A Hella-Cool Happy

Over the course of the last two years, I've received so many java-related happies for The Coffee Cup.  They have ranged from plastic trays to candles, books to napkins, place mats to bumper stickers, postcards to coffee cups.  

Without a doubt, one of the most special gifts I've gotten was given to me last weekend by my dear friends Rich and Sue.  At the Blue Ridge Rally, Sue told me to measure the spare tire on the Scotty because they were going to get a Life Is Good tire cover for me.  I was blown away to say the least!

Here you see what The Cup's generic white tire cover looked like before . . . 

Here's what her gorgeous new Life Is Good tire cover looks like after . . .

Is that just beyond hella-cool or what?!!  While shopping in Valle Crucis on Friday, all of us bought new Life Is Good t-shirts at the Mast General Store, so posing in front of the tire cover in our shirts was a no-brainer.

Without a shadow of a doubt, my sweet Coffee Cup and my dear friends make my life sooooooo very good!

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"

Oh, What A Night

My intention since bringing The Cup home back in November was to "camp" out in the Java Port, but for various reasons, it just never happened.  So last Wednesday night in the Holler was our first night together.  All the elements for a perfect night were in place.  Even though this picture was actually taken on Thursday night, you'll get the picture.

Once again, that Scotty grin was on my face as I looked around at everything inside this beautiful little trailer that I had dreamed about for so long.  My coffee decor was in place, it had the most wonderful smell thanks to the 3 little candles that Judy had given me, and the birch walls and ceiling were aglow from the table lamp.  Maxwell, the Coffee Hound, was perched on the dinette table to enjoy his first evening too.

The temperature was in the 60's so I had all the windows open and the most wonderful breeze came through all night.  The curtain next to my head fluttered from time to time and that was actually soothing.  I peeped out the window several times and got a clear view of the stars overhead.

One of the many things I like about camping is waking up early with the sun.  I love the way it streams in while low in the sky and creates an unmistakable early morning mood.  The Cup was facing east and that sunlight came though the frosted window in the door.

With a cup of hot coffee in hand, I thoroughly enjoyed our first morning in camp together and knew it was going to be an awesome day!

I really appreciate you popping in today to hear about my first outing in The Coffee Cup and I invite you come around tomorrow too.  I'm so thrilled that I finally have camping photos and tales to share with you . . . there's that silly Scotty grin again!  Have a great Tuesday, I'll see you later, and always remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"

Our Very First Outing Together

I am so tickled to tell you that The Coffee Cup and I went on our first camping trip together this past weekend.  I know you probably thought that might never happen with the Long, Long Wait and the ordeal I went through with NC's DMV.  When I ended up having to take SplashT@B on my March and April camping trips, it was looking like the maiden trip in the Scotty would never come to pass!

I freely admit to being very nervous last Wednesday when it was time to hitch up and leave.  Would I scrape going out of the driveway?  Would I remember the proper setting for the electric brakes?  Would I get the sway bar adjusted properly?  I was as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs!

Becky, Roger, and even Wendy lent me a hand and even though I did scrape getting out of the driveway, I was on my way by 10:00 a.m. with an hour and a half drive ahead of me.  We made a stop north of Taylorsville just to calm my nerves a bit and take care of a raging case of dry mouth.  That Diet Mtn. Dew did the trick and I settled into the trip with The Cup doing a stellar job of following behind.

We chugged up Highway 16 and climbed the mountain to arrive at Raccoon Holler Campground in Glendale Springs about 11:30.  My cousin Rob was hosting his very first R-Pod & Friends Rally and I wouldn't miss it for the world.  He has been faithful about coming to my rallies for the past seven years, so it was the perfect trip for me and The Coffee Cup!

I had chosen site 45, a pull-thru, so it was effortless getting in and situated.  Rob came over and helped me with the jack stands and the awning, so I was set up in no time flat.  Thanks Cuz!!

All the items that I've gathered for the last two years were finally put to use . . . the Sunbrella awning, the Camping World mat, and all the inside goodies.

I put out my Guest Book that was a camping happy from my Sister friend Rebecca, and was ready to welcome any and all visitors!  I'll have to look in the book to see how many actually dropped by, but I know it was over a dozen.  I felt like a celebrity showing her off!!

Before joining Rob and Trisha for supper, I spent the afternoon sitting under the awning with a big grin on my face knowing that my Java Journey was actually coming true.  It was an amazing feeling . . . one that I've looked forward to for almost two years!  I was back at one of my favorite campgrounds and got to spend the weekend with some of my favorite friends.

I'll be featuring photos and stories all this week here on The Coffee Cup and you are cordially invited to hear all the details of our first five days camping together when you drop back by.  Have a good week and always remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"

A Most Amazing Antenna

If you enjoy having a TV in your trailer while camping, then you really should consider a paper-thin digital antenna called "The Leaf". Made by Mohu and developed by engineers who have been designing antennas for the US military for years, it provides high performance at a minimal cost.

Weighing a mere 15 ounces and measuring just 12 x 12 inches, it's an amazing design!

White on one side and black on the other, it can even be painted to match your decor . . . genius!  Not until you actually hold it in your hand do you realize how well this would work in a trailer.

I freely admit to enjoying having a TV while camping.  It's nice to get local weather reports and keep up with the news.  Since The Leaf can pull in local channels up to 35 miles away, it's perfect for that task.  After hooking it to the back of my TV and scanning for channels, I easily picked up 16 stations with crystal clear reception.

It comes with four small Velcro pads for mounting and you could put it behind a picture, a bookshelf, or even the TV itself, like I did.

I'm not crazy about that 6' white cable, so I'll have to figure out a way to hide that behind the TV too . . . a Velcro strap should do the trick.

Thanks for stopping by today so I could tell you about this amazing antenna that's perfect for The Coffee Cup, and maybe would be for you too!  Have a great weekend and remember . . . 

"Camping, Coffee, & A Sweet Little Antenna . . . Life Is Good"

Travel Right! Travel Light! The Scotty Way!

In the mail yesterday was a thin package that I've been waiting on for days now!  It's a copy of a brand new book by Paul Hecht that deals solely with Serro Scotty travel trailers.

It tells the story of John Serro, from Irwin, PA, who built the very first Scotty trailer from scratch in his barn in 1956 and then hit the road trying to sell his idea to Pennsylvania dealers. Unfortunately, no one bought it, but luckily he didn't give up on his dream.  He went back to the drawing board, re-designed his little trailer, and once again visited dealerships.  By 1959 demand for Scotty trailers was off the charts!

The book is chock full of advertisements, articles, souvenirs from Scotty rallies, company letters, brochures, and photographs of these wonderful trailers.  I have always been on the hunt for information about my 1973 Gaucho and right there on page 57, I saw it for the first time!

Every interior detail in the drawing is spot on and with the exception of the back, curb-side window, the photograph is identical too.

There are five chapters in the book . . . 

1) Serro Scotty History; What's In A Name

2) Scottyland, USA

3) Serro Scotty Timeline

4) If These Trailers Could Talk; Scottys And The People Who Love Them

5) And The Brand Lives On

For all you fellow Scotty owners like Rebecca, Judy, Paula, Liz, Janet, and Lucy, you can find your copy on Amazon.  I'll keep mine in The Coffee Cup just in case you drop by for a visit.

Have a great weekend everyone and always remember . . .

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good"

Coffee Cozies For The Cup

Back in the winter I found a pattern online for a coffee cozy.  It looked really simple to make and I knew I had plenty of scraps from all my java-themed fabrics to make some.  Then I had an even better idea . . . use coffee cozies as curtain tiebacks!

Once I decided on which fabric I would use as the backing for my curtains, I knew that would work well for the cozy tiebacks.  Here's what I did . . . 

10 COZY PATTERNS ARE CUT OUT

RIGHT SIDE TO RIGHT SIDE

FUSIBLE BACKING IS IRONED ON

RIGHT SIDES PINNED TOGETHER READY FOR SEWING

QUARTER INCH SEAM ALLOWANCE ON THREE SIDES

RIGHT SIDES TURNED OUT & PRESSED

COORDINATED BUTTONS ARE SELECTED & TOP STITCHING IS COMPLETE

VELCRO STRIPS SEWN ON EACH END FRONT AND BACK

BUTTONS GLUED ON WITH E-6000

WAITING FOR THE GLUE TO DRY ON ALL TEN COZIES

FINISHED COFFEE COZIES

I have seven window curtains in The Coffee Cup, so that means I have three leftover cozies to use for their original purpose.  Here's what the re-purposed cozies look like as curtain tiebacks . . . 

JUST THE RIGHT SIZE, SHAPE, & COLOR!

I THINK THEY LOOK HELLA-COOL!

Thanks for taking a few minutes from your busy day to swing by and see what's happening with The Coffee Cup and remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!'

Time To Finally Make Curtains

Time sure does fly and once again it's been weeks since I've shared any Coffee Cup news.  Now that the Blue Ridge Rally and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Caravan are over, I can finally turn some serious attention to The Cup!

This week has been all about making curtains.  I've known for a long, long time what kind of curtains I wanted and the material I would use.  In fact, the inspiration came from my very first Sisters on the Fly trip to Tybee Island, GA two years ago.  I bought a coffee-themed pillowcase there and later got the exact materials in the pillowcase through several fabric and quilt shops online.

I cut all the pieces out months ago in preparation for this week of sewing.  Sometime along the way, I decided to use a fourth coordinating fabric for the back lining.  I don't have a photo of that fabric to show you, but you'll see it when I tell you about the tie-backs that I'm also making.

Before leaving Michigan, I had Tony attach my curtain rods because I knew I'd be so reluctant to do it myself.  The thought of putting screws into that new birch made me a bit light-headed . . . LOL.  I found the perfect rings for the rods at Bed, Bath, & Beyond.

I won't keep you waiting any longer to see those new curtains! Here they are . . . 

As soon as I snap a few photos of the back windows around the bed, I'll share those with you too.

Thanks for stopping by to get a bit of Coffee Cup news . . . sorry you had to wait so long for an update.  If you are camping this long holiday weekend, have fun, and remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"