Cabin in the City

Books, cats and midwestern charm.

Oh Baby! Sewing Projects for Pregnancy

11.15.24 | Make

30 Days of Thanks 2024 // Week 1

11.08.24 | Life

A Baby Is Brewing!

10.31.24 | Life

The Best Scary Podcasts for October and Beyond

10.20.24 | Life

by Leave a Comment

Bayfield Bound

Filed Under: Adventure Tagged With: , ,

This winter, as we sat home in the midst of another snow storm, Michael and I dreamed up our third-anniversary vacation. After spending our first all the way in Jamaica (so much fun) and our second just over in Madison, we decided we’d stay closer to home but visit somewhere entirely new to us. Within an hour we booked a stay in Bayfield, Wisconsin.

Neither of us had ever been to Bayfield or anywhere near it. In fact, neither of us could remember visiting Lake Superior before, so as Great Lakes-loving folks, it seemed like a good fit. Plus, from what the Travel Wisconsin website showed us, it seemed very much like a Door County Junior with all its lighthouses and shoreline and quaint little town atmosphere.

What we found instead was, yes, lighthouses, shoreline and small-town vibes, but we found so much more there! And we absolutely loved it.

I’ll get into all the charming local haunts in another post, but I wanted to dive in right away with how downright beautiful Bayfield and the Apostle Islands are. As we cruised down the hill into the town, we saw Lake Superior and Michael and I were truly in awe. Living in and growing up near Milwaukee, we are both very familiar with Lake Michigan and how it can definitely feel closer to a sea than a lake. But, honestly, from the second we got up to the shore, there was a major difference in how different Lake Superior felt. It’s massive and dark, and while the waters are churning, there’s definitely a sense of stillness around the lake. My friend told me prior to this trip that when he visited Bayfield, he felt like something was watching him. I didn’t get those vibes precisely, but there’s definitely something unique about the atmosphere.

To fully take it all in, Michael and I snatched the last two tickets on a boat tour of the islands. It’s the only way you can see them, so we felt like this was pretty essential. You can’t go to the Apostle Islands and then not see the islands, right? This tour was incredibly fascinating to me. We got to see almost every island (there are 22 in total) and their unique landscapes – I’m talking cliffs, caves and impossibly tall pines – all the stuff I love. Being on the water was also really soul soothing. Nature-wise, I give this tour 10/10.

But, I’ll be honest, what I loved the most were the lighthouses. I’ve been interested in lighthouses since I was young so indulging in a lifelong curiosity was pretty fun. We got to see the Raspberry Island and Devils Island Lights from the boat, and I really really loved it. And I loved how Michael shares my enthusiasm for them (we’re thinking about visiting again for a special tour where you get to go inside!).

After the tour, our interest in the islands was really piqued. Right after we disembarked, we turned around and got on the ferry to Madeline Island, the biggest of the Apostle Islands (and the only one with any inhabitants). We poked around in La Pointe, the village on the island, for a little bit before we made our way over to Big Bay State Park for some hiking.

This felt a lot like Cave Point County Park (for you Door County folks), but ten times bigger and a hundred times more serene. Michael and I spent a lot of time just listening to the waves and the loons. It was a good place to meditate or at least have a few moments of introspection. But it wasn’t the only state park we were visiting on this trip.

Since we don’t make it all the north that often (or ever), Michael suggested that we take a drive to Superior and Duluth the following day. On our way there, we stopped at Amnicon Falls State Park for a hike (it’s not far outside Superior). This was a really nice way to start out our anniversary day. The second you get out of the car, you can hear the falls, and we just stood there watching for a while before moving on. It turns out that there are a lot of little falls throughout the park, so it was a lot of fun to follow the river and see them all (or at least a lot of them).

Also on this little jog, I got to see two more lighthouses – Wisconsin Point (in Superior) and Duluth Harbor North Breakwater Lights. That’s four lighthouses in one trip. Pretty darn good.

Taking in all these breathtaking views and monuments were really grounding, even though we spent much of this trip on the go. I can’t recommend Bayfield and the Apostle Islands enough!

• • •

P.S. I’ll be back soon with some recommendations of where to eat, stay and shop!

by Leave a Comment

Small Goals // July 2018

Filed Under: Life Tagged With:

Another month gone if you can believe it!

  1. Create an all-new wedding hoop. Done! You can check it out here.
  2. Explore Bayfield and the Apostle Islands. Done! More soon!
  3. Polka at Polish Fest. Sadly, no. It was unbearably hot on Father’s Day, so we stayed home with some AC. I did, however, bring my dad some Tyskie, vodka and polka music.
  4. Host a patio party (or at least get one on the books). Don’t even talk to me about this one. The patio is not even started and I’m more than a little upset.
  5. Plant a small garden. Nope.

2/5. This hasn’t been a great month for goals or landscaping, and, honestly, that’s really got me down. I thought our landscaping was pretty much good to go once I called and scheduled it, but the situation got pretty complicated and chaotic. So as of this moment, I don’t know when I’ll have a normal yard again. This really has me in a bad way, so I’m going to try and set some lighthearted, non-yard-related goals this month so I don’t have to dwell on the failure. So let’s get going.

  1. Finish my biggest ever hoop (+ stitch up a few Queer Eye-inspired ones). Not too long ago, I got a DM asking me to make a monster-sized (well, 12″) hoop. I’ve never made one so big before (most of my hoops are just 5″), so I’m curious to see how it turns out! Also, I made this fun Struggs to func hoop not that long ago and sold it instantly. Time to get some inventory!
  2. Read at least two books. I’ve got a lot of library books at home that are dying to be read. I’m paging through The Art of Gathering and The Woman in the Window now. I’ve got a few others lined up at the library, too.
  3. Make an icebox cake (or another summery dessert). I saw this recipe on Broma Bakery and it really got me thinking that I need to give it a try!
  4. Give Lively bras a try. TMI? Nah. I saw some Instagram ads for this brand lately and I was compelled by the nice price point (three bras for $75!).
  5. Squeeze in two (or more!) date nights. Michael and I are not good at date nights. We both love being at home, so going out sometimes just doesn’t occur to us. But it’s the height of the summer! We should get out and appreciate it.

I’m crossing my fingers that some landscaping happens in July! But until then I’ll bide my time with some fun, summery goals. Until next time!

by Leave a Comment

Cheers to My Dad, the Biggest Unsolved Mysteries Fan

Filed Under: Life Tagged With:

 

Photo via Hulu

Happy Father’s Day, folks! I thought on this day, I’d share one of my favorite memories of my dear ol’ dad.

Dad, I doubt you’ll ever find this website, but if you do, hi!

• • •

Picture it: small town Wisconsin 1995…

My dad calls me: “Unsolved Mysteries is on!” I rush down the wooden basement stars, clunking as I go. If I was lucky, I’d catch the super spooky intro music.

At this point in time, the show was running previous seasons on Lifetime: television for women, as the tagline went. My dad did not care that this was the network’s tagline because he watched Lifetime regularly, and that was how he had his finger on the pulse of these reruns. I, however, perceived their airing to be totally random which is why they seemed like such a big treat.

Every time the show was on, my dad and I had a fairly standard procedure. First and foremost, we’d have to watch it in the basement because no one else was interested in watching reruns with us. Relegated to the downstairs TV, we’d set up camp: Dad on the ugly blue couch, me on the ugly pink recliner (which STILL sits in the basement today). The other component to this ritual was snacks. My dad is a big candy person, so it’s not surprising that Unsolved Mysteries time was synonymous with treats like button candy, Skittles and – most notably and importantly – grape Laffy Taffy. I also drank my fair share of grape soda.

Snacks in hand, we’d settle in and watch Robert Stack in his trench coat tell us about all sorts of spooky stuff. As a kid, I loved hearing about stuff like aliens, ghosts, buried treasure – all those really fantastical tales. But the most iconic story to me was one about Billy the Kid. The story, as presented on TV, isn’t that great of a mystery. Some old man in Texas claimed he was Billy the Kid despite the common knowledge that Billy the Kid died in New Mexico at the age of 21 (and their photos looking nothing alike!). The mystery itself doesn’t really matter; what matters is that this was my dad’s and my favorite unsolved mystery. It became our favorite by repetition alone – we probably saw that same episode six or seven times. And that’s how I know how great my dad really is: He saw this same lame mystery a half dozen times and never once did he suggest we watch something else. Instead, we’d open our bag of licorice and watch the whole darn episode. I loved every minute.

A quick aside: Unsolved Mysteries had plenty of family-friendly cases, like the couple that found $20 bills raining from the sky or people reconnecting with their adoptive siblings. The show was also packed with really grim and horrible stories, like people who were found murdered or kids who were kidnapped. In retrospect, this wasn’t a great show for a six year old. I don’t really recall any of these horrible stories and definitely was not scarred by them in any way. I do find it odd though that my dad found this to be appropriate TV for me but also forbade me from watching Rugrats during this same time period. Um, OK.

My dad and me circa 1991 (pre-Unsolved Mysteries).

So on Father’s Day, I’d like to say cheers to you, Dad! Our Unsolved Mysteries TV time is one of my fondest memories. That and so many more!

by Leave a Comment

Craft Fair + Pub-Crawl // A Recap

Filed Under: Make Tagged With: , ,

Back in May, I participated in my second ever craft fair – the Madison Makers Market + Pub-Crawl – and it was a blast! I ate, drank, sold some crafties and made a cool trade with a new maker friend. But let’s get into it.

Prepping

Last show, I was stressed to the max stitching up 50 different hoops. Since it was my first one, I had zero idea what to expect. This time around, I was a bit more confident. Plus, I had about 35 hoops left in my inventory for the selling which meant I didn’t have to spend every spare minute stitching. Instead, I stitched up 18 over the course of about four weeks which was a pretty good schedule. I also had friends giving me some A+ hoop recommendations. Oh! And a lovely gal PM-ed me before the show asking about RuPaul’s Drag Race hoops and I was happy to oblige. I’m thinking a not today, Satan, not today hoop will become a new standard.

The Show + Bar

Like last time, I brought my mom to be my helper. She’s very patient and calm, which was good because as an anxious person, I was low key freaking out that morning.

Unlike last time, though, this show wasn’t held in a single location. Instead Madison Makers Market had the most amazing idea of having crafters set up booths in a few bars on Madison’s East Side. Eat, drink, buy crafts – it’s the perfect day. I was lucky enough to get a space in the new-ish Old Sugar Distillery where the light was phenomenal and the other vendors very kind. Prior to opening for the day, I got to meet Sarah from Gypsy Adornment in person (had been following her Instagram for a hot minute), and we had a little swap. She nabbed a Queer Eye hoop and I got a witchy lariat necklace in exchange. My only regret is that I couldn’t steal away to see the other makers in the other bars.

Once the doors opened, though, I was pretty surprised with how steady business was! Lots of folks were browsing around with their Dark & Stormies, picking up grad gifts and last-minute Mother’s Day presents. The energy of the space was definitely right and the bar was hopping all afternoon. I was 100% into it, and I think people were into me too! I sold about 18 hoops by the day’s end, which felt great!

Now that I’ve got two fairs done and dusted, I’m feeling a bit more confident about my pieces. Once I’m done with my pal’s wedding hoop, I’m going to start stocking up again. You never know when the next fair might be!

• • •

P.S. You can find my hoops at my Etsy shop always! PM me for custom orders!

by Leave a Comment

Small Goals // June 2018

Filed Under: Life Tagged With:

May was a big month with big goals. Let’s see how I did (spoiler: I did great).

  1. Visit the Madison Farmers Market. Done!
  2. Make this craft fair better than the last. Yes! It went really well. I’m thinking I’ll recap this soon.
  3. Read (or listen). Did it. I finished my book club book Tangerine by Christine Mangan plus I got most of the way through a sort of lame audiobook.
  4. Check out a numerology course.  Done. This was a lot of fun.
  5. Pick out the *perfect* flowers. Check! I definitely agonized over this one, but in the end, I’m happy with my picks! The vast majority of the plants are native species, which is important to Michael and me. We made an exception for rose of Sharon because we love them (and it’s not the kind of non-native plant that will spread and do harm).

5/5. Five 👏 for 👏 five 👏! I’m patting myself on the back for goals accomplished while also realizing that taking care of all those goals meant I didn’t blog at all this month. Whoops!

June is another busy month. Our patio plans are progressing and our social calendar is pretty full. But I’m really excited about it. When you realize that summer only has about 12 weekends, it makes you want to pack them to the gills. I think I’ll be doing a good job of that this month.

  1. Create an all-new wedding hoop. One of my oldest friends is getting married this month. I’m hoping I can get a custom hoop done for her before her big day!
  2. Explore Bayfield and the Apostle Islands. For our third anniversary, Michael and I are staying in Bayfield, Wisconsin, right on the shores of Lake Superior. I want to take in as much of the natural spaces as possible while making a little time for townie treasures.
  3. Polka at Polish Fest. This was a goal for me last June, too. My family goes every year, though I have a varying level of success in getting anyone to dance with me. We’ll see how I do this time!
  4. Host a patio party (or at least get one on the books). Our patio project is set to break ground this month! I’m so excited to see how it turns out. Once it’s complete, I’m hoping to host a party or two to celebrate our yard’s grand reopening.
  5. Plant a small garden. When our yard is put back together, I really want to get a few herbs and veggies in the ground. I really missed having that last year.

Got goals? Share them with me in the comments!

by Leave a Comment

Small Goals // May 2018

Filed Under: Life Tagged With:

I always have such high hopes for April! It’s the first full month of spring and my birth month. But like always, April lets me down by being a soggy, snowy mess. Let’s just check in on the ol’ goal situation.

  1. Host my book club. Done! Lots of snacks and lots of Moscow Mules were had.
  2. Visit  Ben Franklin. Done! Twice! I scored a bunch of fun fabrics.
  3. Commit to a landscaping plan. Michael and I got a few quotes on this, but we haven’t signed on the dotted line. I wanted this done and dusted, but I’m not the project manager on this one.
  4. Sew something that fits this time. Miss on this one. I put most of my extra time into prepping for my next show.
  5. Get a few new spring pieces in my closet. Check! We had a blizzard in Milwaukee on April 18, but I didn’t let that stop me. I got a few fun floral tops from the LOFT, some cropped jeans, and I feel pretty good.

3/5. Can I chalk a middling month of goals up to Mercury being in retrograde for a solid few weeks? Or to the wintry weather? I feel good overall about the month – I got a lot done for my craft fair – but I didn’t really hit these goals. I think I need to be more strategic and realistic.

  1. Visit the Madison Farmers Market. Like I said, we had snow until the end of April, so I want to focus on embracing all the things that make me feel like the warm weather is here to stay. Checking out this market is always one of my favorites.
  2. Make this craft fair better than the last. I’m hoping a bit of experience serves me well. Cross your fingers for me!
  3. Read (or listen). I’ve fallen off the wagon a bit with reading. I started the year strong – I read four books in January alone – but I’ve tapered down to just reading book club books. I need to get back in the groove (and pay off my library fines).
  4. Check out a numerology course. Last year, I took two tarot classes and they really helped me open up creatively and spiritually. I’m hoping to broaden my weird metaphysical horizons with a new numerology class this month!
  5. Pick out the *perfect* flowers. Our landscaping project is inching along. Before we break ground on this, I need to pick some plants. Since I love flowers, you think this would be pretty easy. But loving them also makes this decision super anxiety-inducing. I want the right combo! I don’t want to waste money one ones we don’t like! I’ve lost sleep over this. Let’s hope I’m not losing sleep in June!

I’ll see you back here in June! Hopefully we’ll have a patio and some warm weather!

by Leave a Comment

A Mashup Made in Heaven // Craft Fair + Pub-Crawl

Filed Under: Adventure, Make Tagged With: , ,

I’ve got some cool news, folks! Next month I’ll be setting up shop for Madison Makers Spring Market & Pub-Crawl.

As you can tell by the name, this is a craft fair unlike any other. Dozens of makers will be setting up shop in a handful of Madison bars – all located within a few blocks of one another. It’s the perfect event for day-drinkers and craft-lovers (me and also me).

I’ll be stationed at Old Sugar Distillery on East Main Street. I’ve never been to this spot, but it looks incredible! The organizer of the event says this space is filled with lots of natural light (big plus for sellers) and, from what I can tell, it has a ton of amazing cocktails ready for the sipping (big plus for everyone!).

I’m really looking forward to setting up shop, hanging out with my mom and enjoying a good ol’ dark and stormy. I feel so much better about this show now that I’ve got one under my belt and now that I’ve got some inventory already prepped. I’m still planning on making some new pieces, though. You can see what’s coming from @kaminskihandicraft on Instagram.

For more details about the event, be sure to check it out on Facebook!

by Leave a Comment

Oh Make Me Over // A Bathroom Mood Board

Filed Under: Cabin Tagged With: ,

For months (and months and months) now, I’ve been brainstorming a bathroom makeover for my home, and it’s time to put a few of those ideas to paper screen.

Now, I’m a firm believer in not updating homes just for the sake of updating – house flipping makes me so so sad – but sometimes updates need to be made to improve a space’s functionality. That’s where this bathroom update falls. Right now, our bathroom has the original tub, sink, vanity and fixtures. But these are all very worn and in some cases, just downright broken. Combine that with some iffy wiring, a hole in the drywall and peeling wallpaper and you’ve got a solid case for renovation in my book.

I’m in the earliest stages of this project now, but before I got ahead of myself I wanted to make a mood board to help guide me along my way (and to help me visualize if what I’m thinking of is not a good look).

And while I do have quite the cabin on my hands, I wanted to take this room in a bit of another direction – a tropical one. While that doesn’t exactly suit the rustic vibe of my house, I’m OK with it since the major parts of the room – the tile, vanity and fixtures – will be pretty classic.

mirror // palm photo // vanity // subway tile // rug // plant // faucet // shower curtain

drawer pulls // hexagon tile // towel // tray

And there you have it! This is something I should have tackled ages ago! But ages ago Target’s new Opalhouse line didn’t exist (and I want it all).

by Leave a Comment

Celebrating 1 Year of Kaminski Handicraft

Filed Under: Make Tagged With: , ,

Today’s a pretty big day for me! First and foremost – it’s my birthday! But April 4 is also the day I announced the opening of my Etsy shop Kaminski Handicraft. So between the two, it’s a pretty good day!

I keep you all pretty updated on the goings-ons of my little side hustle, but it doesn’t hurt to share a few pics of my favorite pieces once in a while! First up, I wanted to share some of my just-for-fun hoops. No one gets a kick out of these more than me, but I really love that other folks get them too. I mean, when a sweet customer bee-lined for my blerg hoops at my last show, my heart was totally warmed – someone else gets it!

Of course I can’t forget all the wonderful custom hoops I’ve gotten to stitch up over the last year. These wedding and anniversary pieces are super dear to me. I hope the couples that order them (or get them as gifts) love them as much as I do. And I have to say, I absolutely can’t get enough of folks’ custom color schemes. They give these patterns a whole new look.

To celebrate a whole year of selling on Etsy, I figured I’d offer a special in my shop – free shipping now until April 10, 2018. Just use the code 1YEAR.

by Leave a Comment

Small Goals // April 2018

Filed Under: Cabin Tagged With:

March was an pretty ambitious month goal-wise (six instead of five thanks to a late add). Let’s get into it, shall we?

  1. Actually make that bathroom mood board. Done! I’ll loop you in in the near future.
  2. Hit the gym 10 times. Done! Having a number to hit really helped me stay motivated while helping me pace myself. I’m going to try and stick with this one.
  3. Sew something, anything. Done! Last year around this time, I cut out a dress pattern in this beautiful ’50s-esque tiki fabric. I pulled those pieces out and started putting the dress together, only to find out that I had cut out the wrong size. 2017 me is a damn fool. While this project was a flop, I still got to sewing (and I got a new project lined up).
  4. Reorganize the den to make it a real work space. This did not happen.
  5. One more serious declutter session. Nope!
  6. Bonus goal! #marchmeetthemaker challenge. Done. I’ve never posted so much on Instagram in my life. I need a break (and I’m sure @kaminskihandicraft followers do too).

4/6. If you asked me mid-month if I’d complete any goals, I’d have told you no. But in the end I did OK! March is long and grueling, but somehow I found a bit of motivation (but not enough to deep clean). For April, I have a few more semi-ambitious plans lined up, but I wanted to add in a few fun ones. It’s my birth month after all!

  1. Host my book club. Back in January, my friend Katie set up a book club with some gal pals. Let me tell you, this club is exactly what I needed: casual reading, wine and some cool new ladies to chat with. This month, it’s my turn to host since my pick – You’ll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein – was chosen. Time to brainstorm some good snacks and do a little cleaning.
  2. Visit Ben Franklin. Ben Franklins are some of the best craft stores hands down. Yeah, Michaels and JoAnn have aisles and aisles of supplies, but Ben Franklins are just homey and charming. My mom recently told me the one nearby had a great fabric selection, so I need to see it!
  3. Commit to a landscaping plan. After a year of living with a gravel-filled yard, it’s time to get it back in order. I hope Michael and I can come to a good decision when it comes to choosing someone to fix it up.
  4. Sew something that fits this time. I’m back on the wagon with my sewing machine. I’ve got the fabric, the patterns and the thread. All I need are a few buttons and it’ll be smooth sailing!
  5. Get a few new spring pieces in my closet. I’ve been cleaning out my closet for the past six months (and doing a decent job!), but I can’t help but notice a few gaps in my spring wardrobe, like a decent pair of wedges and cropped jeans. Time to treat myself.

Let’s see if I can channel some Aries energy and do five out of five in April!