Betty Gets A Facelift

Oh my, it's been a while since I have posted. I have tried to write a couple of times but once I took that little break it was really hard to get going again. Now I know how kids in my classroom feel when I ask them to write...sometimes it just doesn't flow from your head to your hand. So what have I been up to? Well, we took another trip to PEI which was just glorious. Stayed in Cavendish for two nights at a campground, and then we towed Betty to Savage Harbour where  we boondocked at a friend's cottage overnight. So sweet, two little grandkids who absolutely loved our camper. I suppose to children it looks like a little playhouse.  The boy (who is 3) was calling it a mini-camper. Love that :) But now we have been home a week and I have made a few changes to my mini-camper. Here's what she looked like before PEI...

This week I decided to paint the maroon stripes a different colour, it's called Whisper and it's Rustoleum paint that I actually bought  two years ago to do this project. So are you ready for the big "reveal"? This is what she looks like now after three coats. Drum roll please.....

I love her new look! Oh, and did you notice anything else? Yes, I removed the giant G decals too. Next project is a new awning!

The Big Reveal

The big reveal! Yes, I finally finished painting my *free* wicker planter. That would be four cans of spray paint. So far I figure this project has cost me about $35, but you can't put a price tag on vintage! It has a metal liner too, but I haven't quite got that refurbished. It has a few holes, but I say every planter needs a few for drainage :) Until I get the liner in there I am making do with a hanging pot plopped in. Here's an up close view taken last Friday when it was over 30 degrees Celsius. That's above 90 which is pretty much a heat wave in Nova Scotia!

Confession # 4, I Go Curbside Shopping

Yes, it's time for another confession. Sometimes I have been known to go curbside shopping. Yes, it has happened once or twice in my life. Not many times, but a few. Twice a year our county has Clean Up Week where residents are encouraged to put their junk out at the curb. There are some rules and regulations, but basically you can put anything out there with the exception of electronics. So this spring on our way to the cottage I spied a wicker planter. Luckily we were towing our utility trailer and there was room for my "find". My DH said he would stop but I would have to go and get it. He didn't think I would, but I unloaded two pairs of boots from it and carried it to the trailer. It fit in just perfectly between the mower and the tail gate. This is what it looked like then...

This is what it looks like after some prep work and two cans of spray paint. Hopefully I will get it finished before the transplants are sold out. I think it will look  great at the cottage with all my other wicker pieces. Gotta love curbside shopping!

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.

Cute (and Useful)

When I first became interested in vintage trailers, I was intrigued by the magazine racks that many vintage Shasta models have. So when I "toured" my trailer and noticed it also had a magazine rack, I was smitten! I'm not sure it is authentic. The previous owner was quite a DIYer so he may have just modeled mine after one he had seen on a Shasta. But that's ok, I still think it adds some vintage charm. Instead of the large "S" found on Shastas, mine sports a "G". I painted it Blue Ocean Breeze with Krylon spray paint. That little match holder sitting on the counter is painted that shade too.