Trailer Pad

Did you know that Betty has her own spot? Yes, yes. Last year my DH and I built a trailer pad out of patio blocks. I love it! We used 24" blocks to make a pad 3 blocks wide by 4 blocks long. Then we added one extra block for the trailer tongue. If it gets muddy (and it sometimes does), I just hose it down. Same thing after he mows - first I sweep it, then out comes the hose. Here's another shot taken with my husband's phone...

It took a morning to build the pad but I think it is worth it. Our soil at the cottage is mostly clay so every time it rains heavy, the water just puddles on top. This little pad keeps some of the dampness away from the trailer's undercarriage. It also makes it easy to level the trailer as the jacks have a nice firm footing. Oh, and those three aprons are just there to demo my little trailer clothesline that I have across the front end. Easy to make using flexible curtain rod tubing and screw eye hooks!

Take Yourself There

Take Yourself There. That's the theme of our new Nova Scotian tourism campaign. According to the press, the tourism industry generates about $1.8 billion annually in Nova Scotia, but economic pressures, rising fuel costs and passport requirements have all contributed to what has been a slow decline in tourism countrywide. The volume of annual visitors to the province has fallen about one per cent a year for the past decade.
To help boost visits to our tiny province I decided to design my own poster using pictures of campsites and a vintage cover from an older camping brochure. Come visit Nova Scotia this summer. Ciad Mille Failte. That's Gaelic for "A hundred thousand welcomes."

Clams and Antiques

                                           

This is what I love to do on Mother's Day. For the last few years, my husband and I have taken a drive  to Grannie's Restaurant in Lower Five Islands where we have clams and chips for lunch. On the way home we stop in Great Village where I shop for antiques. There are three stores to go through so it takes a little while. My DH sits in the car and reads golf magazines. I have to say he's pretty patient 'cause antiques aren't really his thing :) Today I was so pleased because I found this Skotch Kooler! It's in near perfect condition--Bakelite handle, only one little dent; smells great too! (Sorry for the poor quality of this picture, but it is pouring rain outside so I had to photograph inside.)

I looked up Skotch Koolers on eBay and this one gallon size is selling for at least $40 (plus shipping and handling). I only paid $20 so I think I got a pretty good deal!  Can't you just see this next to my old Pleasure Chest cooler? Oh yes, Betty is gonna be all glamped up for summer #3! 

Camper Flags

S'MORES MEMORIES

I love decorative flags, especially these garden size ones which are perfect for adding some colour to the exterior of my trailer. Although this is not my garden, this is the flag that I often hang outside Betty. I love the shape of the camper on this flag. I also love how this flag reminds me of when I was a kid and we would roast hot dogs on alder sticks. Ummm. I can almost taste them now! If you are interested in checking out other designs, here's an eBay link.
http://www.ebay.com/bhp/happy-camper-flag?_trksid=p2047675.m2392

Tweet Tweet!

Ice Cold drinks are only $1 at my new birdhouse. Not sure where the birds will perch, but I think this will be adorable hanging in the trees near my camper. Don't you just love all the beautiful bird sounds you hear in the spring? I sure do. 

Wash on Mondays, Iron on Tuesdays

                

Last summer I decorated the outside of my trailer with this vintage  ironing board, an idea I copied from my favourite glamping book, Sisters On The Fly. I think my dad had bought this wooden ironing board at an auction years ago. By the time I took possession, it had seen better days. I gave it a good scrubbing with some vinegar and water. Then, on a nice sunny day I applied two coats of Briwax. That stuff is amazing! It's almost like a stain and paste wax mixed together. (I believe it's made in England.) I let the Briwax cure in the sun for about an hour and then I buffed the board with a soft rag. Voila! 

PS. Apparently times were tough last summer. Looks like I only have one bottle of Mike's Hard Lemonade cooling in my ice bucket. Actually, that ice bucket is a repurposed citronella patio candle. After the candle was finished I just sprayed the tin bucket with my favourite Krylon colour, Blue Ocean Breeze.

  This post makes me think of that old rhyme:

Use it up,

Wear it out,

Make it do,

Or do without.

A Step Up

Have you seen this idea? Not sure where I stumbled upon this picture, but it caught my eye. This trailer owner spray painted their trailer step and then applied stars cut from skateboard grip tape. Think I'll try this on Betty's step. I sprayed it with primer last fall, so I am already halfway there!