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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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Comments

  1. Joanie

    I just can’t get enough of these posts, I’m so sad they’re over! 🙂 This is such a charming, delightful wonderland!

  2. amy

    I have LOVED this whole story, and the great pictures, and inspiration. I think the paint-by-number mural is my favorite thing ever and I’m trying to figure out where I an do that in my house! Thank you!

  3. Mary

    So inspiring! We dream sometimes about what our family homestead could become.. love that you’ve created such a whimsical and meaningful getaway!

  4. Michelle Wright

    This place is just so magical and peaceful looking. This would be a treat for anyone who wins. Thanks for the giveaway.

  5. Olivia

    We would love a stay at Camp Wandawega. We live in PA now, but regularly make the drive through Wisconsin to visit family in MN. What a great pitstop Camp Wandawega would be! Thanks for the opportunity!

  8. Cynthia

    Oh how I would love an excuse to return to Wisconsin (where I spent my childhood) for some R and R at Camp Wandawega! Such an enchanting place!

  11. Kat Babbitt

    Oh man, I’ve GOT to win one of your giveaways eventually right? This would be oh so dreamy.

  14. Megan

    This place looks so magical in so many ways. It would be such a great getaway for me and my husband and even better place to take our kiddos. Thanks so much for letting us all know about it.

  17. Denise

    I LOVE this!! I need some serious help when it comes to being creative and every picture just gave me a hundred ideas! I love the PBN mural!

  19. Lisa C.

    Oh my gosh. I want to be a winna! I wear a necklace around my neck most days that says “lake girl”. Please, please, please, pretty please.

  25. Shawn

    I would love to spend a weekend here with my husband just reconnecting with him. So sweet!

  27. Stacey Napior

    Wow, I’m not much of a camper, but my husband is, and this place makes even me want to get into the great outdoors. =] Looks like an incredible adventure.

  31. Barbara

    Love this whole series of posts about the camp. What an inspired life they lead! Would love to win a little trip there. Thanks for the posts. Love your Blog, Layla.

  33. Sabrina

    Ohh sign me up!!! I would love love love to take family to visit this amazing place and even more amazing people. I can already picture my 2 girls just having a blast! Thank you so much for the opportunity for this giveaway and for this awesome week of posts :)!

  36. Lis

    Me! Ooh! Me!!! This place is my (not at all secret) dream! I would love to visit for a weekend!

  37. Caitlin E.

    What a beautiful place! It seems magical. We’re putting a treehouse like that on our (massive) TO-DO someday list :o)
    Count me in!

  38. Jane S

    Fabulous story! I purchased a cabin with a long family history myself (in WI!) and have loved reading about Camp Wandawega. I would LOVE the opportunity to visit and appreciate all the wonderfulness this place has to offer! 🙂

  40. Angela Ballard

    Simply dreamy. It is amazing when someone makes everybody’s dream a reality. What an amazing couple with incredible talent. Not just for the get-a-way, but for the company too… Let me be the one that gets to go!!

  41. debbie

    Wonderful blog, Layla! Just when I was thinkin’ I might be
    getting too old to be inspired…………lovely.

  46. Aleksandra

    I would love a chance to visit Wandawega! I have so enjoyed your posts the past couple of days — especially the one about the tree house. 🙂

  47. JessicaA

    Woo Hoo! What an amazing little get away this would be for hubby and I….would love to see all this amazing stuff in person!