Tom Thumb Weddings

Reading Robertson Davies' The Manticore on the train this morning, I stumbled upon this gem:

"A Tom Thumb Wedding is a mock nuptial ceremony in which all the participants are children, and the delight of it is its miniature quality."

The two pages that follow describe a Tom Thumb Wedding in detail. I was immediately intrigued and did a bit of research.

According to this excellent article, the tradition began with the "real" Tom Thumb, a little person named Charles Stratton (b. 1838) who at the age of four became an entertainer with the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, and in 1863 married a dwarf named Lavinia Warren (pictured right). It was a highly publicized and lavish wedding.

Ever since, Americans have been staging their own Tom Thumb Weddings, with children standing in for the bride and groom, and the entire wedding party (as pictured above). In many places, Tom Thumb Weddings have evolved into amazingly successful community fund-raising events.

The good news, of course, is that in the future, because the population will be two feet smaller, every wedding will be a Tom Thumb Wedding. In other words, cha-ching! Never again will a father-of-the-bride need to shell out thousands. On the contrary, the first under-four-feet generation will be a true cash cow. Another unforeseen benefit of Project Live Small.

On to Europe

As it continues to gain momentum, the Live Small movement is going international.

Jay Shafer of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company plans to make stops in the UK and the Republic of Ireland next September, with workshops scheduled for the 12th and 13th in London and the 19th and 20th in Dublin from 9am to 5pm. He will cover how to build a tiny house from the foundation to the roof and take a look at building basics, types of trailers, heaters, kitchen equipment and windows. He will also look at design and "the human element of living in a smaller space."

Now it won't be very long before everyone wants to be two feet smaller.


Via thriving too, which has an excellent collection of links to small living sites.

We Love Jay Shafer

Jay Shafer is a Live-Small visionary and founder of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company (check out their blog also). Since 1997 he has been living in houses that measure under 100 square feet.

Mr. Shafer is exactly the type of person we need leading the Live Small movement. He even took his tiny home on a cross-country tour this past summer (pictured above).

Please watch the video below to see him giving a tour of his 89 sq. ft. home.

Vern Troyer: Model Citizen

Vern Troyer's ex-wife Genevieve Gallen recently spilled the beans about her brief marriage to the former Austin Powers star.

Though Ms. Gallen alleges that her 2ft 8in ex has a sex addiction and a drinking problem, but--a 36-year-old former Playboy model who seems to have had few qualms about role-playing and having sex up to ten times per day--also claims that Mr. Troyer was only the second man she had ever slept with. Nevertheless, that is hardly the most intriguing part of the article. It turns out that Mr. Troyer not only is small, but he lives small too.

The first time Mr. Troyer brought his future wife back to his place, she was surprised to learn that his house was actually a shed in the back of his manager's garden. Inside, everything was miniature. "There was a miniature futon and a miniature refrigerator and bed," Ms. Gallen recalled. "The light switches were all down at the level of my knee, and the toilet was no bigger than a child’s potty."

We would love to know where Mr. Troyer purchased his home furnishings and appliances. He was truly prepared for the future.


Full Article

Project Live Small Salutes Black Women

Even without genetic modification or elective height reduction surgery, black women have naturally begun to Live Small.

According to an analysis of CDC data by John Komlos (professor of economics at the University of Munich in Germany), "Young black women today are nearly an inch shorter than white women their age and about half an inch shorter than black women born in the late 60s."

In other words, black women today are better equipped for--and will more easily adjust to--the future, when no person of any race or gender stands taller than four feet.

We at Project Live Small salute these brave forerunners of the Live Small movement.

ABC News.

America Finally Following in Japan's Footsteps

Project Live Small supporters will be surprised to learn what came in at number ten on Popular Mechanics' Top 10 Gadgets of 2008: a sink/toilet!

As one sharp reader commented on the Popular Mechanics website, "The Caroma [Profile Smart Dual Flush] toilet is not a new gadget. Similar designs have existed for years, just not in the US." 

Indeed. More than a month ago, we listed the sink/toilet as one of the ten ways the Japanese are already living small, and the sink/toilet existed in Japan long before 2008. It is, however, finally making its way to America thanks to Caroma, an Australian sanitary ware and plumbing firm. And for that we should all be grateful.

Rise of the Netbook

After struggling to move their product the past three years, laptop manufacturers must be thrilled about the holiday success of netbooks--smaller, lighter, and less expensive alternatives to full-sized notebooks.

CNET reports that "global notebook shipments exceeded desktops on a quarterly basis for the first time ever, with Netbooks playing a decisive role." In fact, 17 of the 25 top-selling notebooks on Amazon were netbooks.

Best of all, netbooks are ready for the future, when everyone will measure less than four tall.

 CrunchGear, via BuzzFeed. 

Staggering Statistic of the Day

The average American gives away or throws out about 68 pounds of clothing each year. (Global Clothing Industries)

A large part of living small is smartly managing what little space you probably have in your small home, with its small bureaus and closets. A Live-Small savant will only purchase what he knows he has adequate room to store.

Of course, this will not be so great a problem in the future, when all people are less than four feet tall. Smaller people wear smaller clothing, which will mean using less fabric to make clothes. An added bonus: clothing will certainly be far less expensive (think GapKids instead of Gap).

Karl Lagerfeld Living Small(er)

Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has recently taken several steps toward living small. He told German weekly Die Zeit, "I have moved to a smaller house in Paris, and I don't fancy having as much staff now."

The 75-year-old has even purchased a quaint historic home in Lake Champlain, Vermont, where he plans to shoot the next Chanel campaign. Mr. Lagerfeld called the home "not giant," and commented, "I love it. It's very Emily Dickinson...In fact it's almost Puritanical. For me it's a new form of modesty."

Clearly Mr. Lagerfeld understands that one needn't be small in order to live small.


Spiegel Online, via Fashionologie.

Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

As it's about the time of year when people across America bring home a tree for the holidays, we thought we should offer our recommendations on what sort of tree to purchase.

The National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) reports that Americans buy between 25 and 30 million live trees each year. Clearly, many people still prefer to buy a live tree. While the fresh pine smell is undeniably pleasing, the mess caused by falling needles is not. And though the NCTA makes a good argument for the benefits of live trees over artificial trees, they're hardly an unbiased source.

We at Project Live Small recommend purchasing an artificial tree, preferably something in the four-to-five-foot range. Artificial trees are neither biodegradable nor recyclable (NCTA's main criticism), so you won't want to throw it out. Ever. Just think of it as an investment for the future. The small artificial tree you purchase this year might be the very same tree that your under-four-feet-tall descendants crowd around, delighting in Christmas cheer for years to come.

Mini Home Office

From Vienna-based design studio Creative Industrial Objects comes the CI desk--the perfect all-in-one home office for the person under four feet tall. Read the full description below.

A multi-functional home office on wheels, in its handy size and elegant shape, adapting to the flexible working habits of the individual at home or in the office. Through a 180-degree turn of its top, it unfolds into a small workstation for laptop users. The smooth contours of the desk cube in fact reveal the delicately inbuilt wooden drawers that open to the front and sides. CI desk provides mobility and a practical working space for any busy individual.


Creative Industrial Objects, via Impact Lab.

Young Man Living in Little Tikes Playhouse

In an implicit endorsement of Project Live Small, twenty-year-old Aaron McLeod spent thirty days and nights living in a Little Tikes playhouse this past summer.

Though the playhouse was equipped with two computers, two webcams, and a microwave, among other things, McLeod issued several complaints during his stay: that he began to smell after a few days; that rain managed to permeate the playhouse; that he didn't sleep very well; and that he suffered occasional leg and stomach cramps. It is also worth mentioning that McLeod relieved himself in a bucket, which his mother had to clean everyday.

These complaints might seem to demonstrate flaws in the Live-Small lifestyle, but we can assure you that McLeod would have had far fewer complaints if he had asked Project Live Small to provide more suitable--but still plenty small--living accommodations. In fact, if McLeod were less than four feet tall and his tiny living space were equipped with a small shower and sink/toilet, he might have decided to extend his stay indefinitely!

Full Article

News Video

A Closer Look at Capsule Hotels

Several weeks ago, we listed capsule hotel rooms as one of the ten ways the Japanese are already living small. Thanks to one intrepid traveler, we are now able to take a much closer look at these tiny living accommodations. While you enjoy the video, don't forget to consider how much larger a capsule hotel room will seem in the future, when the human population tops out at four feet.

Remote Control Car Out-Performs Mini-Cooper

Some small living skeptics believe switching to an energy efficient car means sacrificing performance and power behind the wheel. Recently, however, a young fellow named Andy Moore effectively laid to rest such claims when he pit his remote control car against a BMW Mini Cooper. Despite its exponentially smaller size and its electric (as opposed to gas) power source, the tiny HBI-Nitro3 left the full-sized Mini Cooper in the dust:



With the economy in turmoil, electric and hybrid-electric vehicles are finally getting the attention they deserve, but we still have a long way to go. The automobile of the future will, of course, still be much larger than the HBI-Nitro3, but it will also be much smaller than the Mini Cooper, since it will be designed for people who are less than four feet tall. 

With smaller size comes greater fuel economy, and we at CSL are eagerly anticipating what the major automakers have in store for us.

Duckpin Bowling

Looking for an enjoyable weekend activity? Give duckpin bowling a try! Before you hit the miniature lanes, however, you ought to know how duckpin bowling differs from traditional ten-pin bowling.

Whereas a ten-pin bowling ball can weigh up to sixteen pounds and must be held by its three finger holes, a duckpin bowling ball weighs only two to four pounds and has no finger holes at all. On account of the smaller balls, duckpin bowling pins are more squat than traditional pins. And finally, because duckpin bowling is more difficult than ten-pin bowling, bowlers get three balls per frame instead of two. (Even with the extra ball per frame, professional duckpin bowlers typically score in the mid 100s [out of 300], while professional ten-pin bowlers score in the high 200s [also out of 300].)

We at CSL endorse duckpin bowling as a most delightful recreational activity that will stand the test of time. After all, the great Babe Ruth (pictured left) was an avid duckpin bowler nearly one hundred years ago; and in the future, when all people measure less than four feet tall, they will surely turn to the more reasonably sized duckpin bowling. Ten-pin, with its unmanageable sixteen pound balls, will be reduced to a mere relic.

The World's Narrowest Home

In a house that measures only one meter wide at its narrowest point, Helenita Queiroz Grave Minho of Madre de Deus, Brazil, lives comfortably with her husband, their three children, their dog, and her husband's sister and mother.

Living narrow is an important part of living small, and we at CSL commend Mrs. Minho for her ingenuity and her initiative. Now just imagine how much narrower and smaller our homes could be if we were all two feet smaller.

Full Article (Portuguese)

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989): A Live-Small Manifesto

The 80s were good to Rick Moranis. He was happily married, and had hits with such films as Ghost Busters (1984), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Space Balls (1987), Ghost Busters 2 (1989), and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989). The 1990s, however, were a different story. In 1991 Moranis' wife succumbed to liver cancer, and in 1992 he decided to reprise his role as Wayne Szalinski in the box-office flop Honey, I Blew Up the Kid. From there things didn't get any better. In 1997 Moranis again reprised his role as Wayne Szalinski--this time in the straight-to-video Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves. The final nail in the coffin? Perhaps.

Although the second and third installments of the Honey trilogy certainly mark the violent downward trajectory of Moranis' film career, the first deserves more careful attention. If there's a lesson to be learned from such a delightful family film as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids--and we at CSL believe there is--it's that living small, though sometimes alienating, is the most economically responsible way of life. For proof, one must look no further than the scene in which the kids stumble upon a cookie in the yard, or the scene in which Nick Szalinski finds himself floating in his father's bowl of Cheerios. Their reduced height makes the food appear immense, more than a single tiny person could eat in a lifetime.

To be sure, the height reduction featured in the film is extreme and entirely unrealistic, but the central message is clear: reduced height means less food, which in turn means less money and less waste.

World's Smallest Clamshell Cellular Telephone

Living small means small gadgets, and the Pantech C300 is an excellent example:



The C300 has all the features you could ever need (instant messaging, MMS and text messaging, a camera with 4x digital zoom, etc.), and it costs well under $100. But the best part? It weighs in at just over 70 grams and measures only 3.4 x 1.7 x 0.8 inches!

Mini Ship-in-a-Bottle

Ever wish you could reduce your carbon footprint while at the same time satiating both your desire to live small and your love of all things maritime? Now you can!

First, replace your old light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones. Second, peruse the video below to learn how to turn those old bulbs into mini ships-in-bottles. Keep at it, and you'll be well on your way to recreating famous fleets and naval battles throughout history. Whatever your fancy--the Spanish Armada, or perhaps the Battle of Naupactus--the only limit is your imagination. (And, of course, the number of old light bulbs you possess.)

The Right Angle, An Excellent Space Saver

Anyone who owns a refrigerator understands how much space goes to waste with cylindrical and otherwise rounded containers consuming precious shelf space. We at CSL are happy to present two practical solutions to this age-old dilemma.

First: square watermelons. Even in the company of such space wasters as cylindrical bottles and bowl-shaped containers, the oval watermelon stands out as the refrigerator's most vicious offender. Thankfully, the Citrullus lanatus no longer poses a problem: the square watermelon is now a reality. Pioneered by forward-thinking Japanese scientists and grown in glass containers, square watermelons are quickly replacing their inconveniently rotund brethren as the most delicious and refreshing summertime treat. Make sure to check your local produce vendor, or visit this site to learn how to grow your own.

Second: square milk jugs. Though traditional one-gallon milk jugs were never as bad as oval watermelons in regards to refrigerator space, storing milk just became easier with Sam's Club's introduction of the square, case-less milk jug. So pay a visit to your local Sam's Club and pick up a couple jugs today.