Story is complete!

The last 4 weeks have been such a BLUR! We had the best (but seemingly shortest) weekend in Titusville, FL where we picked her up. My husband's parents and grandmother joined us, as this was a very special moment for us all. Without digressing too much, because we all know it's one of my specialties, I'll just say that the Airstream has been an icon to the Morgret (Koterba) family for decades. It was part of my father in laws great journey as a boy, and will be part of our family's journey now. It means so much! If you care to learn more about that, check out www.facebook.com/theessentialedkoterba.

I have a ton of photos from that weekend..but they're on my phone, and because I'm too excited to wait to share these images with you, I'll go ahead and post them later. It took us 3 full weeks of (mostly) full days to get her ready, but she's ready...and she's realllll purdy!

We used 2 full gallons of white paint, 3 cans of spray paint, 2 quarts of chalkboard paint, 1 quart of marine paint, 10 sponge brushes, 14 mini rollers, 4 large rollers, lots of mineral spirits, 10 2x4s, 24 1x4s, 10 1x2s, 5 packages of wall planking, tons of sweat, 24 knobs, and some patience. It was sweaty, painstaking, and worth every minute (and dollar).

Last weekend, upon finishing our last major project, we took her and the girls to a local camp ground. The test run was a HUGE success, and we learned SO MUCH. We parked strategically near two other Airstreams in the park in hopes that our fellow streamers would be willing to help us in the event that we had questions. That thought process paid off. We didn't even have to go knock on their door for help...they just showed up and answered all of our (painfully obvious) newbie questions.

It was perfect. This coming weekend we will be heading on another adventure. I'll talk about that later... in the meantime...who doesn't love a good #beforeandafter?

Before | During | After

While the brass metal tiles were pretty in their own way, they didn't fit in my light and airy vision...so we painted them...

This space was tough...it was a large space, but no real way of organizing. In a small spaces like the trailer, smart storage solutions are a must. I decided to divide the opening to accommodate open shelving for pretty props and blankets. It was also important to hide the unsightly (but necessary ) water heater, and make space for a small refrigerator. It's important to mention that everything in the trailer that we put in serves a dual (or more) purpose. The door (which I built from scratch and I'm admittedly overly proud of) that encloses the water heater side of the closet locks at the top with a hook and eye. It swings the other way to close the bathroom, and locks from the inside. #multipurpose

A few people thought I was crazy when I told them that I wanted to keep the original wallpaper in the bathroom...but I love it. I can't help it. I'm reallllllllllyyyy happy with how it turned out after we painted. It makes the paper pop, and keeps a little bit of the original heart in Story. It's part of her story, and it's original. I used marine paint to update the tub and counters. It took MANY coats (each with a 24 hour drying time) and a super intimidating (at first) mask to filter the fumes. It also required lots of blue painters tape, more patience than I realized I had, and some scraping afterwards. That stuff is serious, but makes for a seriously pretty final product. I'm hoping it's as durable as it looks! On the footer, I used a peel and stick subway tile....if you have the opportunity to visit me in The Silver Storyteller, please don't look too hard down there. Those suckers were a pain in the you know what....and they're crooked...but hey, it adds character!

I still can't get over the peach toned paint...Thank God for heavy duty paint...

So...what do you notice about these two images? Exactly. We chopped the counter and removed the drawers and fridge. The fridge would be perfect for a small apartment (or in our case as a beverage fridge in our garage), but it was much too big for our purposes. That space was the last space that we worked on because we just we're sure what to do with it. As it turns out, this has been the most practical piece of furniture that my amazing hubby has built in Story. {PLUG: My husband is the most supportive, talented, handy , amazing man that I know...I'm so blessed). Under this bench, is a port hole (or whatever you call it) that goes to the outside. The seat of this bench is on a hinge, so all of the storage under there , which is accessible from the outside as well) is perfect for hoses, cords, outdoor eating supplies, lights, etc. That's pretty cool, right? But remember, #multipurpose... The back of the bench is also on a hinge and has two fold out legs. When the bench is not being used, you can flip it up to make a shelf/extension of the counter top. So we miss nothing from chopping the counter! #winning

From day one, I knew that I wanted to removed the makeshift counter on the right side of the trailer. I told Clarke what I wanted, and he 110% over delivered with the design and built of this bench. He tweaked some designs from good ole #pinterest, and came up with a super cute, functional slatted storage bench. This piece of furniture serves 3 purposes: 1) a bench for seating 2) storage space 3) pull out bed for the occasional "marketing" trips we take with the family. This will be where clients hang out when their babes are getting photographed.

My handy dandy door in action...isn't it beautiful <3 Who knew a door could make so much happiness!?

I'm extremely handy. I know how to use a miter saw, I'm very comfortable with a drill, and I can troubleshoot like nobody's business. Workups and deployment will do that to a girl...but my oh my how amazing it is to have your man home to lend some brains and muscle to a situation.

The centerpiece of The Silver Storyteller is the shooting space. This front bench (which also is a storage chest and pull out platform ) is where we'll meet for consultations and ordering appointments, where I'll capture your little one's newborn portraits, and where custom photo booth setups will come to life. This space is as versatile as it is pretty, and I am so absolutely ready to get to work in here!!! I have to insert another plug here for my friend and neighbor, Ron. He is amazingly talented and did our custom cushions for the trailer. They are PERFECT! They are beautiful, and they are #WASHABLE!!!

Pistachio green is serene, but not what we had in mind for our space. I'm in love with the clean white look that we've created! Just between the TV and window, will be a scissor boom on a movable bar. This will be where the strobe hangs out. Fun fact, the strobe will reach all the way to the opposite wall...so cool...so versatile.

On to the next chapter of this STORY!! Thank you for the love, encouragement, and support! Let's make this the best chapter yet!

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