Where Have I Been?

I don’t really have a good answer.  The best I can come up with is that I’ve been tired….  I know, that’s a terrible response.  But I’m back, and have a bunch of pictures of the stuff that’s been keeping me busy (and tired) for the last 2 months.

I helped this wonderful couple, and two of my favorite friends, celebrate their 10th anniversary:

Then I watched the Sierra Nevada mountains go from this….

…to this:

I also had a myriad of visitors!  Some stayed with me in the pink trailer, and some did not.  Some were invited, and others, not so much….

Cassi’s best friend, Bella. Cassi and I, and Bella and her mama, Shawn, all lived together in Bend, Oregon in 2003/04.

A great night out with Shawn & Steve, visiting from Oregon.

Dannica (we have been best friends for nearly 40 – ugh! – years) visited from Kelowna, BC for our annual super-happy-fun-extra-long-weekend-and-Black-Friday-shopping-extravaganza.

Next, my sweet sister-in-law, Sierra, visited during the coldest few weeks of the year.

My favorite fella, John, visited from upstate New York for a few weeks.

And I can’t forget Joey, my frequent uninvited guest, who loves to rub his hairy butt all over my bedding. Good thing I’m allergic to cats….

With all the extra days off during the holidays, I had a few sleepovers at friends’ houses.  Conveniently also during some very cold days and nights.

Here, all are participating in a community napping session.

New Year’s Eve was spent trading makeup and falling asleep before 11:00 with these two beauties.

I nearly froze to death, on a couple of occasions.  On nights like this, living in an un-insulated trailer feels like barely a step up from being homeless.  But I’ve managed to figure out a system with my space heaters that prevents my pipes and I from freezing solid in the night (even when the temps hit 0F/-18C), without blowing a fuse, and while keeping my electric bill under $200.

Even on bright sunny days, the pink trailer was home to many icicles.

Beautiful icicles flanking the laundry room of a local trailer park.

Then my friends let me babysit.  Although “let me” doesn’t sound quite right.  I wasn’t exactly begging to do it….  But remember the 10th anniversary friends up above?  As part of my anniversary gift to them, I bought them a movie date and offered to babysit.  It was my first babysitting in a couple of decades.  No one died, no one pooped, and we only had one crier, so all in all, a pretty successful evening….

I have also been spending a little time at a great new local coffee shop, Coffee Bar….

…where Marty McFly’s De Lorean was recently parked:

And finally, I had a fantastic long weekend in Vegas (one of my favorite cities to visit), catching up with friends and family:

Wearing blue to Blue Man Group.

Enjoying The Strip at night.

Watching the Bellagio fountains, Ocean’s Eleven style.

Beautiful Red Rock Canyon.

The breathtaking Nevada desert.

So that’s a little of what I’ve been up to, while being the world’s most neglectful blogger.  I promise to be better.  I promise.  🙂

Rebecca Knabe

Trailer Pick of the Day – Zebra

This fancy number was spotted by my cousin, Carly, during Burning Man season, when all the super creative trailers come out of the woodwork.

 

 

 

 

 

Rebecca Knabe

Living Comfortably in 400 (or less) Square Feet, According to Bob Vila

Posted by Rebecca

There’s a Bob Vila article buzzing around the internet today that has some great tips and photos to help you either make the leap to smaller-space living, or help you in your current small space home.  My little trailer is about 450 square feet of living space.  Here’s the gist of the article, but be sure to check out the full article for more information and a complete photo gallery.

–  Use a beautiful armoire as a home office.  The best part?  When guests arrive, just close the doors – no messy office to tidy.

–  Fill your tiny home with double-duty furniture, like ottomans or end tables that store clothing or blankets.

–  If you have higher ceilings, hang shelves up to 18 inches from the ceiling for extra decorative storage or for your books.

–  Glass, clear acrylic, or Lucite furniture can open up the space and add a modern touch.

–  Mount a shallow shelf above your kitchen or bathroom sink for pretty towels or bottles of soap and lotion.

–  Lighter colors give the illusion of space, so use them generously.

–  Make like Julia Child and hang your pots and pans on the wall or from the ceiling to free up some cupboard space.

–  Use mirrors behind sofas, beds or other large pieces of furniture to expand the visual boundaries of the room.

–  A strategically placed book shelf can serve as a room divider and a major storage unit, all in one.

–  Allow your tiny home to be flooded with natural light.  Keep windows clear, and if you must cover them, opt for sheer fabrics and shades to let in some beautiful filtered light.

Learning to live in a tiny place is challenging, but worth it.  Think of all the extra time, energy, and money you will save when you no longer have a large home to pay for and upkeep.

Rebecca Knabe

Decked Out

Posted by Rebecca

The pink trailer’s deck is up and running for the summer, and as of this week it looks a little like this….

Is your outdoor space ready for summer?  What are some of your favorite potted plants?

Rebecca Knabe

Lighten Up

Posted by Rebecca

I got inspired during a visit to Tanille’s tiny home a few weeks ago.  She had switched her beautiful, but dark living room curtains for light ones; and it opened up, and brightened up the place so much that I had to try it myself.

I found some pretty shower (yes, shower) curtains at World Market that I loved and would do the trick.  They are fully fabric, and the thing I like about shower curtains is they are wider than regular curtains, so fewer panels are needed.  The only caution is they aren’t as long, so they work best behind furniture.

Notice the difference from my old heavy curtains, to my lighter set.  It feels so bright and cheery, and perfect for summer!  And I feel like I have a whole new living room!

Another bonus to this type of change is it feels like you’ve redecorated, but with very little expense or work.  My furniture does not rearrange well in my trailer.  My couch is huge and very deep, but I love it and won’t get rid of it.  So the front end of the trailer is the only place it fits (believe me, I tried about 174 other locations).  This change of window covering adjusts the light levels of the room, and makes the huge change that you feel when you’ve moved furniture.

I did the same thing in my bedroom last winter.  I thought I needed to immediately darken the wall color after hanging these new white curtains, but I still haven’t painted, and now that I’m used to the change I love it – with or without darker walls.

And that’s how you do a cheap and easy, light and bright summer makeover!  😉

Rebecca Knabe

Rain Rain GO AWAY!

Posted by Rebecca

This morning I was jolted out of my semi-comatose state that I usually linger in for a few hours after I wake by stepping in a puddle.  In my bathroom.  Did I mention that I’m not a huge fan of the rain?

A new leak!  How exciting!…  I guess I can’t really complain, as I have been relatively leak-free for about a year and a half now.  But we have had 2 days of pretty persistent rain, and the ol’ pink trailer has sprung a leak.  Ugh!

Fortunately, the trailer and I both love to reside in the desert, and leaky roofs are just a passing concern.  Granted, they are an important concern to avoid mold problems, and warping walls and ceilings, but nothing like an emergency situation that I would have to deal with if I lived in the Pacific Northwest.  Whew!

So for now I have towels on the floor, and will wear waterproof shoes when I need to go to the bathroom.  I’m keeping it classy.

Good weather is just around the corner.  This weekend should be in the 80’s again.  So until then, I will look at these to make myself feel better….

Rebecca Knabe

White Water Retro

Posted by Rebecca

I ran into an RV Show last weekend.  Literally.  I was running, and there it was.  And even though I’m into the whole trailer ‘thing,’ an RV Show is not something I would typically check out.  You see, I would have a hard time justifying spending a bunch of money on a brand new camping trailer, when my home trailer cost me a measly $5,000.

It’s simple math.  House = $5,000, therefore the couple-weeks-a-year vacation house must = <$5,000.  And fancy new travel trailers do not.

However, I couldn’t resist a peak, and this Retro number caught my eye.  It was nearly the smallest one on the lot, and it was perfect!

Granted, the inside could use a little color and bedizenment, but layout and storage-wise it’s great!

Yep, I can really see myself in this thing….  (oh brother!  ***insert giant eye roll here***)

Rebecca Knabe

Trailer Pick of the Day – Toile de Jouy

Posted by Rebecca

Toile de Jouy is described by Merriam-Webster as”an 18th century French scenic pattern usually printed on cotton, linen, or silk in one color” on a lighter background.  Well, here’s a little Toile de Jouy, 20th century trailer-style.

Rebecca Knabe

My Brother and I – Now and Then

Posted by Rebecca

My brother recently visited for 6 days.  His first time seeing the Pink Trailer in real life.  How exciting for him!  😉  In addition to our race, Liam and I did some sight-seeing around Reno/Tahoe, and enjoyed a lot of time just hanging out.  We haven’t had the opportunity to spend time, just the two of us, since he was a baby.

Liam was born when I was 15.  Our mom died 8 months later.  I loved spending time with him back then.  I used to drop him off at daycare on my way to school, and pick him up after.  I would get dirty looks from grouchy old ladies at the grocery store who thought he was mine.  He’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to my own baby.  Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control, we only lived together until he was a year and a half old.  So I really treasure the time we get to spend together, like this past visit.

Here are some photos of his time here….

We drove partially around Lake Tahoe on our way back from Modesto, CA.  It was beautiful as always.

We explored some old casinos.

Found some new downtown artwork.

Enjoyed spring blossoms.

And even though Liam is a 23-year-old grown up now, he will always be my baby brother.

Rebecca Knabe

Spring Clean

Posted by Rebecca

Monday is April 1st.  Many of us like to feel a fresh new start for the upcoming warmer months.  So that often translates into a good spring cleaning.  Clear out the clutter and cob webs, and make your home fresh and new.

Last autumn we did the 8 week home cure, found in the book: Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure.  This 8 week home make-over is the perfect guideline for a good deep clean.

Use these posts as general suggestions, or as a step-by-step recipe for the perfect spring clean:

Week/Part 1

Week/Part 2

Week/Part 3

Week/Part 4

Week/Part 5

Week/Part 6

Week/Part 7

Week/Part 8

Happy cleaning/organizing/purging.  🙂

Home Sweet Home – These great contemporary handmade cards are available at modernoptic’s Etsy store. Click on the photo to see more!

Rebecca Knabe