Welcome Advent...

I have been so inspired by all the advent calendars I've seen from  crafty bloggers.  But with a sewing machine in the repair shop, I had to resort to the good old-fashioned paper chain this year. I had big, big plans for this years calendar but as December 1 greeted me this morning, I had no handmade calendar to display. So while the girls were napping, I sat and whipped up my chain. It felt like the good old days of third grade teaching. ( And for the record,  I am in love with glue dots right now. They
made the project go so fast, except for the few stray dots that have
now permanently affixed my grocery list to my Living magazine.) I hung the chain from a tall cabinet and wrote little projects inside each link.  I decided to confine the list predominantly to craft projects, cooking, and entertaining.
Mary is a little young to appreciate the excitement behind the chain hanging from the wall, except that it is great fun to wear the chains as handcuffs. I'll be shocked if I'm not resticking many-a-link before this has all finished.
Emma can barely stand the fact that hanging in the kitchen is a list of 24 fun projects and ideas FOR HER and Mary, and her mother won't read past the first day. She loves and hates surprises all in the same breath.