Welcome to Day 5 of Wandawega Week!
Today I’m going to share a little bit about the friendly folks behind the oh-so-creative camp. David, Tereasa…and a sweet, little cherub-faced girl named Charlie.
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“Boy meets girl. Boy proposes. Boy suggests that they purchase his abandoned childhood summer camp to be wed at. Girl accepts on both counts.”
David and Tereasa’s wedding ceremony was held at Wandawega, atop a hill, and overlooking the lake. Tereasa, carried a bouquet of daisies, and her father, Tom, walked her down the aisle to Elvis’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” played on the guitar by Nicholas Barron. They hired a Nashville-based company called Hatchshow Print to create their wooden wedding invitations and silk-screened RSVP and Save-the-Date postcards. The invitation and RSVP cards were packaged inside a brown kraft-paper envelope, along with an old map of the Wandawega resort. The envelopes were secured with a gingham ribbon and fastened with a small embroidered patch.
Upon arrival, wedding guests were greeted by a 1955 Mercury Monterrey. The couple shares a love for vintage cars and motorcycles, so it was only fitting that they park one from their collection on the property. Next to the car, Tereasa placed a “D.H. + T.S.” sign, and surrounded it with pots bursting with bunches of daisies.
Even though the day was rain-filled, Tereasa and David still describe their wedding as being “the color of sunshine“. Partly because of all the yellow rain slickers, rain boots, and the abundance of daisies- but also because they believe that “sunshine is very much a state of mind“. (I whole-heartedly agree!)
Their vanilla wedding cake was decorated with buttercream icing and daisies. And, of course, no camp gathering would be complete without a bonfire, so following the reception, everyone gathered ’round to roast marshmallows, sing campfire songs, and enjoy the starry night in the woods.
*swoon*
Here are all the dreamy wedding deets:
Venue: Camp Wandawega; available for rental through Town and Country Locations
Stationery: Hatch Showprint
Band: Nicholas Barron Quartet
Photography: Chris Strong; Matthew Gore; Robert Jillson; Mitch Gordon; Landis Smithers
Cake & Catering: Rodney Oksuita, besteventscatering.com
Desserts & Brunch: Christine Busby of Busby Bakes
Daisy Wreath and Garlands: Pesche’s Greenhouse
Bride’s Dress: Jenny Lee
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Fast forward to nine months ago. David and Tereasa welcomed daughter, Charlie, to the world…
Tereasa created a woodsy-style nursery for her in their Chicago home…
…and another one at Camp Wandawega…
To create a paint-by-number (PBN) mural like the one above, Tereasa suggests searching eBay to find an old school PBN painting guide you love. Next, give each of the colors on it a number, and then match each number to a paint chip.
Once you’ve decided on your palette, take your paint chips to the paint store and buy ’em up, Buttercup! After that, use a projector to display your PBN guide onto the wall and begin tracing it out with a pencil.
Last but not least, fill in your numbers with the latex paint your purchased using a foam brush.
Tereasa also broke out her brush to brighten up a collection of old cuckoo clocks hanging on the wall in the Charlies Wandawega nursery…
Yesterday, I asked Tereasa about where she draws her inspiration from. She said…
“My inspiration is 3-fold:
1- Our biggest project yet, 9 month old Charliegirl
2- My dear (late) Dad, Tom (Turtle)
3- My freakishly patient husband, David.
Each of them has made me hyper-aware of just how fleeting life is, and that you have to chase down your dreams like a cheetah. My three muses inspire me daily to look at things with a lens of optimism, and quite simply, transforming the homes and spaces around my loved ones makes them happy, which makes me happy.”
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Outgoing and hospitable, David and Tereasa host a constant, rotating stream of visitors at Wandawega.
If you’d like to visit them and their magical camp, leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a 2-night stay for you and a friend, (if you’re parents with kids, the little ones are welcome too!) and we’ll randomly select a winner on Sunday (August 14, 2011) at noon (Central Time). Your getaway will include a welcome gift basket and access to all that wonderful Wandawega has to offer. Think: peace and quiet, boating, fishing, hiking, swimming, etc. David and Tereasa will be in touch with you to see about which dates will work best for you, based on availability. Good luck and may the fun force be with you!
PS- If you missed any of this week’s Wandawega posts- you can find them here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4!
Camp looks awesome!
I love this series of posts that you’ve done. What an inspiration! The resort is beautiful, vintage, crafty, and most of all you can feel the love that went into it’s creation. I’d love a chance to visit and experience it in person!
Their wedding looked amazing and I love they named their daughter Charlie.
Hmmm where can I buy 25acres on a lake?
Holy cow! This might be the BEST giveaway EVER! I am just in awe of all they have done, and I can only imagine visiting such a wonderful place 🙂
What a wonderful opportunity- I have loved following the Wandawega story this week!
This sounds wonderful! A perfect little honeymoon spot.
I would love to win this giveaway. *pretty please*
This would be awesome! I’d love to win!
I would super dee duper love to win this! Love.
Everything about their camp lures me in! I would love to see it in person.
Every picture I see of Camp Wandawega is so refreshing. I would love to see it in person. What a perfect spot for some quality family time:)
Wow, Wandawega looks like a little slice of heaven. I’d love to visit!
Thanks so much for sharing this week, Layla!I would love to visit the camp!
Oh My Goodness. I would love to win a trip to this wonderland of fun! I hope I’m lucky this time!
I love the camp! This win would be amazing!
That place looks fabulous. I’d love to drool over the PBN mural in person. Pick me!
I have absolutely loved your posts this week & would love a much needed getaway! : ) What an incredible looking place!
I am in love with the paint by number idea. Simple beautiful genius!
I would love for my kids to experience this beautiful camp! I’ve so enjoyed reading all about it!
David and Tereasa seem like wonderful people. I would love a chance to meet them and visit their wonderful camp. The treehouse is amazing!
Who wouldn’t want to spend a few days here!?? Thanks for sharing this place with us!
Tereasa’s love for her daddy reminds me of my love for mine. He passed away 6 years ago, but he is in my heart everyday and is always my inspiration. I loved the treehouse, and the paint by number wall was AWESOME! I want to go do that right now! 🙂
Thanks, Layla!
Looks so beautiful! I would love to visit!
This is an amazing place. Such a restful and peaceful place they have created.
Oh my! A stay there would be magical! I’m IN!!! Seriously. Those nursery’s??? Love Love Love! No one should be allowed that much TALENT! 🙂 Thanks, guys! You make my life brighter! 🙂
oh man! i have so enjoyed the posts on this magical place. i would love to take my family! thank you for this fab giveaway!
Wow! What an awesome giveaway. Put my name in the hat! Sounds fun and romantic.
beeeeeautiful!!! full of love — we’d feel blessed to visit!
What a great week! I love this camp and would be honored to visit and share it with my family. Thanks for sharing the amazing camp and the contest.
i wuld luv to visit a place like this i never went to camp as a child and i would luv to visit a cool place like this. Plus it wuld be great to share that first experience with my pumpkins!
I’d like to win, please.
This place is amazing! I would love to visit Wandawega! Could I stay in the tree house?!?
Thanks for all the posts this week — it’s a truly beautiful place and I’d love to go.
We’re expecting our second babe within 16 months of each other. We would be so grateful for a babymoon! Time in this place, what I actually requested for our honeymoon ha ha. We’d be so grateful!
I would love to win this trip. It seems such a magical place. Thanks for the opportunity.
I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really wanna win this!
(In memory of my mom, Wanda.) 🙂
all week i was reading these posts and thinking, “man, this would be a great place to take the kids!” and now i have a chance at doing just that. how cool is that?! 😉
Oh, how I would love to visit this beautiful place.
Thank you for sharing the info about the camp.
My husband is in love with the paint-by-number cabin wall.
We would love to come here with our two little ones. This is such a magical-looking place! Really great job on fixing it up (and on the posts this entire week, Layla!).
This place is incredible! Free trip or not, We are going to have to check this place out!
Stacey xx
Pick me, pick me!!
I would LOVE to go visit this beautiful camp! It’s absolutely lovely : )
I have absolutely loved reading your blog this week and would love the chance to stay at this camp. I so remember those ‘boy scout’ tents as we used to camp that way when I was little. I’m in IL too so not that far away
I would love to visit the camp….it reminds me of a wonderful place here in the South (mountains too) where our boys attended camp each summer.
Lovely place owned by lovely people who are very grounded in their life. This week has been a joy to read and I have ordered both books. The day the mailman drops those off will be like Christmas in August. Thanks to you and your husband for capturing it for the rest of us.
I saw their treehouse and my heart stopped! It’s the one I’ve always dreamed of–I would be sooo happy just laying in the hammock underneath it.
looks like such a fun and lovely place!
Layla, I would love to see this place in person! I’ve been so intrigued since getting her book last yr about their cabin redo. Since you wrote abt it all wk i hope it means you are staying until sunday for the elkhorn flea mkt. Unfortunately, i’m up north for a week so will not be there:( It’s the best flea in the midwest. I would probably tackle you or something then ask you tons of decorating questions and check out everything you bought. (Maybe I will have to go!) I’m gaga for your blog and all you do! Pick me..PS. Warning: I may be attending Junk Bonanza;)
I LOVE the paint by numbers idea! Super clever and cute:) I also love the picture of little Charlie on a “boat” I would love to steal that idea too, but I don’t have blue hardwood floors;)
SWOON! id love to be a guest at the passion-filled Wandawega! thank you Layla for such a fun week! ive truely enjoyed this, your posts are so lovely and it shows how hard you work on them! you often have me anticipating on my way home from work of what it will be’ and the pictures are fabulous! The sweet lil baby girl made this soo precious, they have an incredible story! I’m thinking she will write a book about the baby entering the family!? ill be looking for all her boooks. Again, thanks for great entertainment!!