The Elf
on the Shelf
How a family tradition grew to
a global Christmas enterprise
Written by JON STYF / Photos by HADLEY(S) PHOTOGRAPHY CCAROL AEBERSOLD DIDN’T KNOW WHAT SHE WOULD DO NEXT.
She was an active mom, always involved with her kids’ activities, but now they
were grown.
One of them, Chanda Bell, was sitting across from her as they discussed
how they could keep their tight bond.
Then Bell looked up and saw Fisbee, the toy elf they grew up with, the one
whom her grandma would always say, “Fisbee’s always watching, you’ve got to
make sure that you’re always on your P’s and Q’s.”
At that moment, Bell had a thought.
What if, as a way to connect, they wrote a book together about Fisbee?
It was a good idea, they agreed. And, soon enough, manuscripts and
illustrations were being passed along to Bell’s twin sister, Christa Pitts, who
lived in Philadelphia and worked at the QVC television network.
Though their initial idea might have just been a children’s book, Pitts saw
more. She saw what would become “The Elf on a Shelf.”
30 COBB LIFE | DECEMBER 2021