The very real truth is that I’ve realized how much I need to remove myself from the noise, in order to look inward for an honest self-inspection. Sometimes the constant barrage of information is just too much. It’s a distraction, and seems to add unneeded “virtual clutter” to my life. The hours in a day are few, and spending so many of them in front of a computer screen simply can’t be healthy. Additionally, it can be very easy to look around at what everyone else is doing and accomplishing, and feel like I don’t measure up; feel like my work isn’t good enough, like my blog isn’t as successful as it “should be”, and like my followers aren’t as numerous as someone else’s. These thoughts are petty and insecure, and yet have the power to impact my perspective. For this reason alone, I knew it was time to take a step back, and reevaluate the important things in my life.

In our world of instant-everything, at any given moment, we can literally tune into the lives of millions of other people, from neighbors to celebrities, and everyone in between. Yet, in the buzz of all the tweeting and blogging and updating and IMing, I think we’ve lost the very thing that makes communication powerful–that is, the human element. Last night I went out for tea with a good friend. We chatted about work and life, and as we sat across from each other in a small coffee shop, I watched her eyes light up when she told me about her students. I noticed the way she smiled when she shared with me the things she was passionate about, and the way her brow furrowed in concentration as we brainstormed ideas for a new project. I left the coffee shop feeling energized. Connection with others has the power to transform.

Now, I don’t want you to think that the moral of this story is that we all need to abandon the online world. Throwing out the baby with the bathwater won’t solve anything. We live in the 21st century, and there are certain things about our instant-everything world that are worth embracing. I, for one, have made some very good friends via the internet–real people, who I connect with in real ways. This exercise isn’t even half over, but what I’ve gained so far is a little bit of perspective. I think it’s important to filter and limit what we take in online. Over the past few days, I have found myself wondering about only a handful of blogs that I read, thinking about what those people are up to, and the stories they might have from their holiday weekends. I’m excited to see their pictures and read their words, because they have value to me. They are accounts from people that, if they lived a little closer, I would love to befriend. As for the rest, it’s not that they are less valuable or meaningful, it’s just that there is only so much a person can take in. All the pretty things and inspiring finds are really lovely, but a constant diet of them only leaves me feeling unsatisfied.

When it’s all said and done, what I really hope to gain is more time for the relationships in my daily life, and an appropriate appreciation for all the sources of information surrounding me constantly. I think I could entirely do without TV, and as for the news, I imagine that if something earth-shattering were to occur, I would hear about it from someone else. Books do have their proper place in life, I believe, but I want to be selective about what I read, and make sure that I am giving priority to reading what really matters. As for blogs and Twitter, I can already see that my reading/follow list will be getting much shorter. I think it’s time to simplify, and sift away the unnecessary.

All for now, my dears. I will be back tomorrow or Friday with another bucket list activity, so stay tuned!

Hello friends! I hope you are all enjoying the beginning of the long holiday weekend, and soaking up the last bits of summer. My Saturday has been fairly quiet, with just a quick visit to the Farmers Market this morning. I know I don’t usually blog on the weekend, but I’m excited today because I have something really fun to share with you.

Over the course of the past month, I’ve been working fulltime from home on my business, restructuring and organizing some of the behind-the-scenes functions. I have big plans for Emmy Lu, my digital stationery shop, and I will soon be launching a personal site for the freelance design portion of my business. I’ve also been busy working on this blog. I have some design updates in the works, and I’ve established a routine for updating so the sidebar will be full of fun, fresh content on a regular basis. However, the biggest change I’d like to implement here on b*spoke is the addition of what I’m calling The Button Club.

I know that several of my readers are also fellow bloggers and small business owners. I’ve found that many of you have Etsy shops, personal blogs, or creative services offered to the public. I also know what it’s like to be passionate about what about you do, and yet unsure how to get the word out. The internet is a big place, and I’m always striving to find ways to make it a little smaller and more personal. That’s what The Button Club is all about.

It’s a way to connect with each other, and a way to spread the word about the small businesses, blogs or shops that each of us have big dreams for. I’d like to think that members of The Button Club could become friends, mentors, and cheerleaders for each other, and this that group, if geography permitted, would get together on Saturday mornings for coffee or tea and conversations about creativity, business ownership, and blogging.

The Button Club will have it’s online home here at b*spoke. First of all, each member will have a button on the sidebar, which can link to their shop, site or blog. Secondly, I will be sending monthly emails to Button Club members with one question for them to ponder and answer. The intention of the question is to help members discover and showcase the elements of their business/blog/shop that make them unique and marketable. Answers will be featured in a monthly Button Club post, which will introduce and highlight members to b*spoke readers. The intent of the monthly post is that readers get to know members more personally and that they learn what makes members’ businesses/blogs/shops worth visiting. I also hope to encourage members to reach out to each other in more personal ways. Asking questions and connecting with other like-minded individuals online is one of the best ways to grow your business/blog/shop! In the future, I hope to possibly schedule meet-ups for local members, and find more ways for national/international members to connect online.

Membership in The Button Club will be monthly, so you don’t have to worry about signing up for something long-term if it doesn’t work for you. To kick things off on the right foot, I’ve decided that the cost will only be $15/month, or $40 for three months. My goal is to create an affordable and effective means of marketing yourself to others, in a fun and personal way.

If you’re interested, or have questions, please email me directly at bethany(at)bspokeblog(dot)com. If you don’t have a button or the capability to design one, I will be offering button designs for $40 each. The artwork will be yours to keep, and I will send all files to you via email upon completion. I hope to launch the first month of The Button Club within the next few weeks, so please email me soon to secure your spot!

A few years ago, I went to Door County with my husband for our anniversary. It was our first time visiting the peninsula, and we explored every nook and cranny in two days flat. On this particular trip, we were in search of a unique piece of art to bring home. It was to be our anniversary gift to each other. We shopped the many (many) antique shops of the county, but came up empty handed. That is, until we visited The Bay Trading Company. This vast warehouse is home to a unique, eclectic and downright amazing collection of architectural and everyday antiques. We scooped up a vintage plane propeller that is still one of my favorite things in our home.

During my most recent visit, I wasn’t scouting anything in particular, but was still entirely taken by the many treasures at Bay Trading. There were vintage wooden sleds stacked against a wall, which I think would be charming to use as a piece of outdoor decor during the holiday season. Next to the sleds was an antique pitchfork. Call me crazy, but I think it would make a fascinating conversation piece. The stone lions head would be perfect in a garden, as would the old metal watering cans.

Inside, there were rooms upon rooms of fascinating finds. The old ship wheels intrigue me every time we visit, and I always think about hauling one back home to hang on a wall. Other nautical paraphernalia fills a shelf, below which are baskets filled with fishing nets, ropes and buoys. A back corner contains a heaping pile of baskets and old wood buckets, tempting me every time pass by.

I did find a couple things I couldn’t leave without. The first was this miniature dress form. It’s only about 18″ tall, which makes it the perfect size for my dresser. The second thing I couldn’t pass up was this vintage kitchen scale. I’ve been keeping my eyes open for one for awhile. Bay Trading had several, and most were in great condition. I loved the style of this particular Universal Scale, and I think it will be a nice addition to my almost bare kitchen counters.

The very, very best part about The Bay Trading Company are their prices. Because, folks, this stuff is sold for pennies (at least compared to most other antique retailers). Each time I go, I think that I must return with a truck and a little wad of cash so I can haul the loot back home and either fill my house with it, or resell it. All you interior designers and decor junkis out there should take note. If you are ever on the hunt for something really unique for a project, take a trip to Egg Harbor, Wisconsin, and visit Bay Trading. You won’t be disappointed!

I’ve mentioned before that one of my favorite aspects of traveling is all the eating I get to do along the way. That sounds wrong. Let me rephrase. I simply love to sample the culture and flavor of a region by partaking in the best eats it has to offer. This trip was no exception. Door County is well-known for its ideal growing conditions. Farms are abundant, with fields full of everything from corn to carrots, and from to cherries, to apples and pears. There are farm markets scattered across the peninsula, but my favorite is Koepsel’s just south of Sister Bay on Highway 57. Shelves upon shelves of canned goods make the store a fascinating place to wander. Homemade jams and fruit butters sit along side canned pickles and pie fillings. Salsas fill another shelf, near the maple syrups and spices. Outdoors, tables are laden with baskets of homegrown veggies. It’s a feast for the eyes, as well as the palate.

As healthy and as satisfying as farm-fresh produce can be, we were on vacation, so there came a time when health sense was thrown to the wind and we indulged. My favorite place on the peninsula to satisfy a sweet tooth is, by far, Wilson’s. Nestled in the quaint and cozy town of Ephraim, since 1906 Wilson’s has been famous for their home-brewed draft root bear, tasty burgers, and old-fashioned soda fountain. Oh, and don’t let me forget to mention the ice cream. Their daunting list of flavors draws visitors from miles around. I chose “coconut joy”–coconut ice cream with bites of chocolate and pecan swirled in. One word… YUM.

After dessert (yes, dessert comes first while on vacation), it’s time for dinner. Door County has plenty of waterfront restaurants, but one only Fred & Fuzzy’s. After driving down a tiny, twisting road, one will come upon this casual outdoor bar and grill. It reminds me of beachfront dining in the Carribean; sunny, carefree, with no worries and no rules. Seated under a red umbrella with a perfect view of Lake Michigan, we enjoyed our last dinner of the trip. I had a “perchwich”, Fred & Fuzzy’s take on a classic fish sandwich, featuring fresh Lake Michigan perch on a toasted bun. Again, YUM.

We were quite well-fed on this trip, but thankfully made up for it with daily hikes and healthy breakfasts at the cabin. I always try to maintain balance with my eating. Eat healthy and say no to pointless extras, but then don’t feel guilty about splurging every once in awhile with a tasty dessert or a special meal while on vacation. Everything in moderation, and always erring on the healthy side of things (for instance, we had salads for dinner one night, and made chicken sandwiches for lunch).

Anyways, I did manage to cross off another thing on the bucket list with our meal at Fred & Fuzzy’s. The list is getting shorter all the time, as the days of summer are dwindling! While Labor Day usually marks the unofficial end of summer, I plan on carrying the bucket list through a few more weeks until fall makes its official arrival. Not sure if I’ll mark everything off, but I do have a few more plans up my sleeve!

eat at fletcher’s, the chocolate moose,
angry trout cafe, coho cafe and fred & fuzzy’s

Tomorrow will be my last post on Door County, and it is decidely geared towards all other decor addicts. I’ll have some eye candy for you, so stick around…

No trip to Door County is complete without a visit to the American Folklore Theater. Nestled in the pine forest of Peninsula State Park, the Theater puts on a variety of original musical comedies. The shows are hilarious, professional, and filled with Midwestern flavor. The setting is stunning, under a canopy of towering pines, with stars twinkling overhead. This year, we saw Bone Dance, a musical collection of ghost stories gathered from around the world. The play was a little bit eerie, but full of good humor and fantastic costuming.

Another favorite pastime in Door County is wine tasting. The county is known for its wineries, and the locally-grown fruits make for a nice variety of flavors to blend. In previous years, I’ve visited the county in July, when cherry picking is in full swing. This year, we made our way there in August, and the cherries were long gone. Since I missed my opportunity to pick, I chose instead to do the next best thing–sample a glass of Door County cherry wine. Mmmmm, and it was delish–sweet, and bursting with that famous Wisconsin Montmorency cherry flavor.

The peninsula that is home to Door County juts into the northwest corner of Lake Michigan. One side of this peninsula is bordered by the famous Green Bay, and the other is open to the endless expanse of water shared by Milwaukee and Chicago. Being near the big lake almost feels like being near the ocean, except the water isn’t salty and pines instead of palms dot the shoreline. On this trip, we made plenty of time for the lake, as we hiked along the shore, lazed on the beach, and played in the waves. As I bobbed in the clear, clean water, letting waves crash over me, with an endless blue sky above, I thought to myself that this simple, lovely, summer moment would be one I carried with me through the cold months ahead.

Tomorrow, it’s on to talking about the food of Door County, but first, one more thing checked off the bucket list. I changed this one around a bit, since I wasn’t able to pick cherries on this trip.

pick cherries in door county and dip my toes in lake michigan, or, better yet…
sip cherry wine in door county and play in the waves of lake michigan