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Camp Wedding and Baby

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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!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Carol Fullen

    Wow–what a haven of rest! Visiting this place was just added to my “bucket list”.

  4. Jill

    This is such a perfect getaway 🙂 I am so inspired by the love for life that she shows in her decorating. I feel like I know this family personally just because of the heart and soul she puts into her decorating. What a great week I’ve had reading these posts! Thanks Layla!

  5. Jennifer Grey

    I’d be crazy not to enter, right? I would so love to visit Camp Wandawega with my husband and dream together under the stars. What a simply magical place we would love to explore and enjoy.

    oxox
    Jennifer

  6. njpath

    have loved this series – thanks for showing us such great inspiration – would love to visit wandawega

  7. Gloria

    Seems like the PERFECT place to be ‘at one’ with God and nature! Thank you so much for sharing the background and history of the couple who reno’d this piece of paradise; it’s clearly evident that they invested their entire heart and soul….which makes this give-a-way that much more special! I’m sure that the lucky winner will be the envy of all your readers, and I hope to hear about their stay once they’ve visited Thanks again 🙂

  10. Kim

    Oh how neat and very nice/generous of them to offer this for you to giveaway! I’d love to win!!! Thank you!

  15. Meredith Smith

    I have just got to see this awesome place in person. Thank you for a great week! I have looked forward to each new post and am so inspired in life-changing ways. Please pick me! : )

  16. Karen T.

    I would so love such a weekend…and so would my boys. I am dreaming of it already–we live outside Chicago and could be there in a heartbeat!! Loved this week of posts, Layla!!

  18. JenC

    I have been daydreaming about this lovely place since these posts started, it would be a wonderful place to spend some quality time as a family!

  20. Toni Combs

    How fun!!! My husband and 8 year old little boy would LOVE a little trip like this. Fresh air, the moon and stars and leaving all our cares behind. I can hear the crickets chirping~ pick us!

  24. Elizabeth B.

    What a wonderful gift I could give my hard working husband, he grew up in wisconsin his grams (grandmother) raised him on her farm and what a wonerful job she did. He still has that farm boy work ethic in him. He rarely takes a vacation and is sooo deserving of a restful break from the stress of running his own business.We are blessed with 3 children, a boy 7 years old and twins 6 years old a boy and a girl. What an amazing experience this would be for us to share as a family.

  25. Melisa

    I would so love to go there! My husband, kids and I live in Georgia. My husband’s dad lives in Wisconsin! We don’t see him that often, but I saw that Wandawega is only about 30 minutes from him!!! It would be so fun for the whole family to go there and spend some family bonding time together! Thanks for introducing me to this beautiful place!

  31. Meredith

    I have enjoyed all your posts. Thank you so much for sharing. We would love an opportunity to stay at Wandawega!

  34. Kari

    I don’t know quite how I’ll get there yet, but I’m seriously all about it. I don’t think I’ve seen a more lovely place in a LONG time. What a gorgeous camp!!

  38. Carrie

    I wanna go to Wandawega!!! I love this little unique get away! I’m always searching for quick Midwest trips to go on. It’s only 3 hours from us! I’d love for my husband and I to win! I have been talking about Wandawega all week! I can’t stop! We are going to plan a trip for sure! Thanks again for this weeks posts Layla.

  39. wendy lentz

    Oh my- I love the PBN mural. I have used three PBN paintings in my son’s room. The paintings were done by my dad when he was ten year’s old. I have been imagining doing some myself. What a great inspiration.

  40. jackie

    What a wonderland, we are from Illinois and would love a get away with our family, this would be a dream mini getaway!! Thanks so much for all the giveaways!!! Smiles, Jackie

  43. LeAnn Cox

    Love your blog…y’all are such an inspiration! Love Prattville, too. I went to college in Mtgy!!!

  46. Debbie

    I am sending this to my son who dreams of moving back to the Midwest. This will inspire him to work hard to fulfill his dream.

  47. Becky

    My husband and I will be celebrating our 41st anniversary this month. I would love to surprise him with a trip to this glorious place.

  48. Erika

    What a wonderful vacation! Our 3 year old thinks camping is the greatest thing of all time!