. Other European colonists brought watermelon seeds with them to the Americas and by 1629 watermelon was growing abundantly in the state of Massachusetts. By the 16th and 17th centuries, European horticulturists were identifying watermelon in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.
Today, watermelon has more than 1,000 known varieties and is highly cultivated throughout the world making it available for our consumption year round. It grows best in tropical to temperate climates with the United States ranking 7th in worldwide watermelon production. Florida, Georgia, Texas, and California currently lead in domestic watermelon production. The six leading watermelon producers before the United States are China, Turkey, India, Iran, Algeria, and Brazil with China accounting for 60% of worldwide watermelon production. Despite being number 7 in worldwide production, the United States can boast of the world’s heaviest watermelon ever recorded. Chris Kent of Sevierville, Tennessee, grew a watermelon that weighed in at 350.5 pounds on October 4, 2013.
When I was deciding on an outfit for Watermelon Days, Jeff and I had some debate over the color of the fleshy inside fruit. He calls it red (just like my opening riddle), but I have always considered it to be pink. So I decided to look it up and learned that regardless of how you perceive the color, watermelon also comes in yellow! Traditional watermelons get their signature red/pink color from lycopene which is the same antioxidant that gives tomatoes and grapefruits their color. But yellow watermelons lack lycopene so the fleshy inside never turns to a reddish hue. Interestingly, yellow watermelons were cultivated first. The red/pink varieties that we are most familiar with are a result of generations of selective cross breeding. There is a slight difference in flavor between yellow and pink watermelons as well. Yellow watermelons are sweeter than pink ones and have a distinct honey-like flavor. I have never eaten a yellow watermelon, but now I am curious and will be on the lookout for one!
Since I view the inside of a watermelon as pink, I decided to wear this bright pink maxi dress with my green duster (the one I just shared on Monday for my Thrifty Six Garden Party outfit). I also didn’t like the idea of wearing red and green for fear that I would look like a Christmas card in July! I added some colorful summer accessories…my favorite straw hat, a multicolored necklace, a brightly patterned straw handbag, and green floral shoes…and I felt refreshing and fun just like the fruit I was trying to emulate!
We took these photos before I had the idea that I needed an actual watermelon. So after the photos, I went to the store and bought one. And then I ate the whole darn thing! It was delicious.
About Your Own Twist
Your Own Twist is a monthly link party hosted by Monica of Jersey Girl, Texan Heart and me on the third Thursday of every month with the goal of inspiring some of our friends to get creative with personal style.
The idea behind this collaboration is to take one common piece or theme and style it our own way with our own twist…Monica and I have both taken a lot of fashion inspiration from one another over the past few years even though we have totally different styles. It is always fun to see how we can interpret similar items in unique ways or what kind of twist we will each bring to the chosen theme.
We will let you know the themes well in advance in the event that you would like to use the theme for your own post and add it to the link party. However, any fashion posts are welcome regardless of whether you used the theme or not. Check out the graphic below which has some of our upcoming style prompts.
Featured Favorites from Celebrate Pride
Before you go, be sure to check out Monica’s Watermelon Style, too!
Do you like watermelon? How do you prefer to eat it? I like to cut it in wedges and remove the rind so I can just shove the delicious juicy flesh straight into my face hole!
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
Outfit Details: Dress (currently on sale for $15.98), Necklace, Bralette, and Duster-Torrid / Hat and Bag-Burlington Coat Factory / Shoes-New Chic / Earrings-Michael’s
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
28 Comments
My Life in Our Father's World
Mmmm 🍉
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Indeed! I love watermelon!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
You look cute!!
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jennifer!
xoxo
Shelbee
Tamar Strauss-Benjamin
Such a fun outfit to honor the lovely watermelon!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Tamar!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
I am glad you didn’ t choose red, as I really dislike red and green together. But hey, who am I! I never eat a watermelon. We eat honey melons. But a water melon always looks very delicious! And what are the seeds?? Thanks for the feature!!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Nancy! I am not a fan of true red and green together either. But I do like deep reds paired with olive green! Have you really never eaten a watermelon?! They are so scrumptious!
xoxo
Shelbee
Amy Johnson
I love this unique color combo! Thanks for the party!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Amy! It is a super cheerful color combo and it made me feel super cheerful wearing it!
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
So, do you suppose they had one heck of a watermelon seed spitting contest in Tennessee? I love watermelon, but I hate the mess of cutting one up. But, I have to admit my mouth is now watering thinking about watermelon! I agree with you…the inside is a hot pink color! You have captured the idea of watermelon summer in this look perfectly! I love those cute embroidered shoes, too! Such a fun prompt, Shelbee!
Thanks for the feature as well as the new link up!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, thanks so much, Marsha! This outfit really made me happy! I haven’t seen a watermelon with seeds in the store in years…how do they get them all seedless? Not that I’m complaining, I prefer to not have to spit out seeds! And I have to ask you now how exactly you cut a watermelon that it makes such a mess? It takes me about 3 minutes to cut the whole thing into rindless triangles and then clean it all up. Is there even a right or wrong way to cut a watermelon? I don’t know why this is making me giggle, but it is! I hope you are having a wonderful week and you should go get yourself some watermelon!
xoxo
Shelbee
Rosemary Davis
Terrific outfit in honor of the delicious watermelon.
Rosemary Davis
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Rosemary! Food inspired outfits can be so much fun!
xoxo
Shelbee
Laurie
Fabulous! Have a lovely weekend Shelbee xx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Laurie! I hope you are having a wonderful week!
xoxo
Shelbee
Pamela
Watermelon red is actually a color! It’s a red with a very light saturation of color, in other words, almost translucent. However it interprets itself to each of us, it’s a darned delicious fruit. We love it in the UK but it has become very expensive this year – but then hasn’t everything!!
Pamela
http://www.style-yourself-confident.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Pamela, thank you for sharing that bit of color knowledge with me. Of course, there is a specific color for watermelon innards! Watermelon is such an amazing fruit, isn’t it? There is no fruit more refreshing on a hot and humid day. It satisfies hunger and thirst at the same time! So it’s economical right now while everything is so costly…you get two for one…food and drink in one product. Hahahahaha.
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
I used to have a bright pink windbreaker with dark green trim that I wore all through high school (or maybe it was middle school?- I don’t really remember) but I always called it my watermelon jacket because I too think of pink and green when I think watermelon. Your outift it so cute and I love breezy and playful it looks.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, thanks so much, Joanne! That is such a cute story about your watermelon jacket! I bet it looked super cute on you, too! I was just chatting with Nancy and told her how bummed I am about a bright pink tee shirt I tossed into the donation bag recently and now I wish I still had it. The bright pink color really makes me happy!
xoxo
Shelbee
Kathrine Eldridge
Love this fun color mix and I adore that bag! I forget how much I love watermelon in the middle of summer. Might have to go and get some this weekend!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Kathrine! This color combination made me really happy! I’m gonna need some more watermelon in the house weekend, too!
xoxo
Shelbee
Mica Away From The Blue
I love watermelon! And this outfit is so fun, the pink dress is so great with the green, it really pops and that’s a beautiful shade of pink on you 🙂
Thanks for the link up! Hope you are having a good week 🙂
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Mica, thanks so much! I love pink and green together and the brighter, the better! I hope you are having a wonderful week, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
I’ve long loved the pink and green color combination, so this is a fabulous outfit! (I want to make a quilt in these colors at some point….) Traditional watermelons walk the line between red and pink imo. So shocking pink is definitely a perfect interpretation. And I love that you added the green duster. (I totally ignored the green part of the watermelon. LOL!) One thing you didn’t mention is your shoes. Gah! I’m swooning!
Also I had no idea about yellow watermelons. Now I want to try it.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Michelle! I have always really loved pink and green together as well! I remember when I was on the board of my local chapter of the MOMS Club when my kids were younger, I was in charge of creating all of our new marketing material…banners and shirts and things for festivals and events where we would have an informational table set up. I went with bright pink and lime green because I think it is the most cheerful and soothing color combination and very inviting as well! We should have served fresh watermelon at those events now that I am thinking about it! Oh, hindsight, she does reveal so many things! I really didn’t talk about my shoes, did I? I bought these on New Chic many years ago. They have a really cool selection of shoes! I went searching and they do still have these available in red or green! If you do order them, I would recommend going up one size. I ordered my normal size 10 and they definitely are a little short and squeeze my toes. It’s not unbearable but does get uncomfortable after a few hours.
xoxo
Shelbee
Carol
Your watermelon-pink maxi dress and green duster are the perfect pieces to mimick the inside/outside appearance of a delicious, cut watermelon. And your accessories finish off the look perfectly.
Thank you for participating in Talent-Sharing Tuesdays Link-Up 26.
Carol
http://www.scribblingboomer.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Carol! This was a fun style challenge and I felt super bright and happy in my watermelon outfit!
xoxo
Shelbee