RV Stove Cover

While traveling and staying in our RV is one of my favorite things to do, as with any RV, space is limited.

You need to think creatively in order to maximize your space while keeping with your chosen decor.

In my kitchen, I had unused space where the stove was located.  It has a glass cover, which is great, but I didn't want to put anything on it for fear of breaking it.

So... I came up with a solution.

I made a quick trip to Lowes to purchase some wood in their craft wood section.

You can find these precut smaller boards in the wood area.  They were perfect for what I had in mind.

I grabbed the 24-inch long pine boards.

I got 5 of the 4 inch wide ones and 3 at 2 inches wide.

I did a semi-mock layout to make sure that none of the boards were warped.

Home I went.

I removed all the stickers from the boards.  These tend to leave a bit of residue, but that is easily sanded off.

I made an "X" on the back of each board so that I would know which side was which.  

I did this after inspecting the boards and picking the "better" side for my top.

On my kitchen counter, I "stacked" the 4 inch wide boards from front to back.

I used 2 pennies to create the width between each board.  This was strictly the width that I wanted, but there is no hard and fast rule.

Using the 2-inch boards as guides, I straightened and squared the 5 boards.

I did this on both sides, essentially "sandwiching" the pieces square.

Since the 24-inch length was too much on the 2-inch boards, I made a pencil mark and used my chop saw to cut them down to the length needed.

I laid these out on each side of the top to get an initial feel of what I had in mind.

I found an old matchbook in the junk drawer and used that to create the width from the side to the bracing board.

It's not technical, it's just simply easy.

I flipped the bracing board over and put dots of Gorilla Wood Glue ONLY where there would be wood to wood contact.

I avoided the gaps created by the pennies.  I didn't want wood glue oozing down into those gaps.

Once they were glued up, I flipped them over and used the matchbox to once again position the brace.

I let it dry overnight then added a few finish nails through the back for added security.

I placed a piece of lathe strip (I already had) in the front, evening it up with the bracing boards and hanging it a bit below the bottom.

This will be the front and I want it to "catch" on the edge of the stovetop.

I added the other 2-inch piece to the back, flush with the bottom.  This created a raised lip for the back of the stove area.

While all of this was drying, I made a trek back to Lowes to get some paint.

I grabbed this beige color sample pot that was already made up and on display.

I painted the entire cover two times.

It could have been done at this point, but I wanted to give it a bit more character.

Using a sanding block, I distressed areas on the cover that would have naturally been worn over time.

These included the braces and edges of the entire cover.

It exposed natural wood, which is what I wanted for the next part of this build.

I pulled out my Antiquing Glaze and began rubbing small globs of glaze over the cover.

I used an old white undershirt for this part.

The trick was to rub on and then rub over and off, moving the glaze around the piece to age it.

It looks different on the painted areas versus the sanded areas, but that is why the sanding is so important.

To avoid the piece looking "dirty" with the glaze over the paint, I used the same cloth to dry rub some more of the paint onto the piece, over some of the glazed areas.

To finish it off I added 3 strips of corkboard that I already had.

These were glued using the same wood glue and work perfectly to keep the wood from scratching the glass stovetop.

When I was done, here's what I had.

After a thin spray of polyurethane, it was ready to go on the stove in the RV.

I love it and look at all the extra room it gives me.

24 inches of extra room to be exact.

We don't travel with it on the stove but store it between the recliner and wall.  I don't want to risk the chance of it breaking the glass cover.

This was an easy and light skilled needed project that now gives me more versatility with prep in the RV kitchen.

Happy travels ahead!

Succulent Gnome Garden

Last year, while perusing Big Lots for garden and outdoor decor, I found a sweet set of Gnomes with an Airstream trailer and some camping paraphernalia.  I scooped it up and made a garden in a large round container.

I kept indoors over the winter, trying to save as many of the succulents as possible.  I was successful with about 1/3 of the plants once Spring rolled around again.

So, it was time to regroup, replant, and once again set my little Gnome couple back into the camping mode.

Here's what it looked like after the winter was over.

Not too shabby considering that succulents like a dry hot setting.

The Jade (right) and Ogre Ears (left) flourished pretty well.

The Echeveria (front)...not so much.  These flower-like succulents really need sunlight.  When they are deprived, they will grow up and become "leggy" as they reach for the sun.  In addition, they will bend.  Once this had occurred, they will never go back to the compact "flower" they once were.

But, you can salvage it if you're willing to put in the time.

If you snap off a few of the hearty leaves, right at the "trunk" of the plant and then lay them in damp (not wet) soil in a few weeks you will have these sweet little babies.

Keep them in the sun as much as possible and ONLY WATER when the soil is dry.  I use a large syringe to direct water below their little leaves.

Once you are ready to plant them, just pull off the large leaf and place them right on top of damp soil. Their roots will grab and take hold.  

Now, back to the garden...

I removed all of the pieces, including dead plants and the Echeveria in the front.

I also made sure to check out the Jade and Ogre Ears for leaves that were spent.  These too get removed.

I scraped my hands through the soil to get larger bits of the debris before I added a topping of clean Cactus Soil.

TIP:  While you can essentially plant succulents in regular soil, it's BEST to plant them in a cactus soil made for these type of plants.  Because succulents thrive best in dry settings, you want your soil to drain quickly once it's been wetted.  The plants like to have very dry feet

Here's what I had with to restart with.

I placed my Gnome couple, the camper, and the campfire where I wanted them to be.

I had taken an early trip to Lakeside Nursery and picked up my first round of succulents.  It's by no means the last trip and I was there for other flowers and quickly grabbed a few to start.

I don't know about you, but these are my favorite type of plants and I just absolutely LOVE THEM!!!

Echeveria varieties are my favorite.  These resemble peonies but are hardier and easier to grow.

When you take the succulent out of it's growing pot, hold it gently as close to its stem as possible.  Look for dried and dead leaves around the base of the plant.  Gently pull them and they will come right off.  You can also pull leaves that are starting to brown or are starting to look transparent - like they are water-logged.  These leaves will also feel squishy and not firm like healthy leaves.  

You can also pull off the bottom half of the root ball.  Gently shake and work the soil loose.

I planted two varieties in this pot.  Look at the purples and pinks with the soft frosted greens in this one.  It's so beautiful.

The frosty blue-green on this Echeveria is beautiful as well.  You can see the small Jade shoots I replanted from another pot just behind this plant.

A good trick when planting succulents is to add small rocks and stones in areas where there is "free space."  I think it adds an organic touch to all my pots.  It's where they would be in nature anyway.

And here's to pot all done.

My sweet Gnome couple is just swinging away, in front of their campfire, beside their gnome away from gnome.  (Dad joke!)

Notice the layers of rocks and the Echeveria babies next to the camper.

Part of the appeal of using little vignettes with succulents is that you don't have rapid growth that eventually covers over your little creatures and the setting.  If you add traditional plants, you will need to groom and prune them often or they will be lost under the jungle of growth.

But again, there are no rules, so just plant what you want and enjoy it.

I'm calling this pot a success.  The little Gnome couple seems happy with it!

Happy Saturday!

RV Living

When I was a child, my parents purchased a gently used travel trailer.  They took that trailer to a local RV park near Fenwick Island, Delaware, and we officially had a beach getaway.

In fact, that trailer was eventually replaced with a new one and I spent several summers living in and working at the local beaches in both Delaware and Maryland.  I spent my summers honing my waitressing skills and saving money for the winter months.

Living in an RV was easy for me.  I loved it, especially as I became a college student and was able to spend much of the time there on my own.

Fast, fast forward to present day.

Hubby and I have our own RV, however, this one we pull to different places along the east coast, enjoying retirement in our home away from home.

I want to take you on a little tour of our RV and show you just HOW EASY it is to "glamp."  Along the way, I'll tell you the reasons we love having our "getaway" on wheels.

Photo credit:  Grand Design

Photo Credit:  Grand Design

This is not the first RV we purchased.  We had a Class C (drivable camper with a truck front) for a little less than a year when we traded it in for this Fifth Wheel model.  We also purchased a Ford F250 to pull it.

As you can see from the image above, the RV is spacious, especially with the 3 slides that open up the living and sleeping areas.  Because the living area is in the back of the RV, the ceilings are also higher than up the stairs into the bedroom.

What drew me to this design especially was the island and hutch area in the kitchen.  I loved the finishes as well.  The rustic flooring and beaded paneling accents added to the charm and my design style.

Want to see inside

Welcome to our Home on Wheels!

Here is what you see when you first enter.  My large island, the bead-board paneling, and the hutch.  Yep, that's solid surface countertops and a 4-door refrigerator.  I have a 3 element gas stove and oven with a micro above.

I was able to shop my house for decor items, pulling in rustic accents and adding my little fox touches.  Of course, we have YL diffusers just for the RV as well.

The green glass cookie/snack jar was my grandmother's.  I love having it in the RV.

Years ago, I had found these companion pictures at a local antique store.  I had never hung them anywhere, so they stayed stashed in a cupboard.  When we bought the RV I knew they would look perfect on the wall of the hutch.  In fact, their colors set the tone for the colors in the rest of the RV.

I have found the Command hooks have held EVERYTHING very well in our RV.  We are heading into our 3rd year, and not once has anything fallen off our walls.

Another item that I pulled from my home was a few of the Longaberger baskets I had collected over the course of 20 years.  If you remember, these baskets were all the rage.  The company has since closed, and over the years I've sold and/or auctioned many of my baskets.  However, I did keep the ones that were very functional, like these here.  

When we are traveling down the road, these are stored under the sink.  They take the motion very well and done add any weight to the overall RV.

By the sink I keep lotion and dish detergent in these jars, sitting on top of a rustic cutting board I scored from Marshals.  

One of the best things about this model is the pantry.  Behind this door is a floor to ceiling pantry that holds so much stuff.  I often travel with a crock pot, foodstuff, trays, Ninja blender, toaster, etc...  This pantry has loads of storage and lipped shelves to keep things from rolling forward.  I have several different Dollar Tree bins and baskets inside which also help to steady things and keep them organized when camping.

Across from the kitchen is our dining area.  The table used to be turned the other way and there are 4 chairs available.  We decided to turn the table lengthwise and leave a pair of chairs at home.  When we are camping, we tend to eat lunches out and dinners at home.  If the weather permits, we always eat outside.  This table gets more use for writing than it does meals!

In the large living area is our seating.  This couch turns into a bed.  Stored underneath is the mattress topper (because most pull outs are not that comfortable).  Stored above are the extra sheets and a blanket.  

You can see that I do pull out several decorator items.  I found a storage ottoman at TJ Maxx.  It doubles as a coffee table, but more importantly, it stores most of the decorative items when traveling.  

Next to the sofa are a pair of reclining chairs.  I usually sit in the far one.  The pup usually lounges in the other.  We even have a fuzzy rug we place there for her to sleep on.

Next to the pantry is our large TV and electric fireplace.  Yep.  This RV has a fireplace.  

Many RV parks have cable hookup.  We also have a built-in DVD player.  We typically bring around 20 or so movies with us when we travel.  We have a traditional movie we watch each time (weird I know, but it's something we enjoy) and then we watch the others if the mood strikes us.

I use Dollar Tree bins to organize the movies and many other things in the cupboards and drawer here.

In the hallway, going up the 2 steps, I placed 2 wooden inlay box tops that were originally my sister-in-laws.  I love the rustic feel of these, and love that they have a family history.

The bathroom, though big by RV standards, is hard to photograph.  I did want to share a shot of the sink area with the peel and stick vinyl tiles above the sink. (I also used these above the stove.)  Many RVers have used these peel and stick as well as real tiles when "upgrading" their RV interiors.

Another aspect of this model that really caught my eye was the built-in dresser with 7 drawers.  Because space is limited in an RV, when you have the ability to store things in a compact way without adding too many additional pieces, you're golden.

I've added a few decor items, including this Goodwill brass lamp that I thrifted.

I wanted the lamp to be ambient lighting as there are lights built into the ceiling already.  This lamp stores easily when traveling and is the perfect height for the dresser.  What you cannot see here is a set of overhead cupboards - perfect additional storage for the bedroom.

In the front of the RV, in the part that has the hitch below and hangs over the truck bed is our walk-in closet.  We've used this hanging shoe unit (Wal*Mart) to organize our shoes; it provides easy access.  It also separates our clothes towards the sides.  

This closet is large because it also has hook-ups for an RV grade washer and dryer.  We don't plan to have one simply because there are usually very nice laundry facilities at the campgrounds where we've stayed.  This also leaves us copious amounts of storage to the right and left of the space.  There are removable shelves there and I also have some plastic containers with items like beach towels and extra blankets.

On the only wall available, I placed brown vinyl branches (Amazon) and a photograph of 2 fox cubs that we purchased at an art show while visiting Vermont last fall.

Finally, the bed (which is on a spring lever and has storage underneath) has a Wal*Mart duvet cover in a soft coral, complete with pillows that I made from fabric that I already had.

Traveling and living in an RV is one of my favorite things to do.  It allows us to vacation anywhere we want on the continent while saving loads of money at the same time.

Cost per night at campgrounds vary, but on average, it's around $50 per night.  You cannot find a hotel suite (because that would be the equivalent to an RV) for that kind of money.

I also get to pack and unpack my belongings right in my own driveway.

We can also save money on meals because we cook while camping.  Our meals are usually pre-planned, and we've developed some tried and true options that are our staple meals when on the road.

It's never "roughing it" when you have an RV.

Plus, I'd never break my own personal rule of sleeping on the ground in a tent...

I'm just not that kind of gal!

Happy Camping!