We've shifted focus from the lav lately to finishing the ceiling in the house so we can get the propane hooked up to the heater. The house has been staying pretty warm without it - Keith love tracking the highs and lows - but the that won't last long with nighttime temps dropping a little each night.

 During the day, especially if the sun is out, we see our inside thermometer get up to about 70 and then it drops down to the mid-50s overnight. I have an electric blanket, but only use it for a while when I first get in bed and then again right before I get out of bed in the morning. It's a nice luxury I don't take for granted.

looking toward the front doors 

 

a somewhat messy house (though it's been messier,  Keith just cleaned this week)

We put the shelving unit Keith built a while back up over the door again before we finish the ceiling in that corner. Keith has a stack of old maps and sea charts he picked up somewhere, so instead of having to back the shelves with cedar or something, we decided to cut up one of the maps to back it. This one had water damage on the edge, but fit just right in two pieces.

It's upcycled and looks great! We're thinking these maps could be used other places inside. This one is a sea chart of the coast of California. And there was a scrap I saved to somehow incorporate into our zine (not yet started, but soon).

Keith's going to work on putting some trim up tomorrow while I'm at work and maybe some insulation in the lav then Saturday if the weather cooperates we'll be able to finish the ceiling and get the heater going again.

We've made a bit of progress in the last week or so. The lav is now sided, except the part by the outdoor kitchen, and the tin is on the roof.

Keith's built the cabinet for the outdoor kitchen and today we talked about siding the underside of the cabinet and some of the outdoor walls with barn wood and maybe some leftover tin.

We spent most a day last week putting more insulation in the ceiling of the house. We had rigid insulation in there, but Keith was an avid proponent of adding some more. It was tedious, time-consuming, and dirty, but we wrapped some plastic over the bed, moved everything mobile outside and then went to work.

At the end Keith's arms were getting very tired, holding the insulation overhead and then wacking it with his half-reliable hammer tacker. We've noticed a huge difference in the amount of heat that stays in the house. Hoping that will also translate to keeping it cooler in the summertime, too.

Mia enjoyed some sunshine on the porch the other morning. It's been raining lately, as it does this time of year, so we're thankful for the days where the sun actually burns through the fog and shows itself.

We have some new minimalist utensils for the tiny house. These German military surplus sets are from Cool Material and quite affordable at $12 each. Plus they lock together and would be super handy for camping. 

And they're resting on the gorgeous oak cutting board Keith made out of scraps someone donated to us. It's been sitting out in the pantry for a good year or so, all rugged, and he finally got the edges cut down and sanded and I love it!

Fall in your face

This past week the fall weather came on hard. Suddenly everything is orange and yellow and the past couple days of rain have reminded me very much of Portland's fall. Temperatures and foliage are dropping.

Time to bring Mr. Aloe indoors. A friend mailed this little pup to us from Portland as a tiny housewarming present and it's been hanging on despite my natural inclination to kill most potted plants I come in contact with. I left it outside all summer hoping to perk it up and it has grown a little. Now heading into the dormant season, kind of like us humans.


To help keep us sane and occupied this winter, Keith and I are starting up a zine. It's called "A Brief and True Progressive Report" and the details can be read here. There are no restrictions on content, so if you need a creative outlet this fall/winter (and beyond), send an email to get on the list of contributors.

Weekend photo post

Keith's out of town on a guys-only fishing trip, so no progress on the tiny house lav this weekend. The dogs and I are holding down the fort. Maybe we'll pick and roast tomatoes tomorrow.