The Build is ON! and other BANina news...

Hi All!  (This is Nina) 
Since the last entry:

***BA's truck was towed to a mechanic and was pronounced DOA.  It's STILL there. She has been driving in a truck that belongs to a (very generous) friend. Salvage/parts is the next step (according to the mechanics) and, well, the amount of cash needed to get some wheels that can tow her house is pretty high so we're doing two things: stressing about it constantly AND trying not to think about it (it's a delicate dance).

***Nina settles in a bit. She has spending time getting her California accounts (insurance, etc.) moved to Texas and has been staying with different friends in the city and in the country. Nina has been dealing with the change in weather (from California 3% humidity to an average 55% here), with the hungry mosquitoes (bigger than she's seen in California), and generally trying to learn her way through the Texas state of being. She has a couple of friends she stays with in the city and has visited the country a bit (to visit her trailer and a fellow tiny house friend who is working on his cob house).  Watching the building (and lending a little bit of painting help) on the gorgeous and sweet cob house that has been blogged about here has been a great experience. We have lots of friends who love the tiny house idea but want something to put on their land (or buy land) and build something that's more permanent.  Take a look at the link and be amazed.

Tiny Cob Cottage (not yet plastered on the outside)

 Built by hand and from earthen materials, add some windows and a smidge of lumber and ... you have a house that will outlive you and generations to come. BA helped a day last year out there and now Nina got to as well...pretty cool. We even MADE THE PAINT that we used to paint the inside...non-toxic, no smell, just...natural. I don't know the cost of the cob house but it is not a lot (compared to the tiny house that I'm building...I think my trailer alone costs more than the cob structure).  You want earth-friendly, economical and solid? It's the answer. The feeling of being inside such a structure...can't even describe how wonderful the temperatures are inside compared to outside and the sound insulation... it's divine. Visit one if you can; build one if you've got room and are smart.

***BA & her house first parked in her old neighborhood because a parade was scheduled and...well, she was excited to be a part of it! Her friend Liz stopped by to help decorate. It was adorable!

Liz, Henry and Ale

tour line reads the info sheets before they come in

Henry, Liz, Christy, & Ale throwing candy to the crowd

The parade was to celebrate Easter but ... aside from the "theme" it had nothing to do with the traditional/religiousity that goes with Easter. It was fun though!!!  It was just a few blocks long but the dedication and creativity and energy that went into that parade was pretty amazing. Her house was a hit and the tours afterwards went on for hours. People were smitten.


What's been going on in April?
Not much...just..

Mayor Athas welcomes BA and her tiny house to Garland, Texas

 
BA's TINY HOUSE is parked in Garland, Texas!!!! 

All legal and in full view for all to see. No hiding! No kidding! If you have been following BA for a while you know that she met the Mayor of Garland (Doug Athas) last year when he saw her tiny house at EarthDay TX and they have stayed in touch because he likes the idea of a tiny house community. When she traveled to California, he kept working on it and now that she returned he is welcoming her into his city with open arms. It's astounding (Tiny housers know that most cities are anything but tiny house-friendly and we usually end up living under the radar and hope not to be singled out for code violations of some sort or another). Mayor Athas found her several options for parking and has his eyes on properties where a tiny house community of could work. We are over the moon about how cute the area is where she is parked (has her own grassy front yard, plenty of parking spaces for events/tours, a gate for privacy but can still be seen to attract attention). This is just so spectacular and we know that many tiny house people are hoping to have their local officials pay attention to what happens here. Mayor Athas welcomed her within 3 minutes of BA's arrival and soon after the Building Inspector and District Councilwoman were touring her tiny abode. Lots of positivity in the air! Our hopes are high and we have asked that anyone wanting to show the mayor their support for his tiny house community and his vision for the future to send a postcard from wherever you are to:
Mayor Doug Athas
City of Garland
200 N. Fifth St
Garland, TX 75040
Because really, all it takes is for one city official like this to pave the way and the ripple effect across the nation could be astounding. 
Mayor Athas wants to put Garland on the map...this is certainly a way to do it! 
The postcards would be a great way for him to physically see the support and show them off to his fellow city officials. We're excited to see how many postcards he receives!

NINA'S BUILD!!! 
...as in, we begin this weekend!! We have been busy, spending lots of time transporting BA's tools from her dead truck to the build site, then Nina's tools from her storage to the build site. The trailer was locked and hidden in a secure location in the country and was transported yesterday (loooong day in the truck) and will be unveiled soon enough. It is tricked out and Nina is IN LOVE with it (understatement).
The workshop/build model is exciting~ It's how BA and Nina learned to build tiny houses (actually, it's where we met Jay Shafer and Daniel Bell, our tiny house go-to gurus). We are excited to see old friends and meet new ones as DANIEL BELL flies in (!!!!) to instruct and show us how to build onto the trailer that HE custom designed for Nina's tiny house.
DANIEL BELL, PEOPLE!  DANIEL BELL!!  

transporting the super cool trailer from the country to the build site

The build will be in Garland, Texas. The limit for participation is 10 people. It is hands-on and will be a great learning opportunity and give you confidence when you build your own or help others. If you have any questions, email Nina's People. (That would be, BAnorrgard@gmail.com ) At this time there are still a few spaces open so email BA if you're interested in coming She blogged about the build here.
If you've ever seen a video or pictures of Vina Lustado’s Sol Haus Design of her tiny house then you'll know why Nina is excited...it's sah-weet!!!

Vina & Nina in Ojai at Vina's Tiny

The weather looks like it will SUCK. Either wet or humid or both; not ideal. But we WILL go forward because... BECAUSE IT'S TIME TO BUILD!!!  After this initial build weekend (attaching to trailer, floor foundation/insulation, stick framing/walls-up, wrapping/sheathing) we will have weekend pop-ups that will focus on one of the next steps (electrical one weekend, plumbing another, etc).   

Daniel Bell & Nina discuss trailer specifics the night we picked it up (awesomeness purposely blurred-out)

EARTHDAY TEXAS 2015!!!
This will be the 2nd year that BA will exhibit at the Expo and she will also be speaking. If you've never seen BA's house, this would be a great place to see it and get to talk to her (for gratis, anyways, if you consult with her after that, then she's on the clock).

TRAVEL!
BA will be going to the Portland Tiny House Conference. She wasn't going to attend and was going to sell her ticket because...well, she needs truck money. BUT, her sister (who lives in Portland) said she would help out so BA found an astronomically low-priced airline ticket and is going!!  YAY!  If you ask Nina, she will tell you that BA NEEDED to go. Very glad she is. She will finally get to meet Dee Williams (woohoo!) and also meet several other tiny house movers and shakers like herself and she'll have a great time.  Nina will stay behind in Texas and just relax. (HA! No!)  Nina will be working on the next phase of her build and looking for a job.

If you follow us on BANinaBegins or on our personal accounts on Instagram, thank you, it's lots of fun.  Our Facebook friends keep us smiling as well. Thanks for the fun!  If you could, send us good vibes for the build!