3-in-1 Cooking Center

Have you seen this 3-in-1 cooking center before? This is exactly what you need if it's raining and you don't want to cook outside. I first read about it over at Little Vintage Trailer when I had just bought my trailer.
http://littlevintagetrailer.com/2011/08/cooking-in-little-vintage-trailer/. It fits across my propane stove (which I have never used), and also across my flip-up shelf. When it's not in use, it stores perfectly inside Betty's closet. I am sure the designer never meant it to be used in a trailer, but it's great if you just need to make breakfast for two!

A Charmed Life

My Charm Bracelet

*I may or may not have borrowed that title from an article in an old Mary Engelbreit magazine. Today I am going to reveal my charm bracelet. Now anyone who knows me well knows that I never wear jewelry. I'm serious here. I wear my wedding band and twice a year I pop my diamond studs in :)  But I digress... I think I got this charm bracelet when I was 17. Three of the charms relate to water skiing, my passion as a teenager. Another three are souvenirs from places I visited such as England, the Bahamas, and Calgary. The key was a gift when I graduated from university. Eventually I tucked my bracelet away and had sort of forgotten about it. But then I bought my vintage trailer in 2011, and I discovered that they had little trailer charms. So for Christmas that year Santa brought me one. I think that tiny RV is so cute on there nestled in between my dolphin and the Calgary Tower! Of course my bracelet is once again safely tucked away in my jewelry box:) 

Code Red!

The Perfect Accessory

"Code red, code red!" That's what I say when a fly gets in the cottage or my trailer. I know you're probably thinking I'm crazy, but I cannot stand house flies. And don't even get me started on mosquitoes, LOL. My motto is, "If it flies, it dies." It's not so much that I am afraid of getting bitten, it's more that I don't like the thought of them in my kitchen (around my food). Which is a real problem in the trailer 'cause the kitchen is the bedroom is the dining room is the living room...So that's why this cute fly swatter hangs right by the door where I can easily grab it and swat anything that gets in!

Dreaming of Retirement

After being in Florida last week, this is how I'm feeling. I want to retire now, not in two years time. That could be me, sitting outside my trailer, knitting an afghan. Well, first my friend, Susan, would have to teach me how to knit, but you get the idea...And see that dog, I even played "that card".  Yup, I am trying everything  to move my retirement date up. Just one. year. earlier. would make me happy...

Confession # 1, I Love Doin' Dishes

Big confession coming...I love to "do dishes". Yes, I love to wash dishes or dry them if someone else is washing. So imagine my joy when I found this mini sized dish drainer at a local discount store. It fits right between Betty's sink and stove. Now mind you it can only hold about two plates and two mugs, but it's not like I'm cooking Christmas dinner in my tin can, LOL. My sink doesn't have a gray water tank so I keep a dishpan in the sink. I also have another small enamel basin in case I need a little water for something. It's all pretty compact, but it seems to work! How about you, do you like to wash or dry dishes the "old school" way?

Waiting Patiently For Summer

Oh my! I should have given you a heads up. This is not a pretty scene. Well, the top picture is kinda pretty, but the bottom picture even scares me. Believe me, I tried to persuade my husband to put "Betty" into winter storage, but that idea was not warmly received. So Betty is tarped and bungie corded six ways for Christmas. The snow adds to the bleakness...I did not photo-shop that in. We will be going to the cottage for Easter. I can hardly wait to get that tarp off and take a peek inside! Oh, did I mention that is tarp #2? The first one blew off just after Christmas;)

All Lit Up

Have you ever wanted a lampshade but couldn't find anything that went with your decor? Well here's an easy fix. Pick up a self-adhesive shade from your favourite craft store and cover it with fabric that coordinates with your furnishings. When you peel off the wrapper, that becomes your template. I was able to make this shade from a gingham dinner napkin! First I layed the wrapper on the napkin and cut out the fabric leaving about a half inch hem all around. Next, I put the fabric on the self-adhesive shade and folded under the hem along the back seam and glued it down with fabric glue. I also folded the excess fabric over the top edge and glued that down. To make sure it held I secured it with clothespins until the glue dried. Then I repeated this along the bottom edge. When that was dry, I glued on some ball fringe and held that in place with clothespins. These shades come in different sizes and styles (round and square). Easy breezy!