The Stuff Of My Dreams

I treated myself to a new book last week after seeing some of the pages reproduced in Coast magazine. I've always had a major passion for any type of thing that can be prettified and turned into a cute little homey hideaway, you know, sheds, summerhouses, beach huts, caravans, camper vans and the such like. Have never owned any of these things mind you (excepting a very small shed full of spiders and dirty underused garden tools), but ooooohhhh I've certainly dreamed long and hard about these sorts of places. I just love-love-love the whole idea of creating a Cosy Happy Place in which one can while away some hours and be surrounded by cosy cuteness. Comfy seats, cushions, blankets, dinky little curtains hanging at dinky little windows etc. And if this Cosy Happy Place happens to be on wheels and can take one away on holiday too, then woohoo so much the better. Yes, this is the Stuff Of My Dreams.

This book really is visually very lovely indeed. The blurb on the back tells you that the book contains "forty stylish caravans of all vintages from across the world. Packed with inspirational photography. Exploring how people refurbish and customise their caravans. A visual voyage into the unexpectedly stylish world of modern caravanning". 

Ooooo Ok, so quite a quirky but very trendy-cool subject then. Cos it's all about style and vintage and being cool, obviously.

But you see, personally I'm not too fussed about the Vintage Credentials or about being Cool or Trendy or Stylish. No, just show me Interior Prettiness please. I want to see dinky curtains and brightly coloured melamine plates......

........pretty tins and lovely cutlery, and oh oh yes some bunting too, and if there could possibly be a blanket or two I would certainly be jigetty-jigging with the pleasure of it all.

 

Ah yes yes yes!!!! Page twenty and I see a crochet GRAnNy BlanKet and I'm oh so happy, doing a jigetty-jig!!!!

Aren't these images just adorable? Heart-skippingly lovely and sweet and the stuff that my Cosy Happy Place dreams are made of. For sure.

Would you like to know more about the delightful vintage caravan on these pages??

 

Here she is....she is called Constance, and is owned by a very nice lady called Lucy (haha, no not me, although I wish). Now Constance is no stranger to me as it happens, I have come across her before in fact, over in Flickrville.

Yes, I have drooooooled over the above image of Constance's interior more times than I can remember.

 

I have swooned over that blanket. And the cushions. Curtains too.

Oh and the bunting, the floor, the Greengate tins, the spotty tray. Yes I have swooned, admired, desired and been inspired by Constance for a long time now. She is the Stuff Of My Dreams.

I emailed Constance's owner last week and told her how much I was in love with her caravan, how the Granny Square blanket made me go weak at the knees. I asked her pretty-please could I share these pictures with you all, cos I wanted to show you the Stuff Of My Dreams. And she very kindly said that Yes I could most certainly bring Constance to Attic24 to show you all.

But that's not all.

No, there's more.

As well as the lovely Constance, Lucy also has a fleet of amazingly adorable VW camper vans that she hires out through her company Snailtrail. Oh my friends, you are going to LOVE these campers so much....take a look at some of the interiors....

 

First up we have Betty, doesn't she have the most beautiful interior?

 

This is Elsie......oh her blankie is so so so yummy in all it's grannified squariness!

 

And this is Flo...oooooooo spots and dots and great big granny squares and mugs of tea with jammy croissants!!!

How FAbUlOus!!!! 

How beautiful and fun and inspiring and heart-skippy these pictures are!!!!!!!

OK, I shall stop exclaiming now, shall calm myself down and talk in a normal voice.

Now then....as you may or may not have guessed by now, this post does in fact have something more behind it other than me just hyperventilating over other peoples caravan/camper interiors.

I shall not beat about the bush....shall tell you without further ado that on the 1st of May we made a New Purchase for our little family here at number 24. Rather a big New Purchase.

Yes, we bought ourselves a Caravan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just an ordinary type of English caravan you understand, nothing cool or trendy or vintage.

But she is ours, all ours, and we are so so so so so so so so excited here at number 24!!!!!!!!!!

She's 18 years old and has been lovingly used by two families (brother and sister) and is now about to become the Stuff Of My Dreams. 

You see at the moment she looks quite ordinary, a little shabby, a little tired.

 

Inside she has some rather dubious carpet and quite a lot of dusky pink and beige going on.

 

But in my Minds Eye I have already given her an Attic24 makeover, I can see her so clearly!! (remember The Chair, remember how clever my Minds Eye is??!) She is going to be made to look beautiful, colourful, cosy, happy, heart-skippy. Yes, I can assure you I've got it all worked out already. Can't wait to get started.

We're taking her out tomorrow, we are spending our first night caravanning at a local site in the woods near Bolton Abbey. I hope it's going to be the first of many, many happy days (and nights) spent holidaying with her, I really do.

Excited??

Ohhhhhhhhhh YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Comments

[Allyson]

What fun!

[GerryART]

Yipeeee! ! ! !
Yes ! ! !
I Am In Love ! !!
Love the photos.
Love the book.

Can't wait to see the transition your little trailer will go through.

We're right here with you, Lucy

Hugs & ♥♥♥s,
Gerry

[Sharon]

Oh Congratulations to you and your family on your new Caravan. I cannot wait to see what you do with it. I am so excited for you.

[FarmgirlCyn (Cindy)]

Wonder of wonders! I cannot wait to see what you will do with your new itty bitty nest!

[The Garden Bell - Kate]

So jealous. I can't wait to see what you do with this lovely addition to the family. I'm more than excited. Scooter doesn't know what he is in for on my next Xmas list. Truly, we don't see many over here in the U.S. in the backyard, unless junky. But, I could always be a first.

So, with this and the other new little one, just how are you getting any sleep at all. I'd be up all night dreaming up fun things. Please, please, do show some WIP as you go along, don't hold back until the end.

Off to check out your advise and see what her blog is like. I'm sure to follow there. And no, I just don't follow anyone. Only the special ones.

Have a Happy Relaxing, Remodeling Dream Weekend,
Kate - The Garden Bell

[Liz M]

Congratulations on your new caravan - DH & I dreamed of a camper once we had kids & haven't quite got there, but have enjoyed a few trips out in out parent's (beige) caravan! You must try to get to Chatsworth -gorgeous site with acres of parkland to explore!

[Caz from Never Knew]

Ohhhh, this IS exciting! So happy for you all.

And, from a more selfish perspective, I'm also excited because we have an OLD, VERY SHABBY, NEGLECTED caravan on at the bottom of our backyard!

It is so old and forgotten that it "came with the house" when we moved here a year ago. I have been wondering if/how there is any way to make it pleasant and habitable; it seemed like just too big a job - impossible, in fact.

But now that you've got this super-dooper project to work on, I'm going to be able to have a sticky-beak at your work, your ideas, and maybe, MAYBE, it might be just possible to do something to the thing at my place!

So thank you so very much for sharing! I am VERY excited and can't wait to see how it transforms! :-)

xxxxxx

[Krista]

WOWEE!!! How amazingly fun. I just have to say...an oven??!!! Your caravan has a real, live OVEN???!!! That is very unusual for a north american trailer. Can't wait to hear how the Bolton Abbey wkd goes. I'm sure it's going to be the bestest.

[Marcia]

I'm so happy for you! And, looking forward to seeing all the changes you will make. Keep us posted with lots of pics.

[Karen Case]

Oh so cool. I can't wait to see what you do with your new camper. Pictures please...

[Katelyn Likes This]

Oh, my man would love these. He keeps begging me to get a "fishbowl" camper!

[freefalling]

OH MY GOD!!!
Hyperventilating!!!
I also have an unnatural love for caravans.
I hope you have hours and hours of fun rambling all over the countryside.
Cant wait to see it all Attic24'afied.

You might like to look at this website - it has some great photos and practical information.
http://www.vintagecaravans.com/

Wanna see my caravan?
She is called Hester the Fiesta (made by the now defunct Fiesta caravan company in Mildura, Australia).
http://tiny.cc/p3q3n

At the moment she's living over at my shed
http://tiny.cc/m6j0b

and is girlfriend to my Morris Minor, Clarrie
http://tiny.cc/t6ise

[rosecampion]

Oh, that's so lovely. I've always wanted a caravan, but we have no place to park one, nor car to tow it with.

I can't wait to see what incredible things you do with yours!

And I'm sure your kids will remember your caravanning trips as the best times of their childhood. I know I remember the camping trips we took as kids so fondly.

[Jennifer]

I was going to mention Happy Loves Rosie's blog as well... great minds! A great book indeed.

[Patty]

Our family has camped for years. It has made for some of our best family memories. ENJOY!!

[Maura O., U.S.]

Oh my goodnight shirt Lucy!!! You are about the cutest little thing. In my mind you seem a little like Mary Poppins/Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music. You so brighten my day:) I love all your colorful descriptions of everything you love and I definitely have a lot of the same style. I think that your new purchase is very exciting and I can't wait to see the transformation! In the meantime though have a wonderful time with your family in your new little camper:)

[Leianna]

Hi, Lucy.....I love this idea of the little bungalow trailer's. My best friends parents had one set up in their back yard, and on summer days when we had nothing to do, we would go in there and play cards...all afternoon long. It was the greatest. I have a crochet pattern that I know you would love for your next project. Send me an email, I would love to figure out a way to send it to you.

[claudia w]

The whole time I was reading your story about the caravans, etc. I was thinking about my weekend just past, where I borrowed my father's VW Vanagon for a road trip with my daughter. (It's still sitting out front of my house)We had such a wonderful time!
I am so excited for you to have your very own caravan!!! I also cannot wait to see how very cute it is going to become at your hand!
Congratulations! Have fun, fun, fun!

[Laura]

OMG!!! How exciting!!! She is so awesome! You are so lucky! I ams so JEALOUS!!!!!

:)

[Tara Murray]

I am a new follower and I just love your posts and photos! I can't wait to see your attic25'ed camper. She really is lovely and has such an awesome new home!

[Heather]

Lucky - I cannot wait to see what you do with it!

[belinda/gretchenmist]

oh, wow, this is so very exciting!
i said last week to the family, one day i'm going to buy a caravan and have it to play in :)
have fun decorating it!
belinda {found you through mitsy + love your crochet}

[Barbara Moore]

Oh my goodness Lucy that camper is absolutely wonderful! It will be so amazing when you have turned her into your own little comfy gadabout caravan! Please keep us posted on her transformation.

Hugsxx Barbara

[Rachel]

Fabulous indeed! I absolutely cannot wait to see your caravan all Attic 24'd. What fun.

p.s. I love Flo!

[Terresa Wellborn]

Contance is mine (yeah, in another life!). Perfect. I'd just have to tweak one thing: Make sure she was stocked with chocolate!