welcomehomeminis

NOTE JANUARY 2015: a small glitch on the forum has made international characters a mess of question-marks, at least in this album--so at the moment, Erabliere, Montreal, Quebec, Therese, and who knows what else look very junky, since I typed all of them in here over the last month or so with accents above the appropriate letters, which looked fine at the time.

I hope this will be resolved quickly... if not I'll have to edit, slowly... but it's already taken me so long to edit the text and get this album ready to go public that I don't want to wait any more! I hope you'll forgive this little bit of mess as you read--and thanks, guys!!

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Fran Aucoin and his brother Bernard moved from Montr�al, Qu�bec to Thorny Rock, Maine over 25 years ago on a whim, and found that they loved the warmth and connection to the past that this tiny town holds.

They decided to learn the ancient art of maple-sugaring, and bring Qu�bec techniques and recipes to the residents and tourists of coastal New England through their authentic sugar shack. Fran and Bernard opened the shop in 2005 when the brothers realized their business, now so busy during the late spring sugaring season, was ready to expand, and Bernard's wife, Th�rese, has taken on the job of being the public face of �rabli�re Aucoin. Their sugar shack, or cabane � sucre, located just a block from the main street of Thorny Rock, brings a sweet scent to the town for months in the spring, and a special flavor to those who visit, all year round.

Inside the sugar shack, the brothers boil down sap into maple syrup the old-fashioned way, with a two pan, wood-fired evaporator. The high, vented roof aids in the process of creating delicious syrup from the snow-covered maples off in the woods.

In the shop, Th�rese sells various grades of syrup in beautiful gift bottles and practical pottery jugs; homemade maple fudge, candies by the piece or in gift bags and boxes, cookies, and other edible goodies; and of course, maple-themed tuques (a traditional Qu�bec winter cap) to keep visitors warm, and decorative items as well.

But the best part, say the locals, is what happens outside, in the snow! Th�rese boils down syrup in a huge pot until it's at a soft candy stage. Then she (or lucky visitors) pours the hot liquid maple into a snow-filled trough outside the shop, and almost instantly, it cools into a fun treat known as maple taffy! The kids love to pull it and stretch it before popping it into their mouths... what a sticky delight, to play with your food at the Aucoin's picnic tables, before patting the golden retriever, Bonnie, on the head one last time to say goodbye.

(To visit more of the tiny town of Thorny Rock, see my 2011 Creatin' Contest gallery: http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/index.php?app=gallery&album=5511 )

This was a Christmas present from my parents in about 1979. I finished it then, in full Victoriana: heavy on the florals and deep-mahogany. It began its push toward renewal a couple of years ago, when I found it, water-damaged, in their garage, having survived several moves but not a leaky garage roof!

My daughter and I removed all the wallpaper that was removable, and coated the interior over and over with Kilz until finally, the water damage stopped bleeding through the paint. Then it waited its turn quite patiently, and now it's about 2/3 through a very modern reno.

144th scale scenes, built inside real walnut half-shells. Holiday gifts for close family members in 2013.

Welcome to Thorny Coast—Maine's Smallest Big Treasure!

On Revolution Avenue, in the heart of tourism and shopping mecca Thorny Coast, Maine (practically invisible on every map but ours), sits a very special street of tiny shops.

Niall 9, the high-end dressmaker's shop, is full of gorgeous gowns for every taste from traditional to modern; if you're hungry after trying on finery, head next door to the Thorny Rock Candy Shop for treats from cakes and fudge to—what else?—rock candy. From there you can browse the selections of swimsuits, wetsuits, surfboards and skateboards at Wet Street Surf & Skate, where great colors and amazing graphics will keep you stylin' on the street or among Maine's choicest waves. The kids can even play around the play-lighthouse or at the indoor sandbox while you shop! The Candy Shop and the Surf & Skate began by sharing a converted garage, but Surf & Skate has become such a popular destination that it's expanded into the old brick building next door, where landlord Joe Olivette lives upstairs. From the looks of his desk, he's hard at work keeping the books and making sure all the shops are in ship-shape. Don't miss a stop at O'Crabby's Crab Shack when you're on your way down to the shore—enjoy the rugged coast, and don't forget to have your picture taken at the town's most famous landmark, Thorny Rock!

The idea and design of this entire street of shops—from the goose on the garage roof to the mice at the dumpster, and every detail in between—was the product of my 12-year-old daughter, who has been producing minis alongside me since she was seven, and has begged me to let her enter "Ernie's contest" for a couple of years. The building and months of handcrafting that went into Revolution Avenue were our joint project this year, and we've never had to waver from her amazingly complete plans for this gorgeous "little" corner of Maine!

When my daughter's collection of hats started outgrowing her dollhouse, she started thinking of a shop.

A.C. Moore helped us out recently by putting this corner shop on clearance.

When we were given this 20 (?) year old dollhouse by a friend who was cleaning out her garage, it was a wreck. Flood damage, broken pieces, Beverly Hills 90210 photos glued to walls, you name it.

My daughter and I took one look at its beautiful bones and we both saw the family moving in, stripping its gingerbread, adding on, and making a modern mini home from the abandoned house.

The damage was so bad that it had to be a teardown, but we kept the basic shape of the original as we reconstructed. I imagine the little family is very pleased with the results.

It has been a labor of love and it's not finished yet. Just like a real home—is it ever finished?

These are wreaths I've made. It began as wreath for our own projects and quickly became a "tiny" business when I ran out of windows and walls! Some are in our own collections, the rest are sold or for sale now. I'll keep updating as I have time. :)

My parents' birthdays are both in mid-October. In 2007 we decided to go all out for them. We gathered bits and pieces that hadn't found homes in our own projects, we scoured mini shops for broken pieces we could repurpose, and spent about a month making these two roomboxes out of shadow boxes purchased at a craft store.

They have a special place in the front office of my parents' motel. People ask all the time if we make them for sale... Mom says, "Sure, if you can afford them!" :)