Do you like polka dots?
So this was the scene when the old gang was all back together again (including Michael too!). Forget what you have heard about baby proofing a room, that's easy. The room that is teenager proofed is much more thought filled on the part of a mom. You learn these things after the pop is spilled a few times. I wouldn't have it any other way though as I love the noise and laughter that comes with this group. They are all good kids. Above is- left to right- my Anna, Matthew, Courtney, Michael, and my Elise. First up was playing Rock Band. Loud. Is there any other way? It is fun to see them sing and play the songs from my teen age years which this Rock Band thing has made cool again! If not for that the teens would say, "Oh that old song. YUK!"
Amazingly Anna even managed to get some reading time in, and Cali the cat and Jewel the bird looked on as the noise continued. Notice the covers on the furniture which were still trying to come off and have potential pop spill area revealed.
Throughout the night they ate and ate and ate. This goes along with teens and noise. I think teens have an unactivated switch which tells a brain and stomach "you are full". They went through 3 bags of pizza rolls, most of a 12 pack of pop, chips and salsa, snack mix, chips and a box of cream puffs. Wasn't it good that Courtney and Matthew showed up with food? They have smart moms!! Actually they brought more food than that, and they would have easily eaten it all if it had just been put in front of them! 
Nicholas came home from a day at Cub Scout camp and was thrilled beyond words that "his brother" Michael was here along with the whole gang. Nicholas missed Michael as much as Elise did during the break up time. Nicholas loves to hang out with the teens --and what 9 year old little pesky brother wouldn't? Luckily the teens allow him to hang out with them. No problem.
Elise, Nicholas and Michael acting silly!
Elise and Courtney listen to Matthew hamming it up with the microphone.
The singing continued until about 10:00 and then they settled in for some movie time. 
Aggie was always a fashion forward girl. Tired of wearing black shoes with black stockings every day, she would spend her time in school doodling in her tablet while imagining such wonders as colored stockings (like maybe a daring dark blue) and ribbon laced boots. She wanted to design clothing and accessories that would stand out. She was often found sitting, as punishment, in the corner of the one room school house after Miss Bore would catch her daydreaming with pencil to paper instead of doing her arithmetic. She didn't care. It gave her more time to think and dream and imagine. She certainly knew in her heart she could do better than the milliner who came up with the horrid creation that she had seen Miss Bore wearing upon her head at the last church social.
This is what's on my window sill in the kitchen. Wooden pumpkins and scarecrows and bittersweet added to my collection of white ironstone pitchers. Three of the pitchers were my Mom's and the other 2 were thrifty finds to add to the collection.
This is the other windowsill. Don't you love paper honeycomb decorations? 
I am weeding through some things in my house and thinning out some collections. I am considering selling this vintage Indian doll made by Madame Alexander. She is actually Tiger Lily from Peter Pan. If you might be interested in buying her. Let me know in a comment on this blog post.
I have had this Precious Moments figurine for about 20 years. I am not a collector of these, but this was a gift, and I think it is pretty cute because of the subject matter- a turkey eating Thanksgiving dinner. 
Here are 2 Ginny dolls from 1987. They are listed for sale here. They have only been out of storage for a few weeks each year and are in excellent condition. They are looking to join a new family to celebrate Thanksgiving day blessings, and would love to be adopted into a new home to start new memories.
Michael and Nick being silly.
So, Elise is sure she will NEVER have another boyfriend. 
Nicholas decided to carve his Jack-o-lantern at the last minute on Halloween day. He drew the design on paper then I transferred his idea on to the pumpkin with a marker and he carved it.
This is the shelf in the hall. 
I always include old books in my decor. I have gathered old orange and black books, of course, for this. My twisty candle stick holder is a favorite item that I thrifted long ago. It is very heavy and has a great patina!!
I think we bought the skull at the dollar store at some point in the past and the bottle was thrifted. It is a real vintage medicine bottle from a Toledo pharmacy. I love the old label. I have never dared open the cap!!
This was the middle of the table with wooden scarecrow, glass pumpkin shaped jar filled with Indian corn and silk leaves, a thrifted porcelain Autumn house that can have a night light inserted into the back, a Mary E. Autumn book from a friend, a yummy smelling candle, some yummy candy, and a framed picture of me at my first birthday on a horse with my Dad as his brother stands nearby, (this is my Uncle I now help, he is 84 and has had Parkinson's for 17 years) . The picture has nothing to do with Halloween or Autumn, as my birthday is in Springtime. I just like the photo.
The bear was my Mom's. Teddy Bears are not personally my "thing", but my Mom really loved them so I have kept some of her bears. The large majority of them went to live with my brothers.
Don't you love the old books?
Look at those curls!
And those shoes! And the details on the dress!
Nicholas joined cub scouts at the end of last school year. He didn't get to do many activities until this school year, in 3rd grade. He is having lots of fun and loves to wear his uniform shirt. He looks forward to adding more and more patches.
Something else Nicholas likes to do lately is build with Legos. He comes up with some of the best ideas. I am easily impressed with just about any kid's efforts because my own Lego talent peaks at a plain square house with a window and door. Honestly. I fail at Legos. Nick makes some super duper things and then takes them apart in the blink of an eye before his camera crazy Mom can record the creation. So, I felt privileged to have captured this one.
I am a fan of any toy that does not require batteries or electricity!!! I think imagination is the best power source for toys, don't you?
You can see my window sill last year if you click here.
Then she did this just as I snapped the photo...
It was actually a stretch and yawn but it kinda looks like she was trying to be
Outside our house, the Maple trees are all golden yellow. They looked pretty until it rained and blew all day and then the yard and driveway and cars and roof looked like this....
blanketed in wet colored leaves!
My little mischievous buddy has been at it again. He should star in some new Disney movie, don't you think? Scroll down a few posts to see his other adventures!!
She is 17 and a senior in high school. Oh how I have seen a difference in her self confidence. She is growing up. This is a huge joy to her Father and I, as Elise is our oldest and a special needs child. Elise has OCD and is on the Autism spectrum named as Asperger's.
Look at those dimples! I tried to get a good photo of the two of them and wouldn't you know it each one was disappointing for some reason. He had his eyes closed or she did. She had no smile or he didn't. He was talking or she was. You know how it goes. Just when a camera-wielding-Momma wants the perfect "one" they just don't work out. They still document a very exciting evening for Elise. 
Elise, her best friend Courtney, Megan
Megan, Courtney, Elise
Ready for dinner.
Elise has blue nail polish.
Elise, having her straps adjusted by Courtney's Mom, as Michael's Mom looks on.
and ended up with this...
This is on the back of the baby shower tag I made.
I used more of my paper posies. I printed and cut out one of my colored pencil art birds and attached it with some foam tape to give it some dimension.
Lastly, I made small tags to attach to some little giftie bags I gave her...
The Canary is another one of my colored pencil art endeavors. 
Maybe he secretly imagines himself as a bird, wanting to fly to the feeder and sit daintily upon the peg at the cylindrical feeder. 
