File this next house under “It could have been mine” because today’s unique house was actually up for sale on eBay earlier this year.  Yep – you and the fam could have bunked up in a house carved out of a mountain.

Sadly, the Sleeper family who owned this unique 17,000 square foot home was facing financial struggles.  They wanted to hang onto their Festus, Missouri home, but ultimately they decided to see what eBay could do for them.

The house – originally a mine used for decades – was actually converted into a concert venue and roller rink in the 1950s by former owner, Sue Morris, before it became a house.  Known as “Caveland,” performers like Tina Turner, Bob Seger, and Ted Nugent were quickly attracted to the unique stage.

Of course, performing in a cave wasn’t exactly a dream for some.  ”Ted Nugent said it was the worst show he ever played,” Curt Sleeper said. “Bob Seger supposedly told him to just shut up and play.”  The humidity and peculiar acoustics eventually put an end to the Caveland stage.

So five years ago, the Sleeper family decided to turn the cave into a house.  For four years, they lived in a tent next to the cave as they remodeled.  Talk about dedication!  Think you could tough that out for your dream home?  How sad to have to say goodbye to it so soon after!

The most unique thing about the Sleepers’ sale of their home online?  

…they originally bought it on eBay!

We’re bracing ourselves as we prepare to return to Berlin.  Here’s Martin’s own little man cave.

(Images from Fox News, info from Suburban Journals)

Today marks the 4th anniversary of the day Martin and I tied the knot (okay – 4th anniversary plus one week since we got a surprise announcement that our friends, Vica and Ion, had just taken the plunge in Romania.  I couldn’t resist sharing that first!).

So now we’re back on track, and with all the prodding and begging, you’ll be glad to hear that today’s featured wedding is…

Martin + Katie

We got married in the church I had grown up in.  It isn’t the most elaborate, stained glass church you imagine when you think of a Catholic Church.  It’s actually a very simple place… which as you know, Martin and I are all about keeping things simple and symbolic these days.

To kick off the whole event, my closest friend (and bridesmaid!), my mom, and I all met at an enormous craft store to pick out a pattern and fabric for a dress.  Yep!  My wedding dress was custom made!  My friend gave it to me as a wedding gift, and I am still pinching myself and wondering how I snagged such a generous pal.

Just before we walked down the aisle, my dad followed family tradition and slipped a penny under my shoe for good luck.  My sister-in-law and her now-husband who were just married in Vienna won over the crowd with their professional opera voices.  They even sang a song from my parents’ wedding!  And after a lot of big hugs and attempts not to cry, I made my way down the aisle where Martin and 100 of our friends and family awaited.

We worked hard to keep costs down and did everything we could ourselves.  Yes, even back then Martin and I were very hands-on from decorating the church and reception to asking relatives to share their talents.  Of course, most of the time we didn’t even have to ask.  My father-in-law and his sister were begging to be our photographers.  Pinch me again, right?  We love this wedding gift, especially now.  It’s one of the few things we can have with us in Germany and the US.

And then before we knew it, we were signing the marriage license…

and zipping over to the reception…

What kind of wedding would it be without a little unsuspected humor in thick, foamy shaving cream to break up all the sappy action, right?

And how many Germans take off in a little borrowed Nissan truck?  Okay, okay… how many people in general?

One of my favorite gifts actually came from my grandmother.  It wasn’t something new or shiny.  In fact, it didn’t cost her a dime.  It was one of those priceless gifts… another one of those moments where I have to wonder how I could be part of such a loving group of people.

She gave us a piece of advice – never go to bed angry with one another.  She also gave us a symbol of love and resolution that she’s been hanging onto for all of these years.  It’s the cake topper from the day she married my grandfather almost 60 years ago.

A lot of the food (all vegetarian even back then) was spread on enormous dishes my other grandmother had collected over the years.  Some were gifts she received at her wedding.  And a couple were even from her mother’s wedding.  A couple of my sister’s friends managed the food and dishes so we didn’t have to hire a catering service.  My mom and I had been collecting punch cups and various saucers at estate sales to minimize waste.

Marrying a pilot (and now learning how to fly myself!), I don’t want to totally shock you or anything… but our first dance was to the song, Fly Me to the Moon.

Fly away we did.  The next morning, we hoped into a little Cessna airplane and headed to the San Juan Islands to go camping.

Peek into all the international weddings our friends and family have shared on Making This Home (from Vienna to Japan) on the International Wedding Page.

Some people cry over spilled milk, but not me.  It’s all about the salt around here.

One of my biggest problems in baking was always spilling too much salt on the counter or worse – into the food itself.  That’s why I made the simplest swap from our ho-hum salt containers from the store.

Here’s our table salt.  It used to be a jar of Adam’s Peanut Butter in a former life.

Then we’ve got kosher salt for sprinkling on top of foods and using for various cooking projects.  It happily hangs out in an old salsa jar.

Talk about a reuse that makes my life easier.  I just unscrew the top and stick my measuring spoons right into the container (or my fingers for “a pinch of salt”).  No fancy balancing act.  No spilling salt.  Nadda.

To prep jars you want to repurpose, tear off the label and pop it in the dishwasher to get out all the leftovers you couldn’t scape out.  Then soak the jar in soapy water to loosen the remaining paste and bits of label on your jar.  Scrub off with a Scotchbrite pad, and your jar looks like new.

A quick dash of spray paint could cover the original lid for an especially clean, complete look.

Have you ever repurposed old jars in your house?

As long as we’ve got repurposing on the brain, you might like this adorable jar we transformed into a stylish hanging vase or this used candle jar where I keep my jewelry now.