'57 Aloha Exterior

The day our '57 Aloha came home Hubby and I had no idea just how bad of shape she was in and how far we'd have to go with her.  Good thing.

The pieces of aluminum have been stacked up in the carport during the rebuild.  There was a lot of scaling and oxidation.  There were many scars too, after all, the Aloha did blow over in the wind while in Sunland on the Columbia River.  Roll overs are hard on a body.

 As Hubby was finishing electrical, insulation and a gas line, I have been polishing.

 Everyone has advice and a method.  This picture shows hubby following some bad advice we got... deep ugly swirl marks that had to be removed.  

I really did the polishing even though there are no pictures of me.

 I continued to polish and Hubby wrapped her.

 After going through every piece, sanding and then polishing using a compound rub and a Vaper polisher; we decided I should go back and do it all again.  This time I used 600 and 400 grit wet sandpaper before the polisher with compound.  The wet sanding by hand was more effective.

 It is hard, tedious work but it is rewarding because I could definitely see where I had been as I sanded.

 Hubby took some dents out with a special hammer.  I sanded and polished.  Hubby started to put the tin back on the trailer.  I continued to sand and polish.  On Saturday afternoon I was finishing the last piece just as he needed it.

 I'll polish the aluminum once more with the tin on the trailer.  She has some tears and dents.  Hubby doesn't like that but she is 58 years old, and honestly I don't know any 58 year old girls without  some wrinkles, scars and age spots.  Speaking from experience here.

 I was covered in black from the oxidation, I was hot and cranky, and sore, but I did it.

Absolutely no thanks to the local auto parts stores and their employees.  I'm not a crazy feminist but I do have to say I was disrespected as a woman by the employees of parts stores during the process.

Well now little lady when your husband does this project he may want to... I'm doing it.

No you don't want that... Yes, I do.

You probably weren't in the right aisle.Then how did I find what is in my arms?

I'll tell you what you should do. Didn't ask.
You should go across the street.Really? Does your manager know you tell customers that?

I don't like shiny things so I just paint over 'em.I don't really care what you like, I just asked which product is better.

I'M DOING IT!  Hubby is busy.  I have researched for hours.

I am not necessarily ready for another trailer at this point. I think polishing an aluminum trailer is a lot like labor and delivery.  And just like childbirth, I'll forget and have another.  Just not too soon.

Next up, all of the windows and eyebrows need sanding and polishing.  Hubby will install and hook up the lights.  Honestly, it's not fun anymore but we intend to finish strong.

Summer Reading and Projects

Since my road trip I have been digging my way out of the laundry room, weeding in the yard and working at the museum.

On Friday I started a project for the '57 Aloha.  I had some old suitcases with squared bottoms.  I wanted to paint them using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  Initially, I was going for turquoise (Provence) but then decided to use Old White.  I added His and Hers stencils with a fleur de lis for his and a crown for hers.  Hubby and I can pack our things in the cases and then keep them on the canvas bunk in the Aloha.

I have been reading again, after a very long dry spell.  I Love You More is a mystery told by a young girl.  I totally enjoyed this book even though I don't usually choose a book from the mystery shelf.  It's a great summer read.

Savor, I am not reading this as a yearly devotional, I am just picking it up and reading a day or dozen here and there.

 A Spool of Blue Thread was a timely read for me about a house, the people who lived there and when the parents age and move.  I enjoy Anne Tyler's books and this was no exception.

I have just started  reading The Rosie Project.  It's going to be hard to get my chores done today because I reaalllly want to read.  I was laughing out loud last night in bed.  If you know anyone with Aspergers syndrome you'll appreciate this story of Dan and his quest to find a wife.

Today I am sanding and polishing aluminum.  It's rewarding but tedious.  We want the '57 Aloha on the road.  Happy trails!

It's a Farm Chicks Wrap

Farm Chicks road trip continues on Sunday with coffee and yogurt at Riverside Park.

It is such a beautiful park and the falls are really rushing this time of year.

 

 We did some junkin' in Spokane on Monroe Street and then drove to Rockford to visit Hurd's Mercantile.   The road that leads to this quaint small town is very scenic.  The store is beautiful too, We planned to have lunch there but the bikers were having a poker run and there wasn't any room for us.  We then tried other spots for lunch and let's just say it could have ended very badly.  We decided to drive to Couer d'Alene and have a late lunch slash early dinner at the resort on the lake.

 Our last night we stayed at the Worldmark Resort on the Gozzer Ranch near Harrison.  On the way we found Hutton's General Store and though they were closed the manager opened up so we could buy ice cream.

 Sheryl, Shelly and I enjoyed a quiet evening on the lake.  Our room was spacious and pretty.  We laughed most of the evening.  By this time our sides were hurting.  Three days of laughing is hard on a body.

Rules schumules...

 We stopped on our way out of town at Hutton's just because it was so quaint and the manager had been so nice to us the night before.

 Poptarts in a vintage scale.  I don't care who you are, that's cute!

We drove as far as Ellensburg to have lunch at the Red Horse Diner.  I love that diner and I told the girls it'd be worth their wait.  It was.  It is cute and the food is good.

We stopped at the Thorp Fruit and Antique Mall for some fresh cherries and asparagus.  We then drove home through some snarling traffic.  It was a safe trip thanks to my copilots and Gabby.

I am so thankful for my girls, the safe trip, and all of the inspiration I experienced on this road trip.  God is good.

Oh and you may be wondering if I found any treasures...

Possibly...

I hoped for a  vintageaquasmallcollapsiblebarcart  for the '57 Aloha.  I thought I'd have to settle on one without all of those qualities.  Nope.  I found it all in one sweet little cart.  The ice bucket and pitcher were found in different towns but match perfectly.

Winner!

 The vendors' postcards which advertised their business and other shows were so pretty I may just frame a few for the Aloha.

Oh, and I bought some deer antlers because everyone else was doing it.

Peer pressure.  It's real.

Farm Chicks Part Deux

 The Farm Chicks Show is a lot of beautiful junk set up by very clever artists.  There were many light fixtures that you wouldn't find at Village Lighting.  If you want a new chandelier, go to an old farm grab something out of the barn, add some bling and voila you have a swanky new light.

I have the one as pictured below.  Hubby had just hung it on the patio before I left for Farm Chicks.  His Grandma had made it from a kit many years ago.  It's fancy and fun.

 The women dress up for Farm Chicks whether it's an apron, a petticoat, fancy boots or a hat, most get into the spirit of the show and dress like a Farm Chick.  It's farm slash ranch fashion couture at its best.

Before I left on the trip I cleaned out a cupboard and tossed an old bundt pan.  Honestly.

 I loved Wood & Wool's booth.  I did buy a paint by number painting and I hope to capture their idea by painting a quote over it.  I loved their pictures but they weren't the right size for me.

 Oh deer, aren't you swanky?  Sheryl, Shelly and I all purchased some antlers.

 Peonies are in season.  There were gorgeous bouquets everywhere.

 I know, let's take an old horse hair sofa and make it into a planter!  Who thinks of these things? There is so much re-purposing creativity.  It is mind boggling at times.

The girls and I loved the show.  We agreed that one day is enough for us and that we don't have to go every year but will want to return down the road.  We still had room in the Jeep after the show.  

More stops and fun coming up!

To be continued...

Farm Chicks 2015

Farm chicks is a really big junk and antique show in Spokane.  It features some of the most creative people from the Northwest.  Artists that reuse, re purpose and create with talent and imagination and then share their goodies with farm chicks and farm chick wanna be's.  That's a lot of and's. Sorry.

I picked Shelly up at 6 a.m. on Friday, we drove to Sea Tac to pick up Sheryl.  She had been in Montana and possibly could have met us in Spokane but then would have missed the journey.  What's to miss?  A tummy ache from laughing, breakfast at a diner and a farm tour from Max.  So yeah, she had to meet us in Seattle.

 First stop was at Twede's Diner in North Bend for breakfast.  No fast food for these girls.  We wanted an experience wherever we went on this road trip and that included all meals, stops, detours.

Twede's was delicious and our waitress was a doll.  It was just the beginning of us making friends wherever we stopped.

 Our next stop was in George, WA to visit my baby, Max.  I brought him a strawberry pizza and a bag of things for his new place.  He took us on a tour of the farms and was full of information.  The girls had a lot of questions for Farmer Max.  Then we went to see my mom-in-love, Es.  We were planning to go to lunch but we ate too much breakfast. And we had to get to Spokane to buy our tickets.

 Shelly brought her Garmin and we tagged her Gabby.  She told us where to go all weekend.  Our next stop was Farm Chicks to purchase our tickets for the next day.  Shelly put in the address and off we went to find Farm Chicks.

Gabby told us to take an exit about 25 miles from Spokane.  We oohed and ahhed at how quickly we'd arrived.  Uhmmm, this doesn't look quite right but Gabby said so we kept going.  Apparently, the Farm Chicks address is Serena's address.  We took it as an invitation...

I kid, we turned around, got back on I-90 and drove to Spokane Fairgrounds to purchase our tickets.  We checked into the Davenport Towers.  Found our room and then a lovely drink in the Safari Grill.

 On Saturday we got up, put on our cute shoes or cowgirl boots and got in line for the show.  

It was hot!  We were excited!

 We shopped until noon, then we got hot and hungry.

 Shelly and I ran into Holly, the only pic I have of Holly is her finger on the lens.  Sometimes I am just not thinking.  I wish I had a pic of Holly because she is a true blue Farm Chick.

 Sheryl showed up, and we agreed that we were hot and hungry but it wasn't anything that lunch and a drink couldn't fix so we drove to Chaps.  It turns out that was a brilliant decision since they were closed for dinner for private event that night.

 Chaps is a bucket of pretty. A big farm-sized bucket of pretty, clever and imagination in a bakery slash restaurant.  And then we met Chaps owner extraordinaire, Miss Celeste.  It just got better and better.  We had a lot of fun with Celeste.  She owns Chaps, has three boys, writes for a magazine.  She runs Lucky, her little antique shop.  She is a nurse, so her and her husband, a surgeon go on Doctors without Borders annually.  They leave for Uganda soon.  One very busy, talented, gracious lady.  She leisurely chatted with us, never mind that she was hosting dinner for 200 in a few hours and had house guests.

 Even the bathroom is pretty.  I loved the mirror.

 Then it was back to Farm Chicks for more shopping and inspiration.

To be continued...