Something you should know about me is that I love to learn. If you spend even a few minutes with me, it won’t take long to realize that I delight in chasing rabbit holes and doing deep dives on a variety of topics (for example, the Nutcracker blog series I’ve been writing this month). And…
“Come to bed soon, dear Marie, or you will not be up in time tomorrow morning,” called her mother from the stairs. Marie had something she wanted to do, though she wasn’t sure why she had chosen to keep it a secret from her mother. As soon as she was alone, she set quickly to…
To your left, as you enter the parlor of the Stahlbaum home, is a tall glass cabinet. Displayed in this case are all the children’s lovely toys. Luisa was a young child when her father had the case constructed by a talented cabinetmaker who installed large, clear glass panes. Mamma meticulously organized all the toys…
When you think of the Nutcracker, visions of ballerinas probably start dancing in your head. But the ballet we all know and love didn’t start as a ballet at all. The original story was written by E.T.A. Hoffman (a writer, composer, and painter) for the children of a friend, Julius Eduard Hitzig. Hoffman was born…
It feels like the calendar turned to December only a few days ago, but we are already approaching the deadline for guaranteed Christmas delivery! If you hope to have Whitney English products under the tree this year, read on to find out holiday order deadlines—and if you are still working on your Christmas list, we’ve…
Front Door Santa goes a long way back. Back before I had kids. Before I was married. Back in those days, I babysat some pretty special kids. I’ve always liked to encourage those around me to stretch their creative muscles, so one night, near the holidays, I decided we needed to get crafty. So, we…
Marie hesitated to leave the table because she had spied on something no one else had seen. As Fritz’s soldiers marched away from the tree, a peculiar tiny man came into view. He stood calmly as if waiting for his moment to be acknowledged. To be sure, his physical appearance was not remarkable. His head…
On the other side of the double doors, a tall fir tree glistened atop a table in the middle of the room. It was decorated with gold and silver apples, and every imaginable kind of candy, from sugar almonds to comfits. Lemon drops hung like flowers from its branches. But the most spectacular thing about…
CHRISTMAS EVE During the long, long day of the twenty-fourth of December, in an expansive home, somewhere in Germany, a little dark man was seen gliding softly through the entryway. He carried a large chest under his arm. All the residents of the big house, even the three Stahlbaum children, knew it could only be one…
