1964 Shasta, Spring Roll

Here she is, my completely redone, Spring Roll!  My amazing husband, Jackson, took the time to do the work himself and I love everything about my little dream space.  He updated the gas, water, sewer, electric, kitchen table and flooring.  As well as painted inside and out.    

 He chose to change over the water line completely to a very durable, plastic, bendable tubing that won’t freeze. The hot water heater needed a new thermostat, but he got it to work as like new!  Most of the wood was in great shape, but he reinforced and insulated the few walls that did need it.

  

 I picked out a great wood pattern for the floor, sanded all the original wood on the inside and shellacked it or painted it white.  She had all the original door knobs and handles, we just repainted those.  I found cushions, plates, and a shower curtain in red and turquoise to match as well as new counter tops and table top.  To complete the retro look, Jackson installed a retro fridge and microwave from Nostalgics. 

 I kept all the wood untreated in the bathroom and sanded as well as I could in such a small space.  We found and printed out vintage, cowgirl, pinup pictures and decoupaged the walls with them.  It needed quite a few more coats of the wood sealer when they were up.  The project was easy and added a lot to a small space.   I love the cowgirls!

 She is now ready for a road trip!

Spring Roll

           For my birthday last year I was sent a wonderful magazine, Mary Jan's Farm, from my favorite aunt.  It is a fun, country girls, sit on your front porch and read kind of magazines, even the ads are great!  Anyway... there were stories of girls camping in cute little trailers adorned with lace and cowgirl boots.  What they are doing has a name: Glamping!

                

Glamorous camping:  Satisfying your craving for the outdoors and your penchant for a good meal, nice glass of wine, and a comfortable bed. 

              Oh, that’s for me I thought.  Turns out I’m not the only one.  There are groups of girls going out together Glamping and having fun!  First things first, I need my glamorous abode. It just can’t be anything.  The research I did suggest I needed a vintage trailer.    I wanted one I could fix up, but not too much, and make my own.  We thought it would be fun to have a trailer that the boys and I could use when camping and vacationing.  It took a few months but last fall we found just what we were looking for! I couldn’t believe it! It was a great price, $400, a great year and model, 1964 Shasta, and has a shower and stove!  We drove and got her, brought her home and have been slowly getting her ready for Glamping and wherever this next year takes us. 

I have been pondering on a name for my little glamper.  I think I have found it: Spring Roll.  Ya, I know, it’s something you eat.  But, I love spring rolls.  If I had to choose a last meal, spring rolls would be on the list.  Plus, she looks like one! Here she is.

Oh, and for more info on Glamping, these are my favorite sites and book:

Glamping with MaryJane: Glamour + Camping [Book]

http://littlevintagetrailer.com/

http://www.sistersonthefly.com/

This is what she will look something like when we have finished her makeover.

  

This is what Spring Roll looks like now.  This is while we were camping this past summer.  That's Spring Roll on the right. 

Everyday Adventures

Being a farmer, teacher, daycare provider, wife, cook, mom of 3 crazy boys and Boy-scout Den Mother means that every day is FULL of great adventures.  I get up, get dressed and arm myself with prayer and a strong cup of coffee.  I love what I have been given and the trials and joys that those in my life bring.  Every day is full..... I just never know what it will be full of!

giant mud puddles in our front yard

Chicken Butchering

making super hero costumes 

Boy-Scout days

baby sheep, chicks, pigs, goat.... you just never know

dirty boys and great veggies 

camping trips

silly faces, but they're clean

good food

On this morning I woke up, to  3 scientist in my kitchen! They each had on their chosen "safety gear".  Hunter had goggles, Alex had an apron and snow gloves and Jimmy had a magnifying glass (at least one eye would be safe).  What had woken me up was the sound of the microwave going, never good that early in the morning.  They were making fossils and had microwaved the plaster of paris and water.   Thankfully now we all know that plaster of paris does not blow up when heated in a microwave.  They made dinosaur fossils that day.... in their safety gear and underwear!

Past Adventures

We love going places!  Even the events that lead up to one of our great escapes are fun for me!  Months of planning (I usually make a 3 ring binder full of directions and info on where we are going), months of saving, a deep clean of the car and house and then shopping. I love everything about it.  I usually don't sleep for 3 days before we leave, I'm just too excited!!   For the last 3 years we have been able to plan some great family trips.  The first year was the biggest so far. 

 In August of 2011 we went to Virginia for a week.  We took 3 days to drive there and 3 to get back,  a fun 2 week vacation! There is so much to see: Mt. Vernon, D.C., beaches, historic old towns, we could have stayed all year and not have seen it all.  Everyone's favorite was Mt. Vernon.  We took most of the day to explore the old home of our country's President.  The ideas he installed while in office, what he believed it and who he was really shine through in the tours.  My boy-scout boys were able to earn patches by answering questions at the end of the tour. There is also a well put together museum for all ages on the property.  In August it very humid and hot - I loved it since I am always cold here! Just to see a small taste  of the history of the United States is so worth the drive.  We absolutely will be going back someday.  

The next year was a more relaxing vacation.  We decided that a week on the beach in San Diego would be a good change from our daily routine.  We ate out, spent time playing in the ocean, made many sand castles, toured a few museums.  We stayed at the welkresorts.com/san-diego/.  A great place to take a family vacation.  We had a water park and 8 pools all to ourselves since we went during the school year.  

 The boys are great at funny poses, and climbing on things.  Here they are with Laurence Welk and fishing with dad on the pier.

Mira-mar Air Show, Alex is being a jet and then  pretending to get sucked into one! 

Old Town San Diego

More great poses! 

The Boss, "Mr. T" 

Cafe on the OB Pier, my favorite place. 

We walked back in the rain... allot of rain!

This last year we went to Idaho to see friends for a few days.  The highlight was a day to Yellow Stone.  An inspiring place of natural beauty.  

The ranch where we stayed with friends.

Sailing Away

I don't know if it was a 5' snow storm, wanting freedom from the routine of daily life, the need for quiet space or something else, but I have had a dream to go sailing for a few years now.  Jackson, being a Navy man himself, thought the idea of sailing, fishing, and spending time with our boys would be fun. So, together we have come up with a plan.  We have started looking at boats, sailing schools, ports, docks, maps, weather, so much to think about!  Neither of us have any experience sailing.  As we looked at boats we realize just how many different choices we have! Single hull or mono hull? Sail or engine?  Cabin space, draft, showers (one of my concerns), price, the list goes on and on and on!  We have been looking online for now, there aren't too many boats in the mountains where we live.  So, step one is knowledge, which is great for now.  Date night last week we visited a book store. We had our choice of 3 books! I couldn't believe how few books we could find, the library had only 2.  We did however find a few sailing magazines.  We got what we could and have been reading them cover to cover.  The first one, "Sailing for Dummies" (haha) is a great first book and goes over allot of basics.  The other one is a peak into sailing life, news, adds for boating equipment and fun stories, "Cruising Outpost".  

Our next step will be to move closer to a port.  We are planning on moving 2 hours away from Houston, TX sometime this year.  After that, we can spend some time in sailing school and getting a feel for the right boat. 

It has been raining here for 4 days strait and the temperatures are close to freezing, I am ready to feel the sand of some lonely beach on my feet and the sun warming my skin.