what i did on my summer vacation

I’m heading back to California today after 3 weeks in Vermont!! It’s been a whirlwind and there are one million projects and activities I didn’t get around to do – but my main goal was to work on my little cabin in the woods. I have a lot of ideas for the land I have here in Vermont — I dream of tiny retreats with teachers of magic, gathering all my friends to make art and play music, witchy gatherings in a series of tiny cottages and yurts. For now, though – I’ll be happy to have a place to stay when I visit, and a place to leave all the treasures I find when I’m here!

We got a lot done (my amazing brother is a genius!) – windows in, insulation, most of the interior siding, a floor for the loft. What’s left to do? Finishing the interior walls, the downstairs floor, interior and exterior trim, shingles on the outside, and a wee red roof. Phew!!

Let’s visit!

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Here’s what you’ll see as you drive up, right before you turn at the little abandoned 1800’s schoolhouse at the end of my road.

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drive

Turn up the little dead end road, overhung with trees…

birches

Past the copse of birches growing from the foundation built in 1800.

granite

This granite slab from the foundation will be dragged over to be the step for the cabin, if only I stumble across some elephants to move it.

bridge

Over the babbling brook on a tiny footbridge!

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stream

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Past the campfire!

fire

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Into the cabin! The loft is built of rough sawn beams with pine floor. A birch tree is built into the cabin and will become the ladder! I’ve whitewashed the walls but I think I will paint them entirely white – I’d love to have the whole upstairs white and black – no shoes allowed!! Right now, some things I had stored at my brother’s house and my parent’s house are being moved in – perhaps next a bed with storage underneath, and a tiny dresser? My next visit will need to be the decorating visit!! White walls, a farmhouse sink, an old fashioned red hand water pump, a built in closet, tiny table, chairs, and a woodstove!

ceiling

cabin

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nails

Old fashioned nails for the floorboards.

So yes! It’s come a long way, and there’s a lot left to do.

30 Comments

  1. Oh, Tamera, it’s SO beautiful. Nothing quite like the beauty of New England in the summer. I hope you had a great time out there.

  2. your cabin!

    that photo of the little rocking chair in the corner.. oh my god. all of it is just so insanely lovely. it’s beautiful, tamera! so much coziness. a tiny home built with love.

  3. wow. it’s really beautiful. the spot and the cabin. oh the cabin. it’s enchanting. a proper bolthole. oh for a cabin in the woods, shiver. love it.

  4. oh and if it were mine? i’d keep it simple with a few well chosen very lovely things. cosy & comfortable with sheepskins and old quilt., white walls sound perfect to make the most of that dreamy light. then maybe a cluster of some pictures on a wall or two.

  5. Oh Tam! It is so perfectly gorgeous and wonderful- I can’t even believe it! I feel calmer just looking at the pictures of it. I love the raw white pine walls- don’t hide the grain with white! They’re white enough- the natural wood is so beautiful! Colin has totally influenced me, because he & I have had this same discussion before when I wanted to paint all our wood walls (you know, the ones we’ll have someday..)
    I want to visit.
    xoxo,
    A.

  6. eeeeeee! this place gives me the best feeling (and that’s just pictures!!!)! such a magical place! so SO lovely! i don’t know if i would prefer the walls painted or whitewashed. all those knots and woodgrain are really nice with the black furniture, but maybe the floors need to be white?

  7. Oh it’s Heavenly!!!

    How many acres do you have there? Any room for a Witch? I’ll teach Folk Magick and Medicine!

    I’m going to the Chicago College of Healing Arts next Spring for a program called Foundations in Herbalism. I’ll be learning how to grow Medicinal Herbs!

    Keep me in mind! xo! Lavona

    Check out this tumblr for design/decor inspiration:
    http://nomadicway.tumblr.com/

    1. Lavona!! That’s exactly what I am thinking, yes. It’s just over 5 acres, mostly deep woods with little fern clearings and a brook. Plenty of space to set up a little tipi or yurt, or gypsy caravan.

      Ha! I see photos I took on that tumblr. Amusing. Good stuff though!

    1. I know it won’t bite me! It’s just funny how much my photos get passed around.

      I love that blog!

      Yes, I also love mongolian yurts – my grandma is part mongolian, so that would be fun. One structure for each of my cultural ethnicities – i dont have enough land!

  8. Tara: That is stunning!!!

    I will not be spending 12K on this tiny wee cabin, though, dang! The land was barely more than that. Her land is much much much nicer.

  9. tara: yep, we ate them all the time growing up! before there was wildcrafting, there was “poor people eat what’s in the woods” crafting.

    i love them!

    your friend has such a great swimming pond! there’s a mucky space at the bottom of the brook that should be dug into a pond at some point on my land — when I can convince a friend with a backhoe that it’d be a good time!!!

    i totally am trying to convince some friends to come with me for a long weekend in august for the inaugural sleepover!

  10. now i really wanna try em. i saw some in a northern mass. market and i was like, *boing* but i was traveling and it didn’t make sense to cart them home.

    i remember being mortified once when my mom stopped on the side of the FREEWAY to yank up some nopales she spied. she cooked em up for dinner later that night. i was a surly teen and acted all grumpy about it but geez, resourceful! if only we lived in the woods, the pickins’ might have been better.

    1. Nika: I have seen that, yes! Amazing. I’ve been planning this for so long in my head and spent so many hours looking for inspiration!

      No woodstove yet – there’s always cheap ones in the classifieds in Vermont, so hopefully one will come up when it’s time to look! Have you seen any amazing ones you can link to?

  11. What a beautiful plot of land! Oh, I do miss New England for this very reason. But I hate snow, so…too bad for me, I guess. Still it would be wonderful to have a few acres like that – perfect for retreats, drum circles…
    I look forward to watching the progression of the cabin. I love what I see so far!

  12. Sorry I missed your visit to the East. I wanted to write months ago about coming up to help this summer. I love Vermont, and would love to spend a few days camping out and helping with your cabin. I have lots of stuff (packrat), so let me know what you need. I have a hand pump in the garage. I’ll send a pic when I get a chance.

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