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.