Category Archives: home

Airstream Family Photos

Airstream Family PhotoThese pictures didn’t make it to Airstream week, but alas, here they are. Better late than never, I suppose. I’m working on that whole trying-not-to-be-a-perfectionist-thing and trying not beat myself up about it. Anyway, George and I decided to take a few family photos with our new dog, Bambi to use for various things. Maybe a new Christmas card?! And maybe for other blogs.

Airstream Family Photo 2

Airstream Family Photo Outtake

Also, can we talk about how hard it is to take a photo with a dog? Bambi hated it. I’m surprised we even got one usable picture. Even though it’s not perfect, I still love the photo above.

Melanie and George 2 George Melanie Melanie and George

Annoyingly happy Christmas cards, here we come!

love,
melanie

Our 1978 Airstream Sovereign Land Yacht: The Exterior Tour

Airstream through the trees copyI’ll be the first to admit that we didn’t do much to the outside of our Airstream. We washed it, polished it and put it in it’s permanent home. We didn’t feel the need to acid-wash it and make it super shiny. It just didn’t fit our style.

Airstream in the woods copyWe did put a lot of work into the land that the Airstream is parked on. We had to clear brush, lots of poison ivy (George got so sick!) and even cut down a few trees.

Airstream in the Pine Trees copyThe second-most frequently asked question I get is: “Do we own the land we’re parked on?” Kind of. We live on land that has been in my husband’s family for over 80 years. Part of the land is wooded and part is farmed. We earn our keep by helping out around the property– chopping firewood, cleaning the barn and feeding the animals.

Airstream and Garden copy

The first-most asked question I get asked is: “Do you actually live there?” Yes! We live here full-time. In the event of an emergency, like a hurricane, we have relatives we can visit nearby, but we’re in the Airstream during the heat of summer and the cold of winter.

An Airstream in the pines copyGeorge with Airstream copyAnyway, since the Airstream is so small, we’ve tried to make the exterior equally as nice as the interior. George surprised me one day by laying the rock path to the house. He also built a natural rock fire pit from rocks on the property after I talked about our friends’ fire pit for 2 weeks. I think he did it just to shut me up. 🙂

Airstream Outdoor Setup AMB

When it’s nice outside, George and I like to break out the lawn chairs and a few beers. We’ll often cook dinner on the fire and eat in the outdoors. It sounds corny, but living this way has really made me appreciate nature.

Airstream Sovereign Tag copy Back of the Airstream copyAirstream Front View copy

door to Airstream copy Succulents Outside the Airstream copyThanks for touring my humble abode this week. And Happy Friday! This weekend I plan on doing what I do best, just hanging out around the ol’ Airstream.

Got any weekend plans? Let me know about ’em in the comments!

love,
melanie

Our 1978 Airstream Sovereign Land Yacht Remodel: The Interior Tour

Airstream RemodelAirstream RemodelYesterday I showed you all the before and after shots of the Airstream, well, today I want to show you a few glamour shots. We live in the Airstream full-time, so not only did I want the Airstream remodel to be functional, but I also wanted it to feel warm and cozy. (Even in the winter, when it isn’t so warm!) We had a tight budget, so we built most of our furniture. We bought very little for the Airstream, instead we used the things that we already owned.

In the shots above you can see our copious amount of handmade pillows. One of my favorite things to do in the Airstream is curl up in the queen-size bed and watch a movie.

Airstream Remodel

Airstream RemodelGeorge does all of his art work from the trailer, so we knew it was important for him to have his own space to work and conduct all his business. 

Airstream Kitchen RemodelAirstream Kitchen and Sitting Area Remodel

Fiestaware in the Airstream copy

Although the kitchen is small, I’ve managed to squeeze out some killer meals in there. Sometimes when the space is feeling too cramped or hot to cook, we’ll go outside and cook right over the fire— camp style.

Airstream Bench Remodel Airstream bench remodelThere for a while, the bench was something we didn’t use much. But since George built me a mini-desk, I’ve been sitting (and napping!) on it constantly. Again, it’s got plenty of homemade pillows and we covered the bench cushion in vintage fabric.

Custom Drawers and Shelves in an Airstream remodelRecords in an Airstream Pictures in the Airstream Record player in an AirstreamWhen we first designed our the Airstream, I had grand dreams of open shelving. We had open shelving for a few months until I just couldn’t stand the clutter anymore! I’m a minimalist and I love a clean space, but George is an artist and needs a lot of stuff for his business, so we decided to compromise and build drawers from reclaimed barn wood to hide our junk.

Bathroom in an Airstream remodeled Bathroom in an Airstream remodeledI like to think that I’m not prissy, but I couldn’t live with a composting or camper-style toilet. Just couldn’t do it. That’s where I draw the line. But since we are parked and hooked up to a septic system, a real toilet wasn’t a problem. Thank god.

What do you think of our little home? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

1978 Airstream Sovereign Land Yacht Remodel

Airstream Back Before and AfterI think the best word to describe what I’m feeling right now is giddy. It took a lot of hard, sometimes disgusting, always sweaty, work to remodel our 1978 Airstream Sovereign Land Yacht, but we did it. This may be one of the proudest moments of my life. I may even be more proud of myself than when I graduated from undergrad and grad school. Not even kidding. But before I pop a bottle of champagne, let’s get to the details!

You’ll notice we didn’t restore the Airstream to original. We’re not purists and we only had a budget of $1,000 to fix her up. (We bought her for $5,000, more about our buying story here.) We went slightly over budget due to the amount of paint we needed. We severely underestimated that. Unlike many of the Airstreams you might see online, we also live in this thing. Full-time. We tried to keep the integrity of our original Airstream, but tailor it to fit our needs.

When you enter the Airstream and look left you’ll see what is in the picture above. We tore out the Cookie Monster blue carpets and replaced them with laminate flooring. We created a window in the wall beside the kitchen to open up the space, replaced the gas fridge, George built shelves, a desk and a bench for napping! We replaced all the window screens. (Here’s how to do that.) We also tore out some of the overhead compartments to open up the space. My main job was painting. The Airstream had gas heat which can leave sticky gross stuff on the walls and we think maybe someone smoked in here, so it was my job to thoroughly clean everything (bleach was my best friend), then coat pretty much everything in Kilz and cover it with a bright white paint and primer. In some places it took four coats. On the storage compartments and the weird plastic spots, we used Rust-oleum gloss white spray enamel. On the countertops we used a custom-color oil-based enamel. Overall, the paint has held up pretty well. Some spots have needed to be touched up, but I think the white paint was the most transformative aspect of the remodel.

Airstream Bed Area Before and After copy

If you look to the right in the Airstream, you’ll see our spacious queen-size bed. To me, a big bed was more important than a dining room, so we tore out the benches, and George built us a custom bed frame. Read more about tips on creating that here. I also made a ton of pillows because… luxury. (Here’s how I made the pillows here.)

Airstream Cooking Setup Before and After

I didn’t have a great photo of the “before” oven because we found a huge mouse den in there and I had to get it out ASAP.  We use a convection oven and two burners for cooking. It works out pretty well. There’s no Thanksgiving meals going on in here, but our oven fits a full-size pizza, so I’m happy.

Airstream from Back before and after

If you walk through the kitchen and turn back around, this is the view you’ll see. You’ll notice we took off the covers from the kitchen cabinets and replaced them with super-cute curtains that my mom made. From here, you’ll also get a better view of the custom bench and drawers we have for hiding all kinds of crafts and art supplies. George crafted the drawers out of barn wood from the tobacco barn that is on our property. The storage area also houses our large record collection. When we were purging all of our worldly goods, we decided vinyl is one thing that we just couldn’t live without.

Airstream Bathroom Before and After

Oh my god, the bathroom, the bathroom. I’m not kidding when I say that I was scared to even go in the bathroom before the remodel. That camper toilet scared me. A real toilet was priority 1 on my list. Cleaning this bathroom really made all the difference. The “wallpaper” was actually really pretty under the 10 layers of dirt. Then again, we painted with oil-based enamel on the countertops, replaced the lights and did this fun, washi tape design on the mirror. (Here’s that how-to.)

Airstream Shower Before and After

Then the shower! Oh my. Still to this day, George and I have no idea why someone would try to spray paint a shower blue (to match the carpet?!?!). To remedy this situation we took the easy way out and used a kit that we found at Lowe’s. I’d love to one day have a luxurious tub or at least a prettier shower, but sometimes the cheap way wins. We also purchased and installed a very nice shower head.

You can’t see it in these pictures, but we started off with the floors all laminate, but had to replace the bathroom floor when our hot water heater started leaking. That was unfortunate, but it’s been the only big issue that we’ve run into (fingers crossed).

This remodel was a whole hell of a lot of work. George and I have thought about doing it again, but we’re not mentally (or physically) prepared for it. Now that you’ve seen the before and afters, I’ll be sharing more glamour shots tomorrow!

Happy Airstream Week!

love,
melanie

 

Full-Time Airstream Livin’: A One Year Update

Airstream and fire pitCan you believe it?! Can you believe it?! George and I have been living in the Airstream for a whole year. It’s almost unbelievable how much life can change in a year. One minute you’re living in an overpriced apartment and the next minute you’re living in an ’78 Airstream Land Yacht. We’ve gone through some hard times and some good times in the old girl. But the good has definitely outweighed the bad.

We originally moved in the Airstream so George could work on his art and we could save money. George has been able to really work on his business this past year and I am so, so proud of him. He’s been doing artwork for some major companies and he’s been taking on a lot more commissions.

We’ve saved quite a bit of money too. Not as much as we could have, because we’ve also traveled a lot, but I don’t regret our wanderlust. We’ve been able to travel to Austin, Memphis, take a Florida road trip and all kinds of little trips in between. I am so thankful for the opportunity to travel with my favorite dude.

But most of all I’m thankful for the lessons the Airstream has taught me. Living in less than 200 square feet has taught me that I don’t need a lot of stuff to be happy. I have food in my belly, a roof over my head and people who love me. That’s all I need.

Although it can be tiresome, the Airstream has also taught me to be more responsible. I’m more responsible with my chores because if I don’t say, put the laundry away, it’s right in the middle of the floor staring me in the face. It’s taught me to be more responsible with the things I bring into my life too. I’m constantly thinking “Do I have enough room for this?” and “Do I really need this?”

The Airstream has also given me peace of mind. I still worry about money. I probably always will. But I’ve now been able to open up an IRA and start truly saving for a (small) home one day. I don’t want to moan about how my generation has had it rough, but a year ago I was feeling very behind on life. I thought I may never be able to achieve some of my dreams because it took George and myself so long to find a job after college.

The Airstream has given me confidence too. Before we fixed up our old girl, I was nervous about renovation projects. I’m not an old pro, but I now feel confident about painting a wall, cutting a board and hammering those nails.

I am so thankful for our time in the Airstream. I can’t believe it has been a year. We’ve no concrete plans to move out anytime soon either, but I know when it is time to move on I’ll look back on this time of our lives as one of the best.

If you’re debating a nutty way to change your life, like living in an Airstream, I’d like to encourage you to go for it. What’s the worst that could happen? “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” (Helen Keller)

love,
melanie

It’s Airstream Week!

Airstream and CampfireIn honor of our one year anniversary of living in the Airstream, I’ve planned a full week of content revolving around the beloved Airstream! Normal content will take a backseat this week, but never fear because the before and after pictures are totally worth it. Make sure you check back several times this week because there’s going to be all kinds of fun going on ’round these parts!

Let’s party!

love,
melanie

How to Make Beeswax Candles

beeswax candle DIYDid you know that beeswax candles are honey hole full of benefits? Ok, that pun was forced. But seriously, beeswax candles can help with allergies, have calming benefits and burn slower and cleaner than paraffin candles. I’ve even heard that beeswax candles give off negative ions that actually purify the air. I also love the scent of beeswax candles.

In elementary school we went to visit the town of Old Salem, a living history town that depict Moravian life in the 18th and 19th century. Well, one guy, dressed in his period-correct finery, was pouring candles. Even as an elementary schooler, I thought that was pretty cool and I bought one. My parents didn’t let me play with matches, so I ended up just smelling the unlit candle like a weirdo. But I’m still obsessed with the natural scent of beeswax candles.

Anyway, I know that beeswax candles are one of those things that I can make cheaper than I can buy. So I did just that. It took me a couple of tries to perfect the process, but here’s how to make beeswax candles.

Supplies

glue wicksGlue your wicks to the bottom of the jars. The glue helps the wick to stay in place during the pouring process. Let dry, then trim the wicks to slightly longer than the desired length. (I didn’t do that and regretted it later.) Pour your pellets and coconut oil into the pitcher. 1/2 pound of pellets makes about a 1 pint jar candle. Fill large pot of water 1/4 of the way full of water.

candle making pitcherPut the candle making pitcher in the water. It might float a bit. That’s ok. Stir until the wax is melted.

candle coolingAs the wax is melting either heat up your oven on low or prepare a bowl of warm water and put your jars in it to cool the candles. I did both and both methods worked. The addition of coconut oil and the intricate cooling process ensures that the candles don’t crack. The coconut oil also gives the candles a lovely baby yellow hue.

beeswax candles coolingWhen wax is fully melted pour carefully into jars to not disturb the wick.

candles covered in tinfoilIf using the water cooling method, cover in candles in tinfoil. If using the oven method, turn the oven off and let the candles cool inside.

We just made beeswax candles! All my childhood dreams are coming true! Also, wouldn’t these make great gifts?!

Have you ever tried candle making? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

Garden Update!

Garden, airstream in background
Up until recently I was under the impression that since I couldn’t keep a house plant alive, I couldn’t grow a garden. But I’ve been proving myself wrong and this is the only time I’ve been happy to be wrong.

tomatoes!I started peppers, tomatoes, onions and brussel sprouts from seeds. I also planted sunflowers, squash, pumpkins and cucumbers straight into the dirt. About half of my plants sprouted! I don’t want to jinx it, but I consider that a success. This is my first time really growing anything, after all. The only thing that didn’t work from my seeds was the cucumbers. My sweet father-in-law felt bad for me so this past weekend he bought me a couple of cucumber plants to start.

Only one squash plant sprouted. I still consider that a success. But my sunflowers are really the star of my garden. They are looking beau-ti-ful. All but one of the sunflowers sprouted. And my tomatoes are growing so quickly. I love checking on them each morning. It seems like they grow inches overnight!

sprouts!I didn’t spend much money on this garden, but I am hopeful that it will produce and I’ll make my money back. Even if I don’t see a cornucopia of fresh veggies, I think the learning experience has been worth it. I’ll do a full cost breakdown at the end of the season and we’ll see if I’m in the red or the green (pun intended).

Did you plant a garden this year? How does your garden grow?! 🙂 Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

Things I Wish I Knew Before Living Full-Time in an Airstream

living full-time in an AirstreamLiving full-time in an Airstream has been the biggest adventure of my life (so far!). It’s also been the craziest/best/most spontaneous thing I’ve ever done. I don’t regret it. Not a day. But George and I did very little research before we decided, hey, let’s live in an Airstream! Embarrassing little research. If I had to do it all over again, I might be a little more prepared. Although, if I was more prepared I might have wussed out! There’s a lot of realities and obstacles to living in an Airstream.

  1. The buying process may be harder than you think.
    Our buying process wasn’t easy. We easily found the Airstream on Craigslist, but our trailer was acquired in a divorce and there was all kinds of legalese associated with the title. In the end we had to title our trailer in Maine. Why Maine? Well, they have looser titling laws and personal/commercial trailers can be registered in Maine regardless of where you live. Maine also has low-cost registrations!
  2. Things get dirty real quick
    I have a strict no shoes policy in the Airstream, but that doesn’t keep the dirt from sneaking in anyway. It’s such a small space that if we miss even one day of cleaning, the place is a wreck. Which leads me to…
  3. Junk will look junkier in a small space
    You need less “things” than you think. Always. But even the tiniest bit of junk will look junky in a small space. At first I wanted to have lots of open shelves for our things, but things looked too cluttered in such a small space. We did fix the problem with drawers, but I wish I had planned for more hide-away shelving in the beginning.
  4. If you are living in a vintage Airstream, things will break/go awry.
    Things might even go awry in a new Airstream! Just like owning your own home, things will break and go awry. Unlike a home, there are less people with special skills able to fix things. You’ll need to be handy. Or live with someone who is handy (thanks, George!). And you’ll need to be willing to experiment and learn. We’ve learned so much from online forums and YouTube videos.
  5. There’s no privacy
    The bathroom situation gets ugly. ‘Nuff said.
  6. It’s going to get cold and hot.
    The temperature in the Airstream is super fickle. We stay relatively warm with two heaters and the air conditioning works well, but there are times when the weather gets so extreme outside that no space heater or mobile home air conditioning unit will do the trick. We also live in the south so it’s humid most of the time, we control this with a dehumidifier, but it will never be the perfect humidity and temperature in there.
  7. There will never be enough space for certain activities.
    Working out in the Airstream and cooking in the Airstream are both a struggle. There’s never enough room to chop or dice and create even a one-course meal. And jumping around in the Airstream, forget about it. I can do a few push-ups or squats, but forget high intensity training in there. I tried it once. It was not pretty.
  8. I don’t think of myself as “homeless,” but others might.
    I was recently reading an article about homelessness. It described folks living in their campers at the beach. I don’t consider myself homeless at all. George and I chose to live this way for so many reasons. And yes, the main reason was financial, but I don’t consider myself homeless. The Airstream is my home. If something ever happened to the Airstream, we could find ourselves an apartment. Airstream livin’ isn’t out of desperation, but it is out of the desire to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck. Some people judge us for our decision, but it’s proved to be one of the best decisions of my life.

Got any questions about living in the Airstream? I’d love to hear them and answer them in the comments!

Update:  I wrote a book! “The Ultimate Guide to Living Full Time in an RV, Airstream or Motorhome” will show you how live a smaller, happier life in an untraditional home. This is an interactive guide designed to help you plan your journey to smaller living with worksheets and useful tips. Get it here!

 

 

Airstream Livin’: Nine Months Update

Trying to keep the day we purchased the Airstream in my mind.

Trying to keep the day we purchased the Airstream in my mind.

It’s been about nine months living in the Airstream full-time. I love our little tin can, but I have to admit there are days when it is really, really hard. I’m under quite a bit of stress at work to finish up projects before the summer and it’s easy to bring that stress home with me.

A small space gets more cluttered more quickly and the cooking area just never seems big enough. George has been working super hard to take on more commissions and I am super proud of him. But that also means that he has less time to help out around the ol’ Stream. I have so many dreams and goals for this blog, the Airstream and my life, but sometimes they seem too far out of my reach.

I know things will look up. It’s almost the summer time, my work will lighten up, there will be beach trips and time to get organized. There will be time to live those dreams, to grow something with my own hands, to grow this blog and to spend time with the people I love.

I don’t regret one minute of our journey in the Airstream, it’s just a rough patch. I still love the ol’ girl and I know we’ll get through this together.

love,
melanie