Simpler. That’s the kind of live we knew we wanted to live at our house after almost five years of hoping across the United States and now Germany.

My name’s Katie. I’m an American splitting time between life in Berlin, Germany and the Rocky Mountains in the US. That’s my German husband and favorite do-it-yourselfer, Martin, standing with me.

We’re learning that bigger doesn’t always mean better because in the corner of our 480 square foot Berlin apartment is… our 36 square foot kitchen. It’s the tiniest kitchen we have ever had; it’s also our favorite.  We built it ourselves – Martin cutting wood on the saw table where our dining table is now, me hanging out the window to balance the wood as it came my way.

When we’re not squeezing into our little Berlin apartment, you’ll find us calling a house made out of tires in the US home!  Oh yes – home sweet tire house.

In April, I launched an online shop of handmade journals and minibooks.  I know we all have stories about ourselves, our travels, our homes; I want to help people celebrate those journeys in a fun (and affordable) way!  Recycled European papers, pockets, writing prompts, tags, Italian patterned paper – they’re all at Gadanke.

We’re learning how to live with less, part with excess sentimental stuff, use natural products – and if you’re up for the challenge, we’re taking you right along with us.  The good news is that you won’t have to deal with any of the jetlag!  It’s amazing how good life can be when you can focus less on stuff and more on experiences and the things worth keeping.

With that, welcome to Making This Home.  My mission with this blog is to create a community where like-minded people who share the same values of simplicity in our homes can come and share ideas.

And if you’re heading to Germany, we’ve put together An Expat’s Guide to Life in Germany to help you out. We’re always excited about English-speaking company (especially if you come with peanut butter cups!), so please get in touch.

So what do you say?  Ready to celebrate life’s simple things.  Let’s get started…