Friends, family, and the smell of stinky feet??

Wow what a busy month August has been! I can hardly believe that it is August 16th and that I have just about a month left on this Island. Where has the summer gone to? Needless to say, work has kept me very busy. Little Luxuries was finally able to hire another full-time worker and she is a very welcomed, very helpful addition to our shop. She is able to stay through the end of the season too. This means that I will have a companion and possible room mate for the month of September :)

Last Monday(my day off), my brother Adam and his girlfriend Aubrey were able to come and spend the day with my on Island. The weather wasnt the greatest but we made the best of our day and still had a great time together. It is very refreshing to see those that you love! We started out our morning visiting a local coffee shop to wait out the rain and then were able to bike around the Island. Afterwords, we caught some lunch at the Chuckwagon(best burgers on the Island!) and then went to bike all around inside the Island. Throughout the day it rained on and off. However, we were still able to continue biking during the rain. A little mud and rain never hurt anyone :) Monday night was very chilly and by the time 8:00 rolled around, I had a group of tired travelers that were more than ready to make the long trek home. Thanks for making the long trip Adam and Aubrey! I had a great day with both of you.

 It's only a LITTLE cold!

At the beginning of July, my room mate and I received an old mini-fridge to have in our room. We thought this would be amazing and were very excited that we wouldnt have to use the community fridge in the kitchen. It went great for about 3 weeks but that is when all of the problems started........The refrigerator hadn't been defrosted in who know how long and because of this.....the freezer section had grown to such big proportions, we could no longer shut the door. So now we were stuck with a fridge that is defrosting all over our carpet and no way to clean it up. Finally(last week) I had had enough of the the disaster, I decided that I was going to somehow clean the mess up and boy was I in for a surprise. The carpet was much more wet than I had anticipated and as soon as I moved the refrigerator, the whole room smelled like must and dirty sock! I have since been able to scrub the carpet with cleaner, dry the carpet, and know we are working on the smell. Hopefully, the baking soda will do the trick and eliminate the odor. I however am blogging in the kitchen at the dining room table because it smells too disgusting to be sitting in my bedroom right now.......where is mom to help clean when you need her?

 The mess......

 The culprit and the mess it has made! I wish I could somehow post the smell that this old thing has created in our carpet.

This morning I was able to do the last of the exploring that I have been waiting to do. There were a few more places that I had been told were really beautiful on the Island that I havent had the time to find yet. Well, today was the day :) I made it to Anne's tablet, the east bluff, the west bluff, and last night I rode past the crack in the island as well as the airport. The beauty of this place never gets old and the views are spectacular. Unfortunately, I only had my phone with me so these pictures arent the greatest but you will get the idea. God's creation is magnificent!

 Anne's tablet

 View from Anne's tablet

 The hike down from Anne's tablet

The east bluff. I can only imagine what the sunrise would look like in this place :)

That's all for now. Before I know it, I will be posting the last update on my Little Adventures at Little Luxuries. Enjoying every day to is fullest!

As always,

~Brittany~

God's Sovereign Hand Guiding My Summer

Throughout this summer I have been amazed at how God's hand has been at work in every area of my life. From the little things to the big things, God has been sovereign in working out every detail to be everything that I could ever need. Even before I moved up to the Island, He was preparing the small details for Island life this summer.
While applying for jobs earlier this year, I was given three different options. I was lead to Little Luxuries for a number of reason one being the person I would be working for. Coming from a small town as well, Nicole and I have the same work ethic and values. I also felt very comfortable going to work for someone who grew up in the same town as I and knows a lot of the same people I do. Because I work for Little Luxuries, my housing is right on main street. This is a huge perk. #1- I dont have to ride up the Grand Hill every day :) and #2, my housing is away from all of the partying and craziness that goes on inside the Island. This I was unaware of until after I moved to the Island but God knew that this housing was what I needed.

Sweet Madison!

About a month ago, one of our employees was let go from our little shop for a number of reasons. While this was a hard adjustment and was a stressful week of change, I can see now that this is also exactly what our shop needed. Everyone at the shop is happier, things are less stressful and much more enjoyable, and my room mate situation couldnt be better. The tension is gone and we all have bonded so much since the beginning of July. We were also able to hire some other employees because of the job opening at the shop. The two new part time employees are very sweet and I love working with them. These are individuals that I wouldnt have meet without their new jobs at our shop. For this, I am thankful! These friendships I have made with them will last much longer than this short summer on Mackinac Island. I have also been able to use the friendship that I formed with our former employee and reach out to her in her heart ache and share the gospel with her. Pray that Christ would use what is left of the relationship and speak to her heart and open her eyes to her need for a savior.

Last week, I was able to go home for a bridal shower. This was a perfect time to take a break from Island life and visit the people that I love. I had been on the Island for two months at that point and was more than ready to go home. This timing couldnt have been better in my summer timeline. I was able to go home, get refreshed, and then come back for a month before Im home again for a wedding. The long stretch is over and now I have short spans of time between visits home before I move home for good.
God provided a church family here on the Island that welcomed me with open arms and loving hearts. People who care about the summer employees and want to serve them and love them. People who open their homes and hearts and care to learn about your life. This was a huge answer to prayer! Each week, I am reminded that I am nothing on my own and that my security is in my Creator. I am able to go freely to church and worship and leave feeling refreshed and energized for the long work week ahead. I also have been able to get every Sunday morning off of work so that I am able to go to Church-without even putting in a special request. This is almost unheard of for summer workers. Another example that God knows what is best for us and He will provide!
Moving to this Island has taught me more than I could have ever imagined. Big things and little things, things about my self and who I am in Christ, and many other things. When Im feeling alone and missing home, I've been reminded that I am never alone and it is Christ who will always be there when others are not. When I feeling stressed and scared about the future and the unknown, I am reminded that there is nothing unknown to our God and He has planned the best for me-because He wants and desires the best for me! This simple truths have been brought to the forefront of my thoughts again and again this summer. This is clearly something that I needed to rediscover!

While here on the Island, I am learning to live life one day at a time and enjoy every day to its fullest-to do everything to my fullest ability and everything for the glory of God. I enjoy going to work and serving others and I am learning to enjoy the tedious tasks of breaking down and bundling cardboard, packaging packing peanuts, and mopping/sweeping the floor. I even learning to become a brave bat catcher!( I still think that I will be forever scared of these little creatures and will never welcome their presence in any building Im in!) I will forever be thankful for the opportunity of Island life for a summer and will never regret moving up here. Yes, I have missed out on graduations, open houses, bridal showers, family vacations, family celebrations, family time and friend time, but the things that I was able to do and learn this summer makes all of it worth it.

Lots of love from a grateful and happy heart,
 ~Brittany~

A quick but wonderful trip home!

Times have been busy up here on the Island! Last week, we had 4 different events planned in our little shop including Christmas in July celebrations and a trunk show from Michigan hand bag designer, Jenna Kator. Days have been flying by and we are having a blast at work. However, I was very excited and very ready for a special 48 hours home. Monday morning, mom and Michael picked me up at the ferry docks in Mackinaw City and we made the trek home. Monday was spent enjoying family, ice cream, the St. Johns 4H fair and a late night talks about all of the summer "things" they have all done.

Home for an evening? Why not go to the 4H fair?

Tuesday was a special day and the main reason for coming home. A surprise visit to a special friend's bridal shower was in store! This trip home has been planned for almost two months and as the time approach, it became harder and harder to keep the secret from Grace. I was thrilled that I was able to have two days off of work and spent a lot of time brainstorming how I wanted to surprise her. In the end, I decided that simply showing up at the shower unexpectedly was the best way. And it was sooooo worth it! The reaction I got from Grace was great and made me even more excited to be there. I also had the benefit of seeing a lot of other dear friends who were at the bridal shower to support Grace and her fiance. It was a wonderful and encouraging time all around. Being together with the bride and some of the bride's maids made me even more excited for the wedding in less than 1 month.

Back in Mackinac City waiting for the ferry. Time goes soooo fast!

After the shower, I was able to spend extra time with the bride and groom at good ol' McDonalds simply enjoying spending time together as friends do. I was able to leave feeling refreshed and encouraged and am grateful for friendships such as these. Needless to say, Wednesday morning came much to fast! While I wasnt necessarily ready to leave the luxuries of home, Little Luxuires of Mackinac Island was calling my name for a 3pm shift :) I was welcomed back to the Island and the shop with open arms and smiles. It is amazing how much changes in such a little place in such a little time period.

So now the count down begins until Im home again for the wedding of Grace and Brad! Ill be home in 26 days and their wedding is in 29 days. Im excited for this marriage celebration and cant wait for the beautiful day. Im sure just like this past trip, the time with loved ones will fly by but Im learning to embrace and appreciate every moment given with the ones you love as well as my time up here on the Island. After all, it isnt every summer that you have the opportunity to live on an island for 4 months.

Well that is all for now friends :) Below is a video from music in the park last night that I thought to share as well as a few pictures from the evening.
Lots of Love,
Brittany

 Music in the park on a beautiful island evening.

Chicago to Mackinac Yacht Races!

This week and then again into next week are yacht races on the Island. Boaters from the Chicago area left last Saturday for their journey up the West Michigan coast line and then finally to dock at the Island. It is about 238 nautical miles from Chicago to the Straits. What was supposed to be a crazy busy weekend and start to the week ended up being the slowest days we have had all season. Usually, the families of the boaters come to the Island early and shop around while they wait for the husbands and dads to arrive. However, the weather had a different plan in mind. With 0 miles per hour winds on Lake Michigan for a day and a night, these sail boats werent exactly sailing.......Some people decided to dock their boats further down the coast line and others just turned around and headed for home. For those who did make it all the way here, they had to basically turn around and leave. Everyone must be out of the harbor today because they are preparing for the second yacht race from Harbor Springs that starts in a few days. Most shop keepers were expecting a high profit weekend and unfortunately were greatly disappointed. However, this worker is not complaining one bit! I was able to work a few long shifts and then was rewarded with being able to leave work early yesterday because of the slow day. It was a nice and much needed reprieve from the long hot days on Main Street and I was more than thankful for this treat :)

Some of the lucky boats that made it to the harbor.

Like everywhere else in the country right now, Mack Island has been extremely hot, humid, and HOT! There are simply no winds to cool things off which seems strange since we are on an island. Where I live doesnt have air conditioning and we cant open the windows because we dont have any screens in them. Basically it is one giant oven with a fan to blow all of the hot air around :) I forgot how exhausting the heat can be especially when you have no place to go to escape it. Today I was fortunate enough to learn of a restaurant with an air conditioned sitting room that has free Wifi. This is were I think I will be spending most of my day.

Beautiful shots of a beautiful island evening :)

It's crazy to think that I have been on Island for almost a month and a half! It has been a crazy ride and one that I am thankful for. Im enjoying everyday that I am given here and all of the new people I meet and experiences I am given. It seems strange to think that most college kids are finishing up their summer here and will be leaving in about two weeks. I however will be here through the end of September. Prayers for new friends would be appreciated in the coming weeks as most everyone I know will be leaving the first week of August.

Lots of Love,

Brittany

Business of July :)

The 4th of July week here on the Island was incredibly busy! The amount of tourists that were here for the festivities was astronomical! People were everywhere on the streets and sidewalks and getting anywhere in town was well......almost impossible. Lot's of patience was required but all in all....it was an amazing week and weekend :)
On Tuesday, I had some visitors for the morning and early afternoon before I went to work.

Taylor, her mom Vicki, her cousin Aleida, and of course the puppy Wick were a welcomed surprise! While we didnt have a lot of time to spend together, the time we had was wonderful. We started the day at the historic island fort. Then we went to do some shopping, get something to eat, and a little sweet treat at one of the many local fudge shop. It was a very warm day and the puppy was very popular with the busy crowds. Needless to say, by the end of the day, the puppy was sooooo tired that he wouldnt walk and simply slept in Taylor's arms. Very sweet!

Taylor and her mom surprised me on the Island again on Friday when they arrived with more curious family members. We were able to do the carriage tours, some some more, and had a nice dinner at Horns. Days like this will always be welcomed on my schedule :)
I worked until 10pm on the 4th but still made it in time for the firework show. From where we sat on the shore, we were able to see the Island show and Mackinaw City show. I was very excited to see fireworks this year because it was been awhile since I have seen any. I was not disappointed in the least and I had a wonderful time with all of the new friends from the Island :)
The weather has finally turned around up here and we are starting to have normal warm summer weather. It has been very humid but i cant even complain because I so excited that it is sunny and warm. Last Friday was my day off and I spend most of the afternoon laying in the sun enjoying the beautiful rays.

Since Saturday, we are down one full-time worker at the shop. Because of this and because it is the busiest time of the season, I have been working extra hours. Hopefully we are able to hire another worker soon but for now, I dont mind the extra hours.

Well that is all for now friends. Today, I am taking a day off the Island and I am very excited about it. I have been on the island for over a month and a little time away is going to be wonderful :) More adventures to come soon.

Lots of Love,

Britt

What is a "normal" week on Mackinac?

This past week of work was simple "normal". The festivals are over, the season is picking up, the weather has been.....well, "Michigan like"...... and Ive been working. At the shop, we are trying to keep up with the never ending shipments of new inventory. Nicole has big plans for the store and when she has an idea, we just run with it. Even though we have expanded this year, space in the shop is tight because of all of the merchandise we have added. With a bigger store comes a bigger to-do list and more customers in and out. All of these things are good and exciting though and we all enjoy opening up the UPS deliveries to discover what new item came in that day :)
There are weekly events that are planned around the Island for summer staff. These are usually held at different churches and are an outreach ministry for the seasonal residents here on the Island. I have really been enjoying these activities and getting to know more people. On Thursday nights, there is free dinner at St. Anne's church. This has been a huge hit and everyone knows that you need to get there at the start in order to get food. Yesterday was Mexican night which was perfect for me and I left feeling very full and satisfied. While I kind of feel like I am waiting in line at a soup kitchen, this kind gesture is something that I really look forward to every week and very grateful for. I mean, who doesnt enjoy free home-made food!
On Friday nights, I go to an event known as Coffee Hour. This is lead by the church that I am attending and is open from 9-midnight. This is a time where seasonal staff come and hang out at the MIBC office and play games, eat food, and are able to fellowship with one another. It is designed to pull people from the bars into a positive environment where we can minister to them. Ive only gone a few times but the times I have been there I have had fun and also have been able to meet some amazing girls in whom I can confide in.
Well that's about all friends. Not every week is super exciting here on this tiny Island :) I am hoping to be able to go off Island with one of my room mates next week just for the day to shop around Mack City. You start to go a little stir crazy when you only have 8 miles of land to roam around in so I think this will be good for us.

Familiar faces on the Island

• Lindsey and Bennie Brewer stopped in the shop last Saturday to say hi and shop around. Always nice to see friendly faces.
• Last Saturday, the Cyrus girls also stopped in to say hi which was a complete surprise to me! I was super excited to be able to see Lauren before her wedding and one last time before she moves over-seas. 
• Wednesday-Friday, the Brewbaker family was on the Island. Tommy and Danielle stopped in the shop to say hi and then we were able to have fun together Thursday night. On Friday, we were able to have lunch together before they left the island. I love this family and am thankful for the time I was able to spend with them here.

Ice Cream Update

• Now I know that I said I was done with the ice cream challenge but I will be honest, I have had sweet treats since my last post.....not all ice cream though. While with the Brewbakers, the kids and I went to get treats and I got a piece of cheesecake on a stick from Saunders. Definitely recommended :)
• I also got a small scoop of Peanut Butter chocolate Ice cream from Joanne's during one of my breaks last week. It was very hot and humid and that's what sounded good so why not, right? This girl loves her Ice cream and isnt afraid to admit it!

One last thing: A HUGE thankyou to Mrs. Kay for sending me her famous chocolate chip cookies!!!!! I knew they were coming and I was elated to open them and surprised as to how many she sent. My room mates and I will be enjoying them for some time. So thanks again :)

Lilac Festival

This past week since Ive blogged last has been busy with work and many Lilac Festival activities. Father's Day was the close of the festival and there was a parade to celebrate. Because of this, the tourist numbers for the day were really high which means that the shop was really busy. All good things that make your shift go by really fast :)

This was Little Luxuries' "float" in the parade :) Pretty cute.

 

Along with having extra tourists for the day, we also had extra entertainment as well because of all of the special groups that came to march in the parade. These included things such as bag pipe bands, clowns,  a million boy scouts and girl scouts :), and a 60 year old+ marking band. The bag pipers put on a concert in the park before the parade that was very interesting and fun. They had dancers and everything. However, after about the 3rd song, everything started to sound the same. Here is a cool video of their version of Amazing Grace. 

You can also see the dancer in this video

 

Along with the Parade, there also was a doggy parade and then a dog and pony show afterwards at Windemere Park. Basically it was just a small circus act but was really cute and fun to see. They brought the act all the way from Tennessee and they come up to the Island every year for the Lilac Festival. Im telling you, this festival thing is a really big deal here! Below are some picture of the pony acts in the show.

 







I was also able to go on a free carriage tour of the Island this week because I am an employee. This was a fun way to spend a morning before work and I learned a lot of history of the Island. I would recommend doing this if you make it over to the Island this summer. It is worth the cost to go :)

 

Familiar faces here on the Island

• Nicole Simon moved up to the island for the summer this last Sunday! It was wonderful to have a friend come up here and to be here for the remainder of the summer.
• Tess Sucheck also visited the Island on Saturday. I love seeing familiar faces in a place that is mostly unfamiliar :)

Ice Cream Update

• Well this week I was able to go out for dinner after work on Wednesday. I was starving so I decided to go all out an order some dessert. This, my friends, is what I got!

Chocolate Smores Ice Cream cake from Millie's on Main. This stuff is amazing!

• Besides this piece of ice cream cake, I did get ice cream with Nicole on Monday to celebrate her arrival on the Island. Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream from Joanne's Fudge. This may be my favorite flavor and place to get ice cream so far. However, after eating the ice cream cake and the Joanne's ice cream, I ended up getting a bad stomach ache, sooooo much to my dismay, I may need to back down from the Ice Cream challenge :( lol. Hahaha we will see how long this lasts for :)

Funny Sites

• Because of the Parade and all of the festivities that it brings, there were an interesting array of people on the Island last Sunday! I saw a man dressed as Sponge Bob square pants, a leprechaun, and a princess to name just a few.
• I have also noticed that the Seagulls here are very aggressive. While eating in the park, you may want to guard your food because they will swoop down and literally take it from you. I have seen them flying with whole tomatoes in their mouths as well as French fries and pieces of pizza :) So beware! They are scavengers and will even eat the bats here.





A day in the life at Little Luxuries

Ive been on the Island for a week now and have worked everyday that Ive been here. But today is my day off and I am enjoying the freedom that it brings :) Since work is my life on the Island, I thought I should probably share a little bit about it. I have been scheduled to work the 3-10 shift almost everyday this season. This is good because I have my mornings and early afternoons free to do whatever errands I have to run and to have a relaxing morning. I wish I had more evenings free because there are a lot of activities around the Island planned around seven but Im sure Ill have more off later in the season.

Here is the store-Little Luxuries. This year, we have expanded and now are twice the size we were last year. With the new expansion comes an increase in employees and never ending deliveries of new merchandise that needs to be counted, priced, and then displayed. I love opening up all of the new boxes and discovering what new item has come in-it feels like Christmas!

Here are some shots from the store and some of our lilac products(it's lilac festival time!) As you can see, the store it very full and even though we expanded, we are pressed for space. I think we were a little over ambitious when ordering our products this year :) Because of this, we are getting very creative as to where we can put things and different interesting ways to display them.
As far as my job goes: There is always the little things to do around the shop like straightening and restocking the shelves. I also help at the cash register and package people's goodies. On top of that, we all help with the new inventory that we get in everyday. We also have cleaning chores and organizing tasks to do everyday-all things that are necessary in order to have a successful business. Needless to say, we are kept busy while we are at work!
Here is one of my coworkers. Her name is Mallori and she is also one of my room-mates. Besides me, she is  another one of the newer workers but she has still been here longer than I :)

ICE CREAM UPDATE(this is for you Taylor)

• Twist and Sprouts: This is a frozen yogurt place. I was really excited to try this because it was self serve and you could put any toppings you wanted on your yogurt. But I wasnt impressed :( I guess my expectations were too high. I tried the cheesecake flavor and it was just ok. Probably wouldnt go back there any time soon.
• Sadies Ice Cream Parlor: This ice cream place is at the Grand Hotel and is very "cutesy" inside. It is all decorated in red and black checkers with white accents. For appearance: this place gets a gold star. They also have Huddsonville ice cream here which generally, Im a fan of. I tried the Turtle Caramel Cheescake and it was pretty good. My only complaint is the price, but what else can you expect when you are at the Grand Hotel, lol.
• When all else fails and you are desperatelike at 10:30 and the ice cream shops are closed and you have a crazy craving), Ben and Jerry's Mint Condition Ice cream straight from the grocery store is pretty stellar!

INTERESTING SITES HERE ON MACKINAC

Some of the things that I have seen walking around have just baffled me and some literally make me laugh out loud. Here are some of them:

• There are a number of elderly couples that push baby strollers around. At first I was kinda confused and then maybe thought they had their grandchildren with them but nope that wasnt it. These 80 year old couples have baby strollers for the dogs and tote them everywhere :) Not sure why but apparently that is the thing to for tourists on the Island
• Went on a hike last Sunday and I saw a couple hiking with a bottle of wine and wine glasses. I understand a picnic with wine and sitting down to enjoy the view, but a hard-core hike with wine in tow...this made me smile.
• The other day at work, I saw(for the first time ever) a women with a hard core mustache. It was neatly trimmed and the rest of her face was well shaven but then she had a VERY full mustache! And she was rather proud of it mind you(while talking with me, she was casually stroking it) Hahah I dont know what this got me but I had to share.

Well that's all for now friends. 

Love,

Brittany

O! If you would like to follow the shop more closely, they do have a facebook page that is updated very regularly. Just search Little Luxuries of Mackinac

What's that?!?! Another HILL!

My first few days here on the Island have consisted on working and exploring. I've been working the 3-10 shift so I have a lot of time during the day to explore this new place that I'm living in and I'm loving it! There are so many trails to take, sites to see, historic boards to read, and every place has a story that goes along with it. Needless to say, I have not yet had a time where I have been bored but I'm sure that time is coming :)

I discovered very quickly that everywhere(and I mean everywhere) you go, there is a hill....usually in both directions! The first day, I thought these hills were going to kill me but even already, they are starting to get easier.

 Today, I went exploring with a new friend that I met. Her name is Taylor and we had a really good time. What was supposed to be a quick trip ended up being an 8 mile hike throughout the Island because we got lost. Some of the places we found I dont think I could ever find again if I tried :) We hiked in lots of circles and even saw the same people more than once. Because I was not prepared for such a long trip, I now have quarter sized blisters on both feet....but hey, I think it was worth it!

 Sugar Loaf

 Arch Rock

 Arch Rock again

So this is a video from below the fort. These guys are singing Battle Hymn of the Republic. Kinda random and I found it comical so I though I would share

 Trip around the Island

 This morning I was able to go to Mackinaw Island Bible church which is held at the Mission Point Theater. It was very small but the service was very good. It felt amazing to be able to go back to something that was familiar and to be able to feel truly comfortable in a place where everyone had the same purpose-worshiping God! It amazes me how important and vital Christian fellowship is and I am very thankful that I have found this church and am able to do that here. So thanks to all of those who told me about this church in advance. I think it is going to be a major life line this summer :) Hopefully my work schedule will continue to allow me to go on Sunday mornings and then throughout the week to other activities that they have planned.

 Beach

 British Landing with Mackinaw Bridge in the distance

 If you look closely, the Grand Hotel is peaking through the trees

 View from Arch Rock