Fabulous Field Guides of Birds, Rocks, Minerals, Cactus, and the Sky

Lena and Ole have added many Adventure Publications field guides, especially for Arizona.
Some of the guides include “Arizona’s Rocks & Minerals”, “Birds of Arizona” (by Stan Tekiela), “Cactus of Arizona” — all $14.95 each. Fish of Arizona is $13.95 Another great book is “Amazing Hummingbirds” — a 9″ x 7.5″ 144 page guide for $14.95 with extraordinary photographs and fascinating text that makes this a must-have book for wildlife lover and nature enthusiast — also makes a great gift.
Why buy these field guides — the full-page photos are incomparable — bird books include insets of winter plumage and are organized by color that makes it easily accessible to the beginners.

We also have a beautiful book “Night Sky: A Field Guide to the Constellations” with a unique little battery light to light up your page as you are out viewing the sky. Another fun gift is a a set of the Night Sky Playing Cards — play all of your favorite card games while studying the constellations. The cards are high quality and $5.95/pack. Both are great gifts for astronomy buffs.

More unique playing cards in stock include “Rocks and Minerals” and “Birds of the Midwest”. All of these books are available at only $2.00/book shipping. No additional cost for cards if you add a set of playing cards to your order. Call 414-745-4362 to order today.

HOW TO ORDER MERCHANDISE FROM LENA & OLE’S GIFTS!

Interested in merchandise described in the Log — just e-mail or call Lena at 414-745-4362. You can order by check or credit card (Master Card & Visa only).  We charge actual postage with no sales tax for out-of-Wisconsin orders. 

We have lots of merchandise (or can get it for you) that isn't on-line — just call or e-mail your questions  No extra charge for gift wrapping — we can mail the gift right to the receiver.

Some merchandise may not be immediately available for shipping if we are on the road!

Lena and Ole’s Gifts has closed in Woodville and Lena’s Gifts is Open!

Yes, it’s true, we closed our shop on August 6, 2011 We are on the road — taking our wares to Scandinavian shows, festivals, RV rallys. It is giving us an opportunity for additional travel across the country (before we get any older). Yes, our bucket list is growing and we need to get a start on it.

So, part of the business (not our name or logo) has been sold along with our building at 130 Main Street in Woodville. We are very excited that “Lena’s Gifts”, proprietor Juli Lorenz has opened her store at 130 Main. Call 715-698-4111 or visit Monday through Saturday. She will continue to carry Scandinavian items as well as many other interesting gifts from around the world. Limited items will be available directly from Lena and Ole, but Juli will also be offering many items through her website. Please visit her store — we all have to make an effort to save our “Main street” businesses or soon all gift items will be the same around the world!

Lena and Ole are on the road

Hello from northern Indiana. We’ve just completed our first two shows as vendors since closing our store in Woodville. The first was at the Family Motor Coach International Convention in Madison, Wisconsin the second week in August just 3 days after we closed on August 6 — let’s just say that it was more than a little hectic but we finally got set-up and experienced our first big RV show. Then we traveled immediately east to Goshen, Indiana for the Passport America Rally — unlike the 1500! motorcoaches of the previous week, this was a smaller show with about 300 plus motorcoaches, 5th wheels, travel trailers, etc. on the fantastic 4-H fairgrounds in Goshen Indiana which is actually able to handle 900 campers. We enjoyed the Amish region — buying their vegetables, blueberry pie!!, and seeing their beautiful, neat farms and fabulous gardens. Especially interesting — the horses & buggies all lined up shopping at Menards and Walmart (they even have a special shed to shelter the horses there). I think they have the right idea — no $4.00/gallon fuel for their vehicles. Now we headed south a bit to visit my last surviving uncle, Wally, unfortunately in a care center in Winona Lakes, Indiana. This was one of the important reasons we sold our store — the need to have flexibility to visit family and friends.

So, soon, we will begin our journey towards friends in New York and then on September 4th, we will be in Budd Lake, New Jersey to be vendors for the Scan Fest — check out www.ScanFest.org for more informaiton about the festival. From there, we will begin west to Elgin, Illinois for the 32nd Annual Scandinavian Day Festival on Sept. 11th — check out www.scandinaviandayil.com for more information. We hope to see some of our friends and customers at these festivals!

Across The Fence, by Howard Sherpe, available at Lena & Ole’s Gifts

  Across the Fence by Howard Sherpe is now available for purchase from Lena. The book is $14.95.  Howard writes "Across the Fence" as a weekly column in the "Woodville Leader" and many other newspapers around the midwest.  He writes about his experiences growing up on a dairy and tobacco farm near Westby, Wisconsin, the sights, sounds, and smells of nature, everyday life — past, present, and future. It will make a great gift for someone who grew up in a small town or on the farm or just appreciates vivid writing.  We also have his second book Across the Fence and Down Country Roads with more of his great stories.  If you are looking for a perfect gift for that hard-to-buy for dad or grandpa who was raised in the country, in a small town, or on a farm — this is the perfect gift.  We also have Howard's third book:  Across the Fence and Back to the Country.  These last two books are only $16.00 and can be ordered by calling Lena at 414-745-4362.

Howard is the creator of the Lena & Ole figures seen at Lena & Ole's Gifts in Woodville.  Lena and Ole (renamed from their original names Julia & Oscar Hanson) were the grandparents of Julie Backus (owner of Lena & Ole's Gifts) and of Howard.   

We also have Howard’s newest book #4, with a special picture of my great-grandfather’s shed on the front — call today to order!

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 generation. Call 414-745-4362 to order – shipping is extra.

Check out the Sigvat Design Jewelry

Velkommen til SigvatDesigns!               

The jewelry artist's are Kim and Kris Lerohl. sisters and third generation Norwegian Americans. Their family roots are in Valdres, a region in Norway of diverse landscape that stretches from the deep, green forests of Vassfaret to the barren, exposed mountain plateaus of the Valdresflya to Filefjell. THe Lerohl roots, in fact, history and legend, can be traced back to the 1300’s and to Ridder Sigvat of Leirhol – Knight to the King of Norway and his representative in Valdres and Hallingdal from approximately 1295-1319. It is here, where variations of style, expression, and color flourish; and, where folklore and legends enter into history, that the impulse for SigvatDesigns began.

Modeled after images found throughout Scandinavia dating from the Viking era to the present, the sisters  have hand designed gifts for everyday use. Each image is artistically crafted and unique in its artistic expression.  

Above is the Northern knot necklace (on the left) available in either pewter or in Sterling on a 18" American pewter chain or on an 17" black Greek cord.  The ear rings on the left in the same design are hypoallergennic and feature a unique lever back.  These are two of our customer's favorite pieces of Sigvat jewelry found at Lena and Ole's Gifts at great prices. 

You can view more of their jewelry on their website at www.sigvat.com.  We carry many of their ear ring and necklace designs.

Perfect clothes for the new Scandinavian Baby!

Here is Lil Ole in his "first Norwegian shirt" and his "lil Norske" hat available from Lena & Ole's Gifts.  The shirt is $11.99 and the hat is $6.99.  It is also available in other nationalities and designs.  Perfect gift for the new Scandinavian baby.