1971 Cardinal Travel Trailer...the newest project

We recently purchased a 1971 Cardinal Travel Trailer.  It's 14' long and is super rad.  We knew going into it it was going to need some work.  Here's a few photos of it before we did anything but tow it home.

Exterior 

Entrance area

Interior.  Previous owner started to remove wall panels and insulation.

Interior.  The green thing is an icebox.

Last interior shot, the dining room table that turns into a bed.

The first thing we did was decide how bad the wall and ceiling panels were.  The kitchen area looked pretty good and we decided to leave it alone.  I kept the overhead cabinets in as well, I figure we can paint and panel around those.  

It took about half a day but I ripped out all the wood paneling and remaining insulation on the walls and ceiling.  

We found rotted wood at both back corners and around the windows. 

I knew this was out of our range of experience so I called in an expert.  Our friends came down for a couple days and we pulled out the windows, replaced the wood and reattached the metal skin with new stainless steel screws with built-in rubber gaskets.  Radness.

The crazy thing was figuring out that they build these things from the inside out.  All of the nails were facing in.  They were nailed from the outside.  First comes the framing, next the flooring, the walls and cabinets, insulation and finally they cover the interior and its guts with metal skin.  So removing and replacing the wood frame wasn't super hard, just different than usual stuff like this.  Made ya use yer brain!

We caulked around all the windows before re-installing.  Then a good couple tubes of foam to seal the cracks and nooks and crannies.

The electrical was mostly working.  Our friend came over and rewired it so that everything works now.  Tail lights and brake lights were a high priority for me.

Next stop, Discount Fabric on Morena Blvd.  The lady there was AMAZING!!!  I ended up buying four pieces of 76" x 27" foam pieces, 2" thick and 3" thick (realized now that I need two more!), fabric, notions, etc.

My girlfriend, who is a master at upholstery, taught me how to do the bottom cushions and we rocked those out!  Here's the finished product in the trailer.  

I thought it would go well with the avocado green appliances....work with it, not against it!  So that's the progress so far.  

Our next step is making sure she's water tight so we can do the new insulation and put wood on the walls!  We are hoping to at least get it road-ready for a lil' camping trip!

Until next time, happy trails!

~Brin

Thanks to the Vintage Cardinal Yahoo Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vintagecardinal/

and Vintage Camper Trailers on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vintagecampertrailers

The Love / Hate Bang Relationship Ends...Part Two of ???

Washed the hair pieces out and laid them to dry.  They are real hair.  They should keep the shape they dry in.  So I combed one straight to make into the straight bang and combed one to the side for the swoop bang.

As I combed them I noticed something.  Not all of the hair was dyed.  The underhairs are still reddish.  

Ok, so I should have combed them out with the dye in them...lesson learned.  One more box of dye coming up later.  For now, they dry.  

I will report back later to let you all know how they turned out once they were dry.  Thanks for reading! ~Brin 

The Love / Hate Bang Relationship Ends...

I have forever gone back and forth between bangs and no bangs.  Something about my brain doesn't let me remember what a pain in the ass it is to have bangs with curly hair.  It's a pain in the ass.

Each morning I would take a shower, load up on product, plug in the flat iron, blow dry the bangs and then flat iron the bangs.  Betty Page bangs, sweep bangs, whatever - time consuming!

Then each day, all day, my "Bangs OCD" is on full alert.  Are they even?  Are they straight?  Are they frizzy?  UGH!

I grow them out.  Thinking that I have left the bang desire behind me, once and for all.

Then I see some hot chick with black hair and bangs.  Suddenly I want them back.  I browse old pics of myself with cute bangs; adding fuel to the fire.

I give in.  I cut them again.  Immediately; regret.

Well, no MORE!  "NO MORE!", I say.  Thanks to Micheline Pitt, stylist, make-up artist, designer, artist, awesomeness.  She made a video for YouTube about fake bangs.  WHAT DID SHE SAY?!?!  Fake Bangs?!?!  Oh, yeah she did.

Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7KJFc6FjXk Part 1 of 2 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyBjMPnhfQI&feature=relmfu Part 2 of 2.

She also goes into making fake bangs out of your own hair using a shaper and all too.  I don't have the patience or skill for that one.

She walks you through the process of procuring, dying and styling your fake hair to have any kind of bang you want.  I AM IN AWE.  Why didn't I know about this?

I immediately run to the nearest Sally Beauty Supply during lunch.  I buy two fake bang hair pieces, both in red because they only offer two colors; blonde and red.  Not only are they in stock, they are on CLEARANCE!!!!  I plan on cutting one into a Betty Page bang and leaving the other in a nice swoop bang.

Next stop, Vons, for hair dye.  I choose L'Oreal Excellence Cream Color in Natural Black.  That's what I use normally and I wanted the closet match possible to hide any distinction between the real hair and the real hair piece.  I bought two boxes since I have a shit ton of thick hair.

I put the two pieces into a Pyrex glass baking dish so that it didn't stain anything.  I put the dye into my hair first and dyed the pieces next.  I spread the dye on like frosting on cinnamon rolls.  

Make sure you turn the pieces over to get the back and clip area.  When I finished they looked like crappy pieces of bloody meat or bloody pelts, neither very ascetically pleasing. 

And wait thirty minutes. 

Stay tuned for Part 2~Brin

Vintage Laredo Filter Cigarette Maker by Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation in Louisville, KY - $10.00

Vintage Filter Cigarette Maker Laredo by Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation in Louisville, KY



A brown color plastic cigarette maker. Marked Laredo, Brown Williamson Filter Cigarette Maker, Patent Pending.



I think this may be from the 1960's - 1970's. Seems to be in working condition. No broken or missing parts that I can see.



Measures approximately 2 7/8"...

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Vintage Fighting Rooster Salt and Pepper Shakers Ranch Country Kitchen - $13.00

These matching fighting red and white and black rooster salt and pepper shakers are in good condition. There are a few imperfections - please enlarge pictures!



They are made out of ceramic and glazed red, white and black. There are no corks in the bottom.



A great addition to any ranch, farm, country or retro house or kitchen! Clean and ready to use!



Please email us ...

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Vintage 1950s Red and Gold Ceramic Rooster Planter Pitcher Kitchen Home Decor - $25.00

This gorgeous piece of pottery looks like it was intended to be a planter but when I cleaned it out I noticed that the opening at the beak goes all the way through. Made a ceramic and glazed red with gold accents, this piece would be a great addition to any collection.



It stands at approximately 10" tall x 11" long and 7" at the widest part of the bottom. The artist's signature app...

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For One of My Favorite People...Missy.

Today my girlfriend Missy has started a new job.  But not only that, this week she handled a bunch of shit, took care of things and did a fine job of it.  She is an amazing woman and she deserves the best.  One of the funny things about Missy is if you invite her over to your house, you just might get a pineapple.  Birthdays, housewarming parties, Mother's Day, whatever...pineapple!

So to celebrate all her raddness this week I created a Treasury on Etsy for her.  Here it is!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTE0ODY1MTd8MjUxODUwNDg1MA/pineapple-pineapple-pineapplethis-one-is

It's all PINEAPPLES!!!!

Go check it out and while you are there, go over and check out her awesome shop too!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/dragstripdolly 

Thank you and have a lovely day!  I know Missy is!!!!!