Brooke and Jackie (I am not good at selfies...) |
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Caprese Salad ~ OMGoodness!! |
My family lives a few miles out of town, leaving me to meander down country roads and into and out of the Nicolet National Forest while traveling everywhere I went. There is something so glorious and magical about a tree covered country road. I found myself stopping on many occasions to capture the next breathtaking moment.
The anticipation of wedding weekend was upon us and true to my family's heritage, the wedding reception for Jake and Jayme was held at an old barn, Tansy Hill Farm.
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Amazing young adults in this photo ~ all of them! |
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The newlyweds ~ handsome and beautiful |
Reception rain clouds couldn't dampen our spirits |
Tansy Hill Farm, Wedding Reception |
The Hens of Tansy Hill Farm (You know I love chickens, right? :) |
My sweet family.......I am so blessed! |
I spent the last day of my vacation with my niece Nicole in Milwaukee and while she was away at work, I walked down to Lake Michigan, Atwater Park, in Shorewood. I didn't know until then that the Steam Ship Appomattox lie there in the harbor.
Historic Site - Shipwreck of the Steamer Appomattox |
Atwater Park, Shorewood, WI |
Milwaukee Architecture |
Did you know that Milwaukee was nicknamed "Cream City" in the late 1800's? (Thank you, Alex, for the history lesson!)
"While many people assume that the name comes from the State's long preeminence in the dairy industry, it is in fact derived from the cream-colored bricks from which many of the City's buildings are constructed.
Deep veins of red lacustrine clay run along the western shore of Lake Michigan, and one of the unique properties of this clay is that when formed into bricks, it turns a light golden yellow color after firing. Not only pleasant in color, these bricks generally possess superior strength and weather resistance characteristics, as well as excellent color-retention properties.
Milwaukee masons have used these locally fired bricks since the first brick homes were built in the area in the late 1830's. By the 1850's, word of Milwaukee's cream-colored bricks had spread throughout the Midwest, and demand increased dramatically. To supply that need, brickyards grew throughout the area, with most of the outbound shipments being made via scows and tugs leaving the growing docks on the Milwaukee and South Milwaukee waterfronts."
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Kenosha Southport Lighthouse, in Cream City Brick |
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Valentin Blatz Brewing Company, Milwaukee, WI |
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Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI |
On the National Register of Historic Places, the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church shows incredible use of Cream City Brick in a more Gothic or Victorian application. A truly beautiful structure and rich with meaning in Christian heritage.
It was a wonderful stay in Wisconsin. There are so many wonderful people, places, and things there...as they say, "Home is where the heart is." Wisconsin will always be my home.
Before I go, I have some fun news to share with you all. I have recently been accepted and will begin attending the Interior Design program at the American Institute of Interior Design (AIID) in Fountain Hills, AZ.
Making this official is a dream come true for me. I look forward to adding "Interior Design" to my title and to the things I offer my customers.
Until next time.....blessings!
xoxo,
Jackie