An epic failure has occurred over here at Of Houses and Trees, folks, and my heart is a-broken. I probably put a good two to three hours into a post about my favourite locally-owned Stony Plain home decor stores and – right
Mahalo Back Girl
Apartment Living in the Country + Our House in the Trees Update
A garage apartment can be used as a primary residence, guest suite or rental property. Versatile! Which is why we’re building one. I realized I haven’t posted an update on one of the main focuses of this blog, which is
How To Incorporate Tiny House Living Into Any Home
I’ve been infatuated with tiny house living since the moment I heard about it. Not surprising since I’ve always had a love-on for the little. From the plastic toy toilet I used to hide from my sister as a child (I didn’t want to share), to the miniature potbelly pig I desperately wanted for a pet as a teenager. I’ve been cultivating my weird obsession with tiny versions of full-sized things my whole life. And now, here is a movement that not only bolsters one of my many eccentricities – it also validates it. Because tiny houses aren’t just adorable, they could save the planet too.
A tiny home is 500 square feet or less, although I’ve read about people building homes as itsy bitsy as 96 square feet (about the size of a smallish bedroom). Did I mention the average Canadian home currently sits at around 1,900? So… what are we doing with the extra 1,400 square feet? Why, filling it with stuff, of course!
3 Cruelty-Free Duvets + 12 Vegan Bedding Options for an Ethical Sleep
Back when I was redesigning our master bedroom, I had a hard time answering a kind of silly question. Do I want a duvet? Now, is it important whether we fall asleep beneath a duvet, a quilt, a comforter, or a pile of dirty clothing? No. Of course not. What’s important is that we fall asleep in a warm home in a safe neighbourhood where our biggest problem is what type of bedding to buy. I know this. However, there is a dark side to everything – even blankets. Impossible, you say? Read on…
My original reason for not wanting a duvet was that they’re lumpy. No, that’s not the dark part. I’m still getting there. Every duvet I’ve encountered in the past wouldn’t lay flat and what’s the point of making your bed if it looks like there’s a bunch of turtles hiding beneath the covers? (Ummm, I love turtles so that would actually be awesome.) I also tend to like myself a heavier blanket to help calm my wiggly legs and duvets are pretty fluffy.
Tree Branch Mobile
Along with catching up on blogging in general, I need to catch up on blogging about all the DIY projects I did before my daughter was born. True, I’ve done a few homey things since she came into my life that blessed September day, but for the most part it’s been 16 months of laundry, dishes and more laundry (and of course playing!). The laundry sitch has been particularly hairy of late because our washing machine is on its way out (and BTW, this is our second laundry machine to futz out on us this year).
The first one was nearing that magical ten year mark that somehow in appliance years equals 90 human years, so that was that. Then, we got a replacement free of charge thanks to some lovely family members. Unfortunately, that one didn’t belong to said members originally and thus we don’t know how old it actually was. And now it’s dying too. Sob.
How to Build a Simple Ottoman Toy Box
I can’t take all the credit for this DIY project as my most loveable and talented husband was the one who actually built this ottoman toy box combo, but we did design it together (amidst much ruler waving and pencil scribbling) and I selected the fabric and foam padding and wrapped this bad boy (girl?) up.
As is usually the case, the task at hand was not quite as easy as I initially imagined because we wanted as few seams as possible and I couldn’t manage to wrestle all the fabric into my sewing machine facing in the correct direction. The answer? Hot glue gun. It’s like the duct tape of DIYing… except duct tape is probably the duct tape of DIYing. So maybe it’s the duct tape of more delicate DIYing? (And yes, eco-friendly hot glue and eco-friendly duct tape are actual things!)
How To Make a No-Sew Burlap Laundry Sack
Here’s an easy, cheap and fun way to make a DIY hanging laundry bag. (Well, it’s fun if you’re a DIY nerdwad like me). All you need is a pillowcase, a burlap sack, some sisal twine and a few safety pins. (Bonus if they’re old and rusty like the ones I found in my stash. Yes, I have a safety pin stash – don’t you?)
Keep reading for directions on how to make a laundry bag out of a pillowcase and a burlap sack!
How to Make DIY Wooden Rocking Chair Cushions
Sometimes fabric starts it all. When I was working on my daughter’s room – before I knew she was a girl – I was looking for neutral colours and prints that didn’t outright announce: “Hi! I have a penis/vagina!” I’ve talked about my dislike of pink in a previous post. I’m an earth-tones gal through and through. So, when I saw this graphic floral with its greys and greens and browns I just knew I had to have it. (I had to have it so bad, in fact, that I forgot to check the price tag… oops.)
You may recognize the fabric as the background for the baby superheroes artwork from my last post – so, I’d say I got my money’s worth. Even though this fabric features flowers, I don’t find it overly feminine. It actually reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are. Something about the long, snaking, brown and beige vine. It looks like the tail of a beast who just disappeared around the corner…
Super Adorable Baby Superhero Art for a Gender-Neutral Nursery
When decorating our nursery, I knew that I didn’t want to a) go the whole pink or blue route, and b) spend a ton of money on all the bells and whistles the world tells you that you need when having a baby. I wanted things to be neutral and simple, but still unique and fun.
So I requested some hand drawn baby superhero art from my husband/best friend/partner in all things both criminal and not. And – as always – he delivered something quirky… and friggin’ adorable.
Can you guess who these superbabies are?
Handpainted Tree Dresser
My most recent excuse from being away so long is I was cheating on this blog with another. But, we’ve patched it up and I’ve promised it will never happen again. (Though, we all know, once a cheater always a cheater…)