The Gothic Homesteader

As a Gothic Homesteader, I don’t have a lot of funds to spend on Christmas gifts most years, especially not this year with getting out Cabin for the homesite.  So this year, like many other years, we are making most of our Christmas gifts.   Some of gifts I have made in the past have been, Gothic Quilt Pillows, Marbled Glass Tree  Ornaments  ( made with crayons ), Homemade Bath Sea Salt ( scented with home grown Lavender ), Hand Made Wreaths, Homemade Soaps, Crocheted Hats and Hand Warmers, and Lighted Potpourri Vases. This year for the first time, Robby and I are doing something different.  We found at Target the book Gifts From A Jar , and from that we are making gifts for friends and family.  Most of the items needed we already have, and then will add cookie cutters or the like, and fabric to the top to make it festive.  As most of our family lives about 1,000 to 2,000 miles away, this is much cheaper than attempting a trip home, but st...

Having spent the last 14 years of my life as a Goth, and having been married for nearly 8 years, holidays and celebrations have taken on their own flavor. This is especially true living nearly 1,000 miles from my kin, and nearly 2,000 miles from my husband’s.  Not that we dont miss our families, but travel around this time of year just isn't  certain .  No matter if you are in an urban or rural setting celebrations play an important role in life.  So how to do it? Well, depending on it is just you and your fellow subculture family, or if you’re hosting other family for your celebrations depends on how “Gothy” the holidays will be, unless of course your family just deals with your  eclectic ness and writes it off... For Robby and myself it is how much black Robby can stand.  When back east with family, it is whether we are the cooks/decoraters that year or one of the siblings is.... it all depends on you, your family, and how much they put up ...

 Gardening inside, that is what I must do if I am to keep growing items past October in the high desert of Northern New Mexico.  Last fall I bought a greenhouse , but for some silly reason I never opened it or used it.  So it safely made the move from Arizona to New Mexico. A few weeks back, before our first snow on November 5th (a dusting), I moved my Purple Queen Setcreasea and the healthiest of my Purple Sweet Potato Vines inside for the winter.  They joined my Shamrocks and Robby's baby Barrel Cactus inside the greenhouse. Currently, we have no herbs, but I'm looking to fix that. How did I make it from a plain, boring greenhouse into a "Gothic Greenhouse"?  First, I used purple and black pots for my larger plants for both inside and outside use.  Then I gathered fun items from the Halloween, Day of the Dead, and Party stores, and combined them with a few black dragonflies from last Christmas, giving the greenhouse a whimsically Gothic feel as u...

Homesteading, the Simple Life, and Minimalism all can go hand in hand together really well.  Minimalism helps one plan for what you really need and be willing to share your abundance.  Simple Living helps one not stress to much in and find a lot of joy in minimalism.  Homesteading give one something to pour yourself into, once Simple Living and Minimalism takes deep roots.  It doesnt matter if it a rural homestead, or an apartment homestead on the 10 or 20th floor; it is the heart of the Homesteader that remains the same! About 3 months ago, I added transitioning into Gothic minimalism into my journey as a Gothic Homesteader. With the move, it has not been an easy journey.  I know when I stick with it, I am alot happier, because there is less to fuss with.  But the hard part is this: how to know what to keep and what to give up, especially transitioning between to very different places of living. What is needed?  What is just beautiful?  And w...

Guest Post: Rob Nickles  Restoring tools is something important to any homesteader, but as the husband of a Gothic Homesteader, and being a Cowboy Mountain Man my self, with Steampunk Goth twinges, it has kinda become a passion.  When I hunt for tools, be it on Etsy, Ebay, or at local stores and flea markets, one of the key things I look for is usability.   Yes, alot of modern tools are great, but doing things by hand and having that connection with my work is even better. Once I have found my tools, I take pictures as I take them apart so I know how they will go back together.  Then with a wire brush I clean them with 1/2 boiled linseed oil and 1/2 turpentine mixed, and grease them with hi-temp grease.  Then once they are clean ( or as clean as an old tool can get) , I put them back together. Thus far, I have returned 3 tools to working condition, and made one display piece look sharp for the Blacksmith shop.  I would advise it to any homesteader...

I must apologize, all my fellow Gothic Homesteaders, for my long silence on this blog.  July saw us get a job back in the New Mexico/Four Corners region, and we have been swamped packing, moving, settling, and getting into the flow of our life back here.  Our ornamental purple sweet potato vine and setcreasea did survive the move, which is a good thing. I am adding purple mums this week, too. Our other big news is we have been given about a 1/4 to 1/2 acre lot to place a cabin on, near where we work.  We are currently working on getting the money in place to get it placed on the homesite.  Until then we are in a 1920's rented bungalow.  As well, I have blogging on my other blog: A Gothic Minimalist , but as the weeks and months move a head, I will be blogging more on both sites.  Keep an eye on both for alot of info; until then, keep on Gothic Homesteading! ~ Morria

So, with the hot Phoenix Metro summer, I lost all 3 of my outside herbs, even the heat loving one.  So I returned to the plant store determined to find some plants that will survive.  The gardener advised sweet potato vines and setcreasea, especially the purple varieties.   They had alot of types to chose from, which made my decisions harder... So sure enough, happy as a lark that the uber Gothic purple plants should survive my hot, sunny, second story balcony/walkway, I returned home to plant 2 Purple Sweet Potato Vines ( Ace of Spades, I believe though not listed ), and a Purple Queen Setcreasea... 4 days later, and they are still thriving. ~ Morria

Apartment Homesteading is never easy, compound that by summers that average 105 F, a walkway where you can have 12 inch pots at largest, and not knowing your new growing area, and it is a challenge for any Gothic Homesteader.  But it appears, my herbs are going to do well.  Except maybe my Lavender, but Lavender and I have had issues off and on since I started growing herbs back in 1997. Herbs are a wonderful plant to grow in Gothic looking pots ( mine are purple and black from Walmart and Lowes ), as they tend to be very hearty plants.  Rosemary, Lemon Balm, Sage, Cilantro, Thyme, Oregano, Chives, Mint, and sometimes Lavender I have found good for on balconies, porches, or pots along walkways. ~ Morria

It was a awesome week for finding Gothic Vegetables at the Farmers Markets.  My finds have been a Black Spanish Radish, Purple Dragon Carrots, Red Crispy Lettuce, Indigo Rose Tomatoes, Red Onion with Full Stock and Blooms, and Fresh Garlic.  There are going to be some yummy salads and dishes in this house in the week to come that is for sure! In fact, the Indigo Rose Tomatoes, Red Onion Blooms, Purple Dragon Carrots, along with Black Walnuts which Robby's mom sent us from Kentucky, go wonderfully upon the Red Crispy Lettuce.  Drizzle it with some Raspberry Vinaigrette, and it is to die for!  Even my picky chef of a husband loves it, and that is an accomplishment.  But then who wouldn't love a dark, tantalizing  dish like this? ~ Morria

Ok, so I have been in the Phoenix Metro with its awesome Goth sceen ( thank you, PhxGoth.Com ! ), but my heart is not in this overly hot, urban spread.  My heart is longing for my wide open spaces, plenty of room for my Gothic Garden and Dark Veges, and room for a cat or a dog to run free!  I know we will never have that here in Phoenix, so it is time to start scouting for where we will settle long term... and it needs to be rural. When you consider where you are going to settle homesteading, bit it rural like us or urban like we have been, you have to take many things into account.  One of the key ones is where is your soul at rest.  In the big city, I get depressed far worse than were I can get out, go adventure, raise big gardens, and have animals.  But you have to go were your heart is. So, Gothic Homesteading - rural version, here we come big time! ~ Morria

 Are you an Urban Goth?  Does the city nights make your blood pump and come alive?  Do you long for the hustle and bustle, the clubs, the urban adventures? Does the city a glow with her sparkling lights put you in a dreamy, poetic mood, and awaken your dreary soul? Do you like to be in either an apartment or close to down town? Then the city most likely should be your dwelling place! Are you a Rural Goth?  Do vast open spaces, deep forests, and mountain peaks excite you?  Does the feel of dirt beneeth your feet make you happy?  Do you find joy in the aloneness of the great outdoors on a dreardy night?  Then rural living may be right down your lane! Finding your fit, is really important, both for the longevity of your homestead, but also for your own sanity in everything.  Personally, I am more and more discovering I am by no means an urban goth.  My heart and soul are a rural goth, and it is getting to be time to go back to that way o...

Since starting Gothic Homesteading on Facebook back in 2013, more than once I have been asked just what is a Gothic Homesteader?  Just about as often, I get asked, What makes someone Goth?   And what is a homesteader?  All great questions. I have over the years actually heard many explanations to what it means to be a Goth and to be a Homesteader.   The simplest way I can explain it is thusly:  A Goth is one who who sees beauty in the midst of a dark and dying world. A Homesteader is one who follows the homesteading way of life: a. raising what one can - fruits, veges, herbs, animals, etc., b. make what one can - clothing, food, all sorts of crafts, very diy ( which Goths are great at typically ), c. providing what they can for oneself and ones friends and family. A Gothic Homesteader is one who see beauty in the midst of a dark and dying world, and thusly lives the homesteading lifestyle. As both Gothic and Homesteading cultures are very DI...

Here are my Homesteading Goals for 2015: 1. Learn to Crochet Better ( currently know 1 stitch ) 2. Learn New Food Recipes. 3. Learn Ways to Preserve Food 4. Re-learn to Play Guitar ( took classes over 10 years ago ) 5. Begin Gothic/Steampunk Jewelry Making... Again. 6. Plant Balcony/Walkway Herb Garden 7. Get A Sewing Machine and Learn to Sew on it! (know how to on a Treadle, but horrid with electric) 8. Begin Writing on Gothic Homesteading - The Book. 9. Start Video Logs aka Vlogs for the Gothic Homesteading Facebook page. Here are Rob's Homesteading Goals for 2015: 1. Finnish Chef's Training 2. Begin Learning Mountain Man Skills 3. Get in Shape. 4. Dry Shucky Beans to store for ourselves. ~ Morria

Ok, so maybe I have gotten too use to Phoenix Valley warmth, but blast it all it has gotten cold down here!  Besides that it is rainy, and though I adore the rain, not when it means we are freezing!  They say it wont get out of the 40s today... and I believe it.  I am glad spring is not long away and we bought the little electric fireplace heater not sure being sure if we would need it or not...sure enough, it has already paid for its self!  It's a poor substitute to our wood burner we had in Thoreau, NM, but sure better than the nothing we had before....  At least this cold snap has meant I got to pull out the Gothic velvets and such for a few weeks this year! Note to self:  Cinder block walls once they get cold stay cold for a LONG time!!! ~ Morria

Things have been on hold a bit here at the Gothic Apartment Homestead, or more like they have been totally swamped.  My husband started college, two months earlier than originally planned, I got a new job working overnights ( love the shift! ), and we had Thanksgiving to get through.  Now that things have leveled out, and with payday just around the corner, I shall be getting back to normal blogging. I did get a good book which I have started reading, that I highly recommend to all my fellow Gothic Apartment Homesteaders:  Apartment Gardening  by Amy Pennington.  Haven't read it all the way through yet, but well worth getting! ~ Morria

It came today! All 5 foot 3 inches, by 2 ft, by 1 ft of growing wonder!  My very own apartment sized greenhouse, which I bought for all of  $31.48  from  Amazon.Com .  It paired with my sunny picture window and a plant light, and we should be growing food in no time.  Now I must be about gathering pots, seeds, and get to planning on what we will be growing. The first greenhouses built in Roman times, were very similar to cold frames today.  It was simply a frame covered with the oiled cloth known as specularia or sheets of selenite. Cucumbers, the main food grown this way, were wheeled into the sun by day, and under the covers by night.  Technology continued to change and grow until the 1500's when a Dutchman invented the first practical greenhouse, which continues to advance change to this day!  Who knows what will come next? Greenhouses are such a blessing, especially being Gothic Apartment Homesteader.  And believe it or no...

I found seeds!  Walked into  Whole Foods  in Tempe, AZ, and what stands before me in the seed section but a display by  Native Seed/Search !  At last I live where my favorite seed company actually sells in store.  Now mind you certain plants, I am looking for they don't have, and certain seeds from Native Seed/Search I will have to order as not sold in store, like Navajo Blue Corn.  But a lot I can get right near by.  So happy! Why am I so big on Native Seed/Search?  For many reasons, among them the fact that they are gathering and protecting Heritage Seeds, Native to the Southwest.  These seeds are drought hardy, desert tested, and very hard to kill off.    Another reason is as they say @  NativeSeeds.Org , " We are a nonprofit organization working to strengthen food security in the Greater Southwest by conserving our region's unique crop diversity and teaching others to do the same ."  This is something ...

So I am beginning to Gothic Apartment Homestead again in earnest, in part to go along with my natural health course I am doing, and in part to start putting down roots, so to speak, in my area of future work... Problem?  I live in a second story apartment with a small open balcony that is also the walkway to stairs for my 3 neighboring apartments.  Maybe 12 inch pots? So, this Desert Gypsy Goth is turning over a new leaf, literally.  We were able to make it from Farmington, NM with 3 plants: my husbands Cactus, my Clover, and our Mexican Heather plants.  I have scouted out a metal shelving system at walmart that should go well in our bedroom where the plants can get sunlight, and I am also hunting for an additional plant light.  I found some awesome AZ made recycled wine bottle planters ( refreshglass.com ) which also fits in both the bedroom and living room windows, just perfect for herbs. Now the hard part, what to GROW? ~ Morria

 So, this is our first Dia del la Muetos here in Desert southwest, well, actually Day of the Dead is tomorrow November 1st, and we are partying for Halloween today, but with a Day of the Dead flare for sure.  It is so awesome, especially for a Desert Gypsy Goth like me.  Who knew all the decor and foods one could find out here that are soo perfect for the house? I am so excited because we just got back from  Los Altos Ranch Market here in Phoenix, and I was able to buy my first candy skulls.  I have heard about them for years, but had never had their sweet delight.  They are just as fun as they look.  Though I adore them, I did buy one to keep as a treasure so that I always remember my first Day of the Dead! ~ Morria

Sometimes, even with the Gothic Homesteading I do, I feel like there could be some much more I could be doing.  I also feel very disconnected from the land sometimes.  Living close to nature, be it a desert, a forest, the sea, or great prairies/savannas, is healing to the soul.  To be close to the earth, to feel it beneath the feet, to be connected.  Closeness, connectedness, a feeling of belonging.  So many of us struggle with those feeling those thoughts.  Yet out here in the garden, it seems so easy to find, even if a bit thorny at times...literally! One of the easiest way to start restoring ourselves, and getting back to our roots, is starting connecting to the land again.  How? Grow plants in windows. Work a a co-op/urban garden. Learning to preserve our own foods. Walk daily at a wild space or park. Swimming in the wilds Vacation camping out in tents in the wilderness. Save up and buy land. So many ways to start working towards...