SUNDAY NOTES 060

Paper cutouts and crayon drawings and Nordic folklore and traditions

Melody Hansen

Dec 14, 2025

A Sunday playlist: The Santa Clause

A Sunday watch: The Shop Around The Corner (1940)

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, 1940 James Stewart, Margaret Sullavan, Ernst Lubitsch romantic comedy classic film, Frank Morgan, Felix Bressart, holiday movie

And to celebrate Dick Van Dyke’s 100th birthday, the brilliant film What A Way To Go! (1964)

This holiday season, I’m leaning into the darkness of the night and finding comfort in candlelight.

I made a 2026 calendar, now up in my shop! It’s inspired by a calendar I made in school when I was 8, using paper and crayons.

2026 is the year of the fire horse according to Chinese astrology, and ironically enough, I’ve been drawing horses! These calendars are made very intentionally, so I also wanted to bring in a lot of handmade elements and let it be a reminder not to fear being human and playful. Our eyes are so used to seeing curated, filtered images now, and I wanted this calendar to challenge that and feel unfiltered and real.

Every order will come with a letter I’ve written for 2026 and what I hope this new year will be for you.

Always inspired by her.

Something I’m thinking about:

I’m thinking about my Danish roots and welcoming in more Yule/Nordic traditions this winter season. Simpler decorations with a focus on natural elements, spices, and candles. I’m less interested in the North American Christmas and more intrigued by ancestral connections to winter this year.

Something that inspires me:

These Christmas cards by Swedish illustrator Einar Nerman (1888-1983).

Interestingly enough, these reminded me a little bit of early Disney film illustrations (the round faces) and colors. I know Walt Disney was heavily influenced by Norse folklore (many of the fairy tales he had animated are Scandinavian tales) and Tivoli Park in Copenhagen, Denmark, but I’ve now learnt that the chief illustrator for Walt Disney’s first films was Swedish artist Gustaf Tenggren. The early illustrated world of Disney is directly influenced and guided by Scandinavian art.