Start small...the stake out.

      Just yesterday, the day after Christmas, my dad, brother, and I went over to my granny's to stake out the footprint of my tiny house. Later I said I would start calling it my small living space in order to come off more original.
      One spot that was almost perfect would have required extra demolition including the removal of a sick tree and a large stump.  The final nix on the spot was a future issue of having to move the small living space to another piece of land, because there are too many obstacles in the way like huge trees and a fence with more trees on its other side.
      The spot I chose is directly behind granny's house but lined up with the back fence so that my front door would face the tres amigos of trees instead of her kitchen window.  It's also located near a water spikit which I'm sure will be quite useful.  Behind it's back right corner is a giant oak that is sure to produce lots of shade during summer to keep me cool.
      We could have gotten started today on the piers but the weather is on the soggy side and my brother might not be able to get the pipe he needs to get started.
      Wish us luck!

A great man once said:

You're my reflection, and all I see is you.
      -Justin Timberlake

I am now counting down the days until I am done at the candle place.  Beeswax Co. will no longer have Emily's awesome hands making their beeswax candles.  It was once about the money, then it was the job itself, and now it's the drive and the lack of desire to make candles.  It's a waste of my time really, a waste of life.  I know it's like 40 degrees outside but when you're stuck inside all day you miss the entire season.  It's a terrible life to live.  TEN MORE DAYS!!!  I gave them ten more days because .000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 <<< That's April's opinion.  because! they were all butt hurt, and it doesn't sound like much but really it's 3 weeks and a Monday to me since I'm only there for 3 days a week.  This will all be over soon and I will feel good!

GP said I could build a tiny house in her backyard, but the trailer as a base is going to be too expensive for my starter budget, so we will build it on a welded frame on pier and beam.  That way we can move it if we need to, with a forklift and a trailer hahaha!  But seriously.

I want Mexican food.  I want a margarita.  I want my friends!

Tiny Dog Big House; Tiny House Big Dog

It's harder to get a loan for the right amount of money...then they want high interest or they want it attached to the ground.

I think I'm going to have to consult with GP about changing things up a bit. Maybe we can just demolish the shed, recycle good bits of the materials, build the tiny house attached to the ground and have an awning that serves as a covered storage space for pottery and other tools. Then there's still space for a small kiln shack.

This option not only cleans up the back yard, but makes it more useful.
I think I will consult with her soon.

The foundation.

The foundation of my tiny house will be a flat trailer. My brother has volunteered to help weld it together. I have to figure out how much weight it needs to be able to hold. I will probably barter with him before I pay him.)

The least expensive a tiny house has cost was $15,000 and the most expensive was $50,000. I'd like to keep it as far down as possible and one way was to build my own trailer.

Because I love setting goals that are terribly time framed (like this pottery I'm going to have for consignment downtown, I told him I'd have the stuff in a month, though it'll probably be quicker) I'll say that I'll start building at the end of the year.  That's when I had hoped to have had my loans paid off but work was crap so I didn't make as much as I should've.

Later on I'll wear a shirt that says, "ask me about my tiny house"...Haha!

Perhaps I'll fit it on a pocket of pizza!

Last night I found a blog on tiny houses from which I printed a building check list from.  From that moment I realized that not one tiny house could ever be the same because one must build their home specifically around their needs.  After scrolling through a website where you get to visit with other tiny home dwellers and travel to take a workshop on building your home I started judging their spaces on how certain things weren't important while other things were or just the fact that they didn't have something I was going to make a must. 
The one thing I'm up in the air about is running water/plumbing.  It sure would make living a bit easier and I'm sure my environmental conscious would be in good use anyways like it was when I had my apartment off campus, but perhaps I could have the option.  Maybe I could fit everything with plumbing and have the option of connecting it depending on where I end up moving the house to.  I'm just wondering how grey water systems work on tiny houses, would it be cheaper to truck water in/how does that hook up or is it just a jug/tank system? Composting toilets aren't half bad honestly.
Other questions I have revolve around Where can I live legally in my tiny house?  Where do I find the codes to build tiny? How many skylights would I need?
Now I just need to work on organizing and accumulating savings and setting aside time to plan plan plan study study study blah blah blah yay potential tiny house!

I wanna build a tiny house. I'm gonna build a tiny house.

Everyone in my family asks me, What are you gonna do with all of your stuff? At that point I lower my head and think to myself They don't get the point of living in a tiny house.
It's true, I have a lot of stuff in my room, I have a lot of art supplies, I have stuff outside in a shed waiting for my future, I HAVE TONS OF "CRAP"!  When I look around my parents' house in which I dwell I think of all the space that is pointless: the hallway, the huge living room, the dining room, the kitchen floor, the bathroom tub, the huge counter, my room and every unknown item in every mysterious box.  Next I think about the things I would "need": a bed, a stove, an oven, a cozy chair, a small refrigerator/freezer, a toilet, a sink, a closet, a book shelf, a table, solar powered hook up, running water, and of course a place to make and fire pottery.
It's really fun dreaming up this house and what it could mean for my future or even my now! I have two new friends, Stella and Jane, and they have been building the inside of their tiny house!  I only got to help them a few times and then I think I annoyed them with my imustknoweverythingbecauseiwatchmuchtoomuchHGTV so that's a big bummer...I could vent about it but you're no psychiatrist. Short story short, I haven't been invited back.  Anyways!  Ugh, I was skeptical at first about their tiny space of dwelling but one day my friend Shimarah (I hope I spelt that correctly -I tend to just call her shimmy) posted Tiny: A story about living small...and if it's not that, sorry, Netflix Tiny House and it should pop up on top.
There's something spooky about open space. To this day I still don't like going to sleep to an empty house.  Any(evilcat)thing could be lurking around the corner! Even the two bedroom apartment I stayed in one semester off campus was pushing the spookometer!
To wrap this first declaration of my dream to build a tiny house up I will say this:  I already started drawing plans the moment the film turned off.  And it should cost hopefully less than half of the amount of loans I've had to pay back...and still paying back. Boo you whorish loans!

Tag Awareness Day

      I tend to tag my posts, so today I will honor the largest tags:  Gardening and Camp Chrysalis.  We're ignoring the fact that I probably mentioned my break up about as much as I mentioned camp because it's now about pressing onward!  "Pressin' on!  My distress is going, going, gone!  Pressin' on, pressin' on....to go back to where I was would just be wrong!!! I'm pressin' on."Relient K (click here for YouTube video)

      Right now it is raining outside so our garden is getting watered for FREE! Some say that nothing is truly for free...but the weather is, right?!  A Doe came around and ate up our cantaloupe and cucumbers down to the root and chomped down the leaves to the squash and zucchini.  She also managed to trim up the tomatoes a bit, the pieces that were sticking out of the cage.  Needless to say, we plan on finding a way to put a fence around it all...though right now my dad fashioned some temporary ones.  I wonder if we'll replant some things... if it's not too late. 
      Why aren't our roses blooming anymore?!  They did so well for so long and after their last pruning they pooped out on us.  Our hibiscus are blooming now in their place though.  We need to plant more fragrant flowers so that the bees and butterflies hang out at our place!  Slackers.

       Staff training for camp has begun.  I think it rained around this same time last year too.  The owner of Beeswax Co. asked me if I was working this summer at camp...so I'm thinking he doesn't realize that if I worked at camp I wouldn't work for them.  Peace out, I'll be at camp!  Just kidding...  I am going to Ebert Ranch Camp with the middle school youth as a sponsor.  That's exciting because I've been to Ebert except I didn't get to live the camp life there, it was just for staff training.  I'll get my own horse!!!  Woohoo!
     There are a handful of returning staff so I hope to go up there one of these weekends to visit my favorites!  There have also been quite a few changes made to how the camp is run and also aesthetics.  I want to know everything!!!

      On this Memorial Day Holiday I have thrown some pots including a medium planter for my friend Marta's graduation present.  I  also made a wobbly and a not wobbly ring holder.  Meow meow meow. 

...my brain is ever changing...

Ed Sheeran and Christina Grimmie on the Voice <<<Click those words right there to experience my "Star-Struck" moment. 

I had been bee-bopping around the house as my mom was flipping through what seemed like a million different channels.  He life seems to revolve around these television shows that she can't bare to miss.  I've learned to not get attached...plus I can watch them back on demand and Netflix when I feel like binge watching some shows.  ANYWAYS...as soon as I saw dear Ed Sheeran on the voice I stopped my little feet and just stared as I watched their performance.  I love Ed Sheeran and I love that he loves Taylor Swift and I love that he performed on the voice.  Ahhhh!

Josh Kaufman and Robin Thicke on The Voice <<<Not as good...but I play fair.

I truly enjoy writing letters...

      I do not suggest that you gain a pen pal via work- customers shouldn't know your personal email.  It's just weird.  I don't really like answering the phones at work so when I have a talkative customer stabbing my ear drum with the yappin' I just think:  Be nice, Laugh even when it's not funny, Laugh even though they're awkward, and tell them everything about you!!!  Erghhh...yeah, I have no filter.  You make the mistake once and then never again, or just learn from me and don't do it in the first place!

      This man is obviously older, probably in his 50s because when they used to be in their 40s my parents were in their 40s so everyone's age range has been bumped up 10 years, sucks for you.  He was too excited about hearing someone's voice and believing that I was Alanis Morset and a hanger of the moon.  Seriously over-stimulated by our conversation where he was just talking and I interjected my 2 cents every now and then he made out with my email.  He let me keep my soul, so we're lucky. 
      Starting off our short lived pen-pal-ship he named me "Em" and I described a situation where my family was living in a conservative environment while they are quite liberal.  You can't just say anything related to politics and get a chuckle- he spouts out with big meaningless words (I believe that you should say what you mean instead of using big words that use zero emotion and effect zero people) and puts down anyone driving around with an Obama bumper sticker.  "Okay," I think, "You're a hater so we can't friends." 
      The thing about haters is...they always want to have a right and wrong answer.  Then, instead of just sticking up for what they think is right they use more big words and disappear without further responses.  I call this the "Hate-and-Run".  Granted he did give me his number so that I may call him between the times 2am-2pm EST.  Uhhhhhh...no thanks #1 that's weird, #2 I didn't even like talking to my boyfriend when we were dating #3 gross #4 I'm not going to debate politics with you over the phone when I know practically nothing I'm sure to your standards (his standards don't hold up to the media apparently...I guess he works for the UN or something and knows what's really going on yeah right) #5 does your pregnant wife you just mentioned the other day know you have a new pen pal #6 I'm still creeped out.  You get the point.
      My response to his haterade was to R-E-S-P-E-C-T (in a nutshell, that is).  He also hated on anything but homeschooling kids so I said something along the lines of:  It depends on the parent and it depends on the child.  There is no cookie cutter-right way to do things.  All home schooled kids don't turn out the same and that goes for private and public schooled children as well.  I didn't respond to any of his negativity with a right or wrong answer and then he called them my political views when really I'm just living life and responding to it the way I see it.  People have their jobs to run the world and I have mine to not fall flat on my face. 
      Let me quote something, "So you know some home-schooled kids?  That's a good sign!"  Like, what the hell is that supposed to mean? 
      I guess what I should pull out from this so that it makes me feel good is.......that I didn't run away from the talk of politics and instead I gave my genuine opinion.  All I can respond to would be the things I know about while certain things just don't affect me yet.  I think it's okay to stop someone trying to debate with you if you don't know how to respond.  It's easy to say, "I can't help you win because I'm not on your side." or "I can't help you win right now because I know nothing of it." or "I won't help you win because I'm on the other side of the fence with a different problem."  Make up your own!
      I truly enjoy writing letters...but I think I'll stick to snail mail and emails to my gal pals.  I used to have man pals but they must have fallen off the face of the earth...when it comes to snails.

Quarter-Life Crisis

I want to get a library card.  I can pass by a library on my way home from work.  If I go to the library maybe I will be able to write my book.  I wonder if the computers there have Word.  Typing on my little netbook is terrible because it's so small, I'm smashed into my cluttered room, and that darn thing freezes all the time. 

I think I would like my job more if I was getting paid more.  Is that bad?  Standing all day, a 30 minute lunch, pouring candles, hand-finishing candles, packing and shipping candles...it's worth more than what I'm getting.  I wonder if getting paid for the task would be better than getting paid for the hours worked.  Some days probably.  A six by twelve candle is only $167 retail value.  Haha.  I'm probably waiting for them to bring it up when I should, in reality, just bring it up myself.  It's not bothering them to be paying me what they're paying me.

I don't want a new car.  I want a more organized life.  It overwhelms me the clutter in my room.  I fix it by shutting my eyes when I fall asleep.  I stare at my book instead of the mess on the floor.  I need clean clothes but they're the reason my room is so dirty.  I hate putting away my clothes.  Anyone have any advice? 

I love to garden.  I want to ride my bike more.  I want to put a bag over my head (paper NOT plastic).  I want to hang out more with my new-old friend Award.  I want to have my own place, but share it with someone awesome so that I don't become a hermit.  I'm gaining weight in my tummy an thighs because there's too much junk in the house.  I asked my mom to quit buying it.  I think it's funny how my old boyfriend became a vegetarian for his health when all the crap I eat is classified as vegetarian.  That wouldn't fix my problem, is what I'm saying. 

Read, Netflix, Pottery, Garden, Family, Friends.  Oh, and some dogs and some candles.  Maybe I should put them in order of importance:  Family, Friends, Pottery, Garden, Read, Dogs, Netflix, Candles.  Sorry candles...a raise would bump you up though I'm sure.

(And yet another post I don't feel like rereading to fix errors)

Roadtrip to New Orleans, LA

      I went on a road trip.  It's been an adult dream of mine to do so.  I say "adult dream" because I went on road trips all the time with my Granny and Grandpa (dad's parents).  Those road trips I went on as a kid, I don't remember much of or any, but the ones I experience today are hopefully going to be remembered forever. 
      I believe that I feel different around different people.  Not in a bad way.  Think of me as a puzzle piece that fits in the center.  It has different prongs that fit snuggly with 4 other parts...or if I'm a crazy puzzle I fit snuggly with lots of other parts.  I think it's me coming out of my shell...my goofy, thoughtful, friendliness...and my great friends are the ones helping me remember who I am. 
      My new friend Laura (who will not be "new friend Laura" much longer, she's pretty well established in my friend-dome) told me to not have anything planned for a set amount of days.  So I went along with it.  She finally broke and decided that it would actually be best if she told me her plan since I had a car and could possibly use it as our transportation....to where???  TO NEW ORLEANS!!! duh.
      The first 4 hours flew by in that car somehow, though the last hour did not.  We arrived in League City, Texas where we ate pizza, walked through dog pee (not important, just funny), played a late-night tune on the guitar (that was so hard to play, but you gotta have a guitar on a road trip...as long as someone knows how to play it or else it's silly), then went to sleep.  I slept with turtles (not important, just funny).  In the morning we went to see Katy's gymnasium where she works and then we walked about 2.5 hours back to their house where Chris let me eat a sandwich.  Laura had pizza from our walk past a pizza hut.  Chris gave us mixed CDs which still live in my house but should go back to Lovely Laura. 
      Then we started our next 5 hour drive to New Orleans.  We stopped at the air port cell phone lot which was creepy and a silly woman honked at me because there weren't any lines in the parking lot but she insisted that we were pulled too far forward.  I just waved her away and told myself that she was just jealous because she wasn't playing the guitar.  'nough said.  We then picked up Holly and then we went back around the air port and then we picked up Kuba.   I decided to play him this song as my "Hello, I'm Emily":  YouTubeLink Click Here  Perfect, no?!  (and if youtube ever takes that video away just search "Dirty Dancing Havana Nights Cuba" okay?  Then we were walruses at a sushi place where we met Julia.  We made her friends say, "whaaaaaaat?" when we ill performed a song to her on our knees about how she's growing up so well.  JULIA!  We later shared a $4 huge-ass pancake that was amazing.  I want one now.  Dear Austin, do you have any huge-ass pancakes for me to eat?
      Sunday (which is the first time I've mentioned the day things have happened on) we took this lovely trolley train thing.  We got scammed out of a booklet of stamps because a guy swore he could tell us where  we "got" our shoes.  Improper English won.  "You got your shoes on your feet, in New Orleans, at 11:00 (random time for story telling purposes only)."  I wanted him to be the real deal, so that's why I'm so bitter about it.  We later walked around the French Quarters while, yes while, waiting in line for beignet's.  I just literally drooled whilst search the correct spelling.  I must find them in Austin along with the huge-ass pancake.  We walked into a voodoo esc shop.  We walked up to a duet "Tanya and Dorise" Click here for a taste of their jams via YouTube.  #1 must see in New Orleans (in my book).  We bought hair gel and did up Holly's hair, and did down Laura's.  LAURER!  Later we went to the Audubon Park and pat a dogs belly, sat on the greens of a duck pooped golf course (we're obviously unaware of golf course rules), then we had a wedding.  It was great and under a funny large tree.  We had dinner at some Freebirds esc place. 
      In the morning we ate oatmeal.  We also ate honey and craisins in the oatmeal.  I made it.  (Not important, but funny if you were one of the 4 eating it).  Did I mention we stayed in Julia's dorm room.  Fit for six?  Of course!  Then we drove to find some cemeteries which were very broken in some parts yet way more beautiful than the underground ones we are used to in Texas.  We went to the Lower Ninth Ward and ran into a guy who I guess founded Our School at Blair Grocery.  We pat his goats which weren't kept in a very goat-friendly place, not compared to what this Texan knows as acceptable farming.  Later we met back up with Julia (who was studying because she wasn't on vacation, we were!  Silly college!) at the park, then we headed to lunch in their amazingly well stocked dining hall.  Texas Lutheran needs to take some pointers.  Then Laurer and I left for Texas. 
      That night we checked into the Days Inn at Beaumont, TX.  I couldn't have made it any further I was so ready to be out of the car.  In the morning we were fed by the gracious staff and then sent ourselves to the post office to send some letters away.  Then we went to a park.  Laurer kissed a tree.  We witnessed a woman working out on the tennis courts.  When we left we headed for the airport in Austin where I dropped her off to wait for a friend that could take her back to Marble Falls, the land of the Outdoor School!
      When I got home I was so relaxed (even though my mom right off the bat was complaining about something which annoyed me but didn't stop me from...) I decided to clean my dad's car (the car we used on this glorious road trip) inside and out.  I didn't find her shoes which apparently love to run away from her. 
      It was awesome.  I want to road trip again.  I want Laura to live closer so that we can be super buddies.  And....I'm not going to reread this entry to fix any mistakes because I'm too tired and have been wanting to post about my trip since I got back...weeks ago.
     

Sandra Dee

I named the sheep Sandra Dee. She found her way onto our front porch Wednesday afternoon. I pinned it up in our back yard for safe keeping. We contacted loads of people to either find its owner or find a new home. Luckily, while my dad was out looking for "lost sheep" signs he came across two guys exiting a gate. He asked if they knew of anyone who might've lost a sheep. They said, "a little black one!?" And that's when they came over to pick her up and take her home. Now we have a stinky backyard that could use a pooper scooper. The cats didn't seem to mind the new addition, so now I know I should get a sheep...not a dog.

Live in the NOW

Driving on my way to work this morning, listening to FM station 100.7 (The Bobby Bones Show), they were talking about Amy's mom getting diagnosed with cancer. In one of the series I watch on Netflix, the star tennis player has also been diagnosed with cancer. Sure, its real life versus television life, but those experiences we go through vicariously either by way of a favorite radio show or a television series effect us.

Driving the fourty-ish minutes to work, and halfway there it hits me that I might not live until I'm 100+.  I might die young or I might suffer an injury that makes it difficult to fulfill my life's goals.
Now, instead on dreading the day I may or may not kick the bucket, I've decided to make a list of things I can do to make sure I'm living for the right here and now instead of living for the future.

First of all, my savings account is divided on a piece of paper into categories of: ceramics, camera, and a dog. These categories change and disappear because I either cash in or consolidate or give up on saving for something that wont come for another 20 years. I'd say that's living in the now, putting money aside just so you don't spend it on P.Terry's or bubble tea.

I want to get a Jeep.  It's my new "dream car" and I go through new ideas of "dream cars" every now and then but I think I'd look alright in a Jeep.  I have some setbacks though.  Credit.  Parents that don't care about my desires to be cool. 

 

But all of this sounds dumb when there are people walking miles for dirty water and every day more and more people realize that they are too battling cancer.  How does one live their life to the fullest while also helping others to make it through their hardest times?  How does one gain the drive to live for oneself while also living for others.  Is living for others the goal?  Feel good by helping others feel good?

 

I've been thinking about creating a YouTube channel called "Cool Christians".  It would be short videos on how being a Christian doesn't have to mean what people think it means.  Be a modern Jesus.  I'll probably mash it up with "Drunk Kitchen"...Drunk Christians... .com

 

I'm going to go chew on my thoughts. 

Someone crack the whip on me making some ceramic pots. 

 

Also...just heard a clip from the primaries and this guy (I just heard it, I wasn't watching) said something about keeping Texas conservative.  BLECH!  That sounds disgusting.  I might have to move and take my kiln shed with me.  I don't know much about politics, but I have a feeling conservativeness is the kind of living that's done inside of a box.   

I would like to thank the academy...

Plans for 2014

• Be a boss at the guitar via my guitar lessons that I have every Wednesday
• Build a cat run/play house that will go outside for my indoor cat that loves to escape
• Turn 24 duh
• Get my pots popping off the wheel
• Eat less sugar...maybe
• Read Read Read!  I've ditched two series so far because I just wasn't wanting to finish them.
• Be more adult when it comes to still living in my parents house
• Go back to having Donut Thursdays, because that's less sugar...right?
• Hang out with new friends
• Be able to run Beeswax co. by myself without having to call for help or questions (putting aside the things that can only be approved by a boss)
• Be a better aunt
• Write letters duh
• Be organized and less messy

That's all I've got for now, I'm a little squirrely this morning

Good February to You!

Click this link to got to an ariticle over how words are spelt weird.

January was the start of all great birthdays...probably because it's the beginning of the year duh.  However, I should probably say that October is the start of all great birthdays since after March this house is dull.  Haha!

Atkins has nothin' on this diet!

The Hohertz clan got infected with some sort of stomach virus.  Matt lost his beer belly.  Mom's down in pounds.  Dad's handing out subscriptions to the diet plan in the form of kisses.  I don't quite know what Caleb and Heather are up to.  I'm slugging through shifts at dog land. And...in case you didn't know...T.M.I. ALERT T.M.I. ALERT T.M.I. ALERT... Blue dye number one turns your poop green.  Mmmm electrolytes!

YOU'RE SO BLACK AND WHITE, how do you do it?

If someone ever calls me "Black and White" ever again I'll probably punch them in the throat.  That would make me feel good. You know someone has no idea who you are when they throw that kind of dis out into the wind just to make themselves feel better.  Do you know how many different kinds of people can make up a city?  If you're planning on moving to my town you better change your brains because your view is what's black and white.  "We run things, things don't run we."  Miley Cyrus is probably being run by things, lets be real, but at least she has a good lyric to live by.  Run life, don't let life run you.  I am not just Black or just White.  I am not just the grey scale in between.  I am every color imaginable and all of the tints and shades in between.  I run my life.  It only matters what you say because it helps know that I'm not the crazy one here.  I'm going to go back to being the color of beeswax now (which is many different tints and shades of yellow).