Project: Advent Calendar

I decided this year to make my husband another special advent calendar. Partially because I couldn't find half of the DVDs that I put in last year's (did I make a post about that? I can't remember. If not, I will do), but also because he had another week of night shifts last week (I swear that happened last year too), so I had a whole week of evenings to work on it.

This is 2012's effort:

The adorable "stockings" are socks were from Primark's Christmas baby range, in 3-packs:

I marked the ribbon (just cheapy stuff from Hobbycraft) every 3.5" with a Sharpie, and then hand-sewed on the socks.

And then into each sock, I popped a MAGICAL ELF!!!

It had to be done, they are one of The Five Signs of Christmas. ;)

Of course, he had to ruin my surprise (Christmas donuts for breakfast in bed, followed by the big Advent Calendar Reveal) by staying up later than he said he would and throwing my plans out for the day, so that was ruined . . . Grrrrrrr!!

Listography: The 5 Signs Of Christmas.

As soon as we hit October, the countdown to Christmas begins (unless you want to start at 100 sleeps, in which case you started on Sept 16th), and so I await The Five Signs of Christmas. . .

1). The Magical Elves are back!! No, I haven't finally flipped. These are the Magical Elves of which I rave:

Cadbury's Magical Elves are amazing. Well, OK, they're elf-shaped Freddo bars with popping candy in them. Not that that's not amazing, but what they represent is even more amazing. Christmas time is near!

2). The Boots Christmas Gift Guide. This sign seems to be arriving earlier and earlier. I remember sitting as a kid every Halloween after my trick-or-treating, waiting for Trick-or-Treaters to arrive, reading the Boots Christmas Gift Guide and the Studio Catalogue, sneaking sweets out of the Halloween bowl and making lists of things that I would never be able to afford. Holiday is two pay days away!

3). DFS "In Your Home For Christmas" adverts. The only DFS adverts that aren't depressingly annoying (Concerningly though, they do seem to be running one for the END of the sale?! Do they know something we don't? Is DFS run by the Mayans?!! *Debates pre-emptive Christmas on Dec. 11th just in case*). Christmas is near! But still far away enough to buy a new sofa. . .

4). Christmas Lights Switch-On. For us, the Friday after Bonfire Night is the big Christmas lights switch-on hoo-ha at work. And, even though for the past few years the decorations outside our shop have looked like giant glittery hemorrhoids, it does still put you in the mood for Christmas.

5). The Coca-Cola Truck Advert. I love this advert so much that I literally have the T-shirt. No really, I do, and it looks like this:

(Photograph Copyright TruffleShuffle.com)

HOLIDAYS ARE COMING!!! :D