A Few Teardrop Holiday Picks

I hope everyone's holiday preparations are in full swing. In case you still need a gift for that special teardrop lover in your life, the following are a few suggestions. Enjoy!

Teardrops and Tiny Trailers by Douglas Keister.

Buckle up as Douglas Keister takes you for a decidedly retro ride in the world of diminutive travel trailers in Teardrops and Tiny Trailers. The demand for vintage trailers-the smaller the better-has risen dramatically in recent years, with the most in-demand trailers being "teardrops," first manufactured in the 1930s and containing just indoor sleeping space and an outdoor exterior kitchen. Also profiled in the book are "canned ham" trailers, whose shape resembles the profile of a can of ham; small-size examples of America's most beloved vintage trailer, the Airstream; miniscule gypsy caravans in Europe; and fiberglass trailers made in Canada. Two hundred color photographs showcase these trailers' sleek exteriors, retro-styled interiors, and, in many cases, the restored classic cars that tow them. Teardrops and Tiny Trailers includes a resource section chock-full of places to locate vintage trailers, clubs to join, and rallies to attend.

River's Edge 10-piece camper light set.

Woody and Teardrop salt and pepper shakers.

Happy Trails wall hooks.

Santa Travel Trailer Camping Christmas ornament.My House Has Wheels calendar from YeeHaw.

And in case you're feeling crafty, you can get this ribbon from J. Caroline Designs ribbon.

Moving On Up

We finally feel like we are making some real progress. The first side and it's trim ring are sealed up in a beautiful candy coating of spar. After several checks and double checks that we were orienting the plywood correctly, I used the trim ring to outline the second side.

Again we cut the outline of both the side and the trim ring at the same time.

And then raise the trim ring and cut out the inner profile.

I leave the line and use a belt sander to even out the curves. We finish this stage by filling any void in the edge of the plywood. I hope to drop the door before Thanksgiving and be prepped and ready to paint next week, which puts us on schedule to have the finish done before Christmas, then it is assembly in the new year!

The Collections Grows...

I am just in love with this picture. Well, it's not so much the picture but the subject matter :) This is the collection for our galley so far. Jeremy had a good collection of enamelware to begin with but we've been on the lookout for a few more select things.

We went thrifting this weekend and found the yellow napkin holder, the mint green mixing bowl, and the Skotch Kooler with the 50 nifty united states. It says "Happy Motoring" on it :)

I would say we're almost finished. We just need a few large plates - dinner size, some small bowls for cereal, two more mugs, and maybe a few Tupperware containers for dry goods. I love the way it's shaping up!

Assateague Island National Seashore

I'm a little late posting these but last weekend we made a trip over to Assateague. Our friend Zach, from the Liberty Bell chapter, was camping for the weekend. Louella and her grandson, from Virginia's Eastern Shore came up for Saturday night too. It was chilly but sunny and we had a great afternoon.

We took Fred the beagle down to the beach. It was windy :)

We went for a walk on the Marsh Trail.

Zach made some hotdogs. Jeremy got one and Fred thought he should too.

We sat and talked shop for a while and then, as the sun was going down and the chill was setting in, we headed for home. This was our parting shot. We love you, Assateague.

Painting the Inside

The last coats of varnish have dried on the trim ring and door. Finally!

Mosquitoes kept landing in the varnish on the door, which was odd because this hadn't happened before. Not one mosquito the entire time we were varnishing our huge first side. Weird. Maybe next time we'll use a fan to blow them out of the way.

This weekend we flipped over our first finished side and began work on the inside of the panel. We set it up on painters pyramids so the finished side doesn't get scratched. Jeremy sanded it out nice and smooth.

When Jeremy originally painted the outside of the panel he taped the unfinished side so when the varnish ran over the edges it wouldn't bleed. The varnish that ran over pooled on the tape so I cut it off with an xacto knife and Jeremy sanded that out too.

Then he stained it white. Everything covered really nicely. You can tell that the trim ring and the side panel are two different colors. Believe it or not the trim ring started out this white color as well. After sanding and many coats of varnish the color dulled into this "sand" color, as I like to call it. The white definitely changed the color of the wood but isn't as striking anymore as when it is first applied.

Jeremy and I both love it. Next is sanding seal and a first coat of varnish! Stay tuned!

Tear Jerkers Pocomoke River Gathering

We had our second Chesapeake Bay gathering this past weekend and it was a blast.

It was at the Milburn Landing section of Pocomoke River State Park - soooo beautiful.


Late morning on Saturday we went for a paddle down the river...









Wayne made Rose and Orville an award for Best Captain and First Mate.


Orville picked up a bushel of oysters so thems that liked 'em ate well that night. Orville shucked all evening long.


The drinks flowed freely...








The Mooneys even brought a pinata for Jeremy's birthday. The little girls got their turns first.





Orville made a call to the Mountaineer (West Virginia) Chapter director to see how their first gathering was going.

The night went on with more oysters, music, and various other adult beverages :)



Eventually the rowdies went to bed and when we got up in the morning it was time to go. Jeremy and I will definitely go back to Pocomoke on our own. How could you not with a view like this??

Thanks to Louella, Wayne, Orville and Rose for some of these great photos! See y'all in the Spring!!