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!

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.

a vintage stove named Mae...

It's a cloudy Wednesday here on the farm...the kind of day that's good for old movies, favorite books, and an afternoon nap. My son will say this is his favorite kind of day, and I absolutely agree. It just seems like we take things a bit slower and enjoy them more.

So today's post is to introduce you to Mae...a 1950  Hotpoint stove. And I'm guessing you're probably thinking two things:

1- Who names their stove?

2- Sure vintage is cute, but is she practical, can she cook?


So, here's a little story of a stove named Mae.

A month ago, while going through a baking frenzy (who isn't these days?) and right in the middle of the kids' favorite Charlie Brownies, I noticed the heating element in our oven looked like a sparkler and a hot glow was traveling around the element. I turned the oven off. The traveling glow and sparks continued. So off went the breaker and I unplugged the stove. It stopped, and the oven stayed hot enough to finish baking the Charlie Brownies...a high priority. 

Now, I'd be less than honest if I didn't say that a little part of my heart skipped for joy...I've been wanting a double oven for some time now. If I'm going to be baking for my little farm market, two ovens are definitely better than one. So I began researching double ovens: which ones were rated the best and were any of those in stock locally? 

Then I had a brainstorm, being a devoted Susan Branch fan (read her blog...it's LOVELY) I began thinking, what about a vintage double oven?  Hmmm, I remembered she has one she loves, so I went back to her post about it...a 1956 O'Keefe and Merritt, "still going after almost sixty years in service."

And so I hopped online and began searching within a 50 mile radius. In no time at all I came across a 1950 Hotpoint for sale in "working condition" right here in my hometown. Come on, what are the chances?

Yep, she was cute, but that isn't enough...the bottom line would be, did she work?  So I decided to drop Susan Branch a note asking about her vintage oven, and she was kind enough to reply, even suggesting a shop that carried replacement parts if I would ever need them.

Okay...it's less than 15 minutes away, how can I not go? I set up a time to stop by and take a look. The kind family I talked with were the new owners of the house, and so an inspector had just given the oven a once-over...it all worked. At 39-inches wide she would just barely fit in my kitchen, but it didn't matter...she was coming home with me. Before we left, the homeowner asked me if I canned...I had a feeling she was hoping the stove was going to a good home. Yes, I told her...before I know it we'll be making jams, jellies, and canned tomato sauce.

Between the brawn of both my husband and son, she was up the steps, through the mudroom, and in place in no time at all.

I LOVE THIS STOVE. Two ovens, two broilers, and four burners that have in the last month baked endless batches of cookies, brownies, bread, along with Easter dinner and any other meal we could think of.

I LOVE how she's a pushbutton and the buttons change colors depending on the temperature...they're called "Talking Buttons"

.

Evidently she was quite the rage when these advertisements debuted!

  

I LOVE that she has really deep pull out drawers that fit my extra pots, pans, and tea kettles. This is something that new double ovens don't have.

I LOVE that the repairman who just worked on our dryer took a look at her and said, "They don't make 'em like that anymore," and assured me he knew of a source for parts and that he could make repairs if I needed them. 

And her name? Well, my friend Lisa said anything vintage needs a name. And she's right, we named our camper, why not name a stove? I settled in and tried to get creative. Our camper is named Maizy, a name that's special because it's what my grandmother always called me...hmmm, her middle name was Mae. Why not Mae? 

I also needed a name for my little farm market, how about Maizy & Mae?  It felt like the perfect combination of my baking done in our vintage oven.

And so there you are...the story of Mae. A stove that is not only sweet to look at, but yes, so practical. And when I cook with her, I can't help but think that she's been bringing families together for 70 years...a very long time indeed. 

flowers, rainbows & homemade bread

This week the sun has been shining, temperatures have been fall-like, and there's been a brisk breeze from the North...absolutely perfect in my mind. Days like these are never long enough, and they can lift the spirits and lighten the heart.

My daughter and I spent several nights in our camper Maizy, and although we didn't leave our own 10 acres, it was memories in the making...we laughed, watched Netflix or our favorite British shows on Acorn, scattered several little lanterns for glowing light, and had a sweet cat curled up at our feet.

Flowers have started to bloom on the farm and it makes me happy to see all the cheery colors...

iris and perennial geranium...

baptista and peony...

and even more springtime color as we spotted a pretty rainbow on a trip to a nearby town!

I've been trying sooo many new bread recipes from my MaryJane's Farm Wild Bread book...find it here, you have to have one!  

Worried about running out of yeast? Worry no more, these breads are made with a starter capturing the wild yeast in the air around us. There are step-by-step instructions so we can't go wrong, and there's even a Wild Bread chatroom for questions.

Sandwich and Epi Breads

Fougasse and French Breads

Flatbread and Batter Bread

  

                          

So here we are, almost to the official start of summer, taking in everything around us, and keeping mindful that time is fleeting.

Make sure to enjoy every minute...plan a backyard Mid-Summer's Eve party for your family, hang a sheet and have movie night outside, pitch a tent and make s'mores, fly kites, stargaze, play favorite games like hide & seek, Red Rover, or flashlight tag.

Ahhh, the joys of June!

zumpkin reveal!

Remember this? 

So...the questions is,  is it a pumpkin-shaped zucchini,
or a zucchini-skinned pumpkin?

The great reveal...

I'm saying a pumpkin-shaped zucchini...while it's not hollow to carve, it does smell like a pumpkin and those seeds, well they look like pumpkin seeds to me! Yep...saving them to plant next year!

Lately, the days have been ideal...mornings that start off chilly (38 degrees today) then end with brilliant golden shadows and a flurry of dust as farmers harvest corn and soybeans. We had a bonfire Wednesday; roasting hot dogs and enjoying ooey-gooey s'mores...one of my favorite ways to celebrate October.

And so my calendar tells me tomorrow is "I Love Yarn Day", I think it's time to whip up a little something cozy for winter!

Happy Friday; below are a few of my favorite pictures from this week.

cheery blooms...

        smiling goats...

morning shadows...

my favorite farmers' market!

harvest-time...

a forgotten apron that was tucked away...

now washed & pressed, the colors are perfect for Maizy...
she's just inside the camper door alongside a vintage
gingham apron and a new apron made from
glamping fabric. They make me smile!