Porch Stain

Mike, the Tumbleweed driver, suggested getting the porch weatherproofed first - so that was the project I tackled today!

Successes:
- big brush for fast application on large surfaces
- washing deck in the morning so that the sun dried it out by afternoon
- figuring out how the well water worked and how to attach a hose to the valve.
- getting my car unpacked while the first round of stain dried
- getting 90% of the stain on the wood (10% on me...)

Not so much successes:
- going to home depot with no list
- great large paint brush too big for stain can opening
- the space under the trailer is tiny (about 2 feet), making the washing and staining process under the porch more exciting.
- Lots of drips.
- toilet, I advise having a toilet plan before you commit to an all day building project.

A shout out to my friends and family back home in Iowa. Thank you so much for all of the kind words of encouragement. No matter where the Navy takes me I will always be an Iowan!

Arrival

Finally, right after the sun went down, my barn raiser pulled onto the ranch. Mike from Tumbleweed drove out from Colorado towing my trailer. It was suppose to arrive this morning but due to many crazy happenings (including a flat tire) it was a bit late.

Thank you to the San Diego Tiny House Enthusiasts for having a BBQ with my while I waiting anxiously and to Kate, Alex, and Ashley for all of the moral support!

A Start and an End

Today was the end of another apartment, but the start of my tiny house dream. I finally finished packing my (now) old apartment and the trailer gets here on Saturday 7 February!!

Finally empty apartment - good bye south park!

The plan for this weekend is to install all of the electrical wiring and plumbing. I decided they were the best projects to start with because the walls will be completely open and bare. I am using consultants to create the plans, make a shopping list, and inspect once I finish installing. It will hopefully be the best of both worlds - being able to learn/do it myself and still having a professional look over the work (I don't want my house to burn down due to bad wiring).

Please let me know if you want to come take a look! I will start hosting BBQs on the weekend and small working parties.

Happy February!!!!!

Delays

With any big project there are always delays. A combination of bad timing means the trailer and frame will not arrive until February! This spring I will be hurting for help to get the build moving as fast as possible.

In the mean time I have officially starting moving out of my apartment and on to my navy ship. A few friends are also moving on to the ship, so we will have a lot of fun and make sure we all don't work to hard...

I have gotten land to build on (Farmer Bob) that has a lot of wonderful animals! He has a horse, chickens, neighboring cows, and large garden plots. Also, I have ordered my toilet - it will hopefully get here the same week the tiny house gets here.

Early Projects

As I wait for my tiny house to arrive I am going to start a few simple projects.

Loft ladder

Porch Stairs

Budget

When budgeting for a tiny house there are a lot of parts to consider past four walls, a floor, and a roof. Here are links to what I am planning!

Projects:

• Roofing
• Siding (two choices):
• Composite
• Wood
• Flooring:
• Cork
• Hardwood
• Laminate
• Walls (don't forget insulation):
• Cob
• Drywall
• Paint
• Electrical (I am hiring a professional)
• Plumbing
• Kitchen Countertops

Appliances:

• Stove
• Refrigerator
• A/C
• Solar Panels
• Toilet
• Shower
• Toaster Oven
• Laundry
• Heater
• Buddy Heater
• Water Heater
• Water Filter

Spend your money wisely if you are planning a on building a tiny house!

Home Sweet Home

USS BENFOLD getting into the
San Diego Bay

I got back to San Diego Friday after a very productive yet sleepless underway! BENFOLD was able to sail out to sea this week for the first time in 17 months. It was very long over due and we accomplished a lot! Personally the time at sea gave me an opportunity to live tiny! For four days I was living on a 500 ft boat. My bedroom (stateroom) in which I store all of my possessions while at work is 4'x10' and shared with two other women. This room doesn't include a bathroom or kitchen but other than that it was my whole world all week! I spent the week driving the ship, communicating with other ships at sea, doing live fire exercises with our 5" gun (really big gun on the front of the ship), and much much more. The other junior officers and I held an ice-cream social for the crew on Thursday night as well as partaking in nacho night and bingo - the week couldn't all be work!

Photo by Chris Tack and Tumbleweed

My time underway made it hard to make any progress with the tiny house. I spent lots of time thinking about design ideas and timeline. I am now leaning towards making my own shower! I think I can make a more usable design specific to my lifestyle. No matter what it will be better than a plastic one-piece shower stall. I have been thinking all weekend about what tile I want to use! Other elements of the tiny house also are forming in my head. I absolutely love this Bayside Bungalow - she wrote on her page about making easier kitchen cabinets by using curtains (or coffee sacks in her case). I am so thankful for all of the tiny house blogs that I have been able to read. They each have unique space saving and decorating ideas!

Look for a post this week about how official planning is going. I have laid out my calendar and budget for the next few months. The ideas are finally leaving my day dreams and getting put down on paper!

Underway Replenishment at Sea (taking on fuel) with USNS Yukon (T-AO 202)