Having recently decided to keep free standing chairs (vs. booth seating) in the galley, it's time to start the wish list of furniture. I also thought it was time for a little eye candy, so: you're welcome. 

This, at least, is an easy choice for me. I grew up with Series 7 chairs in our kitchen, and it's time to go home again again. Sadly, those are looong gone, distributed to the universe many a moon ago. 

They still make them, but they are $600 per chair, and spending that seems unreasonable when I do want them hauled into the woods and outdoors regularly. Vintage ones can be found, too- will be looking at prices/ condition. There are also various knock offs- see the red example from Crate and Barrel- which might be more practical, less precious, and a spot of color. 

Round Top is this week-end and I was tempted to go check it out and start hunting, but I restrained myself and will focus on the trailer itself first. 

Regardless- this is the chair idea I'm going for. Stackable, clean lines, comfortable, easy to wipe clean and vintage without being campy. 

The Series 7 debuted in 1955, making it timely for my trailer. You can read more about Arne Jacobsen and see more of his work if you are interested. 

See why I am seduced out of a booth? 

What IS going on with my silver baby, you ask? When we last discussed her, she was an empty, decimated hulk, stripped of her birch wood and personality. 

That's pretty much where we STILL are. Painful, I know. Courage, my dears, courage.

Enough lamenting! Time to get the action started again. I am part of the reason for the delay- so many decisions to make. I've probably written before about my desire to balance original/ vintage with practical, best functionality for my life. There are a few conundrums to be solved... plenty of evenings have been spent debating them-  but it is time to get serious and come up with a PLAN. Let's jump in, shall we? 

It basically boils down to a design religious war: built in vs. free standing. 

Above is a similar layout to my trailer. The three main areas, Observation Lounge (OL), Galley and Bedroom are correctly identified/ sized. (My Galley is reversed: sink is on OL door side, stove backs up to bathroom corner of the bedroom. Sugar Plum just wandered up and she thinks it is important to the narrative that I disclose this fact.)  Wayyyy before my time, my dad took out the original galley table and replaced it with a bigger table and chairs. The table was fixed, and the chairs freestanding but had a device for securing while traveling. And... sorry Daddy... just does not work well. Too bulky, too hard to play cards at (um, yeah, critical!) just not a good fit. 

So, as of now, my idea is to build in a rectangular table, maybe a drop leaf so it can be collapsed? I have struggled with the whole booth idea, but I think I'm gonna go ahead and call it- No Booth for me. Alert the press!! Booths are charming, but I don't think I want something that big and fixed... works in some trailers, great in little tin cans, but I think I like the idea of flexibility...

I also like the idea of freestanding chairs. My M.O. in life is to be inclusive, not exclusive. So, I like making it easy to add room for more people to pull up and settle in. Or grab chairs and head outside. 

Naw, not him- the trailer. The trailer- with what appears to be a bounty of windows and doors. Behold a smoldering (and smoking, yuck) James Dean by his trailer on the set of Giant in Marfa, Texas. I don't recognize the make, but I do like those round windows. Is that THREE doors? What the heck is that? Mayyyy-be a Spartenette, but I don't think so? 

Sometimes I'm such a failure at esoteric knowledge! You'd think that being both interested in vintage and trailers, I would have mentally registered this rather well known image in the past and made the whole Marfa- Vintage Trailer- Cool Factor connection, but No. I came across the image today and was completely surprised to see the trailer.  

I have not been to the famed El Cosmico in Marfa; I admire the pictures I have seen and the vision, though. I am always happy to see people do cool things with these amazing old aluminum sculptures. 

So... anyone know what kind of trailer this is? Anyone? Grandma, are u out there? 

Sugar Plum says she wants her birthday party to be at the Spartan and to have an owl theme. Mind you- her birthday is not until February! But we are big believers in celebrating, and tossing ideas around for 6 months prior just adds to the happiness. 

It is also looking increasingly like we will not be done with the renovation until early 2014, so this gives us a good goal. 

The plan is to park at a local campground and set up a picnic and party during the day. Old fashioned games outside, for the big daytime group and then settling in with just a small crew for over-night glamping.  Hot chocolate by the fire- or if we have Texas weather, iced drinks! February can go either way;) 

I love this vintage cake; but we will probably go for something easier to serve, say s'mores or cupcakes. 

Expect to see some party-planning ideas bouncing around on here. And be sure to let me know what kind of good ideas you have for a bunch of third grade campers! 

Remember the Great Marmoleum Mind Blow? Where I dashed all over town AND all over the internet to agonize over a Skittles rainbow of choices, each seemly more God-awful expensive than the last? We were into the $1,000 plus before installation, and besieged with dire warnings about "Authorized" installers? Worst of all, my fickle heart just did not fall in L-O-V-E with any of the choices. RISKY. 

You see, I kept getting confused by the fancy colors and forgetting that I want neutral. I like to mix things up- and hard coding in a vibrant floor choice does not achieve that. Fabric and throw rugs achieve that. So, I tossed my hands up and went whining to the good people of the Spartan chat board. And, some lovely genius posted a link and a testament to cork flooring. 

And, you know, it instantly made sense to me- visually, design-wise, cost, use. How much more organic can you get than tree bark? And it's much less expensive; about half the cost. Options for both glue down (non-toxic glues) and "click" style. AND... if I don't love it, I think I can even use it as a sub-floor for one day when the Marmoleum of My Dreams shows up, hubba hubba. And there's MORE! It's a sound and thermal insulator. It's "soft" and forgiving on the back. It's "sealed" so it does not require much maintenance and from what anonymous internet reviewers say (what? you don't consider the unwashed masses to be a reliable source of data?) it's not delicate. What could possibly go wrong here??? (Don't even think about telling me anything that can go wrong now that I can finally sleep through the night again.) 

And to my DELIGHT, it turns out that my cork was actually a popular material in the mid-century modern movement and was even the default in Eichler houses. 


Yeah. I know! B-I-N-G-O, we have a winner!!!

While no one is ever going to accuse me of running anything other than my own damn opinion on this blog, I feel compelled to tell you I Did Not Make This Up: 

"Cork was not a highly advertised material during the postwar era, but it was amply used. Builder Joseph Eichler automatically included it in all of his postwar modern tract houses in California, thanks to cork’s functional and aesthetic appeal. ... The natural, resilient material coexists well with modern furniture and accessories, and is easy to install and maintain. It is reminiscent of the look of some linoleums and vinyl flooring styles, and is considered rapidly renewable, therefore makes the greenies’ seal of approval. Cork is offered in a variety of patterns and colors... and is an excellent option in a postwar ranch home... It is less expensive, easier to maintain, sound absorbing, and striking in a modern interior." 

See? Someone else made it up!! How 'bout that fer fancy? Regardless, it's very satisfying to have a decision made. I feel like a detective; and for once I'm glad my project is moving slowly so I can research and agonize on my own timeline. 

What do you think of a cork floor for my Spartan? I'm feeling GOOD about it, guys. 

I can't believe no one caught this and told me!! 

You guys don't tell me anything! Have you ever heard of this place? The Sou'wester Lodge??? Me neither, but now that I have I'm pretty obsessed with it. 

Located in the Pacific Northwest, in Seaview, Washington they are a fabulous old lodge, built in 1892 that has guest cottages circa 1950's and a bevy of vintage trailers you can go stay in. I'll just let you breathe that in. Fantastic, right? 

You can also bring your own sweet vintage trailer, which I gather lots of folks are doing. Looks like they Know Their Market, and host vintage trailer rallies. They just had a Spartan-only Rally! I'm pretty sure I would go into a coolness-induced coma. Yes, yes I would. 

I know it seems like Spartans are popping up like popcorn all over the place lately, but seriously: I have only seen 1 or two others In The Wild. And by "the wild" I still mean "the zoo/ campgrounds that welcome vintage trailers". I have never seen another one on the ROAD. 

And if I can just get to the farthest edge of Washington, a mere 2,472 miles from my current location, I can apparently double my lifetime sightings in one go.

Sorry for the un-cropped image, but I'm too impatient to wait til I get home to fiddle with it. This is another image from the Sou'wester, and I see 4- 4!- Spartans. They even have a 1950- HI!

I'm generally a quality-over-quantity person, but OMG- QUANTITY! A wealth of Spartans! Whew, fanning myself over here. What is the collective noun for spartan trailers??? A gaggle? A herd? A pride? A MURDER, cuz it kills me??!!! No one knows because a group of them has not been spotted in 50 years:(

Has anyone been here? What was it like??? I just know the people who own this place have to be amazing. Indie bands playing, rallies hopping, and alllll that sleek aluminum.

If you live in the PNW- and I know a buncha you who do- expect to be harangued next time I catch up with you. Someone needs to GO CHECK IT OUT!!!! DO IT!!!! We need DETAILS! 

It's about, oh, say, eleven-billionty degrees today in the fine state of Texas. Which makes a young girl's fancy turn to dreaming of cooler days- cooler days Glamping, that is. 

One thing I love about trailer camping is that you get to bring EVERYTHING your heart desires. In my case, that means anything I think might be possibly FUN. Despite the fact that most of camping involves basics- food, lounging, hikes or if yer lucky, swimmin'- I still love to pack up goofy stuff to do. Crafts, books, oddball projects.

From this mindset, we have a morning tradition called eggz-n-tattoos. Kids love it, but frankly, we like everyone to participate. The jist of it is having a broad selection of temporary tattoos. While breakfast is getting made (hopefully at someone's campsite who makes BACON, since my camping posse is largely vegetarian, while I like bacon more than I like pigs) we load everyone up until they look like Bart Simpson on a bender at the crappy tattoo shop. 

We even tattoo people who have lovely real tattoos; the point is to accept some body-sticker hospitality.  The temporary ones sweat and rub off and contribute to the feral, showers-are-optional look that means you are havin fun camping. 

Totally dumb, I know! But it's one of our dorky traditions we look forward to. Do you have any camping traditions? Are they as pointless as this one? Let's hear it! Spill!! 

(I'd like to thank the etsy vendor, whimfactory, for the cool image I have poached here. I notice the artist is from Austin, so yeah baby, bring it on home!!) 

... but another Spartan owner has asked me the plans for the bathroom remodel. 

Crappy question, my friend, bwa ha ha ha ha... Oh God, I'm 12 AND incorrigible. 

The bathroom in the Spartan works. (Well, worked, before we gutted it). Or, I assume it worked. But... we never used it. 

It just seemed too gross, tbh. We went with campground facilities or good ole peein' in the woods. Even growing up, when campgrounds were often more basic, we tended towards a portable potty.  (Which we, ever so classily, might I add, called The Bucket.) My parents were concerned when I left that little bit o joy in the dump pile when I claimed my silver beastie in 2010. And, yet again, they were mostly right. I never woulda peed on a Walmart parking lot curb (don't judge me!) if I'd brought that sucker along. 

Well, now it's my day and I have decided I will put a small rv toilet in the trailer. For nighttime mini-business ONLY. The plan for the camp is to have a bathroom/ bathing house built.  But until then, the toilet may see some action. (Gah-ross! Sorrysorrysorry ISAIDI'MSORRY.)

The bathhouse may feature a compostable toilet, which seems more palatable with more room and nature around it. That's all TBD. For now, yes, 1 conventional RV toilet. 

My friend Alison built an amazing house and lived in a small "cabin" on her property w/o running water while she was under construction for 9 months. At one point had a "medical handicap toilet" positioned discreetly outdoors- with cat litter in it.  She said that while it did not bother her, it freaked the F outta her guests. She ended up getting a traditional porta-pot and there was much rejoicing among those who wanted to hang out with her and are more traditional. (Like me, just theoretically, OF COURSE.) 

What about ya'll? Anyone have a real honey bucket? Or all ya'll pee in the wood-ers, too? Would you use the medical toilet with cat litter??? Be honest!

Alleluia!! It is with enormous relief that I show you that my trailer is a contained, water-tight unit again.