before and after: camper!

 Hello!  As alluded to earlier in the week, one of the things i have been busy with is our 1965 camper.  we purchased it as a honeymoon present.  the hope is that it would be ready in september to take camping for our honeymoon.  after the excitement of owning our own camper wore off, we realized we had a ton of work to do and that maybe that maybe renovating a camper wasn't the best use of our time and money. but this was our dream and i love a good before and after, so we took to working on cleaning, shellacking, and buying a couple treats for decorating.  we still need to do some work on the outside, but i am happy with how it came out.

before- the dinette set

after: i made new cushions (i will do a post about that sometime)and redid the table top from old wood.

before- kitchenette set.

after: i spray painted the inside/outside of the fridge, the sink and fan with rustoleum high performance spray paint.  i plan to redo the countertops next summer.

i thrifted vintage plastic flatware.  this way i have a set of flatware to always use with the camper and wont worry about them breaking while we travel.

 before: sleeping area  

after: we took off the top bunk to have more room.  there was a lot of wood rot around the ceiling vent (if you can call it that.  it was a hole in the ceiling with a garbage can lid nailed over it.) so we replaced the venta and wood around the vent. the sleeping area works like a futon.  we can move it to couch position during the day and then it pulls out to a bed at night.  the camper is 80" long so we couldn't find a new mattress that was long enough.  we ended up just buying a twin futon mattress from amazon and covering it with a vintage hudson bay blanket.  

a few notes:  there was a lot of wood rot that we over looked or didn't realize what a big deal it was when we got it.  traditionalist would have striped the camper and rebuilt it from the inside out.  frankly we don't have the time or money to do that.  so we fixed the worst, shellacked the rest and will fix a little each year.  

true to all home repair it cost more and took more time than we had budgeted.  as you start, and somethings start to look better others in return, start to look worst.  repairing a camper is never ending.  we made a list of what we wanted done before our honeymoon and that is all we made room for.  

rule of thumb: safety and health first, cleanliness second, ascetics last. 

shop update!

 vintage sisal and leather woven tote// market bag with tooled leather accent

happy summer!  the warm weather has finally arrived in wisconsin and i have been so busy with planting a garden, getting more chickens, planning a wedding, etc. no complaints! i honestly couldn't be happier. but, unfortunately the shop has taken a back burner during this season.  i do however have a couple of great items to share with you!  check out the shop for more new items!

vintage 60s dress/ pink plaid pleated dress// medium

vintage yellow sun dress/ midi length sleeveless dress// medium

straw market tote// ethnic bag// tribal print

on the home front: new chicken coop

well, i am happy to report that we have finally completed our new chicken coop! i loved our first coop but ultimately it was too small and not the best fit for midwest winters. so we bought the blue prints for the coop from the garden coop.  the plans weren't perfect but it was very helpful to have. the secret to its success was shopping at the habitat for humanity store and lots of help from family.  its fun to see how happy the birds are to have a bigger run.  plus we have been so many neighbors who see the coop and stop by.

charles bradley

It's no secret that I have been a long time fan of old r&b music especially the work of daptone records.  when i first heard charles bradley i was smitten. 

now here is where i am going to go on a tangent and i hope you can follow me.  i sell old clothes, live in an old house, listen to old music.  my catch phrase is old timey midwest living.  but i don't wish i lived in a previous period. there were linching in my grandma's lifetime, my mom was limited on the jobs she was able to apply for and was required to tell her employer if she was on birth control when she was my age.  there was segragation and hatred in mainstream america that we now only see on the fringes of society.  do i think life is perfect now? no.  but do i think quality of life is better now?  yes. how is this related to charles bradley?  well, what i like about bradley is that he can channel the  pain and beauty of the past without the kitch of pretending we are in that period of time.  his videos and style are clearly is own.  you can feel his experiences and anguish in his voice, and that sound allows his music to truely be timeless.

now watch this video an fall in love. unfortunately, i am not offering that red suit in shop.

 

spring sale!

its been a while since i have had a sale in the shop.  time for a spring cleaning! check out the shop, if there is something you have had an eye on for a while, now is the time!   but you better hurry because the sale ends may 12th!

shop update!

vintage needlepoint shoes / slip on loafers / zalo shoes

 i hope your spring has been going well.  i have been busy building a chicken coop, buying a camper(!), getting our garden ready and just being happy it isn't snowing. all of which led me away from etsy. i just posted a few items that have been hard for me to let go.  i am sure i will regret but hopefully they will go to a good home!

 brown leather coach bag// large leather shoulder bag

50s deerskin fringe jacket// brown fringe jacket/// medium

luella and the sun

i just recently discovered this southern band but i can't stop listening to them.  they are great rock mixed with old gospel and blues.  in some of their videos, her voice is so distorted you can no longer understand the words but instead feel the emotion. which is maybe the purest form of singing.