Lake Geneva ~ End of Summer / Early Fall Getaway

 

Last week Travis & I celebrated our 3 Year Anniversary on Wednesday 9/12/12.

We decided to take a well deserved break from our hectic daily lives & getaway.

We spent last weekend in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

The Newport of the West.

 

We arrived early Friday afternoon to the French Country Inn.

What a charming bed & breakfast located just outside of

 downtown Lake Geneva on Lake Como.

 

The old inn had everything we look for in a relaxing getaway.

I love to stay just off the beaten path & away from the hustle & bustle.

Always looking for the perfect quaint & charming place

 with loads of character to set the mood for our trip.

 

A real getaway...

 

 

Where we could wake up to scenes like this.

 

On Saturday morning we headed into town to Lake Geneva to be tourists.

We took in the sites of beautiful Lake Geneva.

The Rivera.

Located in the heart of downtown Lake Geneva.

Saturday morning we decided to take a historic tour of the lake.

 

The Polaris.

 

All Aboard!

The Walworth.

 

We took the historic U.S. Mail Boat Tour on the Walworth.

We boarded the 2 hour excursion for a tour of Lake Geneva.

It is a historic tradition on the Lake that still holds true today.

Several historic homes have their mail delivered right to their docks by carriers.

It was absolutely unbelievable to see so many of the Summer homes and estates 

for many of Chicago's wealthiest businessmen and women.

 

Unfortunately, we sat inside the boat on the lower deck, so I don't have photos of the homes to share.

Next time...I promise!

 

 

After our boat tour we headed to Pier 290 in Williams Bay.

Just on the other side of Lake Geneva.

 

 

We had the best seafood in the Midwest.

Travis had oysters on the half shell & I had my first lobster roll.

And of course a Wisconsin cheddar soup that was delicious.

 

I was completely taken away by the aesthetic & decor.

I was trying to be discreet & take just a couple photos.

However, I could have shot every single angle.

I love the modern nautical, casual yet sophisticated interior design.

 

 

We had a fantastic weekend away celebrating our 3 Year Anniversary!

Lake Geneva was well worth the trip.

 

 

Sunrise

Sunset

 



 

Simple Summer Centerpiece ~ Hydrangeas

Simple Summer Centerpiece

I put together this centerpiece a few weeks ago at my Mom's for a small get together.

I think blue Hydrangea's are the perfect nod to the relaxing days of Summer.

Read more about our backyard party here.

I used grocery store flowers.

The beautiful bouquet of Nikko Blue Hydrangeas was only $21.

Having guests over this weekend?

Why not add a small special touch to your dining table or entryway.

Have a great day!

participating

Funky Junk Interiors

Savvy Southern Style

Tour a Chic California Beach House ~ Modern Cottage Inspiration

The perfect beach getaway.

This California Beach House was featured in House Beautiful.

I had to share this tour.

It is stunning!

This home had so many of the details & styles I absolutely adore.

I only hope our new home will have half of the style that this home has.

What a quaint cottage kitchen.

This living space is fantastic.

The bathroom....

It doesn't stop outdoors...

Isn't this home absolutely perfect???

I can hardly stand it...

I LOVE it!

Pin Away...

All Images fromt this post via House Beautiful.

Outdoor Entertaining ~ Backyard Party

As I shared earlier this month I have been helping my Mom plan a small party for her bunco group.

For any of you who don't know, party planning is one of the small details we take great pride in.

We certainly do know how to throw a good time, while making your guests feel welcome & invited.

I think we enjoy planning the party almost as much as

 seeing it through to the final goodbye of the last guest.

This party turned out to be a great success!

The ladies enjoyed a great evening of fun, food & cocktails.

When we originally started to plan the party I thought it would be a great idea to have it outdoors.

This would accomodate the group of 12-14 women more comfortably than being indoors.

Little did we know that Iowa would have one of the hottest Summer's on record,

nor did we know that we were in for a heat wave for the entire two weeks prior to the party.

Thank goodness we had a reprieve on the evening of the ninth & the weather cooperated.

Well.....mostly!

We rented this long table & chairs for the main table.

Originally the plan was the table would be in the yard underneath the big Maple tree.

Well, there goes that darn Mother Nature again.

An hour before the party she changed our plans.

We had a huge down pour that lasted about 30 minutes.

So, we scrambled bringing the decor & bar indoors & out of the rain.

Thank goodness we saved the table cloths!

Then what do you know, 15 minutes before the party sunshine & clear blue skys again!

Back outside we went quickly before anyone was the wiser.

Outdoor Bar Area

Galvanized buckets served as chillers.

Filled with ice wine & bottled beer our guests could help themselves.

Don't be afraid to use your glass stemware outdoors.

It's a nice elegant touch added to a casual outdoor setting.

Perfect for outdoor evening entertaining.

We set up a couple different seating zones for guests to mingle throughout the yard.

Below is a bench near the pond.

Our menu was fairly light & refreshing.

Broccoli Salad, Greek Pasta Salad, Bruschetta, Fresh Strawberries,

& for dessert your choice of decadent carrot cake or a slice of sweet lemon cake.

The cake's came from a local bakery all the other food we made the afternoon of the party.

I actually decided to help out with preparing the food, refreshments, serving & clean up.

It made it much easier for my Mom to host & enjoy her guests for the evening.

Broccoli Salad with an Italian Vinaigrette

Greek Pasta Salad recipe from Everyday Occassions

I absolutely loved helping my Mom plan this party.

It was so much fun.

Hmmm I could even see myself as a bit of a party planner.

Do you like to host parties?

What about planning?  I would love to hear your stories.

paticipating
Funky Junk Interiors
The DIY Showoff
Overflowing With Creativity
Savvy Southern Style
Live Laugh Rowe
The 36th Avenue
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Liz Marie