The Coffee "Pot"

I have a bit of news about the little Michigan Scotty that will make her way to North Carolina soon.  She has a new paint job and her windows are in.  As soon as the trim is applied, the electrical is buttoned up, and all systems are tested, she should be ready to come home!

While I continue to wait for The Coffee Cup's arrival, I still am finding fun projects to do to keep my mind off the extraordinary amount of time this is taking and to keep my impatience level to a minimum!

I have a Luggable Loo for the T@B that I love.....so convenient, so practical.  When I was at Lowe's several weeks ago and saw a 5 gallon paint bucket on sale for less than $3.00, I knew it was time for a homemade version for The Coffee Cup.  That was the inspiration for The Coffee Pot....."pot", get it?  LOL!!

I snitched SplashT@B's loo-lid to show my starting point.....

I also found some funky Duck Tape on sale that reminded me of coffee beans.....

Add some gold letters from A.C. Moore, add the Duck Tape, and VOILA.....The Coffee Pot!!

One evening last week while online, I saw a great idea for a toilet paper container for camping.....an empty coffee can.  PERFECT!!  A trip to the grocery store yesterday netted me this cool can.  After saving the coffee and cleaning out the tin, I have the perfect place to store toilet paper and it comes with a lid!

Here's the winning combination.....wicked cool huh?!?!

I have another project I hope to start this weekend.....coffee-inspired trailer lights.  Check back by the first of next week to see those results!

           "Camping & Coffee...Life Is Good"

Sister Letters & Numbers

Hey everyone!  I hope you had a fantastic 4th!  

It's awfully hot around these parts, so I haven't done much camping lately . . . only junkin'.  I'm always on the hunt for some neat Coffee Cup item and look what I found this past Friday at Gibson Mill Antiques in Concord, NC . . .

I was walking past a booth of chippy, metal items and spied a whole bunch of enamel letters and numbers.  Usually when I find things like this, there's at least one missing that I want.  But this time I was successful in finding exactly what I needed!  

Both the yellow letters and red numbers are 7 1/2" tall so they will show up nicely somewhere around the campsite.  My plans are to create a funky, artsy-fartsy sign featuring Sisters on the Fly, my Sister number, along with some other items.  Here's my inspiration . . .

One of these days when you stroll back around for a Coffee Cup update, you'll see my final product.  Until then . . . have fun, be safe, and camp on!

Coffee Cup Coaster Project

I finished an ongoing Coffee Cup project this weekend.....wooden coasters made from Scrabble tiles.  They are so simple to make.  The hardest part was finding enough tiles to complete the words!  I bought some tiles off of eBay and found some at an antique store in Franklin, TN.  Every time Becky and I go junkin', I look for them.

Here's the supply list:  Scrabble tiles, quarter-inch cork sheets, wax paper, wood glue, water-based polyurethane, metal square, painter's tape, and small paintbrush.

Here's what you do:  

1) select tiles to spell out four-letter words for four rows 

2) lay down a sheet of wax paper, put the metal square on top of wax paper, and tape it to the table

3) run a thin line of wood glue along the sides of bottom row of tiles

4) push tiles together, squeeze out excess glue, and wipe it off with a damp rag

5) hold each row of tiles tightly in place for a few minutes to allow the glue to set

6) add the next three rows, repeating the process with each row

7) let the wooden tiles dry overnight

8) cut out a piece of cork to fit the back and glue it in place with wood glue

9) let the cork and wooden tiles dry overnight

10) apply a coat of polyurethane to the sides and top

11) let dry completely and add three more coats, allowing each to dry

I decided to put the word "camp" at the top of each coaster and it was fun to see how many coffee-related words I could come up with.  Here's the final product...

Don't you want to make some for your vintage trailer or camper?  Well, what's stopping you?  Have fun and I hope you enjoyed my little Coffee Cup coaster tutorial.

A Cookbook For Glampers & Campers

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I sent you a Coffee Cup note!  Part of that can be explained by decompression from the 5th Annual Blue Ridge Rally, a few trips to the Wee Cabin, a trip to Nashville this past week with Becky, and because I've only gotten intermittent emails from Tony about the Coffee Cup's progress.

Never in my wildest imagination would I have guessed it would take this long to complete her restoration.  When Tony said he was a perfectionist, he wasn't pulling my leg!  My last communication with him let me know that painting started June 1st and he was predicting he was two weeks away from finishing.  At this point all I can do is wait as patiently as humanly possible!

In the meantime, let me share a little eBay purchase I made last week.....Betty Crocker's 1961 Outdoor Cook Book.  I only paid $2.65 for it and with shipping, I still came in at under six bucks.  I plan to put it on a shelf in the Cup along with a few other vintage other ones I've found over the past months.  For all you glampers and campers out there, this just might be something you'll want too.  Check it out...

Betty Crocker's 1961 Outdoor Cook Book

Equipment

Submarines As You Like Them

Tools For The Outdoor Cook

Fish Fry At The Shore

30-Minute Camp Dinner

Breakfast Cookouts

Salads

Tuna Stuffed Eggs & Wienie Roast In The Sand

"Down East" Clambake

Breads

Picnic By A Stream

I hope you enjoyed seeing some pictures and recipes from this vintage outdoor cooking cook book.  Keep your fingers crossed for a road trip to Jackson, MI in the next few weeks!  I am SO ready to go pick up The Coffee Cup and start the last leg of this Java Journey.

P.S.....if you click on the picture it will enlarge, making it easier to read.....cheers!

Look What I Found...

All last week I was camping at Raccoon Holler.  I was there with a few of me friends.....LOL.....79 of them to be exact!  Raccoon Holler was the site of the 5th Annual Blue Ridge Rally and my camping buddies came from 14 different states and Canada.  We had perfect weather, food enough to feed armies, and fun off the charts.

Friday afternoon, on our way back from a wine tasting at Thistle Meadow Winery, two car loads of us stopped in Laurel Springs to check out two things.....a 1965 Scotty Gaucho sitting by the side of the road for sale and a crazy collectibles shop across the street called Woody's.  

I had seen this poor little Scotty one other time and wondered if it was still there.  We all got out of the car and checked her out...so much water damage, so many dents and tears in her skin, such a foul smell.....so sad.  Just driving by and glancing at her, you would never know what pitiful shape she was in.  I don't know how much someone is asking for her, but $100 would be pushing it.

We walked across the street to Woody's and the first thing I saw was a very cool sign on the screen door.

We were greeted by Linda Lee, long-time owner and quite the character.  I asked her about the sign on the door and if it was for sale by any chance.  She said it had been on the door forever and it had a little Woody the Woodpecker on it.  She went on to say that she never considered selling it.

We browsed through all the rooms loaded with stuff from floor to ceiling, but I couldn't get that sign out of my mind.  I was looking for a funky little lamp to put on SplashT@B's countertop and even though I saw a lot of them, nothing really struck a chord with me.  As I was about to walk out the door, Linda asked if there was anything else she could help me with.  Once again I mentioned that sign.  She hesitated and said, "I paid $20 for it, so I would have to have at least $25."  I played it a bit coy and said, "Well, I guess I could do that."  

She rummaged around for 10 minutes or so looking for a screwdriver.  But she found one and we got the sign off the door.  It turned out to be solid brass and oh so cool!  Back at Raccoon Holler, I propped it up against my bulletin board and it was perfect for BRR Headquarters.

On Saturday morning, Becky and I went out exploring, not looking for anything in particular, just wandering around.  At lunchtime we arrived at the Todd General Store and stopped for a bite to eat.  The old store had shelves up high that were lined with old tins.  On a whim, I asked the owners if they had an old 1920's tin with Campfire Marshmallows on it.  Guess what?  They did and I scored another another bargain!

I have to give credit to my good T@Bbin' buddy, Sandi from Cape Cod, who brought her s'more supplies in this same tin every night to our campfire.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would find one so easily.  Thanks for the inspiration S4!

The last photo I want to share with you is of a cute little camper I spied as we were coming down the hill towards the Todd General Store.  I think it's related to Sharon Lambert's "Gypsy Wagon" in Tennessee.....maybe a tiny cousin!

So that's what I found last week while in Ashe County with all my Blue Ridge buddies!  Good camping karma for sure!!

Really Getting Close Now!

I am home from my 5th Annual Blue Ridge Rally and can finally turn my thoughts totally to the completion of The Coffee Cup.  This morning I received a set of photos from Tony.  Although they are several weeks old, I am tickled to death to see them.  

As I look at them over and over, I have to remind myself that Tony and the guys have finished the interior and this week they are focusing on getting the skin back on.  That means that sanding, priming, and painting will follow!

Driver's side wall...gaucho bed...lower galley cabinet

Curbside wall...gaucho bed...tall storage cabinet

Upper cabinet installed

Adding another coat of blond shellac

Walls and roof are installed

Front of The Cup with window opening

Dinette seats are in and so is my little black fridge

Lots of storage space in the tall cabinet

Now picture all the tools gone, beautiful blond birch everywhere, doors on all the cabinets, and everything clean and neat.  OMG...that makes my heart go pitter patter...LOL!

Thanks for stopping by and I'll share news with you as soon as I can...happy camping!

Still Waiting...

I sure do wish I had a Coffee Cup update for you.  Word from Michigan is that Tony and his crew are working diligently to finish up my project in addition to three others.  With the warm weather they are having up there this spring, his RV supply business has gotten busy two months earlier than normal, and that is pulling him away from all the restoration projects.

I can report that the re-wiring has been completed and all the cabinets and interior woodworking are in place.  I zipped him an email this morning to try to gauge how near completion he is.

As we wait, I continue to find neat vintage and retro items that are coffee related.  I have a good idea what she will look like and where I'll place everything once she arrives here in North Carolina.  Until then, here are three more looks at the cool "stuff" I've found.

Have a great weekend everyone...good luck to my favorite golfers at The Masters...happy camping to all my buddies and Happy Easter to all of you!