How Cool

Dear Friend...
How Cool is this book!!!
My Cool Caravan is just full of inspiration for us caravan devotees...
I went and saw the site and fell madly and deeply in love...
and after what seemed like no time at all it was at home with me...
I find that I am still flicking through the pages days later...and reading over and over again all about the treasures inside...
Like Constance...
One of my favorites...


It makes me want to fix up my sad looking Mr Vintage and Roma...
Oh the amount of work they need...
Maybe I just need to find a third one....hmmmmmmm...
After all you know I like collecting three of everything...
I do adore the Shepherds huts in the book...
How amazing ...I never knew of these...
One of them in the yard of River Cottage would be so sweet...

I do hope you have been keeping well my dear...Warming up with the fire going...
or sunning yourself by the sea...
If you are where it is warmer catch some rays for me...My feet are freezing at the moment...

Thank you too for thinking of me...
I know that my life has been rather hectic of late and I never seem to have enough time to spend chatting to you...
I do hope you are taking time out thou to enjoy everything around you...
Like a good book, a cup of tea and a few biscuits as a treat...
and you can always visit me and my granny ways as you know....
and I am sure to visit you too...
as I love catching up with your creative ways and absolute goodness...
Till then my dear....
just keep...
Loving The Vintage...

Roma and Leah

Dear Friend...

My what a whirl wind of a week...
We had yet another dust storm yesterday and I do start to worry about the state of our little planet when weather changes so dramatically....
How is the climate were you are...Are you warm and summery or cool and wintry...
Since blogging I find these things now amuse me more than they every did before...
Seeing pictures and chatting to friends who live so far away bring these things to light I suppose...

My mind has been busy with so many happy thoughts this week as well...
Seeing the new painting by Leah of my sweet pretty Roma, has brightened me no end...
I know you love caravans and vintage as much as me so I realize your heart would be in a flutter too..
So here is a beautiful photo just cause I knew you would want to see it as much as me...

(Click on image to visit the lovely Leah at flickr)Photo courtesy of Leah...
Or Here to see her Etsy shop...
Leah has a amazing style about here painting...
I think you will agree...For me her work reminds me of true
Brady Bunch Architecture...
The look of that era, the clean lines of architectural drawing but the thought that something
more lies within...The perfect house yet is it the perfect family?
I could delve deeper into thought but I will not as I really would like to see what you think?
Of course it is ovious that I am insane about caravans so that does help loving here work...
But after checking through Leah's etsy shop I did spy some very cool pool scenes...
I think I am liking them more and more...
Maybe something to do with my new found splashing abilities...Yes giggle...giggle....

Now I have, as you know been a tad crocheted out...If that is possible...
But as you realize dear friend when has that ever stopped me...
so yes I did find time to set to work on a few Christmas gifts...
Here is a photo enclosed of what will be finding it's way here...
I really kick myself for not starting my Christmas gift organizing sooner...
But every year I do the same thing....
Leave it all to the last minute...
You would think I would learn but no...Slow in that department...
Now other exciting news is the new cottage will be all settled a week before Christmas...
That gives me a week to get it stripped and painting...
I think I will be just visiting on Christmas day as I can not see me moving furniture and family in as well...
But I did find out some interesting things about the cottage...
That it is 155 years old...How sweet...
And that it was originally a school principals residence and class room
way back then...and even later on a parsonage for a Methodist priest...
Intriguing...
and the original side gate is still there entwined with ivy and the like...
Fancy that....

Now as much as I want to write some more I have to dash...
But as always there is more I need to fill you in on...Like the other project!!!
so I will write very soon and share more...
Till then Dear Friend...take care...
Michelle...

Loving The Vintage...

Stripping Mr Vintage

Oh the joys of renovating...
What to do with a few spare hours?
Oh I don't know...Sit,Relax or maybe crochet some more...
No are you insane!!!
Spend those few precious hours stripping the interior
of poor Mr Vintage that's what...

After this I am feeling a little shell shocked...
Am I suppose to see the ground?
Maybe not...
Is all the beams suppose to be missing and rotted away to nothing?
Probably not...

Have I made more work for myself?
MOST DEFINITELY!!!

Loving The Vintage...

Mr Buff

Now While you maybe thinking "Mr Buff" sounds like something
you would hear in a Simpson's episode...
It is in fact the name of a cutting compound used to
polish Mr Vintage...
While trying very hard to stay on track with the
Challenge of the Utmost kind...
I decided to track down my local panel beater
and ask very sweetly if I could buy some "partly used"
maybe "old" and hopefully not too "out of date"...
cutting compound...
Why yes he said and produced a very old and very used tin of
"Mr Buff"...
Perfect!!!as I carried the tin to the car and wondered
if I should be putting on gloves just to carry the tin...
So with instruction on how to used it...
I set home and two days later and lots of swirling and whirling
with the buffer this is the result...
And this was after using it 3 times over the same area...
Now I am informed by many a "helpful" bar patron...
That there is still more to do...
Yes dear friends I need to go over the whole thing again
with something called "Mothers"...Hmmmmmm...
Apparently it is the best thing to use to get
that "Bling" I am after...Fancy that!!!
The airstream Bling, The see your own refection, The.......
Well you get my drift...
So for now until I can find some "Mothers"
falling off the back off a truck I have to be content
in the fact that while I wait I just have to do the other
3 sides and roof....Hmmmmmmm can't wait!!!

Loving The Vintage...

Meet Roma Vintage

I would love to introduce you all to my latest friend...
Her name is Roma Vintage...
She was a sweet young thing in her prime...
And I still feel she is...
I think she was created in the late 60's so I will say 1968...
Cause I can...Which would make her...
Hmmmmm... The same age as me...That sounds nice!!!


Now I know by now you are all thinking I have gone quiet
Caravan Crazy...
But that is all part of the aging process and I believe it to be
quiet acceptable...
Well for me anyway...

Now of course there is a tad bit of work to be done...
But her "interiors" are quiet alright...
and she even has her own fridge and stove...
Quiet the home maker!!!
Yes I do have those "rose coloured" glasses
still adhered to my face...
If you were wondering...
When we picked her up she was sporting quiet a crop of
overgrown moss on top...
But with a little help from all of us...
Yes My man...
Well me of course...
And even "Oldest and Dearest"...
She will be looking good enough to introduce to Mr Vintage
in no time...
Cross fingers they get along...

Loving The Vintage...

Choose your own colour

A must have on anyone's list is one
of these prints!!!
Vol25 sells these and so much more...
I bought the red one...
and I am more than impressed...
They are printed on natural white canvas...
And it feels so real...
Super fast shipping so it arrived in the blink of an eye...
They also have a blog HERE...
If you LOVE caravans as much as me...Nab one now!!!

Loving The Vintage...

Caravan Girl

This week I have misplaced my "hook" and there are no shops in town that carry any...
So instead of sitting around doing nothing...
I thought I would try sketching again...
The problem is I don't know if I am using the right things...
I went and bought some ink pens at the newsagents and some drawing paper and this is what I came up with...
I have no clue how or what to colour it in...
Or even if I am scanning it right but so far I am really happy with the "idea"...
If anyone can help or even a few handy hints I would love to hear from you...
Drop me a comment or e-mail me PLEASE!!!

On another note....
I did get a copy of "Airstream Living" and WOW it's amazing...
Great pics all the way through and lots of really helpful links, and advise like what polish to use and how long it will take me to get mine that shiny...
Hmmmmmm a lot of time I'm thinking...

Loving The Vintage...

Steelo my new friend

I really never thought something so basic as
soapy steel wool could be such a life saver...
But it is...
To take the "rough" off it takes lots and lots of scrubbing...
After I am finished with the steel wool it will be many an hour with my next friend..."Brasso"...
can't wait for that one...
and last but probably not least the "buffer" machine...
Oh I think I'm tried already...whew...
But when she is finished she will shine like a
"Airstream"...

Part 1 Rose Coloured Glasses

Rose Coloured Glasses...

Now for all that have them permanently affixed to their face start looking below...
All of my dear friends that don't and I am sure there really isn't many of you get them out of the dusty draw as I am sure you will need them...

If Vintage had been advertised in the paper I suspect the ad would read like this...

Vintage Caravan...
First to see will buy...
Original condition, tyres, fixtures and fitting...
In need of TLC...But will come up a treat...
Restoration project for the enthusiast...
Pick up only...

What they meant to say but the ad could have worked out a tad pricey...was...

Place rose coloured glasses on before entering property and enter at own risk...Wear sturdy boots and make no sudden movements as to not alarm cattle dogs and cause a sheep stampede...
Make sure your tetanus and allergy shots are up to date...
After hooking her up get someone to follow you home just in case something falls off...Like the tyres...
Interior needs gutting and fumigating and please check for snakes when you pull panelling out...
Will take 6 months "hard scrubbing"...(you could get less for a criminal offence)...
so don't quit your day job cause it will end up costing you a motsa...lol...

ENJOY THE PICS...OF VINTAGE AT HOME AT LAST...If there happens to be any husbands or dad's out there that would know anything about the year this type of van was made please let me know...
We are thinking 1958-59 due to the tyres...
But there might be a enthusist in your family so it would be great if you could show them the pics...
and let me know...
till next happy snaps...

Loving The Vintage...

The Story Begins

As I manoeuvred around the many obstacles...
Cattle dogs,Kelpi's, wire and gates and rounded the tin shed...
A squeal of excitement escaped me...
This wasn't hard as inside I was dancing around like a parishioner at a Gospel church...
How could this be...
Vintage had been waiting for me...

Patiently I must say for at least the past 20 years or so gauging by her tyres that were now almost disintergrated into the sheep trod paddock...
If I knew today would be the day that I would meet her I would have at least dressed for the occasion...
But now I realized that was the beauty in the moment...
I stood in front of her bare faced in my oldest jeans, op shop jumper, hair a tangle from the icy wind...
She too had seen better days...
Moss was attaching to her frames, one of her windows had been broken and boarded up and her interior was unfortunately beyond repair...
She was in desperate need of care and attention...
As I ran my hand over her faded blue lightning flash...
I knew...
She was waiting for me and I was waiting for her...
If I could have cryed infront of the country bloke who owned her I would have... But I think he knew...
The last words he said as I drove out of the gate was...
"She'll be right love, we'll get her organised"
So now I wait very, very patiently to get her home...
Actually retrieving her from the rustic sheep paddock will be in the next installment...
Which could take about a week or so...nothing happens too quickly here in the country...
But I'm willing to wait as long as it takes...
And then the adventure will begin...
Loving The Vintage...

has it potiental

I have found this little caravan...
It happens to be close to home...
and the right price...
and even the length...12ft
it has very cute windows in the back,
and looked after inside...
but the colour is so not me...
now the dilemma is...is it fixable...
can I make it vintage cute...
or will it never look vintage cute...
I really had more of a silver bubble idea in mind...
and I said to my husband...well I'll just re-spray it...
well of course that was meet with a...are you kidding!!!
it's powder coated...
and of course that was meet with me saying...so!!!

So dear readers...
is it workable or not...
should I look some more...
or try and work with it...
the thing is, to find a small caravan these days is so hard...
They really don't come along very often...
oh...I just don't know...
why oh why do they not have airstream's on every corner
like in America...
sorry read readers for the ramble...
but sometimes it just helps to get the
opinion of creative people like yourselves...

photo courtesy of the Elsie the owner...