Monday, July 30, 2012

30,000 Steps

I look forward to buying merchandise for upcoming months.  In retail, you're always living in future seasons.  In the heat of July, you're thinking of tree ornaments and tannenbaums.  This July, we traveled to The Merchandise Mart in Chicago for a 3 day weekend.   We always take the Metra train into the city and a taxi to the hotel, The Amalfi, which is only 5 blocks from The Mart.  It's a small hotel with clean rooms and great service. We now feel at home there.  We arrived on Saturday, dropped our stuffed suitcases and headed out to BUY!  During the 5 years I've been shopping at The Mart, there's always change.  (The 1st year we were in business, I didn't go. I relied on companies that I personally knew.)

This year the change was much more dramatic than ever before.  Many of the long term, permanent showrooms have closed.  5 years ago, there were 3 full floors of shopping.  This year, only half a floor was for permanent showrooms.  That didn't stop us though.  Elke had a tachometer on and tracked over 30,000 steps during the 3 days.  We sought out only the very best of product lines.  We're sure that Fall and Holiday are going to excite you!

A few of our favorites...

-Towne and Reese - Trendy and Timeless Jewelry
- Izola - Inspired by Utilitarian Objects.  Appealing accessories for the GUYS
- Mistura - Time pieces that make a statement. Made with recycled materials. Handcrafted to perfection.
- DeBrand Chocolatier - The Truffle Collection.  They seem almost too beautiful to eat.
- Favorite Gourmet - Gluten Free Soups. Quick and Easy. Healthy and Delicious.
- JAG and Sisters Clothing - Outrageously Comfortable Corduroy and Knit Hoodies and Ponchos
Algeria -  Comfortable, Affordable and Fashionable Footwear.  Footbeds of Latex, Cork and Memory Foam

High Fashion Hats, Mittens and Scarves.  Tokyo Milk, Vintage Inspired Jewelry. We tracked our steps at The Mart- over 30,000 steps to seek out the very best for Fall and Christmas 2012!

Around 5 pm, we headed back to our room to kick up our feet for a few minutes before dinner.  We had reservations at Mercadito on Kenzie at 5:30 (It was either that or 9:45pm )  These guys know how to make margaritas that will change your life (at least that's what their shirts say)  Elke, my mom, and I chatted over tres margaritas and 3 platters of fish, shrimp, mushroom tacos with freshly made guacamole- a great way to end a long but successful day of buying - Cheers!















Monday, July 16, 2012

North-Woods

I've been planning this 14 day vacation to the north-woods since December (the week between Christmas and New Year's).  I've guarded the two week time in my appointment book with my life.  As we arrive into Rhinelander, we head down Lake Shore Drive (not quite the congestion of LSD in Chicago) and then make a turn onto Shady Lane.  I say to myself that I want to fully appreciate every minute of these 14 days.  I'm so thankful to have a place to come to that is surrounded by the natural beauty around Moen Lake.  It reminds me of Lake Tahoe, with the tall pine trees and beautiful lake.  Warm, sunny days into the 90s and cool nights into the 50s - just perfect for ten full hours of great sleep!  The pace slows to barely a crawl...


We purchased our cabin on Moen Lake in January 2006. It is roughly 92 years old and rumor has it, originally the cabin of Mr. Moen, founder of the lake.  Our neighbor to the east lived in the house as a young boy.   He tells stories of using a third bedroom as an icebox in the winter months. We have found interesting photos (while remodeling) and even a pet headstone while exploring the property.  Our neighbor tells us that families would travel by train from Chicago to Rhinelander. They would walk in their long dresses and suits down what is now Shady Lane Road, with large trunks full of personal belongings and would stay for the entire summer. 


The cabin sits high on the hill top and provides the most beautiful view of the lake and North shoreline.  The cabin has no curb appeal from the road, but inside screams with character from years past.  We recently had to replace the 1920s cabin-style windows.  We managed to keep one large window in the dining room in place.  Many of the windows have been re-purposed in The Cypress House as shelves or tables.  The hilltop view and the old cedar walls are what convinced us at first glance...


So we unpacked and settled in and I ran to the grocery store while the guys mowed and cleaned up the lawn.  We were up about three weeks prior and the lawn has gotten away from us.  The town offers a variety of produce markets and grocery stores.  I look forward to one in particular.  The Golden Harvest is an amazing market with fresh baked bread, cupcakes, cookies and granolas.  They have a large produce area full of organic and Wisconsin grown fruit and vegetables.  On this day, I came home with a bounty of Wisconsin grown, multi-colored tomatoes, farm fresh eggs and Michigan blueberries.


Our first night in town, we chose our favorite super club, The White Stag.  We traveled about 20 minutes into Sugar Camp, WI.  We often joke that we would drive from Illinois to eat dinner there, it's that great of a meal! It's a family owned business since 1965 and everything has remained the same, including the menu and decor.  They don't serve dinner a minute before 5 o'clock, but the bar opens earlier.  The highlight is the charcoal grill, which all of the dinner selections are grilled over.  My favorite the is shrimp, but my family prefers the haddock and steak.  They have a whipped cottage cheese and chive topping for your potato and three home-made salad dressings, all to mix together on top of a crisp salad.  The fish and meats are the highest quality and the shrimp is the best that I've ever tasted... nothing fancy, just quality meat, correctly prepared. 


Sunday, July 1st
7 am
Beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky.  Ahhhhh, complete silence on the lake.  Early morning yoga and a walk.
Wisconsin brats, coleslaw and baked beans for lunch.  Nothing to do but relax! 
6 pm
A pack of Blue Jays just arrived into the pines out front.  Must be about 30 of them.  The wildlife is very active this time of the day.  Woodpeckers are busy "knocking" at the trees, chipmunks scatter, loons and ducks are calling from the lake.  The patio facing the lake is now shaded and the sun has lit up the south shoreline.  I've just made a strong scratch Margarita using tequila, contruio, fresh line juice and a splash of Squirt.  (I watched them make a margarita on You-Tube on the drive up).  Funny, because since we arrived, we haven't turned the TV on, no phones ringing, no computes and no Xbox. 


Monday, July 2nd
We got a late start and headed to St. Germain Flea Market.  I believe the town has a population of 1,500, but they draw a crowd every Monday from Memorial Day to Labor Day.  They have food vendors and a variety of flea market booths.  Today I picked up an 8 point stag mount, a Feather Flite stainless thermos and a vintage "Lifeguard on Duty, State of WI" sign that was from a public beach turned private residence.  The temperature was in the 90s, but it was the best attendance I've ever seen.  I enjoy the element of surprise... you never know what treasure you will discover! 


Tuesday, July 3rd
Simple day, but very memorable!  Our family spent the entire day boating on the lake.  I packed a picnic lunch and we drifted on Second Lake as we ate.  It's the most desolate of all five lakes.  The last time my parents were up, my mom discovered a huge Eagle nest high up in the tree tops.  (I tried to photograph it, but didn't have the proper camera lens and it was too far away)  After lunch, we ventured out to other lakes so my son could tube and knee board.  Late afternoon, we stopped by Birchwood, the only bar and restaurant on the chain of lakes.  It's been around for many years and been through three owners in the time that we have been here.  We enjoy taking the boat there on hot days and I especially look forward to the frosty mugs of beer.  As we travel back home at the end of a long day, my son and I played a game of Battleship.  It used to be one of my favorite games growing up, but I had forgotten a few of the rules.  Of course, I lost ... my son is very competitive at any game he plays!  We unpacked the boat and finished the day off with appetizers (shrimp cocktail, bruchetta and fried cheese) and a margarita on the patio.  A great finish to a beautiful day... a long over due day with family !


Heat Wave
I took the last two days off of writing.  The North-Woods has been in a heat wave.  It has reached over 92 degrees inside the cabin with NO window air conditioners for sale in town.  Finally, my husband discovered a shipment coming into a local Menards at 6:30 the following morning.  Guess where he was the next morning??  The little air conditioner brought instant relief for all of us, including our cat, Commander.  In the mean time, I've been mending an aggravated vertebrae in my back, just between my shoulder blades.  The pain has wrapped through the muscles around my ribs.  I phoned my chiropractor back home and he referred me to a local chiropractor here in Rhinelander.  I'm thinking back to last Saturday, as we were arriving into town and approaching Lake Shore Drive ... Yes, I want to enjoy every minute of these 14 days... Although I can honestly say that I didn't enjoy the heat wave or back pain, I'm thankful to have experienced what it's like to live without bare necessities and also thankful for good health.


Saturday, July 7th
Today is a breath of fresh air-  the back pain has lessened and the temperature dropped back to our normal 85 degrees... just perfect!  Have you ever heard of geo caching? I hadn't before yesterday, but my son introduced me to the idea and off we went with our neighbor boy, geo caching around Rhinelander.  (You must decode clues and travel to coordinates, where you find a container.  Once you find the container, you sign the book and take or leave and item. My son used the GPS on his phone to help locate the destinations) 
We went to a local cemetery, where the theme was "Support Our Troops".  I happened to find the box behind a soldier's grave stone and under a stump and a bush.  We also went to the ice arena where the local Boy Scouts had left a box and to Town Line Lake Park.  At one stop, two other cars were there as well.  I had no idea this was so popular.  Check into it- there are many hidden around Rochelle. We were able to see spots around town that we normally wouldn't have traveled to.  
Later that night, we met some of our friends, the Mastersons, for dinner at The White Stag, which we ate at last Saturday.  We had great conversation and a delicious dinner.


Sunday, July 8th 
Another beautiful day.  Thermometer is reading barely 60 degrees... almost chilly!  Spend the day on the patio sunbathing and looking at some favorite magazines pertaining to decorating, and what else, food. The guys went four wheeling and about 2 pm in the afternoon, we took a boat ride with our neighbors to Birchwood Bar.  They have live music there on Sunday afternoons.  Such a relaxing day! 


Monday, July 9th
There is talk that we might cut our vacation short and go home early.  Too many responsibilities piling up at home. We received a call that our pool has gone from clear and beautiful to a milky looking substance.  My husband feels as though he needs to get back to work.  My mind starts drifting away from vacation time and back to all the upcoming events in August, such as back to school shopping, putting my house back to order at home, getting groceries, weddings at work, buying product for fall and holiday. Oh shoot, then I remember that I haven't written the Holiday Newsletter, nor have I laid out the Holiday floor plan.  Deep Breath!   So, we head out to St. Germain Flea Market and then to Eagle River to some art and resale shops.  Not too many bargains to be found, as there are many collectors in that area. We went to Rhinelander Pub and Cafe for dinner. I LOVE supper clubs, and this is a perfect example.  The carpet is plaid (one year, I can recall spending an entire day up here looking for a vest with the same pattern). The walls are dark and the drinks are strong. 


Tuesday, July 10th
I sleep in this beautiful morning until 7:30.  I can hear the loons calling and fishermen on the lake.  The sun is up.  It's really only dark here from 10pm-4am.  The lake is like glass, it's so calm.  Time to enjoy a walk with our cat, Commander. He has a pet stroller that he rides in ... it's really hilarious, but he loves it!  Then we'll wash up the bedding and pack up until next time.  So hard to leave on such a beautiful day.  When it's raining and crummy, it's somewhat easier.  It's been a memorable trip with my family.  I hope you enjoy the photographs and writings as much as I enjoyed the time up North!