RV Ideas - Store Those Cords!

What to do with all those cords for your devices? 

Keep them organized in Cosmetic Bags.

I'm always on the lookout for pretty bags in my local Goodwill, but you probably have some lying around already.  They're handy in different sizes and believe me, if you like one but don't know how you'll use it, buy it...you will.  The largest one (purple) holds printer cables plus a spare ink cartridge.

Painted Red Hat Ornaments

At our last Red Hat Ladies' luncheon, one member pulled out a plastic bag full of cleaned and de-labled CAT FOOD CANS.  An environmentalist before most of us, Mary challenged us to create Christmas ornaments for the tree our group is sponsoring this season.  I jumped at the chance and grabbed a few.

Paint a Tea Kettle for Succulents

I live alone...well, with my dog, BC.  I'm only in my 60's but still find myself forgetting things from time to time. I don't think it's early Alz; but as I age and add new tidbits to my brain, I get rid of some old (particularly political).

One thing which many people can probably relate to is forgetting the kettle's on the stove. Turn it on and let it boil away because the whistle's long gone. I returned to my RV after 1-1/2 hours to find BC panting and my place hot and steamy.

Renovating a 1992 Winnebago Warrior: Turn the Sofa into a Daybed with Storage

The original brochure

This is my full-time home and I simply adore it.  It is also my third RV, so  learning how to make a comfortable space for BC and me has been an ongoing process.  As a Starving Artist I work on a tight budget so my ideas may be off-the-cuff; but glance through and you may like one or two. 

My late husband was European and we envisioned traveling the U.S. in just such a vehicle; but that didn't work out as planned so I'm doing it on my own.  I'm not too savvy when it comes to mechanical things but I'm pretty good with a paintbrush and resourceful out of necessity. This Micro-Mini Warrior is 7 feet wide by 21 feet long by just under 10 feet high.

Littlest Pet Shop of Horrors

Super Hero Cat (before)

"Oh, before I forget, could you please paint a little toy which Chloe's Grandfather and I bought for her birthday? Some fellow wanted $10,000 on ebay for his Littlest Pet Shop Superhero Cat, but forget it; this was $25, and we're hoping you can paint a little mask?

"Shure," I slurred as I slurped my Margarita, never having heard of the Littlest Pet Shop.  Out from Grandma's bag came this mini- kitty. not more than 2" tall (left).

Actual LPS Hero Cat

"What's it supposed to look like?  Never mind; I'll look online."  After all, I'm a (sic) professional artist; how hard could it be?  A black marker mask and... quite frankly I don't remember the rest of our Gal-Pal lunch.

By the time Grandma came to pick up the finished product I wanted to shove it down her throat.  Not even the eye colors were the same, and the head wobbles like those dashboard figurines.

Chloe's Super Hero Cat

"No wonder people are charging 50 bucks to hand-paint these things.  If I was going to charge it would be four times that! The damned head..."

"Comes off," she offered too late. Murder was in my heart, but I laughed and told her I did it for CHLOE, who I understand now carries it everywhere.

Assuming the toy would be handled often, I wanted to do my best to keep the paint from wearing off quickly. After cleaning the cat with a bit of denatured alcohol, I first primed the areas I would be adding paint.  (The clear primer looks hazy when dry, so I couldn't paint the entire toy. As a reminder, paint needs 'tooth' to adhere, and the toy plastic was slick.)

With tiny brushes and often stacking two pairs of eyeglasses, I kept repeating, "for Chloe, for Chloe," like a mantra, in case reincarnation is true.  I searched for photos of the back, or top, of the toy, but in the end I had to make it up. Bit of varnish for protection and Voila!

"I hope you and Grandpa aren't going to try passing this off as the Real Deal?  Shame on you!"

No, no, she laughed; Chloe would know the truth.  This has got to be one of the biggest Pain-in-the-Youknowwhat commission I've ever worked on, but in the end I thought it was cute and Chloe loves it, and that's all that really matters.