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...

Book Review: Tiny House Decisions by Ethan Waldman

There are many resources on the internet to help newbies on their tiny house journey, most free but there are a few builders that charge for their knowledge. Normally I get my books from the library, but many of these books are e-books not available in my local catalogue.

Recently I bought Tiny House Decisions by Ethan Waldman. At $29, it seemed a bit steep but the reviews were good and the author proclaimed to have done much of the tedious research that stressed me out. So I bought it (and proceeded to print it out because I hate reading on screens if I can help it). Tiny House Decisions is a very well organized and reader friendly book, but it lacked the in depth research I was expecting.

Waldman divided the book into three sections: Big Decisions, System Decisions and Construction Decisions. Each section has a similar layout; a subject is presented (appliances, building materials, going off grid, etc.) with lists of pros, cons, and the author's experience during his build. Anyone who is looking at tiny homes and willing to shell out $30 for a book about them has likely thought about the majority of the content in the "Big Decisions" section. The biggest take away I got from the book was Waldman's research in appliances. He gives a great break down on the basics of gas vs electric items and how looking for items with different keywords (ie: searching in marine or RV stores). Again, a lot of this information is available for free online on other tiny house builder's blogs. Waldman even has valuable information free on his own blog.

In contrast, Dee Williams Go House Go has specific construction information about trailer construction, ventilation control, electrical systems, etc. There are also books by Ryan Mitchell; Cracking the Code and Simply Shocking. Both books go into specifics of the subjects (zoning laws and electrics), not common information found as easily online. (Note: I have not read Mitchell's books yet, but they have good reviews and are promoted by many tiny builders including Waldman).

Conclusion: Tiny House Decisions is not a must have book for tiny builders, but it does have useful tips in a reader friendly layout. I don't think you can ever have too many resources, but if you are pinching pennies (like me!) I would skip this purchase.

When it rains, it pours

Last post I shared my struggles with the influx of work at the shelter and the horrible adventure with my transportation. I had hoped my year would only go up from there, honestly what else could happen? Well, I could get horribly sick for almost two months.
Little back story, I am terrified of vomiting. It is just one of those phobias that I would rather shoot myself in the foot if it would mean I would never be sick again. Weird thing is I wasn't a sickly kid, and until the beginning of this year I hadn't thrown up since elementary school (in February I got a stomach bug, in March I got food poisoning). Come fall, I am all the sudden having episodes of feeling possibly nauseous that send me into a panic. Panics that escalated to the point I needed medication to calm myself down. I start having stomach cramps and bad intestinal issues, I shall spare you the details. I bring this up at a routine doctor's visit, she diagnosed me with IBS. And while depression runs in my family and I am on a low dose of anti-depressants, I have had a digestive tract of steel most of my life. They up my normal meds and say to check back in a month. Month later, still having stomach issues but the panic attacks are slightly better. They want to put me on an elimination diet, cutting out almost everything you would identify as edible to figure out what causes my intestines to act up. I burst into tears in my car. Food is a real struggle for me; I was never taught how to cook for myself but I love to eat. I am now trying to learn as an adult how to plan, shop, and cook healthy. The idea that even things like fresh fruits, cheeses, and grains are off limits- I was going to starve. (and I know I am being dramatic, there are plenty of people that have to be on limited diets and make delicious meals, but I struggle when something doesn't come in a box). I promptly devoured a large chocolate bar with the thought "if my IBS is caused by stress, and this diet stresses me out- ergo, screw the diet".
A few days after the second doctor visit, I received a call about my bloodwork. I was positive for Lyme disease. I had requested the test with my routine blood work given my line of work, though I had never seen a tick bite me. The doctors and nurse told me Lyme would not cause my symptoms, it causes "fatigue like the flu, muscle ache, and a bull's eye rash at the bite". It was basically straight from a text book and differed greatly from every first hand account of being infected I heard. My one coworker discovered she had it for years, she developed muscle ticks and would get random high fevers. A friend had a relative become extremely paranoid, to the point he was hospitalized. Once given an antibiotic though, he returned to normal. My vet at work even said that Lyme affects the muscles and what is your intestine made of? One large muscle!
It has been roughly two weeks I've been on antibiotics and most of my symptoms have subsided if not dissolved completely. My intestines are still wonky at times, but antibiotics can throw that out of whack too. My anxiety of being sick has dropped drastically, though not disappeared entirely.
Now I am telling everyone about how I have Lyme, because I never would have guessed that I had it and it was the cause of my problems. While I work with animals, I have never pulled a tick of myself (and I have no issues dancing in front of a mirror before hopping in the shower every night) and I live in a populated suburb. I have been telling everyone I know to get tested. It is a serious issue, especially in this part of the country, and unfortunately the (human) medical field isn't being as proactive as they should.

On the topic of tiny houses, the subject of this blog, I recently purchased the book Tiny House Decisions. I shall post my thoughts on it soon, along with other tiny house news.

Now go get tested for Lyme!

Like the Phoenix

Summer is usually the time for relaxation. School is out, people go on vacations, the sun is high and it is time to rejuvenate. Not so for me. Those who don't know, I work in the animal rescue field and summer is the busiest time of the year. Kitten populations explode exponentially, people are in a hurry to either adopt or surrender a pet, and there is always a big shelter event around the corner requiring all staff on board. Just as work was slowing down and allowing me to focus on this tiny project, this happened:

That is what happens when a little hatchback is sandwiched between two pickup trucks. Thankfully no one was hurt (including the instigator of the accident, who sped away quickly after the crash). Needless to say, sorting out all the particulars with insurance companies and finding a new car consumed all my free time. But after a month of scouring car sites, bumming rides off people, and physical sickness from stress- I have a new car and can focus on my tiny house once again!

My latest (and hopefully final) design for the house begins with the front door on the end of the trailer. Upon entry, you will be in the kitchen and under the sleeping loft. I figure most time in the kitchen will be spent standing, so the door will not take away useful chilaxin' space. Through the kitchen will be the living/working area; I will have a freestanding couch and desk. On the far end of the house will be the bathroom that will stretch across the back end of the trailer; it will have a small loft above it for storage. One frequent element of tiny houses I have decided to pass on is built in furniture. More on that in a later post.

Having the entry at one of the ends also allows me to create a cottage look that I love. When researching tiny houses I would get suggestions from friends to build in a shipping container, but part of the appeal to me in tiny homes is the cozy feel from a little farm house. I have been having a lot of fun playing with porch designs, mixing different siding patterns, and adding window boxes (likely to be filled with dead plants...).

porch design with random sketch below

I'm not dead yet...

When I originally decided to embark on this project, my timeline was to raise money for the trailer by February 2015 (hasn't not happened...), and be building by the spring (ha!).
My day job was through into full chaos at the new year when we lost two employees in our already tiny department. I got a promotion (yay!) that sucked up way more time (boo!), and even though we have gotten two new employees (yay!) new employees means training (boo!). Add getting the flu twice, TWICE in a month, my ambitious tiny house plans were put on hold.
While my original goals were probably laughably optimistic, I am still working toward purchasing my trailer and beginning some building before this year's end.
While I am busy with tasks other than this blog, I suggest you pick up Dee Williams "The Big Tiny" if you need a tiny house fix. Dee's story is inspirational and applicable to people residing in houses of all sizes, and very well written (which cannot be said for many blogs *cough cough*).