Sunday, April 19, 2015

Earth Day

Today was one of the most wonderful days this spring. I got to host a tiny home enthusiasts booth at the earth fair in Balboa Park. A new friend Jen came from Utah to show us her house!

http://ticklebellybungalow.blogspot.com/?m=1

Sunday, April 12, 2015

A photographic depiction of progress

My favorite drill!
The animals of tiny house #1 
Helping hands make light work. Thanks Ellen!
Tiny House Enthusiasts Meet Up.  
Animals of tiny house #2
April 3rd - the first night with electricity!

Electricity!
Tools on tools on tools - everything you need to put up windows trim
My new table saw, hanging out with my great ladder!
Window flashing - done.
I learned how to route out room for the metal around my windows! A table saw is a wonderful tool.
The routing in progress.
Thanks Felipe for putting up the front windows trim.
Grilling outside after a long days work.
April 3rd - newly trimmed window and electrical panels - utility shed getting set up soon!
The start of the utility shed sub floor. 
Never forget your gloves while using your tin snips!
Adding flashing to the bottom of my utility shed subfloor - to keep out all rocks. Caulking to water proof.

The utility shed is taking shape.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

April Showers

Would anyone want to play a game with me this month?

http://www.theminimalists.com/game/

I'm ready to make some big wagers!

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Mail Time & Tiny Bird at Tiny House

Getting back from a month away has been very eventful - I had a tiny bird in my tiny house. First, it was just hiding behind the tarps (that were protecting the house while I was gone) then it flew in my open door!
The next pleasant surprise was mail. My landlord is kind enough to let me use his address. I am now the proud owner of new glasses and a lovely coffee cup!
Great family friends just opened Bindle Coffee. It gives me great joy to know tiny house and I can support their amazing business.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

March: Out at sea with the Navy

As tiny adventures continue, I have taken a turn down a different road. This month has slowed progress on tiny house, but continued my tiny learning - I have been living on the ship out to sea! My current living/working space is 505ft long x 66.6 ft wide and I am joined by 300 adults 24/7. Although this seems quite larger than tiny house, it means 110 sqft per person to live, work, and exercise - just smaller than tiny house.

I technically have 110 sq ft to myself, but those feet are definitely spread thin on our ship. My living space is actually a 10'x8' room shared with two other women. We have learned to how to store all of our possessions in very small spaces. It is a great transition from an apartment to tiny house - I don't have much of a choice except to pair down to the few items I actually need on a ship.

As I plan my house I know I want to be as off the grid as possible. I am trying my hardest to not have a sewage system. In effort to achieve this, I am going chemical free! I have finally transitioned to chemical free shampoo and conditioner. After many failed attempts (specifically Garnier Fructis Pure-Clean which left gross white film on my hair), I have found baking soda and apple cider vinegar. It has been a god send! It has fixed everything I didn't like about my hair, making it smooth, not as oily, and very manageable. It took me a while to even try it - but after one wash I was sold. As much as I would like to believe I am above peer opinion, the social stigma kept me from trying it earlier. Now, I wish I had never waited! A key factor for me is to make enough for a handful of washes so I don't have to worry about mixing it up everyday.

Claire's How to Baking Soda and Vinegar Shampoo/Conditioner:

- Buy two attractive squeeze bottles (the more it looks like a traditional shampoo bottle, the more comfortable to transition will be) big enough for approx. 1- 2 cups of liquid
- Mix a ratio of 1:5, baking soda:water in one bottle
- Mix a ratio of 1:4, apple cider vinegar:water in second bottle
- Before each use, vigorously shake bottles
- Use approx. 1/4 cup per use
- Shampoo mostly at your roots
- Condition mostly at the length of your hair, but work it in where ever you need.

I started using it 4 times a week when I started out, but I was able to wean off and now only was my hard 2-3 times a week (I shower much more though!).

Other then showering USS BENFOLD has been up to much much more this month. Here are a few photos and videos because we all know, pictures speak louder then words.





Our first missile shoot! A huge success!
Captain showing us how comms are done!

Sailing through San Diego




Saturday, February 21, 2015

Painting Party

Thanks to Kate and Alex for killing the painting today!
Painted siding - ready for installation!

Siding


Sunset over SoCal from the bridge wing - Feb 2015
I spent the last two weeks out at sea. I learned a lot about navigation, anti-terrorism tactics, and engineering damage control. It was a whirlwind of a trip but a great deal of fun to be out on the water. Happy belated valentines day!

The start of my siding has been a bit terrifying. I picked out my siding from home depot after much consideration. I had initially wanted to use cedar siding to make the house look like your sterotypical tiny house. Once price became a factor I settled on a composit siding that looks like wood. The drive back to the farm was an adventure.

Siding in route to the farm - very slowly...