Before we went on vacation at the end of August, Brian had installed the windows, doors, and tar-papered the exterior. It was a great push, and we felt proud of the results. Returning home, it took a week or two for us to really wrap our brains around the question, "what's next?" Brian began to tackle many little details that don't really make the house look dramatically different, but that are necessary before we insulate or put up exterior siding. For instance, these little nailers took several days to cut to length and install. We realized that we really wanted a larger window on this south wall, not only to allow for natural lighting and solar warming, but also just to be able … [Read more...]
Building a Tiny House: Framing, Windows and Doors!
A few weeks ago, Brian set an ambitious goal of framing and installing all of the doors and windows before we left for vacation (this Wednesday night). And, with the help of many hands, we are a few door hinges away from meeting this goal! The house is really taking shape, and although it's certainly not going to be a finished product when we move in this fall, we can now begin to imagine ourselves tucked in for the winter, all the while tackling interior finish work. Before I share a few photos, I must say that none of this would have been possible without the help of my in-laws Ron and Ann. While they visited us for three weeks, Ron and Ann tirelessly helped us work on the homestead, as … [Read more...]
Piles
Some days I look around the land, and realize that Brian and I are Pile Managers. I never really thought much about it before we started creating a new homestead from scratch, but the work of building and creating begins with piles. A pile of gravel leftover from the driveway we put in this winter. A pile of wood chip/sawdust mulch that we're spreading around the base of our fruit trees. A pile of lumber from a century old barn and outbuildings that are being torn down, and whose wood will become the siding of our tiny home (and has already been integrated into the building of our chicken coop). A pile of black walnut wood, ready to bring to a local Amish mill. The previous owner … [Read more...]
Building a Tiny House
Today, I'm excited to give a progress update on the process of building a tiny house. All along, we (meaning Brian, with occasional under-skilled help from me) have been steadily building, working on a sub-floor here, framing there, planning and purchasing as we go. In the back of our minds, a vague deadline looms, and motivates us to finish before cold weather arrives and makes camping with two small children unreasonable. This house will be tiny - just under 200 square feet for 4 people. While I am definitely a fan of a small footprint, it will be interesting to see how we will all fit comfortably in such a small space. But as we laid out deadlines and timelines for building, we were … [Read more...]
A Moveable Homestead Chicken Coop
In between house building, blacksmith work, and all-around handyman activities, my husband Brian has been hard at work building our chickens a home. Back in Oregon, he envisioned a moveable chicken coop on wheels and created this: Nest boxes on both sides that were easy to access from the outside for egg collection, a large fold-down door at the rear for bedding changes, bike wheels for easy transport, and a front door that led into their run. Functional, very practical, but not really sexy. Building this new coop provided Brian with a chance to create what he always envisioned - a gypsy caravan-esque structure that is as adorable as it is functional. A trailer tongue … [Read more...]
Setting Up: An Outdoor Kitchen
Week One of living on the land. It has been so wonderful. Truly, just so lovely to fall asleep here each night, listening to the sounds of owls, crickets, frogs, and birds. So nice to stay late after dinner without worrying about rushing back to town to get the kids fed and put to bed. So easy to wake up in the morning and jump right into the tasks at hand. The biggest task this week has been setting up our outdoor kitchen. Imagine trying to fit the contents of your home kitchen into an outdoor space, in a neat, organized, weather-proof, and critter-proof way. Imagine cooking all your meals almost entirely from scratch without hot running water, refrigeration, or the type of cook stove … [Read more...]
Sometimes…
...Things don't work out exactly as you've planned. Remember this cute perky tent? The one we were just days away from calling home? With a little strong wind and heavy rain, the tent now looks like this: Yes, we are all safe. No, we were not in the tent. We had just climbed into our car to safely wait out the storm, and minutes later watched the tent crumble to the ground in a swirl of wind and rain. Which means that our move to the land is postponed for a wee bit while we figure out the best solution. Buy a new tent? Quickly build a roofed tent platform? Purchase an old RV or bus in which to sleep? One thing is for sure about building a homestead. It is anything but … [Read more...]
A Sneak Peek
Well, here we are, back from cake land, and once again firmly rooted in the reality of building a homestead. Unfortunately, we have been rained out of our big moving day, which was supposed to be today. We will wait at the cozy town house until things dry up enough to move heavy furniture across wet ground. While I've been sharing endless photos of cakes and decadent icing, we've actually been hard at work creating a rustic camping situation that will be comfortable enough to live with for three or four more months, or until we finish the house. So here is a little sneak peek of our soon-to-be home! The garden is really coming along. I still have peppers, basil, and some okra and … [Read more...]
Preparing
Making the best of a very cold, rainy day last week, Brian traveled with truck and trailer across the state line to Illinois to a large building supply warehouse. He went with lists, measurements, and a vision, and came back with ten windows and two doors for our small cottage. In the building process, as in all areas of life, nothing seems to go as expected. In our case, the building we had originally planned to be a non-insulated "Summer Shanty," is now shaping up to be an 18 x 20 foot insulated house. This decision was born of our desire to avoid moving out of a non-insulated structure next winter to find a warm place to live. As we fell more in love with the land, we realized we … [Read more...]
