Johanna Ekmark
Fell in love with this peak at a Scandinavian summer house shot by Johanna Ekmark. From what I hear, Scandinavians are big on having simple little weekend/summer getaway cottages. I’m a fan of that idea.
Isn’t that outdoor dining area wonderful?? I only wish we got to see the inside too!
Camp Wandawega
I’ve been so excited to show this to you that I could hardly wait out my vacation to post it. I absolutely love this place, concept, and story!
“Boy meets girl. Boy proposes. Proposes both marriage and that they purchase his abandoned childhood summer camp to be wed at. Girl accepts on both counts.” So Teresa tells the story.
Teresa and David, both advertising execs in Chicago, were introduced by a former boss, fell in love, and David proposed. Years before, David had taken her to see his former summer camp, (which had also had former lives as a brothel, a speakeasy, and a family vacation destination), and though it had fallen into disuse and disrepair, they asked the owner to please call if he ever wanted to sell. A few years later, he did, and with a lakefront location and 25 bedrooms, they decided it would be the perfect place to hold their wedding.
The catch was that it had been neglected for years and needed tons of work. This is the part that really amazes me. Most people find it challenging to plan a wedding in six months. Much less plan a wedding and renovate the entire property where it's going to take place and where all your guests will be staying!
Well, they pulled it off, with help from friends, and now Camp Wandawega operates as an event space and retreat where they host friends on weekends. How FUN! I think Teresa might be a new idol of mine.
The camp includes a boarding house-style hotel, cabins, tents, and even a treehouse. Ahhh!!
And of course, the treehouse has an awesome story too. When they bought the property, Teresa's dad christened it by hanging a rope swing from one of the trees. He later passed away, and the tree came down with a disease. Teresa couldn't bear to cut it down, and learned that despite the branches dying, the trunk was still strong. So, with the help of their crafty friends again, they designed and constructed this awesome treehouse.
Check out the gallery for lots more! Images and info via The Lettered Cottage and the Camp Wandawega site.
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Listening To >> Summertime
Late-summer heat has this song playing on repeat in my head. Here, the classic jazz standard by George Gershwin performed by a few of the greats. Amazing to hear how each of them interprets it, no?
A very spare, introspective version from Ella Fitzgerald.
Possibly on the other end of the spectrum from the one above by Ella, Big Mama Thornton, who I l-o-v-e, brings something totally different to this classic… Though not the classic arrangement, this might be my favorite.
A very lush recording from Ella with Louis Armstrong, and maybe the version that comes to mind when you think of this song.
The original recording by Billie Holliday.
Airstream Love
My sister and I have a fascination (obsession?) with well-designed trailers, starting and ending with the Airstream. They are the holy grail of trailers, with their brilliant trademark aluminum siding that makes them forever the coolest and most-recognizable trailer.
You can’t get much more Americana.
We’ve discussed using them for everything from actual tours around the states to stand-alone hotel rooms clustered on a piece of land to inspiration for packaging for… well.. I can’t actually tell you because you might like the idea so much you’d take it.
Much to our delight, Airstream continues to turn out new models that have that retro appeal without getting too kitschy about it. Through collaborations with everyone from Design Within Reach to Victorinox, I’m pretty sure there’s an Airstream out there for everyone. (The one above was retro-fitted by Ralph Lauren.)
Click through for the latest and greatest from Airstream…
From largest to smallest…
Above, the enormous Panamerica, in which you’re essentially towing a hotel suite plus your own garage behind you (it has 11 feet reserved for motorcycles, atvs, etc), below, the more compact and tricked out Victorinox Swiss Army special edition.
And finally, the cute little Basecamp, below, even has a pop-out tent, in case you were feeling a little guilty about pretend-camping in a trailer.
There’s also a pretty cool version for the Mini Clubman that I posted back here.
And here is the DWR version.
Airstream website here.
Summer Lovin
Loved this board by Rifle Paper Co. Makes you want to take a camping/road trip, no?
Yes to All >> Summer
Classics >> Summer Uniform
Chance, a new line by Julia Leach, former creative director of Kate Spade, is all centered around the striped French fisherman’s/navy t-shirt. And, not surprisingly, that makes for a collection of perfect summer essentials. I’ll take one of everything, please.
They also have a great timeline of the history of the striped shirt, including Matisse’s self-portrait wearing one!
Of course I would find this right after purchasing a child-sized St. James tee because I couldn’t find an adult-sized one I thought was as legit (and the St. James is def legit). And let me tell you, a child’s size 14 has a pretty strange overall shape when worn by a non-kid. Clearly, I was desparate. I also bought that exact tank on the right from Target, which also has a weird fit, obviously, because it’s from Target. If only I had held out.
My super-cool niece Mini (age 14) last week, after spending a week straight together was like, “you wear a lot of stripes.” So, I guess I can’t justify another stripe purchase after a comment like that.
However, one of my other super-cool nieces, Sadie (15), (yes I’m obsessed with my neices/nephews) told me that she had been considering buying the exact same kids’ St. James tee!! Without knowing I had it! So that made me feel a little better. And now I feel like I have good karma for directing her to this Chance one instead.
And now I’ve directed you there too. Enjoy!
Surf Love
I don’t know if it’s that I live in California now or what, but surfing and surf culture seems to be a much bigger part of my concept of summer than ever before, and I can’t get enough of surf videos and photos like these.
But I swear it’s not just me, or even California, and I point to Saturdays Surf NYC as evidence… when before has surfing ever been a big deal to Manhattanites?
But even still, it makes me excited to be a Californian, where surfing seems to be everywhere you look in the summer– surf boards strapped on cars, being hauled on bikes, stacked on people’s balconies, etc. The other day I drove up the Pacific Coast Highway from LA to Santa Barbara, watching hoards of surfers all along the coast, and relished it thinking, “Where else? Where else can you watch surfers from the highway as you drive home?”
Interiors >> Party Barn
Doesn’t this spot have an awesome casual summer vibe? I imagine that old fridge would be always stocked with cold beer and friends would just stop by for a drink and a round of ping pong. In fact, The Selby tells us this barn is just dedicated to parties, dining, and room for guests to sleep. Perfection.
The NY state home of photographer Dan Martensen and artist Shannon Click, from The Selby.
