6 September 2015 – Settling in and getting into a groove

To all:

I know it has been a couple of weeks but it has been a very crazy two weeks.  The house is for the most part all set up and Natayo (my maine coon cat, who thinks he owns the house) are getting into a rhythm. I have completed one week of school and this has allowed me to work in the house as to where I need things and what thing I need to be most efficient and what helps with the flow of things. I have attached some pictures of the house including the kitchen, the what I am calling Ikea wall(s), the living room and the amazing bookshelf/desk my mother made and then a full view of the entire bottom floor. There are also some pictures of my loft (sleeping area) and my new mattress and Texas A&M bedding (had to, for it is football season.. Gig’em Ags!!).

Hope you all enjoy! I have had several people not only from the RV park take a look at it but also some old friends from the neighborhood and others that happen to be passing through.

Stephani and Natayo

Sleepy cat….

This is the name of my tiny home Reveille!

Reveille sign in window

What is going on out there?

First meal on induction stove top – Fish tacos

Chilling out on the rug

New bedroom set up

Kitchen

Ikea wall #1 – Magnetic rack holding eating utensils, spice rack and spice storage below with a mirror 

Ikea Wall #2 – Convection oven and Induction stovetop with S hooks holding pan, utensils etc. 

Blue Beetle Bookshelf/Desk – Printer underneath with storage and shelves up with more storage under the top wood section.

Desk down and closed

View of House – Hanging clothes on right with shoes in basket below and cleaning items behind. Two fold up chairs and fold up table. 

24 August 2015 – Whirl wind week.. Where do I start?

To all:

Thank you for your patience with my updating of this blog. Things have been so chaotic this past week or so and I am just now getting a minute to update the blog.

So after a short family vacation in eastern Nebraska ending on the 14th I was enroute home when I got a call that the Tiny Home mover was already at my farm house and was ready to move the Tiny Home to Texas, despite ordering the move for the following day and the fact that I was about 5 hours from being home.  So I told the driver that more than likely I would have him come in and take the tiny home on Saturday. Friday evening was a rush in making sure that everything was ready to go for Tiny Home to travel and I had to start packing and cleaning. Saturday morning was rough. The driver was impressed that I made the house. He implied that he would be very gentle with her and was excited to transport her to AGGIELAND! I was crying and very nervous to see her depart. The driver DON advised that she would be in Aggieland on Sunday and that he would call me to let know how things were going. Also, that he does not drive items like this at night (relief).

Saturday was cleaning, packing and loading the vehicles and u-haul. Due to the length of the drive we decided that we would depart Saturday evening and try to get to at least Salina.  Well first note to self if that it is much easier to move a u-haul onto the truck ball when it is empty than when it is full. So out to the barn to find a jack. I then dragged it across the yard (not a light vehicle jack) and got the uhaul on the truck ball.  So now it was my friend (driving the car with the cat) and myself (in truck pulling uhaul) on the go. Second note to self do not take a loaded u-haul with a two wheel drive down a small steep incline because it will get stuck. So after burning rubber for a few minutes and digging in some dirt we were truly on our way heading south at 2000. Hour or so into the drive I get a call that my cat has farted and it is stinking up the car. A little bit later we pulled over to check on the uhaul and such and upon arrival to car find out that the cat did not just fart it pooped in its new cat bed and on the car. YUCK! So on side of road cleaning this up.  Keep in mind that the liter box was on the floor behind the front passenger seat.  After a few more issues of cat, stopping for gas and this and that we made it to Salina, KS around 2300 and got the cat and the car and us cleaned up and went to bed.  Early Sunday morning after going to Walmart and getting some clean clothes for my friend (limited on shorts due to flight home) and breakfast we were on our way again.

Around 1100 I got a call from DON.  He stated that the trip went well (only after calling me on Saturday night asking how much insurance I had on the tiny home… NOT FUNNY!).  He was already at the RV park and along with the manager the two realized that the site that had been picked out for me was not going to work due to the door being on the end and not on the side like a normal RV.  They finally found a site and I told DON that we would arrive late Sunday evening and would see him then.  I took over with cat sitting duties in my truck on Sunday and the drive went well.  It got warmer the further we went south but not that bad. We arrived in College Station at the RV park around 2100.  Due to being so late and nothing set up we looked her over, got her plugged in for the a/c and signed the paperwork and went to a local hotel.  In the morning it was time to begin the set up.

Monday morning, breakfast and then check on Tiny Home and get things moving along. The set up took a bit to get her leveled but other than that not much else. I got three storage units (one for the stuff I brought down from Nebraska and the other two for the stuff coming from my government storage). We were able to unload the uhaul and some of the vehicle stuff pretty easy.  I was able to run several errands for things like the peat moss for the toilet and then the adventures began. There have been some extreme challenges like getting the refrigerator set up correctly ( have a maintenance man coming this saturday), the toilet fan did not work (had a new one sent to me arrived finally yesterday) and this and that.  The house was definitely snug with boxes, two air mattresses and a cat the first few days.

Tuesday and Wednesday were orientation for school. There were some great meetings and I am looking forward to learning more about campus and my major.  We were able to get in some great food this past week in areas that I was missing like true BarBQue, Mexican and local hang outs.  On Wednesday I got a call from the government movers that they were enroute with my storage stuff.  On Thursday morning it arrived and was loaded into two storage units. Then on Friday we took the stuff out of the third storage unit and subdivided it into the other two units and closed out the third unit. This will save on money for the next few years.  I also got a PO Box, got in contact with my bank that I have had since living here the first time in the 1990’s and this and that.  This town has changed tremendously.

I have been looking for the right mattress for the big loft for myself and the cat. I have not found it yet but am still looking. Friday, Natayo surprised us both with climbing up the ladder to the loft and then easily working his way around the newly constructed cat walk and shelves/steps to get up and down from the first floor to the two lofts. I have placed odds and ends and supplies in the small loft along with his scratchboard.  He seems to like the cat walk concept. On Saturday my friend Lorri flew back to Nebraska and then it was all cat and myself. Natayo is getting up and down well on his own by using the ladder and steps.

Sunday I took a break from all of this and went to Round Rock to see family and do some shopping (not only was this Texas A&M move in day it was also for all the colleges along I35 in central Texas) people everywhere. I was able to find some things that I needed and look at other items that I am going to decide if they are what I need.  I will return to IKEA soon.

My site is a good one. I am in an RV park with about 35 spots. The park is divided into two sections with 17 and 18 sites respectively. I am in the back middle section.  For the most part people in this area are long termers with some having been here like 5 years already.  In the front it seems that although some are long termers more of the short timers like for football season are up there. I can hear some of the traffic in my loft at night from the Hwy since my bed is above my neighbors RV but on the bottom floor it is quiet. Should be conducive to studying.  I have two trees one on either side of the Tiny Home that are small and about as tall as the tiny home. I am working with my friend to get some curtains put in the house mainly for privacy but also to help in dealing with the 100+ temperatures (I miss NE in this case).

Well that is about it. Heading to run some errands. Already did a load of laundry this morning. Take care and enjoy.

 

Well we are in the final days.. 10/11 August 2015

Well it was time to stop at about 0100 today so I waited until I got some sleep to update the blog. So here we go.

Love my lights

Door view of flooring

Hardwood Flooring

Downward view of flooring

Closer view of flooring

Flooring in bathroom

Cedar side beams for look and stability

So this week is small things like shelves, installing the toilet, hanging rods etc and then on Saturday the tiny home departs for Texas. I will be departing on Sunday with an expected arrival for both of us on Monday. On to new adventures. Oh my cat Natayo got a sneak preview of the lower floor the other day and seemed a bit unsure but overall pleased. I think that the space is a very small one for his likes but once he gets to see the upstairs and his cat walks I think he will be fine.

Thank you so very much to everyone that supported me on this project, helped in building no matter the amount of work and for those of you that have had encouraging thoughts on my blog and facebook posts.

Thank you again for looking at my blog!

Woah! So much is happening right now…..5 August 2015

To all:

So much has been happening this week. After I got the ceiling and walls in I took it back to Hastings to get the smaller details finished.

Monday I found out that the website http://www.tinyhousetalk.com wanted to do an article on my house, Reveille! So then on Tuesday I received word that the article had been published. If you get a chance take a look at http://tinyhousetalk.com/retired-military-woman-building-her-own-tiny-house/  Thank you Tinyhousetalk.com!!

I have been able to have the HVAC, Electrician and plumber all in this week. I am attaching the following pictures:

Me sleeping in Tiny Home,

The magnetic chalkboard brown kitchen wall (On the right side of the shower)

The white walls in the bathroom are writing wipe boards

The blue beetle pine trim around the windows

The installed ceiling fan, example of switch plates, bathroom fan and LED light (this is the type of light throughout the house) , A/C unit, countertop, and tow end of house with outside A/C unit and propane tanks.

Me and my buddy

Magnetic Chalkboard Wall

Whiteboard walls

Window Trim

Installed ceiling fan

Switch Plates

Bathroom Light and Fan

Kitchen area

Tow end of house

Thank you everyone for keeping up with my blog and your comments. I hope that many of you are able to see it in person and if able spend the night or at least have a meal in the house.

Stephani

21 July 2015 – Successful Birthday!

Well today was a successful day.  The dormer walls and ceiling were finished. There will be trim later applied to all walls. Was able to get polyurethane on the backside of the door.  The board that goes on the wall from the refrigerator and bathroom is also up. Cut the board for the wall between the kitchen and bathroom and put on two layers of magnetic paint. The next step is to put on the chalkboard paint.

It was a beautiful day in Nebraska and the night weather was supposed to be good so I spent the night in the big loft of the Tiny House. It was a nice night and I slept well. I did not put a mattress up in the loft but there is so much room. It was neat to look at all the colors of the ceiling and walls and how the light from the street light and the beautiful sunrise came across them. It was fun!

Enjoy!

Living Room Wall

Ceiling

Large Loft

It was THIS BIG!

Nighty Night!

Me and my buddy

Morning Sunshine!

Tiny Home update – 14 July 2015

To all.. Sorry it has been a bit since my last update but it has been crazy on this end.

So 28 June – 2 July I was in Colorado for a family issue. I drove back on the 2nd with 1200 lineal feet of 1/2 inch tongue and groove Blue Beetle Pine (the same wood that my lofts are made out of). That was an interesting trip with 8, 10 and 12 feet boards sticking out of my truck. I was able to get back on the Tiny Home on the 3rd. I had ordered some spa/hottub stairs that came in while I was gone. I put them together and they do a good job. I chose them because they are sturdy, weather is not an issue and they have grips that will not only help in wet weather but also help in cleaning off my shoes when I go to enter the house. That night I also built a ladder for my loft (finished it at 2200) for an open house at the Hildreth, NE 4th of July festivities. I had about 50 people tour the house within about 2 hours and was also able to raise about $150.00 for the Wounded Warrior Project. It was a good day and the comments from the visitors were very positive. Some people had heard and seen Tiny Homes on TV and others no idea what a Tiny Home was. It was fun!

Then on the 5th is was back to Colorado until the 9th so nothing happened on Tiny Home.  The 10th was playing catchup with this and that and then it was back into the Tiny Home.  The 10th and 11th were mostly sealing the 1200 lineal feet of Blue Beetle.  It was also the start of sealing the outside of the house. Because I do not have access to a power lift anymore I had to get creative on how to get up high. So most of the work was done with me standing on the roof and bed cover of my truck. It worked but not the smartest idea I have ever had. (No comments from the peanut gallery!) The sealing was not a stain but it did darken the cedar siding a bit. I am waiting to see what the final color is when the sealant cures. It takes about 7-10 days. Additionally, I was able to seal the Blue Beetle pine in the lofts, this will give them a bit more protection for wear and tear.

My mother has volunteered to build my main bookshelf/desk.  This has taken some significant planning for the two of us so that has been going on over the last few days also. On my end now that the sealing was complete it was time to start the interior walls. The first wall to go up was a piece of stained birch (using the same stain throughout the house, Minwax Early American). This piece will be behind the refrigerator between the bathroom wall and the window in the living room.

Today I started on the Blue Beetle pine wall from the entrance wall up to the Birch board.  This is on the side of the house where my desk will be and a TV will be on the wall.  This Blue Beetle pine is beautiful but it does take quite a bit of puzzle putting together to ensure that I am not wasting any or the least amount.

Here are the pictures to back much of what I have discussed above.

Blue Beetle a Traveling

Da Ladder

Tiny House 4th of July Open House, Hildreth, NE

Description for visitors and WWP donation can

Sealed Blue Beetle

More beautiful Blue Beetle. The colors are amazing

The house all sealed

The other side of the house being sealed. The bottom left corner has not been sealed. Big difference in tone.

Wall with Blue beetle and stained birch wood. It is a bit dark because it was late this evening when I got done and took the picture.

Some of the 1200 feet of BBP. The rest is already on the wall in the house.

Tiny Home Move…ment… Well it was time. 26 June 2015

Well the tiny home was mostly done on the exterior so I decided to move it from its current location, Hastings NE to my place outside of Hildreth, NE.  It was a Tiny Home convoy.. I was the Pilot “car” then the tiny home being pulled by a buddy with a larger (3/4 ton) truck and picking up the rear was my sister and nephew. It was a beautiful day for a slow drive through central Nebraska. When I saw slow we could not go above 50 mph. We had semis passing us. People were very patient.

I had a good time watching peoples reactions both in and out of vehicles.  There were many jaws that dropped. There was even a guy on a recumbent bicycle on Hwy 6 and I thought he was going to wreck as we drove by. It was awesome. My sister said that there were alot of people taking pictures with their phones on the highway.

Courtney posted a picture of the tiny home after we made the move and one of her friends made the following post – Kylie Renee Steiner – “Oh my goodness! We met them on Highway 6, and our kids were “like it’s a house!!!” And we were like “surely not!” SURELY IT WAS!! 

So now after my trip to Colorado I will be bringing back the interior wood and will work on the interior.  It will take some time and I am on a deadline so if anyone is interested in helping out I am willing.

Here are some pictures of the trip. These are mainly from my side mirrors as the pilot car.

Getting ready to move it out.

This was the one intersection we were concerned about. We still cleared it by over a foot.

Cruising down Hwy 6. Had all kinds of vehicles passing us including semis.

Cruising through the big city of Heartwell, Nebraska pop 80. My sister is the first vehicle behind the tiny home. 

Cruising through Heartwell pop 80

Well another huge step is complete… INSULATION 23 June 2015

Well it does not seem like a lot but many big changes have happened with the Tiny house. Siding is almost complete and the insulation went in today.

Right side of house with siding.

“Front” rear end of trailer. Hangover and top end will be sided the same as sides.

Looking towards the front door with the insulation installed.

Looking at my loft end with the insulation installed.

A wall completely insulated.

Showing the insulation as it is put in place. Two inches of 3 lb closed cell foam.

Inside of tiny house with only refrigerator in it. I had to clean it out for the insulators. It felt so big.

Front “rear” end ” of trailer. Hangover and top end will be sided the same as sides.

It is beginning to look more like a house.. A tiny one but a house.. 17 June 2015

To all:

Sorry it has been a couple of weeks since I last wrote. Well things are coming along. I am pleased with the timeline at this point. The electrician and HVAC contractors are done to this point with what they can do. They will come back after I get the house sided, insulated and the walls on to do the final touches inside and out. The plumber is working on his part this week.  I am hoping to have the closed cell foam insulation put in next week. Not being near large cities I am limited on some of my resources so finding the right contractors has been challenging.

So here is where we stand and what the pictures below will show. There are the two pictures of the outside with the cedar cornerboards on.  There are pictures of the interior showing the pipes, wires and such that have gone in for all the guts of the house. There are two pictures of the door end of the house not only showing the amazing front door (I am especially excited about how it turned out) but also the first pieces of cedar beveled siding that went on this week. Finally, there are pictures of the walls of the bathroom and the back corners of the house.

Along with working physically on the house I am dealing with some major logistical issues. Insuring a tiny home that you built is not easy. It is such a gray area that all of the insurance companies I have contacted (and that is several) will not insure the house. Thus this makes it challenging to get it registered for plates. Another issue is finding a place to put it in College Station. There again is the issue of this is not a travel trailer, not an RV and not a mobile home so who will take me and the tiny house. Thus the saga continues…..

Hope you all enjoy! As things move along faster I will work to post more updates. Hope to have siding completed by the end of this weekend and then start on the interior beginning of next month after the insulation has been put in.

Front of trailer view with Cedar cornerboards.

Front door view with cedar cornerboards

Interior of house. Looking back right is kitchen and back left is bathroom. Refrigerator is blocking bathroom walls.

Great view up into my loft with cut outs for lights but also a great view of different types of wood being used in house

First piece of cedar siding. This piece took time because of the several cutouts on it.

Showing how the beveled cedar siding will be laid out

Better view to see the bathroom “walls”

Bathroom – Shower on right and compost toilet bottom left to side of window.

Respect to those that have given the ultimate sacrifice.. Memorial Day… 25 May 2015

Door, Window and odds and ends…. Got a second coat on the door with stain. Was able to put the trim around the lower front window and started the base for the “shed” at the front of the house. Good work day.