Living life in a mobile home

Being on summer vacation has put my mind into DIY over drive trying to divvy up my ideas into workable categories such as "want", "need", "doable", "affordable", etc. I almost always look to the internet when I decide to take on an unfamiliar project. For example, I'm not the smartest  when it comes to which paint to use on what surface and I've learned over the years that it does matter lol. While perusing different sites and blogs in my quest for information, one thing kept leaping out at me... and that, my friends, is the stigma associated with people who live in a mobile home. Apparently, you must fit a certain stereotype if you live in a trailer. First of all, you MUST be poor and uneducated. Second, you are most certainly a hillbilly or redneck (as if being a "hillbilly" is a bad thing!!) I'm not sure from where this concept originated and perhaps I have a different viewpoint because truthfully I have lived in trailers for much of my life. What I do know is that the idea that you are a lesser person because you live in a mobile home is completely ridiculous as well as outright discriminatory.
My husband and I chose this route because we have a common goal to be debt free as quickly as possible. And by purchasing a mobile home we will be able to attain that goal in less than a third of the time that it would take had we taken on a 30 year mortgage. When we came across this deal it was just too good to pass up. So we live fairly minimally with as few debts as possible. We are happy and content. It might also surprise some people to know that we actually aren't even "poor" (gasp!). Now the hillbilly part of the stereotype? Well, I like to think I am, in fact, a hillbilly. I believe that country folks are the best folks--living in East Tennessee has taught me that and I'm more proud of being from Tennessee than I could even put into words. The people here are incredible. I might have to wave at 10 people on my way to town but I wouldn't have it any other way.  So I guess in a way I do hold true to a part of the stereotype but I'm not ashamed of my home or my roots. And THAT is a great feeling!
 I hope that people are open minded enough to realize that different people have different priorities and nobody should be judged on the basis of their individual choices. And especially not when it pertains to the type of dwelling they choose to make into their homes.
Our home is approximately 1200 sq. feet of actual living space and plenty large enough for our family to be happy and content.
I didn't mean to go off on a tangent but this has really bothered me. I have always been a cheerleader for the underdog--which is just part of my charm lol and I certainly do feel that there is a social stigma attached to anyone who lives in a mobile home (trailer).
As I've stated before in this blog, I believe you don't have to live in an expensive house to have a beautiful or comfortable home. Our homes are what we make them and I like to think that we're making ours warm, loving and inviting.
And now that I've got all that off my chest, I'm going to go see what kind of paint I might need for these ugly plain Jane interior doors :)
I hope I haven't scared anyone off and that you check back again to see what I might have going on next!  I have a million ideas floating around in this old noggin...just might take me a while to get them all accomplished!

And before I forget I have a few before/semi after pictures for your perusal. I wish I'd taken better photos before we moved in but I just took them willy nilly with no real thought process. But at least I had the forethought to at least take a few even though they aren't great.



Also please remember that it's a bit intimidating to open your home up to scrutiny this way so I hope that everyone can be kind :)

That's the original refrigerator in the floor--that's where it was placed during the moving process. And please ignore my poor ugly dilapidated couch...I'm looking for a new one even as I type (YAY!!)...it's been a long time coming lol.

Looking at this photo I probably should have moved the high chair but it's not really worth a do over--I do apologize though :)

The kitchen has had the most "updates" with almost all new appliances, new light fixtures, new flooring, paint, faucet, cabinet paint and half finished counter top trim paint.

Gosh you don't realize how something looks to other people until you take a picture. The shelf you see at the end of the hallway holds all our family board games and a couple of photographs. The blue box behind the vacuum cleaner is a vintage scrabble game we 
picked up at Goodwill a couple years ago--it's a prized possession!

Eventually I plan on taking the vanity out of this bathroom and replacing with just a pedestal sink to give the illusion of more space.

And there is a glimpse of a few of the updates or improvements we've made. There are tons still to tackle but we do what we can when we can. My husband works 6 days a week and I try not to nag about projects very often...you're welcome, honey lol.

NOTE: Here are a couple links you might enjoy if you're interested in mobile home remodeling or makeovers!

Just bee'n me
Mobile Home Living