our travel trailer interior

I can't wait to get our 1976 Travette travel trailer (aka Cozy Cottage on Wheels) out on the open road this summer. But for now, I will settle for getting her out from behind those double gates, and play house. I don't think we ever outgrow our love of playing house do we? :)

I always had a playhouse growing up. Whether it was a portion of the basement in the winter or a small wooden corn crib in the summer. I have always had a fascination for living in a small space. So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered Tiny House blog. 

So today I thought I would post a few photos of Cozy's interior, which I don't get around to photographing very often. That's me finishing up the book A Thousand Gifts the other day, just before finding out it was snowing in Phoenix. Needless to say, I was out of there lickity-split ~ in search of snow.

We have literally kept Cozy just as we found her back in October, 2009. We love the 70's motif. And how cute is the Gnome welcome mat I found at Goodwill for a dollar.

I plan to add some retro fabric to the curtains, that I've been collecting from my local SAS store. Omg, don't you just love these three designer fabric pieces!!! The Riley Blake piece in the middle makes me crazy happy! They are rather small pieces, so they will be added as trim to the bottom of curtains, along with a few accent pillows. 

Btw, $3.99 a yard at SAS (as apposed to $9.99 online). But I rarely find these designer pieces bigger than 1/2 yard, more like 1/4 yard pieces, but hey, I'll take what I can get for that price! My daughter managed to capture such a moment as I uncovered one of my prized pieces. And you can bet I had to dig pretty deep too. Oh the joys of SAS!

We decided rather than use the table it came with (that needs repair), we'd use our small foldable table that is much more functional both inside and out. 

We prefer having it set up as a bedroom most of the time anyway, unless it's raining, then it functions as a place to lounge and dine while listening to the rain pelting on the aluminum roof. Yes, sweet music to my ears.

Travel trailer camping is all about cooking, eating and relaxing outside in the great outdoors, taking in the gorgeous scenery and communing with nature.

Unless we have our granddaughter on board, than it's the perfect space for Pop Pop to read Henny Penny and 'Ole Ginger Nut to Emolyn Kate.

I don't store a lot inside Cozy, because the hot summer months in Phoenix can make it even hotter inside Cozy... and could potentially damage some of my most cherished vintage items.

We are so thankful to have a means to escape from the sweltering summer heat...

... and relax, spend time together, with Koda, in the great outdoors. 

Doesn't get much better than that.

Hooking up to some of my favorite Linky Parties around the blogosphere ~

FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY

So God Made a Farmer

One year ago today I posted this video that my husband & I made on YouTube. I had heard Paul Harvey's So God Made a Farmer audio several years ago and knew that one day I would use that audio in a slideshow honoring my Dad and his dedication to farming.

I was thrilled over this past year to see that the video was averaging over 1000 views each month. And then Super Bowl Sunday changed all that. Since Dodge Ram launched their commercial using Paul Harvey's So God Made a Farmer, I have had over 15,000 views on my video alone in just 3 weeks! I've been so touched by all the affirming comments. I have also had a couple organizations contact me and ask permission to use the video for various workshops and conferences. What an honor. I think my Dad would have loved knowing that so many were appreciating the true essence of a working family farm.                 .

So, to celebrated my Dad's 87th birthday and the one year anniversary of the YouTube video, I'm reposting what I posted a year ago ~

I'm a farmer's daughter from Wisconsin. And my Dad, John Larson was the most dedicated, hardworking farmer I have ever known. He would have been 86 last week. And I am missing him, this good and kind, respected man of character, that always had a smile on his face.
When I first heard Paul Harvey's "So God Made a Farmer" speech on audio, I knew that one day I would take photos of my Dad from all his years of farming and make a video using Paul Harvey's moving narration. He delivered this speech at a National FFA Convention in 1978. I'm telling you, no one does it better than Paul Harvey. You see, we grew up listening to him three times a day on the radio ~ his News and Comment and The Rest of the Story segments are long remembered in the Larson household, and a particulate favorite with my Dad, as he always had the radio on in the barn.
And I also thought it rather ironic that my brother Ron, who would later purchase the farm from my Dad in 1988, graduated from high school in 1977 and made the decision to farm with my Dad around the time of this speech, which makes it all the more meaningful.
My Dad never really "retired" from farming. Oh, he may have milked his last cow in 1988, but continued to farm in every sense of the word till his passing in 2009 at the age of 83.
All the images in the video were taken on the farm where I grew up, by either myself or a family member over a span of 50+ years. The 350 acre farm is located along Timber Creek in Jackson County near Osseo, Wisconsin.
A big thank you to my husband Randy and son Shawn for helping me make this happen. I am so thankful to have my Dad's memory preserved in this way. I hope you enjoy it.
Be sure to turn your volume up and you can also click the square box in the lower right corner to enlarge and fill your screen. Thanks again for watching!

Emolyn's 5!

Mimi & Emolyn @ 1 month

Five years ago today this little girl made me a grandma. See, I'm already crying ;)

Emolyn weighed 2lbs.7oz. and practically perfect in every way. 

She required no machines, except a feeding tube, because sucking expended too much energy. So she had her Mamma's milk through a feeding tube and then after 5 weeks in the NICU, she went home weighing 3 1/2 lbs!

She is nothing short of a miracle and I thank God every day for her!

Mimi & Emolyn @ 1  Omg, those lips!

Mimi & Emolyn @ 2  Grandma Beckie & John's Wedding Day

Mimi & Emolyn @ 3  Cabin in Prescott

Mimi & Emolyn @ 4  Her first pie

Mimi & Emolyn @ almost 5  Christmas '12

Randy & I made her a balance beam for her birthday and wow, she is quite the gymnast!

Oh, and the bestest big sister ever!

Happy Birthday Emolyn Kate Thompson!

***SNOW IN PHOENIX***

Yesterday it snowed in Phoenix Arizona! YES! SNOW!

We knew the rain was coming, so my husband pulled Cozy (our travel trailer) out of the side yard so he could replace one of the skylight covers that blew away on one of our trips last summer. Our son Tyler had mentioned a few times that he'd like to sleep in the travel trailer when it rains, so I got busy making up the king-size bed with fresh sheets and several warm blankets. 

 

It was still raining yesterday morning, so I decided to spend a few hours out there myself...

... just reading and listening to the rhythm of the falling rain. 

When I went inside for another cup of hot tea, several of my Facebook friends were posting photos of snow at 7th Street & Glendale. YES, SNOW!!!

I have lived here 35 years and I've never seen snow in Phoenix. 

So Randy & I hit the road in search of snow.

I think we're on to something. Seriously folks, ICY ROADS? 

May I remind you 'we're not in Kansas anymore'... WE'RE IN PHOENIX ARIZONA! 

Oh my gosh, it's true ~ 7th Ave. & Glendale area

Lincoln Drive heading towards Camelback Mountain, which had a dusting of snow.

Lincoln Drive & Scottsdale Road

I downloaded these last two photos online ~ 

the Talking Stick Resort near the 101 & Indian Bend in Scottsdale.

 Breathtaking. A double rainbow. So beautiful. Thank you Lord.

Emolyn Elsie Nathan Jonah

Happy Valentine's Day Emolyn & Elsie!

I love them with all my heart.

Oh my gosh, cute or what! Nathan & Jonah can hardly wait till their favorite Valentine comes home from work, so they can have their snuggle time. They sure love their Mamma. 

Emolyn was so happy that Mamma applied her One Direction press-on nails.

Uncle Aaron

and Aunt Miranda

brought the most decadent Valentine's dessert to Family Dinner. Yum!

And then Nathan & Jonah provided the entertainment on bongos.

Elsie would occasionally join in on the fun.

And then thought the bongos would be better suited as a footstool.

Uh oh, what do we have here? 

Best be sharing your toys boys. 

The cutest little boys ever!

I can't believe they will be 10 months old this week!

I love them with all my heart.