Winners of Giveaway!

Well we're back from a restful weekend at the log cabin. A big thank you to everyone who participated in my giveaway from my nature store! So many of you left sweet comments - thank you again!












I put all the names in a bowl for my hubby to draw three names!










Please escuse my writing - I had alot of names to write down!
Greg drew the following winners: 1. Charli & Me, 2: Hi! I'm Cindy! and 3. Tammy - Country Girl.

Congratulations Ladies!! Please email your address to shelleyupnorth at gmail dot com. Charli - since you were the 1st winner drawn - you get an extra gift. Please choose any greeting card to go along with your bird button.



I will have another giveaway this spring! Please be sure to visit!

Tree of Life

We are headed up to the log cabin tonight for a much needed getaway weekend. The hubby had a rough week at work (due in part to a criminally acting ex-employee) and if I told you what happened, you would be as outraged as me. So I am swooping my husband up and taking him to our log kingdom. I think the cabin will take away the stress. We will go snow shoeing and look up into the trees and appreciate their beauty. We will forget about bad people in the world and instead think about the good ones we know. We will breathe in the fresh air and look at all the miracles of life that surround us.









P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway posted below!

Giveaway from the Log Cabin!

Time for a GIVEAWAY from the log cabin!

Recently, I opened an on-line store featuring my photography on gift items. You may have seen my store on the sidebar of this blog. A portion of the sales are being donated to my favorite nature and wildlife organizations (my number one charity being the Michigan Loon Preservation Association.) In celebration of my opening, I would like to give away a few gifts from my site. The winner will receive 2 gifts. Here's the rules:

1. U.S. Resident only
2. Haven't won one of my previous giveaways
3. Must have a blog
3. Visit my site: www.zazzle.com/shellmart and select one favorite item you would like to have from one of the following categories only: Greeting Cards, Magnets, Keychain or Buttons. No other categories are part of this giveaway. Thank you! Once you've decided, post your choice back here on my blog. Example: Shelley would like the redpoll keychain.
4. If you win, you will be given that item. If you are the first winner drawn, you will get a bonus gift.
5. There will be 3 lucky winners.
6. If you post my giveaway on your blog - I will give you three extra entries. Just let me know you did so.
7. Deadline for entering is midnight on Saturday, February 28th. Winner will be drawn on March 1.

Good luck and thank you for visiting me! I hope you enjoy Shelley's Nature Store!

Retail Therapy

I think everyone in bloggyland knows how disappointed I was that we weren't able to make it to the log cabin this weekend. Well I'm done complaining! I did a little "retail therapy" and headed over to one of my favorite bargain stores (Garden Ridge) to pick up some home items for the log cabin! (P.S. While I do love that store, I am confused why they never have enough people at the cash register but 20 people out on the floor socializing. Hello people?!)




Isn't this an adorable little bird feeder? I will set it on the deck railing and fill it with some treats!












Aren't these metal stars great? I've decided on a more rustic - hint of cowboy theme for the loft. I bought 2 large bronze metal stars to hang on the wall.











Well now that I have the metal star wall hangings, I had to have this star lamp on the right! (Usually I'm not so matchy.) This lamp was only $10!! Yes, you heard me right, $10!!











Doesn't an Adirondack rocker sound great for the deck? Rocking back and forth with a daiquiri in my hand and looking out at the lake....
I didn't buy any yet cuz they're not on sale. But soon they will be and I'll snap up two of these!




Well thanks for joining my retail therapy session! Be sure to check back on Tuesday for details of my GIVEAWAY! I appreciate all of you who visit (even the lurkers who don't leave comments! ha, ha!)

Live from the Snowman Cam!

I have a little addiction I need to tell you about! I am addicted to the live streaming Snowman Cam in Gaylord, Michigan. This isn't too far from our log cabin. This live streaming snowman cam originally started out as a way for a gentleman named Ken Borton to keep his family informed about the weather conditions in his area. This web cam has now become famous and has been featured on ABC, USA Today as well as receiving many awards such as the Top Nature Cam. His web cam is focused on his wooden snowman, his goose statue and a thermometer. If you check it out sometimes - you'll see bear, turkey, deer, birds, squirrels and much more! I check it almost every day (this photo is from this afternoon) and I love seeing who visits his yard. Sometimes you'll see the goose and the snowman dressed up. Overall, its just a fun site to visit! www.snowmancam.com

P.S. We weren't able to make it to the log cabin this weekend - there were just too many winter warnings for us to risk it. So now that my crying is under control, I am going to do a little shopping and find some cool items for the cabin. Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!

Holding the log cabin together

I love this log post in our cabin! I keep looking at it thinking we should carve something on it - but the hubby muttered something about this being "load bearing" and do I want the whole cabin to collapse. Can we paint it? No! (Sometimes I like to ask Greg questions I already know the answer to. It makes for a very fun day!)

We are going to watch the weather this morning and make sure there isn't a blizzard before we we try to drive up to the log cabin. If we are unable to make it up there, I will be sobbing uncontrollably. (Afterwards I will need to go shopping to BUY something for the log cabin cuz that will make me feel better.) What do you have planned this weekend? P.S. I will be having another giveaway soon! It's time!!

Experiencing nature at the Log Cabin

One of the biggest joys of where our log cabin is located is all the beautiful nature that surrounds us. Whether it's out our cabin door or in the next county over - Northern Michigan has a wild beauty all its own.

Nature can be so reflective....so peaceful......

Like water running over snow covered rocks in the Ausable River....



A beautiful Doe frolicking in the woods....


A group of Mallard Ducks swimming soft circles.....




Or it can be vicious like a cougar attacking your arm!