INSIDE OUT

As with many rooms in my own house, finding the perfect color is an extremely daunting task.  So that's why I always consult with the uber talented interior designer, Kathy Barajas.  Yep... Kathy Barajas Design is the shiznit.  She's help us sell a house.. .turn a house into our home... and now a bus into a mobile pop-up shop!

So many colors... oh what to do!!

We ended up choosing some fab colors from Sherwin Williams - Hazel & Outgoing Orange.  Wanna see??????

one stripe down... many more to go!

RETRO RENOVATION

A lot of work to do is kind of an understatement, but we did it!  retro101 rolled out to its first event this past weekend, and I can't help but smile when I think back to that first visit to Schmidt Automotive...

Here's John from Schmidt Automotive taking a look at Ellie

We had the best time working with all the guys (and gals) at Schmidt.  So friendly and so on board with this project (and patient too).  Ellie runs like a gem... but she still needed some interior renovation.

Everything out - and yes, that's dirt on the floor.

Ellie's first bath.

We got the boys workin' too!

So fresh and so clean!!

It's clean on the inside and out... now we're ready to conquer the outside!!

  

COME ON IN...

Ok... so you have the idea of what the outside looked like, but what about the inside?  Oh my... hope you are sitting down!

Welcome and don't forget to watch your step!!

Here's the inside -- can you see the start of something good?  

Talk about retro... gotta love the booth material!

Check out the "new" refrigerator.  Never been used (circa 1985)

Oh, Ellie... we've got a lot of work to do!!

BACK HOME AGAIN...

After our long journey thru the fields of Ohio & Indiana, we finally arrived home and were greeted with open arms by all of our neighbors (insert a wink, wink here).  Let's just say that I was thrilled that all of the houses in our 'hood were sold... I mean I LOVE that there's a 1978 bus outside of my window, but not too sure what all my neighbors think (or potential buyers).

We do have a neighbor friend who continues to be the biggest fan of the bus and the concept - mobile pop up shop.  We continue to compensate his tips on old engines and his pure enthusiasm over this project with beer... 

Here's our buddy showin' off the engine above -- and then "hot wiring" it with a clothespin so that we could take it to its next destination... Schmidt Automotive to get a lil' work done.

So big THANK YOU neighbors for all of the smiles & encouragement -- we are certainly the talk of the street and hope that we will be the talk of the city pretty soon!!

   

rollin' on...

So, wasn't kiddin' when I said that we took off for only 3 minutes.  See, we went back to the Terre Haute Mall to ask where the nearest place we could put some air in the tires.  Sweet Jenny (that's her w/ me below) said that we should just go up the street to her Grandpa's cow farm, and he will fix us up (still not joking).

So we drove off to Grandpa's house, which was a cow farm.  He about lost himself b/c he said there would be no way this bus would make it home in the condition it was in.  Whaaaat???  This vessel is ours... and we're...mmmm... 3 hours away from home.  What are we going to do?  Grandpa was calm, cool and collected... and so was his Grandson.  They got right to work and started changing out our tires (b/c yeah... all of them were dry rotted. Must be that whole being in a barn for 20 years that did it).  

So, after a little detour to the Terre Haute Cow Farm and little help from...

(I know that BFAM Construction specializes in roofing, pole barns & siding, but I KNOW that they can do it all!!)

we were off...for a 6 hour trek back to good ol' Indiana.  Yes... you got it right... it took us 6 hours to get back (when originally it only took us 3).  Let's just say that we hit the sweet spot of 35mph...and smiled & laughed all the way home (I mean... we were driving a 1978 Chevy bus thru the cornfields of the Midwest -- gotta love it!!)

... and the journey continues

retro101 is goin' mobile!!

Yeah... some people buy shoes (or even zoo's), but nope... not us - we bought a bus!!  Uh, huh... that's right - retro101 is goin' mobile!    Ever since the retro101 pop-up shop was at the City Market during the Super Bowl, we knew we wanted to pop up at other locations, but just didn't know where (or how).   Well... the night that we saw the Craig's List add appear it was destiny.

So we got ourselves to Ohio the next day to check out this beauty.  Terre Haute, Ohio -- ever been there?

We hadn't been there either, but are big fans now!  I mean, Terre Haute, OH, has its own mall that literally sells everything - pizza, subs, paper goods and oil for a '78 bus (no joke)... but more about that later.

So... the current owner was Jim - the nicest guy (even the gals at the Terre Haute Mall told us that).  Oh that's Jim up there (w/ me).  He certainly got a kick out of knowing that the bus he was going to convert into a functional rv/mobile home was going to be turned into a mobile mall (minus the pizza, subs, paper goods & motor oil).  After we took it for a test drive, we signed on the dotted line and were off... for a few minutes that is... to be continued....