Jamie Janosz

This is my second post from our trip to Door County, Wisconsin. We stayed in a little tiny cabin right next to the Fish Creek hotel and just steps from the bay. You could see the yachts and sailboats from our screen porch. I was a bit tardy in making reservations, so we took the last available cabin. It only had one bed, so my gracious teenage daughter agreed to sleep on the inflatable mattress. I love staying right in town because you can walk everywhere. We went star gazing on the pier one night and then to Malibu Moo's the next for cold-slab style ice cream. If you've never been to Door County, I'll give you a little visual tour. I love the noncommercial nature of the peninsula. It is a haven for artists, musicians, and theater-people. You can eat and shop your way through the peninsula that is anchored by a gorgeous State Park. Small towns dot the peninsula: Sturgeon Bay (at the base) is the largest - but don't stop there. They follow quickly: ...

One of my favorite places in the world is a beautiful peninsula in northern Wisconsin called Door County. Her pine trees, rocky shorelines, wooden sailboats, abundant stars, and fresh lake breezes hold a special place in my heart. I have been vacationing in Door County since I was a little girl, and this weekend I returned for our annual visit with my husband and daughter. We also enjoyed spending time with my mom and her husband Bob. One evening, we dined at our favorite Wisconsin spot - Greenwood Supper Club. Greenwood Supper Club opened in 1929.  In its early years, it went by the glamorous name, "The Slipper." The menu tells us that it was rumored that John Dillinger himself would "gas up" at the old pumps before returning home to Chicago. The Slipper had a large dance floor and even showed movies . In the 1930s, the name changed to "Greenwood" for its scenic views of the green, lush wooded setting. Under the ownership of the Ohnesorge...

My mom taught me to never drive past a garage sale. On the way to buy groceries last week, I spotted this pea green bike in a neighbor's driveway sale. I have been looking for a simple coaster-style bike, so I couldn't resist. Twenty dollars and a much-delayed grocery trip later, it was mine. As a girl, it took me a long time to learn to ride a bike. I had a beautiful grape-colored bike with a banana seat covered with daisies. My poor, patient dad would run alongside of the bike, and I would start to get balanced. Then, he would let go, and I would crash headfirst into the nearest tree or street sign. Even after I learned, I was accident prone. my friend Amy and I, while riding our bikes to school, tried to jump up and down the curbs. This was not a good idea for me. Halfway to school, I crashed off of my bike falling headfirst onto the cement curb. I walked to the nearest house that had a "safe house" sign in the window (remember those?), and asked for he...

This is a story about our vintage sofa. Milt and I - in our quest to redo our living room in mid-century style - found this amazing sofa at a local thrift shop. We love it, even though our 14-year-old daughter would rather have a comfy sofa that she can lay down on without falling in the crack. We've had this for about four years now. Then, yesterday, I stumbled on a fellow blogger who is renovating a mid-century home in Miller Beach, Indiana, with her husband. She posted a funny blog about things she regrets not buying at thrift stores. There was our little sofa. I couldn't believe it :-). I had to send a quick "after" photo to Brooke to show her that, even though she might have regretted not purchase the sofa, it had ended up in a good home. It is well loved - and it introduced me to another vintage blogger. Here she is with her super cool blog! www.millerbeachmodern.com Check her out!

On a recent thrift shop venture, I spotted this little vintage cookbook made by the Ford Motor Company in 1959. Apparently, in addition to making cars, they roamed the nation, eating out at fine restaurants and collecting recipes. The book is organized by state and recommends famous establishments, giving a recipe for each one. The authors say, "quality of food is only part of the story; atmosphere counts also." I agree! As an avid watcher of food and travel shows, I love when I can find a hole in the wall treasure or an old-school place that still has pads under the white tablecloths and leather booths. The book features three places that I have actually been to:  Shelter Island's Bali Hai is in San Diego. I visited this gorgeous restaurant all done up in Polynesian tiki style with my good friend, Beth. I don't know if it still goes by that name, but it has wraparound windows facing the ocean inlet. Below is another favorite in Tarpon Springs, ...

Vintage hats were the first things that I collected. I inherited a black 40s hat with a diamond/pearl studded wing from my friend Janet. The camp we were attending was using it as a skit - but I wanted to wear it. In the 70s, no one wore hats. To me, they represented glamour and sophistication. I am still obsessed. I buy them at flea markets, garage sales, antique malls. Sometimes I wear them - and other times I just can't resist their unique styles and shapes. They are like pieces of art. We have a line of vintage hats and fedoras (that we wear) on our bedroom wall. These are a few of my favorites, and I try to find reasons to wear them in public. Of course, I'm happy to have married a man who looks handsome in a fedora. He has quite a collection of those as well! Perhaps they remind me of Audrey Hepburn, my favorite actress of the era. Here she is, looking fabulous in hats of several eras: Someday, maybe hats will be back in fashion. Or...

Sheloves magazine is doing a synchroblog where women write about their own feelings about their bodies. I love this idea of women blogging together about an issue that concerns all of us. To join in, I am reposting an essay that I wrote for the Peninsula Pulse Literary Contest last summer titled, "Naked As They Come."  Though not really a love letter, it does speak to how I came to reconcile my own neurotic view of my physical self. Here is the link to the synchroblog!  http://shelovesmagazine.com/2012/a-love-letter-to-my-body/comment-page-2/#comment-5670 4. \ Naked As They Come I don’t like to be naked. It’s not that I’m ashamed of my body. In fact, I think I look better naked than in clothes. But my tendency toward prudishness might rival Queen Victoria. For example, when I am changing, even if I am the only one in the room, I will turn and face the wall while undoing my bra. I remove it under my clothing and then slip my nightgown over the top – never lea...

One of my facebook friends was questioning the right of Katniss Everdeen, of Hunger Games fame, to serve as a female role model. She felt like Katniss's choices, which in the first book of the series, were brave and admirable, became exceedlingly less so as the series progressed. Her comment came the day after my daughter and I went to see Pixar's latest release: Brave . The movie tells the story of Merida, a fiesty, fiery, red-headed princess who does not want to be betrothed. She likes to ride horses, shoot arrows, and climb mountains. She abhors needlepoint and wearing restrictive queenly costumes. I couldn't help but note the similarities between Merida, the pixelized heroine of Brave, and the flesh and blood portrayal of Katniss Everdeen. Both of them have adoring, if sometimes misguided, mothers. Both of them are experts at archery. Both of them prefer male to female companionship. Both of them are fighting for the right to their own des...