Getting Started

I live in a very Tiny House, hence the name of the blog, as well as the name of my Etsy shop. I like to say that it's 791 square feet of love, since myself (Jessie,) my husband (Jes,) my son (Bug,) our pug (Nibbler,) and our cat (Pecan,) all share the same space. It's also where I create my, well, creations.

I grew up moving around the middle of Washington State, living mostly with my mom and step-father, and visiting my father and step-mother. I have lots of brothers and sisters, of which I consider myself to be the oldest, although three are technically older than me. My two older foster sisters moved away when we were young, and don't keep in contact, and my older brother is mentally challenged. My point being that I have taken on a lot of responsibility from a young age, which I believe has led to my love of keeping home and all things considered "domestic."

I have a degree in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts, with a minor in Art History, from the University of Washington. Basically, I couldn't choose which degree to major in (painting, sculpture, design,etc.) so I took the sample platter. And I'm quite happy, because it didn't force me into one specific career. Although try getting your first job out of college with a degree in art. I think you'll agree it's not an easy task. My first (non-food/retail) job was as a receptionist in a private college. What was yours?

I've spent the past five-odd years wondering what the heck I was thinking, choosing to not only study, but pay for, a degree in a field that a.) doesn't pay well, and b.) isn't well-respected. So I've had a lot of office-type jobs. I've worked my way up from a receptionist to an enrollment coordinator, and from an administrative assistant to an office manager. Then I had my son. Bug has changed my outlook on a lot of things, including the usefulness of my degree. So while I don't have a job using my degree, I still feel like it's a bit validated, since I draw (haha) on it when I'm looking for things to do with my child, or to make for him or the house.

BTW, I work full-time as a nanny. I sit for a lovely little girl, to whom I'll refer as Bug II. So I don't have a ton of time to create (if I had my way, I'd spend all of my time crafting and keeping my home, but this is the real world and in the real world we can't all be stay at home moms.) So this is the next best thing for me. I still get to bring Bug with me to Bug II's house, and during naptimes I get to create sometimes. It works for us.

Yesterday was my two year anniversary of living in Massachusetts. I don't like living so far away from family, but we've made it into our home, so that's that. In the words of our MA friends, "it is what it is."

So that's about it for catching up. In a nutshell, I live in a Tiny House, and I create in a Tiny House. Enjoy!