A Most Wonderful Holiday

Thanksgiving is, by far, one of my favorite holidays wrapped in the best kind of weather! It's cozy and snuggly and wonderful with nothing on which to focus beyond being grateful! I can't think of a better time of year than this! 

It's no different in The House as the family gathers this year! Most of the adults surround THE SPREAD.

There are all sorts of goods on the table both homemade and from the store. Isn't that how it tends to go at all houses? 😉 What's below is the original plan for this year's feast:

There are a variety of main courses as options for this crew! The berry-glazed ham and the lasagna, both in front of Hal at the top of the picture, came from the store while, at the bottom of the picture, I made some burger patties. Assume they are veggie burgers which is exactly what My Boy in real life is having! Plenty of sides provide ample stomach fullness including the home made broccoli, roasted brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes! After all of that effort, homemade rolls were not on the cooking agenda, so those came from the store, too. 

The kitty does not discern between home and store goods. She just knows she's about to score!

After reviewing the original plan of what I had ready to go, I just couldn't leave it at that. THE BIRD IS MISSING as are a few other Thanksgiving staples! One year, we decided that we shouldn't bother with a turkey because it was just our family consisting of 2 adults and 2 little ones. So, we thought it was a good idea to do everything we usually do but to swap turkey for whole chicken. Now, I looooove chicken, but, believe when I say that the swap kind of scarred me. It wasn't the same in any way, shape or form, and we often relive the travesty of that decision when we venture to the store to get our turkey.

Given my own experience, I just couldn't pass off ham as the main attraction! Not to mention, there are definite, important sides missing! So, I sat down yesterday with my cart of clay and supplies to redo the spread! Here is the evolution!

I'm really quite proud of the turkey. I'd looked to buy one, but I wasn't loving what they looked like (read: unappetizing). Also featured as the new attractions to the main table is the bowl of whole cranberries and the pumpkin pie!

With so much extra food, I had to bring in another table on which many of the sides now sit:

There's a bowl of stuffing to the right as well as sweet potatoes with mini marshmallows on the left. It appears those got overcooked, but that happens. And, who cares because ... yuck. However, I did make them for color, so I think I'll touch them up with some paints this afternoon! Anyway, I could dive face-first into that bowl of stuffing. That's truly my favorite Thanksgiving food especially when it comes from inside the bird! Droooool ...

Here the latest and greatest are up close before moving on:

Also in the dining room, across the floor, Eleanor loyally sits behind Polly with the popcorn box she drags around.

She's welcome in the dining room as she's not one to beg. 😊

Back to the feast, check out what else they have going on! On the side table, there are appetizers ...

In the back, there's a coffee bar ...

And, in the corner, desserts await!

If that's not enough dessert, there's more waiting in the kitchen. That is, if they survive the kitchen holding area ...

Back in the dining room, the family treated themselves to some long-awaited lighting above the dining table!

I've figured out that the most economical and effective way to really bring light into The House is to use led string/fairy lights. After experimenting with some other ideas, I came up with this one. The "glass" is a plastic case that held Star Wars Squinky toys:

These little critters are one inch tall, and, when I scored the bag of squishy Squinkies, there was a case for each. I tossed all but one of them which has been hanging out in Mowgli-Thurston Howell's room with the action figures. But, I figured a better use for it, at least for now, is to serve as a chandelier! It twists apart into halves. So, after separating them, I thread a 5-foot string of fairy lights through the hole that exists in the top of the sphere and loosely wrapped the wire and lights around my index finger to fit it into the case. I twisted them back together, and, voila! LIGHT. The wire is attached to the ceiling with masking tape right now, but no one really sees that anyway. Oh, and, yes ... If you were wondering, given this is a case from a Star Wars toy, the sphere is the Death Star. Hal finds it particularly charming. Because he's Hal.

With that, it's time to see if there's enough time to produce a turkey to add to the spread! Yes, yes, there's plenty there. But, there's nothing wrong with adding more! Now, I'm not sure where I think it's going to go when I didn't even figure out how to fit plates on the table ...

A very Happy Thanksgiving to all from The House to yours!

A Spook-tacular Celebration, Indeed!

What's so great about The House is that it has plenty of room for big, family celebrations! While tonight would normally be one where the kiddos run up and down the streets trick-or-treating, that's just not going to happen in 2020! The kids in The House are being kept safe this year with trick-or-treating within the house! Check them out in costume as they continue to stuff their buckets on the rooftop patio!

Let's ignore the unfinished, scary flooring situation! ☺The rooftop patio seemed the perfect place to not only trick-or-treat but to also carve some pumpkins ...

I made the carving pumpkin from polymer clay. It's highlighted by dusting it with different chalk colors, then it was coated with a matte polycrylic for safe keeping. This picture reminds me that I have two pumpkins on my own front step that need to be gutted for their seeds. I'd let them sit out there for more Fall decoration, but this seems to be the Year of the Squirrel as almost every pumpkin in our neighborhood has created an all-you-can-eat buffet for the little critters. Anyway ...

The trick-or-treating doesn't end upstairs. All the tots have to do is scurry down to the dining room where Grandpa Kermit and Grandma Millie Rose await to make deposits in the boo buckets ...

... assuming Hal doesn't eat it all first!

Grandpa Kermit politely tucked his own stash in front of himself:

So, that pumpkin platter. How cool is that? I ordered that back in the Spring or Summer from a catalog because I was reasonably sure I would not take the time to make such a thing before Halloween. And, guess what? I was right! 😆

Over Hal's shoulder, we have a quiet, little boy ...

I'm not so sure young Cruise should be left alone with such a stash!

So, let's check out some of the decorations! Back up on the rooftop patio ...

... there's a cozy, little Fall nook. The foliage is what I've used to create mums. They're model train Fall trees. They worked here without pulling them apart, but they are strategically placed to hide the holes created from, well, pulling them apart. 😄 Lighting the outdoor fireplace is not advisable ...

The front of the house isn't much different from last year, but Fall decorations never get old to me.

While I really can't hand sew worth a hoot, as evidenced from my little pillows, I will be forever proud of my leaf garlands:

The celebration is a little different this year, but it's fun all the same! May this year's Halloween celebration perfectly suit you and yours!

All Decked Out

Today is one of those holidays that I absolutely love in my heart, but, over the years, what we do on or for the day has lessened. Oh, and I like it. I'm much happier in the air conditioning listening to the fireworks outside, where they're not coming AT me in a neighborhood display, watching a movie or playing games with my family. The hooplah of the day has chilled out for me, and it's a good thing.

Across the room in The House, however, it's GAME ON for the festivities and decor!! Let's take a look at what's up!

Oh, yes, there is a LOT going on! Across the main part of the house we have ...

The America hearts are novelty erasers.

The large stars are cupcake picks, and the glittery nuggets are
buttons. I didn't cut the backs off so they would sit at an angle.

These, too, are novelty erasers. Because when you get a pack of
them, you get, like, a million ...

... and, My Girl, who helped me decorate,
decided we should use them ALL. 😊

On the front porch, Grandma Laura and Roni are having a little snack time together:

Across the way on the patio, Richie is the grill master while Phoebe chills with a marg ...

Looks delish, yes?

Festive everywhere!

And, up on the balcony patio, there's a lot going on:

Hal treated the family to a new, outdoor fireplace recently! There's flooring work going on, too, but that's in progress. Just the prototype is down which is when it was learned that more pieces need to be cut to cover the floor. But, hey. Who's counting right now?! Speaking of Hal ...

... he is SUPER excited about his hot dog while Polly peeks around him to talk to Kermit. On the other side of the balcony, a cupcake party is taking place:

Grandparents are good for the treats! And, Penny is making sure everyone is happy with her wagon full of chips!

From our house and The House to yours, Happy Fourth of July!

Amen. 💙

Rounding Out the Family Members ...

... are the pets!

Okay, okay, it's quite possible I've overdone it on the pets in The House. BUT I CAN'T SEEM TO HELP MYSELF! I mean, what's a girl to do when seeing that little critter who is dumped in a "quarter box" at a garage sale, stuffed in a plastic sandwich bag with really ugly random Christmas ornaments at an antique store or otherwise forgotten in a box of childhood memories? These statements and more are all true when it comes to the pet population of The House members and those family who come to visit! They had to be rescued, amiright ?! Here are their connections to both myself and those who now "own" them:

Inspired by Disney, we have Lady the Cocker Spaniel and Tramp the Dalmation.
Claiming lap rights are Scooter, the orange kitty, and Sweetums, the gray fella.
Their names come from characters on The Muppet Show.

Named for characters in the Arthur series of children's books, which is a very
favorite in our family, we have Francine in the middle of it all with Buster
crouched down and Arthur upright and on alert.

Grandpa Buddy adopted this little one "for" Hollyann.
(He is a master at spoiling her!) He is named Neil
for my personal adoration for Neil Diamond.

Of course Mowgli I MEAN Thurston Howell has the
weird ones! These actually were my own Dad's, and
I remember them from when I was a kid used in the
mountain scenes (long story). Clockwise from the
kitty, we have Shere-Khan, Baloo, King Louie and
Bagheera. They and their boy were all connected to
The Jungle Book until Thurston Howell messed it up.

Penny's little pup is named Aurora for Sleeping Beauty.
She's quiet like Penny. Because Sleeping Beauty sleeps
the entire story.

Richie owns Fonzie the pug. It's the perfect name for the pooch as Richie and
Fonzie are best buds in the Happy Days series. Phoebe passed on the idea of
personally owning a pet. "No thanks," she said. "Five kids," she said.

Here's Roni with Lassie and June. My Girl insisted on one of these as Lassie, so
I figured a connection to the human mom seemed appropriate for the other.

 One of the books My Boy remembers me reading to
him is The Trumpet Of the Swan. We loved that story,
so, in honor of the wonderful swan characters, we have
Louis ...

... and, Serena.

My Boy also has a particular fondness for Corgis, so,
when I saw this at a toy store in Michigan, it had to
come to The House! Meet Cash.

Of course, the household owners figure having a large house means filling it
with all kinds of love!

Frankie the black cat, is named for one of my very first kitties. Bruce and Yadi,
the yellow kitties, are my favorite Cardinal's baseball players. Bruce Sutter
pitched for the Cubs when my family lived in the Chicago area. The year after
we moved to the St. Louis area, he was traded to the Cards. He moved for me, I
just know it. Yadier Molina is the current Cardinals catcher. Any time a friend
goes to a game, I let them know to, "Say hey to Yadi for me. He'll know."

In the neighboring basket is Hal's dog Blossom named for a Riverdale family.
And, that pile of pups? Teddi's the big one with Graham and Bear on top of her!
In the naming process, I was apparently taking too long to think when My Girl
said, "Teddy Graham Bear." And, so it was with a slight change to feminize
Teddi's name.

On the laps are mama kitty Dixie, from the story Because of Winn Dixie, and
kitty Dessa from The Leanin' Dog. Both are stories with good memories of
curling up with my kids and reading out loud to them.

In the back drinking from the dish is neighborhood pup Marbles which is one
of Snoopy's brothers. Polly keeps feeding him to keep him around.

I didn't forget the other! It just happens to be particularly
special to me. This is Eleanor. She is actually named for
my very-favorite-ever dog Elly. Elly was like a shadow
to me. She was so loving and fiercely loyal. I called her
"Eleanor" only when she was doing something wrong. And,
when I say I used her impromptu full name only twice,
I'm totally not kidding. There's only one Elly, though. So,
this is Eleanor. 😊💚

There is just one more pet I can't forget:

Meet Torkle! He is named for my very first goldfish. Torkle was with me three,
strong years. I would seat belt his bowl into the passenger seat of my car
to take him back and forth to college with me. I loved that little fish, and he had
the coolest name. So, why not immortalize him here?!

That's it!! For nowwww ... hahahahaha! My Girl will see me discover a pet at a store or antique shop and waste no time saying, "No. You have enough." And, then I promptly ignore her if the animal is awesome. So, I make no promises that there won't be additions! But, this is the family for now ...

Meet the Family!

It's been almost two years in the making to finally officially introduce the entire family of The House! Here they all are!

Okay, no, they don't all live there. But, they're all family. And, they're pretty much all there all the time. 'Good thing it's a big house!

Side note: I've seen where many dollhouse creators do not use people at all in their houses, and they have their reasons for doing so. Clearly, I swing the other way entirely ! To me, the addition of people brings the whole house to life! Over time, I've let my imagination run wild -- and solicited the imagination of a few others -- to really create their personalities! So, as a disclaimer, I should probably note that, yes, I get they are not real people. That being said, here's the rundown!

Question: Who, exactly LIVES in The House? Answer:

Hal: So, Hal is the man of The House. He's full of life and imagination and a little bit of mischievousness. He seems to be in his own world sometimes, but he has a heart of gold. He's named for Hal Cooper on the show "Riverdale." The real intention was to name him that because he looks like Hal Cooper. But, he doesn't. The guy he looks like is the character Clifford Blossom. But, I was too new to the show at that point to keep them straight. So, he's Hal. And, I never would have named him Clifford. That's a big, red dog. Hal is married to ...

Polly: Polly looks like she has it all together, doesn't she? I think so. Polly is kept on her toes by Hal, whom she adores but can wear her out. That's when she tends to hide his beloved leopard skin rug just to keep him busy looking for it. She loves being a mom and hosting family for formal and informal gatherings. She is named after the Fashion Polly toys with which My Girl played-and-played-and-played when she was a kid. The Fashion Polly troops now inhabit the house my own dad built for me and was passed over to My Girl. Their kids are ...

Penny: She's the young girl who always carries around her stuffed kitty. She's very sweet and really just wants to play by doing quiet things. She is often found on her own reading to her kitty or coloring. She also loves to help her mom in the kitchen especially when there's baking going on. She likes to be the hostess and to have tea parties with anyone who will attend. Penny's name doesn't have a particular meaning beyond it suiting her. She is the sister of ...

Hollyann: She's the baby who always carries around her bigger stuffed kitty and can usually be found hanging out with her grandpa. Hollyann loves his attention and never tires of it. Rather, she tires out grandpa! There's a lot of spirit to her personality which makes for exciting doll play and tea times. Her name is comes from the Boston song by the same name. Their big brother is ...

Mowgli: Or, should I say, "Thurston Howell." So, Hal, both a kid at heart and fan of Disney, thought it would be awesome to name his son after a Disney character. Polly, stunned at the suggestion for bringing Disney into the mix, agreed, but she did not know to what she was agreeing. The next thing anyone knew, Mowgli, the kid in "The Jungle Book," was named. And, it just wasn't a battle Polly chose to fight. She reacted to it much in the same manner as when Hal brought the leopard skin run into The House. Given the name Mowgli, all would expect him to be just as bright-eyed, fun-loving and easy-going as the character. But, Mowgli wasn't having it once he was old enough to think about it. He contemplates having fun, but he really takes life quite seriously. And, therefore, he eventually desired a serious name. One day, after accidentally catching a throw-back episode of "Gilligan's Island," Mowgli just knew his name should be for the billionaire businessman Thurston Howell minus "the third." And, he expects to be addressed as Thurston Howell. No abbreviations, please and thank you. Mowgli is aspiring to perfect his saxophone playing. He keeps a photograph of his very favorite saxophonist in his room for daily inspiration. My compliments to My Girl and friend imaginative friend Cindy for conspiring on this masterful name evolution! Mowgli really was inspired by a Disney pick from My Girl. She does love Disney, but she picked the name because it's a little weird which was in response to my continually noting that this character looks scary. Cindy, noting the actual Mowgli character, is fun and happy, shifted the conversation to choosing something outrageously formal. And, so it evolved. 

Those five just get us started! Here's how the family tree works ...

Hal has a brother named Richie. Here they are with their parents, Laura and Buddy:

Buddy: He is a kind soul who loves people but would prefer to steer very clear of any people drama. You will most often find him with granddaughter Hollyann. He loves reading her books and playing dolls and tea party with her. They're just chill together. Whatever Hollyann wants to play, Grandpa Buddy is up for it. There's nothing difficult about being around Buddy. He is straight forward with his thoughts and ideas if asked, but, he waits to be asked. Otherwise, he'd rather just do joyful things letting others just be. He is named for my own Dad, Bud. Grandpa Buddy's wife is ...

Laura: She's wise and social. She loves hanging out in the chaos of all of the people in The House because chaos doesn't really affect her. She's in control of herself and isn't too worried about being overwhelmed or overlooked. She loves "girl time" with her daughters in law but maintains a healthy distance of not trying to be their peers. Often, she is found with a margarita in her hand. She is named for Dr. Laura Schlessinger because, one day, I was listening to her podcast when I heard her talk about her love for working with expert kit Legos. She was going on and on about how much she loved the challenge as well as the cute outcomes. That got me to thinking that I wanted to add a new hobby to my life where I would actually challenge and grow my own creativity. In very little time, I realized I wanted to build a dollhouse. Like, a big dollhouse. Well, okay. I wanted to be a part of my husband mostly building a dollhouse so I could later do the painting, decorating, landscaping, etc. I cannot be sure, but it's very possible that without hearing Dr. Laura, 71 years old at the time, espouse her own enjoyment for Legos, that I would not have ventured into the dollhouse world again. And, thus, a house was built.

Richie has a family that loves to visit Hal and Polly's house often:

Richie: This is the guy who is just easy to be around. He's the normal version of his belovedly odd brother Hal. You will find Richie tending to the food and beverages at a cookout, or he'll just be hanging out with a snack not contributing to any chaos. He is named for the mild-mannered, funny "Happy Days" character Richie Cunningham. He is married to ...

Phoebe: Phoebe has a similar temperament to both her husband and her sister-in-law Polly. She is a whiz at domestic duties which have developed to a master level given her household of five kids. A fun evening for Phoebe is cuddling on the couch with her hub watching a ROM-COM. She'll make sure Richie has a bag of chips before the movie starts, but once she's settled in, that is that until the show is over. While I'm a huge fan of the show "Friends," the name is really just one My Girl and I liked and not used for the show's character. The eldest of the five children is ...

Cat: This is the artsy gal of the group. Cat tends to be in two places -- in the craft room or hanging out with her baby cousin Hollyann. Cat's hair is always pulled back in a pony to keep it out of her eyes while creating and/or so baby cousin doesn't just grab it. She particularly loves to paint and has basically taken over the craft room in her aunt and uncle's home. And, they don't mind especially because they get new artwork for themselves! Her name is short for Catarina and named just because it worked for her. She loves hanging out with ...

Roni: The is the most social sibling who loves to sit and talk and talk and talk. She loves to hang out with Cat in the craft room so she can scrapbook all of her social events and friend pages! She doesn't get a ton accomplished because she gets distracted talking. She's a good listener, too, but talking is just so natural for her that she doesn't really think about how much is exiting her mouth. When she exhausts one set of ears, you can find her seeking another! Her name is short for Veronica inspired by the "Riverdale" character of the same name. She and Cat are the older sisters to ...

Donny: This is one happy-go-lucky boy! He is up for diving into his imagination and making all of his toys come to life! He very much enjoys playing with his cousin Mowgli and doesn't tend to mind losing whatever action figure battle they set up. When he does tire of losing such battles, he simply wanders to another part of the room, house or yard for some quiet play between himself and the beloved kangaroo he keeps tucked under his arm. He is named for Donny Osmond whom I adore both as a musician and what I know of him as a person. Did you see him on the recent "Disney Sing-a-Long when he sang "Be a Man" from "Mulan" via Zoom with 8 of his grandkids? Oh, my heart!! Donny adores all of his siblings including ...

Jade: A compliment to her sister Roni, Jade is the ultimate audience. If you have a story to tell, she will listen with all of her heart. She especially enjoys listening to stories from her grandparents and imagining what it was like "back in the day." Observant and eager, Jade is that "sleeper" kid who is not to be overlooked nor underestimated. You'll feel the soft breeze as she passes right by on her way to joy and success. The name Jade just seemed to fit her. It was one of the few names tossed out where both My Girl and I immediately accepted it! She's the last of the girls and big sister only to ...

Cruise: Sweet baby Cruise rounds out this family. So far, he has a similar demeanor to Jade as he soaks in the world from anyone's loving lap! He is content to suck on his finger while the world happens around him, but there's a certain spark in his eye that lets you know, one day, he has the capability to set the world on fire! He's just soaking in the info right now! He is named for the Florida Georgia Line song of the same name. This is my nod to the a ca pella group Home Free as I love them and first heard the song when they sang it in their second round of the television show "The Sing Off" years ago (which is also when I called them as the winners of the show. And, they did win. Did I mention how much I love them?!).

Also a part of the family are Polly's parents:

Meet ...

Kermit James: Polly's dad is a formal fellow who is quiet and observant. He much prefers to speak to people one-on-one but enjoys sitting back amidst the chaos of all family together listening to stories and laughing along. When he laughs, it is quiet in noise but clear in the body as his shoulders go up and down and up and down. He is named for Jim (James) Henson's beloved character Kermit the frog. Hence, Kermit James. The connection to Kermit is also a big nod to my own dad. Kermit enjoys all people for exactly who they are but is particularly adoring of ...

Millie Rose: Millie is Kermit's wife and just is delighted to sit and listen to anything and everything the children running through The House want to share with her. She can easily shift from gushing over one of Cat's latest creations to listening to Mowgli explain in great detail the characteristics of his action figures. She has the wonderful, "Ooo's" and "Ahhh's" and "Oh, my, that sounds exciting!" exclamations coated in sweet laughter you could expect from such a sweet soul. She dearly loves her Kermit and is exceptionally proud of her daughter, Polly. Millie is named for one of my very favorite residents in my dad's skilled nursing center. Rose was suggested by My Girl after her favorite character on the Golden Girls.

You could probably guess that's not the end of the introductions! Next up?! The parade of furry members will abound!!