Spring Emerging

The view out my windows just a few short weeks ago

Our Spring appears to be slowly emerging from underneath its frosty white blanket. Folks are beginning to talk about the opening of the resorts and we in the lakes areas of Minnesota are beginning to think about opening the lake cabins and getting them ready for summer.

One of the best things about Spring is being able to take off the layers.  To imagine running to the store without grabbing your bulky winter coat, your gloves, a hat, an extra pair of boots, a blanket in case you get stuck...you get the idea.  After a long winter such as we've had, Spring just seems "easier" and now that the snow has begun to melt, people seem willing to discuss the possibilities.

Our April/May issue is filled with possibilities and is on its way to you as I post this entry.  We've got a few award winning hostas picked out as well as some really unique pendant lighting.  We've got fruit trees and patio furniture ideas as well as a few great ideas for custom interior railings.  The feature homes in this issue are pretty amazing and all of them have great ideas for your next project.

I was out in the Henning / Vining / Clitherall area early one morning this week and this fabulous old schoolhouse (or is it a church?) caught my eye. When I see places like this I imagine their possibilities.

I inherited my love of these types of buildings from my dad, a local watercolor landscape artist who often rode around on the "country roads" looking for these types of buildings to shoot and then use for inspiration in his work.  I look at them differently - mostly because my artistic talents do not include the ability to paint or draw - and I see a rehab project.

I see a beautiful cobblestone paver path through a lush perennial garden leading my guests up to that front door.  I see a reclaimed bell in that tower and I just know, never having been inside, that the timber and wood floors in this place are worth refinishing.  I see a new roof, perhaps metal, new but reproduction windows and I just know that that chimney must lead to a newly revitalized field stone fireplace.  I see "open concept living" at its best in this one room building.

We hope our pages continue to bring you inspiration. Please share your inspiration with us on our Facebook page or visit us on Pinterest to see more ideas.



Jan Ellis
Editor
Lake and Home Magazine
Email me directly at janeteellis@live.com


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Looking Forward

All set for a winter picnic

This week we were putting the final touches on the April/May issue of Lake and Home magazine, when our area got hit with what seemed to me to be the worst weather of our very long winter. They weren't our coldest days and certainly not the most snow we've gotten at any one time but it still feels like it was a pretty bad storm. I'm pretty sure the never ending snow this year is whats making every storm seem worse than the last. Seriously, just how many times should you have to shovel the driveway and sidewalk in a single winter?

Like most Minnesotans, I start thinking Spring somewhere around the 10th or 15th of March. And boy am I ready for it. The garden catalogs have begun arriving in the mail, local seasonal ice cream/drive-in type places that shutter their doors for winter have opened and the word "daffodil" has begun to be bandied about.

Freshly fallen snow near Phelps Mill

Despite all that, I'm pretty sure I won't be seeing any daffodils poking their pretty little yellow heads out of the ground anytime soon. They've got several feet of snow to push through at this point. We happen to live in town on a small lot and have had quite a time trying to figure out where all that snow goes and how high we really can pile it up.  The tallest pile is well over seven feet with several smaller five foot high piles surrounding it. If you squint, you can make it seem like mountains...but its just mountains of snow. We can only hope for a slow melt when it does begin so as to avoid an unpermitted swimming pool in the basement.

For now, a mere couple of days into Spring, we have dug our way out from nature's latest gift and are ready to face whatever the rest of the month brings weather wise.

We are off to the surrounding lakes today to snap a few winter photos to share with those of you who winter somewhere warm.  Meantime, we've got the April/May issue wrapped up and soon on its way to you. We are looking forward to your feedback and comments.

Yours truly,

Jan Ellis
Editor
Lake and Home Magazine
Email me directly at janeteellis@live.com

Feb/March 2013 From The Editor

It is said that the way you spend your New Year's Eve is indicative of what the New Year will bring.  If that is true I may require an intervention this year.  I spent my New Year's watching hours on end of Rehab Addict on DIY TV.  The star of the show, Nicole Curtis, is my idol.  I want to grow up to be just like her.

You're probably thinking "what a loser...nothing better to do on New Year's Eve."  I would have gone out.  I had opportunities.  What I didn't have was  a car.  A teenage son with a driver's license, a far-away girlfriend and no car of his own translated to being housebound.  It's his fault.  He's an enabler.

Deep breath... I am ready to confess.  "I am a rehab addict."  There, I said it.

And as a rehab addict this is the creed I live by.  Repeat after me if you, too, are ready to admit your compulsions.

The Twelve Steps of Rehab Addicts Everywhere
1. We are powerless over our desire to rehab.
2. We know a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity, but why?
3. We have decided to devote our lives to Lake and Home Magazine, DIY, HGTV and other media sources of similar nature.
4. We will commit to taking inventory to find what needs t be fixed or remodeled.
5. We will admit to ourselves and the staff of Home Depot the exact nature of our shortcomings in do-it-yourself.
6. We are entirely ready to educate ourselves on such things as grouting, taping, and tiling.
7. We will humbly review our budgets to accomplish it.
8. We will create a list of changes we hope to make.
9. We will make plans to improve wherever possible, except when doing so threatens to put us in the poor house.
10. We will continue to review said list and amend as necessary.
11. Through intense study we will improve our knowledge and strive for the courage to carry those plans out.
12. Having had an awakening of sorts as the result of the above steps, I personally will do my best to carry this message to readers everywhere.

That last one was for me.

My New Year's resolution is to find a rustic cabin on a lake.  "Rustic" is a code word for falling apart and within my budget.  With Lake and Home Magazine at my side, I will make it a showplace!

Contributing editor Sheri Davich lives in Pequot Lakes, MN.

Dec/Jan 2013 Issue is out!

We are excited to announce that the Dec/Jan 2013 issue of Lake and Home Magazine is out.  If you are not a subscriber, pick up your copy or order it online soon so you don't miss any of the great articles we have this issue.  Like always, we are featuring two amazing homes.  One is a Tuscan inspired sanctuary with an emphasis on serenity and the other is a dream home that was years in the making.  We also have must read articles if you are contemplating building new or remodeling your existing home or cabin, organizing your closet or looking to add a stylish fireplaces.

From The Editor Oct/Nov 2012

There is so much I love in this issue of Lake and Home Magazine, I don't know what to share first.  There is an article on kitchen lighting with some fabulous lighting options, a few energy efficient articles, a wonderful column by Emily King on her never changing family cabin with it's outdated decor and 4 year old magazines, and of course our normal featured homes, designer Q & A and landscaping tips. but it seems like the logical progression to start at the beginning, so, here it is.  An excerpt from the editors article, by Sheri Davich.  Enjoy. 

An after-dinner walk recently brought me to a little white church converted to an antique store just off our Main Street.  The store was closed, but it was the yard that drew me across the road anyways.  The fence could barely contain what was within.  I could see clusters of grapes on an arbor, berry bushes, corn, squash, a variety of flowers.  My companion and I poked our noses through the chain link, trying to get a better glimpse.  A posted sign proclaimed this garden belonged to someone called "The Loon Ranger."  While we were naming those plants we recognized, a woman's face appeared at the window, and she stepped outside.  My inclination was to take my friend's hand and urge him along, not wanting to impose.

What followed is why I love my place and my people.  In some communities the residents would draw the blinds, let the dog out and hold their breath until you pass on by.  Where I live they drop whatever they are doing, unlock the gate and spend the next three hours of their precious time giving you a guided tour.  The fence is intended to keep out critters, not neighbors.

To read more about Sheri's exploration into "The Loon Ranger's" garden, pick up this issue of Lake and Home Magazine. Trust me.  You won't be disappointed.

Saying Goodbye to Summer

Swimming on Lake Belle Taine

The air is cooling off, kids are going back to school, leaves are changing colors.  All signs that the long, slow days of summer are giving way to the brisk mornings of fall.  No need to be sad.  There are plenty of wonderful activities to do in the fall.  You can take a leisurely walk in the woods and enjoy the crunching sound of leaves beneath your feet, breath in the earthy smell in the air and feel the cool nip of the air all without swatting away the pesky mosquitoes and deer flies that are ever present in the summer.  Or, you can stop by an apple orchard and pick some crisp apples to munch on or bake into fabulous pies. 

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to think back over everything we did in the last few months.  My husband and I do not currently own a lake home, and while we do plan on having on in the future, right now, we are enjoying the generality of our friends and loving it.  This way, it becomes more of a social event for everyone.  Instead of focusing on the little chores that need to be done, everyone pulls up a patio chair, a refreshing beverage and enjoys the afternoon.  Instead of mowing the lawn or weeding the flower bed, everyone hops on the pontoon to go across the lake for some ice cream.  As I think back, these are some of my favorite memories of the summer.  When we didn’t have a grand plan, just wanted to hang out with some friends in a beautiful location and let the day take us where it may.  So for all of you lucky enough to have a piece of paradise, invite people often, keep it casual and relax.    

Meet Our Team: Erin

Have you ever wondered who is behind your favorite magazine?  No.  Hmm, well, we thought you would be more interested, so we are going to introduce some of our key players so you can get to know the people behind the magazine.  We'll start out with one of our newest members, Erin Hintz.  Erin just joined us at the end of August and will be mainly focused on our website, www.lakeandhomeweb.com.  Here is a little about Erin.

I grew up and went to school in Fergus Falls, MN, and have always lived in Fergus, but I’ve moved 13 times as my parents built houses. Now that my husband and I have our own home, I think sometimes he wishes I wouldn’t have inherited such an eagerness for construction and remodeling. Working on our home projects is probably my favorite hobby but I also love to garden and spending time with my family is definitely at the top of my list. My brother plays high school football, and watching that has become one of my favorite fall activities.  My husband and I also have two cats, Leo and Kilo and a dog named Benny.

What is your favorite lake to spend time on?
My family has a lake place on the Wall Lake and I love getting to spend time with them there. We really enjoy the sandbars and it’s been great to have lake access just a few minutes from home.

What is your favorite lake activity?
As long as I’m on the water I’m happy. I love jet skiing and boating, I don’t do a whole lot of skiing or tubing but I love watching.

What is your favorite season at the lake?

Without a doubt summer is my favorite season to be at the lakes. You won’t often hear me say it’s too warm.

What is the best food on a hot summer day?
I think barbeques and burgers are classic summer meals.  I love fresh veggies and fruits too.

Best Lake Memory?
The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays, as well as some of my best lake memories. I love the fireworks over the lake, and there’s nothing better than getting together with family to celebrate and spend the day on the lake. The whole lake atmosphere on the forth is hard to beat.

What grown up job did you want when you were younger?
What I was going to be when I grew up changed daily.

What is the worst flavor ice cream?
I’m pretty sure I’ve never had ice cream I didn’t like!

What was your first job?

When I was fifteen and sixteen I had a summer job working for my aunt and uncle at their horse farm doing maintenance things like pulling weeds in the gardens, doing horse chores, mowing and weed whacking, etc. I’ve always loved horses so I was in my element just being around them.