Start Now and Be Ready for Advent

{update: If you'd like to join in with the tea swap 2011, check out this post!}

My family have always been big celebrators of Advent -- whether we were scoffing chocolates out of a Cadbury's calendar, or opening beautifully wrapped bibs-and-bobs that my Mum had collected in the previous months, my brother and sister and I could always expect the twenty-four days before Christmas to be exciting.

Perhaps I've matured a bit, or lost my sweet-tooth (um... no), but Advent is no longer all about the sweeties. As the nights get longer, and the last-minute preparations come together, those twenty-four days are a time to reflect on family, friends and community, and to connect with the people that matter most.

And in the spirit of connecting, this year I have a plan for something extra special. I was inspired by Kojo Designs' wonderful tea wreath (above). But, rather than going out and buying twenty-five types of tea myself, I thought, why don't we have a little swapsies.


The plan: You send me, and twenty-three others, one bag of your favourite tea (and keep a bag for yourself). Meanwhile, twenty-three others and I are sending you a bag of our favourite tea. Voila! Twenty-five teas to sample over advent. (And it doesn't have to be your favourite. Maybe there's a wacky tea you've always wanted to try, but didn't want to drink a whole box of yourself? Share it with us!)


The lovely thing is that a teabag won't cost very much to send, so this shouldn't break into your Christmas fund too much. And just think of all those exotic envelopes heading towards your postbox...

So, if you'd like to join me in brewing up a tea-rrific advent calendar from around the world, please leave a comment below, or send me a quick email to: astrid@redredcompletelyred.com. We need twenty-four people, so don't be shy! Family, friends, old and new readers are all welcome!

(source)

P.S. For more advent calendar ideas, have a look over here.

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I was just asked if I'd mind being featured this Friday on a blog! It's all about people participating in etsy's four day Yart sale (starting tomorrow), and will be at this website: www.theseasonalcottage.blogspot.com.

How exciting! Perhaps it will lead to the elusive first sale!

This is the item that will be featured:

It's a print of my first in the "Girl With The Alphabet Hair" series, and features Little Betsy, who read one too many books, and so alphabets have started appeared in her hair!

I'm so into the series, in fact, that I spent all day today drawing (with the exception of arguing with the horrible maintence man, who didn't seem to think that fixing the corroded hole in our water heater was 'a top priority'). So, by Friday, I should have a good range of drawings available, should anyone think to click the link to my page! I plan to upload them, at intervals, tomorrow, all tagged 'yart', as I'm hoping that's a good way to get a bit of impulse attention! We'll see...