When you have a small home, outdoor space can be such a blessing. Sick of your spouse? Go outside. Need a change of scenery? Go outside. Wanna feel fancy AF? Eat outside.
George and I knew we wanted to create a sort of “outdoor room” in our backyard, but we didn’t have a lot of money to do it. A deck would’ve been both expensive and time-consuming because we’d have to get a permit to do it.
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As someone who has lived in 188 square feet, those tiny house TV shows really grind my gears. Let’s all be honest: yes, living in a tiny house can greatly improve your life and your finances. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows like those TV shows make it out to be. Tiny house problems definitely exist and you should know the reality before you get into the lifestyle. So today I’m spilling the tea and revealing five things no one tells you about living in a tiny house.
I hate when I find an item at the thrift store or flea market that is perfect, except for one flaw. Maybe it’s stained or the wrong color. I had been gathering a little collection of these almost-perfect items, but they had been gathering dust because I didn’t know what to do with them. Luckily when the folks at Eclectic Products reached out to me, I knew I had the perfect projects to upcycle. Eclectic Products, makers of Famowood have a new product called Unicorn Spit that is a gel stain and glaze can be used in a variety of different applications– including wood, fabric and glass.
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When I first envisioned my guest room, I imagined painting a large-scale mural on the wall. But once I began painting it was just a big, ol’ mess. Just about everything that could go wrong with the mural went wrong. The lines weren’t crisp and clean, then when I went to sand them down and start over, the paint started peeling off the wall. (I think I bought the wrong finish.) It was disaster after disaster. So, I let myself be sad about it for a day and brainstormed other options. I kept thinking of Piet Mondrian‘s geometric paintings and how I could create something similar. Using wood seemed to be much easier for someone with little background in painting (i.e. me!). It also seemed like it might be able to add some much-needed dimension to the room. Win-win!
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We finally completed the guest room and it feels good! Well… to be honest, “Guest room” is kind of a loose term. Our guest room rarely functions like a guest room. We use it to store stuff for our business, pack orders and take pictures. So, it needed it to be light and bright, have good storage, and function as a room for the rare guest.
First, let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we?
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So you’ve made it through Marie Kondo-ing your whole house or just a big decluttering session? (Here’s 25 ways to declutter if you still need help!) Great! Now the problem is what to do with all that stuff?!
The easy thing is to just dump it all off at Goodwill. And I get that. But unfortunately dropping your stuff off at a thrift store doesn’t mean it will get into the hands of people that need it. Goodwill does some great things, but there are other organizations and people out there who can benefit from your “junk.”
This list is in no way comprehensive and will vary by location. The best thing you can do is Google your area and where you wish to donate items. Then, call them and ask if they are accepting donations. It’s easier than you think!
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It seems like everyone lately is on a “tidying up” spree. I think it’s a combo of #newyearnewyou and that Marie Kondo show on Netflix. (Have you watched it?) Selling your old stuff can be a powerful incentive to get rid of something and it might just help you reach a goal. How great would it be to make an extra mortgage payment from your old junk or to be able to pay for a vacation? So today, I’m going to teach you how!
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This week was a whirlwind. We had so much to do and so little time. I feel like I sound like a broken record, but again, weather was not our friend. If I’m going to do this challenge again, I won’t choose an outdoor room. I think I was a little too ambitious for my first go-round. But, BUT! We finished! Our small home porch makeover is done! Continue reading
Inspecting lumber
Yikes, y’all. One week to go with the One Room Challenge and I’m going to be honest: I don’t know if we are going to finish. We’ve still got quite a bit more to build and we’re relying on good weather– which doesn’t always happen around these parts. Continue reading
This week I’ve fallen a bit behind on the One Room Challenge because I’m currently in Chicago for the Domino Magazine’s Blog Awards! I’ll do a full post about it when I get back home, but it was so great to meet bloggers IRL– that’s internet talk for in real life ;)– and I’ve loved doing some sight seeing in Chicago. Continue reading