Advent Calendar

**Updated**

I've been working very hard at finishing all my projects before December 1st, and I finally finished the advent calendar envelopes the other night and then the activity cards yesterday. Boy, was it more work than I anticipated, but I love how they turned out.

I actually ended up finding some scrapbook paper from the same holiday set that the paper I used, so that way I was able to add more to the fronts of the envelopes. I also bought some of the Martha Stewart holiday baker's twine at Michael's to add to them.

After I was finished with the envelopes, I had to type up all the activity cards, print and cut them. That part took more time than it should have due to all the breaks for diaper changes, making food, filling juice cups and feeding the baby.

Here is a peek at my finished project. Sorry it took me so long!





If you remember, this is what I started with:

Library cards and envelopes cut with my Silhouette machine using white card stock.

A super cute sheet of advent scrapbook paper purchased last year at Archiver's. I saw that they have it this year too though!

I cut up the scrapbook paper into the numbered pieces and glued them to the envelopes. They still needed more embellishment in order to be complete.

So, I found another piece of scrapbook paper from the same set, cut that up and added baker's twine to most of them.

This card originally just had the square with the number nine on it. It was way too plain, so I cut the phrase merry & bright from the matching paper and added some twine. Much better!

Once I was finished with the envelopes, I started a list of all the activities I wanted to add and got started on the cards. I made them really fast using Word. The font is honey script.

Each card has a different activity for that day. I included everything from a picnic by the tree to doing a random act of kindness, such as paying for the person's order behind me in the drive thru. I also included a few "special surprise" cards to indicate that the kids get a small gift that day. It should be lots of fun!

I absolutely LOVE the way it turned out!

I'm glad I didn't end up using that paper last year, because it was my inspiration for the calendar this year.

I haven't found the perfect spot to hang it yet, so at the moment they are all in an apothecary jar in our living room. It actually looks pretty, but I need to find a place where I can hang them and admire all my hard work!

When I do hang it, I'll be using some type of ribbon or heavier twine and clothes pins.

Linking up here:

tatertots and jello

30 Handmade Days

Whipperberry

Naptime Creations

Project Progress

I have so many projects going on over here lately! I've been trying to get some things done before December arrives, so I haven't had much time to blog. But I thought I would at least update you on everything. So here it goes!

Project #1

Week In The Life

All of the photos are complete and ready to be printed so that I can add them to the book and be finished with it. I need to order the paper from Amazon and go buy some ink before that can be done though...and I'm not sure when I'll get around to ordering the photo paper. It's kinda pricey, but I'll also need it for my December Daily, so I might as well bite the bullet and buy it now before all the major Christmas shopping ensues.

This is how it looks now, but things will probably change once I add all the photos. Boy, this project is taking much longer than anticipated!

Project #2

Advent Calendar (Pinterest Challenge)

If you remember, I got all the envelopes cut with my Silhouette, but still needed to decorate them. Well, I've started the decorating process. I found a piece of Christmas scrapbook paper that I bought last year (they have it at Archiver's again this year too) that I really loved and wanted to incorporate into an advent calendar somehow. It's bright and cheery, perfect for the kiddos! I cut it up and glued each number to the envelopes. Now I need to figure out what else I want to add to jazz them up a little more (suggestions please!). I was thinking maybe some red baker's twine on some?

Project #3

December Daily

So far, I've purchased the template and printed off all of all my daily sheets and made a trip to Archiver's to pick up some decorative supplies. I still have to buy more fun stuff to add and get going on my pages so that they're complete before December 1st. Oh, and most importantly, I need a red We R Memory Keepers binder. I'm just waiting for an Archiver's coupon to show up in my email! I decided to use another 8.5 x 11 album for this too, just like my Week In The Life. I figured it would be a good size for everything I hope to add.

So, those are all my "in the works" projects, along with lots of things we are hoping to get done to the house within the next couple months, planning our Thanksgiving menu (we're hosting it at our house this year!), and planning for our annual Christmas party. Phew, I'm exhausted just typing all that out! I have a lot to get done and not a lot of time to do it, but I'm having so much fun in the process!

Fun Mail

This week I've already received 2 envelopes in the mail that I was really looking forward to. The first one was delivered on Monday from Bananafish Studio. I had never ordered anything from Bananafish before, but really fell in love with all of her products after discovering her through Ali Edwards blog. She had some really awesome daily journal cards for my Week In The Life project, which is still not complete, and I also bought some vintage numbers for my December Daily, which I still need to get started on and plan to this weekend. They were just as cute as they looked in the photos and I couldn't be happier.

I actually tried to order a set of holiday journaling cards as well, but even though they were in my cart, I hadn't payed yet and someone else beat me to it! I couldn't believe it! But, as luck would have it, France (the designer), was going to be adding more holiday items the following Monday. Yay!

Needless to say, I totally stalked her shop all day waiting for the items to appear and I ended up snagging myself some of the cutest holiday journaling cards! I'm still waiting for that delivery though.

Here is what I got on Monday from Bananafish Studio.

I added the daily journal cards to my Week In The Life as soon as I opened them! Can't wait to have the project finished! I'm in the process of just finishing up the last of the pictures for it, so I should be able to finish within the next couple weeks.

The other piece of "fun" mail I received was from ChicTags, whom I also learned about through Ali's blog. Yes, I am completely obsessed with Ali Edwards and all of her creative genius at the moment. Anyway, I noticed the ChicTags ad on her sidebar was displaying holiday items and I couldn't resist the Santa bingo card set or the adorable snowmen! Both sets also include other designs. I figured they would be perfect for my December Daily. I can't wait to get that book put together before December arrives, which I have a feeling is going to be here before we know it. On a sidenote, I bought my first Christmas gift yesterday. It feels pretty good to have one out of the way...too bad I have lots more to go.

Here is what came in the mail today from Chic Tags.

I have so many projects to finish up here in the next couple weeks...so many to finish before December. I still need to finish up my advent calendar as well as Week In The Life and at least get a start on my December Daily.

What projects are you working on right now? Anything holiday oriented?

Pinterest Challenge

I am taking part in the Fall Edition of Young House Love's and Bower Power's Pinterest Challenge. I haven't finished my project yet though due to a busy weekend full of photography and Halloween activities with my family.

My plan was to make an advent calendar for Christmas this year and I found one that I thought was really cute and simple.

My Inspiration:

It's from http://www.thecraftingchicks.com/ and they even included free printables of the numbers, Bonus!

I found a library book envelope at the Silhouette store that looks almost identical to the ones they used, and it also included the card insert. Perfect!

So, yesterday I got them all cut out. It took quite a while to cut out 25 of them while trying to take care of a 4-month-old and a very curious 2 1/2 year old! I had plans to get them all put together once I was done, but that didn't happen. That's where I am today. I've been slowing folding and gluing the envelopes together.

Once the envelopes are finished, I plan to add scrapbook paper to the fronts and then attach the numbers. After that I want to print out cards for each day's activity, punch a hole at the top and add a ribbon, similar to what the crafting chicks did. I'm not exactly sure how or where I'll display them yet. I was thinking maybe attached with a clothes pin to some twine wrapped around our Christmas tree or maybe I'll find a large secondhand frame that I can spray paint and add clips to; how ever I decide to do it, it needs to be easily accessible.

I'm so excited about this project and can't wait to see my finished product!

I will post pictures as soon as I have it finished. In the meantime, I'll be blogging about other things happening around here. 

P.S. We're getting our first snow of the season today,

which means it's Harper's first snow!