It’s After-Christmas Sales at Lena and Ole’s Gifts

Happy Holidays to all of you. We are open Saturday, December 26 from 10-5, Monday, December 28 from 12-6, Tuesday, Dec. 29 from 10-5 and Wednesday, Dec. 30 from 10-5. Then we close for the months of January, February, and March and head for Arizona (sorry — not really)!

There are sales throughout the store. 30% off Del Mundo jewelry (a very rare sale on jewelry that’s already well-priced) plus 10% off all of our other jewelry including Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, and Finnish jewelry. Also on sale: boxed Christmas Cards, Christmas tree ornaments (excluding the rosemaled ornaments), Christmas napkins and trays, selected Christmas decorations and gourmet foods, Christmas linens, Scandinavian sweaters and jackets, selected Norwegian art, pillar candles, and a first ever –30% off all soy candles (container, votives, and tea lights). Come early for the best selection.

If you need lefse for New Year’s (or just to eat while we’re gone), please call 715-698-4111 to reserve. We have a new order coming in Tuesday, December 29.

We look forward to seeing you in Woodville soon. We’ll be off to three gift shows while we are out west, so if you have some particular items you’d like us to stock, just e-mail, call, or let us know when you come in.

Happy New Year!!

Come in today for great gifts at Lena & Ole’s Gifts

Get your gifts wrapped free while you enjoy a cup of coffee and one of Lena’s special samples! We have beautiful decorations for your tree or as gifts: traditional Scandinavian straw decorations, rosemaled wood & glass ball ornaments, metal ornaments from Sweden & Norway, Finnish & Danish candles and candle holders, and wonderful unique table runners and table cloths plus fun napkins in many colors & designs. We have lots of very special decorations featuring cardinals, silver sparkly deer, snowflakes and more.

Food makes a great gift and our cookies (Anna’s in a variety of flavors) plus Dutch rum balls, German Black Forest & Orange Liquor cakes, Glogg & spiced cider mixes to name a few!

Kitchen equipment for your holiday baking — rosette & krumkakke irons, lefse grills, rolling pins, cookie presses, cookie sheets, mixing bowls, and more!!

Jewelry — fabulous jewelry from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland plus our handcrafted, great priced Del Mundo line is sure to please everyone — even jewelry for the little girls in your life.

Calendars — personalize them with the family birthdays, anniversaries and it becomes a special gift for the hard to shop for person “with everything” — limited quantity of Danish, Swedish, & Norwegian calendars plus 2010-2011 pocket calendars.

Special sale on Norwegian & Swedish sweaters plus a new collection of felted wool jackets in Red & Black — come early for best selection.

For the kids on your list — get well-made, well-priced toys (including little trucks, airplanes and a neat train or ferry boat) from our Viking (Swedish company) or old-fashioned blocks made in Michigan — language blocks as well as nursery rhymes. Remember books — we have lots, including little kid’s cookbooks & cooking accessories.

T-shirts for that favorite Scandinavian in lots of sizes & sayings — also ski caps.

questions — call 715-698-4111. See you soon… Remember we’re open 6 days per week through December 30 including Monday from 12-6 and Tuesday – Saturday 10-5 pm.

The Linens from Norway have arrived at Lena & Ole’s Gifts!

Yes, the linens that I found in Norway are here but are going fast.  The beautiful embroidered high quality runners and tablecloths are going to beautify many tables this holiday season.  I may not have the one's pictured here by the time you come, but they must be seen to be appreciated.  We have many wonderful little Scandinavian nisses dancing across the "lopers" — the Norwegian word for runner. 

                                                       

Uncle Goose and Language Blocks

Lena and Ole searched far and wide to find high quality toys made in the United States and Scandinavia.  One of our newest items is something parents, grandparents, and great grandparents will love for those special children in their lives.  These blocks (like the old-fashioned wood blocks some of us played with growing up) are high-quality and made in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  We have blocks in stock that can help your little ones start to learn a language (or more than one) at a time when it's easier to learn — when they are learning to speak.  The blocks have letters and pictures that correspond with the various languages including Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Chinese, and, of course, English.  The blocks range in price from $36-$40 and are of the quality that will be handed down to the next generaation.

In addition, we have a smaller set of Nursery rhyme blocks available for $14.00 plus shipping

Danish Boy Dolls available at Lena and Ole’s in Woodville

                             

If you are love to collect dolls, you should consider this wonderful collection created by Danish designer, Birgitte Frigast.  Birgitte Frigast designs every face herself and, with the help of a doll sculptor, creates the final look. The personality and clothes of the pixie are also designed by Birgitte Frigast, down to the very last detail. There is nothing left to chance in the production process. Birgitte Frigast checks everything from the initial stages until the pixie is finished and has "come to life".

The porcelain, which the head, hands and feet are made of, is of a quality normally only used by the likes of Royal Copenhagen. The porcelain mould is only used 30 times, after which time it is discarded and replaced by a new one. This means that our pixies, angels and fairies always have 100% perfect features.  The faces are different, giving each doll a different personality.  After glazing the porcelain is fired three times to ensure colour-fastness and prevent fading.

The clothes, which are pretty much tailor-made. are fantastic with a lot of handiwork obvious in every single figure.   All of the figures come in a beautiful gift box which is not only attractive packaging but also provides the pixies with a good resting place if they are not to be displayed all year round.

We currently have a good selection of 28 cm. pixies and 22 cm. figures in stock at Lena and Ole's in Woodville, Wisconsin.  The first picture on the right is Uld Otto, returning with his wood from the forest.    The  The next  is Bedstefar (Grandpa) Rasmus.  He's a wonderful addition to keep Bedstemor (Grandma) Maren company — she's available in a rocking chair holding one of the baby pixies.   My favorite is Albert — he looks so much like Harry Potter (as a young boy) that he could be his Danish cousin — a great Christmas gift for the Harry Potter fans!We will feature some more of the boys and girls in a future blog.   These dolls are a fabulous gift that can be handed down over the generations.  they must be seen to be really appreciated. Many (except for newest) 28 cm. dolls are $69.96 plus shipping.  Most of the 22 cm. Pixies are $45.95 plus shipping except for newest dolls.

If you are interested in more information, just e-mail us or call 715-698-4111. 

The Pixie Girls from the Birgitte Frigast Collection, porcelain collectible dolls available at Lena and Ole’s Gifts

     Sidse             

 At Lena and Ole's Gifts in Woodville, WI, we carry a large number of truly delightful collectibles.  Pictured here is Sidse with her frying pan.  Each doll is designed by Birgitte Frigast and is hand crafted.

Birgitte Frigast Dolls are valued by collectors around the world as they are made with the finest porcelain, with handcrafted clothing and accessories based on Old Danish folklore traditions. Call us at 715-698-4111 and we can tell you more about this outstanding line of highly collectible Danish dolls.  Most of the 28 cm. dolls in stock are $69.95 plus shipping.

Janet’s hand-crafted Flip Dolls a Must See at Lena & Ole’s Gifts

    We have the most beautiful, creative new dolls found no where else in the world.  Janet, my cousin, is creating art work that is a gift for you, a daughter, or a granddaughter.  These unique large dolls are the old-fashioned flip dolls that I remember growing up.  I think another cousin had one (a flip doll) and I would have liked it also but didn't have many dolls.  The one I remember was little Red Riding Hood on one side and the big bad wolf on the other — a great creative storybook doll.  Simply turn the doll upside down and it becomes a different character.

Janet is creating these individualized dolls and has made them available to our Internet customers for an extremely reasonable price of $49 plus shipping and handling. 

The flip side can be anything — for example a Packer girl! 

The hair is yarn — if custom ordered your color choice.  The faces are embroidered (eye color can be customized).   The vests or skirts or dresses and blouses all are of high quality fabric and meticulous construction on huggable stuffed bodies.  These dolls are keepsakes and will be treasured by anyone who gets one.

She can also do custom orders in fabric from a wedding – the bride on one side and the bridesmaid dress on the other.  Just call me (Lena) at 715-698-4111 to order.  Order early for gifts! 

Lena’s Cookie Pumpkin Dip a great Hit for Parties!

Looking for a unique, easy, light dessert after the heavier meal.  Or perhaps a quick dessert to serve along with gingersnaps (your favorite home-made recipe) or Lena's favorite — Lar's Swedish Gingersnaps or Anna's Ginger Thins available at Lena and Ole's Gifts.  Then try the following dip and you'll be sharing the recipe with everyone!  Thanks to Lena's friend Jan  from Sheboygan for this recipe:

Lena's Pumpkin Dip

•  4 oz. package cream cheese, softened (or 1/2 8 oz. package) 
• 5 oz. pumpkin butter –about 1/2 cup (available at Lena & Ole's Gifts)
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla           1/2 tsp. cinnamon or ginger
• 4 oz. frozen whipped topping (thawed) = 1/2 of typical 8 oz. container

1. Cream softened cream cheese
2. Add pumpkin butter, sugar, vanilla & spice
3. Mix together until well blended.
4. Gently fold in whipped topping.
5. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
6. Serve with ginger cookies as a dip.

Recipe keeps well in the refrigerator.  Remember to keep it chilled as it is served.