Shooting a summer cover story in a blizzard is a good idea (said no one ever) ..*swipe right for what 7am looked like 6 weeks ago before the crew arrives to shoot our sunporch ….but if you start with XX Baileys in your coffee, shooting with a good friend, and a chill magazine crew- it all comes out better than hoped.. . . *Throw a puppy in the mix and the whole thing is so much easier.Watch for the new issue July / August of @CountryLivingMag for Charliegirls new sunporch friendsroom cover and story on how to do campstyle .Thanks to the best crew!!@bobcoscarelli photo .@ahutchgram . Styling help@piecesofcate of country living-amazing-ness@rachelhardagebarrett for the BTS pix
June 11, 2019 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
GIVEAWAY TIME.Were so damn happy to finally get these off the press that were giving away ten sets – (our 8 yr-old camp counselor is gonna pick her fave 10 responses here tomorrow & well drop them in the mail). Souvenir windshield decals are a part of America’s summer vacation history. Their heyday was the Golden Age of highway travel, 1945-1970. Once the most common roadside souvenir, they’re now gone. Weve been obsessively collecting (honestly, hoarding) them for years:Camps canned ham, Airstream, traveltrunks, suitcases, every vehicle – from the firetruck tothegolf cart – sports them. Weve beendreaming & failing for over a decade to find a vendor to reproduce them in their exact watertransfer technology form, with little luck – but this past week, we finally got pretty close. .* Managed to find the old-school glassine sleeves.* Dug up the paper stock for the instruction sheets.* Located manufacturer for the souvenir sticker. (Remember how every souvenir standtchotchkefrom the 30s-70shad that tiny little round metallic Souvenir of’ sticker on the bottom?) .From deadstock, we created five different designs for this collection:each ofthese at a qty of 200 each.So if youre looking for us,we can be found forthe next month collating, sleeving, stamping, pinning, and boxing these things up. Its strangelytherapeutic (especially when paired with drinking whiskey). Any volunteers?While thesearent for sale now – we donthave a retail outlet or store – we love bringing back these old mementos lost to time that you cant buy anywhereanymore. (Next time youre at camp come find us and well dig one up for ya.) #SouvenirAssemblyTherapy.More at #WandawegaCustoms ….1st 2 shots of camp collection : @bobcoscarelli
June 9, 2019 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
..PLEASE DONT STEAL THE TOWELS. .Who remembers the standard camp-issue towels of their childhood? .Scratchy. Ratty. Daylight shining through thin sheet sorta thing..Today, they would never big enough to make a full wrap around our grown up bodies. At 10 years old, none of us knew what Egyptian cotton was- and didnt care. .At camp, in our relentless OCD pursuit of recapturing the experience of our childhood,Weve been searching for a weaver to recreate them for us. This follows our pursuit of making things harder than they need to be: .The years spent finding the last remaining company in America who can still make those tiny little hotel soaps of the 1950s.andThe multi-year search to find the 3rd generation matchbook company in Texas who was willing to modify their standard process to print ours the way that they where made in the 60s. . but it turns out that getting towels made in the same old school Holiday Inn Circa 1960 style has proven to be pretty damn hard to source. .For years, weve been making our towels so shitty that nobody wants to use them, let alone take them home. (They are dead stock military issue that we then silkscreened) .We where grateful to find a very patient fabric label company who endured many rounds of sourcing a dozen diff fabric swatches for test print samples… before we finally committed to the one that was old enough faded enough Enough enough. And the towel company who couldnt understand why we wanted lesser grade cotton thread for the custom weave, a smaller towel size (modern versions are so much bigger than they need to be). .So after driving so many folks nuts for so many months, We are happy to report that they have arrived! .They arent Egyptian cottonThey arent luxurious, or big or special in any way- Other than you wont find them anywhere else in the world. .So please feel free to the steal soaps, Carve your name into our furniture (the bunk beds in cabin 3). .But please don’t steal the towels.(Weve got an awkward sentimental attachment to them now).More at #WandawegaCustoms .First shot @vavoomstudios Last shot @bobcoscarelli
June 8, 2019 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
I vow to do all in my power to fight the systems that dont celebrate your perfect body, your brown skin, or your gender expression- Cassie + Es vows to each other..A debt of gratitude to these beautiful humans:Thank you for the good vibes you & all of your beautiful friends brought to camp on that rainy day.Thank you for flipping over the signs mandating men vs women access, so that for the first time in a century all genders know they are welcome.Thank you for setting such a beautiful example for our daughter: that flowergirls are the fiercest, that Love Is Love (and it lives here in this creaky old place too). Thank you for the reminder that inclusiveness, kindness and acceptance are all that matters -That will remain here as long as we are able to keep these gates open – and long after were gone. If there is any justice in this world, it is that these two incredibly loving people have found each other. – #loveliveshereaw Congratulations– @_castlecakes @e_roar…. : @im_thebaby @stitchqueer @tnyaahh @burnteyesblahg @jaithebarber @peacecosour @liz_sung
June 6, 2019 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
In our tradition of curating this feed with photography from the creative community that we share it with – this weekends memories shared by: @uhhitsmegan, @otherliztaylor + Hazel with Chuck Taylor and @owen.taylor212
May 27, 2019 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
Does anyone have 1k a month? This is your new lakehouse.We received an outpouring of emails from theneighbor’s foreclosurelakehousewe shared: (sorry- it sold a few days later to some chicago friends). .>>But have somenew news! Two separate retiring neighbors just called us -and have also decided to sell as well now..Retiringneighbors who’ve been here for decadesare moving. (There are 2 different cottages). So instead of replying individually to all the inquiries – we’re justsharing the info here. (The red arrows show roughly where they sit facing the lake – the other green arrows are friends who’ve already bought up the other housesas they have come up for sale in the past few years). Both of thesevintage cottages sitdirectly across the road from the water. (With less than $1k mo/mortgage – ifit were us, wed justAirbnb it a dozen times a year & let it pay for itself). The 2 bdrm adorable blue cabin: google W5276 Wandawega Dr, Elkhorn WI 53121.For the 3bdrm 1930s immaculate cottage on the south side of the lake, google W5276 Tippecanoe Trl, 53121. Open house this Saturday from 10 – 1!.**we aren’t in real estate ! so please just email or call the agents directly. Wejust would like good neighbors & since there are so few of these on our little lake togo up for sale, and then they go so fast – justsharing with folks who would make good neighbors… with good taste,pride of ownership & contributing members of our littlegrowingopen-minded, inclusive,progressivecreative community… who are slowly but surely restoring a tiny lake community back to what it was in the 1920’s when ‘Wandawega Lake Resort’ was built here alongside theserows of cabins & cottages.Canoe shot: @bradandjen
May 24, 2019 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
Pack your bags for a Moonrise Kingdom Vacation”Geeking out that the creators (@focusfeatures) of our favorite movie wanted an interview for their story on where fans can go to get their own Moonrise Kingdom experience..An excerpt from their story today, on the eve of Memorial Day weekend; A world where everything seems pleasantly faded, where people read crackly-covered library books, and where young people are allowed to be genuinely innocent. .The film has inspired audiences to find their own Moonrise Kingdom. On the eve of Memorial Day weekend, we celebrate the anniversary of Moonrise Kingdom by showcasing the places fans have gone to recapture the magic of Andersons wondrous film. ..Go camping in style: In Elkhorn, Wisconsin, the Wandawega Lake Resort offers tents, teepees, cabins, A-frames, and bunkhouses for guests looking for that special Moonrise Kingdom magic. Nestled next to a wood-side lake, Camp Wandawega combines rustic hipness with serene natural beauty. Current owners, David Hernandez and Tereasa Surratt, have carefully decorated public and private spaces to give a real sense of history and nostalgia, touching on the locales unique lineage of bootleggers, brothels, and Latvian Catholics. Keeping it real, they offer guests a Manifesto of Low Expectations to readjust their definition of what a retreat really means.so happy to be listed alongside Yosemite National Park & the real places the movie was filmed- we are packing our bags now…. their full story & list of where to visit on todays profile line..1st shot: @bobcoscarelli
May 23, 2019 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
OPENING TODAY:this summers left over cabin inventory now available .Its that time of year again: we wait until mid May (once we book up all of our private all-camp events, brand retreats, creative takeover groups etc.) then we finally open up the Airbnb holds for the remaining cabins and spaces available for the season – *open for the first takers.DEETS: We are still old school, small scale & on Airbnb – so its DIY and first-come-first-serve, reservations online only. (Sorry, we still dont have a receptionist or concierge to take calls). emailed questions sometimes take up to 3 days to reply, so Airbnb inquiries are the best way to go – thanks for your understanding. #DoingTheBestWeCan .Thanks OUTSIDE MAGAZINE for the inclusion on the list yall just released :. The Worlds Best summer camps of 2019″ (yay! No.3 on the list of 14). .. For this list of camps across the globe, we relied on word-of-mouth reputation, interviews with camp staff, research, and, most importantly, we picked places that wewant to go.” – OUTSIDE
May 21, 2019 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
.Q: What do you get when you mix:An Experiential companyA bachelor partyA coffee shop owner & fam A few restaurateurs A group of senior prom-goersA few family vacationer groups A crew shooting a music video A bakers dozen stylists & art directors (gearing up to get their flea market fix…) ..A:An average weekend at camp.Every bed and beer glass full..#Chaos #SeasonInSwing
May 18, 2019 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
Someone way smarter than us once told us that lettingdown your guard is sometimes the only real way to help grow a brand.By letting others inside the messy back of house reality – they sometimes end up telling your story way better than you ever could.So heres to opening up & letting others in.(All photos here are by folks who have paid us a visit and were kind enough to withhold judgement for our not ready for close up reality).Ourmom & pophats fit just fine.(Were not opening anotherlocation, a camp-themed restaurant or a reality TV show). So were always a bit surprised when were asked for advice- we appreciate the invitation to come join a panel to speak at the @AceHotel soon on “differentiating your brand.”Well get a chance to share our advice onbrand building: Open your heart, your mind. Andsometimes a bottle of scotch.@generalassembly guests-friends sharing:@bennett_young (tent)@mksocialco (pup)@missnortherner (path)@yumuniverse (picnic)@katefordays (swim)@chrisstraley (campfire)@mulvatronn (squad)@paige.hulse (talk)@lexiafrankphoto (group)@daffodilparker (bride)
May 17, 2019 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
