campers, campers, everywhere!

 

As you probably know, I LOVE our little 1963 Yellowstone camper named Maizy...the story of how she came to be ours is here.  We laugh every time we read her owners manual that says she
"will sleep 4-8 comfortably."

13 feet long, 6'6" wide and about 6'3" tall...and that's without the cab-over!

courtesy of: Tin Can Tourists

Really...4-8 comfortably? Even 4-6 is a a bit of a stretch (okay, more than a bit)

I'm just saying, in my mind, she's a 2-person camper. Maybe if there were littles to tuck in one of the beds or the crow's nest, but honestly, nope...she's a 2-person gal. We did squeeze my daughter in the crow's nest for one sleepover and my 6'3" son on the larger back bed and it was, um, well, cozy might be the best word.

Maizy

So anyway, as I've been out & about, I've noticed lots of fun vintage campers, and I thought you might like to see them. Clever, classic, retro designs that make me smile..

I passed this shiny little Airstream today...

and saw this vintage lady peeking out of a barn...

a little Casita looks ready for a road trip...

 

while this camper was doing double-duty as a traveling food "truck" at a
favorite farm show.

Lastly, we spied this on the way to school one day..oh-so tiny, but look, it has
an airconditioner!

While reading a blog by MaryJane's Farmgirl Blogger Nicole...aka the Suburban Farm Girl, she wrote a great post about vintage radios (click here to read) and she inspired me. 

She shows snapshots of tabletop vintage radios that no longer work, and how she "hides" a smart speaker behind it...the look of vintage charm that "works"; how clever!

When we bought Maizy, she came with lots of goodies, one was a turquoise Zenith tabletop radio...the fun, colorful plastic version. A little sleuthing and I found out it's a 1961 Art Deco Tabletop Tube Radio. Because it didn't pick up anything more that just static, it has been stored away.

But after reading Nicole's post, I pulled out the radio, dusted it off, and tucked our tiny bluetooth speaker behind it. Soon I was on Pandora searching for the top hits from 1963...

and like magic, it's as if the radio was playing...as Nicole says, instant charm and atmosphere!  

There will only be a short time to enjoy Maizy...soon enough she'll be covered and safely tucked away for winter. In the meantime, she's just perfect for quiet, mother-daughter time.

My mother-in-law always said, these will be the best days of your life.

She was right...

one last Glamp-Out!

Why yes, a camp out in December! And no, our farm is not located somewhere balmy...we're in the Heartland of the USA and already we've had our share of ice, snow, mud, rain, and temperatures as low as 18.

However, this past Sunday...

it. 
was.
64 degrees!


No kidding...it's been a whirlwind of weather ups & downs!  Our son participated in a Boy Scout camp out a couple weeks ago...brrr, those boys were cold!  But Sunday it was like spring.

And that meant just a little more time for glamping! I can't begin to tell you how much fun we've had with our camper, Maizy. Sadly, she spent way too many weeks (nearly all summer) in a camper "spa" while many layers of asphalt were painstakingly scraped from her roof, repairs made to her original aluminum roof, and water lines mended. By the time she came home it was Labor Day weekend. 

And with school beginning in August, there was no time for a get-away...so glamping became a backyard thing for my daughter and me. Even the boys joined in from time-to-time. 

I'm pretty confident that we won't have any more 60-degree days, so now it's time to tuck Maizy into the barn for a cozy winter's nap. But before she was all nestled in, I couldn't resist taking just a few more photos to share. You've already had a peek at her here, but I added a little more since those photos were taken.

Here's what greets me at the door...
(remember that the paint, seating & window fabric were already in place...
I had the fun part!)

Off to the right is the dining table, which turns into a bed.
And the crow's nest up high becomes more (teeny, tiny) room for sleeping.

 Board games are a must and tucked inside this bright red metal picnic basket I found at our local feed store...

are oodles of pint-size games, tiny versions that are just right!

Straight ahead is the kitchen...I can see why folks love tiny houses! I added some retro cookbooks I had on hand, along with a vintage thermos and a night-light I bought years ago (dreams can come true!)

Take a close look at the apron the gal is wearing on the cover of the cookbook...
it's a perfect match for the vintage cherry fabric I found (I'm telling you, this was meant to be!)

Another feed store find...who would have thought I'd find this cake carrier on a trip to get chicken feed and goat treats?  It's just the right shade of red and with cherries, too...I'm pretty sure I was squealing when I saw this!

Here's the sink, complete with pop bottle opener 
(do kids even know what those are?)

More seating that turns into a comfy bed. The cherry fabric was paired with vintage chenille and stitched into my favorite 9-patch pattern for pillows.

 and possibly the world's smallest closet.

I was so in love with this fabric...I had just enough leftover for a little curtain on the door.

And a look in my button box turned up 3 retro buttons that were a match...a little glue, a little elastic and call it done.

And as the end of the day came, I knew it was time to nestle Maizy into a
warm & dry spot for the winter.

But oh, what fun it's been...she just makes me smile!

a Maizy follow-up & questions answered...

As a quick PS to my last post about our vintage camper, I thought I'd answer a couple of questions I've gotten lately...

• Hmmm, I see the propane tank is missing...how will you use the stove?
• Since the propane lines weren't hooked up, we decided to postpone work on the stove
  for now, so we'll be using this handy "breakfast station" by Nostalgia (find it here).
  With a toaster oven, griddle, and coffee maker for hot water (we're not coffee drinkers,
  but it'll be perfect for instant cocoa or herbal tea). We can make grilled cheese or French bread pizza, too, so it'll definitely come in handy!

• I love the colorful dishtowels, where did you find them?
• A friend gave them to me as a birthday gift (thanks, Lisa!) and I liked them so much, I picked up a couple more. They're from The Pioneer Woman collection (here) at our local Walmart. All her colors are so cheery and are a perfect match!

This salt & pepper shaker set is from The Pioneer Woman, too...they are just so sweet, and again, her colors are spot on for what I had in mind.

I added theses cookbooks for fun (although they really do have some good, old-fashioned recipes). They were gifts from a great cook (that's you, Carol!). The cover photo on the front book just seemed to fit the retro theme, and the copy on the cover of the book behind it says, 

"Swanky food from the '50s and '60s"! 

Wow, how could I resist recipes for "swanky" food while Glamping?!

Just another little I had tucked away that seemed to be a good fit...a red sifter on a Pioneer Woman dishtowel.

And that's the latest...can't wait to get her back with her new roof so she's ready no matter the weather!  

In the meantime there's more pillows to stitch and I found some retro goodies at our local feed store...will share those when she's back.

merry & mad-cap May, plus a first peek at Maizy, our vintage camper!

Which explains my absence for nearly a month...when May rolls around, it's filled with school band and orchestra concerts, award ceremonies, piano recitals, book fairs, parades, ice cream socials, crazy exam schedules, and wrapping up all things school-related.

Whew...is it any wonder my veggie garden isn't in yet and I'm still planting flowers? Oh well, mad-cap yes, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

It's definitely past time to fill you in on Maizy - I've had such fun putting my own spin on her. With so many ideas to choose from, I've had a ball getting inspired!  I've seen amazing campers with every kind of theme imaginable...

Cowgirl...cool boot purses, cactus lamps, cowgirl hats, and bandannas! 

Girly...chandeliers, doilies, and lace.

Seaside...relaxing blues and seafoam greens with sea shells & anything nautical.

Flamingo Pink...from the same decade as polyester pants
and Naugahyde lounge chairs!

What clever designs and talented folks! In the end, I kept getting drawn to a simple retro look with a color combination of cherry red, turquoise, and a little hint of what I like to call lightning-bug yellow. I wanted a couple of framed quotes I love, along with pillows stitched from a vintage cherry tablecloth and fluffy chenille.

While there's still odds and ends to put together, here's a quick peek at what's done so far:

This greets us at the door, surrounded by colorful bunting! 

I painted the shelf to match the picture frames,
then added littles that I had tucked away.
(The alarm clock I've had since Elementary school!)

At first I tossed the pillows up in the crow's nest just for storage,
but I liked them so much, I'm leaving them there! 

I'm not a big fan of pink, but the cushions were cute,
so I just topped them with a vintage tea towel
and stitched on colorful buttons.

A close-up of the vintage fabric and chenille...I'd forgotten
how much I really like the texture of chenille!

A little corner by the shelf with some lap-size quilts
to curl up under on chilly nights. The red wooden phone
was one my daughter picked up in an antique shop years ago,
and I've had the days-of-the-week tea towels for ages...
just waiting for a home.

Hanging above the quilts...
a favorite quote from a favorite author.

And so there's the first look at Maizy...I'll add a few more photos soon. Right now she's getting a new roof so she'll be weather-tight for road trips.

Even though she's never left the driveway, we've camped in her 6 times...my daughter and I took advantage of the cool nights last week (it was 48 degrees Wednesday morning!) and decided we needed a girls camp out, which turned into 3 nights!

That's why the Laura Ingalls Wilder quote is a favorite...those 3 "camp outs"  were the best: Netflix by fairy lights and chatting until we fell asleep. Nothing fancy, just making memories.

never stop making wishes...

A couple of months ago, I found myself wandering through one of my favorite shops...a great small-town store that has become a "must" anytime I'm nearby. Filled to the brim with everything vintage, primitive, antique, and retro, it's nothing short of fabulous!  

On one of the walls was this sign: 

Something about it caught my eye...the lovely shade of turquoise-blue, the talent behind the hand-lettering, the message. Yes...so true, NEVER stop making wishes! 

As much as it called to me, it really didn't "fit" into our style. Built in 1864, I've tried to fill our home with things that have a sense of history...old trunks, cupboards with wavy glass, spongeware dishes alongside yellowware bowls, spinning wheels, handmade quilts...you get the idea. As cute as this sign was, it just wouldn't work. 

After wandering through the store, I finally told myself, "It NEEDS a home."  You see where this is going...yep, it did come home with me. I wrapped it in paper and tucked it away. Not sure what to do with it, but knowing it just had to be a little gift to me, from me.

Which leads me to this...no matter what, NEVER stop making wishes. What do you wish for? Dreams delayed come true every day! Just because you're living in an apartment now, doesn't mean you won't be gathering eggs from your own happy hens in the country some day. Making business deals across the conference room table, doesn't mean that you won't be making lunches for kids, and yes, climbing the corporate ladder, can be exchanged for chasing fireflies. Here's a little story of my "dream delayed."

An earlier post of mine was titled "Dream a Little Dream"  and all about the search for a vintage camper. A search my teenage daughter began, and I was determined to help her. There's the story of the cutest little 10' Shasta compact camper that was the $100 find of the century!  Not my find, of course, but one lucky gal had her wish come true. It was so...Tiny. Yellow. Adorable.

Then there was another Shasta I drove by for several days just pondering over. Maybe? Maybe not. Okay, definitely! Peeked inside...no leaks, had potential, yes! Bring the Hubby to look over it/climb under it...let's make plans! 

Lesson learned...do not ponder too long. By the time I decided to show it to Hubby, it was gone. On it's way to Michigan with a young family. You know, for months I found myself still looking at the spot where it sat...as if I could turn back time and it would still be there.  

I kept looking in the paper and reading online auctions. Nothing was right, or nearby, or simply nothing existed at all. Vintage campers and glamping had taken off like wildfire and I could find nothing. And so the search continued...for years.

One day in March, I sat down to catch up on a friend's blog...I'd followed the progress on her 1963 Yellowstone camper for about 5 years. Freshly painted, with cheery fabric stitched into curtains and comfy seating, it was fun to look at the before and after snapshots. 

    

It's amazing what a little TLC can do!

(see the whole transformation here)

While reading her blog I blinked...what? "I have decided to let our little trailer find a new home." No pondering this time...I immediately commented, and then, just in case she didn't have time to check her blog, I sent an email. I knew that the camper was well-cared for and only about 15 minutes away. In no time Hubby and I looked it over, then brought along a friend who knows all the ins and outs of vintage campers. He suggested a rubber roof and a quick fix on the water line.

And you know what? That sweet little 13 foot 1963 Yellowstone Cab-over camper is sitting in our driveway. The first thing I did was unwrap and hang the picture telling me to "Never Stop Making Wishes." While the turquoise blue wasn't right for our home, it was perfect for a camper now named Maizy! I'm dressing her up with turquoise, cherry red and a bit of lightning-bug yellow...I'm having fun putting my own retro spin on her. And you know, for someone who loves antiques and primitives, who knew I had a surprising amount of vintage goodies tucked away just waiting for someday? When she's all "just right" I'll share some photos.

Yes, a time for everything...and I can hardly wait to take her on the road with our family!

(I'm linking up for Wonderful Wednesday here!)

dream a little dream...

Okay, this book is what started it all. A couple years ago our teenage daughter had to have it and my, oh my, now I'm hooked and the chase is on!

What? You haven't read this yet? Then stop right now and click here.

Go...

Shoo...

Look at it!

And so, two years later, the search continues. Our daughter would love to find a vintage camper for sleepovers with her friends...what wonderful memories would be made during her senior year of high school. Me? I would be happy on family adventures while the kids are still home...sigh, I feel time is short. Where to find a lovely little camper without mortgaging the farm?

Recently I started a Pinterest page of favorites to keep us motivated...ahhh, 
Eye. Candy. here.

For ages I've passed an adorable yellow Shasta...finally, I stopped and asked where she found such a beauty.

Do you know what she told me? 

Are you sitting down?

About 3 hours south of us, she discovered it in a field...being used for storage!

The owner sold it to her for $100!  EVERTHING WORKED PERFECTLY.

Gulp...

Do you see my face? 

Do you see me shaking my head in disbelief? 

Do you see my mouth open in sheer amazement?

Before I stumbled to the car in a fog, I made sure she had my number, just in case she wanted to part with it someday. (But truly, would you? I think not.)

Sigh...

So, maybe as a sign, I found these a couple weeks ago...about the cutest birdhouses I have ever seen!

And for only $8 at our local dollar store...

And this Christmas ornament found it's way home with us from a local craft store...

So on this sun-shiny, blue-skied Wednesday, I'm dreaming a little dream, crossing my fingers, and scouring the newspapers for a sweet little camper I'd name Maizy.