![\"My-side-cut-out\"](\"http:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/My-side-cut-out.jpg\")
Photo courtesy of Sicily’s blog, La Petite Maison<\/p><\/div>\n
At 12 years of age, Sicily is nothing short of a pint-sized \u2026 well \u2026 powerhouse. As we speak, this darling dynamo is building a 128-square-foot solar-powered mini-home.<\/p>\n
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Sicily embarked on this impressive venture as an unconventional school project. She attends HoneyFern School<\/a> in Marietta, Georgia, a private non-profit founded by her parents. She and her six fellow classmates were given various options for their assignment, including designing a go-kart, a chicken coop, a hydroponic greenhouse, a 3D video game, or \u2026 a house.<\/p>\n Using funds crowd-sourced from Indiegogo<\/a>, Sicily began building La Petite Maison as a place to “bake cupcakes, to read, and to hang out with friends.”<\/p>\n I know \u2026 I want one too!<\/p>\n Sicily attributes her inspiration to a documentary called We the Tiny House People<\/a><\/em> and the tiny-house-touting DIY Network host, Derek \u201cDeek\u201d Diedricksen<\/a>. “His videos showed me that I could build a house with next to no money and still have it be comfortable and inviting and my own.”<\/p>\n Her house, which is slated for completion in May, is mounted on an 8-by-16-foot trailer in her backyard. It will sport a 30-square-foot sleeping loft and a full bathroom with a composting toilet, all constructed with recycled and re-purposed materials (that’s right\u2014it’s green, too).<\/p>\n “Our plywood came from packing boxes at the Atlanta airport; our roofing, front door, wiring, and window were reclaimed from a construction project done by a friend,” Sicily explains. “We\u2019re also visiting the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store and checking Craigslist. I have a flexible design, so I can change it depending on what materials I have.”<\/p>\n Parents, take note: Sicily’s mobile mini-house is made to leave the nest with her, when the time comes \u2026 playhouse today, portable apartment, glamper romp\u00a0tomorrow.<\/p>\n Photo courtesy of Sicily’s blog, La Petite Maison<\/p><\/div>\n Cool concept.<\/p>\n![\"gift_gab-tiny_house2\"](\"http:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/gift_gab-tiny_house2.jpg\")