Brenda and Just B Tiny House

red tiny house with rainbow overhead
Brenda’s “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow” Just B Tiny 2.0

How would you like to live in 204 square feet of space, in your own 8.5’X24’ tiny house?  Maybe in a RV community, where you are amongst 40 or so other homes on wheels?  Where would you like this home to be?  Maybe walking distance to a beautiful beach on the Oregon Coast?  It’s a very possible lifestyle! Meet Brenda Schwerin (aka “Tiny B”), who lives this dream in her movable home she named “Just B Tiny 2.0!”

Brenda and Stacey social distancing
Brenda gave me a tour of Tiny Tranquility Tiny House & Vintage RV Park and the nearby beach. We did the COVID19 thing of masks and social distancing!

Tiny House, Giant Journey

Jenna and Brenda standing in front of the tiny house door, inside
Jenna (the blonde on the left), of Tiny House Giant Journey; and Brenda (the brunette) of Just B Tiny.

Last February, Jenna Spesard – the blogger, YouTube creator, and star of “Tiny House Giant Journey” reached out to Brenda to coordinate an interview and video tour of “Just B Tiny”.  Brenda, whom I met doing a gig for a tiny house builder, reached out to me to join her during Jenna’s visit. I was excited for the adventure, and the opportunity to take “behind the scenes” photos. Understandably, the interview was pushed off during the “stay home” orders related to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.  As the states slowly eased up restrictions, Jenna coordinated her trip. 

Jenna learned about the RV park where Brenda lives, and added an extra day to her trip so she could document it too.  It’s a good thing, because with the wacky Oregon weather (rainy, and then sunny, and then rainy again), Jenna had to shift up her schedule for the sunny times to record outdoor scenes. 

Jenna has a drone – which to me looked almost like she was walking her dog…a flying dog! A few days later I watched some of her other videos and saw she is quite talented with the drone.  The birds-eye views aren’t just “hip and cool,” the way she uses the clips add to her stories.

Tiny Tranquility

row of tiny houses on green grass
A selection of tiny houses available for rental at Tiny Tranquility.

Finding a place to park your tiny house can be a big challenge.  Finding a movable (not ‘mobile’!!) house community on the ocean is a dream come true!  Brenda currently lives in Tiny Tranquility Tiny House & Vintage RV Park, which has 43 sites filled with creative little homes and vintage trailers.  Some of these are open for daily or weekly rentals.  At the moment, the park has a waiting list for those wanting monthly rental spots! 

Jenna created a tiny house tour of the park. Watch “Is this Coastal TINY HOUSE COMMUNITY the Ideal Lifestyle?” to see the entire park.

tiny house with rock climbing wall on the side
A rock climbing wall! This fun tiny house is available for nightly rental!
yellow and brown tiny house with curved roof
Brenda thinks this tiny house may have been featured somewhere. We both love the curve of the roof and the porch.
blue and brown tiny house
One thing I like about tiny houses is how creative and individual they are. This one definitely catches my eye!
brown wood goose neck tiny house
This tiny house (a 27′ fifth wheel) is called “3 Bears” and owned by Brenda’s neighbor, Ken. He hails from Maine, and I could notice it in the style (inside & out).
Me jumping in front of stump on beach across from tiny house park
Brenda and I enjoyed some sunny moments at Big Stump Beach, which is across the way from Tiny Tranquility.

Behind the Scenes

back of Jenna and Brenda in her tiny house tub
Taking shots over Jenna’s shoulder, I enjoyed seeing Brenda show off her deep soaking tub. Yup! A tiny house with a soaking tub!

The day of the YouTube shoot, I arrived just before Jenna was ready to start showcasing Brenda’s tiny house.  She has quite a transformational and adventurous story about how she came to live in her current home.  Brenda said she likes to title her personal journey “From Hollywood to Homeless to Happy.”  Although we had been virtual friends for months, I learned so much more about her during this visit. 

looking down the tiny house
Standing at the door, looking through to the other end of Brenda’s Just B Tiny house!
Jenna videoing Brenda inside her tiny house
Here’s Brenda showing off the “secret” cat passage to Jenna. Note how Brenda has room for a washer/dryer! The folding shelf next to Jenna’s left shoulder is used as extra counter space, or a spot to place laundry when Brenda is putting it away.
Brenda's cat on a bed looking out the window
Brenda’s kitty, Matsu, enjoying one of his favorite views.

One thing you can’t tell from photos is just how comfortable “Tiny B” has made her space.  Brenda made sure to have space to showcase mementos from her life, room for her cat, an office and extra counter space for when she cooks – and she loves to cook!  Often-times when you see images of tiny homes, the décor is white and sparse (to make it appear bigger).  Brenda’s eclectic, yet organized, collections made her home feel exactly that – homey.

stairs inside the tiny house as storage
So much storage in those stairs!
bedroom loft with green & white blanket inside tiny house
Brenda’s Korean blanket from her mother, makes it easy to make her loft bed.

Just B Tiny 2.0

The reason she calls her tiny house 2.0 is because this is her second tiny home.  The first one, which was even tinier at 20’ long, was in an accident during its third trip.  It was built in Oregon, and then delivered to Las Vegas.  From her mobile base, she stayed in Vegas over a year to take care of her widowed and disabled mom.

In her past, Brenda had lived in Northern California in a 4,100 square foot house. Can you imagine what a process she went through to now live in 204 square feet?  I downsized from a 1,800 square foot house, so I have a huge appreciation for what she went through in her transformation.  After her time with her mom, a job opportunity opened up in Northern California.

Summer of Smoke

Brenda enjoyed where she lived and worked. However, during “2017 Summer of Smoke” she had to move on. Her place was surrounded by fires, and she feels fortunate her home could easily be pulled out of the situation.  It was during that last leg of escaping Northern California to safer havens in Oregon that her rolling home had a major accident on the highway!

Once again homeless, her tiny house builder went to work to build her a bigger, better- but still small house. While her new house was being built, the builder lent her one of his other already-built models to live in. The additional 4′ of length of “2.0” gave Brenda a multi-purpose office, which floods with light through a skylight. Months later, her Just B Tiny 2.0 arrived at her current residence on the coast of Oregon.

maroon tiny house with blue door
Here’s Brenda’s first tiny house, parked in Northern California. This one has a different roof pitch than her 2.0 version. Brenda considers herself fortunate, in a sense, to have a chance at making her second home better – using her experience with the first one.

Brenda’s tip: “Make sure you get proper insurance for your tiny home on wheels! The dwelling, trailer and your personal belongings. Do a thorough inventory of your belongings…you probably own more than you know!”

1975 Overlander Airstream

Me standing in the doorway of the vintage airstream
Standing in the doorway of the vintage Airstream, so excited to stay the night!

The night of the video shoot, I stayed in a vintage Airstream.  Not just any old Airstream, but one that is the same length, year and model as mine!  A 27′ 1975 Overlander Airstream. (Want to know more about my baby? Check out: “Introducing Wednesday, our Airstream Adventure”).

neutral tones and dark wood wall interior of airstream
Inside “The Dunes” vintage Airstream. This shot is from the Tiny Tranquility website. They had Katie at Stagecoach Detail & Design remodel the camper.

How incredible to be able to sleep a night in something so similar to my future home.  Waking up to the pitter patter of raindrops on the aluminum roof was comforting – I knew for sure that I would be fine when it comes time to be lying in bed listening to the steady drumbeat of rain.

view of the bed inside the vintage airstream
The bed felt comfortable (plenty of room to stretch). I dreamed of all the things I will be designing in my vintage Airstream… (Not included in the photo, but they supplied masks, wipes and hand sanitizer made by a nearby brewery!)
vintage camper with angled roof
Look at the roof on this vintage camper! I’m guessing someone was sick of leaks and just added a “normal” roof!

Minimalist Living Advocate

front of tiny house, green door and burgundy sides
Brenda chose the scheme of burgundy (her favorite color) and green based on her brand colors of her former artisan craft & fine arts business called “Just B.” Notice the roofline is different from her first, and 4′ longer!

Brenda is happy living in her compact home.  She has everything she needs, and continues to explore the minimalist life.  At the RV park she meets interesting people, often profiling them in her lifestyle blog.  She is involved in tiny house associations. Brenda supports the American Tiny House Association and an active member of the newer Tiny House Industry Association. If you’d like a custom house on wheels that looks similar to hers, check out Tiny SMART House.

Check out the full video “Her 1st Tiny House Crashed??!! So She Made a Better One ?” on the Tiny House Giant Journey YouTube channel!

As I left the next day, I’ll remember our laugh over how well we get along.  She said we have to get together again and “Just B Adventurous!

chalkboard with sign "Welcome Jenna"
When the video is released, I will be sure to update this post! Thanks for the fun, Brenda & Jenna and the lovely Just B Tiny 2.0!

If you’d like to learn more about Brenda, follow her on Instagram @justbtiny or check out her blog, Just B Tiny.

Current Category

All Categories

Curiosity sparked is key for your adventure mindset.  Learn all sorts of new things in these posts – and use them to inspire your own adventures!

Into chocolate, and want to try this yummy familiar food in new ways? Check out these blog posts

Self Care is not selfish! When it comes to learning to play and have fun, taking care of you in different ways makes you, and life, more joyful

Be inspired by these guest bloggers who have created their adventure attitudes and transformations in their unique ways.

Sometimes to shift your outlook on life, you need to shift your perspective by traveling somewhere unfamiliar, or seeing familiar places in new ways.  It was while I was in another country that I realized – everywhere is someone’s backyard!  I’ve also become a big fan of traveling to one place that is wildly different each year – an event in the Nevada desert called “Burning Man”

Are you dreaming of tiny house adventures?  Start here.  I’ve worked at a tiny house builder, and am renovating a 1975 Airstream to be my home for my digital nomad life.

Your Adventure Mindset Mentor

Stacey Newman Weldon You need more fun & spontaneity in your life, and aren’t sure of next steps or the path to follow.  Let’s connect! You could choose a free 15 minute chat, various courses, or even select one-to-one coaching.

Learn more here:

Recent Posts

Piet Hein, Dutch Pirate’s Epic Plunder Of Silver And Chocolate

The allure of pirate tales often centers around hidden treasures, daring exploits, and legendary figures. Yet, the Dutch privateer Piet Hein remains a lesser-known name, overshadowed by the more...

Dog Tales, an Unleashed Collection of True Stories

Dog Tales, An Unleashed Collection of True Stories is a collection of 33 stories about dogs and their humans.  One of those stories is mine!  My essay is called "Dog Is My Co-Pilot" and is about a...

Pirate Blackbeard & His Chocolate Stories

Blackbeard’s Cacao Treasure Is your mental image of Blackbeard, the adventure-swashbuckler pirate from the early 1700s with a mythic-proportion level reputation for fierceness, based on Hollywood...

Adventure Wednesday’s Amazon Suggestions

Want to help support me as I endeavor to inspire you and others to go on adventures?  I have not put ads on my site (they can be so annoying! If I ever do, it will be done tastefully!).  I am an...

You may also like…

Word for 2022 – Messy

Word for 2022 – Messy

Have you heard of picking a word for the year instead of New Year’s resolutions?  My word for 2022 is Messy. Quotes On...

read more

2 Comments

  1. Lisa p

    Awesome! I shared with my daughter who is saving for a tiny home.

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *