So today was the day that Agnes got her color. Finally. I have been around and around with various color palettes. Want her to be different, not the typical retro look, but still classic. She is after all, a classy girl, strong but subtle. Has her own style and doesn't give in to tradition or trends. I love color and there are so many options. But in the end I decided to keep her fairly simple with a few fun details (to be added later).
Because there are tons of variations on what the color white actually is, I decided to keep her just basic. As much as I wanted her to have "Polar Bear" white, I did not want her to be in any way cream. I think the actual white is "ultra base white", but I've decided to call it "marshmallow cream". For her color, I wanted a vintage-y look without being retro. I want richness without being dull. Extremely challenging to try to select in the store as really looks completely different on. And so different in sun or clouds or shade. Her color changes from a kind of apricot to a dusty rose. I had originally wanted to add black accents, but seems too harsh. I think brown suits Agnes and me much better. She is warmer that way.
Teaching my brother-in-law how to use my Dremel cutting wheel
Design ideas..even cottage white is far too yellow.
Nature helps out as a backdrop
Mom helping dry so we can make most use of paint in sprayer
So we masked her off. It would have been really nice to follow one of the ribs all the way around, but of course she is different on every side. And even following the imaginary line left us about 3 inches off when we got back to where we started. We decided to lower the front side to match the front. Really have to accept improvisations when working with old crooked girl. It's ok. I actually kind of like a little quirkiness. I'll just pretend it was intentional..
We intended the front part to be lower, yeah...
Protecting my girl
My uncle left this tool. Worked much better than I expected.
I think Agnes is blushing
Damn, that Frog tape works a hell of a lot better than blue painter's tape. So impressed.
Her color changes in the light. All I can think of is calamine lotion from when I was little.
It took us a bit to mask off the areas, but the actual painting took about 10 minutes for each coat. I used frog tape and was anxious to see what happened when we removed. I have painted a lot and always used blue painter's tape with disappointing results. I couldn't believe how perfect the line was! I think maybe 2 spots that bled through. I'm sold.
Met a most awesome couple on the side of the road. They've been traveling the US for 25 years. Immaculate bus.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Been spending more time out in Campo. Trying to get Agnes' shit together. I see the end in mind. See the finished project. Wondering what will happen when I'm done. She is really starting to come to life and find her place. Her beauty and personality is really starting to come through. I feel responsible. For taking something that had been so neglected and finding beauty in. I want to make her sparkle, proud. She has become a symbol for so much in my life. Made me look at my own flaws. What can be fixed and what is just is. What I have to accept and embrace. She is kind of my living journal in a way. My one of two mirrors.
I love lists
Most happy outside
Most fun new tool
Naked Agnes
Mom always ready to help
After some trial and error with several paint sprayers, found the perfect solution. Can't believe how easy it was! Seriously only took about 35 minutes to spray everything.
This sprayer is the best!
This was so much fun:)
Hell yeah!!
Dremel accessories. Way more fun that jewelry
Left screws loose so I can replace with stainless steel screws later. And also feathered ridges before second coat
Improvising
Practice makes perfect-all better now
Meow
Saturday, October 26, 2013
So apparently Agnes is crooked. Maybe she was that way all along and I just never noticed. Maybe I only saw potential and end and didn't see her real flaws. Maybe there are some things that are just crooked and can't be fixed and I just have to accept that she is not perfect and has her quirks. But that is what I love most. That's what gives her soul and personality. She constantly tests my patience. Pushes me to wit's end. Forces me to accept all her inconsistencies and improvise.
We had to cut the wood and piece together to make her ceiling work. Not sure if this was best solution, but was the only way we could figure out.
Major improvising on my crooked roof.
Best birthday presents!
We have a pumpkin patch!
Triple checking window framing
Putting her back together was more like a Rubik's cube than a puzzle. Kind of interesting how that overflows into life. Things overlap and are not linear...
Success
Making things fit
Kinda hard to stretch metal...
What color should Agnes be?
Silly color model
Roof is stapled on! Pretty big step
I don't fuck around. Let me at it.
Agnes looking kinda pathetic
Sanding. Sanding. Sanding. Sanding. Can't feel thumb and still sanding...
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J rail is on! We were able to salvage the original :)
Putty tape. Overkill to prevent water damage.
Oh, why can't I live a life for me?
Why should I take the abuse that's served?...I'm not the one that's so absurd
Agnes has a sense of humor but is quite happy to just be herself. Halloween 2013.
So, I'm getting a little excited. Or am I? Agnes is starting to come together. Just a few more visits and I will be prepping her for paint. That will be the ultimate transformation. She has been my driving force for awhile now. And as I start to see the end actually in sight, I wonder what I will do after. I relish in the thought of completing, but I know I will have to move on to the next phase of my life. Face certain things. What will that be? Anticipation makes me hyper. I feel certain things in limbo...
I have so many ideas. But they are bigger and require more in many ways. I try to hold on to my ideals that anything is possible, even if I don't have the slightest idea how. I have been holding onto this idea so tightly for a while now, afraid to let it slip away or give in. Not that I think I need to do something grand to change the world. I want to live in the world I create. It's mine. It's whatever I want it to be and I am determined to keep it that way. But wanting something I do to add to the world-add some kind of beauty or contemplation. Determined to be driven by beauty and creating and pushing myself. I feel a little crazy at times. Ok, a lot crazy. But I like that. I feel the most real I have ever felt, and it's quite an addicting feeling. I am fairly good at making a fool of myself. I really like just being me, despite the consequences. But I expect more. I expect everything. Why shouldn't I or anyone? I don't think I am creatively talented or adventurous by nature. Not the stereotypical free spirit. But I have a little spark that I want to be and that's my favorite part of myself. Tapping into what's inside. I feel the universe more than ever right now. And I refuse to let go. There is something pulling me. A unsaid magnet that keeps me going...my mirror.
Agnes may seem like a little hobby to keep me busy, but she has meant much more than that. I always had the drive in me, but until this last year, felt alone in that. Lost. It's amazing how your life can change and you can be inspired to feel like you can do anything, be completely yourself. To feel safe. The idea of throwing myself into the next project is exciting and scary at the same time. But it seems to be where I am most comfortable. I love the ridiculous. I love the beauty of the mundane. I love passionate people who throw themselves into things. People who can't help it, who don't give a fuck. And maybe I am better at recognizing and appreciating that instead of being that totally myself. But it inspires me. I truly believe anything is possible. I've kind of figured out that I work toward being content, it's natural. But being content is not enough. I need to challenge myself more. Take more risks. I still have that hesitation embedded in me, but working on it. Funny how a little trailer and others can affect. Deciding to do something. Just need to decide. In the meantime, I take comfort in trees and critters and most of all, in my moon and stars.
Ok, so I was a bit uncertain about the plumbing and propane aspects of my little caravan. After spending so much time and effort on the electricity, two new completely unfamiliar tasks seemed slightly daunting. Would it take me as long? :/ The stove had copper pipes still attached, although we had cut them~yeah I remember that day over a year ago-"Just cut them, I will figure out later". How to get propane tank properly attached? Oh, after much research and trips to various RV stores, I was convinced I would have to learn how to flare the end of copper tubing to make work. Then get hard black pipe. Then get rubber hose. Then get regulator. Randy, the nice and extremely helpful man in the photo below, asked me if I even knew if my oven worked. Alas, I did not. And how could I even check without figuring out and buying and attaching? So many questions. He told me to hook up the propane from a barbeque. Sounded easy enough. I was a tad apprehensive, though. What if it went haywire and set Agnes on fire? What if she just went "poof"? I mean everything is really old and I have no idea what previous owners/squatters had done to her...I have really no idea how propane actually works :/
Had my firefighter brother in law over and a fire extinguisher handy (he humored me). We tested. And everything worked! It seemed too easy. No issues? No roadblocks? No leaks? No-we are going to have to start from scratch with the oven? I jumped with glee as we watched the blue line of flames slowly light up across. Well, hot damn, now I can bake a cake when on my roadtrip! Yippee! And I found out that all I needed was one rubber hose all the way to the propane tank. All hooked up and ready to go.
Randy-Such patience
Old copper pipes
Dirty stove-will clean up later..
Yeah, this is what I was envisioning...
Fire! Fire!
So happy :)
Propane, check. Next up, plumbing. So apparently I left a crucial piece of original pipe at a store the week before. It was supposed to go here >>
...Never fear, Campo has the coolest hardware store-can't believe the had the exact piece I needed
Let the plumbing commence!
For some reason, the fact that the pipe found its own way into what I like to think is an umbrella holder made me smile...it's a plumbing rainbow :)
Most fun new tool
My cute little water pump
Water in, water out
Looks about right
Another fun tool for the day- drilling large holes in wood
Chipping off old nut-I was really happy to save original piece
Bits and pieces...
no leaks!! :D
Saw this little gem up the street. Knocked on the door to ask if I could take a look inside. I swear the woman who answered was at least 75. She said she fixes up trailers to sell. The next week the metal was fixed. The week after that it was painted.
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Harvest
The tiniest of hitchhikers <3
Um, the tarp is slightly sun deteriorated. In better news, Agnes has a pretty new frame...
