Holiday Break

I hope everyone had a great holiday.  I was so busy during the break, but I did manage to relax a fair bit.  Christmas day was spent with my family and the rest of the week I was in and out of the garage.  We've had unseasonably warm weather!  I did get some gift cards and of course, spent them all on getting the remainder of the decorating work done in the Apache.  I don't know how people apply countertop vinyl without actively going insane.  I must have pulled up and adhered the paper over the galley countertop about 4 times before it is to where I'm just giving up on it and leaving it as it is:  not perfect and definitely with some minor imperfections that will bother no one but me.  

I cannot destroy this air bubble for the life of me
Yes, I poked it with a pin first

I DID manage to get this wrinkle out and cover that exposed part at the top of the sink

I also realized that once you remove T-trim it is impossible to get it back to its original dimensions, so the trim around the swing counter is about 1/2 inch shorter.  Does this bother me?  No.  Okay, a little, but mostly no.  Not enough to drop fifty bucks on new T-trim to cover an area that won't come into contact with anything.  

See what I'm talking about?

Otherwise, things are moving along quite well.  I spray painted the table support because I'm just not a fan of the original stainless when the whole thing is set up because it looks too cold, but it's still drying so that'll have to wait.

I cut a hole in the rug that goes under the table so that the table support can go through, mostly because I wanted a long rug there. I initially purchased a smaller rug but it just got lost when the table was set up.  Now that there's a hole in it though, I have to figure out a way to keep the rest of it from unraveling.  I have a solution which will be implemented this week.  Four more months until camping season!

Cover Me!

The covers for the dinette cushions arrived and I couldn't be happier.  They're simply beautiful.  I chose an outdoor fabric for the covers for their ability to withstand some abuse, as well as their ability to shed some water if one of us spills something on them. Waverly's Sun n Shade Ulla Charcoal.  

Ulla Charcoal

As I mentioned before, I had an upholsterer sew the cushion covers from measurements that I provided.  There was a snafu that was completely my fault; I must have measured one of the smaller cushions twice, and then completely NOT THINKING, I sent those measurements to her.  Without double-checking.  You know what they say:  Measure twice, cut once.  I totally didn't do that and while another larger seat cushion cover is on its way, I've learned my lesson when it comes to being hasty.   

Love it!

I'm so pleased with how the Apache is turning out.  I received an early gift for the holidays, so I've been picking up little things here and there--mostly dining stuff.  All of that will be revealed in good time.  

It Ain't Over 'til it's Oversprayed

As much as I love the light and airy look from the last post, with its white cabinets, rug, and off white cushions, we get dirty when we're camping.  If we just sat around for a week and took a leisurely stroll on paved campground roadways I'd be slathering some white paint on every surface of the Apache.  When I say we get dirty, I mean it.  We wander off on 4-hour hikes and more often than not, Garrett is laying on a bed of mulched forest floor (or mud) taking macro photos of fungi.  I have a penchant for taking breaks on fallen trees and mossy rocks.  Sometimes we're canoeing through a bog and we've got those small flecks of "swamp things" on our clothes from getting inadvertently wet.  Sometimes it's as simple as soot from the fire getting on our clothes.  Do I want to transfer that to pristine white cabinetry?  Heck no.  

My canoe bow in the Barnum Bog, Paul Smith's VIC, New York

I mentioned before that the cabinets have the appearance of wood, but are metal.  Over the past few weekends, I've been painting the cabinets without removing them first.  Actually, I've been spray painting everything that is brown, with the exception of the couch under-storage area, which no one will really see anyway.  

I've been using Rustoleum's Universal All-Surface spray paint in Gloss Black for

the cabinets, and for the furnace, which needs a more specialized paint, Rustoleum's Ultra High Heat paint in Black.  I used the same Ultra High Heat in White for the stove lid. 

I taped off, put some paper on the floor in the dining area, and I taped the old grey curtains together and used them as a drop cloth since they were the best way to cover the entire floor without having to cut my usual drop cloth.  The weirdly-shaped items that needed to be covered were protected with aluminum foil.  I could only paint for about 15 minutes at a time, taking the rest of the day off.  The roof of the Apache is taller than the track of my garage door, so ventilation was not as good as I would have liked.  I did manage to open the door a couple of feet, and I left the entry door to the garage open as well.  

Despite laying down the drop cloth, The first time I painted I did not anticipate that the tiny paint particles would make everything sticky.  So as I worked backward, I was unaware that part of the drop cloth stuck to my shoe!  The result?  Areas of flooring where those tiny particles settled.  The fix?  A light sanding with 220 grit sandpaper buffed the noticeable discoloration away!  There was one corner that really got hit with a blast of paint, but that also sanded off tolerably well.  Here are the befores:

That's gonna leave a mark

 

That's not a shadow; it's overspray

Once the weather climbs back into the 40s, I'll finish sanding the floor.  For now though, back to seemingly neverending snowfall and prepping for the holidays.

The Leisure Seekers

Our title today refers to a wonderfully poignant movie with Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren.  Helen's character busts her husband out of the nursing home and they set off on an adventure in their family's ancient RV to Ernest Hemingway's house in the Florida Keys.  

When we're in the woods, I often sit quietly and just absorb the nature around us.  At Buck Pond, we listened to loons call each other for hours until we fell asleep.  In the Smokies, we enjoyed our morning coffee with a herd of deer and several titmice.  We try to get a campsite next to water if possible and are completely spoiled when we wake up to views like this:

Minister Creek Campground
Allegheny National Forest

I don't want the interior of the camper to compete with the views outside the windows, but I don't want it to be basic either.  I've seen more than a few remodels on Pinterest that I like a lot but won't translate well in a small space.  So, I'm focusing on a simple aesthetic on a very tiny budget.  Our biggest expense will be recovering the cushions and we're going with an upholsterer for that because we want them to be in the hands of someone that knows what they're doing with upholstery weight fabric (aka. not me).  

Since the Apache is straight out of the 70s, I wanted to honor that with what is probably the most popular DIY craft of that decade: macrame!  I found a tutorial on Pinterest, spent $5 in supplies, and learned how to tie a square knot.  

Am I seriously going to put a plant hanger in the camper?  Unlikely, but I like the idea of it and it kept me busy before I brought the camper home, so it's a win-win.  I ended up with an unspent gift card leftover from my birthday and did a little shopping, coming up with this:

Not bad for an initial idea

I quickly changed my mind on the peel-and-stick paper there, and while I love the gold metallic spray paint I don't think there are a ton of accents that I can spray paint gold.  

I love this.
Snagged from Pinterest that redirected to a sketchy not-original-post site
so I have no idea who to credit it to.

This is gorgeous.  I love how airy it all looks, but there's too much white for the amount of dirt that our kind of camping and hiking generates.  I have white kitchen cabinets now and it seems impossible to keep them really clean.  But overall, I love the vibe that this gives off.  Simple, understated, restful.

There are four more months before our next camping trip.  

Let's Do the Time Warp

The interior of the camper as I mentioned before, is straight out of 1975, except for the previous owner's application of Contact paper to the cabinet fronts and the frame above the bed ends.  I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey...

Let's start with the cushions.

Woah.  The photo of the cushion detail really doesn't do it justice.  It was nighttime in my garage and let's just say that the only benefit of the cover of darkness is the muted effect it had on the green and yellow.  Step back and appreciate this for all its worth.

Where to begin?

Okay, that isn't much better light-wise.  This was taken when I went to look at the Apache for the very first time on a bright October day.  While I may appreciate the light-blocking effects of dark grey curtains at five in the morning in the summer, I'm a firm believer in things being light and airy when it comes to window dressing.  The curtains are now long gone, but just appreciate the sheer visual cacophony of the plaid mixed with buffalo check mixed with tile.  While it looks like there are holes where the light leaks through on the bed end I can assure you that this puppy is tight as a drum.  Onward to the other side:

The bags are filled with the original curtains. 
The weird grey lump is a sofa.

I think the photos make this look smaller than it actually is.  The beds are full-size beds, and that sofa is six feet (2 meters) long.  The cushions on that are also the same green and yellow plaid, but they were covered by a fuzzy grey sheet.  An improvement, but I think we can do better for the long term. The little countertop that you see on the left of the screen folds down, and there are a stovetop and sink as well.

I don't know what color the counters are, officially.
They're a bit yellowy beige.

This photo gives you a taste of just how visually stimulating everything is at once.  It nearly gave me a headache.  The doors on the cabinet slide to either side but aren't a storage option since the sink guts are behind it.  Here's what it looks like with the doors removed.  

There is a piece of foam board in the back (that white thing in front of the vent)

 So, there's the furnace.  I don't know if we'll actually use it very often, but it does work and keeps everything toasty.  It would have been welcome this past April when we woke up to temps in the high 30s.  The open cabinet with the particleboard shelf was where the previous owner removed the original refrigerator because it wasn't working and made a platform for an air conditioner.  I think we're going to install a 12v/110w refrigerator as I hate having to drain and restock the cooler a couple of times a day when we're camping.  We even have one of those coolers that are supposed to keep ice for 5 days, but I'm sure that would be accurate as long as it remains unopened.  I also hate it when my carefully prepared food items get waterlogged. 

The stove lid is visible here.  Sort of visible.

 The original stovetop is pastel yellow.  I don't love it, but I don't hate it.  The stovetop lid is yellow.  While I don't mind yellow, I don't appreciate shades of yellow on the same appliance.  Changes are planned.

Cabinet next to the dinette, and the laminate flooring

This little storage area is nice and roomy but has a single shelf inside.  I'm researching the best options for organizing it so I can fit dinnerware, utensils, cleaning supplies, pots, pans, a mixing bowl, French press, food, fire extinguisher, and everything else we'll need to be functional and safe.   Also, I love the new flooring.  

There are storage areas under the benches of the sofa and dinette as well as a storage lid with a hole in it which I assume is for a composting toilet.  We try to get a site as close to facilities as possible so it'll probably end up as easy access for a storage container that will reside beneath it.

All of the wood-appearing cabinetry/frames are metal, which is lightweight compared to wood but also poses a challenge for redecorating.  I usually spray paint metal, but I'm not sure that using spray paint in an enclosed area is a good idea.  We'll have to see.

I'll be posting my mood board tomorrow, but I'll leave you with a photo from this summer's trip to Buck Pond State Park in the Adirondacks (NY).  It started raining soon after this was taken and didn't stop for days.  We loved this park and hope to visit it again.

It's Been a While

Three and a half years have flown by.  I was completely unable to keep up with the blog and home projects for the simple fact that all I did was work, sleep, and take care of the girls.  That said, things have settled into a good rhythm.  The house is pretty much the same as I left the blog a few years ago, which is quite comfortable on my end.  The eldest child is halfway through university, the middle child is in high school, and the youngest is trudging through her last year of middle school.

As they do, some of the young trees in the orchard died over their first winter, and one was senselessly massacred by deer when I didn't notice that the cage around it had popped open on one end.  At least they had a good snack on the apricot tree.  We lost the apricot, plum, and mulberry trees, as well as the Northern Spy and Calville apple trees.  We've planted a Yellow Transparent apple tree which is thriving.  On this spring's agenda is to replace the Calville, Spy, the mulberries and the apricot.  I have a herd of 4-5 deer at any given evening in my yard, so the battle rages on.  They eat everything that isn't covered or caged!

I had a few great gardening years, but between this year and last year, we totaled two tomatoes.  Two.  I've tried everything but nothing can really remedy really wet summers.

I grew up foraging with my mother and aunts and the past two years I've really honed in on wild mushrooms and fungi in general.  We've done a lot of camping and hiking:  we've enjoyed the Great Smoky Mountains and the Adirondacks, and so many small forests!  I've come across more rattlesnakes than I'd like, more bears than I'm comfortable with, and more narrow hiking paths than you can shake a stick at, but I wouldn't trade any of it!  

Our camping adventures really made me realize that while I love the great outdoors, I hate sleeping in cold puddles when there's a downpour.   In the Smokies, there was such a deluge that my 14-year-old tent's rainfly sprung its first leak--or should I say leaks?  We couldn't escape dripping water and it was that night that I pledged to save enough money to buy a camper.  

So, that's exactly what I did a couple of months ago.  We had admired an Apache pop up camper that was in the site next to us while we were in Tennessee.  It had zero canvas and I had never seen another like it.  We lusted after an Oliver travel trailer, but those start at a price that is way, WAY out of my budget.  A used pop up was in the budget, but I didn't want the headache of having to make sure the canvas ends were dried out completely before storing it for any length of time, and the "for sale" listings were littered with pop-ups that had to have their canvases replaced or patched.  I wanted something solid, so we started looking for an Apache, only to find that they're not made anymore.  They had a heyday in the 1970s, but did I really want a 40-something-year-old trailer?  As fate would have it, I did.

I had a notification on Craigslist that a 1975 Apache Royal was about an hour away.  I messaged the seller and scooped it up the next day.  While the previous owner did a lot of work on the mechanical aspects of the camper, very little was done to the interior.  The details on that will have to wait just a little bit longer, but here is what it looks like from the outside.

1975 Apache Royal

It looks complicated to put up, but it's not!