Laura M. LaVoie - 120 Ideas for Tiny Living

All of the photos in this book, unless otherwise noted, weretaken by me. I am a casual photographer (not even amateur)and I am certain the quality of the photos will reflect this. However, I decided to use my own photographs rather than hirea professional in order to maintain the authenticity of our experience. I hope you enjoy them.

The sun rises over the mountain and I slowly wake up about8am when the sky is already a brilliant blue. The mists that givethe Smoky Mountains their name are lingering in the trees allaround us. It feels like were in a world apart from everyoneelse. The air is cool, no matter the time of year, and I feel agenuine sense of serenity about me.

Mornings in our tiny house are very peaceful. If you get upbefore the dawn you are rewarded with the most amazingsunrise through the mountains and trees; more beautiful than you could ever imagine. There are incredible shades of orangeand pink without names to describe them. The chill in the air ispermeable even in the heat of summer. The air is never still atthese elevations.

That is how I start my day every day. Imagine being in a position to do this for yourself and your family. Imagine having a smallhouse anywhere in the world that calls to you. What are youwaiting for?

Easy preparation is important for cooking in a small space with sparse resources. This fried egg sandwich couldnt be anysimpler and it is so delicious.

You need:
Eggs
English muffins
Cheese (cheddar or another favorite) Bell Peppers (I prefer green, butyou can use any color)

Toast the English muffins. Wedo this using our cast iron skilletbecause we do not have atoaster. We put a little butteron the muffins and place them

face down until they are golden brown and delicious. When they are removed we add a teeny bit of olive oil to the pan. You could add more butter if you prefer. We slice the bell peppersso they make rings about a quarter to a half an inch thick andplace them in the pan until you they have a little char. Crack an egg in the middle of each ring. Cook the egg until the yolk is justthe way you like it, flipping about halfway through. I like my yolks a little soft so we only cook them for a minute or two oneach side. Place the cheese on the hot egg and pepper andcover the pan to allow it to melt before placing the whole thingon the English muffin. Enjoy.

With your first delicious tiny house breakfast out of the way, itis time to get down to the serious business of deciding how andwhere you want to build your little home.

Part and parcel of the tiny house movement is the do it yourselfnature of the process. Many people choose this route becausethey can be in control of every aspect of their houses structure. Here are some reasons you may want to build a tiny houseyourself.

Choosing your own materials as you go.
Being in control over the form and function.Designing a space that works best for you.
Working on your own time line.
Modifying things as you go because you figured out a

better way.
Having a sense of satisfaction that you built it with your
own hands.

The second option for building a tiny house is to pay a companyto build it for you. There are many tiny house buildersthroughout the country. More are establishing businesses every day. It is easy to find someone near enough that can consultwith you and learn about your needs. Here are some reasonsyou may choose to have your tiny house built by a professionalcompany.