1st Collector's Alley

It's finally time...

It is my 1st Showing of Christmas Collector's Alley.

What to show???  I'm a collector's collector.  I will NOT run out of collections to show ya'll over the next 3 months.  Join me in showing a collection in Sept, Oct, Nov and once a week in December. 

Since I've been working on a Christmas Countdown swap I'm gonna have to show everyone my advent collection this month.  It sure is a fun way to help the kids with their excitement about Christmas approaching.

Here is what I need to get ready to ship for the Christmas Countdown Swap with Linda at

A Swap for All Seasons. 

I started with 3 sets of 10 matchboxes from Dollar Tree (kitchen utencil area).

I'm a scrapbooker and cardmaker and that is the supplies I pulled from.

This shot shows all of them complete.  I finally put the numbers on them.

Do you want to look closer??

#13 has a glittery snowman ornament inside

I found a set of 12 at Michael's for $3.

I also used a scrap of wrapping paper and felt ribbon inside.

#15 is so festive with red, white and green.

Girls, I tried so hard to use up my mini pom-poms and still have a ton. lol

#23 is this the cutest thing ever?  I put the number on the wings.

#10 with foil accents and poinsettia flower.

I pulled the flower off of a candle ring that was never gonna be used again.

has a gorgeous set of earrings that my Mom made.

I need to make inserts for the boxes with jewelry.

#3 is so sweet!!  It has a Christmas bell brooche.

Advent

The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus in his First Advent. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God.

Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing.

I'll be receiving an entire set of matchbox countdown boxes like the 1's I've made above.  Nate and I are gonna put them on a small tree and use them to count the days until Christmas a.m. this season.

And...

I have a quilt from Pottery Barn Kids that I bought years ago for my boys.  I am sure this was a splurge but it was still gotten 50% off.

Isn't it sweet?? 

It is a lap size quilt and I have hung it up on the wall near our tree in past years.  I gotta find a spot for it this year and start putting stuff in a drawer to fill the pockets..like candy, money, notes of a family idea to do that evening together to celebrate the season, gift cards for the boys to use up in Dec.($5 McD, Subway)

And..

I have a countdown Christmas tree set of boxes.  I got it 2 years ago right after Christmas when it went 50% off at Starbucks.  The picture could be changed with Scrapbook papers, it is a Winter Wonderland scene once you've eaten all the evidence and flipped the boxes around.  Whatever fits in each drawer will do to countdown the days of December.  It will be fun to get some gourmet chocolates this year and we can all 4 take turns opening a box as we countdown to Christmas.  It will probably sit on my kitchen counter top.

We'll start out with the numbers showing and flip it around to the picture as we go along.

I have seen some clever crafters create their own with boxes glued together.  This 1 is nice quality.  If I don't misplace it, we'll have it for years to come.

I have bought the boys chocolate advents since they were in pre-school.  There are companies in Europe and Canada that produce this product.  This is what mine usually look like.  I get them at Garden Ridge Pottery (seasonal foods), the Dollar Tree, Walgreens, Eckerd's or World Market.

I would let them pick out their box and I'd sharpie marker their name and then we'd start looking for the numbers to countdown to Christmas morning.  How fun to get a little chocolate treat each day in December.  The fun part is to open the "door" with the right # and see what shape it is each day.

I won't have any of these this year because there is already enough to play with.

When I was in high school there was a set of Jewish twin sisters and they really did Advent season up.  I was in aww each day as they came in with a new item that they got during the season.  1 day watches, another day pairs of boots, jewelry item.  Wow!!  I think the teacher had them explain the opening of gifts all thru December and that was the 1st I'd ever heard of it.

What do you have to show us this month? 

It is your turn now.

Candy Cane Kisses and White Snow Wishes! DeniseMarie

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