Land of the something...

The focus of this journal is to catalog my journey to tiny house ownership; that also includes some personal aspects. I do not indent to delve into politics but will be honest that the recent presidential election left me devastated, ashamed, and afraid. I have spent more energy trying to educate myself on being more educated and active in politics (which we should have learned about in school, right? because I have never needed to use calculus but voting seems like something everyone would need when you live in a republic). ANYWAYS, this topic has sucked my time and then sucked my motivation for a time with such a horrific turn of events.

With that out of the way TINY HOUSE STUFF!

It has been very slow, almost stagnant trying to get information about the legality of parking my house. Only two local officials actually replied and answered my questions, though their answers were almost less than helpful. There was a back and forth similarly to when your mom says "go ask your dad" and your dad replies "go ask your mom". No one seems to know a solid answer since tiny homes are such a grey area.
I am thinking of presenting the local government with a few places I want to park and asking "what would I have to do to live here?".  That means actually finding land, three options I've found for that.

1. Trailer park: my house would likely be very permissible in a trailer park. They would also be already set up for water and electric hook ups. Unfortunately there are not any parks in the area I want to live (and many have lots close together and poor management).

2. Buy land: This would offer the most freedom but being short on money anyways, not very practical. Plus the area I want to live in can be price because it is in a popular school district (I just like it because it is the perfect distance between the city and country, close to work, friends and fam).

3. Rent land: This is likely the route I will end up going but the most awkward by far. I don't know anyone personally that has land I could rent space from, so this means going up to strangers and asking if i can be their neighbor. There are some places Jack and I pass on our daily walks that I picture my house sitting on.

So now I'm drafting up letters to give to a few neighbors and browsing Zillow. To keep my spirits up, I am also doing more shopping! Last weekend I purchased two large windows for the living area. Brand new and only $150 for both! I don't have a photo of them (they are just simple white windows anyways) but here is a photo of tape on my wall so I could get an idea of the window sizes.

Outer square is 42x36, the size I bought

Just one more segway from the normal topic, all day Wednesday I was in a horribly dark mood. While walking Jack, we found a scared kitten hiding under a porch. After assuring the neighbors I wasn't a prowler, we caught the little guy. Once inside with food and warmth, he quickly started purring and giving nose boops! Can't help but think God sent this little guy for me to find to help lift my spirit. How can you not feel happy looking at this face, and those adorable piggies!

So cute, I just want to squeeze him!

Shopping!

With building my house I plan on using mostly salvaged materials, to be eco friendly and save money. This does cause a little issue because I can't make any solidified plans since I don't know what materials I'll find and those dimensions. So even though I don't have a house or even the trailer yet, still shopping!

I've been searching Craig's List quite frequently for windows. Being such an important part of keeping my house insulated, I'm only looking at new windows. On the one end of my house I want to make a bay window. Instead of using an actual bay window, I'm going to use three separate windows and build the walls out. I got the idea from the Cleone design from Tiny House Design.

I found a set of three matching windows and negotiated with the seller for a total of $135, that is $45 per window! When I went to pick them up I discovered one casement window and two single hung. They were also brown on the outside. Well, I did find them on Craig's List and for what I paid I can't complain (too much...). And the seller had a dog so I gave him my business card for the shelter because I can't help myself.

Next on my shopping spree, a kitchen sink. I really like the old fashion farm house sinks. Another Craig's List find for just $50. Other people were asking over $100 (and new, this could easily be $300+). The look is unique and having part of the sink continuing as a counter is handy for washing dishes or working with messy food. This thing is friggin' heavy though! I ended up having to drive around with it in my car for a few days, I could feel the difference in my car's acceleration. I was a bit worried about the weight with having a foundation with a weight limit; I reached out on a fb group and it was almost unanimous "Awesome, you should get that!". And they suggested to just cut weight elsewhere.

This thing took up most of my car, my poor little hatchback!

Just needs new hardware and some tlc.

Remember shoppers, always be safe when buying off Craig's List! Either meet somewhere public or take a buddy. And always follow Jack Donaghy's advice,

Danga Zone! Part One

One of the most stressful and confusing aspects of this whole process for me has been tackling zoning laws. The most I can understand on my own is there are federal guidelines for all building codes; individual states, counties, and townships can either defer to these general codes or have their own specific ones. (This could be completely wrong, but again, not my field). The course of action least likely to give me a headache seemed to contact township officials directly. I emailed six townships/boroughs in the area I'd like to live. Here is a copy of the letter sent to them:

I am writing with questions about your township's zoning and residency laws. Specifically, those relevant to 'tiny homes'.
I'm working on building a tiny house on a 26ft trailer. You may have seen one of the many shows about people downsizing to similar small homes. Regardless of the recent popularity of tiny homes, they can be extremely practical solutions for people looking for affordable home ownership, those wanting to live a more green lifestyle, or someone wanting to spend time enjoying life instead of maintaining a larger residence.

Being an unconventional structure, the residence laws regarding a tiny house can be fuzzy or restrictive. In your township, would a home residing on a trailer bed and approximately 210 square feet be legal? Would you be able to provide me with the official regulations relevant to this? If such a home is not allowed in your township, what steps would I need to take for reassessment of the restrictions?

If you have questions for me, please feel free to ask. If you are interested in my personal experience of building my tiny home, I am keeping a journal called Little House in the Steel City.
Thank you very much for your time and I look forward to your reply!

I sent that letter to six different municipalities on September 22nd. Within two days I had one reply just asking me to call the office. Given the chaos that is my day job, I haven't had the chance to do that and something tells me a local township official doesn't answer his work number during the late hours when I actually have free time. Another reply from a different township said I was the first person to ask such a question and they would look into the answer.

The other four townships have not given any answers. But that won't stop me...

This is the exact album cover I remember seeing in my dad's collection as a kid.
At the time I prefered the Spice Girls.

And for my unrelated note that I like to throw into these posts, I have become enthralled with Gustav Holst's mesmerizing suite called "The Planets". The suite is made up of 7 parts that each represent a different planet (Earth isn't included and Pluto wasn't discovered at the time). My favorite and probably the most popular is Jupiter. Honestly the whole thing is fantastic though. It is on YouTube as well as numerous other musical outlets. Go listen and tell my your favorite planet!

Two completely different styles of album art for the same piece of music, I can't pick a favorite.

*insert witty title here*

It has been a while.

Things have been going quite slow on the house front, thus there hasn't been much to write about. I am at an unfortunate cross roads with money. While I had the idea of raising funds through donations and art commissions, that just hasn't been manifesting. And while I have a nice amount of savings set aside, it isn't enough for this whole project. That means loan hunting. It is a boring process that stresses me out to no end, I won't share the feelings.
Though this project has slowed almost to a stop, I am determined create my tiny home.

In other news, I found that a while back I was getting a lot of views from Russia. I was extremely confused until I remembered my post about the mailslot I purchased. Having people across the globe read about my little adventure gave me a smile! Привет!

I've been rewatching Sherlock, so I leave you with this:

Book Review: Your Message Here by Andrew Odom

One of the big draws of tiny living is the monetary savings. You can own your own home without selling your soul, utilities won't rob you blind as you attempt to prevent becoming a human puddle or popsicle (depending on the season). The cost of constructing a tiny home can be relatively inexpensive. Relatively.

An average home in Western Pennsylvania can run between $125,000 and $212,400. Most budgets for tiny homes (without crazy bells and whistles) are around $20,000. While I really don't have $125,000, I also don't have $20,000 either. Given my current employment, saving that money anytime soon is not a plausible option.

This conundrum lead me to purchase Your Message Here by Andrew Odom, a book to help tiny house builders with the financial side of building. Reviews I read raved about the ebook, one even claimed she hardly paid a thing herself during the build. I quickly learned after purchasing the book, this would not be the case for me.

Your Message Here is written by Andrew Odom who runs Tiny r(E)volution, a company that runs a site about tiny houses offering many free resources as well as buyable ebooks. (many of the blog posts are great and I do highly recommend using their site during your research) This is where the big issue forms for me: Andrew is writing this book for tiny builders looking to make a business out of their tiny house. He advises creating accounts for your build on facebook, twitter, blogging sites, even getting business cards made. Create an internet presence to present to potential sponsors to see you have something to offer them by investing you your tiny home.

Now this in and of itself is not bad advice and Andrew gives good instructions and resources to do this, but this is not a plausible route for every tiny home builder. I have a full time job that takes up usually over 40hrs a week and other annoying but required responsibilities on top of just trying to learn from scratch how to frame a house on a trailer. I do not have time (or the passion really) to create a whole business around my tiny home.

Second issue: Your Message Here  recommends using the novelty of your project to intrigue possible sponsors. Tiny homes, while still a rarity for the everyday person, are permeating the culture. FYI has the show Tiny House Nation, HGTV has three separate shows about tiny homes. A tiny home project many not seem so unique when there are collectively over 100+ episodes following individuals going small. And I know that I am far from the first person to be blogging about their build (and I'm sure many of them are more poetic in their posts).

This interest from the mainstream american could be two fold; those of us wanting to go tiny may be seen as following a fad. Regardless of the numerous people who did their homework before going small, there are sure to be some who have over romanticized the idea. Though with the attention from the television shows, and with 84 Lumber now offering tiny home packages, maybe this will open a door. Though the majority of people are unlikely to downsize so drastically, tiny homes could become an acceptable lifestyle. Zoning laws could be revised to be more accommodating, landowners may opt to invest by renting portions of their land to park a home, and a family may skip a mini mansion for a reasonable ranch home.

Conclusion: While a good book if you are looking to invest the time into creating a following for your tiny build, this book is not for everyone. If you don't want to spend time advertising yourself on social networks, skip this read. Instead, I highly recommend Andrew's free blog: Tiny r(E)volution.

Из России с любовью

When I started this journey, I honestly thought I would take a year to plan and a year to build my tiny house. Looking back, there isn't one big thing that screwed up my timeline; I had to move out of my apartment, was assigned new responsibilities at work, had to find a new car, was diagnosed with Lyme disease then un-diagnosed with Lyme disease. Most recently a family member struggling with depression was hospitalized. It is amazing how you can so easily get caught up in surviving the day, weeks and months quickly pass.
People in my life keep getting pregnant as well, which means baby showers, which means presents, which means paintings for me. Cost effective but time consuming.

I am determined to begin my build before this year is up and have been researching trailers. There are so many options to choose, it is almost paralyzing. Thankfully there are quite a few online resources available that weren't around even a few years ago, but it still requires research.
To break up the stress of trailer shopping, I've been shopping for other house parts. Mostly trivial but still cool. Example one: this sweet mail slot.

Courtesy BolshevismLand on Etsy, I found this slot that says "Pochta"- the name of the Russian postal service. Most of the slots I found were either so bland they ruined the aesthetics or yelled "LOOK AT ME, I AM A FANCY OLD TIMEY WAY TO DELIVER MAIL!" This one is the perfect combination of character, simplicity, and will hopefully be helpful if Red Dawn ever comes to fruition.

Since I cannot expect you to be waiting by your computers for my next update, may I recommend my newest favorite podcast: Mystery Show. As stated on their site, Myster Show is "A podcast where Starlee Kine solves mysteries." Simple but charming, much like my sweet mail slot. Only it isn't in Russian.

Construction Junction, what's your function?

 A unique situation has fallen into my lap. One of the trailer makers I contacted has a 24" low-utility trailer already made to sell. Pros of this development is my build could start by the end of this month. Cons are two of man's greatest enemies: time and money. I had hoped to save enough money to avoid taking a loan out and I am not close at this point. I was also expecting to have a few weeks while waiting for the trailer to be built to finalize my design. Besides my front door, I have no other materials or even the exact plans for the house.

Not helping this decision is the rollercoaster life has been in just the past week. I learned that I don't actually have lyme disease; someone had misread my initial blood work. While there are still some tests the doc wanted to run, it seems most likely all the health issues I've been having the past few months were all from stress. STRESS! Sure, it is a relief to not have a serious disease but it is slightly embarrassing that my body was just flipping out on itself from living life. Also, there isn't a pill to take and fix stress (well, any legal ones that don't cause lifelong ramifications or death).


On a more uplifting note, I took my first trip to Construction Junction! This store boasts a huge warehouse of materials from hardware to toilets in every color. I had hoped to find my windows, but there was nothing that grabbed my attention. What I did find was a box old key hole covers for $1 each (and while it wouldn't break my budget, my dad was sweet and insisted on buying them for me). They are perfect additions to my type drawer display.

One of the few decorations that will definitely be in the tiny house.

So there is a big decision to be made in the next few days that could possibly jump start my build. At this point I have no idea which way I am leaning. Until next time...

Money for nothin' and your tiny houses for free

Last post I mentioned my need for cash to fund my project. I am not looking for handouts while binge watching Agent Carter, I would rather work for everything I earn. Currently working a full time job at a nonprofit hasn't been the most lucrative business choice, but it gives me more happiness and purpose.

To compensate, I am advertising art commissions!  Like most of my generation, I have a degree in something completely different and unrelated to my current career. Though it isn't quite a shocker to not find a job with an art degree in any economy... Anyways, I am taking requests and it doesn't have to be a grand oil portrait. Below are some of the Valentine's Day cards I made for my co-workers.

"Roses are red, violets are blue, I don't know about grass because I have dichromatic vision."

"I want to go slow with you!"

"I'd watch the world end with you."

If you'd like your own one of a kind illustration for yourself or as a gift, it only costs $15! Not only will you get a unique piece of art, but you will know your purchase went to a positive cause and not a secret booze habit. Mostly because I don't drink (I just don't like the taste, it isn't that weird. Stop looking at me like that...). Few rules to keep in mind:

     1. No porn. I'll consider artistic nudity depending on the context.

     2. No violence to innocents. Killing zombies- hokey dokey. Kicking puppies- no deal. 

     3. While the original art is yours, I retain the rights to anything created by my hand. So no making          copies of anything to sell on the street corner. 

Most of my portfolio is viewable at Melanie Loves To Draw and my deviantArt page. To make a commission request, just send me a message or write a note when making a donation to my Crowdrise: Trailer Fund. My pencil and brush await your orders!

I actually didn't sell my last trailer, I just forgot where I parked it.

It is February and Jack and I took a walk today. Without hats, scarves, or coats. It was glorious! It also proved to be a pit terrifying since I set a goal to begin building my house this spring. This involves taking the first major step of this process, buying the trailer. These wheels are the foundation of the home, making it an extremely crucial purchase and it can also be the most expensive purchase. Needless to say I am freaking out a bit and have self prescribed binge watching Parks and Rec to keep calm.

1. First, there is the style and length of trailer to consider . This is one of the few choices I am 99% sure about. 24ft seems to be the longest length that doesn't jump the price too high. For the style, I am leaning toward the 'low-wider' design. This has the bed of the trailer being cut into by the wheel wells, which gives you maximum width and height. As a human being, I reserve the right to change my mind on this multiple times.

courtesy Tumbleweed Tiny Homes

2. While the first tiny houses were surely built on tweaked utility trailers, I am not handy enough to go that route. Also, quite a few companies have sprung up offering trailers specifically for building a house on. Like any major purchase, you have to do your research on the product. Knowing absolutely nothing about trailers, road regulations, weight limits turns out to be extremely unhelpful.

3. Tying into my choice of builder is their location. Though there are a plethora of tiny trailer builders across the country, none reside in Pittsburgh. At this time the closest one I have found is 3 hours away. The delivery fee is $600. For perspective, that is more than half a paycheck for me. Or I could tow it myself with my Kia Rio! No, I'd rent a truck. I don't think my Kia could tow...anything. At the moment I am waiting to hear from two companies about locations for dealers. Fingers crossed there is one in my backyard I was unaware of because of my Parks and Rec addiction.

4. MONEY. Most of the companies I am researching offer financing, I was hoping to purchase my trailer up front. Currently I have almost $3,000 saved, for my whole build. Even with using recycled materials I can't build a house on that. A fellow tiny builder mentioned she didn't want handouts and is working multiple jobs to build her home. I admire her tenacity, but I will gladly take any and all handouts. Those that don't know, I work in animal rescue. A very rewarding but low paying and exhausting profession. Part of my reasoning for building a tiny house is to allow me to stay in this profession. So if you want to throw stacks of cash at me, check out the link to my Crowdfunder to the right. BUT, I am not just asking for something for nothing. I am in the process of trolling people for art commissions. More on that later with lots of pretty pictures.

Maybe by my next post some of these problems will have solutions. Until then, I shall keep repeating my mantra...

via Paper Love Songs

Shut up, Wesley

It is easy to meditate on the negatives that come our way. Here are some bright spots of my week I thought I would share.

Seriously, check out Coffee Buddha in Perrysville.

I got to meet a celebrity today, fellow tiny house enthusiast Rachel Ford! If you haven't heard of her, I am shocked. You must have missed her spot on WTAE (that was then picked up by Abc News) earlier this week. She is one of many tiny house enthusiasts living in western PA that have found each other via facebook. Many of us discovered we lived only a few minutes from each other! Tonight we met up at the best little coffee shop ever and gushed about our tiny homes (and our adorable pets).

The weather was warm enough and the daylight longer that I was able to take Jack for a walk multiple times this week. The snow was beautiful but the cold not too biting. While walking I enjoy listening to podcast. During the last walk I listened to a very pertinent Stuff You Should Know appropriately titled "Do objects or experiences make us happier?". Science is still out, but it is believed some of the greatest happiness can be found from relationships with canines.

Jack, proof you can get away with murder if you are cute enough.

Currently I am living with my mom (cause I'm cool, don't be jealous) and have been home alone for a whole week. Now it may not seem like a huge deal to people over 18 or are not Macaulay Culkin, but it is very rare that I have a house to myself. I have gone from living with family to college, to home, to sharing an apartment, back to home again, did have my own place for one year, then back home once again because animal rescue pays nothing. So, it is an event for me especially considering all the pets are still alive and nothing has caught fire... yet.

Last evening I watched an episode of Star Trek that I forgot I saved. Riker had been captured while undercover on a planet that hadn't yet invented warp drive. Don't roll your eyes, Next Generation is awesome and you know it. I would drop everything to follow Captain Picard into space. Not even kidding.

Sir Osis of Liver

In college we had a drinking game of taking a shot every time the president said 'community'. We would have been quite drunk during every speech if weren't attending a dry college. I still take a shot (in spirit) when I hear the word.
So, communities. Tiny house communities to be specific. There seem to be many thriving communities composed of tiny builders, tiny dwellers, tiny renters, etc. Though these all seem located quite a distance from Pittsburgh, the West and North-West specifically. I was overjoyed when I learned a local organization, cityLab, was working to build a tiny house in the city (though it turned out to be a stationary and expensive home, neither things I'm interested in). Then someone posted in a tiny house facebook group about this house. Suddenly people from Pittsburgh were popping up, many of us only a stone's throw from each other!
We gathered in our own group (Tiny House WPA for others living in western Pennsylvania). Suddenly I wasn't a lone woman with a crazy idea, I was part of a group that shared the same crazy idea!
Then I got a second surprise, a local home show was going to have a THOW (tiny house on wheels) free to tour. This past Sunday I got to stand in a tiny house. While I could have explored the space all day, it was definitely the most popular booth of the show making it difficult to imagine the space without half a dozen people in it. While it was a short visit, it was very helpful to be in the space; I already made a few adjustments to my design. The best part was sharing it all with my Meema.
The range of reactions from my family wains between excitement and skepticism over this project. Many send me articles about homes built from shipping containers, others question what I'd do when I got married (that is a can of worms we won't open at this time). Besides my mom, no one has taken a serious interest beyond basic questions. My meema and I have always had a special relationship, though we don't spend as much time together playing with Disney figurines and watching My Girl as we used to. Sharing this experience with her wasn't just enjoyable because the time spent together, it also felt validating. I am sometimes painfully reminded how odd I am, but it also comes with a reassurance that my family is quite aware of this. And though it can sometimes cause arguments ranging from sparklers to atomic levels, they are generally supportive of my quirks. I only wish everyone was able to say the same.

Nothing really matress, anyone can sette...

One of the staples of a tiny house is the creative build in furniture. People build special storage into every corner and make beds that convert into stoves when not in use. I love to see the creativity that goes into make use of every space and multifunctional furniture. For my house I decided to take a different route by having free standing furniture. Multiple reasons for this decision:

• I can rearrange the furniture to my liking after living in the space. There could be a list of logical reasons why to put a table by the couch, but if you find that you smack your leg off it every time you go past- that sucker has to move! 
• Sometimes I just like to rearrange a space. Half the time I put everything back where it was except one lamp, but I like having the option.
• If something needs replacing, I don't have to tear into the structure of the house. I just have to haul it out the door (depending on the size, maybe bribe some friends with food to help).
• Not having built-ins makes the blueprints of the house simpler. I am not an architect, nor do I have the money to hire one to articulate creative whims. My home will be an empty canvas that I can fill.

Obviously any piece must be space savvy, multiple uses is a huge perk. I have a few pieces currently that I would like to put in the house; a small bookcase I've had since I was a girl, small cabinet I saved from the trash, and an antique sewing table (minus the sewing machine).

I was drawn to couch designs with storage access from the front. I currently have a chest that opens at the top, and every time I need to get something the cat or dog has to be on top of it. So front storage! I enjoy the look of wicker baskets- they also are easy to 'install' and I can always change it up if I choose. A single long cushion for the seat and oversized pillows for the back. The couch will always be against a wall, so no reason to add more work giving it a back. One of my pet peeves is furniture that is flush against the floor. No matter how hard you try, dirt, crumbs, and hair will always get wedged under the edge; so I am sticking fun feet on my couch.

I am still up in the air about my desk. My current desk is a large corner desk; it is home to my desktop computer and serves as an art space. Originally I was in love with this country style desk with leaves on both ends. Then I found some amazing desks created from pallets. I love reusing materials and some of these designs are just fantastic.

And finally there are those wonderful Swedes at Ikea who have created furniture that seems made for a tiny house. The Norden table would be perfect in the kitchen, lots of storage and takes up little space. I also love the look of their utility cart- maybe it could work as an end table or under desk storage?

Now, I just need to build the house to put all this stuff in...