Weve never seen anything like this before the most unique gift you can give somebody Our new craft cabin now includes a home portrait (told through the landscape).Our neighbor (weaving artist @lori_seidemann ) spent the season-Foraging the grounds around camp, -Gathered all the different plants, berries & roots.-She boiled them down to make natural dyes.-That she dyed yarns with the custom colors.-That she designed a pattern with the yarns.-That she wove into a literal portrait.of our backyard here, our home.it turns out that even the ugliest, most invasive species we have here (buckthorn)- produces the most beautiful colors.Every yard has different plants, that release different colors; its like having your fortune read, a surprise to see what colors your backyard will reveal.OUR BACKYARD PALETTE:Pinecone, sumac berries & leaves, summer grapes, Pokeberries, she even used the bark from the evil Buckthorn (and its berries)*Zoom into shot 3 to see the hue key that she pulled out of our backyard.Weve collected little samplers for years mainly Latvian, Mexican & Native American (last photo).Most cultures across the world make their own version of these die charts (last pic)Making one of these weavings from scratch is incredibly time consuming & labor intensive and the result is unique.Our portrait is now hanging in the craft cabin, so she can measure the natural effect of light fade on these. Like the wildflower patches here, we expect it to evolve.Lori accepts special commissions on a limited basis, working out of her weaving studio on Lake Wandawega & her home studio in Chicago.portrait here taken at one of her weaving workshops at @SOHOhouse.
January 18, 2021 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
FOUND! A kind stranger messaged us – they found an antique postcard talking about dining at the Wandawega Hotel ( post marked 1942) Rachelwas guest here back when Wandawega operated with a full restaurant. (we still have all these tables, chairs and dishes)OTHER THINGS WE FOUND:- this businesscard in the drawer of the old reception desk says Excellent Food- the 1950s brochure here (not sure what taste thrills are?)- the proprietor in his tophat (also bartender) – the first ad weve found so far (1920s)advertised steak dinners for $1.25Folks have given us lots of photos over the years of the Dining Hall days here.Were starting to dig out all the old restaurant stuff thats been packed away since the last time the guest dining hall operated here in 1961….and making plans to start something weve always wanted to do. cant wait to share!
January 17, 2021 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
The magical little Nordic cabin that youve never heard of, but you have to stay at.Just returned from a little socially distant holiday here-A under the radar gem owned by a young art historian – a living breathing art museum that you can drive to & book on VRBO.HERES OUR TOP 10 when you stay at this Door County hideaway:1. STAY @binkhaven Nordic paradise (a compound of buildings featured in House Beautiful decades ago & perfectly preserved).2. DISCOVER (by drive) the historic 1920s fairytale log cabins of Chapel Lane originally part of Frogtown Art Colony art therapy camp) for returning soldiers over a century ago.3. DRIVE up the coastline & visit the scenic outlooks (the ice takes over like sculpture). 4. SHOP Fish Creek Market -continuously in operation for 125 years, groceries & supplies for camp & cabin.5. SEE the STAVKIRKE – an Insanely beautiful Viking style Church on Washington Island.6. HIKE the wooded dozen acres around your cabin and beyond (bring your snow shoes) this first shot of CharlieGirl is right in Binkhavens backyard.7. ORDER the Swedish pancakes from Al Johnsons since 1949. (They keep goats to graze its sod roof). It has an authentic Swedish menu & curbside pick up to boot).8. READ your way through 6 decades of history of the art of rosemaling in the cottage.9. MAKE. epic dinners every night (or invite a friend who cooks)- thank you, @joeystevenson…. & set a tablescape with their house vintage china.10. RETURN. To hit up the supperclubs (so much that we didnt see this time, so we have to go back when its greener and things are opened back up).In 2021 were trying to find more secret little family run spots that are in driving distance – places prioritizing creativity over commerce.
January 13, 2021 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
When @oliviarink pays us a visit for a little treehouse tour.Sometimes when the sun is out, its like a little greenhouse in here.With three walls of windows, it warms it up just enough (one of our fav spots to be when its snowing – like a snow globe in treetops).
January 12, 2021 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
Get outside.Clear your head.The fresh air will do you good.(Works for us, anyway: )Guests sharing their Wandawega winter wonder walks pics:@oolretaw, we like your style
January 11, 2021 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
They were following us the whole time …We took a little fam walk – doing the rounds to check out which outbuildings the raccoon squatters have taken over so far this winter – We got back to the lodge to empty the snow out of our boots and David got a notification pop up on his phone (he gets those when the deer cam motion sensor goes off).Look what it caught ten minutes after we passed by the tipi stand… Q: Where is a good source for snowshoes ? Cant believe Im saying this – but NOT vintage (but also not neon green plastic ??)
January 10, 2021 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
2020 top 9So freaking grateful to our guests, friends and family for making this last year not just tolerable – but the year we found out what matters most. Taking nothing for granted & jumping into 2021 with open hearts & minds for a better year for us all : )
January 9, 2021 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise. -Victor HugoWe are so looking forward to getting up extra early to watch the sunrise on January 20th. We think that its gonna be the brightest, most hopeful one to come in 2021And it cant come soon enough.#BrighterDaysAhead
January 8, 2021 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
The way is plain, peaceful, generous – ABEExcerpt from Joes speech yesterday, when he quoted Lincolns congressional address.We couldnt agree more. (We want to frame it here now to add to our growing Abe collection).Honest Abe has been one of our patron saints – scattered around camp in various rooms and cabins, watching over us. A constant reminder of what honesty and integrity and democracy is.Something else Joe said last night that feels good to remember this morning :The way of democracyOf decencyof respectof honor.And commitment as patriots of this nation.There is nothing we cant do if we do it together. @reallykindofamazing – thanks for this first shot, its still one of our favs…. partially because my mom painted that portrait when she was 16, (we found it when we where cleaning out my grandmas attic- it was one of our first pictures that we hung up at camp 16 years ago.)The last shot is an over-painted portrait of Abe donated to the graduating class of 1918 (we found this one in Davids parents basement- they discovered it when they bought the house nearly 50 years ago).One more bit of Abe wisdom that feels fitting today:America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. – #HONESTabe #PatronSaint #DEMOCRACYwinsHand to heart, friends.
January 7, 2021 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
Most folks here kinda like being taken to the woodshed. (Dont forget the Thermos of hot toddies.) It sits at the head of our hiking trail in the backwoods to keep dry firewood for the guests who stay up in the rustic camping cluster of tent cabins.We had our Amish friends up in the northwoods build it for us based on our napkin sketch. Its crazy how inexpensive they are to build (cost less than to build that nice road bicycle). They explained that they can build cheap horse / wood sheds like ours because they run their own saw mills.After we got her planted on railroad tie skids, we outfitted it with the wood stick shelving, canvas drop flaps and our collection of two man saws and logging gear that Id been hoarding for ages – waiting for my woodshed : )But it was a bear hauling it up our rocky sledding hill – at one point I thought for sure it was going to slide off the back of the rig (last video clip here).Our advice:Dont try this at home.Hire the Amish builders / farmers.First pics from guest @sdamiani
January 6, 2021 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
