Category Archives for "Making Home"

6

Shaded Porch Garden with Potting Bench

I’m pretty sure my Jonathan is trying to make our home here so beautiful and cozy that I’ll never want to leave. 😍💕 He says he’s just trying to make it easier for me with good tools and a nice workspace. Well, he scored on this one, that’s for sure!!

It all started when he decided to update our privacy panels surrounding the camper and add a 30 ft shade structure in the back to protect the hot tub, cool the south wall of the camper, and provide a shaded gardening area for my potted plants.

As I’ve started transplanting my garden starts, they’ve been slowly taking over the walkway out front. I’m so glad they’re doing well but it was becoming challenging to give them the morning and evening watering they needed without being in direct sunlight. We had our awning extended over them, but the hours of morning and evening sun reaching these plants were getting longer and longer.

After the shade screen went up, I thought it was time to move my plants in. But wait, what’s happening in the back of that picture!? 🧐😯 Is that a work bench? Well, kind of. But it’s much better than that…it’s a gardeners dream! A potting bench!!😁💚👍🌱

I really surprised myself when I went to paint this. My plan was to stick with greys and greens. As I was painting the framework, Jonathan brought out his teal stain along with the white stain leftover from my desk and I immediately knew exactly what I would do. And so came all the beach vibes! The color provides a pop of cheer and really brightens up the shelves.

Oh and guess what! Most of this wood is recycled from this cedar fence panel that used to be the backdrop for my violin studio, and before that was one of the privacy panels back when we lived in our fifth wheel!!

It took me most of the morning two days to paint this. I was thankful the temperatures dropped below 100° for me to paint! Once all the painting was done and Jonathan finished assembling, I couldn’t wait to move in!

4

A Fresh Start; RV Refrigerator Makeover

As we head into 2020, I thought “A Fresh Start” quote was fitting for our chalkboard refrigerator.

I’m taking a few days off of social media and my violin business work over the holidays and have had a hard time adjusting to the slower pace and disrupted routine. While I think it’s super important to take a break and intentionally disrupt routine, it’s not easy for me. I find the need to replace my “work” with fun projects or homemaking work that I don’t normally take time for. I’m also using the time to reflect on this past years accomplishments and consider my goals for the new year. I’m ready for some fresh ideas, fresh projects, fresh perspectives, and basically a fresh start!

When I was looking for a chalkboard art design to freshen up the chalkboard on our refrigerator (working on those homemaking projects!), I decided this quote “Each day is a fresh start”, along with the citrus fruit was perfect. It matches the season in every way! And, btw, I’m super excited for citrus season to be in full swing here in Arizona. I will have to hunt around and find some orchards where I can pick.

As the rain decided to pour today, and I’ve run out of coffee creamer, I made myself a lovely cup of hot cocoa instead and got right to work. (Didn’t think running to the store the day after Christmas for coffee creamer sounded like a good idea!) I found this design on Pinterest to work off of and then started in. I decided this was too busy for my taste so I simplified it a bit and didn’t put quite as much fruit in my design.

I used to say that I couldn’t draw. I still don’t generally think I’m very good at it. But it’s good for me to try and practice and I had fun doing this. It took me well over an hour, which is probably why the refrigerator didn’t get any fresh art for over a year!!

2

Resizing Magnetic Screen Door to Fit Tiny RV

The flies have been surprisingly terrible this year in Yuma, AZ. Last year we left our front door open most of the winter and rarely even saw a fly…or any other bug for that matter. I assumed it was too dry in this part of the desert for bugs to survive. That may be true, but the area received a considerable amount of extra rain this year. The cactuses are actually alive to prove it! And so are the flies. After many a morning swatting flies while trying not to spill our coffee (or worse, having dead flies land in it!), we decided we needed to get to the bottom of our screen door complications.

The Problem and the Plan for the Screen Door

Our camper originally had a standard RV style door with a screen. When Jonathan replaced the ugly door with our cozy blue, home style door, he left the hardware for the screen there in case we decided to use the RV style screen with our new door. The plan was to try and find an alternative solution for the screen….perhaps something collapsible or that rolled up and out of the way. Eventually we decided on a magnetic screen door, put in our order on Amazon for the smallest size available and then immediately canceled it because we just weren’t confident we could make it work. The smallest size was still much too large for our tiny house door. But in the end, with the flies pestering us to death day in and day out, Jonathan went ahead and ordered that screen door. We would just have to make it work!

Sizing the screen down to fit

Upon examination, I could see that I could easily (though time stakingly) pull the seams out of the velcro border, trim the screen down to the proper fit, and then sew the velcro back in place. I asked Jonathan how much it cost, and when I knew I only had $20 to loose if I messed it up, I dove right in. I grabbed some headphones, opened my favorite podcast, and started ripping out stitch after stitch.

I measured everything out carefully and used sewing pins to mark where I would be trimming the screen. Then I grabbed my sewing scissors and did the scary thing! I started cutting!! No going back now. I cut both sides down about 4 inches but I left the bottom to trim later.

And then it was time to put the velcro border back in place. It was actually binding tape with a strip of velcro attached to that. So as I was seam ripping, I pinned the velcro to the binding so it wouldn’t fall out of place.

I went through and picked out every bit of thread left over from seam ripping. When I was done with that Jonathan said it looked like I’d given someone a hair cut with all the thread piled up together. It was a lot of thread and it literally took me all day to seam rip this little project.

Putting it back together

When I was ready to put things back together, I spread the screen out on the floor of my studio so I could lay it flat. I adjusted the pins I had used to hold the velcro in place to now grab the screen and envelope the edge in the binding as well. By the time I was done with this it was well past my bedtime and I was exhausted. But I really wanted to finish it up and see how it fit the door before going to bed! Ah well, when my body decides it’s ready for bed, I just start shutting down. So I knew I had to listen and off to bed I went.

First thing the next morning I was back at it. By the time it was warm enough for flies to be buzzing around, I had the screen door in place with just the bottom left to trim. This turned out to be slightly complicated because of having to close off the corners. I also hadn’t thought ahead and had trimmed the bottom pieces when I shaved the sides down, meaning I didn’t have the excess to turn under and hem the corners. So I ended up adding a little seam and using pieces I had trimmed off both sides to extend the bottom pieces to give myself room for the finishing touches.

You can see how much I had to shorten the length of the screen door as well. I was a little concerned about the magnets in the center possibly not lining up in a way that would encourage the screen to close behind you like it should. I noticed they had carefully placed tall and short magnets at certain places to help the screen close smoothly. I was VERY glad this did not end up being an issue.

In the end I think it turned out quite nicely! We’ve been enjoying fresh air with the door wide open without all the flies. Now we can drink our coffee in peace! Oh and the cat? She just pokes her nose down there at the bottom and opens and closes this door for herself whenever she pleases. The first time she did it she was EVER so proud of herself!

Cargo Trailer Interior Paint Job

Since arriving in Salem, we’ve had a lot of little projects that we’ve been picking away at. One of those projects was to organize our cargo trailer, and officially make it everything we intended when we purchased it just over a year ago.

When we brought this beauty home, we were trying to move out of our 5th wheel, before the camper was even livable! It was a rough transition, but so worth it because we could see the potential. The rainy season was upon us, we were working hard to situate things so we could head to Yuma for the winter, and so we put this trailer to use the day it came home! And it was kind of a mess…

We made the most of it and got really good use out of it, but it was frustrating that we hadn’t had time to seal the flooring, build the shelving we really wanted in order to optimize the space etc. We just made it work. And work it did! But we’re super excited about being able to make some improvements this year, which I’ll share with you in a second! 😉

Last year, I took this old cedar fence panel and fixed it up as a backdrop for my studio space in the front of the trailer. I wanted something beautiful, in an effort to present myself professionally as I took my studio to an online platform.

It turned out perfect and served me very well! Now that we’ve have time to update things, I’ve actually really been debating whether or not I will continue to use this as my studio backdrop. I like it that much. 🙂

It all started when hubby decided to build his shop shelves for the trailer. He’d never had time to do anything for his section of the trailer because he was so busy working on the camper! He had just moved in with a couple gorilla racks he already had. But they weren’t working very well and his tools were always a mess. So as soon as we arrived in Salem, at his parents newly purchased home, we took over the ENTIRE garage. LOL! I could not believe how much stuff we were able to fit in that trailer, even without proper shelving!

With the trailer now empty, he decided it was time to seal the floor. One thing led to another and I said, well if we’re going to paint the floor, let’s paint the walls too! And so began the taping, paint color choices, and multiple days of painting and waiting for paint to dry. In the end, we are so happy we went ahead and took the time to do this exactly how we wanted to. It postponed the shop building by a few weeks, but it sure is looking upscale now!

With this complete, the work has begun to rebuild the shelving that was here, plus add a work bench and shop shelves. This space is getting used so much better now and I’m so excited to have this space looking sharp and organized too. What do you think? Have you ever seen a cargo trailer with a paint job like that?

8

Renovated RV Camper Progress Tour

Thought I’d give you guys an update on our progress renovating our 17′ Truck Camper. My husband purchased this camper in very poor condition in January 2017. Initially he was planning to fix it up as a way to go out on quick trips for a few days at a time. However, as his plans manifested themselves in his mind, he realized how much potential there was for this camper. He started telling me we were going to move in and live in this tiny space full time. It took a long time to convince me. 🙂

I’ll tell you a bit about the work we’ve done on the outside first, then I’ll take you inside and show you our living space. I’m saving before and after pictures until we complete this project. So for now, I’m just sharing pictures to show where we’re at with this project right now.

There was a lot of dry rot on the back wall, so hubby decided to just take the whole thing off and rebuild it! We love having a regular house style door and door knob. And of course the cedar wood makes it look and feel like a cabin.

Coming around to the front of the camper, we also replaced most of this front wall. There used to be a window up on top here, but the previous owner ran into a tree with it and busted the window out. With the way we changed things around inside, it made more sense to fill it in rather than replace the window.

We also put a brand new roof on this RV, which turned out to be a rather stressful job. With the help of friends and family, we got it done about 3 days before the Pacific Northwest rains set in for the year.

Here is the big idea of the interior. I love it so much! So thankful to have a handy husband, and to be able to live in a home we built ourselves and own it outright!

When you first come inside, there is a chair to the right and our shower/bathroom to the left. The seating is still a work in progress, but eventually there will be a couch of sorts where you see the green blanket. We’re considering putting a corner desk where the office chair is currently placed. But for now, this is our only chair inside. We do most of our sitting outdoors.

The shower was designed with 3 coat hooks that hang out behind the shower curtain when it is pulled and in use. This is the only way we are able to have a coat rack in our little house. Genius if you ask me. 🙂 We also have a very compact composting toilet that slides out of the way a bit to save even more space.

Between the shower and my mini smart oven, we plan to install our cubic mini woodstove. It’s been sitting in our black trailer waiting ever since we pulled it out of the 5th wheel before we sold it last September. We’ve already purchased the tile for this area, it’s just a matter of finding the time and fitting all the pieces together. Before we can put the stove in, we have to install the bathroom shelf which goes on that blank piece of plywood you see there.

My kitchen is so perfect. I couldn’t be happier with it! Or so I think…but hubby says I will be as he still has a few shelves/cupboards to build in here. There are a few large dishes I’m still storing in the black trailer so I am looking forward to having everything in here. But he designed these drawers to fit my dishes perfectly. We spent a long time measuring dishes and discussing width/height/depth before he built this. I love everything about how we set it up.

This counter top is made from a tree that my husband cut down in Oregon. We owned a Mighty Mite Sawmill that he used to mill the wood into lumber. Then he used a hand router to make tongue and grove and piece this together. There is literally blood, sweat, and tears in this beauty! I think it turned out gorgeous though and we are both so glad he didn’t give up on this idea, in spite of not having all the right tools for the job.

Across the way is the stove, pantry, and refrigerator. Just a simple 2 burner propane stove meets our needs perfectly. Our 5th wheel had a 3 burner stove but I never used the 3rd burner so I knew this would be sufficient.

The timber frame to the right of the stove provides support for the back end of the camper, without making things feel boxed in. It gives the space a much more open feel than it had before.

And then there’s the bedroom. Simple. Tiny. But just right. We actually both have empty shelves in our clothes closet and though we do have a tiny hanging closet, neither of us really wear that kind of clothes so they just sit there. Kitty makes herself at home in that window cubby behind our pillows.

Thanks for coming in for a visit! Hope you enjoyed the tour. Let me know if you have questions about anything or thoughts for any of our future design plans. And drop me a comment and let me know your favorite part of our renovation project!

 

2

Privacy Solutions for RV Windows

Today I took on a task that has been on our to-do list for quite a while. The window treatments that came with our camper had much to be desired and were one of the first things we removed. Hubby chose some gorgeous custom window blinds for the main windows in our little house, but we still didn’t have anything on the kitchen window (due to fire hazard, being right above the stove) or the bedroom windows. As we prepare to leave Tahoe soon, I thought I better install the rice paper hubby had bought with those windows in mind.

First things first, I tried to gather all the tools and such that I’d need. Most important was the straight edge and a place to cut. I measured the window by the stove and cut a square to fit. Then I worried about the corners and tried to cut them while holding the rice paper in place. It was a bit choppy but it worked, after some tweaking.

I’m going to miss being able to see clearly through this window! Part of the reason I procrastinated so long about doing this task. I’m not so sure that privacy is much of an issue through this tiny window, especially since I keep my “Life is Beautiful” sign here (see final picture in this post). But, I’d rather be safe and since our next location is not going to be as secluded, it was time.

The paper is easy enough to instal and can be removed easily should one change their mind. Yes, that’s the only reason I went ahead and put it up! LOL. I intend to take this back down as soon as we are in a private area again.

All you need is a way to cut the paper to size, a spray bottle with warm soapy water, and a squeegee. After pulling the paper away from the rice film, I sprayed the window with water, then placed the paper where I wanted it.

Once the paper is in place, you spray it another time, and then use the squeegee to press the excess water from the center out to the edges.

This is the finished look for the top half of the window. Now to go outside and do this again, from the underside of the window. I suppose I could have removed the screen from the inside, but this seemed easier.

I can’t help but wonder what people thought I was doing as they drove by. Honestly, they probably didn’t even notice me or think twice about it. But since our camper is positioned about 5 feet from the road, I couldn’t help but wonder if they noticed.

And there we have it! Privacy screening on our kitchen window at last!

 

Make a handbag out of old cargo pants or shorts.

Handbag from Cargo Pants

This idea goes way back to when my husband and I were dating. He gave me a handbag for my birthday, made by his mother out of a pair of his old cargo pants. I loved that bag! Not just because it had such a strong connection to him, but because it was so practical, casual, and resourceful! Of course this birthday bag was well loved and well used, to the point that it was almost thread bare. I still have the bag, but I’ve had to allow it to retire. When my husband recently snagged his cargo shorts, taring the pocket right off, he suggested I make myself a new bag, but smaller and even more practical than the one his mom had made for me.

Make a handbag out of old cargo pants or shorts.

Onto the mending pile the shorts went. I’m terrible about getting to projects right away! I always feel like there’s some other busy work or “important task” that needs to be done first. I’m learning to be better about making time for myself and the projects that interest me. Time to be creative and unwind.

I dove into the project eventually and cut the pockets apart. There were 2 large pockets and 2 small pockets. My first thought was to have the 2 large pockets as the exterior of the bag, then sew the 2 small pockets onto the inside of the bag. As I laid it out, I realized it was getting much too bulky, and a much larger handbag than I was wanting. Make a handbag out of old cargo pants or shorts.I’d been shopping for a cute, very basic bag for a long time and never found anything I liked. I just wanted somewhere to carry my coin purse, cell phone, and keys, plus maybe a couple other small items on those days when my clothes don’t have pockets. I’ve always been a very simple girl and never really been one to carry a purse. But boy is it annoying when you don’t think you need a shopping cart at the store, your small hands are already full of above said items, and then you find that you want to stock up on yogurt because it’s such a bargain!! This is how I’ve been kindly motioned to the front of the line on several occasions by other shoppers who felt sorry for me. Rather embarrassing to say the least! Anyhow….back to this simple little handbag. Little is key here.

This pair of shorts was going to make two handbags, not one. One small bag, and one medium size bag for those days when I need to carry a bit more. I took the two small cargo pockets and examined how they could be sewn together. I had very little seam allowance around the edge of the pocket because of how the shorts had torn, so I decided to pin the front of the pocket out of the way as best I could on both pockets.

Make a handbag out of old cargo pants or shorts.

Next I laid the pockets face to face and peaked all around the edges to be sure I had room to sew them together without catching the fronts of the pockets.

Make a handbag out of old cargo pants or shorts.

Turning it rightsize out, I had a good visual for what the final bag would look like. I did a quick search on YouTube to learn about making linings for homemade bags, decided how I was going to do it, and dove in.

Make a handbag out of old cargo pants or shorts.Easier said than done! My first lining was much too big. I took a beautiful fat quarter from a set that I had for making a cat quilt. It was all I had to work with and I’m not one for running to the store to get things for a project. Once I start, I just want to work with what I have. If I think ahead and go to the store before I start, that’s great! But once I’ve started, I just want to get it done with what I’ve got on hand.

I folded the fat quarter in half so I would have two layers, then set my stitched pockets down for size. I cut the fabric the same size as the exterior of the bag, then sewed them together.

Without turning this bag, I poked the lining inside my pocket bag. Then I carefully turned down all the edges and pinned in place.

Make a handbag out of old cargo pants or shorts.

Before I could sew the top edge to finish off my bag, I had to make the strap. I really don’t keep much around so I didn’t have scraps of anything to use. After some thought, I pulled the piece of binding tape out of the waist band of the shorts, folded a piece of fabric around it and sewed it together. Believe me, this took HOURS to turn right side out. LOL!

Make a handbag out of old cargo pants or shorts.

Once I finally got that sewed in place, the bag was basically finished. I did take those buttons off later and replaced them with magnetic snaps for easier use. I still haven’t decided how to seal the main pocket shut. I had actually intended to use the magnetic snaps for the main pocket, but forgot to sew them in before sewing the lining in. Oh well! I have a couple ideas, but for now, it’s just open. Makes it easy to poke my phone in there and just the right size too!

Make a handbag out of old cargo pants or shorts.

5 DIY Makeover ideas for your RV Refrigerator. Make it your style!

Makeover for the RV Refrigerator

As we continue our camper renovation, we wanted to do something with the refrigerator. The pale yellow, heavily finished, and fake looking surface that came in the camper was not appealing in the least. Seeing as there were no magnetic surfaces in the camper at this point, we wanted to make the refrigerator panels into a magnetic surface. Browsing our options, we agreed that brushed stainless steel would look best and serve as a magnetic surface as well as a writable surface like a white board. However, when we went to purchase some brushed stainless steel the right size, we couldn’t find a reasonable dealer in our current location of Yuma, Arizona. Lowe’s did carry it, but it was out of our price range. So, we opted for second best and decided to go with chalkboard paint for now. We plan to replace these panels with brushed stainless steel in the future!

Homemade Chalkboard Paint

In my research about this project, I discovered some fascinating options you may find valuable, so I thought I would share them with you briefly. Apparently you can make your own chalkboard paint in any color! This was intriguing to me, but considering our needs at the time, I opted to go with something I knew would work. I’ve never tried this recipe, but if you’re wanting to be daring, I’ve heard the following recipe works great!

Homemade Chalkboard Paint Recipe

Tint able Chalkboard Paint

Stores also carry tint-able chalkboard paint which was very tempting to me. I’m just not a big fan of black! It seems so very boring to me. The reason I agreed to the black chalkboard paint is because it kept the project simple, I knew it would work as I’ve used it before, and I know my husband will update it artistically from time to time which will make it attractive.

Magnetic Paint

Most fascinating and tempting of all these options was magnetic paint! I never knew such a thing existed!! What turned me away from this option were all the reviews on Amazon stating that you need to paint at least 5 coats to get a truly magnetic surface. I don’t mind painting several coats, but I wasn’t confident there would be space for the final thickness if I put multiple coats of a thick material on the wood before sliding the panels back into the casing. What I loved about this option, is that I could make the surface magnetic and then cover it with chalkboard paint for a magnetic chalkboard. Win win! But again, I was afraid it would be too thick for my purposes. You could also cover the magnetic paint with any other color of paint you wanted.

Black Chalkboard Paint

In the end, we decided to go with plain and simple black chalkboard paint for now. Here are a few pictures and thoughts from the project.

DIY Makeover ideas for your RV Refrigerator. Make it your style!I really wanted to tackle this project on my own. Sometimes I get frustrated that whenever I want to do something, I end up interrupting my husband’s work multiple times and sometimes he just has to stop what he was doing and practically do my project for me! That was not going to happen today. He was busy working on the shower and I was much more interested in getting that finished up than distracting him with my little DIY project.

The first challenge came as I tried to get the main panel out of the refrigerator door. I unscrewed the top black trim piece and removed it. Then slid the panel up to slip it out of the casing….until it hit the ceiling. Well that’s not going to work! I realized I couldn’t take it out the bottom either. Next I decided to take the door handle off and then slip the side casing out of my way. Nope! Glued in place. As I inspected the situation, I determined I was going to have to take the door off the hinges and remove the entire refrigerator door in order to slip the panel out. Whew! This was getting more involved than I expected…as usual. Hubby did have to stop and help me disassemble and remove the door in order to get the panel out.

DIY Makeover ideas for your RV Refrigerator. Make it your style!

We were very surprised to find that this fake venure looking panel was actually solid oak wood with a heavy coating of shellac finish. I couldn’t believe they would put so much shellac on oak and purposely make it look fake! Anyhow, out with the belt sander to stripe this crazy thick finish off the gorgeous wood. This was really the hardest and most time consuming part of the job. I think I spent about an hour sanding, but I took a lot of breaks because it was 94 degrees and the sun was hot!

Once I was down to bare wood, I got the air compressor out and blew all the excess dust out of the cracks in the wood. I also dusted the area with an old t-shirt because there was still dust on the surface after blowing it with the air compressor. Finally ready for paint!

I’d never actually used spray paint before so I was a bit nervous. Knowing these panels were just temporary, with plans to replace them with brushed stainless steel later, made it a lot easier to just go for it. I’m not sure why I always think projects are permanent, but I usually do. It doesn’t stop me from trying, but it does make me get really nervous!

DIY Makeover ideas for your RV Refrigerator. Make it your style!Reading the directions carefully, I shook the paint as best I could, set up my panels in the shade, and waited for the wind to blow gently away from me. Spraying with the can about 6 inches away seemed to work best for me. The instructions said 10-12 inches, but I think the wind was the reason I needed to be closer in order to get the paint on the board. I sprayed back and forth in rows about 2 inches apart and overlapping, then went back after giving it a brief rest and sprayed another coat. Then I gave it about 10 minutes to dry (the can said 20 minutes, but I was working in the desert in 94 degrees with about 10% humidity!!), and did a second coat the same way.

 

After about an hour, I took the panels back inside and reassembled the refrigerator doors. As I stepped back to admire my work I have to say I wasn’t very impressed. Black is one thing, FLAT black is entirely different. I went straight for the chalk to see if I could cheer things up a bit. Normally I can’t draw to save my life, but I think this turned out alright and it definitely cheered up the black fridge! We will enjoy it this way for now.

DIY Makeover ideas for your RV Refrigerator. Make it your style!

8 Home Tour Summer 2017, RV 5th Wheel

Home Tour Summer 2017

It occurred to me recently that I started this blog with the intent of sharing my home “inside and out”…but most of my posts have been outside! Now, that’s not entirely surprising, as I do spend much of my time outdoors. However, I do want to share the inside of my home with you as well. So that’s what I’m doing today!Tour our 1997 5th wheel RV

Welcome to my home!!

Come on in and enjoy a cup of coffee with me. Time for a home tour of my 36′ Alfa Ideal 5th wheel which has been our home for the past 3 and 1/2 years. We downsized from a 1000 square foot modular home to our current 325 square foot RV.

Large slide out RV decor, 1997 5th wheel.

This view of our largest slide out is what greets you as you step inside our tiny RV home. Half living room space, have dining room space. The dining table and chairs are an antique store find. Shabby Chic Dining table and chairsThe drop leaf style table works perfectly for our small space. When we are not using the table, we just fold it down and have room to turn the chairs around as extra seating for guests. During occasions where we have multiple guests for dinner (yes, that does happen in our tiny home!), we can easily pull the table out into the middle of our living room and seat 6 people quite comfortably.

You can view the video tour of our home on YouTube as well:

My little cozy up corner occupies the other half of this slide out. I love a good rocking chair, and I finally came up with the perfect “inn table” solution to house my lamp, books, computer and other personal things that I use on a daily basis.Office space in a 5th wheel My hubby had built these sturdy wooden crates out of scrap wood for garden produce during harvest season. I just love them and have used them for so many things! They make a perfect little bookcase, with space to organize a few other items and place a lamp (and a cup of coffee!) on top.

The Office

Moving around the room to the left, we have our “office”, if you can even call it that! Home to the printer, electronics/chargers/paper clips, etc.. This is also one of the few spaces in the house that I get to decorate. With so many windows (9 BIG windows in the living area!!), there is scarcely a place to hang a picture. So our favorite beach picture found a home where the TV used to be.

I would say this is one of the less than appealing sections of the house, and we have talked of tearing these cabinets out and re-designing this corner MANY times. But it has never happened, mostly because we live here and there just isn’t room for remodeling, especially when you have clients coming into your home for music lessons on a weekly basis!

I should mention that we purchased this RV with no furnishings. All the original furniture had already been taken out. I was glad of this because I wanted to re decorate anyways! The RV style window treatments were the first to go!! I replaced them with regular curtains and bamboo window blinds.

The Cubic Mini Wood Stove

Our newest addition to our small home is this adorable wood stove from Cubic Mini Wood Stoves. We have enjoyed the cozy warmth from this stove immensely!! If only we had known about these tiny stoves sooner! Our electric bill was through the roof the two winters before we purchased this stove. This past winter, not only did we save on our electric bill, we stayed warmer and cozier too!! We are so thankful for our wood stove.

Music studio in a 5th wheel RV

RV Style Music Studio

As you probably know, I am a private violin coach and teach private music lessons on a weekly basis. When we first toyed with the idea of moving into an RV, one of my biggest concerns was my piano. Ain’t nobody putting a full size acoustic piano in an RV!! Oh my was it ever a debate between my husband and I! Between his back trouble, our mission to downsize, and dreams of tiny home living, we had some decisions to make regarding my musical instrument situation. Full size Piano in an RVIn the long run, we decided to go with this Yamaha Digital Piano and I have to say, I am in LOVE with it and it is the nicest piano I have ever had.

Have you ever seen an RV with a full size piano AND a wood stove!? Pretty awesome I think. When people walk into our house, one of their first comments is something like, “Oh wow! You have a piano in here!!” I think a piano adds a very “homey” feel and just really helps the atmosphere of our home. I’m so thankful I didn’t have to say goodbye to owning a piano!

Oh and, in case you were wondering, that’s Beethoven Bear and Mozart Mouse hanging out on the music stand of the piano. They help me teach the little musicians!
Bookcase decor
We only have room for one bookcase in our little house. But then, who really needs to own books these days anyways? When you look them up on Amazon, you can get a copy of most books for pennies! And of course there is always the community library too. These books are either for reference, or sentimental in some way.

Again, I’m glad for a small space to decorate and display. I just love the glass doors on this bookcase. Seeing as this sits right beside the piano, I keep a lot of my music books down there on the bottom shelf for accessibility.

My Favorite Kitchen

And then there is the kitchen. You know, this is the smallest kitchen I’ve ever had, but it is by far my favorite! I have space for exactly what I need and nothing more. Letting the dishes pile up is not an option. Everything is within hands reach, and everything has a specific place. I’ve never had a more practical or organized kitchen. I also love that it is right close to the living room, so I can visit with guests while I work in the kitchen to finish up dinner.RV Kitchen

I don’t have a picture of it, but we do have two propane refrigerators in here, a pantry cupboard, and some extra storage above and below the refrigerators. I tend to have a “self sufficient” mindset and do lots of preserving and canning. I also like to stock up on certain pantry items when I find a good deal. Thanks to an extra chest freezer that we keep outside, I’ve never had to hold back on putting up food.

RV decor

This picture shows a bit of my storage spaces, including an extra canning shelf that my husband had built for our previous home. I’m thankful we were able to bring it with us into the RV.

We did replace the flooring soon after moving into our 5th wheel. It used to be a laminate floor with a bit of southwestern flair. I kind of liked it! But it was old and getting chipped in multiple places.

Hubby installed this flooring as a birthday gift to me one year. I really love the grey wood look, and they are so easy to clean! We had thought about ripping out the teal carpet (I kind of hate my teal carpet!), but alas, we decided to keep a little bit of cozy carpet in part of the house. I try to ignore the carpet color, but it kind of dominates my decor options!! Nothing against teal, it’s just not very suitable as carpet.

A Bedroom for Two

RV bedroom decor

Next up is the bedroom. Folks, it’s kind of hard to make a cozy haven of a bedroom when it is this cramped! This has been a bit of a frustration for me as I really value making a special place for me and my hubby to relax. But, I’ve made the most of what I have to work with.

Cozy RV bedroomWhen things are this tight, it gets messy VERY fast! I am always cleaning the bedroom, and tidying up in here, and yet it seems like it is always messy. Or shall we say, “lived in”?

This is about a cozy as it gets in here. We have room for a few special quilts and blankets, which kitty Macchiato uses as a bed, and some extra throw pillows. I’m pleased that we also found space for my cedar chest that my dad built for me as a high school graduation gift.

You can’t see it in the picture, but there is a llama engraved into the top of this chest. Inside are some of our keepsakes, and a couple more blankets.

The Practical Rooms

Looking back from the bedroom towards the living room, you see that the bathroom is between the two. Both of these doors close either direction, which is very handy.

5th wheel decor

After complaining about too many windows in the main part of the house, I find it humorous that I “added” a window to the bathroom decor. It just seemed fitting for a space that felt so cramped! Here are a couple pictures from the bathroom/laundry area.

I just love my Splendide Washer/Dryer Combo!!! We drove through a snow storm to pick this gem up during the first January we lived in the RV. What an adventure! Love having memories like that behind the things I own. Anyhow, this amazing machine works like a charm. You put the clothes in dirty and take them out clean AND dry! There are a couple down sides to it, such as TINY loads of laundry, and the frustration of not having a lint screen.

All my extra linens fit in the closet space above the washer, which would normally be very limited by a double stacking washer and dryer set.

A Wooded Front Yard

Last but not least, I had to share a few pictures from my front yard as I do consider this a big part of my home. We both spend a lot of time outside and we really enjoy our unique front yard that is much more like a small park.

I hope you enjoyed the tour! We feel very blessed to have been able to live here for the past 3 years. If you enjoyed the tour, please consider sharing this post via social media. And don’t forget to leave me a comment and let me know how you enjoyed your visit to my country home!!

Home Tour of 1997 Alfa 5th Wheel

How to mend jeans in 5 easy steps with pictures

How to Mend Jeans in 5 Easy Steps

For some, ripped jeans are right in style and they actually purchase them new with rips and tears!! Well, I have a hard time keeping mine in working order. I have to tend to those torn jeans before long or I don’t have a pair of jeans to speak of anymore! Now, if you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my post stating that dealing with the mending pile is one of my least favorite house chores. But, that is what I tackled this week and now I’m going to share with you, in 5 easy steps, how I mend my jeans.

How to mend jeans in 5 easy steps with pictures

I had some wool felt in my sewing cabinet, leftover from when I made my Crazy Cat Quilt. I thought this would work well because it would be fairly soft against the skin and not likely to unravel over time.

How to mend jeans in 5 easy steps with pictures

I cut a piece of cloth about 1/4″ larger than the hole I was patching on all sides. Then I reached inside the jeans to place the patch where I wanted it. I like to work from the side that’s actually going to show.

How to mend jeans in 5 easy steps with pictures

Intending to do a zigzag stitch, I almost forgot to set the seam by starting with a forward and back straight stitch. The zigzag seam is nice because it buttons down all those loose ends that are trying to unravel.

How to mend jeans in 5 easy steps with pictures

I reverse stitched right back over the top of my first zigzag seam to be sure I caught all the threads. And I was too lazy to pull it out of the machine, and restart going forward when I could just hold the reverse button down. LOL!

How to mend jeans in 5 easy steps with pictures

This is something I had to learn the hard way. The first few times I patched my husbands jeans, I soon discovered the patch cloth was unraveling, folded over, and frankly very uncomfortable. To avoid this, I always stitch all the way around the edge of my patch to secure all sides and prevent any unraveling. Not that wool felt would unravel! But it depends what type of fabric you use. This tends to make the patch look a little messy, but it gets the job done. I don’t know about you, but I’m more worried about getting the job done than caring how it looks.

How to mend jeans in 5 easy steps with pictures

Aw, the wonderful feeling of knowing I resurrected something a lot of people would have thrown in the Goodwill or even the trash. I really don’t think the patch is very noticeable. It would have been a lot harder to see had I used blue thread…but once again, I was too lazy to change out the spool and bobbin for a different color! Simply because it doesn’t matter to me. These are my work jeans now and the plants in my garden really don’t care.

How to mend jeans in 5 easy steps with pictures