Posts Tagged Tiny House Projects

Date: February 24th, 2010
Cate: Great Grey Beast of February, House-of-Chaos, Ohio, Tiny House Projects, china, family, personal, spirit
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FairyGate: The Back-40 at the House-of-Chaos gets transformed into a fae-gate.

Faery Gate

I know I’m not supposed to do it, but I can’t stand it anymore. I completely understand that “no gates, bridges or other thoroughfares are to be built, opened or unblocked to allow the free transfer of beings from fae-to-terrin.”

Bollocks.

I’m building one. In the back-40 of the House-of-Chaos I’m building a fairy gate. It will open on the Summer Solstice of 2010. Just try and stop me.

In preparation, here is a list of plants to make the fae more welcome in the garden. Since this is the last week of February, and I’m convinced that Spring, in all her glory, is right around the corner…I better get crackin’ on the yard plans.

Try planting some of these faery favorites in your garden!

[ from: http://www.afaeryhunt.com/fairyfun.htm ]

BLUEBELLS: Faeries are summoned to their midnight revels and dances by the ringing of these tiny flowers.

FERNS: Pixie faeries are especially fond of ferns. One story tells of a young woman who accidentally sat on a fern, and instantly a faery man appeared and forced her to promise to watch over his faery son and remain in Faeryland for a year and a day. Ferns make nice soft beds for the little guys.

FOXGLOVE: The name “foxglove” came from the words “folk’s glove.” Folks referred to little people, or faeries. One legend says that faeries gave the blossoms to foxes to wear as gloves so they would not get caught raiding the chicken coop. According to another legend, if you picked foxglove, you would offend the faeries. And if the faeries stole your baby, the juice of the foxglove would help to get it back. In some stories, foxglove appears as a faery’s hat. Foxglove can sometimes heal and sometimes hurt. It is a poisonous plant, but it is also used as medicine to treat heart disease.

HEATHER: lights the flame of fairy passions and may open the gates between the fairy world and our own.

MUSHROOMS: Used by faeries as tables and stools. The species Amanita is the red and white mushrooms very poisonous….

PANSIES: These may be used in fairy love potions.

POPPIES: These will bring faeries into your dreams.

PRIMROSES: Primroses are one key into faeryland. There is a German legend about a little girl who found a doorway covered in flowers, and when she touched it with a primrose, the door opened up, leading into an enchanted faery castle.

RAGWORT, CABBAGE STALKS, GRASS and STRAW: All of these were used by faeries for transportation in the same manner as a witch uses a broom.

ROSES: The sweet smell and soft petals of roses attract faeries to your garden. A popular love spell uses roses. Sprinkle rose petals under your feet and dance on them softly while asking the Faery for a blessing on your magic

SAFFRON CROCUS: The stamens from this fall flowering crocus constitute the herb saffron. Any food prepared with saffron is a favorite faery food. Saffron used as a dye will turn cloth a royal gold. Such cloth is very valuable to faeries.

THYME: Wear a sprig of thyme to increase your ability to see the wee ones. Thyme may also be planted by the doors and windows of your house to invite the fairies to come inside.

TULIPS: The faeries like to use the tulip bloom to put their babies to bed.

Some other faery favorites are rosemary, heartsease, and forgetmenots.

Date: February 13th, 2010
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects

My Valentine’s Day present!

No…it’s not slinky or chocolate (sort of chocolate coloured!). But it’s awesome. I got an EZ Composter/Rainbarrel for Valentines Day this year! How cool is that. The Tiny House-of-Chaos has been using a 20 gallon trashcan for composting since last year when we moved in, and that has been working fine, but turning the bin manually is slightly problematic. This solves that dilemma.

7 Cubic Foot Good Ideas Recycled Plastic
EZ Composter and Rain Barrel Hybrid – Oak

* Unique composter and rain barrel combination!
* Tumbler seeps compost juice into barrel for compost tea
* Made of 100% recycled plastic
* Easy turning with recessed handles
* Wheels for easy movement
* 12-inch twist lid and breather holes
* Turn just once per week
* Create fresh compost in as little as 4 weeks
* Brass spigot on rain barrel for easy hose hookup
* Anti-bug and debris screen
* 7 cubic ft./47-gallon capacity
* 29L x 35W x 39H inches

Date: December 20th, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects

HOC: Bird Feeders & Houses

I have fed the birds for a long time. At our last place, in Timber Top, our loft was surrounded by the Cuyahoga Valley National Park system and we has a wonderful array of wildlife, including birds. Last year I took a 15 second video clip on my cell phone of the massive activity occurring at the 3rd story patio feeders:

So naturally we were going to continue feeding the birds at our new place. Then when Mister Bird showed up in November we wanted to get him a nice shelter before it got bitterly cold. After a trip to Wild Birds Unlimited we were outfitted nicely with seed, feeders, houses and suet. Then Mister Bird brought a friend.

Now, the houses are hung, the feeders are filled and the suet is sloshing. I hope all the birds enjoy.

Date: December 19th, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects
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Red Lantern lampshade for Breezeway

Originally uploaded by chinagrrrl

This is the red paper lantern lampshade that I used to cover the bare bulb fixture in the center of the breezeway at the Tiny House-of-Chaos.

I got it at Cost Plus World Market for $19.99:

Yoko Red Square Paper Lantern (SKU #381930)

It’s hip to be square. The signature lighting in Asian homes and festivals for centuries, paper lanterns today provide casual lighting solutions for everyday decor as well as special occasion illuminations. Triple square silhouette with in crushed red paper with wire framing. Use with World Market cord kit. 15″Wx16″L.

Date: December 6th, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects

HOC: Dining Room Re-Do

The Curse of the Evil Beige Paint

When I moved into the tiny House-of-Chaos in May 2009, the walls were painted with that cheap, beige paint that you can get for about $50 for 5 gallons. Ick. Ugh. Ooof.

It had to go, but to what? I know I have a lot of work in all areas of the house, so what to tackle first? One of my goals is to do all of the renovations out-of-pocket and not to gain any additional financing to support a remodel.

So I got an idea one day: The ugly gray paneling that was in the breezeway, well it extended into the dining area up to the chair-rail. What was behind that paneling?

The hole behind the paneling

Ah. There are holes behind that paneling, and water stains from where the roof leaked. Now that the roof has been replaced I’m not worried about water continuing to damage the walls, but I’m also not really into replacing all of the walls quite yet.

So I took the paneling off:

Removing the Paneling

Gave her a new coat of gray paint:

Cut in the windows with a sharp new white after sanding them down as best as I could:

Original Window Yuckiness

New Window Yumminess:

Installed new nickle-finish hardware on the window sashes and latches:

Old Latches

New Latches

Installed new birch plywood project panels which I stained ebony with my magick molding stain (now expanded to just “magick stain” since we’ve extended past the molding):

And installed new molding for the chair-rail:

White composite chair-rail molding

and the baseboard:

To finish we stripped the extra paint from the registers and air intake vents and repainted them a satin black:

and ta-da! It now looks like this!

Dining Room - after

Dining Room - After

The whole set of images from the entire project can be viewed:

The first grilled meal at the House of Chaos

Date: December 6th, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects
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HOC: Breezeway – Simplex Pushbutton Lock

We installed a new Simplex push-button lock onto the entry door from the breezeway. Nice. That way we don’t need to hustle with a key to get in. Just know the uber-secret pass-code and clicky-click you’re in!

This is what we ordered (but in nickle):

Simplex 7000

The Kaba Ilco Simplex 7108 Lock is Stylish, Compact, and adds the security that you are looking for. Because of it’s sleek body and wide variety of finishes, Simplex 7000 makes for the best residential push button lock that Kaba Ilco has to offer. Fully Mechanical with a rugged housing that is also weather-resistant. The dead-latching feature locks every time the door is closed, while the deadbolt lock is locked manually.

Features:

Rugged all-metal construction is weather resistant, providing added strength and durability.

Easy to maintain – no batteries to replace.

Optional model features include spring latch and deadbolt.

Easy Installation and Code Changing Instructions

and this is how it looks installed:

Date: December 6th, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects, life the universe and everything, personal

HOC: Exterior Xmas Decorations

New House…some new Xmas decorations. Now, avoiding the discussion of Xmas as a commercial holiday and the competition of homeowners with their seasonal decorating displays, we wanted to put up a little bit in the way of outdoor lighting and display just to celebrate the season and get us into the mood. We also wanted to be responsible and efficient in our choices. So…a little research tuned up the following:

Benefits of LED Lights

When compared to conventional incandescent lighting, LED bulbs have numerous benefits.

Energy efficiency: LED lights are up to 90 percent more efficient than incandescent lights.

Long lasting: LED lights consist of solid-state construction, making them sturdier and more resistant to damage than conventional lights. According to the Department of Energy, the best white LEDs have been found to have a useful life of about 35,000 hours, or four years of continuous operation. Also, when one light goes out on a string, the others stay lit.

Safety: The epoxy plastic that encapsulates the LED bulbs is cool to the touch.

Read more at Suite101: Save with LED Christmas Lights: Decorate on the Cheap with Energy Efficient Holiday Lights | Suite101.com http://familyfinances.suite101.com/article.cfm/save_with_led_christmas_lights#ixzz0Yv9W8yNz

So we went to get solar, timed and LCD lighting for the house. Now remember that the Tiny House-of-Chaos is only 768 sq. feet, so there isn’t much “outdoor” for us to light. But we wanted to make informed choices and shop responsibly for the long-term. This is what we got:

50 Light LED Solar Net Lights, White

Solar LCD Lights

Product Features

23.0 ‘ LED String Lights
Comes Prelit with 50 White Solar-Powered with Rechargeable Battery Lights
Plastic 20%, Solar Panel 20%, Wire 20 %, LED Lights 40%
Features LED Technology for Vivid Colors and Whiter Whites, Up to 88% Less Energy Use than Standard Bulbs
Light Modes Include Blinking, Continuous
Up to 20x Longer Life than Standard Bulbs
Recommended for Outdoor Use
Wipe Clean with Dry Cloth

Power Center T28011

Westinghouse Holiday Outdoor Digital Power Center with Built-in Dual Timers

All Weather 6 Outlet Safety Power Station. Switch for Digital Timer or Photo Cell Timer control

Features
*Power On/Off Switch
*Built-in circuit breaker
*Rain tight housing
*GFCI protection w/ test and reset button
*Auto turn off power when GFCI detect water penetration

SOLAR NET LIGHTS

Solar Net Lights

Product Features

Creates a dazzling display without wires
Easy to set up and maintain
Charge by day lasts up to 8 hours
50 bulbs per net, stretches to 45 x 36″
Requires 1 AAA battery (not included)

Date: December 2nd, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, life the universe and everything, personal, spirit
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Mr. Bird in his Tiny-Perch-of-Doom

Originally uploaded by chinagrrrl

This is Meester Bird. He’s been hanging around for a few weeks now. We get home after dark (which happens around 4:15 p.m. right now) and when we come through the breezeway, occasionally we hear the flapping of wings.

I knew it wasn’t Death coming for me. I knew it was just a bird. Yeah, right! That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

But yesterday I collected evidence of this bird.

Date: December 2nd, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects, funny-bone, life the universe and everything, news, personal

My entry to win the “Yanko Claus” Yamaha Speaker Dock

I never enter contests. Because I never win. It’ s a viscous cycle; don’t win, so I never enter, thus reducing my chances of winning.

But today my beloved RSS feed informed me of a Yamaha PDX-60BL portable player speaker dock that was being given away by the fine fellow at Yanko Design. The joy and spirit of giving! Huzzah, huzzah.

I wanted it. I covet it. I formulated an entry for the contest.

The rule stated that one should add a comment citing a reason why they should receive this speaker dock. The responses were predictable:

I just bought a house and can’t afford anything else.
I only have my poor, poor ear-buds that came with my $400 iPod Touch or iPhone and I need speakers to add to sustain my luxurious standards.
I live in Ireland and I can only listen to music from the sheep.

So I formulated my entry:

I need the Yamaha PDX-60BL speaker dock because of the distortion in the fabric of time and space caused by the Large Hadron Collider being turned back on.

This particle accelerator was created to observe the “Higgs Boson” particle (also known as the “God particle”). Some have theorized that the problems with the LHC (it broke the week after it was initially turned on) have been due to time-traveling scientists, responsible for creating the LHC, who have come back to disable their project because of the destruction and peril it creates.

My personal theory is that they are doing this to prevent a zombie apocalypse.

A few months back, they wanted to turn it on again, but were foiled by “a piece of crusty bread” which was dropped by a bird. Now, referring to the “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” which tells us that giant ships could be fueled by improbability drives, I propose that this bird, carrying this “bit of crusty bread” decided at this moment, not to *eat* the crusty bread, but to drop it…now, in such a spot to disable the Large Hadron Collider, had traveled back in time and space and was originally carrying a Yamaha PDX-60BL Speaker Dock and it was originally intended to be dropped at my house.

So…please, for the sake of all mankind (and bird-kind), correct this great cosmic wrong, and prevent the zombie apocalypse, by making sure the Yamaha PDX-60BL Speaker Dock arrives in the place that the universe has designed for it. The Darrington Tiny-House-of-Chaos!!!

It’s all about pinpin’ the LHC. The HOC for the LHC. Heeeeyyyy! Hoooo! Fer’shizzle! Indeed. Keep your fingers crossed that the Tiny House-of-Chaos will be bumpin’ the large sounds from the Yamaha speaker dock courtesy of Yanko Claus.

Yamaha PDX-60BL

PDX-60BL Portable Player Dock

Date: December 1st, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects

HOC: Sleeping Pallet for Master Bedroom

I’ve been sleeping on the floor. Well, not the actual floor, but the shikibuton I purchased a few months ago has been resting on the floor while I decided if I was going to install tatami mats or a platform bed or a futon frame for my main sleeping quarters.

Now, I love my bedroom. I think it’s a sanctuary and it needs to be a place that I feel instantly comfortable. I am comfortable with a mattress on the floor more than I am comfortable making a major purchase that turns out not to be correct.

But last week I brought a load of lumber home and constructed a quick-and-dirty sleeping pallet which raised up the shikibuton about 6″ from the floor. I still think I’m going with the tatami mats, eventually. But those suckers aren’t cheap so I’ll need to save my pennies for them.

So, I built this sleeping pallet:

It brings me 6″ off the ground, allows space for a nightstand and bookshelf and I’m considering adding to it in a little bit of time.

Date: December 1st, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects

HOC: Dining Room Window Re-do project

Dining Room – Window

Originally uploaded by chinagrrrl

In November 2009, while trying to write 50,000 words in 30 days or less, I also decided to re-do much of my dining room. This entry covers the refinishing of the old, wooden windows.

more))

Date: November 26th, 2009
Cate: Tiny House Projects

Re:post – Bunkies avoid building permits

Michael Janzen over at Tiny House Living posts about the tiny “Bunkies” that avoid building permits:

I always like to hear about folks finding creative ways of solving housing needs. It’s not the beating the system part that interests me, although too often it seems like that is a requirement, which is really sad. Shouldn’t building codes be designed to protect folks… not limit or exclude folks? This article on Tiny House Blog describes one such work-around situation at Lake Ontario, Canada.

These Bunkies Avoid Building Permits

Date: November 25th, 2009
Cate: Tiny House Projects

Re:Post – 1962 Airstream EcoConversion/Restoration

Oh. My. Gods.

I love Airstream. To me it is a cultural icon. I used to have a recurring dream in a post-nuclear time of me and my family/brood (in this dream I had six kids) who traveled in that apocalyptic time in a converted Airsteam trailer which had been retrofitted with gun turrets/flamethrowers and all the fashionable bio-hazard accoutrement.

Jon and Kate’s Airstream looks much nicer than the one from my dreams and I will be following their travels.

From This Tiny House:

more))

Date: November 24th, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects, life the universe and everything, news, personal

HOC: New Roof for the Tiny House-of-Chaos

Ugh! I had to get a new roof on the House-of-Chaos before the mean Ohio winter snows started flying. I didn’t want to. I had much better plans for those $4500 dollars. Really, I did! But the one thing I couldn’t abide was the though of me being all nestled into my warm bed on a cold February night when it was a blizzard outside and hearing a creak and a crack that wakes me up only moments before the roof caves in and three feet of wet, gray and icy snow descends upon me.

That was enough of a nightmare for me to shell out the cash.

Here is what the exterior of house looked like back in April, when we made the offer:

On October 19th the roofers started and it looked like this:

and then they laid the felt/ice guard down:

This is a slightly better view of the roof felt as the breezeway butts up against the garage:

New Roof for the House-of-Chaos

They worked on it Monday through Thursday and now it looks like this:

The new roof for the Tiny House-of-Chaos

They replaced much of the underlay of the roof, where it was leaking between the kitchen and dining room, they laid two new layers of 25-year, dimensional shingles and completely repaired the flashing on my chimney.

Nice job!

For the entire gallery of the roofing project check this out!

Date: November 24th, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects
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HOC: Breezeway – Front Storm Door

After replacing the back storm door first, I felt confident enough to tackle replacing the front storm door all by myself. I decided that white would be a better color for the front. So I didn’t have to special order this door.

I selected the same model door I did for the back storm door; the Larson Tradewinds I picked it up from Lowe’s and brought it home, ready to hang. I set up some sawhorses in the breezeway and went to town:

Just for reference, this is what I was working with:

Original Storm Door - Front Breezeway

and this is my set-up for working inside the breezeway to avoid rain:

Chinagrrrl’s always read the instructions and work with the proper tools before starting:

Instructions

and then we go to town hanging that sucker:

HOC - Front Breezeway (refinish windows)

Click on any of the thumbnail images to go to the Flick’r page detailing my door hanging extravaganza.

Date: November 24th, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects

HOC: Breezeway – Painting the Ceiling & Molding

After painting the ugly gray paneling to a light-blue color I noticed that the ceiling and molding of the Tiny House-of-Chaos breezeway was cracked and dingy. It needed a coat of paint too and there was a can of low-quality white paint left in the garage from whoever painted the Tiny House before we moved in. Not the optimal choice, but would it do in a pinch?

Yes it would:

Date: November 24th, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects
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HOC: Breezeway – Painting the Paneling

So when we moved in the Tiny House-of-Chaos had this dirty, dingy gray paneling in the breezeway. After I finished painting the 2nd bedroom for Mia I had some light-blue paint left over and I thought that would be a good experiment to lighten up that room.

This is how that room looked before we moved in:

So I gave it a coat of paint and it lightened right up:

The Light Blue Breezeway

The Leaky Cauldron

Date: November 22nd, 2009
Cate: Tiny House Projects

Tiny House Movement resources

Tiny house and simple living websites:

Tiny House Builders, Plans, And Kits

Date: November 20th, 2009
Cate: Tiny House Projects

Re:Post – Tiny Green Cabin “The Breathe Easy”

From Tiny House Living:

Tiny Green Cabins has a new cabin design available called the Breathe Easy Cabin. It measures 8? by 15? and has a road height of 13? 5?. Here’s what they say on their website about it:

This cabin is designed and built as a toxic free green small house or cabin. The materials used are selected to create a safe house or cabin that is free from toxins and off-gassing of products. With the bath area separated and as the outside entrance to this small house, a the owner can minimize outside toxins from entering their small home.

Date: November 17th, 2009
Cate: Tiny House Projects

Re:Post – Difficulty with financing a Tiny House

From Tiny House Blog, Kent Griswald writes about “comps” and obtaining financing in a small-footprint house in a land where your neighbors all own/build behemoths:

I could write a very short blog post here and say: Just don’t do it if you can’t live your small dwelling dream without a mortgage.

I know now one of the cornerstones of the Small House Movement is to simplify life, which includes ridding ourselves of unnecessary debt. If I had learned of Kent’s Tiny House blog and read his advice about getting out of debt sooner, I may not be writing this now.

more))

Date: November 15th, 2009
Cate: life the universe and everything

Holy Hot Pink Hummas, Batman…

From Libby at ExoSkeleton Cabaret:

No, really–not Photoshop. My hummus is that fuchsia. It matches my head.

more))

Date: November 15th, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects

Re:Post – The Save-Water Brick

I know I haven’t posted much in the Tiny House-of-Chaos section this month. That does NOT mean that there hasn’t been a ton of stuff going on. We’ve gotten a new roof, redone the master bedroom (half-way at least) and I’m in progress giving the dining area a significant new look. But all those entries are in the “drafts” folder of my WordPress dashboard and not ready to be revealed quite yet. Our philosophy is; make hay while the sun shines (or adapted for Akron, Ohio “get your nuts in order before the snow falls”).

Until then I’ll be feeding you some re:post entries from other lovely members of the Tiny House Movement. Please check this valuable and vital information out. Friend them, subscribe to their RSS feeds. Learn how to go small the stay sustainable! It rocks:

Now the first entry: the “Save-Water Brick” and it comes directly from Dornob:

It might look like your typical old red clay house-building brick on one side, but turn it over and there is a shift that hints at a deeper design change – one that is eco-friendly but also expressive in a way that most walls or brick are not.

Designed by Jin-young Yoon to be made from recycled plastic and decomposed leaves, this brick is green from the ground up (so to speak). More than just its composite materials, however, built-in grooves are designed to funnel water for gardening or even long-term underground storage.

In a world where water is becoming the next hot-button resource destined to become scarce, it seems like a good time to start thinking about our most basic building materials and structures (such as bricks and walls) and see how they might shift to accommodate an ever-growing need for homes to have access to nature’s most vital resource.

Date: October 2nd, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects, family, life the universe and everything, news, personal

100 Thing Challenge

I learned to day of the “100 Thing Challenge” over at David Michael Bruno’s site. The goal is to reduce clutter and improve organization by reducing personally owned items. Since I made a goal of being able to live out of a steamer trunk when my daughter graduated high school back in 2006 this challenge appeals to me. My personal goal is attached to my desire to be extremely portable and able to live the transient, nomad lifestyle for my years of 50-plus.

My daughter was 7 when I made the goal and we lived in a 2000 sq-foot condo, I drove a Jeep Cherokee and had lots and lots of stuff.

Since then I’ve moved us into a 750 sq. foot home on less than 1/8 acre. We’ve begun growing a portion of our food and shop for healthy, well-packaged items. I compost and try to reuse packaging for alternative uses. I now drive a Kia Rio.

So we have made strides. I’ve gone from having a walk-in closet and a second, double sliding closet, to having one 24″ wide cubby where I keep my clothes. I have four pairs of shoes; boots, work shoes, sandals and sneaks. I have two coats; one heavy, one light. I wear basic black t-shirts and black yoga pants for much of my off-work hours.

So, in preparation for 2010 goal planning I’m going to read more and perhaps move towards a commitment to the “100 Things” lifestyle.

Date: October 2nd, 2009
Cate: House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects, family, life the universe and everything, personal