...I spent a good portion of Pennsic painting it. Most of Camp Bodrum offered suggestions and assistance, which I greatly appreciated. Special thanks to Maeve for tirelessly holding my stencils for me and not wandering off to do something considerably more entertaining.

White was not a color usually used on vardos. For some Roma cultures it represents death, and for others it signifies poverty. Either way, it was rarely used. I originally chose white because I had no idea how hot the interior would get on a sunny day. I decided I needed to paint the outside a light color to reflect as much sunlight as possible, thus keeping the interior a bit cooler. It's always been very comfortable inside, so this year I decided to take the plunge and go a few shades darker. The wagon got a much needed new paint job and I'm a lot happier with it this way--it has a finished look that I don't think it ever had before.