Today I received three messages within an hour, saying “I heard you on the radio!” So I knew the story about Yestermorrow’s 2025 Tiny House Design-Build Certificate went live today. In case you didn’t happen to be listening, I’m excited to share it with you, too.
Back Gate Neighbors
My fairy godfamily had been encouraging me to move to Corvallis, Oregon for years and Choosing Community (Again) was easy when the house directly behind theirs came up for rent. Since we moved in a couple months ago, it has been a quick trip around the block to visit each other, but we wanted to create a portal to make it even easier. This past weekend we dedicated to yard projects, including creating a gate in the fence so that we can go back and forth between our houses easily.
Women's+ Basic Carpentry March 2025
I had just gotten back from Wrapping Up Tiny House Design-Build Cert 2025 when Chrissy called to ask if I’d consider teaching Women’s+ Basic Carpentry. This was the first Yestermorrow course I ever heard of - nearly 20 years ago now! I signed up for the catalog - which was snail mailed back then - and I’d flip through it, circling all the courses I wanted to take. It was a couple of years before I finally signed up for the Sustainable Design-Build Certification and got myself to Yestermorrow. But I’ve been going there ever since! So it feels like I’ve come full circle, having the opportunity to teach the Women’s+ Basic Carpentry course.
Wrapping Up Tiny House Design Build Cert 2025
This past week of the Tiny House Design-Build Certificate at Yestermorrow flew by. We got so much snow over the weekend that we made Monday a studio day and everyone worked on their own designs. I shared information about small space appliances and fixtures and we discussed small space design tricks to make a small space more functional and appealing.
Tiny House Design-Build Cert 2025 (Week 3)
What an awesome week it’s been at Yestermorrow, teaching and learning through the Tiny House Design-Build Certification! A big snow storm came through last night, so we’ve got about a foot on the ground and more still falling. This is a pretty darn cozy place to be snowed in! I’ve got some sweet rolls rising in the Yestermorrow kitchenette, so it seems like a good time to catch up on this past week.
Jumping into Tiny House Design Build Certificate 2025
Last night over dinner I said to my companions: “Okay, so where are you when you’re eating pad kee mao (with kale?!) while listening to live folk music on a snowy night and discussing building a small house out of bamboo in the Philippines and a tiny house on wheels in Greece, mostly in English, but also a little in Spanish?” They laughed and said “Yestermorrow!” Close enough. We were actually at Fit to be Thai’d at Sugarbush in the Mad River Valley, just down the road from Yestermorrow. But it was a Yestercrew. What a joy it is to be back here to teach the second two weeks of the annual month-long Tiny House Design Build Certification!
Kitchen & Bath Design Online Jan 2025
What an awesome group of students and projects we had for the Jan 2025 round of Kitchen & Bath Design (Online) through Yestermorrow Design-Build School! The participants were super engaged and eager to help each other out with design ideas, inspiration, and product selections. What fun it was to facilitate this learning, exploring, and compiling.
Choosing Community (Again)
It’s been a couple of weeks now since we moved next door to my best friend from both college and grad school and her husband. The benefits of community have already been lovely - and quite tasty! Having my fairy godfamily help us unload our stuff the day we arrived and then join us for take out on the living room floor was just the beginning of our participation in this lovely reciprocal community.
2024 Review & 2025 Preview
I’m glad that I wrapped up my 2023 Review & 2024 Preview with looking forward to “Whatever might come next… (I’m trying to keep an open mind and an open heart!)” 2024 did indeed bring some surprises, most of them quite delightful! It ended up being the gap year I didn’t know I needed… I’m looking forward to seeing what my next career move will be as I figure out the best way(s) to help create more small, smart, sustainable housing. I’m eagerly anticipating teaching in person at Yestermorrow again for the final two weeks of the upcoming Tiny House Design Build Certificate. I’m scheming some new e-courses and revisions to previous offerings. And, of course, I look forward to doing more consultations and design work, too. The times ahead are uncertain (as they always are, I suppose). So I’m glad to be in community again and ready to share my gifts, time, and talent in the best possible ways in the coming year.
O'ahu, Hawai'i
I’m realizing it’s going to be hard to capture the last week in words… When I arrived in Hawaii two week ago, I didn’t know I’d be attending Spirit Fest, but as several people there told me with a wink or a twinkle in their eyes, I was right where I needed to be… It was a few days before the event that Cambria, the event logistics coordinator, mentioned they could use one more volunteer. Sarah checked in to see if I was interested. I said I was, that I’d love to be helpful, to be part of something. So glad I was!