The Banana Experiment

Less Is More

Less Is More
The tiny house trend is on the rise with more and more individuals, couples, and families choosing to trade in space for simplicity. Shrinking square footage not only cuts down on chores — it’s a lifestyle change all about living with less and decreasing environmental impact over time.



Less Is More:The Tiny House Movement
Infographic by CustomMade

Painted Subfloor In Den

We pulled up the carpet in the den, patched a bad spot near the patio door. I can't afford what I want and hate to spend money on a temporary fix, so I'm seriously thinking about just painting the sub-flooring and being done with it. I'll update when I decide and as we progress.

The hardest and most time consuming part was preparing the floor. The carpet came up fast but there were staples to remove, I used a monkey wrench to grab and roll them out. I used a floor patch and leveler to fill nail holes and level the joints, of course we sealed it before painting. I used an exterior satin latex paint so I can mop it. One gallon covered my 13'x18' den, the hallway, and the baseboards, with enough left over for future touch-ups.

Update: I decided to paint it at least for now.

It's just a nasty ole chipboard subfloor, standard in mobile homes, but I patched, leveled, sealed, painted, and replaced the trim with 'window and door trim because it's what I had. Had I thought about it, I might have tinted the sealer to make the inevitable scratches in the paint less noticeable. I don't mind at all that it's a bit rough though, I like 'rustic'.

 

Bringing New Meaning To 'A Chorus Of Crickets'

You've never heard a chorus of crickets sound like this! Absolutely beautiful. A soundtrack of crickets at normal speed is overlayed with the same soundtrack but slowed down to equal a human lifetime. If I didn't know it was crickets I would have thought I was listening to a church choir.

My Barn Loft Studio Apt - Collage

This a collage of the studio apt we built in the loft of our barn. It's just one part of a whole 'off-grid backyard retreat' we're working on. We'll be adding a bathroom to the barn and a funky greenhouse/outdoor shower that can use conventional or solar hot water. Someday we plan to build us a tiny sustainable off-grid home, so in the meantime we're learning and trying to become more sustainable here. We've been hit by two hurricanes since we moved here - both times going more than five weeks without power. We'll add a few more tiny cabins/sleeping quarters that use solar and other alternative energy. In the aftermath of another hurricane and power outage we'll move out of the big house, and into our backyard retreat, where we can efficiently generate enough renewable energy to keep our tiny cabins lit, cooled, completely functional with or without city utilities.

April Flowers Close-up

The Loft

 kitchen still needs a back-splash

 and counter-top trim

bathroom still needs wall treatment or paint and vanity needs doors or maybe I'll make curtains

 windows need sills and trim

 painted plywood floors for now

 The back of the barn - upstairs entrance to loft

from the barn looking back at my house

 barn art lol

view of the front of the barn

hammock and a fire pit

view from my house - barn in the back

Murmuration

This video is so awesome it made the little hairs on my arms stand up and tears come to my eyes. I would love to witness such a thing but this video and their genuine reaction almost made me feel like I was there. 

Murmuration (Official Video) by Sophie Windsor Clive & Liberty Smith

Fall Durango Trip

Some last minute 'timing' issues has caused us to scramble to make new vacations plans in a hurry.
Sooo... we leave in 4 days! Saturday morning we're flying to Durango Colorado for the week!!!

I've always wanted to go, but I'm certain I will break my leg if I attempt skiing, so the crisp air and spectacular mountain scenery of Autumn seems like the perfect time for us to go. Perhaps a bit late in the year but we'll see. You'll see too if you want, because I'm making an online journal of sorts, I'll add the link below. It's like my very own online travel guide I guess, and once I get there I can post pictures and journal about the details. Family and friends follow our 'photo trail' while we're there (I love you Mom!). I'll be updating the journal with photos and notes in real time as we explore.

My Durango Vacation Journal

Gorgeous Fall Colors

We reserved a cozy cabin with a rock fireplace here on Lake Vallecito