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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

  2. Nancy

    Wow, what a great place and fantastic story. I’ve had a great time reading about camp wandawega, thanks for sharing through your wonderful website.
    Nancy and family.

  3. Katie

    Camp Wandawega is the type of place that I long to retreat to… someday to have a vacation home like that would be wonderful.

  4. Maddy

    Magical indeed. I could live there forever! Thank you for posting the Wandawega series, it’s so very beautiful and inspiring!

  7. Dinelle h

    I can’t wait to read each blog you post Layla. What a great place they have made this. It would be such an awesome trip to get to visit and relax at the Wandawega. I would love to win this.

    Have a great day. 🙂

  11. Tina Chessher

    ooooh, pick me, pick me! My husband and I need a get-a-way and this sounds JUST RIGHT!!!

  14. Allison Y

    I would LOVE to be able to check this place out after seeing all the great pictures!!

  16. Kimberly

    I have loved every picture posted from this “Camp Week.” I don’t know if the pictures or the motivation behind the restorations is more inspiring. Everything seems so calming, friendly, and fun and I would love to see it all in person!

  17. WendyC

    Love the photos! And Wow – never knew such an awesome place existed near us – would love to win! Thank you for doing this giveaway!!

  18. Melissa Shields

    Oh my gosh! Enter me in this contest! I need to talk my husband into taking me there either way! 🙂

  21. Denise Wright

    I can think of no better place for a get awy from our heat than this beautiful resort!! Amazing and so inspiring!! Thank you for sharing!!

  25. Karen Honch

    How this brings back memories for me. I grew up in northern ontario in
    Canada and my family camped on an island where we all slept in one of
    those very large old canvas tents on a wooden platform that my dad built.
    I can still recall the smell of the canvas tent mixed with the smell of pine
    and cedar……..Looking inside the photos of the tents takes me back to 1963
    with all the plaid and buffalo jackets etc and all the old coolers. I would
    so love to take my husband to visit this most beautiful and rustic retreat….
    This really has made me happy to look at………oh and love the old (I think it is Hank Williams?) music from the website……I have
    truly been transpired back in time …….thank you thank you…Karen

  26. Katrina Allen

    I’d love to come visit the camp! I always thought it would be fun to live and work at one and fix it up! I absolutely adore the cuckoo clocks!

  29. Shelley Turner

    What an amazing chance for a couple or family to get away and experience each other and nature again! Would love to visit!!

  30. Thera

    I have been following this series, place looks amazing.
    My common-law husband of almost 19 years and I have been planning to finally tie-the-knot and make it “official”, this would be a great place to go for our honeymoon!

  31. Itsa

    I grew up in Iowa and would so love to see your camp in the fall. It reminds me of our summers at Lake Okaboji in NW Iowa.

  33. Nicole Henley

    Have to admit, this little family is super inspiring. I would love and feel honored to get to spend a weekend there with my someone special. Thank you Layla for introducing them to all of us!

  34. Natalie

    I have really enjoyed learning all about this amazing place (and the amazing owners). Please, please pick me to come to camp!! 🙂

    Keep up the great work–you’re wonderfully inspiring!

  36. Teresa T.

    Layla and Kevin,
    Thank you so much for sharing their wonderful camp with all of us. What a dream! Of course we would love to have a fun-tastic visit & have two beautiful daughters that would love to have the experience too. Ah, they grow up soooo fast.

    Love and Blessings, Teresa

  39. Heather Travis

    love reading about this amazing transformation. I spent my summers at camp (now closed) …would love to enjoy this amazing opportunity.

  40. June Wojnar

    I would absolutely love to stay there with my family or maybe just a getaway with my husband. They did a wonderful job bringing the camp back to life!

  45. Amy S.

    Oh what fun, we’d love to go, the boy scouts may need to stay at the tent village 🙂

  48. Jessica

    What a sweet place! This could be a really fun, perfect family reunion spot. Thanks for profiling it, and for the give-aways! I’d love to visit! Or better yet, send my parents there for a weekend, they’d adore it!