...calendars - the Advent kind

For the past 6 or 7 years (with the exception of one) I haven't decorated for Christmas. It seems such a pointless exercise when we usually leave for our annual cross country trek to visit families and at least a week before Christmas and arrive home again long after the festivities have passed. Walking into a decorated house a week into January is like turning up in fancy dress at a party where they canned that idea.

And my lack of decorations makes me a bit sad. The one year I did decorate I made bunting, we bought a tree and I have mug rugs and placemats. They are all store carefully in the cupboard. There is a Christmas quilt for the spare bed (ours is still under construction!) and there are all sorts of others bits and pieces to be scattered around. I miss them when I don't put them up.

 So this year I decided on a happy medium of an advent calendar. Happily earlier this year Rachel and I agreed to fill each others Advent calendars. I committed to make mine, she already had one made a few years ago but it had only recently resurfaced, you can read the tale here.

I made it of my own design - the pockets are envelopes lined with 25 different Christmas fabrics. They took awhile but I think are worth the effort. I finished the calendar Saturday night - not quite in time for our filler swap. It made finishing the binding a little more tricky!. I am happy though that I had it hanging by Saturday night. Since them I have been waiting to have time and light at the same time for some good photos and tonight I get sick of waiting!

We decided to fill the weekend days with some sewing and crafting goodies and the weekdays with a chocolate treat. Everyday has a challenge - either a task or a photo theme. I'm posting my photos to Instagram here. (if anyone can tell me how I can show Instragram pics in this post I'd be most appreciative)

Three days in and I am having lots of fun - the challenges Rachel has set for me a open to many different interpretations and you can't complain about a daily treat!