With cold winter days and evenings, I find myself wanting to curl up under a quilt with a cup of hot tea and a good magazine. Sadly one of my favorite magazines, Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion, is no longer in publication. Fortunately I'm a pack rat who saves back issues of favorite magazines.
As a child of the 50s, I spent many an hour with paper dolls. My sister and I would spread a quilt out on the lawn, open up our paper doll collections, and disappear into a fantasy world all our own. Betsy McCall, the paper doll of magazine fame, was one of our favorites. When Mary Engelbreit introduced her own Ann Estelle paper doll series, it brought back a rush of sweet memories. I've left the paper doll pages in tack within my archives of HOME COMPANION, but recently while reading HOME COMPANION, February & March 2003, I decided it was time to take out the scissors and let Ann Estelle come to life. In honor of M. E. Monday and the upcoming Chinese New Year which begins February 3, here's Ann Estelle in her best Chinese dress ready to twirl her pretty little parasol.
In addition to the paper doll feature in each issue of HOME COMPANION, Mary offered readers the opportunity to purchase limited edition lithographs of exclusive illustrations that she created for each month's issue of HOME COMPANION. Each issue also included the illustration in a smaller version printed on card stock with a perforated edge so one could carefully remove it and pop it into a frame all its own.
Entitled "Chinese New Year", the February March 2003 lithograph featured two sisters ready to ring in the Year of the Sheep. Notice Ann Estelle, dressed in her best Chinese dress, has her own parasol ready to join in the celebration. I think this charming illustration looks beautiful in its mother of pearl frame and is the perfect touch for my desk as I bring in 2011 Year of the Rabbit. "Thank you, M. E."
Mandarin oranges represent luck and good fortune. They are often given to friends and family who visit during the New Year celebration. Ann Estelle has a mandarin orange just for you and "thanks you from the bottom of her heart" for your visit today.
Celebrating the Year of the Rabbit later in the week.
Also joining
Oh my gosh Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI also have a couple of copies of this fun magazine, it was so much fun!! Love the little paper dolls...you are adorable!!
Have a fantastic week!!
Big Hugs xOxO Nerina
I adore the paper dolls Sarah! I can't believe you have all those magazines...you really do save everything.
ReplyDeleteI loved Betsy McCall when I was young. I too miss Home Companion. It was one of my favorite magazines. Great post...
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Penny
What a loss that ME doesn't print her magazine anymore -- such beautiful magazines to keep. The Chinese New Year's dolls are just precious. Joni
ReplyDeleteSarah I remember the Betsy McCall paperdolls from when I was growing up. Like you, Mary's Ann Estelle paperdolls always reminding me of Betsy. What a charming post. You're so creative.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing with us all.
Vicki
:)
ReplyDeleteJust adorable! I love paper dolls! I need to make my granddaughter some, what fun! Great idea! I need many, many of the M. oranges! lol
ReplyDeleteJust adorable! I love paper dolls! I need to make my granddaughter some, what fun! Great idea! I need many, many of the M. oranges! lol
ReplyDeleteI am also a fan of Anne Estelle! Lovely post - some of my favorite things.
ReplyDeleteI also miss Home Companion magazine, Sarah. I saved many favorite issues so I'll have to see if I have this one.
ReplyDeleteWe will be getting a major snowstorm on Groundhog Day so Chinese New Year celebrations the next day will be snowy ones!
That is one of my favorite magazines, Sarah! I miss it so much. And oh, how well I remember Betsy McCall. I couldn't wait to cut them out when Mama got her copy of McCall's!
ReplyDeleteSuch a neat post, and I love the bunny, too.
XO,
Sheila :-)
Good for you allowing yourself the pleasure of playing with such a cute little paper doll. I think she's precious. I'm like you. I hate throwing away magazines I love.
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely mommentos of childhood, bringing with them happy memories of "playtime" with your dear sister. I can just picture two little girls sitting in the garden, lost in their own ME world.
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteI remember the Betsy McCall paper dolls. I loved them. I still love dolls. ME magazine was wonderful. I had to part with them when I moved to a smaller home. I'm glad you have yours and still enjoy them.
Have a wonderful week.
Carol
I gave up keeping too many back issues of magazines...they seem to multiply like rabbits!!! But when I see your holdings, it makes me wish I had saved some!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful.
You are not going to believe my little post I have prepared and dedicated to you:) You may remember I told you..:) I should have posted it today..
ReplyDeleteYou will see:)
Unfathomable..
Love this post!
I saved all the paper doll sheets and I also saved all the stories,I think they were on the last page.Lastly I saved all her prints.I hope someday it will come back.
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteThank you for bringing ME back to life for all of us who love her dearly! I still have my magazines all intact. Thoughts of taking out different pages has crossed my mind many times. . .but I love to curl up with them and my favorite quilt and be refreshed. . .as only her magazine can do! The McCall's magazine was my Mother's favorite! YES! I had the Betsy McCall paper dolls in an old shoe box. Thank you for the reminders of childhood and it's sweetness!
Fondly,
Pat
I loved paper dolls when I was little too, and still have alot of them! I really miss seeing what Ann Estelle was up to each month, but I have a bunch of issues up in the attic and can visit her any time!
ReplyDeleteI have all of my back issues of ME too! I love the little paper dolls...they were always such a treat!
ReplyDeleteThe little carved hearts are made of soap stone...I love them...aren't they cute?
I also remember playing with paper dolls as a kid. Thank you for the reminder of carefree days of childhood. Enjoy your week.
ReplyDeleteOh I too miss M.E. so much! Perhaps she will pull a Victoria in the future. Fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteI was reminiscing earlier about my first paper doll being Olympic skater Carol Heiss.
ReplyDeleteThis post is full of full of interesting facts and fun things to check out.
Oh how I enjoyed my long over due visit to your beautiful site. I have missed you.
ReplyDeletePaper dolls bring tears to my eyes when I think of the joy they brought me for many years.
Glad you shared this with us
Love
Maggie
I love this publication... I'm going to go dig out my stash!!!
ReplyDeleteAdorable...I am sitting here thinking about what to do for my Chinese new year table,and what to make! I think it will be crispy shrimp with honey walnuts. I will make enough for you, so come over. We can play paper dolls too! I love yours!
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ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous magazine ! Thank you for your sweet visit.
ReplyDeleteHugs
This is one of those cases (like so many others) where being a pack rat is a really good thing. I too save back issues of my favorite magazines and find myself going back often to look for something or just to browse. It's like having a new magazine to view...all that eye candy all over again. In this case, you now have treasured copies that would be lost forever, since the magazine is no longer published. Love the paper dolls. Have a great one Sarah
ReplyDeletewel you brought back memories for me and Betsy McCall paper dolls...I would cut them out of magazines every summer at the beach house we would summer at...the two ladies that owned the house were pack rats also so the stack was huge...I had the best time...I loved the Home Companion magazine and was sad to see it end...I did get a bit ticked off though at Mary....we had her great store here in Atlanta years ago and she was coming to town for an autograph session....I showed up on time and bought my beachy lithograph for her to sign...I waited in line for over two hours and she just up and left...they never even came outside to tell us she had gone....I promptly returned the print and I was pretty steamed...LOL
ReplyDeleteOh girl I loved ME and all her fun things to even craft..I wished I had kept my old mags..Hope all is well with you my Dear friend..Hugs and smiles Gloria
ReplyDeleteI too miss this magazine. It was so unique and featured so many artists, I was amazed when it stopped. I have a few packed away, but somehow I think you have more! LOL!
ReplyDelete- The Tablescaper
I cried when she cancelled her magazine. My grandmother gave me a subscription every year, in part because Ann Estelle reminded her of the paper dolls she had as a child. Thanks for going into your archives and sharing with us. P.S. I love the mother of pearl frame.
ReplyDeleteI have a very few copies of ME magazine, and a few more pages of Ann Estelle and her friends. What fun to see this post.
ReplyDeleteI've just found you through "La Table de Nana" and what a pretty post - I have enjoyed my visit so.. much.
ReplyDelete"All Things French"
Oh how I miss this publication. I may have to pull out some of my old issues and relax with them for awhile. (I think Ann is gone from most of the issues I kept - grandchildren persuaded me to cut them out). Fun post Sarah. laurie
ReplyDeleteGreat post, although I haven't seen of those here! Happy Midweek1
ReplyDeleteHmm, I don't remember Betsy McCall. It sounds kind of familiar. I remember having lots of paper dolls, and my sister and I playing with them. I remember my Patty Duke ones. Thanks for the memories.
ReplyDeleteI have quite a few ME myself. Never thought to make framed art or shadow box of it...too cute.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had saved my ME magizines. I gave most of them to my granddaughter who didn't keep them. Darn!!
ReplyDeleteI have that very same photo in a frame, as well! Although, mine is in a red frame. I also adore M.E. paper dolls and have three Gracie paper dolls in frames! They hang in my daughters bedroom. We're planning on celebrating the Chinese New Year, as my sweet daughter is from China!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Blessings,
Janet
I miss her magazine too! I'm afraid I didn't keep back issues when we moved. So adorable, Ann Estelle in her Chinese dress :-)
ReplyDeleteWho doesn't love Mary! I know how hard it is to actually use something like those paper dolls, but Ann Estelle sure does display nicely!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI, like you, really miss the Home Companion magazine. I was so sad when I received the last issue...it was hard to imagine that Mary wasn't going to entertain me every month with more and more new stuff.
I have my archive of the magazines, all of the mini art prints and all of the paper dolls are intact as well. I believe one of my favorite art prints is the "Inquire Within".
I'm glad to see that you pulled out the scissors!! I really should do that too since I love paper dolls.
I'm visiting for Rednesday..I'd love to have you visit!
Hugs,
Stephanie ♥
Well, Ms Sarah,
ReplyDeleteA you well know, I too love ME! I have all of her hardbacks as well! I ran across some paper doll pages the other day while cleaning out drawers...I wish she would make a comeback!!
Love all of your "ME" collection. Very cheerfu!!!
Warm Hugs,
Linda
Hi, Your blog is just charming. I too love M.E. and was saddened when Home Companion was cancelled. I was able to get some copies thru EBAY, which I love to curl up and read on a rainy day. I so love the name of your blog. I am your newest follower. Blessings.
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