03 December 2006

counting down

*Update November 2010: This year I've posted new designs of my advent calendar you can check out. I'm also selling the pattern as a PDF download on etsy. Thanks for visiting!*



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.

31 comments:

sulu-design said...

Wow. Seriously. Wow. Your advent wreath is AMAZING. I'm always in awe of your projects. This one is just... wow.

Anonymous said...

Genius.

Anonymous said...

holy crap - that is brilliant! (I would have said WOW! but Susan took it).

Thinking about chocolate now....

Anonymous said...

I *love* this! I've been looking at everyone's advent calendars, storing ideas for next year. I think this is my favorite!

Anonymous said...

I 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?

Anonymous said...

This 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!

Jess (fushmush) said...

I just LOVE your style. Simple and elegant. The calendar is really beautiful.

Anonymous said...

you put my construction paper-ring garlands to shame.

actually, 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.

julieree said...

hey thanks everybody!

about 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.

Anonymous said...

WOW this is lovely. Wow WOW. :)

hannah said...

stupendous 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...

Anonymous said...

This is amazing! I'm definitely bookmarking this for next year!

Rebecca said...

Seriously impressed!

traci said...

such a great idea!!! lovely lovely!

African Kelli said...

Very pretty! I love the simplicity of this.

Connie said...

wow, how cool!

you are a thinker!

beki said...

Wow, I love it!

Unknown said...

Great advent idea! I really love it, Julie!

Anonymous said...

I like the balance -- odds on the left, evens on the right.

I 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.

Anonymous said...

Oh, my goodness gracious, that is fantabulous.

I'm so impressed.

Anonymous said...

that is gorgeous. you make such wonderful things, and thanks for the box link.

Anonymous said...

so fabulous...your photography is amazing too!
I haven't heard Tasha Tudor's name in years, I used to love just staring at all the lovely pictures in her gardening book.

Anonymous said...

Another fantastic project from you. Go you! Seriously, I'm so impressed.

And re: above thanks for rubbing it in about the suburban Joann's fabric desert. Thanks a lot. Shirt is still lovely.

Jocelyn:McAuliflower said...

Wonderful use for those pyramids- how exciting!

I like how they still have chocolate inside :)

Anonymous said...

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…

Anonymous said...

Stunning. Eye catching and made me drag out my Tasha Tudor book, "Take Joy". It's not even Christmas yet!

What did you use for creating the numbers? We're making these next December most certainly!

Becca said...

yes, i'd also like to know how you did the numbers and dots. it's so cute!

austin-sara.blogspot.com said...

this is just so incredibly cute I love it....such a great idea :)

Mary Grace Thomas @ Test of Time said...

so 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..:-)

Marta G. (A Bilingual Baby) said...

I'm impressed! It's really cute and elegant at the same time. Regards from Barcelona,
Marta

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