Hey everyone! Welcome back! I hope you all had a nice and restful weekend. I stayed busy getting ready for my trip to Dallas, TX for the 2023 Bernina University where I’ll be for the entire week. If you’re wondering what Bernina University is, to sum it up it’s a yearly educational conference where Bernina vendors from all over the world gather together to take classes, learn about new Bernina product releases, updates, gadgets and any new technology coming out. It’s always a lot of fun and I look forward to learning all the new things coming our way in Bernina land each time I go. We’ve been pretty busy so far this trip, so I haven’t had an opportunity to take many photos. More to come on that later in the week.

Despite the fact that one of the reasons I built the retreat house is so I don’t have to travel so much anymore, it’s still fun to get out of Dodge every once in a while – even if it is for work. Early last week Jess, Kali, Heidi, and I all took a mini work-cation up to Door County, Wisconsin to shoot photos for one of my latest project books that is currently in the works, “Lakeside Gatherings.” We thought Door County would be a great location for this nautical line considering the county has over 300 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and a variety of historic buildings and lighthouses to explore, all within a short two hour drive from home. To add to the mix of beautiful locations to choose from, my good friend and colleague Cheryl graciously allowed us to invade her lakeside home for the afternoon where we were able to get some really great photography in a house I can only describe as something out of a magazine. It is a truly beautiful property. We couldn’t have found a better spot! In fact, we owe Cheryl a huge shout-out… Thank you Cheryl! We had a blast and can’t wait to visit you again!

As much as we would have loved to bust out the bikinis and lay on the beach all day mimosa in hand, we had work to do and remained focused. The girls scouted out the house and found inspiration around every corner, making for some really stellar photos for the book. What made it even cooler was the fact that Cheryl’s house has an ongoing theme of a range of blues and golden yellows throughout the house which went together with every single quilt amazingly, almost like the décor was designed exclusively for them. Talk about lucking out! We honestly couldn’t have planned and staged it better ourselves.

After the girls made use of just about every room in the house, we headed outside where the inspiration kept right on flowing. The beautiful clear water, white sandy beach, and gorgeous blue bird day was just about all we could really ask for. The heat even held off, so being outside in the sun was a pleasure. I don’t think anybody really wanted to leave when it was time to pack up and head to our second location. Can you blame us?

By the time we were done with the photoshoot at Cheryl’s, we were all famished so we headed to the Harbor Fish Market in Baileys Harbor for a quick lunch and well deserved mimosa. Once recharged, we made our way to our next photo location, the Baileys Harbor Lower Range Lighthouses in Baileys Harbor, WI. There we found a tiny pair of lighthouses arranged in a way so they can work together to guide boats safely into the harbor. Originally built in 1869, the Upper Range Light and its companion Lower Range Light are the only lighthouses of this design that are still on range and functional. We were there during the day so we did not see them but but they were still really neat to see! Plus we got a few sweet shots out of the stop.

Our final stop for the day was at a much larger lighthouse at Cana Island. Also built in 1869, this lighthouse is a well known attraction in WI. It was constructed with the famous Milwaukee Cream City Brick and stands on the east side of the island on a section that juts into the lake, exposing the light to extreme weather. The tower itself is 89 feet tall. We made the 97 step climb to the top so we could see the view, and boy was it worth the burn! For the record, 89 feet doesn’t really seem that tall until you’re actually up there. Let’s just say some of us enjoyed the view a bit more than others…

It really was a great trip and we can’t wait to go back. We all agreed that we need to take a VA-cation rather that a work-cation so we actually have time to relax a little and have some fun. If there is one thing for sure our state has a lot to do and see, and Door County is right up there with some of the most popular attractions and beautiful scenery. It certainly didn’t disappoint us on our shoot, that is for sure. I really can’t wait for you all to see the final product! Speaking of that, in case you were wondering, my new flannel line, “Lakeside Gatherings” along with the project book that these photos will be featured in isn’t in stores quite yet, but is due to arrive later this summer. The good news is, is that you can PRE-order now so you’re one of the first to receive it once the line arrives to our warehouse. And of course, you know how I like to sweeten the pot so here I go again when I remind you that Lakeside quilt kits are 15% OFF and pre-cuts are 20% OFF for a limited time! If you haven’t had a chance to see the line yet, click the button below to give it a gander! Then get your order in so you don’t miss out on the savings!

Alright stitchers, that’s all for tonight. Time to get back to Bernina U! One quick reminder, since I’m out of state this week there will be no CommentSold on either Tuesday or Thursday. Our next CommentSold will be Thursday July 6th at 1:00 p.m. CST. As far as right now, LIVE with Lisa should air at our usual time on Thursday this week at 1:00 p.m. CST unless my schedule gets wonky and I’m not able to make it. If that’s the case, I’ll be sure to announce it here on the blog and on my Facebook pages, so keep an eye out for that. Either way I’ll see you soon. Take care everyone! ~Lisa