advent

I have two advent countdowns going...want to see?

My friends Ann & Linda gave me my Christmas present early...



(Except of course mine doesn't say "Williams"...this is the catalog picture.) When Ann gave it to me she said "I just know you'll do something fun with it to make it yours..."

I loved it just as it is but that thought planted a seed in my mind and I started imagining it in brighter colors, with different doors...


It took much more time than I'd thought it would. One night when I was hunched over it even though I had a crazy backache and a list a million things long, sweet Rich suggested ever-so-carefully that perhaps this project wasn't a priority...
The house itself is no longer available online. My friend Ann bought it at the Pottery Barn outlet in Leesburg...maybe they still have some available. I put it on a lazy susan so it would be easy to access all the doors (on all four sides!) If I can find the time, I'm going to decorate the lazy susan too. Or maybe I can buy one from my friend Jean.
There are 25 doors in all so it counts all the way to the big day itself.

I decided to decorate inside each door the night before so that it would be a surprise. I'm glittering the outside of the door so he knows which ones are ready...we're of course on door number 2 today and he loves this already.

Here's what yesterday's door had inside...

And here's today's...



My second Advent calendar was a Silver Bella swap. Each of us made 24 matchboxes in our number (mine was 19). I hung them all garland style from a wire strung under the boxwood garland above my mantel. If there's an ornament inside, we'll hang it on the garland.

Here's yesterday's box (made by Stephanie Oyler)

And look what's inside...

And today's box (made by Stacy McGinnis)

And this adorable felt bell inside...

So the countdown begins...I'm going to try to not let panic take over and enjoy each moment with Alfredo as he discovers the wonder of this holiday season.