Walk, Talk & Gawk

One of the most unique and special parts about having a family home in Lake Geneva is the beauty the water provides year round. Towards the end of Summer and beginning of Fall is the perfect time to walk the lake path, one of our favorite ways to start the day not only to be active but it is so relaxing an provides us with a great chance to talk. 21 miles in all, the gorgeous route allows walkers to literally walk through the back yards of striking century-old mansions and some of the most beautiful landscaping in the Midwest. 

Fun fact: The path was created by the region’s earliest settlers who dictated that the 20 feet of land directly up from the shoreline be deemed public domain. 

On this beautiful September day, we did about 4 miles total...started at our house and walked to a local restaurant to meet the rest of the family for lunch. There's no feeling bad about indulging in a bloody mary bar after putting in some mileage ;)

It is on our list to complete the whole path in 1 day...hopefully mid-October when the leaves are 100 shades of red and gold aka Instagram heaven. We will be utilizing walk talk and gawk when we venture out on our journey...It includes full details on the most difficult parts of the path, public access points and the stories behind the estates of some famous families (the Wrigley estate and Driehaus estate to name a few!)

Jacket, Tank, & Pants // Shoes: DSW // Sunglasses: Ditto (use code SISTERSMARIE for 1st month designer sunglasses FREE!)

Tank: Target // Pants: Victoria's Secret (similar)  // Hoodie (similar)// Shoes: Amazon (similar)
Sunglasses: Old Navy// Backpack: Target (similar)

Have you ever walked the LG path? What other Midwest paths do you recommend?

Top Five 4th of July Traditions

Our annual 4th of July party is one of those traditions that's been happening for so long, we can't even remember life before it. Each year, the excitement begins after the out of office message goes live...the time to sit back and experience a true summer weekend is suddenly right around the corner. 

There are new memories to be made in the north woods (how Pure Michigan is this post, btw? Anyone else feel super relaxed by those ads?) But first, we look back on what makes this holiday one of our favorites...

1) FESTIVE STYLE

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And we're not the only ones sporting patriotic style...

 

2) ANNUAL MORNING PARADE

Our neighborhood initiated a morning parade a few years back and it has been the best way to start our morning ever since. We all wake up early to decorate the golf cart (a typical form of transportation in our association) and head to the parade which is short but fun and festive. 

The fire truck starts and everybody follows on the bikes, carts, or by foot, waving at all the neighbors as we go buy, Plus, as an added bonus, ice cream is served to everyone down by the pier at the end...it's the little things :)

  3) FAMILY TRADITIONS

Sparklers, the pinata, bag competitions, bocce ball, pier time, and so on... 
Endless sea breeze consumption not pictured ;)

4) FOOD

Most of our holiday weekend is consumed with eating...when we finish breakfast, we're already talking about what time lunch will be and when the s'mores will take place that night. Seriously, it's become a running joke...We walk to and from the lake (which includes an approx. mile walk down AND up a giant hill..like, can't breathe steep) just to walk off our endless meals. 

Our gracious hostess and AMAZING cook provides 90% of the delicious eats but a "pot luck" vibe has also developed over the years where everyone brings a dish whether it's an appetizer or a dessert. 

In attempts to maintain some kind of nutrition over the long weekend, Kaitlyn made this watermelon cake last year. Simple, festive and a great combination of sweet and savory with the fruit and nuts.

5) FIREWORKS ON THE PIER

We end every party by a trip down to the pier around dusk to reserve our seats for fireworks. Our whole neighborhood meets up with blankets and snacks...some watch from their boats, some from comfy lawn chairs or some in the arms of their favorite people. However you choose to view the show, it's always the best way to close out the day. 

We will be watching the sunset, waiting for the fireworks and laughing off our daytime drinking stories and often wondering, does it get any better than this?

What are your 4th of July traditions that you look forward to?

Ladies Who Lunch: Lake & Country Shoot

If you're not familiar, Lake & Country magazine is Wisconsin's only property and lifestyle magazine featuring homes, condos, vacant land and commercial opportunities available for sale in Walworth, Racine, Kenosha and Waukesha Counties.

The setting for our Lake & Country Spring issue photo shoot was just lovely - Sophia's Lake Geneva home was adorned with beautiful flowers from Lily Pots and filled with her own personal vintage touches, all of which made us want to take her shopping for home decor, she has an amazing eye for treasures. Not to mention, she is one of the sweetest (and most talented) females we have met to date. She truly made us feel like professional models for a day :) 

In addition to the photos, we also did a few interviews on film and as usual, Lisa and I were slightly anxious which led to quite a bit of nervous laughter but after a few minutes, we warmed up and it was so much fun to share our story and hear those from our fellow bloggers. 

We loved sharing this experience with some these amazing ladies - Lauren is a huge inspiration to us and we are so lucky to have made a connection with her. If you're looking to advance your social media and blogging knowledge, her social media with style workshop is awesome...can't say enough good things about it...true #GIRLBOSS.

Elizabeth has a great sense of humor and I'm pretty sure we ruined a good amount of the photos because we were laughing so hard. She's also a wonderful Mom who shares her family stories and their experiences through her blog. 

The photos turned out absolutely beautiful thank you to Anna - Not only is she talented, but such a joy to work with. She made both of our shooting experiences so enjoyable so we look forward to meeting again down the road. 

Stay tuned for outfit details on the blog soon!

Behind the Seams: Lake & Country

It's truly amazing how sometimes being in the right place, at the right time, can make the stars align. Last summer, we were dining at one of our favorite restaurants near our family lake house and took a moment to blog our summer OOTD's utilizing the gorgeous landscape. 

Upon returning to our table, a gorgeous stranger with epic long locks approached us: "This might be random, but are you ladies fashion bloggers? I love that!"...First thought: Somebody saw us posing and now we're totally embarrassed...Second thought: Okay, we're actually really flattered! 

We traded Instagram handles and fast forward 6 months to that gorgeous stranger (enter, Sophia) inviting us to participate in a lifestyle editorial piece for Lake & Country Magazine. 

The shoot took place at her lovely loft apartment in downtown Lake Geneva and we had a blast. We felt like we were preparing for a fairy tale wedding with all of the blush colored flowers, amazing photographer, and lots of laughs with some favorite new bloggers (Shout out to Lauren & Elizabeth).  

Here are some behind the scenes shots: 

Pre-shoot:

And some peeks from Instagram (see more with #ladieswholunch15): 

We feel so lucky to be included in this feature and it's a great reminder of how blessed we are to have the opportunity to be creative and fulfill our passion each day through our blog and business. 

Make sure to check back on Monday for the photos in print!

Pure Wisconsin

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall" - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

That's exactly how I felt standing in the middle of this gorgeous blanket filled with fiery reds, sun kissed yellows and and burning oranges. I cherish fall in general, but it suddenly becomes a little more magical when you cross the border up north.

As soon as we turn onto our street, I roll down the windows because the air feels that much better in my lungs and I can't get my camera out fast enough to try and capture the beauty in our surroundings. All the stress of the work week seems to fade and all at once, I realize how lucky I am to live in a world where there are Octobers Wisconsins.

Blouse: Swap w/Lisa (H&M) // Vest: TJ Maxx (similar) // Jeans: Old Navy // Booties: Just Fab (similar)

Hat: Express // Bag: Sole Society // Necklace: T+J Designs // Sunglasses: Old Navy

Where do you escape to enjoy the beauty of fall?