Decor – My Christmas Decorations from Past Years (Part Two)

Posted on December 3, 2014 by barbara

As previously mentioned in Part One of My Christmas Decorations From Past Years series, I like to challenge myself every holiday season by using my Christmas decorations in different ways and sometimes in different rooms of our house every year. Shown in the photos below are a variety of decorations from several years of Christmas past.

Pine Garlands –

Some of my favorite Christmas decorations start with simple artificial pine garlands and at our home in California I frequently used them to decorate the entertainment center in the living room, the china cabinet in the dining room, the fireplace mantel in the family room and even above the bay window in the kitchen. Every year I used different Christmas items to decorate the garlands, such as a variety of glass ornaments, artificial poinsettias, holly leaves with red berries in the living room and dining room, and one year I used artificial “sugared” fruit in the dining and wonderful artificial candy decorations for the kitchen for a fun and whimsical look. (For more information about these decorated pine garlands, please click on the link to Part One of the “My Christmas Decorations From Past Years” series)

Besides using pine garlands in the interior rooms of the house, I also used them to decorate the front door of our home in California. To start the display, I hammered in several nails above the front door which I used to hang an artificial pine garland which I decorated with several artificial red poinsettias and sprays of red berries. I also hung a large artificial pine garland decorated with more red poinsettias, sprays of red berries and real pine cones.

Pine Sprays –

Artificial pine sprays are also a versatile Christmas decorating accessory that can be used to create wonderful displays in a home. During the holiday season I use several pine sprays that I place behind the picture frames of several pictures in the family room, library and dining room throughout the years in both our former California and our new home in the Midwest. Some of these pine sprays that I have used are plain and others have pine cones attached to them, I have also added red berry sprays for additional decorations.

I have also used artificial pine sprays to decorate the tops of tables, curio cabinets, fireplace mantels and even kitchen cabinets. One year I decorated the pine sprays on the top of the tall cabinet in the dining room with the artificial “sugared” fruits that matched the pine garland I used above the china cabinet, the photo above shows the display.

When we moved to the Midwest, I decided to use the gingerbread and candy decorations from the previous year’s pine garland in a different way than I had previously used above the bay window in the kitchen of our California home. In our new home there was a space above the kitchen cabinets that was the perfect spot to create a new holiday display that used several pine sprays decorated with the gingerbread and candy decorations and finished with the gingerbread train from a previous year’s display. (Please click on the link, Christmas Home Decorations, to see a photo of this display)

Also on the fireplace mantel in our Midwest family room, I decided to use several artificial pine sprays instead of a pine garland. Below are two photos that show how I decorated the pine sprays in three different years. The first year, I used two sets of pine sprays place on either side of the picture above the mantel. I decorated them with red berries, real pine cones and I also placed two sets of candles on the mantel. The next year, I placed the four pine sprays across the mantel below the picture which I decorated with red berries. I also set several family Christmas photos on either side to complete the display. (Please click on the link, Christmas Stockings/Fireplace, to see photos of these displays in another Décor post)

Finally, the following year I decided to do something a little more elaborate to include a special Christmas sign that I had recently made. In previous years I had usually displayed my Dept. 56 North Pole Village in the built-in bookshelf to the side of the fireplace but this time I set up the North Pole display on the mantel.

Tabletop Christmas Trees –

Small tabletop Christmas trees are also a very versatile accessory that I use frequently in my holiday decorating throughout our house. As previously mentioned in another Décor post entitled Christmas Trees, during the season every year I set-up several special and unique trees for family members. My husband has a Star Trek tree placed on the deck in his home office and my son has a Star Trek for his room. My daughter has another small tabletop Christmas tree for her room that I have decorated with Barbie ornaments one year, Disney princess ornaments for another year and Snowbabies miniature figurines for a different year. (For more information about decorating with Department 56 Snowbabies, please click on the link)

Even more tabletop Christmas trees have decorated the various rooms of our house throughout the years. In the entry way on a wooden bench I have displayed a Santa in a beautiful white embroidered cloak with two elves. In another room is another tree placed on the fireplace hearth with an old fashioned Santa dressed in lovely red velvet cloak with two reindeer. In the dining room on the chest of drawers is a porcelain dark-haired doll dressed in a red wool coat, hat and black fur muff and displayed with a reindeer and a wooden sled. Even in the bathroom there is woodland small Santa dressed in a green corduroy coat with a fishing creel with a small Christmas decorated with red berries and a gold star on top.

I have also repurposed my holiday decorations from other displays from previous years to use as decorations for several more tabletop trees. Above the refrigerator in our California home I decorated a small Christmas tree with chocolate candy ornaments that I had used the year before in the pine garland over the kitchen window and finished the display bay placing a gingerbread train in front of the tree.

Another tabletop Christmas tree is decorated with the Boyd’s Bears ornaments that I had previously used on the fireplace mantel in our California home. In keeping with the bear theme, the next year I decorated another Christmas tree with small stuffed teddy bears.

Decor – Department 56 Snowbabies

Posted on November 25, 2014 by barbara

Several years ago I started collecting the Department 56 Snowbabies miniatures; I had already been collecting the Department 56 North Pole Village. Initially I started using these charming figurines to decorate our daughter’s bedroom during the Christmas season. But as my blog readers will know from previous posts, I am always changing my holiday decorations and using seasonal items in different ways from year to year.

Snowbabies are perfect for decorating a home for Christmas and shown below are some examples of how I have used them in a variety of different ways:

Snowbabies on a pedestal

For Christmas 2013 I used one Snowbabies figurine from my collection to create a special display which I used in my china cabinet in our dining room. I started the display using a silver pedestal which was the perfect size for the Snowbabies miniature figurine, “Jack Frost – A Touch of Winter’s Magic”. I used three ivory resin pine trees and arranged them toward the back of the pedestal and placed the Snowbabies figurine toward the front. To complete the display, I sprinkled artificial snowflakes around the pedestal.

Snowbabies under glass

For Christmas 2006 I decided to use small glass containers to display my collection of Snowbabies miniature figurines in my daughter’s bedroom. I started the display by covering the plastic liner with a layer of artificial snow, then I arranged the Snowbabies in the container and finished by adding several small resin Christmas trees that I had found in my local craft store.

Since I always like to change my holiday decorations from year to year, for Christmas 2008 I used the same long glass container. I started the display by covering the plastic liner with white velvet material. I had recently purchased a larger Snowbabies figurine and centered it in the container. Next I arranged several additional Snowbabies figurines to the right and the left and scattered several small resin Christmas trees. To finish the display, I added three larger ivory resin Christmas trees.

Small Snowbabies Christmas tree

For Christmas 2010, I once again changed the way I display my Snowbabies collection. For this year’s display I started by using a small tabletop Christmas tree which I placed in a small container/vase. Next, I decorated the tree with ¼” wide gold ribbon and small miniature gold Christmas ball ornaments. The tricky part in using the Snowbabies miniatures for this display was that the core of the figurine is made of pewter and can be rather heavy considering their small size. I decided to use very thin wire to attach the Snowbabies and evenly spaced them around the small tabletop tree to complete the display. More importantly, by using the wire for attaching the Snowbabies to the tabletop tree I was able to avoid damaging the figurine. To complete the display I used the Snowbabies figurine, “Star on the Top” as a tree topper. (Special Note: Unfortunately I do not have a photo of that year’s display but there is a photo taken a few years before of the same tree decorated in the same way but minus the Snowbabies figurines which were being used in another display that year)

Snowbabies Christmas wreath

For Christmas 2012, I decided to try something a little different. I started by using a smaller Christmas wreath that was only 12” in diameter. Next, I used the same gold ribbon and gold Christmas balls from the tabletop tree display from a previous year to decorate that year’s Christmas wreath. Then, using the same method that I used to attach the Snowbabies on the tabletop tree, I used thin wire to attach them to the Christmas wreath. (Special note: Unfortunately I do not have a photo of that year’s display)

The history of Snowbabies

Snowbabies are a Christmas tradition that is believed to have started in Europe in the 17^th century. In England there is a celebration known as Twelfth Night which was when the three wisemen arrived in Bethlehem after the birth of Christ bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Snowbaby figurines were used as cake decorations that represented the Christ child and were made of marzipan and sprinkled with “snow” sugar. Around the same time in Germany, Christmas shoppers were traditionally given small sugar biscuits depicting the infant Jesus. These snowbabies were originally intended as a sweet treat to eat but eventually customers started to use them instead as decorations for their Christmas trees.

By the late 1900s, these snowbabies gained in popularity and manufacturers began to produce fine porcelain figurines depicting small childern usually dressed in a snowsuit shown riding sleds, skiing or otherwise frolicking in the snow. The manufacturing process involved pouring bisque into molds and then finishing the piece with a sprinkling of finely ground bisque to give the impression that the figurines had received a special dusting of “snow”. The snowbabies usually had delicately painted faces and sometimes the figurines were decorated in soft pastel colors.

Just as the snowbabies popularity started to wane before the turn of the century there was an unexpected boost that would increase their sales. In 1893, an Artic explorer named Robert Perry was on a quest to discover the North Pole and a figurine is said to have been created showing Admiral Perry and his fellow explorer, Dr. Frederick Cook, dressed in snowsuits and grasping a world globe between them. To further the story, while Perry was on his famous expedition into the Artic his wife, Josephine, gave birth to their daughter Marie. She was the first Caucasian child to be born that far north and the native Eskimos in the region remarked about her pale white skin and she became known as Ah-poo-Mic- kaninny or the “snow baby”. With newspaper accounts of the birth and later Perry’s discovery of the North Pole in April 6, 1909, snowbabies once again became popular this time with American buyers.

Then, during World War I manufacturing of snowbabies stopped and unfortunately when production resumed afterwards the quality of the figurines was greatly compromised. Over the next few years the sales of snowbabies continued to decrease and finally with the start of World War II and the loss of European and Asian manufacturers the production of snowbabies was discontinued.

Then in 1986 a Minnesota based company named Department 56 started a new line aptly named Snowbabies which featured 11 figurines designed and inspired by the original antique and vintage snowbabies. Over the years the Department 56 Snowbabies line had proved to be very popular with collectors. Kristi Jensen Pierro, a Department 56 designer, usually starts with a drawing. Those first drawing were inspired by her children and later they were designed and created for specific themes or special celebrations. Once the sketches are approved they are then made into a clay figure and further refined. When the final design is determined a mold is made of the clay figure and then sent into production. The Snowbabies line includes full sized figurines, water globes, picture frames, ornaments and even miniature figurines. Over the past decades licensed pieces have also been produced incorporating Disney and Sesame Street characters.

Mickey Mouse’s Birthday

Posted on November 18, 2014 by barbara

In honor of Mickey Mouse’s birthday (November 18, 1928), in this post I will discuss the history of the most famous of the Disney characters. At the time that Mickey Mouse was created, Walt Disney’s fledgling company was at a critical low point in its development. Walt had been in New York trying to negotiate higher fees with Universal Picture the distributor of their animated short films and he ended up losing not only the contract but also the rights to the character of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Walt was devastated about this business setback but Lillian, his always supportive wife, encouraged him to keep trying and not be discouraged. So, on the long train ride back to California Walt started to sketch ideas for a new mouse character and Lillian suggested the name of Mickey Mouse. Mickey went on star in a series of successful animated shorts and this would be a turning point for the newly formed Walt Disney Studios. As a result the company would eventually be able to finance their first full-length animated film, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. Let me quote a famous line frequently used by the Disney Studios that sums it up perfectly, “… and it all started with a mouse”.

The character of Mickey Mouse was first drawn by animator Ub Iwerks for a silent animated short film called “Plane Crazy” but the Disney Studios had failed to find a distributor. Meanwhile the always optimistic Disney continued production on three additional animated short films featuring Mickey. Ultimately, “Steamboat Willie” was the first of those four black and white animated short films to be released and premiered on November 18, 1928 (and for this reason the date is officially used for Mickey Mouse’s birthday). Not only was it the debut of Mickey Mouse but it was also the first Disney animated film to use synchronized sound. Eventually, Mickey went on to appear in hundreds of animated films; most notably the 1929 short film “The Barn Dance” which is the first time Mickey speaks, the 1935 short film “The Band Concert” where Mickey appears for the first time in color and the 1940 full length animated film where he appears as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Originally Walt Disney provided the high falsetto voice of Mickey Mouse until 1946, but later Walt returned as the voice of Mickey for the original “Mickey Mouse Club” television series which was shown on ABC from 1955 to 1959.

As mentioned previously, Ub Iwerks was the first animator to draw the character of Mickey and he designed the figure simply by using several circles so that it would be easy to animate which was very important given the fact that literally hundreds of drawings are required to make an animated film. The most noticeable feature of the circular design was Mickey’s head and ears and this would prove to make the character instantly recognizable and eventually lead to the character’s trademark silhouette.

Later, with the approval of Walt, animator Fred Moore redesigned Mickey’s body and also changed his eyes from small black dots to small white eyes with black pupils and Mickey has generally been drawn the same way ever since then. This new Mickey redesign first appeared in the 1939 “The Pointer” animated short film. Also, Mickey’s hands originally were drawn with three fingers and a thumb but later in the 1929 “The Opry House” animated film Mickey was drawn wearing white gloves to provide contrast against his black body and this change in design was made permanent. Typically Mickey always drawn wearing red shorts with two large buttons and large yellow shoes but sometimes, depending on the animated short or full length film theme, Mickey can also be drawn wearing a different costume, such as the sorcerer’s robe in the 1940 “Fantasia” animated film or the 1983 “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” where he wears Victorian-style clothing for the character of Bob Cratchit in an animated film adaption of the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol”.

After the release of Fantasia, Mickey appeared in fewer Disney studio films and his popularity started to decline with the emergence of other Disney characters. Then, in 1955 Mickey was featured in the Disney television series, “The Mickey Mouse Club”, and Walt took the opportunity to re-release several of the Mickey Mouse animated shorts which allowed an entirely new generation of kids fell in love with the mouse!! (The idea of re-releasing “old” Disney films every decade has proven to be a very lucrative marketing tool for the Disney Studios because the initial cost was usually covered by the initial release and anything after that is usually pure profit. Another example of this idea was the re-release of Disney films on VHS and then later DVD)

Throughout the following years Mickey also appeared in several new Disney animated films, the 1983 “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” and the 1990 “The Prince and the Pauper”. One notable Mickey appearance was in the 1988 “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” directed by Robert Zemeckis and this Disney/Amblin film uniquely featured animated characters appearing with live-action characters. (This concept of mixed media was not new to Disney and in the 1920s Laugh-O-Grams had made a series of “Alice” animated cartoons featuring a live-action Alice having adventures in an animated world) What makes “Roger Rabbit” interesting is that, in additional to numerous animated Disney characters, the film also includes several Warner Bros. animated characters. Warner Bros. had long been a direct competitor in animated films to the Disney Studios and an agreement was reached that in the scene in which Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny appear together that each of them would have the same amount of screen time including the exact number of frames used for each character in the final cut.

After the loss of the Oswald character in the late 1920s, Walt learned any important business lesson and that was to keep control of the rights of his animated characters. This control included the marketing and merchandising of all the Disney characters starting with Mickey Mouse in 1928. After the success of “Steamboat Willie”, Mickey became very popular and Walt wanted to take advantage of the situation by developing a line of Mickey merchandise. In 1933 the first Mickey Mouse watch was manufactured by the Ingersoll Watch Company and sold for $3.75. The watch featured an image of Mickey with his hands used to mark the hour and minutes. Throughout the years hundreds of different kinds of merchandise items were also produced and sold with the image of Mickey Mouse, such as plush toys, figurines, games and other toys. (The Disney marketing of their animated character images on a large variety of merchandise items proved to be very lucrative and they contracted several outside manufactures and companies to distribute these items, such as the Milton Bradley and Fisher-Price companies. Later a separate division within the company was eventually created specifically for merchandise sales that were exclusively sold in the Disney theme parks, then Disney retail stores and their website, disney.com) Please click on the link to see my Disney Memorabilia Collection.

Mickey Mouse also appeared in other forms of Disney-related print media. After the appearance of Mickey in the popular animated shorts of the late 1920s and 1930s, Walt entered into an agreement with the King Features Syndicate and a comic strip featuring Mickey and friends was created and first one appeared on January 13, 1930. So, throughout the following years the character of Mickey Mouse would be featured in other comic strips, later several comic book series and children books.

After Walt built Disneyland in 1955, Mickey Mouse became the mascot for all the Disney theme parks. His image appears in advertisement for the parks and, as previously mentioned, all types of Mickey merchandise is sold within the parks. Of course, one of the most exciting things for children (adults, too!) when visiting one the parks is seeing Mickey Mouse and long lines of guests form to have their photos taken with him. (Travel Note: In Disneyland park guests can step into Mickey’s House in ToonTown which opened in 1993. Guests will feel like they stepped into one of Disney’s animated cartoons as they walk through the house to meet Mickey who sometimes appears as Steamboat Willie or the Sorcerer’s Apprentice)

(Special Note: “Hidden Mickeys” can be found throughout the Disney theme parks. They are generally the combination of the three circles representing the head and ears of Mickey Mouse. On a personal note, looking for the “Hidden Mickeys” in Disneyland is one of our favorite things to do when we visit the park and it can be a lot of fun! There are entire websites and books dedicated to identifying these “Hidden Mickeys”, so check it out and next time you are in Disneyland or one of the other Disney theme parks and you can make a game of finding them!)

Over the years, Mickey Mouse has received ten Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Short film and has won only one for the 1941 “Lend a Paw”. In 1932 Walt Disney received an honorary Academy Award for his creation of Mickey Mouse and its contribution to the Hollywood movie industry. In 1978, to honor Mickey Mouse’s 50^th birthday, he received a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame making him the first cartoon character to receive this distinctive honor. Mickey’s star is located near the El Capitan Theater on Hollywood Blvd which is now owned by the Disney Company. Walt Disney’s star is also located nearby. In 2005 Mickey was the Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade and once again he was the first cartoon character to receive the honor and only the second fictional character after Kermit the Frog in 1996. Walt Disney had previously been Grand Marshal of the Rose Parade in 1966.

Mickey Mouse's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Special Blog Note: Finally, as many of readers of this blog know from previous posts, I grew up in Southern California. My family loved Disney and we made annual visits to Disneyland and always went to the movie theaters to see the latest Disney animated films. Throughout the years I became fascinated by Walt Disney who was the creative genius behind those wonderful animated films, television programs and Disneyland. One of my favorite books about Walt is the Bob Thomas book, “Walt Disney: An American Original”. The book covers the life of Walt from his birth in Chicago, IL to his early childhood in Marceline, MO and then follows him to Kansas City as he starts the Laugh-O-Gram Company and then finally to California as he created the Walt Disney Company and later built Disneyland. (I highly recommend the book!) Recently, after we had moved to the Midwest, I finally got a chance to visit Walt’s boyhood home in Marceline, MO and later on a road trip back to California we took a side trip to see the Walt Disney Family Museum located in the historic Presidio in San Francisco, CA. (For more information and travel reports about those two destinations, please click on the links. Also, for more detailed information about the Disneyland Park in Anaheim CA, please check out the five part series on this blog by clicking on the link)

Celebration – The Wedding of Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier

Posted on November 12, 2014 by barbara

In honor of Grace Kelly (born: November 12, 1929 died: September 14, 1982) I would like to take a look back to 1956 and her wedding to Prince Rainier III of Monaco which was then dubbed “the wedding of the century”.

In 1955, Grace Kelly had been invited to attend the Cannes Film Festival in the south of France because her latest film “The Country Girl” was being shown at the prestigious event; the next year she would receive the Best Actress Academy Award for her performance in the film. Grace had enjoyed the south of France when she had previously been there to film another movie, the 1955 Alfred Hitchcock film “To Catch a Thief” costarring Cary Grant. While on her European tour promote her latest film her publicist arranged to do a French magazine photo shoot for Paris Match at the Palace of Monaco where she was also scheduled to meet Prince Rainer. Grace had tried to cancel the meeting due to numerous complications but she was encouraged keep the appointment despite the fact that she was unprepared. It seems that her hotel had a power failure caused by a workers strike and she only had one dress pressed and ready to wear. Unfortunately, the dress was not one of her best and it was a black silk taffeta printed with large flowers, a square neckline, long sleeves, dropped waist tied with a sash. Since she had missed her salon appointment that day, her usually perfectly coiffured hair was severely pulled back with artificial flowers. Finally, Grace arrived at the Palace to meet the charming Prince Rainer of the small 370 acre principality located near the south of France that had been ruled by the House of Grimaldi since 1297. The Prince gave Grace a personal tour of the Palace gardens and his private zoo located on the grounds but it was far from an intimate meeting since they were accompanied by several photographers and members of the royal staff.

Grace Kelly first meeting with Prince Rainier - magazine article

Grace Kelly first meeting with Prince Rainier

Following this friendly first meeting, the Prince was impressed by Grace who was the glamorous Hollywood movie star and Grace thought that the Prince was a charming gentleman. Afterwards, Grace returned to the United States to continue making movies. The two began writing each other letters and through their correspondence they were allowed the chance to get to know each other. As the months passed the royal chaplain of Monaco thought that the Prince had possibly found a potential wife and he encouraged him to continue his courtship of Grace. Then, just before Christmas, the Prince accompanied by the chaplain travelled to the United States to visit with the Kelly family in Philadelphia. This visit allowed the Prince and Grace to see each other again and the Kelly family was immediately charmed by their daughter’s suitor and also encouraged the match. After Christmas the couple went to New York City to celebrate New Year’s Eve and that is when the Prince proposed and presented Grace with an engagement ring. The Cartier ring had a 10.47 carat emerald diamond in a platinum setting with smaller baguette diamonds on each side.

Grace Kelly engagement to Prince Rainier

Immediately after her engagement was announced, Grace started planning for a spring wedding which would take place eight months later in Monaco. There were in fact two wedding ceremonies, one was the required civil ceremony and the second one was a larger religious ceremony attended by 600 guests. An estimated 30 million people watched the television coverage. (This is an amazing statistic considering the fact that television was a relatively new media and remember this was before the 1981 marriage of Prince Charles and Diana. For more information on regarding the British Royal Wedding, please see Part 4 of the series)

The Civil Ceremony –

The civil ceremony of Prince Rainer and Grace Kelly took place in the throne room of the Monaco Palace on April 18, 1956. The required civil ceremony took place before the religious ceremony and was performed by the Monaco Minister of Justice, with the vows exchanged in French, and there were only 80 guests in attendance. Grace wore a dress created by Helen Rose, the MGM studio costume designer, who also made the bridal dress for the religious ceremony which was performed the next day. The dress for the civil ceremony was a pale pink taffeta with an overlay of cream colored Alencon lace designed with a fitted bodice, high collar and a flared skirt which she accessorized with gloves and a hat. Prince Rainer wore striped trousers, a white vest and a black morning coat.

Immediately after the ceremony there was a celebration and the Prince along with his new Princess took the time to shake hands with the 3,000 citizens of Monaco that were their invited guests. Later that same night, the couple attended an elegant gala which was held in their honor at the Monaco Opera House. Grace wore a lovely Lanvin ballgown made of white silk organdy with a deep v-neck, high waistline with a full bustle and the dress was hand-embroidered and decorated with pearls, rhinestones and sequins.

The Religious Ceremony –

The religious ceremony for Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly was held the day after the civil ceremony. It took place on April 19, 1955 at the St. Nicholas Cathedral and was a high mass celebrated by the Bishop of Monaco with 600 guests in attendance including Cary Grant, David Niven, Ava Gardner and several international heads of state and other diplomats. The church was decorated with floral arrangements of white lilacs, hydrangeas, lilies and snapdragons.

Wedding of Prince Rainer and Grace Kelly - religious service

Wedding of Prince Rainer and Grace Kelly - religious service 1

The Matron of Honor was Grace’s sister, Peggy, and there were also six bridesmaids. They all wore yellow silk taffeta dresses with a yellow organdy overlay purchased from the Neiman Marcus department store and made by Priscilla Kidder (later owner of the successful bridal clothing line of Priscilla of Boston). To complete the wedding party there were six junior attendants, four girls and two boys, which were all dressed in white.

After the ceremony, Prince Rainier and Grace rode from the church through the streets back to the Palace in a cream and black Rolls Royce convertible that was a gift from the people of Monaco. The Palace’s Court of Honor was the location of a grand reception which featured a six tier wedding cake that was cut using the Prince’s sword.

Wedding of Prince Rainer and Grace Kelly - wedding cake 1

Wedding of Prince Rainer and Grace Kelly - reception

The Wedding Dress –

As a gift to Grace Kelly from the MGM studio, Helen Rose, their costume designer created a beautiful bridal dress for her wedding to Prince Rainier and has remained one of the most famous and iconic wedding dress for decades. (… that is until 2011 and the wedding dress Kate Middleton wore when she married Prince William. It has been said that Grace’s bridal dress was the inspiration and had a direct influence on the design of Kate’s dress. For more information on Prince William and Kate’s royal wedding, please see British Royal Wedding – Part 4)

Grace’s wedding dress was a stunning creation which was made at the MGM studios and it took six weeks using three dozen seamstresses and cost an estimated $7200.00. The dress used twenty-five yards of silk taffeta, one hundred yards of silk netting, tulle, peau de soie and antique Brussels lace that was over 125 years old. (peau de soie is a soft silk fabric of satin weave which has a dull finish) The elegant dress was designed with a high collar, long sleeves, a fitted bodice, a full skirt and a train that measured three feet in length. Additionally, the bodice had a structured under bodice for support and two petticoats were worn underneath to provide fullness to the skirt.

A Juliet cap was also made to compliment the dress and worn on the back of the head with three points at the hairline and a circular shape in the back. The headpiece used the same pearl embroidered lace as the bodice and was stretched over a wire frame. It was decorated with seed pearls and small wax orange blossoms. Attached to the headpiece was a circular wedding veil which was waist length in the front and then gradually longer towards the back. The veil used 90 yards of tulle and is edged with lace but was left sheer in the front to provide an unobstructed view of Grace’s face.

Grace completed her bridal ensemble with shoes custom made by David Evins, a leading American shoe maker that Grace had previously worked with. The wedding shoes were covered with lace to match the dress and had a 2 ½ inch heels. Grace also requested that a copper penny be added to her right shoe, a traditional good luck charm for brides, and one was sewn into the arch of the shoe.

Finally, on her wedding day Grace carried a small bouquet made of Lilies of the Valley and a small Bible. The bible was a gift from a family friend and a custom cover was made by the MGM wardrobe department of silk faille with a lace applique overlay embellished with seed pearls.

Prince Rainier wore a Napoleonic styled military uniform which he personally designed.

The Cambridge Emeralds

Posted on November 6, 2014 by barbara

The Cambridge Emeralds came into the royal family through Queen Mary who was the grandmother of the current queen, Queen Elizabeth II. The story is a very interesting one in which the emeralds were originally acquired by Augusta of Hesse- Kassel, the Duchess of Cambridge (Queen Mary’s grandmother) in 1818 at a charity lottery while they were in Frankfort, Germany. The box that was the prize is said to have contained somewhere between 30 to 40 cabochon emeralds (cabochon is a French word meaning a gemstone which is slightly shaped and polished as opposed to being cut and faceted).

The Duchess had some of the emeralds set into a pair of drop earrings and a pendant necklace. After her death her daughter, Mary Adelaide, the Duchess of Teck (Queen Mary’s mother) inherited the emeralds. Unfortunately, the Cambridge emeralds were almost lost to the royal family when they were passed onto Prince Francis of Teck (Queen Mary’s brother) and when he died suddenly in 1910 the emeralds fell into the possession of his mistress. Luckily, Princess Mary of Teck (later to become Queen Mary) retrieved the emeralds under questionable circumstances.

Queen Mary was known to wear numerous pieces of jewelry at one time and on the occasion of the Imperial Durbar held in Delhi in 1911, when King George V was crowned Emperor of India, she had a majority of the Cambridge emeralds set into what became known as the Delhi Durbar parure. (A parure in royal terms is a set of matching jewelry that would sometimes include a tiara, necklace, bracelet, brooch and earrings)

Then in 1921, Queen Mary bought a diamond and pearl tiara from the Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. The tiara had been smuggled out of Russia by a British diplomat during the 1917 revolution. After acquiring the tiara, Queen Mary had it altered and the original teardrop pearls could be replaced by fifteen Cambridge cabochon emeralds. (Please click on the link, the Queen’s Jewelry Collection – Part One, for additional information on the Grand Duchess Vladimr Tiara)

The remaining Cambridge emeralds were used in additional brooches, necklaces, bracelets and earrings made by Garrards, the Royal Jewelers. These pieces of jewelry were cleverly designed so that the emeralds could be detachable from their setting so that Queen Mary would be able to insert gemstones that would coordinate with the color of her gowns.

All of the jewelry mentioned; the Delhi Durbar parure, the Vladimir tiara and the additional pieces using the Cambridge emeralds, were the personal property of Queen Mary. Eventually, Queen Elizabeth II inherited the collection in 1953.

The Cambridge Emerald Collection including the Delhi Durbar Parure

The Delhi Durbar Tiara – The tiara was originally part of the Delhi Durbar Parure and was set with several of the Cambridge emeralds, many years later the ten cabochon emeralds would be eventually used in the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara. The Delhi Durbar Tiara is now part of Queen Elizabeth’s personal jewelry collection and was most recently worn by Camilla, the current Duchess of Cornwall.

Delhi Durbar Tiara worn by the Duchess of Cornwall

The Delhi Durbar Necklace – The Delhi Durbar Necklace was specifically made for the 1911 Delhi Durbar and is set with nine cabochon Cambridge emeralds, six large diamonds, numerous smaller diamonds and the Cullinan VII diamond which is an 8.8 carat marquise shaped diamond. The necklace was made by Garrard at the request of King George V and was presented to Queen Mary on occasion of her 44^th birthday. Since the Queen Elizabeth inherited the necklace in 1953 she usually wears it paired with the Vladimir Tiara for evening events.

Delhi Durbar Necklace worn by Queen Elizabeth

The Delhi Durbar Bracelet – The original Delhi Durbar Parure included three emerald bracelets made by Garrard and this one is set in platinum and gold with three of the Cambridge emeralds and several diamonds. Later, when Queen Elizabeth inherited the jewelry collection from her grandmother, Queen Mary, the Delhi Durbar Bracelet was one of her favorite pieces and she often wears the bracelet for evening engagements.

The Delhi Durbar Earrings – The Delhi Durbar earrings are set with one of the Cambridge oval shaped cabochon emeralds surrounded by 11 diamonds and a matching emerald provided by Garrard surrounded by an additional 11 diamonds. Since Queen Mary would often wear several necklaces at one time, the earrings were kept relatively simple in style.

The Delhi Durbar Stomacher and Scroll Cambridge Emerald Brooch – These pieces of jewelry were specially made by Garrard for Queen Mary to wear to the 1911 Delhi Durbar. The Delhi Durbar Stomacher is set in gold with seven of the Cambridge emeralds, chips from the Cullinan diamond and several smaller diamonds. The stomacher was a favorite of Queen Mary and she wore it often with several additional brooches, such as the Cullinan V Heart Brooch and the Cullinan VIII Emerald-cut Brooch, to create an impressive display. (a stomacher is customarily a set of elaborate pieces of jewelry that are normally worn over the bodice of a gown) One of those additional brooches worn with the Delhi Durbar Stomacher was the Scroll Cambridge Emerald Brooch which included a square-shaped emerald placed in a scrolled diamond setting and a removable emerald pendant. Since the Cambridge Emerald collection passed to Queen Elizabeth in 1953 she rarely wears the Stomacher but occasionally wears the Scroll Brooch for day or evening engagements.

Delhi Durbar Stomacher worn by Queen Mary with Delhi Durbar Brooches

The Delhi Carved Emerald Brooch – Queen Mary was given the Delhi Carved Emerald Brooch by the ladies of India to wear at the Delhi Durbar in 1911. This brooch does not contain one of the Cambridge Emeralds but it is included in the Delhi Durbar Parure. Set in silver and gold, the large hexagon shaped emerald is intricately carved with the images a rose on the front and an unidentified plant on the back and it is surrounded by several diamonds. Queen Mary wore the brooch pinned at the top of the Delhi Durbar Stomacher with additional brooch pinned below. In 1953, the Delhi Carved Emerald Brooch was passed to Queen Elizabeth and she only wears in occasionally due to its heavy weight.

The Round Cambridge Emerald Brooch – Unlike the other pieces of Cambridge Emerald jewelry collection, this brooch was not specifically made for the Delhi Durbar although it was worn for that occasion in 1911. The round cabochon emerald is surrounded by two rows of diamonds with a pear shaped emerald pendant that can be detached. After the death of Queen Mary, the brooch was passed to Queen Elizabeth who wears it often and mostly with the pendant attached and but she will occasionally wear it without the pendant.

Delhi Durbar Round Brooch worn with pendant by Queen Elizabeth

Delhi Durbar Round Brooch worn without pendant by Queen Elizabeth

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara – In 1921, Queen Mary bought a diamond and pearl tiara from the Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. Queen Elizabeth inherited the tiara in 1953 and frequently wears it with the original teardrop pendants and occasionally with the interchangeable Cambridge Emerald pendants. (Please click on the following link, the Queen’s Jewelry Collection – Part Two, for additional information on the Grand Duchess Vladimr Tiara)

The Art Deco Emerald Choker – There is some controversy surrounding this Art Deco Emerald Choker and it was always believed that this necklace was created for Queen Mary with the Cambridge Emeralds for the 1911 Delhi Durbar. Recently it was determined that the emeralds used in the necklace were in fact a gift to Queen Mary from the Ladies of India and this necklace is sometimes confused with the Delhi Durbar Necklace. The confusion lies in the fact that in 1921 Queen Mary had the original necklace redesigned and shortened into an Art Deco style choker set in platinum which she worn with a multiple strands of diamond necklaces. The Art Deco choker was passed to Queen Mary in 1953 but she did not prefer the shortened style. Much later in the 1980s the Queen loaned the choker to Diana, the Princess of Wales. Diana wore the choker often and it became one of her signature pieces of jewelry. Then in 1985 on a tour of Australia she wore the chocker in a very unusual way. At an evening engagement in Melbourne Diana cleverly accessorized her beautiful turquoise Emanuel designed evening gown by wearing the chocker as a bandeau in a distinctive 1920 style across her forehead. Upon Diana’s death in 1997 the necklace was returned to the Queen.

Delhi Durbar Choker - Princess Diana wears as headpeice

Also, if you are interested in more information about the Royal Family and their jewels, please click on the links to the following posts: The Crown Jewels (Part One and Part Two) and the Queen’s Jewelry Collection (Part One and Part Two)

The Enchanted Manor

a lifestyle blog by Barbara Jones

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