getting a little festive

Nat and I are more than a little enthusiastic about Christmas. I have always felt this way but my once grinch-ish husband has a new found love that rivals my own. He'd be tying giant glowing candy canes to the roof given half a chance. Seriously. Well, now the pohutukawas are blooming, Christmas lilies are filling the garden centres and the first of December is around the corner. Weeee!









And we have been talking for weeks about the beginnings of our festivities. #1 = advent calendar. I thought I'd make use of the pack of origami paper I'd bought for Will's crane mobile. I found this tutorial for folding stars which ended up being the perfect shape and size for storing a note and a chocolate coin inside.









So I wrote 25 little notes, bought 25 little coins, folded my stars and filled them. One star for Sophia to open each day until Christmas day. Fun!














I stapled a piece of brown string to each star and tied them on to a cherry branch. I had originally intended to make a mini Christmas tree out of leafy twigs to hang the stars on but it proved a bit of a challenge finding the right kind of twigs. This branch would look good over a mantle, but laking one of those in this house I've settled for hanging it over Sophia's bed.














And so the Christmas build up begins! Hurrah!

x

p.s. I couldn't resist taking a few snaps of the bougainvillea that covers our back fence. Stunning.