Today we’ve got another special treat.  Christine from the blog, Simple Savvy, is here to share some peeks into her bedroom with all of us.  (You might remember Christine from last summer when she shared her beautiful and simple wedding with us.)  Not only is she letting us into her home today, she’s also sharing some really amazing insight into the internal conflicts with what we think society says we need and what we actually need.   Or as Christine found out – what we can actually fit into our homes!

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Guess what!  The world is getting some more earthships!

Mike Reynolds, the man who designed tire house living (like our own tire house) is helping Haiti rebuild their country.  He’s the gray-haired man in the center of the photo above.

The earthships in Haiti are made from old tires, cardboard, bottles, Styrofoam, and all sorts of other “junk”.  Isn’t that just perfect?  In a land so badly destroyed, they’re salvaging the scraps.  Reynolds and his crew aren’t just surveying the area and drawing up plans.  They’re rolling up their sleeves and HELPING.

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If we were to hang a little sign on our door, I think we’d have to say something like, “Welcome to our home sweet tire.”

Our home for the summer is made out of old, discarded tires.  And in case there is any confusion about this fact when guests come to visit, here’s the front door:

Tire houses are officially called Earthships.  They are designed with natural materials from the area (such as stones from the valley) and hundreds of recycled tires.  You don’t know how many tread patterns there are on tires until they make up your walls!

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Everyone dreams of a romantic, fairytale adventure right after getting married, right?  Today we have a fabulous guest visiting us.  Lisa and Drew – two fabulous Americans moving to Germany as I write – thought their adventure into a new home and new world would be oh-so-dreamy.  But oh the irony of our dreams!  I think you’ll just absolutely love what Lisa has to say.  Take it away, Lisa…

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Summer is always a little slow to come our way in the mountains.  The mountains still have snow, and lilacs are just starting to bloom.  I was so touched by the different summer homes and old tack houses on our hike this weekend.

I wonder what it would be like to live on this old dirt road tucked in the mountains.

When bucks shed their antlers in the fall, a lot of people like to decorate with them.  All the white on the side of this building are antlers.  It’s so rustic and charming.

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When Katherine sent me a few pictures from around her new home, I was stunned at how beautiful her house is becoming.  She and her husband just moved in last fall, and like most newlyweds, they didn’t have much.  Katherine told me, “We moved in with nothing much more remarkable than a bed, a couch, and stacks upon stacks of books.”

I just knew I had to share her new home with all of you.  Katherine has some beautiful ideas for creating a home that’s both financially and environmentally responsible, so I think you’ll just love what she has to say.  (And swing by her blog if you get a chance, too.  We recently did a super fun interview about Gadanke over there.)  Okay, Katherine.  It’s all you…

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