I can feel one of my heads coming on ...

Following on from my excited, optimistic post (here) when I was in my element as hunter gather of all things pretty to feather our two wheeled nest with, well ... the boho, rattan, Arabian nights rug has been pulled out from under me due to 'total load weight restrictions'.  "What? Is this just something someone has made up to sound all knowledgeable and important, did a 'load weight' person invent this in order to get a promotion or pay rise? NOPE ~ it's a real, proper, very serious thing apparently!

Here's the really bad news, due to these restrictions it is advisable to only take essentials and keep things to a minimum when transporting a caravan.
MINIMUM?
ESSENTIALS?
I.AM.NOT.AMUSED.

 My husband is insisting that cushions, throws, flower vases, tea light holders, candles, pictures and other homely things are not essentials.

"WHAT? ARE YOU JOKING? NO CUSHIONS? NO SOFT FURNISHINGS?
But I have two large Ikea bags full of beautifulness to feather our mobile nest, 70's vintage Pyrex the lot!

It's all too much for me, I'm in need of a lay down, I  can feel one of my heads coming on.

 

Well ... theres only one thing for it, I'm off to buy a trailer ~ laters x

PS ... seriously? No soft furnishings? Like none? Really?
 

 

 

My luv for anything Cabbages and Roses ...

Following on from my previous post about my complete and utter LOVE of all things Cabbage and Roses and my excitement over receiving five (sadly teeny tiny) swatches of their devine fabric (here), I have been busy putting every single piece to good use. Here are a few things that has had the Cabbages and Roses make~over:

This is the book I use to write all things unit~like in. I had an amusing conversation with a friend (who happens to be an accountant) when she asked me where I keep all of my expenses, purchases, costs, blah info? I told her I use a notebook to which she replied "Oh, are they good I've never used one of those before?" After looking baffled at her for way too long the penny dropped and I said "noooo, not the electronic version. I mean a pad I picked up from Sainsburys". She rolled her eyes at me in horror.
Well, with a notebook looking this pretty who would wanna fiddle about with a spreadsheet?

 

As seen in a previous blog post, my lovely lil sail boat.

The ultimate of prettiness in a neon pink frame.

Another sail boat (grr, wish I hadn't covered the bottom and just did the sails but you live and learn).

These five pieces of loveliness look quite big in this pic but they don't go very far when trying to spread the pattern on as many things as possible.

 Man, can you imagine what I'd be like if I actually owned something proper in this divineness ~ ah, a girl can dream ...

X

Our worlds have now collided ...

 

Well, we have finally found our home from home on two wheels. It's been a journey of discovery just finding said caravan to take us on our journeys of discovery.  My initial pie in the sky idea has taken many twists and turns and what we have finally settled on is not what I started looking for.

My search started around 6 months ago and I quickly fell head over heels in love with a 1960's caravan the owners had called Mable. Mable was a vision of retro beauty and even earnt her keep as a prop for BBC TV programmes ~ she was divine. Mable even won the heart of my husband who was not as keen as me to purchase a caravan. Mable was an introduction into 6 months research and leg work which has lead us to our final purchase.

 

I have been obsessively swooning over 60's and 70's retro caravans of an evening for a while now and my poor husband has been like a cat on hot bricks every time he hears the words "Oh, come and have a look at this, isn't it perfect, shall I ring them?"  My idea of perfect is retro looking oozing character and charm. My husband’s idea of perfect is free of damp and rot and not another project. This is where our worlds have parted and I've been left to go it alone in the search for our home from home.

After months of research a great tip off came from my uncle Clive who suggested we visit a local caravan site and service centre. The information they imparted was invaluable and on the journey home the penny reluctantly dropped that 60's/70's caravans were dogged with problems and, like all older things, would be a constant project to keep inhabitable and roadworthy. My husband knew I'd finally come around to his 'sensible' way of thinking.

I then begrudgingly dragged my pie in the sky dream forward into the 80's and went in search of some classic 80's nostalgia whilst my husband banged his head against a brick wall thinking ~ grrr she so does my nut in, she's still a decade out.

Flip forward into the 90's where it is just about possible to find a caravan without damp and in a road worthy, non-project state and we've hit our compromise and found our home from home on two wheels.

Our choice is practical, homely, in a road worthy state and has everything and more I ever dreamt we'd have in such a confined space. Its early 90's and I can see us finding it a breeze holidaying in it. Its 30 years away from my initial starting point but then I'm more than 30 years ahead of the game in knowledge now than when I first started out on my search. I can't look at old retro caravans in the same light anymore and charm has been replaced by the service centre words ringing in my ears of damp, bodge jobs, parts being impossible to find, spongy rotten floors, gas leaks when sleeping, stories of shells coming off their chassis when driving along and much, much more.

Our Hermie is where mine and my husbands worlds have now collided and we have finally found ourselves a home on two wheels.

 

 

Trial run cooking & eating in a field ...

In preparation of finding a Hermie and spending time in the great outdoors we had a trial run of cooking and eating in a field yesterday. After learning the hard way, things to note for next time:

Disposable BBQ’s: Useless.

Lighting a fire: first and formost check which way the wind is blowing and don’t light the fire where the smoke will billow directly over your camp/blanket area making everyone run for the hills! Check that the box of matches you hastily throw in the bag has more than two in. Whilst going off to gather wood DON’T leave the food un-attended with a dog around.

Music: was much missed and we definitely lacked an acoustic guitar or some kinda sound system.

When the sun goes down: I don’t think there is such a thing as too many blankets when sat in a field when the sun has set.

Beer: Why on earth did we forget to bring it?

Kitchen roll: Never underestimate how much you’ll use.

Putting out the flame: It's advisable to extinguish your BBQ a while before you leave.  Putting it out at the last minute is not sensible as ‘surprisingly’ it takes a while to cool down ~ dooh.

"You call that a fire"? 

"Where are you going?"

"What's with the trees then?"

"Hum ..."

  "Ah, now thats a fire"!

 ♥

A caravan is the wagon our hearts so desire ...

The great outdoors is getting closer and closer ~ yep,  I’ve finally convinced my husband that a caravan is the wagon our hearts so desire.

I have never, ever, ever holidayed in a caravan but ‘somehow’ I have this image that a shell on two wheels is the gateway to all things wonderful.  I can see us cooking yummy food over a campfire, sitting outside our shell on wheels of an evening drinking wine and watching the sun go down, the kids having acres to roam and explore and having our beloved dogs with us on their very own lil holiday.

My husband kinda burst my idyllic bubble with talk of dry rot, gas leaks, road worthy state emptying the toilet twice a day, blah. My brain doesn’t compute with these things, it’s too full with plans to ‘boho’ up Hermie (yep I’ve already named our future home from home as Hermie ~ after a Hermit crab who carries his home around with him). I have ideas swirling around of boho, come hippy, come Arabian nights type affair and us all lounging around like we’re throw backs from the 70’s.

I’m just bursting to do the whole nesting process and am finding it impossible to sit back and wait for us to find our Hermie (my husband is being very meticulous) so I am busy collecting things to feather our mobile nest. As with all things of late, it’s got to be on a strict budget but that suits me as I find when money dries up my creative juices start to flow. Below is what awaits our Hermie …
 

Brand new with tag, this will look really pretty hanging from our canopy. Cost = £2.00

 

Original retro Pyrex plates.

Cost = £1.50 for 4

 

Lurvly cushion covers.

Cost = £1.00 for the three

 I am properly in love with this scarf that I'm gonna use as a either a throw, curtain or table cloth.

Cost = 50p

Necklace that I will use as a tie back.

Cost = 25p

 

Hum, spot the odd one out? These fab original 70's pillow cases are bright, fun and funky but boho/Arabian nights they sadly are not. The white with green embroidery ones (ooops, that need an iron) are more in keeping but not half as fun. I think it's gonna be a try it and hope they 'blend' in!!! 
Cost = 50p each, £2.00 in total.

The cost so far has been a mere £7.25 ~ yay. 

All we need now is Hermie the caravan

x

Fruits of our labour ...

Finally, the fruits of our labourings last year have fermented ~ joy.

Our two (well three really but we got desperate and drank one after three months of fermenting last year) demijohns have been kept warm through the harsh winter and jiggled about when needed and in return they have transformed cheap booze and bits of hedge into utterly delish winter toddies.

Let's just hope the two bottles make it past the tasting session and into Winter ;)

Hic, hic!

Brighton, where anything goes inc us ...

So, when a break is needed from the Shire of Oxford and a change of scenery beckons, we decided to head off to spend a few days in oh so trendy Brighton. 

Brighton = Victoriana to the max 

(amongst other things)!

We enjoyed a perfect very English seaside break away ~ We ...

The Lanes ~ South

Shopped ...

and then on to ...

The Lanes ~ North
Our fav side of the Lanes

Vintage comic shop and Vintage record shop, my daughters paradise.

My husbands idea of heaven. A wall of Gibsons.

My daughters idea of heaven, a wall of cymbals.

Then on to my idea of Heaven

The Royal Pavilion

then on to our lil lads idea of Heaven

Ahhh ... the beach ♥

happiness is sat on the beach at the end of the day eating fresh sea creatures...

Watching the sun go down ...

And from one Pier to the next ...

and finally no visit is complete without sail boats ...

Brighton, where anything goes inc us ...