cuckoo clock installation from the land of wandawega

Okay, I'm still thinking about Camp Wandawega, remember my post from last Friday? I am in awe of Teresa Surratt's ability to put together collections using unexpected things.

This grouping of 5 cuckoo clocks was hunted, gathered, painted and installed by Teresa for her new baby daughter's nursery at the camp. I love that it's not all girly pink and yellow.

Darnit if they don't make me want to hit up ebay for some of my own, they look so charming.

I also included a few more shots of the nursery because it's that kind of room. Paint by numbers mural, vintage crib and light fixture, painted blue floors...check! Baby Charlie is going to love her trips to Wisconsin.

camp wandawega

Each summer we get together with a dispersed group of my husband's friends from college and their families in Wisconsin for a mini-vacation. I'm not sure the group would go for it (it's less than luxurious) but I'd love to check out Camp Wandawega some summer.

A former church camp, this Elkhorn, Wisconsin property has been lovingly restored, decorated and brought back to life by Chicago couple Teresa Surratt and her husband David Hernandez. The Camp offers 3 vintage boyscout tents, a 3, 2, and 1-bedroom cabin, and lots of room to roam, complete with an archery range, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, a campfire area, shuffleboard, horseshoe pit, private beach, pier and canoes, there is something for everyone. The information is vague on the shower/bathroom situation so this may be a destination for when the kiddos (most are aged 0-3 years at this point) get a bit older, but how fun would it be to spend time every summer in this charming spot? The one drawback I can see is the lake itself. A tourist would not expect that this lake is not exactly "resort-y" I think it is 5-feet deep at most so don't expect to bring your speed boat.

Check out Teresa's blog, where she talks about thrifting, curating and spiffing up the camp.

NOTE: The Brimfield Come Flea with Me group is teaming up with Camp Wandawega to offer a campy shopping event the weekend of May 15th. To learn more, visit comefleawithme.com, visit the Brimfield store or call 773-520-4338.

Images: Theresa Surratt

vouching four: fixing the february flaws

Four things I've done recently to help fix the february flaws:

1) Get an updo. Do you have a leftover spa gift certificate from Christmas or your birthday? Instead of cashing in on a mani/pedi or a massage, paint your own nails, ask your sweetie to rub your back and splurge on an updo. I went to a party last weekend and got my hair "did" at 10:00am..which made for a fun day of looking fancy and unfortunately no way to take a nap, but it was worth it. Image

2) A little humidity. Botanic gardens need not be forgotten in winter, especially when they have a greenhouse/conservatory. This is hands-down my #1 cure for the winter blues, and it only costs $1.00. One step in this rain forest and my frizzy hair relaxes, my skin plumps up and my mood lightens. The last time I went, I saw a girl hunkered down in the corner reading. What a nice way to spend the afternoon.

3) Window shopping. Do you have a special shop or store that you feel inspired in? You don't even need to buy anything, just seeing the sights and smelling the smells can be all you need. This paper gown was spotted in my local Anthropologie window.

4) Snow ice cream. When life gives you snow, make snow ice cream. If you've never made this fun treat, you have to wait for a day when it snows...a lot. Gather loads of fresh snow and add milk until you get a nice slushy (but not wet) consistency. Add the sweetener of your choice, flavor and food coloring. Mint, lemon and peppermint are my favorites.

a new week, a new season

Hi there, how was your weekend? Autmn has unofficially started here in the Midwest and I am embracing it this year more than ever. Although summer will have my heart forever, I was much less tolerant of the humidity and heat recently than in years passed, maybe I'm getting old and grumpy. In my defense, we also had one of the buggiest (read: skeeters) summers in known history--why do they even exist?

We did our first fall family activity on Sunday which was apple-picking and cider-drinking at the cutest orchard just outside of Madison. I also made homemade apple sauce for the first time in my life with a real vanilla bean to boot (yay me!)

Having a toddler to entertain has really brought back the inner-child in me. I forgot how much I liked to color with crayons, watch cartoons, sing and dance around the house after dinner, and pick apples.

recycled floors: inspired design and local life

The long-awaited Madison Children's Museum opened its doors this month. So far the museum has seen 40,000 visitors, the same number the old museum saw in an entire calendar year. I've been there several times already and each time, I've marveled at the floors in the Possible-opolis section of the museum. Each time, my mind churned as I tried to figure out where I had seen them before. Last night, it was finally calm enough to ask one of the staff members where they were from and as the words were coming out of his mouth, my mind finally popped into the right gear and it came to me (I swear) just as the words came out of his mouth: recycled gym floors.

I knew I had seen those exact colors somewhere, but the shapes and patters all broken-up made my noggin work overtime before it came to me. The yellow, red and blue marks in the floors were markings from a basketball court, of course. They look really amazing in their new placement, and they're just a tiny piece of the entire museum puzzle. It's worth a visit even if you don't have any children. Go, play.

local life: odana antique mall

Although I really miss the many huge antique malls in Chicago, Madison has its share of fun vintage and antique shopping spots within the city limits. My trip to the Odana Antique Mall last week did not land a purchase (good girl) but it did land some fun finds. Wanna see?

I'd like know a bit about the fancy lady who first owned this pink luggage set. The round hat box really tipped it over the cute edge for me.

I think I'm drawn to chemistry glassware because it reminds me of going to my dad's lab when I was growing up. This booth had an elaborate display of test tubes, beakers and other science-y stuff.

It's hard to see from this less-than-stellar photo, but this booth had really great merchandising and styling. I bet the dealer has a cute house.

If only the ceiling in my bedroom were higher, I'd love to hang this beautiful blue glass chandelier from it. Gorgeous and just under $400. It's up for grabs!

how I craigslist

I don't know how I can continue this blog any longer without doing a craigslist post. Craig has really come in handy with my own home decorating, I got my vanity, my entry chest, buffet, living room chairs and bedside tables through the free website. I'm having a Craig moment today especially because I'm leaving at 3:00 to go pick up the inspiration for my sweet P's big-girl room. She doesn't need a rocking chair anymore but she does need a place to sit so how could I pass up this find for $100? Now, I don't check Craig's every day, I probably don't even check it every week but when I do go there, I have a plan. It's almost painful, strike that, it is painful clicking through all of the offerings. Seriously, unless Craig upgrades to some sort of gallery-style listings and user feedback, I really think that Facebook Marketplace or Ebay Classifieds will soon take over.

The Search: Until the website gets re-vamped, I use a list keywords such as: bamboo, regency, pink, bentwood, bistro, velvet, louis, file, map, marble, lucite, murano, tulip, spun fiberglass, cane....the list is pretty long depending on what my current obsession is. I read a post recently on AshleyG's blog: Kitty Genius about how she uses Craigs. She's much more dedicated than I am, and seems to have more of a system for success, but I did steal a few of her keywords (pink and velvet) to find my beloved chair above.

The Safety: In my "I'm interested" email, I try hard not to sound like a complete paranoid freak but I always ask to meet in a public place, hopefully with an ATM so I don't have to be walking around with a big fat wad in my pocket. I say in the email that I can run in and get money so that they know I won't be carrying any. Seriously, I swear I don't come off like a freak. For the most part, people seem to appreciate my caution and if they don't, I count that as a sign that they are up to no good. You can also try to google the person to see if anything fishy comes up. Safety first, my friends.

Alright I'm off, I actually don't have the best feeling about this one because it took the seller about a week to get back to me after my first email. Wish me luck!

outstanding in the field-local life

Hi there. I've decided to do a "local life" post on a very loose schedule of 2-3 times per month. I'm not sure how it all relates to the Art Wall theme but I said from the beginning that the blog was for anything that interested me and I enjoy writing about Madison, so I hope it seems to fit with the rest of the blog.

This particular "local life" post is a good transitional piece because it's about Outstanding in the Field, a traveling tour bus that is coming to Madison next month, but will also continue across the states, perhaps coming to a farm near you.

Locally, it will take place at Troy Gardens, which is 31 acres of state-owned land within Madison proper dedicated to preserving wild prairie-lands, offering affordable sustainable housing, and organic gardening and teaching. It is one of the only places of its kind in the country.

The meal will be 5 courses prepared by the Underground Food Collective. It will be my first experience with their fare but I've heard wonderful things about them from Sarah, so I know it will be a feast.

If you'd like to learn more about Outstanding in the Field and find out if they'll be around your neck-of-the-woods, you can visit the website, follow the facebook page or connect on twitter.

milkweed dinner club, can you keep a secret?

Hi there! How was your weekend? Is that a funny question for a Wednesday? I was struck with a horrible ailment on Monday and Tuesday and was left pretty much useless so the weekend is still fresh in my mind. I had 2 wonderful meals over the weekend, one of which I want to tell you about now. I don't usually write about restaurants or food here at Art Wall but this experience was too special to keep to myself.

We spent Friday night at an underground dinner club of sorts called Milkweed, tucked in the hills near Spring Green, Wisconsin on a family farm. Milkweed isn't a restaurant, per se, but rather a unique dinner party experience by invitation or referral only, given by Isaac Spicer and his wife Huvvah, along with other available members of their family.

On the drive through the rolling hills of Wisconsin to get to Milkweed, we (myself, my husband and our friends) discussed our favorite meals ever. Some were all about the food, others the company, the ambiance and the overall experience. Our dinner at Milkweed combined all of the ingredients it takes to make a really special meal, starting with the drive itself. I don't fashion myself much of a "driver" for hobby or sport but the winding country roads of Wisconsin that lead us to Milkweed are among the prettiest in the Midwest.

The drive ended when we pulled up to the most charming spot, with a pea gravel walk (my favorite) leading the way through a cut-flower garden to our table. Did I mention there was a baby bunny on the trail? I lie not.

The bunny wasn't the only animal we encountered at Milkweed. The chickens there are free to roam the grounds and a few walked right by our table. Lola the dog joined our little group for a while, we heard several cows mooing nearby and the frogs and crickets were in full-out orchestra by the time our meal began.

The meal itself was 7 courses prepared with only ingredients found on the farm or nearby. We started out with turnip soup followed by a green salad. Next was a berry sorbet served in the cutest teeny-tiny cup. The entree was braised beef with mashed potatoes, peas and baby carrots. Desert was a cream puff with ice cream and berries followed by a cheese plate and last-but-not-least: chocolate truffles with mint tea or cappuccino.

The little house on the grounds was nearly all hand made by Spicer. It is a tiny one-bedroom loft with a gourmet kitchen. A small studio structure stood there previously, and he added the living space, kitchen and loft. The bathroom which is shared with the dining guests is an outhouse 200 yards away. That's right, I said the guests use an outhouse. It's actually not bad, it's illuminated only with candles, strong incense is the only thing you smell and the sink is built into one of the many sculptures found on the property, complete with sparkle lights and flower boxes.

There are some meals in life that you just know you will always remember starting from the moment you sit down. Our meal last weekend at Milkweed was one of those experiences. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was breathtaking, our company: divine. Yep, this one is going down in the books, folks. Since we're now official members of "the club," feel free to ask me for a referral. I'll let you know the secret password if you're nice. Wink.

Images: 1, 5, 7: Katie Stephenson

Image 2: Katie Cannon

Images: 3, 4, 6: Milkweedclub