Advent-urous

A couple of years ago, I was working on THE COOLEST advent calendar. The base was a big wool felt Christmas tree, about 4 feet tall and for every day of the month (until the 25th), I had made an animal ornament to put on the tree which were also made from wool felt; animals like a duck-billed platypus, a giraffe, a fox, an elephant, a parrot, etc. They were super rad and I had spent hours on them. I took them on a trip and kept them in a big plastic bag. I only had 2 more animals to go until it was completely finished...and then I left the bag on an airplane and I never saw them again. Sad story. With the wind sucked from my sails, I started over and made a much less-elaborate one.
A 3 ft wool felt triangle Christmas tree shape with double-layered wool felt Christmas ball-type ornament pockets with the days/numbers embroidered onto the front layer of the pocket. I forget where I got the idea. Garnet Hill, maybe? Martha? I forget. Anyway, I like it, but I get a little wistful when I look at it and think "Man, that duck billed platypus was so cool." It also doesn't photograph well. I haven't found a great place to hang it yet, so for now, I hang it over this mirror in the entryway. Last year was our first year doing it: every morning there was a little scroll of paper in that day's pocket with a poem on it, which told of a fun activity or treat we would do/have for the day, always something pretty simple and low-cost but the girls love it.

Tomorrow's:
To keep your Mom from going insane,
You will make a paper chain
So you can count the links to know
When Christmas is coming. Ho-ho-ho!
And you may have a cream puff to eat
As your coming-home-from-school treat!