DIY Shower Curtain - Step By Step

This is a very simplified set of instructions to make a shower curtain. If you are making a standard size shower curtain it should measure 72" x 72" when complete. You can custom size your shower curtain (as I did) but these instructions will show you how to sew a standard shower curtain.

Sewing a shower curtain is quick and easy. This shower curtain will require 100% cotton fabric of your choice (4.75 yards) and some piping (5 yards) along with 12 grommets. You can forgo grommets if you know how to do button holes on your sewing machine.  I always suggest cotton fabric as it washes easily and irons nicely, but a blend fabric will work as well as a flat bed sheet. A flat bed sheet works well because it will have no piecing seams on the front, but piecing the shower curtain looks fine too.

Pressure Cooker Recipe - Artichokes

In this short video, I am going to show you how to clean an artichoke so that you can cook it in a pressure cooker.

Many folks look at this strange vegetable choice, see those forbidding thorns, and keep walking. Those who do stop to look at them often have no clue how to prepare them. Artichokes are a delicious and healthy vegetable, but are seasonal, so they are only available for a short time each year. Grab them up when they are available! Take care when handling them as you prepare them. The heart of the artichoke is worth the risk of a poke.

Enjoy!

First Aid Kit on a Budget

In a prior post Help I Have Fallen and I Can't Get UP I listed a comprehensive list of items to include in a first aid kit for those who live a distance from "civilization." Today I took another look around the 99 cent store again. I decided to see how many of the items on my list could be purchased at the 99 cent store or any similar dollar store. Here is a photo of today's haul and a photo of my first aid kit as it stands right now

Updates for Ease

I spent today updating some of the layout of this blog to make things easier. First, please note that "Related Posts" at the bottom of each blog update. This will help link together common ideas and related items that you may find of interest as well. Secondly, I updated and added to the links at the right of the page to items like my Facebook page, Pinterest boards, podcast feed, and other places around the net you may find interesting. Lastly, I added an email contact in the sidebar (just scroll down to locate it) in case you would like to shoot me an email.

I am considering setting up a chat room and forum area so that others can connect. Be sure to check back frequently as things around here are always a-changin'!

Tiny House Hot Tub/Swimming Pool

I think that in another life my granddaughter was a mermaid. She LOVES the water. So, being the Nona of the Year, I went and got a cheap, above ground swimming pool for my house this year so we could both enjoy the cool water during this hot summer when she comes to visit. The pool I bought was a cheap model made by Intex purchased at my local SprawlMart that was $48.00. I bought this particular model because it had a pool filter and last year my $25 model did not and it got icky super fast. At 10' in diameter and just over 1,000 gallons, it is nice to relax in after a long day.

Living Day to Day in a Tiny Home RowdyKittens Style

www.MotherEarthNews.com

An article has been published in the June/July 2013 copy of Mother Earth News which covers an interview with Tammy and Logan Strobel about their experiences living in their tiny home. It is a good peek into the challenges and triumphs of living in a tiny house.

www.RowdyKittens.com

 To read the article, click on the Mother Earth tree logo to the left. You can also read the RowdyKitten blog by clicking on the RowsdyKittens tiny house logo to the right. When you visit their site, be sure watch their slideshow for some great pics of their place. Enjoy!

Loveable Loo - The Composting Toilet

Join me as I discuss the different options for bathroom facilities in a tiny house. Discover why I chose to go with a "Loveable Loo."

For more information about composting poo, I suggest the book Humanure Handbook by Joseph Jenkins. For pictures of the Loveable Loo and more information and resources on humanure, please visit the website http://humanurehandbook.com.    

Rancho No Dinero Episode 1

Introduction to what Rancho No Dinero is and who I am. Learn my take on a Tiny Houses and my plan for my sustainable homestead in the Pacific Northwest. Learn about my general plans and what my future podcasts will cover.

Check out this episode!

DIY Shower Curtain

Waverly

Even though I am still teaching summer school until the end of June, summer is upon me. I love being a teacher who has extra time in the summer. I have a mental list of all kinds of things I would like to do, but just cannot muster the energy to do during the school year. Yes, teaching (good teaching that is) is exhausting and by the end of the day I just want to relax. So, all year I come up with projects and I tackle them all in a whirlwind of activity during the summer.

My latest project for the tiny house is the shower curtain for the bathroom. Now I understand that most will just go buy a shower curtain and call it done, but I wanted something more custom. As I explained in my earlier post Interior Decorating, Are You Serious? I have a plan to keep the color pallet and pattern specific. I already use this pallet in my house, so I will be able to use most of the bedding and curtains I already have in the tiny house after modifying them to meet my needs/fit the new space.

Help, I Have Fallen and I Can't Get Up!

As I have stated in my prior posts, my plans are to live in the boonies. I envision trees, gardens, critters, blue sky, rain, snow, wind, but NOT people, busy highways, or concrete buildings. This tranquility is a heavenly idea to me, however the thought of a medical emergency far from help is worrisome. Preparing for an emergency in an isolated place takes forethought. Deep in the thick of an emergency is not the time to realize that you don't have scissors, or bandages, or pain reliever.

Flooring Bargain!!

www.HomeDepot.com

Since my plan from the beginning is to get a trailer that is 24' (pipe dream, I know), I figured out the floor space to be 8.5' x 24' = 204' minus the area covered by framing. So, to be safe, I just figure the square footage to be at 200 (not counting the lofts) when I have looked at flooring. I was budgeting about $500 for flooring and would peruse the big box DIY stores to see if they had any good sales while I was there buying whatever I needed for my latest project. The other day I was on the Home Depot website looking at hinges for a project to estimate costs before heading to the local store when I decided to take a virtual gander at flooring. I found a great bargain on flooring that I thought I would share.

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Perfection 525M-1

Well, not exactly. I know it is June 1st in Phoenix, AZ, but in Oregon come February it will be cold outside. I have been working on the heating conundrum in the back of my mind for some time. It seems the popular method for heating tiny homes is the Dickinson Newport P9000 Propane Heater. While it looks like a lovely little fireplace hanging on the wall, it retails at $900+ and the P12000 is over $1000. I don't know about you, but that seems like a lot of money for me right about now. So I began a search for alternative ways to heat my tiny house.