Another Year of Little Living

The end of the year presents us with a great opportunity to look back and reflect upon what we've accomplished and what we've learned. I cataloged A Year of Little Living back in 2012. In 2013 I wrote 87 posts about my Little Life experience and you can read the best of the best here. I'm grateful for the opportunities that were presented to me in 2013 and I'm already Looking Forward to 2014.

Here are some highlights from 2013:

This Is The Little Life

I started blogging two and a half years ago, but I was shy about it, so I didn't tell anyone at first. For all intents and purposes, this month marks my two year anniversary as a blogger. It's been an incredible experience to share my vignettes about my Little Life with all of you. I've enjoyed engaging in fascinating conversations with followers from around the world. It's especially been a pleasure to meet many of you over the past couple of years at gatherings or during visits. Word Press conveniently showed me yesterday that in 2013 This Is The Little Life was viewed approximately 140,000 times by people in 155 countries. Thank you for your support, encouragement, ideas, insights, and for following along!

Niche Consulting LLC

In January 2013, I started up my own sustainable design consulting company, Niche Consulting LLC. I created Niche so that I could work with clients from across the country and around the world who want to create a little home of their own. I've enjoyed doing individual consultations, teaching small group workshops, and assisting clients with small home design work. It's a real thrill to see a design that I helped a client develop be constructed in real life! I've also been able to partner with fabulous sustainable development companies like Portland Alternative Dwellings, Caravan - The Tiny House Hotel, Yestermorrow Design-Build School, Shelter Wise, and Intrinsic Ventures.

Workshops

I kicked off 2013 by teaching a tiny house workshop for my cousin's fifth grade classroom and discovered Ten Year Olds Design Awesome Tiny Houses! In February, April, July, and November I co-taught Tiny House Basics Workshops with Dee Williams and Joan Grimm of Portland Alternative Dwellings. In April, I worked with Shelter Wise, PAD, and six amazing students to build a tiny house in two days for the Casa Pequena workshop at Casa Verde in McMinnville, OR. In a July PAD Tiny House Build Workshop we constructed the floor of Dee Williams' vardo and built three walls for Naj Haus. In October, I co-taught a two-week-long Tiny House Design-Build class at Yestermorrow and in December I taught Unstuff Your Holidays: A 1-Day Decluttering Workshop.

My 200 Things Challenge

Before Downsizing from a Tiny House to a Tinier House, I decided to embark upon My 200 Things Challenge. This time last year I was half way through the challenge. I did a New Year's Re-Inventory and spent some time Taking Stock Without Stocking Up. I also made a New Year's resolution to go paper-free, so I was Strategizing Digitizing and Getting All My Docs in a Row. I recapped What My 200 Things Challenge Taught Me in October.

Masters Degree & Urban Design Certificate

From January through June I worked with Five to Nine Consulting to develop a framework for reintroducing housing into downtown Oregon City. This was our workshop project for our Masters of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) degree. In June I graduated from Portland State University's College of Urban and Public Affairs with a MURP and I wrapped up my Urban Design Certificate the next month.

Tiny House Fair

Unfortunately, I missed graduation because I was at Yestermorrow in Vermont, presenting at the Tiny House Fair. Fortunately, it was one of the best weekends of my life. I joked that I was taking commencement really seriously and getting on with my career. It was a treat to be back on the Yestermorrow campus and to meet so many great tiny house enthusiasts, builders, designers, and dwellers. My posts about the Tiny House Fair were republished in Tiny House Magazine.

Pedalpalooza ADU & Tiny House Tours

In June, Kimber and I coordinated the Pedalpalooza ADU & Tiny House Tours. I'd coordinated the tours in 2012 while working with Orange Splot. In 2013 we put both tours on one epic day, which you can read about in the Pedalpalooza Recap. It was great fun to meet so many small home enthusiasts and show off great spaces. We wrapped up at Caravan - The Tiny House Hotel, where we showed off Caravan's Tiny Houses, including Tandem, the tiny house on wheels I finished out in the summer of 2012 as part of My Summer Dream Job: Tiny House Design-Building with Orange Splot.

Moving from Home, Sweet Yurt to Home, Sweet Pea

In August, I moved from my Home, Sweet Yurt into Sweet Pea, a tiny house on wheels located in POD49. It's a great little place with really great neighbors in a wonderful location. (And the Sweet Pea Plan Set is available for sale through PAD.) I've thoroughly enjoyed this little home. I've had a Snow Day in the Tiny House and I've even tried Sharing Sweet Pea with my Sweetie.

Site Managing at Caravan - The Tiny House Hotel

In July, my friends Kol Peterson and Deb Delman opened Caravan - The Tiny House Hotel. Their soft opening was serving as the final destination for the Pedalpalooza ADU & Tiny House Tours, but the Caravan Grand Opening in July was a truly wonderful party. I loved visiting with the people who stopped in to take a look at Tandem, the tiny house on wheels owned by Eli Spevak of Orange Splot that I finished out as my Practicum Project for my Yestermorrow Sustainable Design-Build Certificate. Speaking of parties, I celebrated my 30th birthday with a Big Birthday Bash at the Tiny House Hotel. In September I served as site manager of Caravan for two weeks while Kol and Deb were getting married then on their honeymoon. I got to know all the little houses a whole lot better as I developed my Tiny House Cleaning Checklist and I joked Everything I Need to Know About Designing Tiny Houses I Learned From Cleaning Them.

Tiny House Mixers

In 2012 I helped coordinate several Tiny House Potlucks. They were a lot of fun, especially when we had them in parks during the summer months, but it was hard to find a place big enough for us to meet in the winter since we all live in small houses. Fortunately, in 2013 PAD began hosting Tiny House Mixers, which have been wildly popular. The November Tiny House Mixer drew nearly 50 people and the December Tiny House Mixer drew more than 30. I'm already looking forward to the January Tiny House Mixer and February Tiny House Mixer.

TinyHomes.com

In October, I began building out TinyHomes.com, a new website which I've co-founded with web developer Kenny Bavoso. TinyHomes.com is a website for tiny homes and the people who love them. Kenny and I are both huge fans of small spaces and we look forward to making TinyHomes.com an in-depth, engaging, and informative website for people interested in tiny homes. You can learn more about what we're up to and how you can contribute in Looking Forward to 2014.

Coordinating the ADU Case Studies Project

In December I began Coordinating the ADU Case Studies Project on a contract with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. I'll be compiling a series of case studies of permitted accessory dwellings throughout the state of Oregon over the next couple months. Read about the ADU Case Studies Project to learn how you can contribute or follow along.

Coordinating the ADU Case Studies Project

While I was working with Orange Splot LLC, a Portland-based development company that specializes in innovative sustainable infill housing projects, I Showcased Accessory Dwellings in Portland on the AccessoryDwellings.org website. You can read these posts here:

• Shawn’s Live Work Accessory Dwelling
• A Sister in Law House
• The Granger House: Own Two, Rent One

Now we have updated the AccessoryDwellings.org website so that we can feature more ADU profiles. Our goal is to compile a collection of case studies of permitted accessory dwellings from across Oregon. I’m delighted to be coordinating the ADU Case Studies Project. I look forward to helping people share their ADU stories so that we can continue advocating for ADUs as a flexible, affordable housing option. You can read our first new case study, Kol Peterson's ADU: A Backyard Home.

If you or someone you know has a permitted accessory dwelling in Oregon and you would like to participate in the project, please email me at accessorydwellings.org.

Sincerely,

Lina Menard

Coordinator

ADU Case Studies Project

AccessoryDwellings.org

(541) 854-0875

Niche Design & Decluttering Workshops

Two years ago I downsized from a 2-bedroom bungalow to a tiny house on wheels. A year ago I downsized again to a 12-ft diameter yurt and embarked upon My 200 Things Challenge. These days I live in a 130 square foot tiny house on wheels and I've made space-efficient housing both my livelihood and my lifestyle. I've quit counting my possessions, but I'm mindful everyday of What My 200 Things Challenge Taught Me. Now I'm excited to offer a 1-day Tiny House Design Workshop to help people new to design capture their tiny homes and a Decluttering Workshop series to share the tips and tricks that have helped me in my right-sizing journey. Please join me for one of these workshops if you're interested in the Little Life!

Tiny House Design Workshop

If you want to design your own tiny house but you've never designed anything before this workshop is for you! In this 1-day workshop we'll cover programming, bubble diagramming, basic drafting techniques, floor plans, elevations, and design considerations for tiny spaces. You'll leave with a design concept for your tiny house and the techniques you need to capture the desired look and feel. Appropriate for design newbies whether they plan to do their own design or hire a designer. Register for the Tiny House Design Workshop through Niche Consulting LLC.

Unstuff Your Holidays: A Decluttering Workshop

Are you dreading the accumulation that always happens during the Holiday Season? Do you already feel like you have too much stuff? If you want to focus on your family and friends instead of your stuff this holiday season, this workshop is for you. We'll address our relationship with stuff, discuss needs and wants to figure out what really matters, set priorities, and evaluate our possessions. We'll identify old habits and clutter magnets and tackle problem areas in our homes. Then we'll develop organizational systems and new habits to reduce clutter. In this 1-day workshop, we'll cover everything from keeping track of our keys to developing a wardrobe full of clothes we love. Register for Unstuff Your Holidays through Niche Consulting LLC.

Lina's Next Adventure

This post from last summer was lingering in draft mode. Now that Niche is having it's first birthday, I realized I'd better get it posted! -Lina

This summer I've been going through a Transition Time as I wrapped up my Masters of Urban and Regional Planning, my Urban Design Certificate, my work with Intrinsic Ventures in the Ford District. On top of all that, I moved from my Home, Sweet Yurt into my Home, Sweet Pea. And then I immediately spent a couple weeks catching up with my long-lost family.

So as the dust settles, I'd like to introduce you to Niche Consulting LLC and tell you about my next adventures. In January I created Niche, my own sustainable design consulting company, so that I could do design and lifestyle consulting with people interested in creating their own small homes and so that I could work on sustainable development projects. You can read Lina's Next Adventure, the letter I wrote to the folks in the Ford Building for more about that.

I remember declaring as a sophomore in college that I wanted to be a sustainability consultant someday, but I didn’t know quite what that meant. So I was researching the sort of companies for which I’d like to work. The trouble was that I was most intrigued by fringy sustainable housing ideas like natural building, cohousing communities, district sustainable energy use, and creating small homes by converting garages and basements. I couldn’t find a single company that seemed like it would allow me to pursue my passions.

But as I graduated, the parent of one of my dearest friends gave me some of the best advice I’ve ever received. Gayle told me:

“The jobs you’ll love best throughout your career probably don’t exist yet. So just be ready for them, when they’re ready for you.”

What better way to prepare myself for all the exciting projects to come than to create a company that will allow me the flexibility to pursue them?

I give credit to three people for convincing me I could – and should – start my own company. Matt Eppelsheimer of Rocket Life Incorporated taught me an incredible amount about start-ups. Joan Grimm helped me understand that creating my own single-member LLC would enable me to work with companies like Portland Alternative Dwellings more easily on a contract-basis. And Lizzy Caston, a fellow Portland State University Masters of Urban and Regional Planning alum, inspired me to strike out on my own by telling me about creating her own consulting company. I met with her for a cup of tea in early January and by the end of the week my company was registered!

Now that my graduate school degree is complete, I have the time to see what that means to be self-employed. I'm looking forward to site managing for Caravan - The Tiny House Hotel in September, co-instructing the Tiny House Design-Build course at Yestermorrow in September-October, team teaching Tiny House Basics Workshops with Dee Williams and Joan Grimm in November, and doing some capacity-building work with Portland Alternative Dwellings. Hopefully, I'll also have lots of opportunities to do consultations with individuals.

If you've who have been trying to find your niche and haven't yet, maybe it's time to make it! If you'd like to talk to me about small house designs or tiny lifestyle consultation, please contact me.

Pedalpalooza ADU & Tiny House Tour Recap

Yesterday was an epic day of small houses. Kimber and I coordinated the Pedalpalooza Accessory Dwelling and Tiny House Tours all in one day so that people who are interested in both tours could visit a variety of small spaces. It was great fun! (But you don't have to take my word for it. You can read Audrey's recap at Trying on Tiny or read more at Daedalus Project.)

We started out the ADU tour by exploring a basement apartment that was constructed by energy efficiency expert Derin Williams of Shelter Wise. As a special bonus we got to see Casa Pequena, the tiny house which was constructed in 2 days in April. Next up was a 320 square foot backyard cottage built by Walt Quade of Small Home Oregon, which serves as a sister-in-law suite. Walt also showed one of his tiny garden cottages and one of his teardrop trailers. Then we headed to Granny’s Garden Cottage, which was My Summer Garden Cottage last year. It was great to see my old digs again and to see how Bruce & Carolyn’s gorgeous garden is growing this year. We made a quick stop at Cully Grove to see the progress on this cohousing community for 16 families.

Then we were off to Kathleen’s where we got to see an owner-built ADU still under construction and learn how this basement apartment provides flexibility for her and her parents. I especially appreciated how they maximized usable space and daylight. Next we stopped at Sabin Green to see how Eli Spevak of Orange Splot created a community of four houses by renovating an existing house, converting its garage into an ADU, and building another house next door with an ADU behind it. We wrapped up the ADU Tour with a visit to Ruth’s Garden Cottages, another Orange Splot infill community, which utilizes detached bedrooms to provide simple and cozy housing for 3 couples.

We were lucky to have knowledgble tour leaders including: Martin and Shannon who are the new owners of Ruth’s Garden Cottages, Kol Peterson who teaches a class on building an ADU in Portland (stay tuned for the next one in October) and Jordan Palmeri who coordinates the Space-Efficient Housing Working Group that put on Build Small, Live Large last October.

Between rides Kimber and I biked back across NE Portland and ate a picnic lunch on the lawn at Rigler school. Our first stop for the Tiny House Tour was the home of Audrey & Thomas who blog at Trying on Tiny. Next we headed to Walt Quade’s place where his garden cottage was on display (but people also got to see the ADU and tear drop trailer, of course!) Then we were off to Ruth’s Garden Cottages to show how tiny houses can interact with their neighbors. We wrapped up the Tiny House Tour at Caravan – The Tiny House Hotel. There were only 4 stops on the Tiny House Tour this year, but riders got to see 7 mobile tiny houses as well as innovative ways to cluster tiny houses.

It was especially fun for me to see Caravan, not only because I’m stoked about the first tiny house hotel in the country, but because I helped with the construction of two of the houses there. My Summer Dream Job last year was doing interior and exterior finish work for a tiny house on wheels for Orange Splot. The tiny house was my practicum project for my Certificate in Sustainable Design and Building from Yestermorrow. But since I didn’t do the final touches it was fun to see how nicely they’d finished out the house with kitchen cabinets and the kitchen sink, a panel over the electrical box, a ladder up to the loft, and a gable end detail. Deb did a lovely job of appointing the tiny guest house with clever furniture so it can now serve four guests.

Last fall I also helped with framing, insulating, and sheathing for a Shelter Wise tiny house which uses the Miter Box plans (center in the photo to left). However, I hadn’t seen it completed and it is stunning! Between Andra’s design details and Derin’s meticulous craftsmanship this house blends sophistication with zen simplicity.

We had about 100 people join us for each of the two tours, traveling from as far away as Vancouver, British Columbia and Los Angeles, CA to be part of the rides. I enjoyed hearing people’s design ideas and their insights as they explored smart small spaces. I look forward to keeping in touch with many of the great folks I met yesterday and seeing them at upcoming workshops, potlucks, builds, and happy hours.

Pedalpalooza ADU & Tiny House Tours on Saturday, June 29th, 2013

Last year, in conjunction with Orange Splot, I coordinated the Pedalpalooza Accessory Dwelling Tour and Tiny House Tour, which each drew around 100 riders. This year I’m co-coordinating with Kimber, who has completed the Oregon Tradeswoman pre-apprenticeship program and now helps out with Portland Alternative Dwellings once in a while.

We decided to host both tours on the same day this year so that people who are curious about small spaces can see a wide variety of them in real life. The tours are guided by a fabulous bunch of small space builders, designers, owners, and inhabitants, so it will be a great chance to ask questions. We have a great line up again this year.

On the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Tour, riders will see:

• A super energy-efficient basement apartment built by Shelter Wise
• A backyard cottage built as a sister-in-law house by Small Home Oregon
• An eco-friendly and accessible granny flat in an idyllic setting, which was My Summer Garden Cottage last year
• A basement mother-in-law which provides flexibility for an extended family
• A set of houses with ADUs that create a little community called Sabin Green
• A house with two detached accessory structures in a garden setting called Ruth’s Garden Cottages

On the Tiny House Tour we will showcase:

• A tiny house built for a couple and their cat
• A garden cottage by Small Home Oregon
• The world's first tiny house hotel called The Caravan, which features 3 tiny houses (one of which I built last summer as my Yestermorrow Practicum project!)

Those who choose to join us for both tours are in for an epic adventure!

I’m still in touch with many people I met during the tours last year, so I’m looking forward to meeting this year’s riders. We have received more than a dozen inquiries about the tour, many of them from folks who are coming from out-of-state for the tour. There are no RSVPs required, so come join us if you’re able!

• Pedalpalooza ADU Tour (9AM-1PM), staring point Shelter Wise’s ADU (2726 NE 66^th Ave, Portland, OR 97213)
• Pedalpalooza Tiny House Tour (2PM-5PM), starting point Rigler Elementary School (5401 NE Prescott Street, Portland, OR 97218)

Kol's Class: Building An Accessory Dwelling in Portland

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending Kol Peterson’s 8-hour long Building an Accessory Dwelling in Portland class. Kol has a background in environmental design so the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) he built on his property in 2011 was the perfect way to apply all he had been researching and exploring. There was little information about ADUs available at the time Kol built his home, so he documented the process carefully and he now coaches others through the process. He provides lots of information about his ADU building process on his blog Building an Accessory Dwelling Unit in Portland. Kol's class is designed to help someone who is interested in becoming a micro developer by creating an ADU on his or her property.

All of my classmates own property in the Portland area and are considering creating an ADU by converting an existing garage, creating a basement apartment, or building a backyard cottage. Several of them have experience with design and construction and are eager to apply it to a space-efficient dwelling. Although the class is geared towards detached ADUs because there are additional requirements for detached units, Kol also covered the components necessary for attached units (like conversions of attics or basements).

Kol covered a variety of topics, including everything from financing and zoning to design tips for small spaces. He also shared resource lists and information about the permitting and construction processes. I especially appreciated that sustainable design principles were highlighted throughout the class. Kol addressed energy-efficiency, resource conservation, and air quality considerations during a crash course in building science and a slideshow of his own building process.

The class was hosted in Kol’s beautiful ADU, using the house itself as a model. (The photos included here are Kol's home, photos courtesy of Juliet Grable, via Kol's blog.) We also had the opportunity to tour two other ADUs here in Portland. Both of them were still under construction, so it was really neat to see the principals we discussed today in action. The first house is a charming backyard guest cottage in a great walkable location. I enjoyed talking with the architect Jack Barnes and the builder Stephen Smith of Design Build Portland. The other ADU was designed and built by Stephen Williams at Rainbow Valley Design and Construction. This 760 square foot laneway house is nearly complete and will be available for rent starting in June. (If you’re interested, contact Stephen Williams at 541.342.4871). It was nice to be able to visit and compare these three different houses with three different styles, sizes, and levels of finish.

I’m so glad I had the opportunity to take Kol’s class today. I’d done a fair bit of research about ADUs on my own but I learned a ton yesterday. Kol is very knowledgeable and happy to share his lessons learned, so his class was engaging and informative. If you're interested in learning more about Accessory Dwellings, check out the Accessory Dwellings website, which Kol co-authors. (I've guest blogged, too, Showcasing Accessory Dwellings!) And if you’re considering building an ADU in Portland I’d highly recommend Kol’s Building an ADU in Portland class. He'll be offering the next one in the Fall of 2013.

Welcome, Shelter Wise!

The following is a message from Shelter Wise (formerly UrbaNest), one of the companies with which I've partnered for tiny house design, building, and consulting. We're excited about our first joint tiny house build weekend of the season, Casa Pequena on April 19-21 as part of La Casa Verde in McMinnville, OR. Please check out all the great stuff Shelter Wise is up to and tell them Lina sent ya!

 

Greetings,

Business is good and we have many of you to thank for that!  We have been doing a lot of reflecting and are excited to announce our new make over.We have developed our business name into something that we feel fits us like a glove and really embodies all that we do: Shelter Wise.Our website has been updated with expanded information, photos and a blog --so check it out!  We are still offering the same unique services for your dwelling needs and we have been eagerly awaiting this new name to join us.

We are also excited to announce the newest member of our team, Ben Brower, and look forward to introducing you to him. He has a background in Sustainable Building Advising and Project/Operational Management. He will be assisting us in providing all of your Energy Efficiency and Tiny Home needs!

We are also excited to have a new place to do our creative work and we are so lucky to be able to share it with Mr. Sun Solar in NE Portland.  We will be hosting upcoming workshops there and hopefully learning more about solar collaboration; make an appointment and stop by sometime!

We are also over the moon excited to be partnering with Dee Williams and Joan Grimm of Portland Alternative Dwellings and Lina Menard of Niche Consulting on all things Tiny Homes.  Stay tuned for more on that.

Please make note of our new contact information below and don't hesitate to let us know if you have any questions or concerns.  And please pass this along to anyone else you think may be interested--we thank you in advance for spreading the word!If we currently have a contract with you we will follow up individually over the next week with an Amendment noting our name change.

Sincerely,

Derin, Andra & Ben

www.ShelterWiseLLC.com

derin@shelterwisellc.com 503.860.8100

andra@shelterwisellc.com 503.341.6518

ben@shelterwisellc.com 360.466.8651

Shelter Wise, LLC

PO Box 18179

Portland, OR 97218

A Year of Little Living

Somehow it's already been nearly a year since I moved into a 121 square foot tiny house on wheels and wrote my first blog post: The Tiny House Adventure Begins. And what a year it's been!

This afternoon I was a virtual guest speaker for the Tiny House Design-Build Class at Yestermorrow and this evening I had a great conversation with my friend Derin about building tiny houses. Both of these got me thinking about how many amazing tiny opportunities I've had over the past year.

Through my internship with Orange Splot I coordinated the Pedalpalooza Accessory Dwellings and Tiny House Bike Tours and wrote several guest posts for AccessoryDwellings.org. Eli also connected me with the Space Efficient Housing Working Group and we've helped to plan the upcoming Build Small, Live Large Summit. I'll be presenting a session about tiny houses with Dee Williams of PAD Tiny Houses and Derin Williams of UrbaNest Northwest.

Speaking of Dee Williams, she helped me connect with other tiny housers in the area and our contacts spiderwebbed out from there. In the process I have met lots of great folks who are building, designing, living in, or dreaming about tiny houses. We've now had several potlucks and created the Portland Tiny Houses Facebook group and the Tiny House Network Google group. I've profiled A Tiny House Truck, A Tiny Natural House, and Advanced Fort Construction. We've chatted about the joys and challenges of the Little Life and helped each other with designing, building, troubleshooting, tiny house moves, and sharing resources and infromation. Dee also invited Brittany Yunker and I to participate in the Portland Tumbleweed Tiny House Workshop in June. I am extremely grateful to both Brittany and Dee for helping me to make these connections with other amazing tiny housers.

Over spring break I had the chance to help a friend built the shell of her Tiny Barn and I apprenticed with Orange Splot for My Summer Dream Job: Tiny House Design Building. In July we got Brittany's Tiny House On the Road again and I lived in an ADU which I dubbed My Summer Garden Cottage. I spent my days Going Whole Hog on the Tiny House, working on Tiny House Insulation, Roofing, and Interior Walls. The tiny house was featured on the Build it Green (BIG) Tour in September. I was able to use these design-building experiences as my practicum project for my Certificate in Sustainable Design and Building at Yestermorrow Design Build School in Vermont.

I've been interviewed by journalism students for OR Magazine, by newspapers like the Portland Tribune, by a Canadian TV station, and by Vermont Public Radio. I'm also scheduled to do an interview with my friend John for  Portlandia's The Real Portland. Meanwhile, I've considered a plethora of tiny house issues such as Tiny Home Improvement, Shrinky-Dink Porches, Top 10 Reasons to Pick An Envi Heater, Creative Tiny House Storage Solutions, why Tiny Houses Turn Their Backs on the Street, and Tiny House Insurance (or lack thereof).

Now I'm Downsizing from a Tiny House to a Tinier House and, inspired by the 100 Thing Challenge, I'm currently Inventorying & Packing Up so that I can embark upon My Things Challenge. For the next school year I'll be living in a 113 square foot yurt in inner Portland, so the tiny adventures will continue. Thanks for following along everyone. Here's to another great year of the Little Life!

Moving into an ADU

Three friends helped me move my belongings from the tiny house to My Summer Garden Cottage this morning. Most of my things fit in my friend’s Toyota Carolla, but it was great to have a truck for my super heavy latex mattress and my two dressers.

I had to run off to my Real Estate Construction class this afternoon so I haven’t had a chance to unpack and settle in, but I did some impromptu entertaining this evening anyhow. Ian and James, who are building a tiny house, came up to Cully this evening to sneak a peek at Brittany’s Bayside Bungalow before it goes back to Olympia (where it will be available as a tiny house rental). Ian and James also got to see the tiny house I’ve been building for Orange Splot and we hung out in the garden cottage to discuss tiny house design considerations. These guys are starting at the very beginning by building their own trailer. Now that’s starting from scratch!

I’m sad to see the tiny house go, but I think I’ll really enjoy living in a garden cottage this summer while building tiny houses down the street. Life’s been busy with my move, but my overwhelming emotion these days is gratitude!