Some Interior Decorating

Hello!  Happy Summer!

Let's face it, there's not a lot of decorating that can be done in a small space like a van without taking up room that may be needed for necessities.  Or it will make the small space too cluttered.  Or something you just don't want to bother with.  For me, I wanted to do a  few things but still have the items useful as well as decorative.  At least that's the way I see it at this point.  As you know, I am not living in the van so that tune could change in a hurry, but it's the way it is at this point.

Pinterest is such a marvelous resource for anything and everything you think you may want to try, and I got this idea from there.  Throw pillows with NO SEW covers that can be changed out with the seasons.  Or changed because you wanted a different color scheme (like that is going to happen frequently in the van!  Ha!), but the point is, the covers are easily changed, don't take up a lot of room, and can give an instant lift for a different season or a different mood whether you're an RVer or dwell in a sticks and bricks.   What more could one ask from a throw pillow? :)

My Summer Pillow

This is super easy to do.  You will need fabric measuring twice the size of your pillow plus the height of your pillow. Wash and iron the fabric if you desire (trim frayed ends)

Now:

*Lay the pillow on your fabric, right side of fabric down, facing away from you

*Fold the fabric so the top and bottom of it meets halfway on the center of the pillow

*Fold the ends like wrapping a present (into points)

*KNOT the ends loosely and adjust the folds to your liking then pull the knot tight.  DONE!

Tuck in the ends if you want, or leave the tails out.  Either way is way too cute!  Easy peasy and you can change out that pillow cover any ol' time you want.

Thanks for stopping by Two Dogs.  Hugs, Shawna

A Cup of Joe Please

Hello!  Thank you for stopping by Two Dogs.

It was crazy last week with a two-day trip to the valley for a family birthday, a trip to the vet with Charlie Barkley to get his jaw plate and screws taken out, grocery shopping, and on and on.  I actually had a different post set up for today, but changed directions.

Let me ask you a question. Do you like coffee?  Come on over to my place for the best cup you have ever tasted. . . 

I was searching for a French press the other day to replace my plastic Melita drip cone.  The coffee from the Melita was OK, but nothing compared to a drip coffee maker. But a coffee maker like I use at home just doesn't seem practical to haul around in Freedom, and since I have no electric in the van at this point, I went on the hunt for something better; and found something amazing.  At least I was hoping it was amazing, because it  sounded amazing.  It's amazing.  Really.  Amazing.

Let me introduce you to the Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker.
This is a stock photo, not my own. 
 

I ordered it from Amazon and it arrived within a couple of days and I immediately tried it out.  BEST CUP OF COFFEE I HAVE EVER TASTED.  Kid you not.  No bitterness whatsoever.  Rich, smooth, delicious.  Then I made a latte --- same thing.  BEST LATTE EVER.  I will leave it to you to Google and read about the Aeropress's fabulous attributes and just why the coffee comes out so good -- if you're interested in the best cup of joe ever --- but I have to tell you, I am hooked on it.  And the best part?  I can take it along in Freedom and never be without my morning cup; or two or three.  Yes, it's that good. 

So, in the bigger scheme of things, I am putting my electric drip coffee maker in this year's garage sale and the cheapo espresso maker that I have to baby along to make a latte (it's ancient and the knob to turn in on has seized up, but I can get it to work by plugging and unplugging as needed) in the trash.  


I am going to have another cup of THE BEST COFFEE EVER out on the back deck and enjoy this fabulous weather. Have a fabulous week friends.  

Hugs, Shawna

We Took a Little Trip

Good morning!  Or evening, or afternoon......  Thanks for stopping by Two Dogs.

The boys and I took a little trip in Freedom; part business, part pleasure, but a whole lot of crazy.

I spent most of the beginning of the week getting ready to roll and since the first order of business was a vet appointment at the clinic down in the valley we headed out late afternoon so we could get settled in before nightfall. I wanted Charlie there the second they opened the next morning so if he did indeed need surgery they could do it that day or the next.  That would save me another trip over the mountain.

We got there a bit early (meaning before dark) so we stopped at McDs to check out the wi-fi connection.  It was there, weak, but there.  And I discovered that the direction you park --- whether facing the building or not --- makes a difference in signal strength.  You probably knew that, but I didn't, so it was something learned to apply for the next venture out. After a short stay we moseyed over the vet's office and parked behind the building.

The vet's office is right off a very busy street in Redding and between an International House of Pancakes and a Burger King.  Actually there's another fast food joint in there, but I can't remember what it is.  This was our first night staying in Freedom in any place other than my son's driveway.  It was interesting.  We still had some daylight and I walked the boys and cleaned up after them then settled in for the night.  It was a bit muggy from recent rain and I left the windows down, the small vent windows pushed opened and utilized my little O2Cool battery operated fan to try and keep things decent.  Since the sun wasn't beating down on us, it was fine.  I read for a bit, then we went to bed.  And the Night People came out.  Teenagers, I assume, and transients evidently used this area for partying and sacking out, depending.  At one point someone must have approached the van because Burger the Wire Hair Terror (I mean terrier) began growling.  And whoever or whatever left.  Whew.  Good boy Burgie, good boy!  The Chiweenie Brothers slept well, while Burger and I kept vigil until the wee hours of the morning when a bit of a cloud burst drove the Night People under cover or home or whatever.  We got a wink or two.

About 6:30 a.m. I walked the boys and got Burger and Fries settled in then I took Charlie in for his appointment.  The vet agreed that the screw that seemed to be working its way out of Charlie's jaw should be taken out, or at the very least he should be opened up and  looked at.  So Charles Barkley was left in the care of the vet and the other two and I had the whole day ahead of us to do as we pleased.

Coffee was definitely in order and we made our way back to McDs and spent a little time there before making the rounds at Home Depot and Walmart.  We then drove to Caldwell Park and settled in under a huge shade tree.  I called my sister who lives just a few miles from there and she came over and we spent the afternoon visiting and catching up on family events.  My brother didn't answer his phone, but I left a message, however, he and my SIL didn't show up. We also used the new tie out.  Adjustments need to be made, but it will be nice to be able to let the boys out and know they are safe and secure while I am busy with other things. 

Once it was nearing 5:30 and not having received the phone call I was expecting regarding Charlie, I called the vet's office and they said he was out of surgery, doing well, and I could pick him up.  Sis and I said our goodbyes and the boys and I loaded up and headed out to get our Charlie Boy.  He was perky and eager to be out of there.  I spoke with the doctor before we left and he explained that all the hardware and five screws were removed, the jawbone graft had filled in and was thick and complete and once the incision healed Charlie would be good as new.  (this little guy is a rescue and a local animal welfare group had found him with a broken jaw.  He had two surgeries trying to get it repaired; fund raisers were done for the cost. Tremendously expensive, but if you knew Charlie you would know why it was done for him).  So after hearing the good news we had exactly 30 minutes to get to my son's for my grandson's 16th birthday party in Red Bluff.  We just made it!!!

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

My grandson Fletcher

My newest grand baby, Patton Lea,   celebrating her brother's special day in her own imitable style; grabbing every cupcake she could get her hands on!

And that leads to our last night in the valley, in the van......and Burger wouldn't settle down.  This dog has a sensitive stomach and one of the kids or maybe several of the kids, must have fed him people food that is not good for him.  I was in and out of the van with this dog a good portion of the night.  When we weren't out, I listened to him moan and groan.  The Chiweenie Brothers had no problem sleeping, the brats.  

Two nights without sufficient sleep is not good for this gal.  But there was still much to be done.  We pulled up stakes and left as soon as the kids left for work, and we headed back to Redding to do our grocery shopping.  A trip to the valley is never complete without stopping for groceries.  Ever.  Food is very expensive in our little town in the mountains and with only one grocery store, they take advantage.  So, first was Costco and then it was Winco.  Then we went back to the park and I got the dogs staked out and tried to nap.  No dice.  I kept worrying that I would miss my afternoon dental appointment so the decision was made to head back up towards home and stay in the parking lot of the dental clinic. 

I had already made up my mind that I would feign vehicle trouble if it was too hot for the dogs, but we lucked out with some good-although-intermittent cloud cover and it was a good chance to try out the Reflectix window covers.  They work so well to deflect the heat!  With the front windows down to the point where no canine can escape, the Reflectix covering all the other windows, Reflectix in the windshield, vent windows open, and my O2Cool fan pulling in fresh air, it was good.  Will be even better once I get some Elastomeric on the van's roof to block even more heat, but that's another post.  

After two hours in the dental chair, we headed the rest of the way home, I off loaded the groceries into my Honda and headed to the next little burg to pick up a dog I was to pet sit over Memorial Day weekend, then finally, home!   Home sweet home and the weekend to rest up and recover from our two day mad rush to accomplish so much.  

If you got this far reading this long post, I thank you for hanging in there.  Hugs, Shawna   

Just a Little Thing

Yes, just a little thing, but it's progress, right?  Any little thing is progress.  I find the need to do a little something in Freedom at quite regular intervals, or I become antsy that my dream may never happen.  Kind of "keeping it alive" thinking.  Oh, I know I will do this vandwelling traveling thing at some point, but working on something in Freedom keeps me in the frame of mind that it will happen sooner rather than later.  I would prefer sooner, but it may have to be later.  So be it.  I will keep on keepin' on until that perfect moment when it all comes together and the dogs and I say adios to our mountain home and head off into whatever adventure comes our way.  Hey!  That's a line from "Born to be Wild".   Born to be wiiiiiild.  I don't know about wild, but born to travel, yes.  :) 

I won't drag this out too long because I know you are dying to see what that little project is, so here are the shots.  Bet you can't figure out what this is (other than a basket, :)

Aw, you're too smart!  If you guessed it's the hole where the old TV was installed, you are exactly right.  I am not sure this will be a permanent installation of this basket, but it's staying there for now.  And I didn't want it to look all temporary forever so I sewed up a little curtain to cover the hole and it's resident basket.  The curtain rod is just resting on the wood frame inside the hole. 



 So that's it for this little project.  Have a great week!  Thanks for stopping by Two Dogs!
Hugs, Shawna

LOVE This Blue

Howdy.  Hope all is well with you. 

Today I wanted to show you the curtains I made to cover Freedom's skylight windows.  Our 1998 Ford Conversion van has long, narrow windows in the high top portion of the roof and they are set at an angle.  Boy do they let in a lot of heat. And that can be useful or brutal; I needed a way to regulate it. 

The solution was a long narrow strip of Reflectix for each of those strips of windows along both sides.  Reflectix is so useful, but it's so ugly; some curtains were in order.  I also wanted a way to let the sun shine into those skylight windows should we be caught in a cold spell somewhere. Reflectix fixes both problems. 

If the sun is shining and it's cold out, the Reflectix comes down along with the curtains. Lots of warming is on its way. If it's warm outside, the Reflectix goes up as well as the curtains and that brutal heat is tamed.  Put 'em up, take 'em down....   Rawwhhhhhhide!!!!  OOPS!  Sorry go carried away.  But hey, do you  remember Clint Eastwood playing Rowdy Yates?  Oh my....    Where was I?  Oh yes, Freedom's  curtains.

Once on the road there may be need of adjustments.  Or the curtains may get an overhaul at some point but for now they are working and I like how they look  (I LOVE that blue!). 

This is Reflectix, being used here in the windows of the side doors to reflect heat. I used this photo because Freedom is in storage and basically I am too lazy to go over there and get a different photo :-)   If you look closely you can see the skylight windows at the top left corner. 

If you remember from a previous post the other side of the Reflextic is covered with black, tightly woven fabric.  That side will be used at night if we need to be in stealth mode.  That post is here https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3720370496126944301#editor/target=post;postID=916008398565535451;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=7;src=postnameERE.

Below are the curtains I made for the skylight windows.  It's just a long, long strip of fabric (did I mention I LOVE this blue?) with a casing sewn along each long edge, top and bottom.  Florist wire was used in the casings to hold the curtains' shape and position; I didn't want them hanging straight down, but rather held in place up against the angle of those windows. The florist wire along the bottom edge does the trick by helping to keep the bottom resting on the ledge just below the windows.  I used small drapery hooks to hang them up.  I attached a safety pin to the curtain from the back, going in behind the florist wire and then back through the fabric and then closed the safety pin.  The pin was then hooked over the pointy, straight, open hook part of the drapery hook.  (EW, too many hooks in that sentence, but I don't know how else to explain it.) Then the part of the hook that would normally attach to the drapery rod attachment is hung over the strip of wood trim that runs along the top of those long, narrow windows.  It's a bit saggy, and I need to adjust where the hook is attached to the fabric and/or add more hooks so it will hang just along the top edge of the wood trim like it does ion the right side of this photo. These hooks will make the curtain easy to take down and put up.

 

Thanks for stopping by Two Dogs today.  We appreciate your interest in reading about the process of getting Freedom ready to roll and our planned future of adventure. 

 

The Chiweenie Brothers, Burger,  and I wish you a lovely day.

 

Hugs, Shawna

YUMMY!

Hi there!  Thanks for stopping by Two Dogs.  It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.  Spring is upon us in a big way and the The Chiweenie Brothers, Burger, and I are all enjoying it. 

The flowering quince is in full bloom

And the bleeding heart is beautiful this year. 

I have a recipe to share with you today -- van dwellers don't leave -- that makes the possibility of roasted vegetables a reality in the hot days ahead when you don't want to heat up your kitchen.  Have been wanting to try  roasting some vegetables in my crock pot and since I had a sack of brussel sprouts in the fridge, I decided it was a good day to try this.  NOTE:  I am not a huge fan of brussel sprouts, but I have to admit the sauce in this recipe makes those little cabbages uber good, not to mention healthy. Those two words usually don't go very well together!  Throwing in some carrots made the whole thing even better.  YUMMY!

SPICY ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS FOR THE CROCK POT  adapted from PureWow.com

Ingredients
1 1/2 Pounds brussel sprouts
1/2 Cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 Cup rice-wine vinegar  (I've used plain ol' wine vinegar and it works just as well)
1/4 Cup honey
2 Tablespoons Siracha  (If you don't like super spicy, cut this back to 1 tablespoon)
Salt and pepper to taste

Use some of the olive oil to coat the bottom of your crock pot. You don't need a lot, just enough to keep the vegetable(s) from sticking. Turn your pot to high.

Trim the base away from the brussel sprouts and discard.  Cut the sprouts in half.  Put the sprouts in your crock pot and stir them around to lightly coat with the oil. Place a paper towel over your crock pot and place the lid on top.  The paper towel will absorb the extra moisture.  You may need to change it out once.  Cook for about 1/ 1/2  to 2 hours, maybe more.  It all depends on your crock pot and the size of the sprouts you are making. 

Once your brussel sprouts are tender, mix up the remaining oil with the rest of the ingredients and pour over the sprouts, mixing well.  Cook for another half hour or so.  Dig in!!

I made this with fewer brussel sprouts and added carrots (cut in small chunks).  You could use any assortment of vegetables that you normally roast in your oven and it would be wonderful; any of the root vegetables, sweet potatoes, onions, bell peppers, etc.  Use whatever you want, but I'd try it with the brussel sprouts first.  And I gobbled this up so fast I forgot to get a photo.....you will have to be content with the flowers.  Sorry! 

WHY I WANTED THE VAN DWELLERS TO STICK AROUND -----

As many of you van dwellers know -- or maybe you don't -- they make a 12 volt crock pot that you can plug into your vehicle's cigarette lighter.  How cool is that?  It even comes with a cord to secure the lid.  One of these is on my wish list!!  So, if you are planning on changing camps, just going for a drive that may last an hour or two,  or travelling to another destination, make this recipe and let it cook while you are on the road.  And just think of all the other things you will be able to cook while you are driving down the road enjoying the scenery.

Next, I want to try roasting these little gems in a solar oven.  But that's down the road.  Why?  Because I haven't put one together yet.  It's on my To-Do List :) 

Hugs to you,
Shawna


 

Blind Spot No More

Hello there!  Thanks for stopping by Two Dogs.  I appreciate that you take the time to read my blog(s). 

Today I wanted to show you that I got the little mirrors  I bought for Freedom's side mirrors installed to help with keeping track of anyone that may be cruising in or around her blind spot.  Please forgive the terribly dirty van.  It's still a bit too cold overnight to give me enough confidence that the faucets won't freeze, so the vehicles are a mess.  Such is life.  SPRING is officially here, but another week or two before I drag the hoses out and get the faucets turned back on.  Then the old girl-- the VAN, not me!! :) -- is getting a good washing and a new roof coating; more on that roof coating at a later date.

Patton is telling her teddy all about grandma's van and what's been happening to get Freedom ready to roll.  :)