Happy Advent

My dear Daughter 2, being younger and more intelligent than I, has pointed out that Linds's quilt (no! it's MY quilt) goes equally well in our blue room, since it's got lots of blue in it too. My brain was too stunned with gratitude to work this out.

Now, for once I'm having a little giveaway. No, sorry - you can't have one of my quilts. I'm not that generous. I've never been able to think of anything to offer before and my offers aren't terribly impressive since (hangs head in shame) I didn't make them. But still. It's the thought that counts. (Or so I tell myself.)


Here's the first little prize - no, it's not my son-in-law, who photographed himself at arm's length on his mobile phone in the car, modelling it. He doesn't look his best here. He's a handsome lad. Personally I don't think that the purple shiny thing adds much to the beauty of the prize (I'm not a great fan of purple and it doesn't match the wreath) but it makes a nice tinkly noise and you could always remove it.

I'm trying to make these rather paltry gifts seem more impressive than they are, so here's another way you could display the wreath. It's made of lots of little bits of Christmas material, cut with pinking shears. It's not exactly precision craftspersonship but it's quite jolly.

Look - you could hang it on your door (though possibly not right behind your letter-box, like this).

Or on a hook.

Or you could use it to decorate the clothes airer that you have to keep in the hall to stop the cats climbing up the archway (with two feet on either side of the wall, as if climbing a tree. Not good for the wallpaper).

Or you could balance it on a shelf.

The cats might like it to decorate their baskets.

Finally, you could use it to divert the eye from the empty bed of your daughter, who has (sniff) left the nest.

Ok, I think that might be all I can say to exaggerate the appeal of the first prize. Secondly, I offer an elf. Also a cheery sight, I feel. He perches on a door handle in close-up...

... or at a distance.

He can also sit in a hand.

And for a third prize, I offer a pretend-gingerbread-heart tree decoration.

Almost good enough to eat. But a bit chewy, I'd think.

If you'd like any of these dazzling prizes, leave me a comment and I'll draw names out of a hat or whatever in a week's time (ie 10.20 British time, December 8). Don't fall over each other in your excitement, now.