Peas Without Their Pod: What's Next For Us?

I let myself have the month of January to allow everything sink in.

Even now, as I sit in our temporary apartment, enjoying tea made from "faucet water" and unlimited electricity, I still somehow feel like we haven't left the Pod. As if we are just house sitting for another weekend, and soon enough we will drive back up to the farm, turn the corner up our old driveway, and there she will be, waiting for us. What that tells me is that I really truly, deeply, and irrevocably adored that home and way of life. I don't remember feeling this way about any home I have ever lived in, and I have moved a lot in my life. I didn't struggle nearly as much even when the traditional home I once owned and slaved over was wrenched from me, as the relationship I was in crumbled. 

Before we took the deck apart...

This time around, it was a conscious choice. We were ready to sell the Pod, at least as ready as you can be. We knew our next step and our next chapter would only happen if we parted ways with our beloved abode. On December 30th, I managed to muster a short post, documenting a huge moment: the Pod leaving Rhode Island. It was a quiet moment, no parades or parties. The tiny house that had sat still, kept us safe and warm, and cultivated and curated some of our best characteristics as individuals and as a couple....just quietly rolled away, leaving hardly a mark in it's place. The lasting marks were not made on the ground; that little place has left an indelible mark on our souls.

Empty... sigh..

I spend a lot of time in self-reflection. I second guess choices I have made in the past, worry about choices I plan to make in the future, and leading up to the sale of the house, I absolutely wondered if we were doing the right thing.  As the entire process began to unfold, I saw one sign after another that assured me we were on the right path. I startled myself with a small chuckle as I began to really think about each "sign" that solidified my resolve...

We knew we had to put together some kind of video, and we wanted it to reach a lot of people, so we chatted with our good friend Deek of relaxshacks.com about making a sale video. This was mid summer. Schedules got crazy, lines of communication went silent. I worried a bit...ok, A LOT.

Us with Alex- the reuse guy!

 It so happens that we also had agreed to be in a really cool documentary about converting a box truck into a tiny house using completely reused materials. (Check it out: www.boxtruckfilm.com ) This project is being carried out by the reuse king: Alex Eaves of stayvocal.com and the mini-build master: Deek! Dates for this kept getting shuffled, until finally a day in early November seemed to work for the hectic schedules of all three parties. 

Deek getting some cool shots for the sale video..

We spent the afternoon filming interviews and shots of the Pod for the documentary. As the afternoon sun began to wane, the filming wrapped up. Deek had brought his own camera stuff, as we hoped to squeeze in a shoot for the sale video. With about 20 minutes left, we hammered it out. 

Within a week, Deek had the video up online, and about 5 days after, we had put up posts sharing the official news. Dan and I were both sweating bullets. This was it- we were about to get some real, raw feedback on our house. Would anyone want it? Would anyone else think it was as beautiful and wonderful as we did? Would anyone think our price was reasonable, or ridiculous? Would anyone contact us AT ALL? 

I didn't really want to know at first, so I was thankful that we were slated to go visit family on the West coast for Thanksgiving. I desperately wanted distraction during that time....but wouldn't you know? None of that worrying was necessary. After Deek posted his video, Sarah contacted us THE NEXT DAY.  

Thanks so much, Sarah! 

We chatted a bit, and I answered a few of her questions, which spurred me to write a post answering many of the common questions we were getting in an avalanche of emails. We planned a day for Sarah to come see the Pod once we returned, and I held off scheduling visits with anyone else until Sarah had already come by. After I wrote the post, Sarah emailed me again, expressing just how interested and motivated she was. It was a great feeling to kick off a week of nice weather! 

When we got back, Sarah came to see the place, and as we talked, I grew more and more excited. She mentioned that she loved our house from the very first video Deek posted from over a year ago, and had hoped that maybe someday we would sell it. She pointed out all the details that she knew of, really commending us on our efforts to recycle and reuse materials. She was happy that we had it set up as off grid. She really liked that there was no plumbing, and she already had an outdoor shower on her FARM. She didn't want to worry about the winterizing process in the NH cold. So it was perfect for her.  She loved the simplicity and the big feel of the great room. She loved that we chose pine for the walls and not sheet-rock. She loved the colors we chose and the Swedish inspired decor. A fellow Swede! Amazing! Then, as if we needed sprinkles on this already iced cake: she told us her vision for the Pod. She teaches classes on homesteading and sustainable agriculture right on her farm and plans to rent out the Pod for workshops and provide an "Artist In Residence" opportunity for college kids during the school year. She said we were welcome to come attend a workshop and come visit the Pod!! 

We returned home on a Monday, and the Pod was officially sold that Thursday, December 1st to perhaps the most perfect possible person. So within two weeks of sharing this with the world, our house was sold. Within 20 days of that, all the "paperwork" was done, and the Pod was rolling away. I had worried about so many different things, and the last of my worries was: how long will it take to wrap up the final details and move the Pod out of RI? I wondered if this would follow us into 2017. Nope!

It all was so seamless and easy. Dan and I kept pinching ourselves. We would randomly blurt out to one another, "Is this really happening?! It's sold? It's done!? No tire kickers?! No low ballers?!"

The universe seemed to say, "Don't you worry, Jess and Dan, you are doing the right thing. I've got it alllllll covered. I've got this person who happens to find every detail you are worried about- like the no plumbing- to be absolutely perfect. I'll have her contact you within 24 hours. She lives right in New England, she loves all the same things as you, she thinks your price is more than fair, and she will take wonderful care of the Pod. I'll have it all wrapped up before the year's end, so you have a fresh start in 2017. Now roll on to your next adventure!"

Indeed, Universe. INDEED. 

Our new focus will be the business, Two Little Buns, but we will still be involved in the tiny house world. We plan to return to tiny one day, and we will live with it in mind until then. We still have a lot of fun things to post about...many plans to visit all the tiny house friends we have gained, and perhaps plans to build a tiny mobile "booth" for the bakery!

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Our THSC 3 Experience and A Month of Milestones

Steppin' it up a notch for our Anniversary dinner

October just seems to be our month for making things happen!



I'm flat out amazed that it has been over a month since my last post...it seemed like just last week! I have a very poor sense of the passage of time these days-- which in some cases is good- but in other ways, it's a bit troubling. I hope we find some balance and a steadier pace soon. 

The last we all spoke, Dan and I were headed up to Deek's Tiny House Summer Camp 3 for the weekend. We had another stellar time, and as soon as we returned, the swift currents of my life swept me right back up again. Not to mention, we entered October, a month full of milestones for us. October 1st marked two years of living tiny! I'd say we are fully converted at this point- I rarely ever find myself longing for extra space or wishing I had this or that available at all times. In fact, I find myself wanting to continue paring down my belongings!

Three years ago this week! WOW.

I'm astounded by the versatility and resilience of people all over the world. I see the homes they have, the environment they live in, and I think- "Wow, I couldn't live like that.." But now, that reaction has started to change. I look at the decisions Dan and I deliberately made, how radical of a change it was, and I realize we made the shift in easy strides! We went from a two bedroom apartment with unlimited running water, full bathroom, unlimited electricity, unlimited internet, and excessive spare spaces for junk to crop up to a box on wheels with no plumbing, solar electricity, and mobile hotspot ting through our phones for internet. Some people would consider our way of living to be a lot more work. I disagree- it simply requires a lot more intention and presence here and now...these are practices I am very grateful to have as new habits.

Rollerblading! Fun times! (Pre-dog-bite that is..)

Just nine days later, we celebrated our first year anniversary as a married couple! We wanted to do a little weekend get away, but simply couldn't get the planning together in time. So- we decided we would take a full weekend "away" from all of life's responsibilities. We did whatever the hell we wanted all weekend long. We hit the pause button on everything- our business, our chores, our projects...and just enjoyed one another. We went rollerblading, biking, walking through the woods so I could take photos, stepped it up a notch and went out for dinner, and plenty of just laying around with good food and good movies. 

The only picture I thought to take that night!
I guess I was enjoying myself thoroughly :)

And one last milestone to note- our first Tinies Double Date! We had our first pair of dinner guests at the tiny house! And they too are tiny housers! Justin and Jenny are in the midst of building their tiny house in Southern RI. We knew of them for quite a while since Justin started following us online. He was always right there with a compliment or comment to boost our morale, and we can't wait to return the favor. Once we started the business, he was also one of our first loyal customers at the Haines Park market! I was super excited to meet them both, and the friendship quickly blossomed from there. If you want to follow along with their progress, check out pics on Justin's facebook page "Transition Tiny" and updates on their blog.

As soon as they arrived, they were both like kids in a candy store. Despite working towards this dream for the last two years, they still had not set foot in a tiny house. We were happy to take that V-card from ya, guys! (hehe) It was really great to see how visibly amped they were just to be around our homestead and pick our brains. 

We shared a great dinner on the deck as the stars came out, then moved inside to keep warm and keep chatting....or laughing. I honestly think we did more of that! We had a great time with these two- they are funny, humble, generous, and kind individuals. We truly hope they can realize the dream of staying their first winter in the tiny house. For the past two years they lived in an RV...and let me tell you, the winters were not easy. We plan to head over there on Saturday and give them a boost to finish the inside!

Now let's back it up to September. We had a market on Friday and Saturday- but we just couldn't afford to miss both markets so we decided to give up Saturday and leave a little early on Friday. We baked late Thursday into Friday morning's wee hours. Loaded up the car, headed home, slept for about 4 hours, then headed to market. We had a pretty busy day which was great, but meant we didn't get going as soon as we wanted. Finally, we packed up our booth, raced back to HQ, unloaded the booth and products, prepped and stored leftovers, then raced home. We had Dan's truck partially packed, but we still had plenty more to do- which we did- in turbo mode. 

We hopped on the road around 3:30-4 pm and headed north. I knew we were headed to the boonies of VT so I had the foresight to screen capture all of Deek's very specific directions for finding the site. Boy am I glad we did, because we lost all reception just as we started to enter the gray zone for GPS too. We had only Deek's directions for the last 20 minutes...and the sun had just about set. 

Fellow tiny houser Ethan Waldman singing some original tunes,

The directions were spot on- Thank you Deek! - and we arrived at the site just as the last remnants of the sun left the sky. We were surprised to roll up on an impromptu parking lot of almost 30 cars! We had no idea how people were going to be here! And many of them were a part of Deek's ever growing gang of tiny housers that often come along to speak to the group, chat with individuals, and help out with the build. 

After quickly setting up our camp site, we headed down to the fire pit area. We simply listened for the commotion and headed that way! We came upon the full group, in the midst of lively conversation, all tucked around a great big fire. Just to the left was one of Deek's larger structures on the property, a cabin that sleeps 6+ people. To the right was one of his smaller structures, serving as a stage for speakers and singers. 

We jumped in right away- saying our hello's to Deek and the Gang and then plopping down by the fire. We spent that first evening drinking and sharing our story - piecemeal and off the cuff. We answered questions without hesitation or hampering. We were honest, light-hearted, and funny in our approach to building and living tiny- and I think that's just what a lot of those attendees needed. I saw subtle changes in attitude and spirit as we shared stories and answered questions for each of them. 

The next day was a madhouse of awesomeness. I also got to truly appreciate that magical plot of land he's got. Everywhere you look is something colorful, funky, and quirky whether it be the angry goose crossing, the random turtle statue off the side of one of many winding trails, all leading to one sweet structure after another. Deek had FOUR different projects going at once...and located in different areas all through the woods of his land. By the time the day was through, Dan and I had helped with each and every one of them. I spent most of my time helping out with the super secret tiny tree house. You can't even see it until you are practically right in front of it! 

I had fun, getting back to just brute labor for a day. I helped haul in supplies to the tree house location, helped organize an assembly line for getting boards measured and cut (by hand) and taught some people how to properly use a saw. Toward the end of the day, I met up to see what Dan was working on and helped finish a the second outhouse with him and the others.

Experiences like this make me really appreciate my youth. All of these skills that seem like common place knowledge to me, really never even cross the minds of most people. Then again, why would it? If you don't live in the sticks or heat with wood, why would you know much about a saw or a hatchet. We all live extremely different walks of life- and not a one of us can say which is best- so I respect them all. It was really nice, though, to have so many aspects of my "walk" highlighted and even revered during this weekend. 

Palo, you are a crazy mo'fo! It's not a truck!

By Sunday, we had had two nights full of drinking and conversing, so all of us were moving a little slower. I honestly didn't know how far we would get, but the tree house was pretty much complete- save for some finishing work, the outhouse was completed, the rustic single sleeper was completed, and the mobile structure Deek planned to take to a show in NY was pretty close too. He ended up finishing the thing on his own after the workshop ended.

All in all, it was another great time in the woods of Vermont. We made more great connections with new folks, shared some of our baked goods (which got very positive reviews from all!), learned some amazing life stories, and gathered more inspiration and hope for the future of tiny living. 

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Video Tour With Deek Is Up!

At long last! 
The tour is up! 


Some of you might remember that I did a tiny house (and homestead) tour of our place with the one and only Deek, in mid June. Deek Diedricksen of relaxshacks.com is one of the first tiny house personalities I came across and quickly admired. I still remember the days before we even put the first cut in a two by four, combing through youtube videos, collecting ideas and excitement for our build. Deek has been into tiny structures for a long time and has a couple of books, multiple guest appearances on radio, TV, and more... and HGTV shows! It was a silly little dream of mine for him to come tour our house. YAY! He travels all over hosting workshops, taping tiny house tours, and has started to infuse art into all aspects of his endeavors. Check out his videos and his art! Wonderful stuff! And a DOUBLE YAY for us being invited to speak at his upcoming Tiny House Summer Camp 3! We are headed up to Vermont on Friday. Can't wait!

He's a goofball like me, so we had our fun while taking a look around! Enjoy the jokes and the tour! Share away!

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GOOD TIMES HAD BY ALL: Deek's Putnam Workshop

This past Saturday, Dan and I had the pleasure of speaking at, and mingling about Deek's tiny house workshop in Putnam, CT. 

We arrived toward the end of the day at the Empty Spaces Project, a cute little art gallery in downtown Putnam. The place was alive, not only with vivid colors (gorgeous art there!), but the energetic bustle of a group raising a small abode right in the center of  gallery's main showroom. Once complete, the tiny house will serve as an art exhibit in and of itself, while also displaying other pieces of art. So cool! 

Image borrowed from Deek's site

Dan was quickly scooped up to help, while I had the pleasure of taking photos of one of the most fun parts- raising the final wall, which had an awesome punk rock inspired mural- painted from corner to corner. 


Later on in the night, after all the banging and drilling was put to rest, everyone scattered to various little taverns and eateries peppered along the downtown area. This part of Putnam has really sprung back to life, and it's bringing a lot of funky, eclectic arts and other businesses back to the area. I always love seeing the revival of a town.

A piece of Deek's art! Love it!
Especially the cell phone 'stache!

After grabbing grub, we all returned to hear a handful of speakers ranging from tiny house dwellers to tiny house dreamers. Dan and I were up first and received a really awesome response to our story. Just minutes before we left for the event, I threw a bunch of photos on my tablet to be able to show. Probably the best move I made all week. It was pretty amazing to see people oooh and ahh at our little house, made by little ol' novice Nellys-- us. 

The other speakers were a delight as well, especially to us! We love hearing about other tiny house dwellers and their story. Ethan came all the way from Vermont to share his house, which is amazing. Miranda of Miranda's Hearth, and Amy Annette Henion (who did an awesome Ted X talk!) were also sharing. Amy provided some great tips and inspiration to fellow dreamers who are pinching pennies and paring down belongings as they dream of a tiny space. 

Miranda shared her engaging vision of a tiny house hotel of sorts, where each house along with every last item in it, would be hand made by a community of artists. Guests could come and enjoy a stay in a tiny house and would be able to purchase any item they saw or used while visiting. She is also going to kick start this vision off by building the very first tiny house right out in public- as an evolving art display. Check out more details here.

Needless to say, we had a wonderful time, made some great connections, and gained a renewed enthusiasm and appreciation for what we have done and encourage others to do as well! 

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A Little Stint In Livin' Large

Avoiding one another at the big house...

This past week, Dan and I did some house-sitting for his parents while they enjoyed a vacation on the West coast.


Lucky ducks! They picked quite a great week to get the heck outta here! We got more snow dumped on us and some of the coldest temps and strongest wind chills I've seen since living in RI. While we were happy to help and allow Dan's rents to go off on vacation worry free, I was surprised at how much I would rather have been home!

It's hard to explain- I just felt kind of drained staying in such a large space. I'm big about energy; each of us and every space we inhabit carries energy. I almost felt like my energy was diluted by the space. There were rooms we never visited, except to clean. It might sound silly to some, but I think others living in tiny houses would understand. There's a certain loveliness about being in a space that is efficient, multi-functional, and specifically suited to my interests and needs. I truly have embraced this way of living, and after this week at a large traditional house, I wonder how I will adjust when we inevitably move on to a larger (not by much!) traditional space. 


Despite the unlimited electricity and internet, the running water and fully equipped bathrooms, the appliances like the microwave and dishwasher...none of it swayed me. I still, unequivocally prefer The Pod. No doubt, other challenges of the week helped this along. Due to our current pickle with our propane tank, we are still rotating 20 pounders that last typically 3 days. WELL- with this ridiculous weather- the cold and the wind- those tanks went a lot faster, resulting in me having to visit our house nearly every other day while managing a larger house too. Twice that week, I returned to the Pod to find that the tank had run dry and house was quickly approaching outdoor temps. One day it was 32, the next time it was 36. I was not a happy camper. Half of my plants died, and thanks to the winds, the small, yet long, path leading up to our house was nearly non-existent. 

Wading through snow up to your hips in the whipping wind, only to find your house is barely warmer than the outdoors can be quite trying. Those who know me, know how much I love my plants, so that was particularly upsetting. On top of this juggling act, we adopted a second bunny named Walter the week before. We got him from this great little rabbit rescue place called Sweet Binks. But the bonding process met a few hitches.

One of Deek's tiny structures at the RI Flower and Garden Show

Bonding bunnies can be a tricky task, and it's not always a quick or consistent process either. Hauling our basic clothing/bathing/food needs over to the big house for the week was cumbersome enough, then add on the crates, the food, the litter boxes, etc for two rabbits. Sheesh! Had me feeling like we need to downsize our crap yet again! The switch in environments also caused some havoc for the bunnies. The progress they made towards being friends seemed to back track in the new unknown environment. We had some scuffles and I worried for a moment that maybe this bonding wouldn't work. 

Annnnd one more thing to add on to the week of challenges- I arrived at the difficult, yet exhilarating decision to leave my current job. It is a very demanding travel job, that was quite a ways from where I live. I've come to face the fact that this job was not going to take me in the direction I ultimately want my life to go. It doesn't align with my passions, nor leaves me much time or energy to pursue my passions. Thanks to the tiny house and the financial changes we have made in day to day habits, I have the breathing room to make a decision towards improving my chances at career happiness. Although I don't have any particular leads as of yet, I find myself excited and rejuvenated in ways I didn't think possible, simply by choosing to leave behind something that did not make me happy. I know I want to eventually end up owning my own business, but I'm realistic and know it will start as a part time venture.

Best buds back at home... :)

Another of Deek's "relax shacks"

So, all in all, it's been quite a week! But it concluded in the best way possible! We returned home, settled back in, and it was like the bunnies flipped a switch and are back to being calm snuggle buddies once again. PHEW. Then we decided to head on over to the RI Flower and Garden Show, and as luck would have it, we showed up just early enough to catch Deek's presentation. Meeting Deek (of Relax Shacks) was awesome, and I am so pumped to make one more connection in the tiny house world. He even asked if we would like to come hang out at his next workshop in May! Conveniently, it's just 15 minutes from where we live. What! We might even speak a little about our experience as full on off-grid tiny house dwellers. AWESOMENESS

It's Deek! EEE!

I also checked my email to find a sneak peak at the Rhode Island Monthly Magazine feature of us and the photos are so great. I cannot wait to officially share with you all! WEE!

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Green house out of recycled soda bottles!