Harley and Iron Horse Hotel tied to $10 Garage Sale Find

Who'da thunk??? So I go to this garage sale and find this old dresser/mirror combo painted the most awful color of pastel green. I thought to myself that this is SOOO ugly it has to be beautiful underneath. So, for a whopping $10 I bought it. I would never have believed, that after stripping 10 coats of paint, at times using a toothbrush for the detail work, that I would find my most prized antique to date. I was so excited once I got the first glimpse of the wood that I worked day and night to complete my treasure. One day I happened to pay attention to the back and I noticed something peculiar. A tag that said Berger Bedding Company, Wholesale Furniture and Bedding, Milwaukee Wis. A clue to the history. I hopped on the internet to check it out. I was amazed to find that the Berger Bedding Company building had become the new Iron Horse Hotel which is close to the new Harley-Davidson Museum. To quote the hotel's website, the Iron Horse is unique for "Meeting the needs of business travelers and motorcycle enthusiasts alike forced design creativity. Many of the concepts arose from focus groups of “road warriors” of both the briefcase and biker persuasions, such as rugged wood floors that are welcoming to both high heels and riding boots, and chic yet durable furniture, able to withstand heavy zippers and buckles yet cool and refined for business attire." The hotel looks absolutely "right up my alley", beautiful and unique, a blend of the past, the present and the future. I am so proud to hold the dresser and mirror in my posession, and to have beautifully transformed, such an incredible piece of Wisconsin and Milwaukee history for the Algoma's Belle Isle Inn in Northeast Wisconsin. The historic prize is located in the King's Chamber. This room boasts a flat screen TV and DVD for a romantic evening watching movies in bed. The thick feather topped king bed beckons your tired body after a long hike on the Ahnapee trail or Lake Michigan boardwalk. And, of course, the beautiful antique dresser and mirror, built at Milwaukee’s Berger Bedding Company , most likely between 1886 and 1907. To see this and other beautiful pieces, visit us at the Belle Isle Inn, your Home away from Home! Our Bed and Breakfast gives you so much more than any area hotel, including the memories of feeling just like family.

Algoma B&B has an Evening at The Belle Isle Inn

Belle Isle Inn hosted a Pampered Chef tasting party, complete with White Peach and traditional Sangrias made with VonStiehl Wine, an artichoke dip breadbowl made with fresh Renards parmesan and a CCQ made with Renards Edam, Swiss and co-Jack. What fun we had! I'm hoping to have another one before my surgery so you'll have another chance to join us at the Inn.

If you couldn't make it DON"T WORRY!! You still have time to take advantage of both the summer and fall specials for a few more days. Just go to www.pamperedchef.biz/jennykennedy and place your order. Give me a call at 920-737-7733 if you need some help. Also...If you book a party with "yours truly" for September, you will have a chance to receive 60% off a piece or a full set of the Pampered Chef Cookware. Madonna LaFond of Green Bay booked a party to take advantage of the great deal. HOLY COW!!! And yes, because we had such a blast last night, I have decided to be a consultant so I'll be doing Madonna's party. Barb Clark from the Stone House Stay in Algoma booked a party at Belle Isle Inn for early October. It is nice to be able to offer my facilities for parties since my Kitchen was made for cooking!

I own and use alot of PC's stuff and have always loved both the durability and the various options for each piece of kitchen ware. (Funny, I had never been to or hosted a party.) The Pampered Chef features are really a chef's dream! Being in the "Algoma B & B" business, loving to cook and pamper people seems to be a perfect fit with PC.

The food was so great I had to promise the guests that I would post the recipes on http://www.belleisleinn.com/. Jenny Kennedy did and incredible job with a hands on demonstration so we could not only see, but feel how the tools worked. A couple glasses of Sangria, some awesome food, and as you can see, a lot of laughing completed the first of many "Evenings at the Belle Isle Inn."

I'll meet my ankle in Miami

Well, it's going to happen. I am going to have an ankle replacement. I also need a partial fusion. I'm so excited... and at the same time, I'm so scared!



It will be awesome to not have as much unbearable pain, to get my life back, to maybe be able to run again or at least walk more than a few steps without feeling like a crow bar is being shoved into my ankle or having my ankle just lock up for days at a time.



And Scared? This surgery will be the third in twenty five months. I will have a titanium ankle, spend 5 days in the hospital, 6 weeks in a hard cast and if things go well, then I can start to walk again. Then we can talk about finances, or the lack there of, not working, recuperation and how to possibly handle everything all over again?



So, I got to be Algoma's Belle Isle Inn-keeper because I could no longer function at the hairdressing/educator career that had been so great to me. Standing on your feet for hours with dead bones in your ankle isn't a peachy day!



I had thought that my only option was fusion, locking my ankle up completely. Of course this leads to it's own set of complications and difficulties.



But being proactive about my health led me beyond Green Bay, to Miami, and to not accept that fusion was the only option.



It is amazing what you can find when you look long and hard. It is incredible how fast technology advances. It is wonderful to have found hope. It is great to have another option; to have cutting edge doctors like Dr. Mark Feldman paving the way in new surgical techniques.



I thought I would have to settle, to accept, to struggle terribly. I would become a Kewaunee innkeeper, have a new career, but deal everyday with the consequences from my fall and my damaged ankle.



Instead...I have hope! I am excited! I have a new career, I will meet and pamper tons of people, I will cook my four course breakfasts at the B & B with a lot less pain (80%-90% less pain), I'll be able to walk on the Algoma beach boardwalk, and around the block, and the future, that a few months ago looked so disappointing, now looks so promising,(not only for me, but my husband and the others who have helped out so tremendously since my accident.)



"I'll meet my ankle in Miami" (It could be my new theme song.) "and we'll become one. Together we'll be stronger and life will move on!"

Shanty Days at B & B Huge Success

Well... what a weekend! Our guests needed to get ready from travel to attend a relative's funeral, so we gave them a noon check in. That evening we sampled the local Von Stiehl Winery's Chardonnay and Satin Red. Both were wonderful, though I am super partial to reds and kept that bottle close to me. From Renard's Cheese we had the fresh daily cheese curds (another of my favorites), 2 year old white cheddar and several other incredible Algoma Cheeses for our evening social hour. By 9pm we were placing the chairs on the lawn for Saturday's Shanty Days Parade at noon. Belle Isle Inn is right on the parade route so we were up close and personal. Breakfast before the parade consisted of: fresh white and golden peaches, warm banana sour cream muffins, portobella, zuchinni and swiss quiche, bacon wrapped water chestnuts, Creamed yellow potatoes followed by cinnamon cream cheese breakfast dessert with blueberry topping. Mmmmmmmmmm! Then it was parade refreshments; Bloody Marys and Corona were the top choices. The following morning during breakfast our guests gave us a gift with a note. A wonderfully perfect fit for our B & B, a wall hanging that says "Home Away From Home." The note says "Tia and Scott, Your hospitality has been the best! You Truly made us all feel at home! Good luck in you new "Home away from home" endeavor. Fondly, Dave and Chris, mark and Amanda, Denny and Wendy Di Maria What wonderful people! I was truly sad to see them leave our Inn. ! I can't wait for them to come back again.