I love advent calendars. My mom has some great old Tasha Tudor-illustrated ones that are gorgeous, though about to fall apart after years and years of small hands opening and closing their little doors. They are rich with nostalgia, but I have to say I like my advent calendars to be rich with something else. Something like chocolate. I actually love the cheap cardboard ones you get in the drug store, but the chocolate is never very good in those.
This year I made my own. I was imagining a garland of little hanging boxes, but I wanted an easy box template to use. So I googled it. And man, I love the internet. I found these perfect pyramid boxes at a blog named Brownie Points. She has a downloadable pdf for the template. Rock on, blogosphere. Twin pointed out that they even look like little trees. Completely unintentional but very true.
Mmmmm. Dove dark chocolate inside. A few random days even have Lindt truffles in them. Mmmmmmmmmmmm. Now we are all cheery for Christmas, with our little baby tree and a healthy dose of twinkle lights. I think twinkle lights might be man's greatest invention. After chocolate, of course.
Wow. Seriously. Wow. Your advent wreath is AMAZING. I'm always in awe of your projects. This one is just... wow.
ReplyDeleteGenius.
ReplyDeleteholy crap - that is brilliant! (I would have said WOW! but Susan took it).
ReplyDeleteThinking about chocolate now....
I *love* this! I've been looking at everyone's advent calendars, storing ideas for next year. I think this is my favorite!
ReplyDeleteI don't celebrate Christmas, but if I did this would be the advent calendar of my choosing. I love the design. Are those wooden apples in between?
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful! Your creativity and imagination never ceases to amaze me. It's very inspiring :) Now if only I could have some of that chocolate... ^_^ I hope once I have time I will be as crafty as you!
ReplyDeleteI just LOVE your style. Simple and elegant. The calendar is really beautiful.
ReplyDeleteyou put my construction paper-ring garlands to shame.
ReplyDeleteactually, i haven't made one in about 12 years, but had i made on this past weekend, it would be rather sad.
well done, zemo. well done.
hey thanks everybody!
ReplyDeleteabout the apple garland--it isn't wooden (though that would be super cool). I think it's paper or something. Definitely hollow but fairly sturdy anyway. My mom got it at a dried flower shop a few years back.
WOW this is lovely. Wow WOW. :)
ReplyDeletestupendous julie! and so are those sweets. man you just keep knocking them out of the park. just looking at all your cuteness is slowly draining the energy from me...
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing! I'm definitely bookmarking this for next year!
ReplyDeleteSeriously impressed!
ReplyDeletesuch a great idea!!! lovely lovely!
ReplyDeleteVery pretty! I love the simplicity of this.
ReplyDeletewow, how cool!
ReplyDeleteyou are a thinker!
Wow, I love it!
ReplyDeleteGreat advent idea! I really love it, Julie!
ReplyDeleteI like the balance -- odds on the left, evens on the right.
ReplyDeleteI also like the faintly classical/even egyptian (or perhaps etruscan) feeling of the pyramid shape, perhaps to blend with the pompeiian garden behind?
Also reminds me of the pyramid on the dollar bill, a little, somehow.
And there are TWO chocolates in each? Which means you'll get one, right? and Twin will get the other. What about when the BROTHER comes to visit? Are guest chocolates planned?
Really cool idea, well done.
I typed this all by myself, by the way, though I'm still triggering the Microsoft narrator and other oddnesses with my bandaged paw.
Oh, my goodness gracious, that is fantabulous.
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed.
that is gorgeous. you make such wonderful things, and thanks for the box link.
ReplyDeleteso fabulous...your photography is amazing too!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard Tasha Tudor's name in years, I used to love just staring at all the lovely pictures in her gardening book.
Another fantastic project from you. Go you! Seriously, I'm so impressed.
ReplyDeleteAnd re: above thanks for rubbing it in about the suburban Joann's fabric desert. Thanks a lot. Shirt is still lovely.
Wonderful use for those pyramids- how exciting!
ReplyDeleteI like how they still have chocolate inside :)
As I just said on Brownie Points, where I found the link to your post, this is absolutely charming! I wouldn’t mind having a yearly calendar like that, looping its way around my home…
ReplyDeleteStunning. Eye catching and made me drag out my Tasha Tudor book, "Take Joy". It's not even Christmas yet!
ReplyDeleteWhat did you use for creating the numbers? We're making these next December most certainly!
yes, i'd also like to know how you did the numbers and dots. it's so cute!
ReplyDeletethis is just so incredibly cute I love it....such a great idea :)
ReplyDeleteso clever! and I would love to see your mom's Tasha Tudor ones - she is my favorite illustrator...bet they are beautiful! so glad to have found a fellow North Carolinian to follow..:-)
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed! It's really cute and elegant at the same time. Regards from Barcelona,
ReplyDeleteMarta
Good post and Smart Blog
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