Kayaks and Sunsets at Crane Prairie RV Resort, OR

Where has the time gone ?  It's been 10 days since we returned from our Oregon trip.  I've been working like crazy on the house. Stripping wallpaper,packing up things for Goodwill,sorting books,sorting clothing,painting and weeding ! Whew,I'm tired just listing those things.  Oregon was beautiful and we returned well rested and ready to tackle those jobs and many many more-getting ready to part with the house and its contents.  I got so busy with working around the house I forgot to tell you about the campground we discovered south of Bend, OR.

 Crane Prairie RV Resort,just off the Cascade Highway in the Three Rivers area.  Elevation is almost 4500 ft. so we had warm sunny days and cool nights for sleeping-perfect.  The campground ,Crane Prairie RV Resort  is basic with full hookups-we pretty much stayed either on the lake or at the campsite so I can't tell you anything about the bathrooms or store.  The owners have gotten some bad press on Trip Advisor for their attitudes but honestly they were extremely nice and friendly to us. We had a nice view of the lake from our campsite.  The sites are a little close together but the trees and brush give you privacy.

We got to try out our new kayaks on the lake and it was so much fun.  We made the right decision in spending a little more for the longer kayak and I'm glad we did-it's almost as solid as a hard shell kayak.  The lake was as smooth as glass so it was a great experience in learning how to paddle. I discovered I still have a lot to learn about paddling and feathering !

 We were worried that Hailey wouldn't like the kayaks and that we would have to leave her inside Ruby while we were out on the lake, but that was not the case.  She jumped right onto the front of Jim's kayak. She laid calmly while  looking out on the lake as Jim paddled.  I thought for sure there would be some pet oriented kayak seat for sale online  but  I haven't been able to find one (except for 5-10lb dogs !).  We are going to try and build our own so she will have a more rigid surface to lay on .

I won't tell you the story of folding the kayaks back up to fit into their storage bags.  You know how anything you unpack never packs up the same way again and never seems to fit back into the bag it came out of ?  All I can say is I went inside Ruby and poured myself a Mojito after figuring out my feedback to Jim wasn't very helpful. The clue was the look he gave me when I said "just fold it into 3rds".  We both eventually figured it out and hopefully they won't be twisted kayaks when we use them again !

This is supposed to be a great fishing lake , but shhh, don't tell my husband.  It seems to be more successful for trolling than for fly fishing-oh well he enjoyed himself anyway.

We saw some of the most beautiful sunsets we have ever experienced while camping here. We would just sit down by lake and watch the skies change minute by minute-always a nice ending to the day. I can't believe the life we live.  We both feel so very blessed for every minute we have together on this earth.

I also tried baking bread on the Cobb grill for the first time.  Do you know how difficult it is to regulate coals when baking bread ?  The bread didn't rise like it usually does when I bake it at home-too much heat too fast.  And the bottom was just slightly blackened, but the bread was still so good . I'm going to try the Cobb again after reading about pushing the coals over to one side and baking the bread on the other side.  Plus I'm going to add a layer of sand around the cast iron pot and see if that helps.  I used Jim Lahey's recipe for No Knead Bread-even when you screw it up , it's still delicious !

We hated to leave -the weather was perfect again when we got up on our last morning-bright blue skies,huge cottony white clouds and sun streaming through the trees-life really is good.

After we checked out downtown Bend we headed east .  We weren't sure what the camping situation was like between Bend and Salem but figured we would stumble upon somewhere to park Ruby.  No cell reception in the mountains so I couldn't use any of the apps I have on my phone for locating campsites-so I grabbed the map (old fashioned way) and saw there were quite a few along the highway so we weren't worried.  The first one we stopped at around 3pm was full-oh oh-we didn't plan on that. So we headed a little further down the road and pulled into the next site-Whispering Falls.

 It was pretty much empty and we couldn't figure out why.  It was clean, the sites were very private and it was along the Santiam River.  We pulled into site #7,paid our $7.00 for the night and had a cold beer . We decided the beer would taste better along the river so we  headed down over the hill to the river.  Down over the hill was just about 50ft from where Ruby was parked so we hauled our chairs,beer,chips and salsa down to the sandy riverbank.  Perfect way to spend the late afternoon following a day of driving.  Feet in the river,cold beer in hand and side by side with my sweetie , a sweet life !

Now that Ruby is all cleaned out; laundry done; bed made; dishes rearranged and the road food bag replenished, we are ready to hit the road again .  Next up , Springfield OR. and a solar install for Ruby at AM Solar.  Can't wait for the independence solar will give us !   Happy Trails and safe journeys to you all.

"What is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? - it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.”

― Jack Kerouac, On the Road

More of the Oregon Coast-Good Times-Good Food

 83 degree weather makes you want to jump in the ocean !

I feel so blessed on this vacation-beautiful weather is following us.  And if you can believe it, the beach is pretty much deserted-only about 1/2 dozen people out walking.  The water is a little chilly yet but who cares,it feels so good to walk barefoot in the sand again. And I can't say enough about the quality of Oregon Parks-how can they get it so right and others can't ?  Clean,reasonably priced $25 a night during peak and $20 during non peak.  Free solar showers that are incredibly wonderful and clean restrooms !  There are 2 campground hosts and they are very helpful.  I could live here if there wasn't a limit on the time you stay.

 Oregon Tuna Melt-perfect lunch for our last day at Beachside

I didn't purposely plan on making an Oregon Tuna Melt and I have no idea what makes it an Oregon Tuna Melt-but it's a delicious sandwich and Jim wants it added to my permanent cooking repertoire.Albacore tuna,red onions,pickles, Swiss cheese-oh so good and not difficult to make. The recipe makes 4 grilled sandwiches-so we had 2 for lunch and had the leftovers while on the road to Bend,Oregon. This sandwich is made with balsamic vinegar instead of mayonnaise why didn't I think of that ?  Thank you Huffington Post Taste section for the recipe.

Oregon Tuna Melt

2 6-ounce cans albacore tuna 

1/4 cup(s) finely diced red onion 

1/4 cup(s) extra-virgin olive oil 

1 tablespoon(s) balsamic vinegar 

1 tablespoon(s) minced basil 

1/2 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper 

Salt and freshly ground pepper 

4 ciabatta rolls, split

Dijon mustard and mayonnaise, for spreading

8 1/4-inch-thick slices of Swiss or cheddar cheese, 6 ounces 

Sixteen 1/8-inch-thick lengthwise slices of kosher dill pickle 

2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, softened 

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix the tuna with the onion, olive oil, vinegar, basil and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Heat a panini press or griddle. Spread the cut sides of the rolls with mustard and mayonnaise and top each roll half with a slice of cheese. Spread the tuna salad on the bottoms and cover with the pickles. Close the sandwiches and spread the outsides of the rolls with the butter. 3. Add the sandwiches to the press and cook over moderate heat until the cheese is melted, about 6 minutes. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.

 Slathered with SPF30 !

 Travis and LaDonna, a lovely Roadtreker couple from Durango,CO

Travis and LaDonna were making their maiden voyage in the Roadtrek and had lots of questions for us-and we are still babes in the woods when in comes to some things.  We gave them information on all the sites we go to when we have questions ! They had come up the coast and were on their way back to Durango, CO.  Just really nice , sweet people.

Ahh another beautiful end of day at the beach

I don't want this trip to end-Jim is going to have to forcibly remove both Hailey and me from the beach-my feet are firmly planted in the sand. After this time at the beach we are both of the mindset that when we do settle down it's probably going to be on a beach somewhere.

 Healthy and spicy-our last dinner at the beach-Mojo Chicken

Jim and I both are trying to be healthier so I was very careful in looking for tasty but not fat busting recipes !  I'm struggling to lose the weight I gained when my life came to a halt with Lyme Disease-so exercise and eating right are my new best friends. Don't be frightened by this recipe-it has quite a few ingredients but it is oh so good.  We had tacos with the leftovers ! I found this recipe on the Whole Foods web site.

Mojo Chicken

1 tablespoon cumin seeds 

1/2 cup chopped cilantro 

2 tablespoons chopped garlic 

1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño 

Salt, to taste

 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

2 tablespoons orange juice, strained 

2 tablespoons lime juice, strained 

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 

Avocado Mango Salsa 

1/2 cup orange juice, strained 

1/4 cup lime juice, strained 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

2 tablespoons chopped garlic 

1 tablespoon orange zest 1 tablespoon honey 

1 tablespoon soy sauce 

Salt, to taste 

1 cup diced avocado 

1 cup diced mango

 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

6 cups bite-size pieces lettuce (romaine, butter, red leaf or a combination) 

1/2 cup toasted, salted cashews

Method: For the Mojo Chicken, heat a medium skillet over medium high heat, add cumin seeds and toast, stirring constantly, until fragrant and slightly darker in color, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and add the cilantro, jalapenos and salt. Mash the mixture with the back of fork to form a coarse paste. Set aside.

In the same skillet, heat oil over medium high heat until very hot, but not smoking, about 3 minutes. Carefully pour hot oil over garlic-cilantro paste. (Be careful because the oil will sizzle and may splatter.) Whisk to blend and let rest for 10 minutes, or until cool.

When garlic-cilantro oil is at room temperature, whisk in orange and lime juices to make a marinade. Pour the marinade into a wide, shallow dish, add the chicken, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours. 

For the avocado mango salsa, whisk orange juice, lime juice, oil, garlic, zest, honey, soy sauce, and salt together to make a dressing. Transfer 6 tablespoons of the dressing to a bowl and toss together gently with the avocado and mango to make a salsa. Set salsa and remaining dressing aside.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and drain. Add chicken to skillet and cook until browned and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a platter, let rest for 5 minutes then cut each chicken breast horizontally into 1/3-inch thick slices. 

To serve, toss remaining dressing with the lettuce and mound onto 4 plates. Arrange chicken atop the greens and spoon the mango and avocado salsa over the chicken. Sprinkle with cashews and serve.

Ruby's all packed and ready to go-Tuesday,May 2

Our  favorite beach town along the Oregon Coast-Yachats-would love to live here !

It so reminds me of Mendocino 

 Home of incredibly delicious cinnamon croissants  

 We took Hwy 126 and pretty much followed the beautiful McKenzie River for about 130 miles

 Our little lunch spot along the river

Breathtaking Mount Washington just outside Sisters Oregon

I'm playing blog catch up and we are now at Crane Prairie RV Resort just south of Bend, OR.  The trip over from the coast was just breathtaking.  Sunny blue skies, the river alongside us and the mountain forests all around us.  We drove longer that we usually do since we decided not to make an overnight stop along the way-we were destination bound !  Happy to say we arrived at Crane Prairie on Tuesday and will be there until Friday.  Then we are heading into downtown Bend to check out the town-another possible place to settle down-I know NO OCEAN-but it has the Deschutes River and gorgeous mountains.  We shall see. Happy Trails-safe journeys to all of you.

Beachside State Park Oregon-Heaven on the Coast

Site 64-lots of sun and beach !

We left Seattle early Thursday morning, May 2nd.  The skies were that bright summer blue and the sun was shining - a perfect day for traveling.  We decided to stay on I5 for most of the trip instead of taking Hwy 101. We figured if we took 101 we would make a zillion stops along the way-which is what we usually do, but we just wanted to settle in at the Ocean and relax.

Once we hit Albany, OR we turned off onto Hwy 34.  We had never been on that road before so we didn't know what to expect. It is a beautiful road. Narrow and winding. Cutting through green forests  and open farmland.  Lots of curves, lots of climbing, but oh so beautiful.  Driving slow you feel the coolness rise up as you pass a tiny waterfall to your right coming down off the hillside. The cool air fills Ruby and smells fresh and green like the earth after a rainfall.  There is always something so familiar about Oregon.  We only lived there for a year but yet it feels like home.  Peacefulness settles over me when we are driving-whether it’s along the coast or through the forests or in the high desert-it just feels right.

We started beach walking Thursday night and by Sunday we were up to 5 miles a day and loving every moment

We were as excited as two little kids when we saw the sign for Beachside State Park. When we pulled in Thursday afternoon it was only about ½ full and our favorite site #64 was just waiting for us.  Gorgeous view of the ocean, a little windbreak of trees to the right-yes we love it here.  I would have to say that so far in all of our traveling, Beachside is in the top 3 of our favorite campsites. We quickly unpacked Ruby-so easy to do-hook up the water and electric; unload the beach chairs, set up the Nespresso (my one indulgence for Ruby) and put the cooler of beer and water in the shade outside. 20 minutes later we are sitting in our lawn chairs, enjoying the gorgeous view and having a cold beer.

I made a special (healthy) dinner for our first night. Kale, quinoa, edamame salad with tomatoes, avocado and mango along with grilled Rock-fish.  I marinated the fish in chopped basil, minced garlic, a little lemon juice and olive oil-oh so delicious.  The pictures don’t do it justice.  We mixed the left over fish in with the left over  salad and we will have fish tacos for lunch on Friday. I found the fabulous recipe for the salad over at Ambitious Kitchen 

Recipe below

The sunset was beautiful tonight-we couldn’t be more blessed and are so grateful for the life we get to enjoy. Peace.

Kale, Edamame, and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
 2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled (cook according to package directions)
 1 1/2 cup edamame beans, cooked and cooled
 3 cups finely chopped Tuscan kale, ribs removed
 1 cup sliced grape tomatoes
 1/2 red onion, diced
 1 mango, pitted and diced
 1 avocado, pitted and either sliced or diced
2 tablespoon toasted almonds or pumpkin seeds, if desired

For lemon vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
 1 garlic clove, minced
 1 teaspoon sugar 1 large basil leaf, chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste

To make dressing: place olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sugar, basil, and salt in blender or food processor. Blend/process for 10-15 seconds; set aside.

In medium bowl toss quinoa, kale, and edamame together; add lemon vinaigrette and toss so that the salad is fully coated. Place in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to let flavors soak in.

Before serving, toss salad again and add tomatoes, onion, mango, and avocado. Garnish with toasted almonds or pumpkin seeds if desired.

Monique from Ambitious Kitchen says 2-4 servings,it's more like 4-6.

Marinade for the Rock Fish- 4 filets
You can use this for any white fish
3 tablespoons crushed garlic
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together inside a large ziploc bag. Place the fish inside the bag. Toss them around inside the bag to ensure all the filets are coated with the marinade. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. You can use 1-2 tablespoons of olive -oil heated in a non stick skillet.  Add the fish 2 at a time,cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until opaque and browned.  Or you can place them directly on a grill and grill them until opaque. Serve with the above salad or over brown rice.  Either way,delicious !

Ruby's Progress and some Peanut Butter Cookie Rewards

“When you make a decision, you are really diving in a strong current that will bring you to places you never dreamed of when you first made that decision”

― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Don't these look yummy ?  So sad they are all gone-I had one and the rest were sent off to J's office.  I have a love hate relationship with them.  They love me for my baked goods but they hate me for breaking their diets.  Yes that's me, twisting everyone's arm,forcing them to eat these. Ha.  I made these using Ruby's oven. I wanted to see how they would turn out. Ruby didn't disappoint-they came out beautifully.  Now my next challenge is to try and bake these on our Cobb charcoal grill !  We are heading to the Oregon Coast this week and if the weather cooperates I may try this recipe.  

Love,love,love this recipe.  It's a one bowl wonder.  Everything gets mixed and blended in the same bowl.  And if you don't have the time or don't want to take the time to make the homemade marshmallow filling you can substitute Marshmallow fluff (gasp). I prefer homemade-no corn syrup. But again in small contained spaces, like Ruby, the Marshmallow fluff works. 

I think next time I do make these, I may try and dip them in melted chocolate-a little riff on a S'more. What do you think ?

 Area behind the driver's and passenger's seats with two seats removed-just waiting for the cabinets to be finished !

So the progress with Ruby is a little slow.  When you have a friend making the cabinets for you , you don't want to be pushy and demanding.  They are all cut and being assembled this week. Hopefully when we get back from the Oregon Coast they will be ready for installation.  All that means is a little bit more packing and unpacking and repacking from plastic containers on this trip to the coast.  But when they are installed ,it's going to be storage heaven. I've become a more patient person as I get older. 

Today, I hung the little storage baskets that I made.  The orange crab one contains headlamps,binoculars and outdoor patio lights; the middle one is Hailey's with her toys and pooper scooper bags; and the flamingo one has our hats and gloves.  I'm really getting organized.

Also ordered our inflatable kayaks this week.  I don't think they will be here in time for the Oregon Coast, but will definitely be here for our return trip to Cape Disappointment at the end of the month. Folding bicycles are our next major purchase-will have to wait to see the final cabinet bill to know if those are a May or June purchase.  I'm getting really really good at sticking to a budget.  I know my fashionista friends will find that hard to believe . I've kicked my boot/shoe buying habit ! (another huge gasp)    

What I find hard to believe is the amount of "stuff" that we have collected over the years.  As each day goes by it does get easier and easier to let go. Clothing and shoes are going to Northwest Community Service for the Blind.  We are pretty sure we are just going to hire someone to come in and hold an "Estate Sale" and be done with it.  Of course we should probably call it something else because we really don't have an "Estate",ha ha.  I admit it is a little frightening letting go of everything, but we figured out that what we would pay in storage,moving expenses and insurance would more than furnish a new place for us.  Okay,I have to get off the computer and get back to purging the basement.

Try this recipe-it's very good and you won't be disappointed.  If you make them in the campground , share and you will have friends for life ! Happy Trails and Bon Appetit.

This recipe is from Bakers Royale blog. You should check out Naomi's blog -it's gorgeous.

PEANUT BUTTER & MARSHMALLOW SANDWICH COOKIES

Ingredients:

1 cup natural peanut butter, smooth or crunchy

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

MARSHMALLOW FROSTING-this recipe makes a ton of frosting-so either make half of the recipe or double the cookie recipe .  I doubled the cookie recipe and got 3 dozen cookies.

5 large egg whites

1 1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.

To make peanut butter cookie: Place all ingredients in a stand mixer bowl and mix on low. Using a cookie scoop, drop 1 1/2 tablespoon of dough on bake sheet. Flatten cookie with a fork in criss-cross design. Bake cookies for about 10-15 minutes or until golden around the edges. Rest cookies on the baking sheet for 2-5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.

To make marshmallow frosting: Combine egg whites and sugar in a stand mixer bowl and place it over—not on, (think bain marie style) simmering water. Heat mixture to 160 degrees F while whisking constantly. Don't worry, it doesn't take long to get to 160 degrees. Transfer mixer bowl to stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium high speed (speed 8 on a KitchenAid stand mixer) until mixture cools, doubles in volume and forms stiff peaks; about 10-12 minutes.

Optional: You can use marshmallow fluff, in lieu of making homemade marshmallow frosting.

Happy Earth Day

“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit.”

― Edward Abbey                             

Present Moment

Remember the Glamping Fabric from here ? I finished the place mats today !

I don't want to jinx anything but I think Spring has finally arrived in Seattle.  Yesterday was such a gorgeous day.  Bright blue skies,a soft breeze creating little blossom snowstorms as I passed under the plum trees,and the feel of the warm sun on my face-just amazing.  I feel so grateful to be able to enjoy every single moment of it.  But , isn't there usually a but ?  I need to kick into gear and get serious about packing up the house so we can paint and do all the fun things to get ready to put it on the market.  I'm trying the self talk thing by reminding myself that the work I'm doing now will be done and soon we will be on the road.  I've been working really hard to stay in the moment and not day dream about taking off in Ruby in December.  It's so hard,especially on days like today.  I want to be out on the open road,getting ready to pull into a campground on the beach or out in the desert.  Sigh.

"The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.” 

― Thich Nhat Hanh

Present moment, concentrate,keep myself aware of today and enjoy it, who knows what comes next.  Lately I've been avoiding present moment . Present moment means going through things for "keep", "throw away" or  "donate" piles.  Letting go of possessions is a challenge.  I can't tell you how many times I've put my aunt's little porcelain plate into a box and pulled it out wondering if it's something I want to keep.  Last night laying in bed I came to a decision about having a garage sale-not going to happen !   I dislike having garage sales (love going to them).  There's a domestic violence shelter that we've donated to in the past and I've decided that's where everything is going to go. No haggling in the driveway over $1 or $2 for a frying pan. Now, I'm just trying to look at my possessions as , what do I need to live ?  And what is "fluff", nice to have but not necessary to exist.  It's the "fluff" that gets to you.  Those are the possessions that have the memories-you know the little collection of Eiffel Towers that takes you back to the streets of Paris; the mosaic mirrors that were intensely labored over; the tiny eclectic jewelry boxes picked up at garage sales-you get the picture.  Oh and don't forget the two boxes of photo albums, collected before I went totally digital !  Those are the most difficult to let go of.  Will I really forget the excitement of camping on the Pacific coast trail if I don't have a picture of it ? No,the memory will never fade.

 I almost feel a little guilty over collecting "things" for Ruby.  But what I'm learning from this house cleaning is how to let go of the "fluff". And especially since Ruby has limited storage I don't have a choice, unless we end up hauling a trailer behind Ruby and that is not going to happen !  What I'm trying to do is make everyday items special-like the shabby chic place mats I just finished.  You remember the fabric I bought here ?  Well they worked out beautifully-and now when we are sitting out at the picnic table I'll remember sitting in my sun room,looking out at the birds and flowers in the backyard as I was sewing them. Sigh.

It's another gorgeous day in Seattle and I'm in my "present moment mode",packing and sorting. Enjoy your day and your moment.

"A good life is when you assume nothing, do more, need less, dream big, laugh a lot and realize how blessed you are."

Unknown

If you know anyone who is interested in a gorgeous mosaic life size mermaid,handmade by me ,let me know.  There is no room inside Ruby for her,and she's been moved to a "try to sell list".  Email me if you are interested ♥

Ruby's Getting a Makeover

It seems like months since we were at Cape Disappointment and it's only been  a few weeks.  I would love to be on the road or at a campsite somewhere,anywhere , it doesn't matter.  Instead, I'm camping out in the alley behind our house working on projects for Ruby our Sprinter van.  Ruby is in the process of getting a makeover.  Since we plan on being on the road for at least 2 years we decided we needed a little more storage than just the cabinets that came with Ruby.  I don't know about you but I just feel happier and more content when everything is organized and put in its place. Nothing worse than waking up in the morning and seeing the counter littered with a coffee pot,dishes and pans ,food,you get the picture.  If you are laying in bed at home the kitchen usually isn't 5 feet away from your pillow.  But when you are living in 125 square feet it can't be avoided.

This is what our Roadtrek looks like with the 4 seats .

 We removed the seat behind the front passenger seat and that will be replaced with a cabinet that will hold folding bicycles and our Cobb Grill. The seat behind the driver's seat will be replaced with a 2 door cabinet that will house a total of 6 pull out drawers-wahoo. Our friend Dave is in the process of building the cabinets for us.  He does custom work for boats so I'm really excited to see the finished product .  And I can't wait to organize the drawers  with all my cookware and bakeware. I've been inspired by Monica,over at Just 5 Minutes More.  Her organizational skills are amazing-you need to check out her gorgeous blog too.

 It feels so good to see everything all neatly organized !

 I have already converted the hanging closet to a storage closet. I got the idea from the Class B forum for RV owners here.  And I found a wonderful site called Organize-It -they will cut the shelves to your custom dimensions-love that !  I did leave a little room to hang 2 jackets-remember we are downsizing,so we won't be carrying a different jacket for every season or whim. I'm sure my fashionista friends are gasping for breath right now and can't believe it. Now that I've finished putting up the shelves , I'm just waiting for the label maker from Amazon so I can go crazy labeling everything in the containers. Are you sensing a little OCD here ? Maybe just a little.

Photo from TheMotherHuddle.Com

My next project is to make these cute fabric storage baskets that I spotted on a blog called The Mother Huddle.  Click here to see her fabulous tutorial and to get an idea of what my finished product will look like. I'm not putting all 3 baskets on the same rod,each one of mine will have its own rod. I found some very cute beach motif type fabrics at Sew Fabulous Quilt Shop.

Fabric combinations for my hanging baskets

Ruby has a little beach theme going, since one of the first things I bought to make her our home was a darling flip flop quilt from the Company Store.

My favorite quilt

Next on my list of projects, is to finish the bathroom. Storage in there is very very limited .  One little slide out drawer and that is it.

See what I mean ? No bathroom storage

 So I found this great little wall organizer at Land of Nod.  I had planned on spray painting it a high gloss white but I liked the aqua color when it arrived,so until I get tired of it,it will stay aqua. Hanging it was definitely a challenge .  In an RV you don't have walls like you have at home so you really have to adapt and have a large collection of very short screws !  Now to keep it from clanging around while we are traveling, I'm going to put some heavy duty Velcro on the back of it,and more Velcro on the inside bathroom door  and it should be fine.

Land of Nod

Another small project that won't take long at all, is my plan to attach this cute little shelf I got from Urban Outfitters right below the TV.  When we wake up in the morning we like to have our coffee in bed and I'm always looking for a little place to set my coffee-this is perfect.

Urban Outfitters

And finally today I finished cutting up some material for place mats-I love this Glamping fabric I found at the West Seattle Fabric shop.  I'm in the process of making the place mats this week so I'll update you with pictures when they are finished.

West Seattle Fabric Shop Glamping !

My family thinks we are crazy for taking off in our little Ruby.  I think it's the beginning of a  marvelous adventure.  We have just about as much space as someone living on board a small boat. We've always lived in small houses so we've never been used to having more space than we know what to do with !  In Ruby, we have enough space to give each of us our own personal space when we need those quiet moments away from each other.  And when the weather is nice,well the entire outdoors is our kitchen,living room and dining room .

Hailey has her own little bed in the front of Ruby when we settle in for the night.  And the back doors are fully screened so we can sleep with the doors open if we choose.  We started our life together camping and and that's how we plan on celebrating our retirement. Come follow us on our adventure-our target to hit the road full time is December 2013 ! Fingers crossed that the house will sell this summer. We will also be looking for a place to settle down in when we are ready. In the meantime we will still be doing some trips -Oregon in May and back to Lopez Island in August and Montana in September.  Maybe the Methow in October-depends on the weather. One day at a time !

“One’s destination is never a place,

but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller