One Step is Easy

So there I was, a heavily weighted fixed glare at two pieces of two by four that for some forsaken reason did not make a right angle as their humbled carpenter (me) had intended them to. Deep breaths, reassuring words and most importantly the help of the educators here at CR were quick to put…

Building a Community Has Been So Much Bigger

Matt came to Moab in 2007 and did what a lot of folks do: caught the bug. After a season in town as an outdoor educator and river guide, other towns in the western United States just didn’t feel right.  In his time away from Moab he was able to earn his Masters of Science…

Hardships Into Gifts

Janis, universally regarded as one of the kindest and most giving individuals a person could have the honor of meeting, was born into a life of trauma. Trauma begets crisis, and Janis has had more than her fair share of experience with both.  After moving to Moab in the 90’s,  she purchased the 3 acre…

These Moments Were Priceless

A Homeowner’s Success Story When Community Rebuilds contacted me about  building  a home, I had been living in Moab for quite a bit of time. I have always loved it here and  was looking to settle down, and stick around for a while.   I quickly realized I was priced out of the housing market…

On amalgamation and gravitation

—– Amalgamation: the action, process, or result of combining or uniting. Gravitation: movement, or the tendency to move, toward a center of gravity; movement toward or attraction to something —– There is so much to learn from the desert. It is a landscape that uniquely requires intention, moderation, and cooperation – values I have come…

Creative Limestrong Solutions

Want to add a new look to your plaster walls, while keeping splash zones smudge free? Try using Limestrong’s Tadelakt! Limestrong is a lime plaster company founded by Ryan Chivers, a previous CR guest instructor. Traditional Tadelakt is a Moroccan style of artisan plaster that is water resistant. At CR we use Limestrong’s Tadelakt mixture…

Molly’s AmeriCorps VISTA Story

My first task at Community Rebuilds was to choose my office space. I walked into the two story straw bale Bunkhouse and entered a room called the “Vision”. I became lost in the celestial plaster design; peaches folding into sky blues with a stream of stones in flowing patterns. I immediately knew this service year…

The Cadillac of Plaster

by hoof (they/them) To master tadelakt the Cadillac of plaster first the first task is fast… much faster than the last Choose your hue with which to imbue inorganic goo ochre? maroon? blue? You cruise through a few layers laid down under wood peel yields a toothy feel preened in steel for a creamy seal…

Didar, Anthony, and Winter Charles’ Success Story

Six years ago, Anthony and I met in Moab. He was born and raised here—a real local. We married in Turkey and stay there over a year. While we were in Istanbul, Anthony told me how much he missed the sky of Moab. We missed Moab, the nature and outdoors. That is why we decided…

Ashley Lilly’s Success Story

This blog post was written by Fall 2020 homeowner, Ashley Lilly. I’ve been coming to Moab since I was a young child to visit family in the early 90’s. My mom’s family came to live in Moab in 1961. We would visit for the summers and winters most years. And Monty has been coming to…