Favorite Doodads in the Trailer, Cont’d

This post is brought to you by a rainy day in quarantine.

I’ve mentioned earlier that Airstreams are beautiful inside and out, but when they’re new they’re like model homes: decorated blandly.

(Well, all but the Tommy Bahama models, which I would go bezerkers living in full-time but would love for a weekend getaways. They have a built-in bar.

So, seeing as how we didn’t choose the inlay palm leaves on the walls and the glaring green bedspread, we’ve needed to add items from home to liven things up in ours. As a follow-up to my earlier post (same link as above), here are more of my favorite things I was able to bring with me in the mad rush to get out of D.C.

My mom used this strange wooden bowl on her hallway table to hold keys and ChinChin’s leashes. I remember like it was yesterday that when she was getting befuddled, I’d say, “Your keys are in the double bowl,” and she’d have no idea what I was talking about. Frankly I don’t remember where this sucker came from, so maybe she was given it in only her last few years? In any case, against all odds, I love it.

It’s been carved with a clever handle between each side, which you can’t see here because we’ve it filled to the brim (I actually emptied a few items so it could be recognized for the pic).

We keep it on the kitchen table shoved against the Airstream exterior wall, and naturally it’s evolved to have Tracy’s stuff on the side of the table he sits at and mine on my side. I take the card deck because I shuffle and deal.

Gifts are especially meaningful as we’re separated from friends here. This bowl is one of three my sister-ex-law gave to family members; I used to keep it in a cupboard, but I use it so much now I just keep it out for whatever’s on hand that needs a spot, like knitting or binoculars. It’s made with leather!

The mug my BBF (we love that) Lucy gave me—it’s hand-painted so can’t go in the dishwasher. Guess what? We have no dishwasher! Perfect.

The tiny cross stitch our neighbors made for us as a going-away present; it’s small enough I have it hanging on a knob. You people are so thoughtful.

Hooks, hooks, and more hooks. We can’t get enough of them—wall space is the most space we have here.

This folding stool I stole from my friend Mary Margaret (the idea, not the actual stool), and it’s brilliant. It lets me see what’s at the back of the top cabinets, plus it folds flat to tuck away easy peasy.

It ain’t gorgeous, hand-made, or gifted, but I use it a million times a day and love it.

Ditto with these simple plastic bowls and plates, below.

Back before we took off, I shopped a ton for things like dinnerware, knowing we can’t have porcelain (won’t travel well) but hate to eat off paper. I found matchy-poo melamine plates and bowls that look great with new placemats and napkins (too much time spent on Pinterest back then, obvs), but turns out you can’t use melamine in the microwave.

“That’s not a deal-breaker,” I thought, since the only time we can use the microwave is when we’re plugged in to campground power, and we plan on being away from campgrounds as much as possible.

And no need to guess what happened: we got stuck in this campground with full hook-ups indefinitely, and boy are we using the microwave.

I’m so glad at the last minute I grabbed these plain plastic bowls and plates from Target in the baby section: they work in the microwave, and the plates have a lip all around so young Johnny is less likely to spill his food from the highchair. Seriously, they help us a ton—the little bowls are perfect for snacks and to hold board-game pieces, and the little plates make for great coasters. I’m super wary of big spills in here.

These two items are my mom and sister to a tee. The bluebird is frosted glass and fits beautifully in your hand, and the tiny tray shimmers like melted opals. (I know that’s not a thing, but I can’t describe it otherwise. Maybe you’d say it’s opalesque.)

They’re entirely impractical in that I have to wrap them in plastic and store carefully each time we move, but so far they’re worth it, perched behind the bathroom sink, looking luxurious amid all our practical things.

Okay, you guys hang in there.