Inspiration: A Year Long Road Trip & More Tiny Houses

The below video is so inspiring. (Caution: It may make you want to quit your job and do nothing but travel.) It's about a family who was sick of working just to pay for a big mortgage. They decided to make a huge change and sell everything they owned. They bought a travel camper and hit the road with their four young children to venture on a year long road trip.


I've become overwhelming obsessed with finding a way to live a gypsy lifestyle. Since our trip to California there has been much talk about building our own tiny house on a trailer. Will it happen? I can't say for sure since I don't know what our future holds for us. If it was up to me today though, construction would have already started. hahaha

I recently stumbled across a very inspiring story about someone currently building a house on wheels. His name is Ethan and his house is pretty amazing I think...


I really enjoyed reading his story about why he decided to build a tiny house and how he is going about it. His house isn't finished yet so I am really excited to be able to watch the rest of his progress. You can read his story HERE.

Not sure if you can live in a tiny house? Do you wonder how small is it actually? You can now stay at the Caravan Tiny House Hotel located in Oregon. You can get a true feel for how the houses are. I think this is great idea for someone considering building a tiny home. Cody and I plan to stay in one sometime next year.


We actually spent some time over the weekend de-cluttering closets, selecting things to donate and also determining what from our toy collection we are going to try to sell. If you are going to live in a tiny house it requires a huge amount of downsizing. I am so ready for a huge change in my life. Downsizing my possessions is a great place to start I think. Here are some tiny homes that I fell in love with on Pinterest...





I hope you find these images and stories inspiring. I have started sketching my own tiny house floor plans.
If I can get my drawings looking descent enough I may share them here on the blog someday!
View my entire Tiny House Pinterest board HERE.

Inspiration: Tiny Homes & Living Mortgage Free

I have spent the last few days sick, which was a horrible way to spend my three day weekend. I haven't even had the motivation to read emails or other blogs. I am hoping that in the next few days I will feel better and things will go back to normal. Yesterday while lying in bed, I was browsing YouTube and stumbled across some great videos about tiny houses. I usually don't like to post this many videos in a blog post but I really felt inspired by these people. Kirsten Dirksen is a film maker who interviews people about their tiny homes. You get to learn why these people are choosing to build them and how they do it. The first video is about a lady who started her house from a free shipping container.


I found her story very inspiring. I have really started to come to the conclusion that I don't want a mortgage. I don't want to be paying all this money every month for the rest of my life just because it's what is considered the normal thing to do. My dream is to travel. If I didn't have to spend tons of money on a "roof over my head" I could achieve my dream of traveling the world. Which I've always felt would never be able to happen. The below video is of a 16 year old who has started building a tiny home in his parents backyard. What a smart kid!! He is going to have a very promising future ahead of him. He is building his first home already and it's on a trailer so that he can move anywhere he wants to.


Then there is the tool shed house in the video below. This one is my favorite. I love the style and size. Out of all of them I find this one the closest to the amount of space I would want. I will admit, these homes may not be for everybody but when you are building something like this yourself the designs and options are endless. I want something small but not super tiny. Even though I think building your house on a flatbed trailer is pretty genius. Moving wouldn't be a burden ever again!


I really look forward to researching these homes more. I did always dream of building my own home someday! Little did I know that this would be the direction I would go. It went from a dream of huge mansions with a million rooms I didn't need to an off the grid / mortgage free tiny house. HA! Aren't priorities great? ;) If you are inspired by these cute little homes or even just curious about them, below is the film We The Tiny House People by Kirsten Dirksen. Or you can just visit her YouTube Channel HERE.


What do you think of these homes? Tiny, yes. I would need an additional tiny home just for my pets. hahaha Right now I'm off to work so that I can make money to pay for a house I don't need. Ironic.

Decor Love: Coffee & Tea Time

I really want to put a coffee bar in our downstairs family room. It's not that I'm too lazy to walk upstairs and fix coffee or tea in our kitchen. It's just that we are addicts and it would be nice to have it much closer. I think it's a fun idea and I have found some great inspiration on Pinterest. We have the perfect sized wall to setup a sideboard or cabinet with all kinds of mugs, teas and coffees! Here are some items that I like...


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Above I have an electric teapot! I have actually never used one but figured it would be perfect for boiling water without a stove. I found the images below on Pinterest, links can be found here. I found them very inspiring...



Here are a few kitchen carts that I like from IKEA...



IKEA has many great options for me but I much rather get something vintage. We are super excited about setting this area up in our family room. It will be a few months before I really start decorating that area.
We also have to find a couch! If only money grew on trees....

What is your favorite tea or coffee?

My Favorite Pins #5 {Decorating Ideas}

Hi, My name is Jessie and I'm addicted to Pinterest. My decorating wheels are turning and NON-stop recently. I'm laying awake at night dreaming of painting walls in a house that I don't even own yet. Yes, it's a sickness I think and Pinterest just makes it worse!!! (If you missed my post about us buying a house last week you can read that HERE.) This week I wanted to focus on some of my favorite pins that are Interior Design related. Mostly inspiration things for the home I don't have yet....

Click on the numbers to visit the link!
1 I love that light fixture from IKEA. Love that this room is so bright and white! Beautiful.
2 That pillow is amazing.
3 Love this idea! Little felt balls in a vase. I just love all the colors in the picture also!
4 Love these colors! Talk about the perfect color scheme for my whole house!
5 Re-purposed wood table. YES PLEASE!

Using Pinterest for decorating ideas is very important to me because my tastes have changed a lot. I used to only like white furniture and ultra modern things. I find myself more and more drawn to wood pieces and a mixture of antiques. I know I am going to start collecting tons of globes!!! Now that I will have more room for them. Pinterest is really helping me to see what colors I am drawn to the most. Here is another board, because one is not enough!


1 Those stripes would make me feel like I'm in a candy store!
2 I want to make something like that lamp from vases!
3 I would love to paint a wall with a herringbone pattern!
4 Great colors!
5 Love the idea of using a wall for an office instead of devoting a whole room.
6 Bookcases around the doorway! Very cool idea and function.

So what do you think? Am I nuts? Gosh I can't wait.
It will make the cold winter much more pleasant! Decorating my heart away......

Want to follow my insanity on Pinterest? Go HERE

Inspiration: Decorating by Vintage Revivals {Mandy}

Are you guys ready to see some of the coolest decorating EVER? Best part is it's mostly second hand purchases, DIY projects and items from discount stores. Meet Mandy from Vintage Revivals. She's a "celebrity blogger" really and is so very talented! It's actually blows my mind how good of a designer she is. She is a born nature and her talent has taken her great places. When I see her unique designs I fall in love every time. I really wanted to share her newest design here on my blog. She had a Room Makeover Giveaway on her blog recently and here is the design the winner received....


Mandy is very inspiring to me because she uses lots of color and really makes every design with her clients personality in mind. I found Mandy's blog probably about a year ago and fell in love. She has tons of tutorials on her blog, which makes her more awesome! (She shares her secrets with you.) She proves to you that you can turn any beat up thrift store find into a treasure. She paints everything. She teaches you to let your own inner interior decorator out.


I urge you to go check out her blog and GET INSPIRED! You can see her full post with before and after shots HERE. In the next few weeks Mandy will be posting all her tutorials for the above room, so visit often. Mandy has made me want a house so badly. To have the freedom to paint my walls again, knock down walls if I want to and remodel things if I want, makes me all kinds of HAPPY!

Inspiration: Pops Of Mustard Yellow

How do you feel about Mustard Yellow? It's one of my favorite colors! When shopping for clothes I am always drawn to it, but it doesn't look very good on me. I am dying to decorate my own home again. It's been over 2 years since I painted a room!!!! I love painting so much, it's a crime that I can't do it where I currently live. I am basically over rentals and have gotten the itch to own my own home again. Here are some images I found inspiration...


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While we were vacationing at Disney I snapped this photo of one of the buildings at Hollywood Studios!
When I saw the window frames painted a shade of mustard yellow, I knew that I needed a room decorated in this color...



Cody always laughs at me because anytime we are out anywhere I will say,"Oh, that would be a pretty paint color!" I love color, decorating and painting rooms! Talk of buying a house is such a huge decision! We plan to keep thinking about it for the next few months and then make a decision. We are stuck here in Wyoming for a while and figure we would be happier with our own walls. :) I have fallen in love with a hand full of houses already and they keep selling within a month of being on the market. It may be hard for me to even find one that I love! We'll see....

You can view some of my past posts about Yellow Rooms HERE

Inspiration: Kitchens

I am dreaming of having my own kitchen again someday! (non-rental kitchen) I would love to do another IKEA kitchen remodel. I still love really modern kitchens, but I also do like the mixture of vintage pieces in the kitchen decor. I love turquoise and pink kitchens but hold a special place in my heart for all white kitchens. If I was remodeling a kitchen today it would have to have white subway tile and white cabinets. I also am loving open wall shelves with pretty dishes and canisters sitting out! Here are some kitchens that I found inspiring....

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What would your dream kitchen look like?

Organization: Bedroom Closets

I am already thinking of "projects" to do this winter! One project I want to attack is my bedroom closet! It's pretty tiny, but there is so much wasted space. I like things to be organized, color coordinated and pretty. My closet right now is basically, "Hang it, close the door and forget about it!" I found some inspiring closets online and wanted to share them with you....

CocoCozy



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1 2 4 5 Most the links above also offer some great tips on how to get organized!
One of my favorite closets is Nicole's of Making it Lovely

It's actually just a wardrobe from IKEA!!! Gotta love IKEA!

Isn't it pretty? Makes you want to make your closet nice doesn't it?
I don't want to spend a lot and I would like to be as thrifty as possible!
I will probably set a strict budget and STICK TO IT!!!
Also, I want to buy things that I can use in any future closet I may have and durable enough to keep moving around, since I move a lot.
Any suggestions? What does your closet look like?

Inspiration: IKEA Dining Display

I love photographing IKEA room displays.  I find most of them very inspiring.
I love the paint colors they pick for their displays.
I loved the simple plate display they did on the wall!
I used CHIP IT to find some paint colors that where similar...

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I can't wait to our next trip to IKEA!
If you missed the IKEA bedroom display I posted about earlier this month you can view that {HERE}.

Inspiration: IKEA Display Bedroom

Last month when we went to IKEA I fell in love with this display bedroom. I love the colors and furnishings! Have you heard of Chip It? This actually was the first time I used it.
I am very surprised that there was no purple in the chips! Isn't this light fixture awesome? You can check it out {HERE}.
I love well decorated IKEA displays. This color scheme is amazing!
Hopefully they have some new displays next time I go!

Inspiration: Globe Collections

Once I started seeing more and more globe collections online, the more I started to want my own globes. Everyday I get more interested in traveling and seeing the world. Cody and I talk about traveling to Australia, London and many other places worldwide. I love looking at maps and globes to see where countries are located. I think it's a fun thing to decorate with and display in your home!
Decor Pad Apartment Therapy Vogel 10 & Completely Coastal
Craving Cupcakes
Apartment Therapy & Glimpse of Glamour
Inspire Bohemia

I will share photos of my living room soon where my globes are displayed!

Inspiration: Guest Bedroom

I am considering setting up a guest bedroom in our house. Plus, I just love the thought of a decorating project! I have never setup a guest bedroom that guests would actually use before. I had an extra bedroom setup at my old house, but never had anyone actually stay over. If I have a guest bedroom I want it to be very nice. Relaxing and comfortable like these rooms...

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1 2 3 4 5I love the above rooms because they have the crisp white bedding and comfortable upholstered headboards. They are simple with just a little bit of color. I love color though, but I don't want to make my in-laws sleep in a hot pink bedroom. I can put my love of pink aside for one room I suppose. I also love the idea of two twin beds instead of one bed....

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1 2 3 4Did you know that two twin beds are the same size as one king bed? I told Cody and he didn't believe me, so I looked up the measurements online. HA! I think that our bedroom is two small to have two twin beds. I would probably go with a full size bed. I posted this room on my blog months ago, I love it so much....
Decor PadI don't like to copycat rooms, but I think its just the right amount of color. I love everything about it. Fresh flowers, chrome, pops of orange and the awesome ottoman at the end of the bed. I kinda want to do kelly green or lime green in the guest bedroom though with lots of crisp white linens. Keep it simple.

What is your idea of the perfect guest room?

What would you like in the room to make it feel relaxing for you?

I would love to add a television to the room, but I don't even have one in my own bedroom!! Also this room would be decorated on a thrift store / IKEA budget!

Inspiration: Beautiful Painted Credenza

Lately I have been wanting to spray paint everything! Why does it have to be winter right now? It seems like on my days off it's always windy and snowing. So even painting in the garage is out of the question since it's not heated. I am dying to find a dresser or buffet to paint yellow for my dining room. Every trip to the thrift stores lately have left me empty handed. I originally planned on painting my buffet (that I don't have yet) with a roller and a can of paint, but I may just go with spray paint instead! Look at this BEAUTIFUL spray painted buffet by Jenny from Little Green Notebook....

My jaw dropped when I saw this thing!!!!This was all the inspiration I needed to decide to use spray paint instead! The only thing that will keep me from not using spray paint, is if I don't like the color of yellow offered in the spray paint selection. I would really just like to get a paint sprayer, but I just don't feel like spending the money on one right now! Jenny has step by step directions on her blog on how she painted her buffet. She also did some other awesome stuff in her home office makeover!
I am super jealous of her office, but I will use that jealously to motivate me to go shopping this weekend for my own awesome buffet! lol Thanks Jenny for the great inspiration!

Dose of Jonathan Adler

I didn't get a job so that I could spend $175 on a decorative pillow, but dam it's tempting! I am so in love with the new pillows from Jonathan Adler...The colors and patterns are amazing. Even Cody loves them,....just not the price. This is probably my current favorite color scheme: Pink, Blue and Orange! YUMMY!
The Sugar MonsterProject Nursery
This may be my new inspiration for my living room.....