Greetings of the Season 2014

Here's to the season

Of good-will and joy

Here's to the Christmas 

That's dawning.

Here's to your health

And may nothing destroy

The pleasures I wish you

this morning.

I chose this vintage postcard because the greeting 

expressed the sentiment I wish for each of you. 

The card was written and sent to a family

 in Stockbridge, Michigan

 on December 24, 1914 -- exactly 100 years ago today.

Merry Christmas!

Until next time, live and love well.

This forum reveals random thoughts and reflections on topics of interest and events impacting the life of the founder of Doll in the Looking Glass.  Our boutique specializes in custom designed dolls that look like your child. We also design toddler and baby dolls that look real using vinyl doll components manufactured in Midland, Michigan USA by Apple Valley Doll Works.  The goal of Doll in the Looking Glass is to delight our customers with our creations.  We would love to create a special doll for you!

White Christmas

When dreaming of a white Christmas, 

people typically envision an outdoor landscape

covered in a deep blanket of glistening snow.

Looking around my holiday decor,

a white Christmas is celebrated indoors.

Let's begin with this fabric angel 

dressed in white eyelet and lace. 

The angel is paired with glittery snowflake candles

and a vintage postcard.

The postcard is the focal point of this display,

featuring a nativity scene with a trio of angels

watching over Baby Jesus.

A pair of Old World Santa figurines 

are also dressed in white.  

The framed image in the background is a modern greeting card mounted on a sheet of neutral scrapbook paper.

This Santa with the curly flowing beard and a golden robe 

has a place of honor on the dining room table.

The cover of a decorative storage box features

an image of a Santa dressed in neutral colors.

Whatever your personal holiday traditions,

enjoy the season and CELEBRATE!

Wishing you a Merry and WHITE Christmas!

Celebrating the holiday season with:

Share Your Cup at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound

This forum reveals random thoughts and reflections on topics of interest and events impacting the life of the founder of Doll in the Looking Glass.  Our boutique specializes in custom designed dolls that look like your child. We also design toddler and baby dolls that look real using vinyl doll components manufactured in Midland, Michigan USA by Apple Valley Doll Works.  The goal of Doll in the Looking Glass is to delight our customers with our creations.  We would love to create a special doll for you!

Greetings of Peace, Joy and Love

May Peace, Joy, and Love

Warm Your Heart

 as we Celebrate 

Our Lord's Birth!

Silent Night

Lyrics by Father Joseph Mohr
Melody Composed by Franz Xaver Gruber

First Performed on Christmas Eve 1818

Silent night, holy night,

All is calm, all is bright,

Round yon virgin, mother and child,

Holy infant, so tender and mild:

Sleep in heavenly peace, 

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,

Shepherds quake at the sight.

Glories stream, from Heaven afar,

Heavenly hosts sing alleluia,

Christ, the Savior is born,

Christ, the Savior is born.

Silent night, holy night,

Son of God, loves pure light,

Radiant beams from thy holy face,

With the dawn of redeeming grace:

Jesus, Lord at thy birth,

Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Merry Christmas!

This forum reveals random thoughts and reflections on topics of interest and events impacting the life of the founder of Doll in the Looking Glass.  Our boutique specializes in custom designed dolls that look like your child. We also design toddler and baby dolls that look real using vinyl doll components manufactured in Midland, Michigan USA by Apple Valley Doll Works.  The goal of Doll in the Looking Glass is to delight our customers with our creations.  We would love to create a special doll for you!

Clapsaddle Santas

Today I would like to share a few Christmas postcards

created by U.S. artist Ellen H. Clapsaddle and 

published by International Art Publishing Company. 

This post will spotlight some traditional images of Santa

as well as a bit of history on the artist. 

Ellen H. Clapsaddle was a prolific postcard artist.

She designed about 2,000 postcards which bear her signature.

There are many more of her designs that were unsigned. 

Antique Postcard from my Personal Collection
International Art Publishing Company, Signed Ellen H. Clapsaddle,
Copyrighted from Original Painting 1907

Although Ellen never married and never had children

 of her own, she is most loved for her images of children.

You will note that most of these postcards

show children along with Santa. 

Antique Postcard from my Personal Collection
International Art Publishing Company, Signed Ellen H. Clapsaddle

Ellen studied art at the Cooper Institute in New York City. 

She began her career by offering individual art lessons

 and did portraits and landscapes on commission.

Her work came to the attention of 

International Art Publishing Company

and they featured her work on 

calendars, postcards and other paper collectibles. 

Antique Postcard from my Personal Collection
International Art Publishing Company, Unsigned Clapsaddle

Since the premier engravers and publishers were located

 in Germany, Ellen relocated to Germany

 to spend time learning with these experts. 

The postcard and greeting card business was profitable

 and Ellen invested the bulk of the money she earned

in these firms who specialized in commercial art products.

Antique Postcard from my Personal Collection
International Art Publishing Company, Signed Ellen H. Clapsaddle
Copyrighted 1907

Ellen was in Germany at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. 

The paper publishers’ factories were burned, records 

and original artwork were destroyed.

Ellen found herself displaced, alone

and penniless in a foreign land. 

Antique Postcard from my Personal Collection
International Art Publishing Company, Signed Ellen H. Clapsaddle
Series No. 2934

New York friends finally were able to locate Ellen in 1919 

and brought her back to New York.  

Her health had deteriorated as a result of her 

first-hand suffering during the war 

and coupled with the end of the German publishing industry, 

Ellen was no longer able to earn a living through her art.

Antique Postcard from my Personal Collection
International Art Publishing Company, Signed Ellen H. Clapsaddle
Series No. 1459, Copyrighted 1912

Our ancestors admired the beautiful postcard artwork

 and it was common for our ancestors to keep postcards

 that they received in an album. 

Safely protected from light while stored in these albums,

 today’s collector is able to find cards

with images as bright and colorful 

as those enjoyed when the cards

 were originally produced. 

We truly are fortunate our ancestors preserved these postcards

 so we can delight in the work of Ellen H. Clapsaddle today.

Until next time, live and love well.

This forum reveals random thoughts and reflections on topics of interest and events impacting the life of the founder of Doll in the Looking Glass.  Our boutique specializes in custom designed dolls that look like your child. We also design toddler and baby dolls that look real using vinyl doll components manufactured in Midland, Michigan USA by Apple Valley Doll Works.  The goal of Doll in the Looking Glass is to delight our customers with our creations.  We would love to create a special doll for you!

Say It With Flowers

As we turn the calendar to the month of December,

our thoughts turn to sending holiday greetings

to friends and family.

This post extends best wishes to each of you

who have read my posts this year, taken time to exchange comments and extended your friendship to me here in blogland.

The greeting being sent to you features a 

snow-covered cottage nestled under tall evergreen trees.

The warmth and laughter from within the cottage

glows brightly through the windows.

Each of the intricate details of this greeting,

have been carefully designed

using flowers and other natural materials.

A short distance away, a family of polar bears

frolic under glistening tree branches.

Penguins stay cozy wrapped in their

 scarlet scarves and Santa hats.

They enjoy the winter wonderland

as they skate on the frozen pond.

These photos were taken last holiday season at the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens.   Imaginative floral displays greet you there, whatever the season.

Happy Holidays!

Until next time, live and love well.

Sharing holiday greetings with:

You're Gonna Live It at Kathe with an E
Share Your Cup at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson

This forum reveals random thoughts and reflections on topics of interest and events impacting the life of the founder of Doll in the Looking Glass.  Our boutique specializes in custom designed dolls that look like your child. We also design toddler and baby dolls that look real using vinyl doll components manufactured in Midland, Michigan USA by Apple Valley Doll Works.  The goal of Doll in the Looking Glass is to delight our customers with our creations.  We would love to create a special doll for you!

The Twelve Days of Christmas

1975 was the year of our first Christmas as a married couple.  Wanting to begin our own family traditions, I made a Christmas tree skirt that depicted images from the holiday song, The Twelve Days of Christmas.  I recently read a religious explanation for this holiday song, and I would like to pair these descriptions with closeup photos of the tree skirt that is now gracing our tree for its 37th Christmas.

The "Twelve Days," of course, stand for the Christmas season, between December 25 and January 6, and the "True Love" in the carol is God Himself, who gives Christians special gifts on each of the 12 days.

The first gift, "a partridge in a pear tree" symbolizes Christ as a bird,

gathering His young under His wings,

and the tree recalls the tree of Paradise which Adam lost by sin

and Christ promised to restore.

The first gift, therefore is God's own Son, Jesus.  

"Two turtle doves"

represent the Jewish family's sacrifice in the temple when a son was born.

Our sacrifice today is the Divine Liturgy.

"Three French hens"

symbolizes the gifts of the Magi to the Baby Jesus,

or also the gifts of faith, hope and charity

realized in the Savior's birth.

"Four calling birds"

are the four evangelists, whose words tell the story of Jesus' coming.

"Five golden rings"

suggest the first five books of the Old Testament, the Law,

which Christ came to fulfill.

"Six geese-a-laying"

suggest the six days of the week when people work

to bring forth the fruit of the land.

"Seven swans a-swimming"

suggest the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

or even the seven works of mercy.

"Eight maids a-milking"

represent the eight Beatitudes,

which are a Christian's nourishment.

"Nine ladies dancing"

are the nine ranks of angels or

the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit listed by St. Paul in Galatians 5:22.

"Ten lords a-leaping" 

obviously the Ten Commandments.

"Eleven pipers piping"

are the Apostles, now without Judas,

who went out to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world.

"Twelve drummers drumming"

represent the 12 articles of faith in the Nicene Creed.

And a happy "Twelve Days" to you all.

Text attributed to the bulletin of Saint Brigid of Kildare Roman Catholic Church in Midland, Michigan who credits the Church of St. Denis in Lexington, Michigan.


Here is a photo of the entire Christmas tree skirt.

This forum reveals random thoughts and reflections on topics of interest and events impacting the life of the founder of Doll in the Looking Glass.  Our boutique specializes in custom designed dolls that look like your child. We also design toddler and baby dolls that look real using vinyl doll components manufactured in Midland, Michigan USA by Apple Valley Doll Works.  The goal of Doll in the Looking Glass is to delight our customers with our creations.

Sharing Holiday Spirit at:
Bunny Jean's Bunny Hop Party
2805 Potpourri Friday

Childhood Wonder

These three young children are enchanted

by the image of Santa

piloting his plane as he delivers treasures.

May your heart also be filled

with wonder and delight

this Holiday season.

Merry Christmas!

Antique Postcard from my Personal Collection
Published and Copyrighted by John Winsch
Postmarked Grand Rapids, Michigan December 25, 1912

This forum reveals random thoughts and reflections on topics of interest and events impacting the life of the founder of Doll in the Looking Glass.  Our boutique specializes in custom designed dolls that look like your child. We also design toddler and baby dolls that look real using vinyl doll components manufactured in Midland, Michigan USA by Apple Valley Doll Works.  The goal of Doll in the Looking Glass is to delight our customers with our creations.

Tannenbaum

The showcase of our holiday decorating is our Christmas tree.   Each year we add a few more ornaments to our collection.  We always wonder how we could possibly find room on the tree for more treasures but it is tradition to add something new each year.

Here is a daytime photo of the tree since the ornaments show up better in this lighting.

This is one of our oldest ornaments.  As you can see, blue decorations have always been a favorite.

Many of our ornaments are handmade -- some I made, some are gifts from friends.

We also hunt for special ornaments throughout the year.  Whenever we travel, we typically bring home an ornament that represents that vacation spot.

We love brass ornaments and especially look for dated white ball ornaments with images of Norman Rockwell, Beatrice Potter, Hummel or some other artist's images.

Reproductions of Christmas stamps are among my personal favorites.

Once evening arrives, the miniature lights create a magical effect.

Merry Christmas!  I appreciate your friendship and wish each of you a blessed Holiday Season.

This forum reveals random thoughts and reflections on topics of interest and events impacting the life of the founder of Doll in the Looking Glass.  Our boutique specializes in custom designed dolls that look like your child. We also design toddler and baby dolls that look real using vinyl doll components manufactured in Midland, Michigan USA by Apple Valley Doll Works.  The goal of Doll in the Looking Glass is to delight our customers with our creations.

Joining the holiday festivities at 2805 Potpourri Friday