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Monday, January 3, 2022

Candle Glow and Victorian Villages by Elizabeth Clements

Over the past few weeks, the North Pole has been on the minds of millions of children who have been captivated by movies of elves busily constructing and painting toys in time for Santa Claus to deliver them around the world on Christmas Eve. They have dreamed of finding that magical workshop, eating an endless supply of Gingerbread cookies, petting Rudolph and riding in the sleigh. Have you ever visited the North Pole, or know anyone who lives there?

I’ve never been there, and after the -37C temperatures we had here over Christmas, I have no desire to travel to that land of snow and ice. But it reminds me of a lady back in the 1980s, who traveled all over Alaska, holding Lund’s Lites parties. When the sun never climbed above the horizon what else was there to do on a cold, dark wintry night but get together with friends and have a party. A candle party. This lady thought nothing of driving 200 miles just to hold a home party and sell candles and things. She was always the company’s top seller, and no wonder. Lund’s Lites practically sold itself with just a look…or a sniff. To this day, when I think of her, I have to admire her courage to drive all those distances. I’m sure when her orders were shipped, the number of boxes, especially at Christmas, would make it look like an Amazon warehouse.

I remember one Christmas when I had 22 huge long boxes delivered to my house, which I had to unpack, sort out the orders, rebox for each hostess, then phone them to pick up their orders. My little guys just stood, amazed in their pyjamas, at all the stuff. It truly was like a scene out of Santa’s workshop, too, but my little elves didn’t have to work.

The founder of the company, Joyce Lund, was a Seattle stay-at-home mother who loved candles, and made them in a pot on her kitchen stove. She made candles as gifts for family and friends for Christmas and any other special occasion. They were so beautiful that she received special requests. One day, her dear friend, Doris, suggested Joyce should go into business, making and selling candles. Joyce knew nothing about selling. Doris reassured her that if Joyce makes the candles, Doris would sell them. And she did. And thus Lund’s Lites was born.

The company expanded quickly in the Washington area and a sub-office was opened in Langley, British Columbia, as young mothers like myself came on board to sell candles, votives, scented oil, bric-a-brac and silk flower rings. The specialty candle began with a plain white pillar candle. Then a photograph, wedding invitation, or any souvenir was dipped in a clear wax and pinned to the pillar. Special wax was whipped into a froth and dabbed on then sprinkled with silver or white glitter. Ribbons and flowers, the colors of your choice or that complemented the photograph colors, were pinned to frame the picture. The recipient of the candle would burn the candle long enough that a well formed, and after that she could burn a small votive and keep the “forever” candle intact. The flame helped illuminate the entire candle and photo. One could also add a drop of scented oil to the melted wax for a fragrance of your choice.

The spring line included colors of spring silk flowers and ornaments for Easter and summer, whereas the fall line featured Halloween and Christmas. In 1988, I think, Joyce introduced village buildings and people, made by Lefton china. They were good-sized houses and  beautifully painted, and included a plug in light to illuminate the houses. A school house was part of our basic fall kit but I always ordered more. . History lover that I am, I felt I wanted to display a village setting, thus for starters, I created what every village has: a house, a school house and a church. Of course I couldn’t stop with just three. By the time Lund’s Lites closed its doors a couple years later, I had acquired quite a personal village, complete with Victorian figures…and this was in the days before “houses” became popular.


I love my lighted village so much that in 30 years I've never put it away and enjoy it every time I step into my living room. It's not a good picture, but the only one I could find without family blocking it while unwrapping gifts). For me, a perfect quiet evening is resting warm and cozy on the sofa, stereo on low, reading, and often gazing at the houses. And of course there has to be a scented candle burning, as well.

I hope you enjoyed my little glimpse into one of the many simple things in life that leaves me with an inner glow. There is something about candlelight that is absolutely magical for me. I wish you a wonderful happy and healthy new year.




                                                www.elizabethclements.com

12 comments:

  1. I am a fellow candle-lover, especially in the winter. They make a home feel so cosy, and the scents are amazing. I bet you little village looks amazing, all lit up. Happy New Year.

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    1. I don't know what happened to my reply, Christine, but I remember typing it. I must somehow have missed clicking on post. Yes, I totally agree about the warmth and scents of candles. There's something so calming about them. I've never packed my village away so over the summer it gets a bit dusty as I rarely go into the living room, but when I do, I can't help but glance at it and enjoy it. I just wish I had a bigger table so it wouldn't be so crowded. I wish you a wonderful and happy new year.

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  2. Happy New Year, Elizabeth!
    Your village looks so welcoming and warm.
    I love candles, too - to me they always spell celebation
    Really interesting blog

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    1. Thanks, Lindsay, glad you enjoyed it. There's something so warm and welcoming about candles. One of my son often gets me a scented candle and this Christmas is probably the best one yet. Even unlit, it scents the area. If there's a sale at Bed, Bath and Beyond, I'm going to try to get a couple of the same scent, one for the living room and one for the bedroom. I wish you all the best in the new year. Thanks for stopping by.

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  3. Love your village and, I too, love candles. Years ago I painted small village houses and my granddaughter created a village in my non-working fireplace. Happy New Year.

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    1. How lovely Diana, painting a small village of houses and creating with your granddaughter. I used to do ceramics a lot before I had children, and still use some of those pieces to this day. I even painted garden animals and sprayed them to weatherproof them. Such fun. Happy New Year to you, too, my friend.

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  4. What a lovely background story to something that means so much to you. What a thrill to be able to see a scene so lovely. Doris

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    1. Thanks, Doris. That's why I can't pack the village away and only enjoy it one month of the year. Even when it collects dust (I so dislike housework and see it as a necessary evil . There's something that lights up inside me when I come into the living room and see the village. My Lund's Lites days were so much fun and some of the products were irresistably beautiful. Have a great 2022.

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  5. Your village is lovely and I enjoyed your story. Being Danish, I live candles, too, as the fit so well into the hygge tradition.
    I wish you good health and happiness in 2022.

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    1. You have me intrigued, so pardon my ignorance, Ann, but what is the hygge tradition? I gather it's a rite to do with candles? There is something so calming about candlelight. I love Christmas Eve when we'd attend the second service at eight. There are a lot of candles lit for all occasions: marriage, loss, childbirth, lonely shut-in, etc. Then one member of every family in church would take a small candle, join a line of people that circled the interior, and the minister would like the first candle, and each person would turn to the person next to them and light there's until the entire circle was lit with candles and we'd sing all the verses of Silent Night. Because of Covid we haven't been able to do it, but I just close my eyes and I see it, feel it, and love the peace. I wish you health and happiness in the new year.

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  6. I loved her idea of making candles with personal photos and even ribbons included, but best of all that, after the candle had burned down a ways, a votive candle could be placed in the hole and the candle could be saved.
    I cannot imagine me traveling 200 miles in half light on frozen roads of ice and snow just to sell candles. She must have been highly motivated to do that.

    What a great collection you have of those illuminated houses...beautiful!

    I wish you a most glorious 2022--and it better be happier than 2020 and 2021. Sheesh! All the best to you, Elizabeth.

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    1. I'm so glad you love my village. The picture doesn't do it justice because everything is so crammed together. I really need a bigger table....some day? Joyce was an amazing woman, had a big laugh and smile to match her size. I love her story, how her business started at her kitchen stove. Her candles were beautifully crafted. I ordered one to show as pictures usually don't do beautiful things full justice. I asked for a graduation pic from a good friend and many years later, one day I came across the candle packed away, and gave it to my friend as a souvenir of her daughter's graduation. Her gown was a deep maroon and the flowers and ribbons complemented the gown. Back in the 80s I, too, would travel out of town to do a show, but nothing like that lady in Alaska. Now, I don't even want to stick my nose out the door when it's -37C like we're going to have for the next few days. I had to go out today, so I made a grocery run and won't go out again until Monday. There are days I envy the grizzly for sleeping through the winter and losing weight while sleeping LOL. Have a wonderful happy and healthy new year, dear friend, and thanks for always stopping by.

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