Well here we are, ready or not, at December 1 and the first day of Advent! And that means it's time for making Advent garland goodies!

To make your own Advent garland click here for my free pattern!

Every year I think that it will be the last time that I wil do this, and yet as the next November approaches I find myself doodling woodland animals, sea creatures, flora and fauna, making an audition list for a new troupe of Adventists. All the while I tell myself that this is beyond silly, that my kids are way past the age to make this about them, that I really should be doing something more constructive with my time (...um like sleeping, since the adventists are mostly made in the hours after midnight, yes hours), that there are at least a hundred reasons why this is among the most ridiculous and illogical things that I do (and truly, that is really saying something). And yet...like swallows, and Monarchs, and even like locusts, I know they will come. I know where the wee hours of December will find me (because as smart as it would be for me to parse the creation of these guys throughout the months of the year, I don't...like I said, an illogical venture this). So why?...why do I get the irrepressible itch to make them every year?...I've been thinking about this a lot. I think that just maybe it;s because it is so illogical. I get to learn something new and play and not worry if it's good enough to sell, or give as a gift or if anyone else will want to make it/wear it, or anything else for that matter. It's just for fun. Making for fun. Making, to bring a smile to me and the my family. For play. And all of that is good. So good~~and way too easy for me to talk myself out of my in day to day, have-to, need-to, should, be a grown-up life. So, needless to say, here we go again. For fun. That's all. Just for fun. And that's good enough for me.

So without further ado...this first day of Advent is brought to you by Mr. Eager, a beaver who is always busy, always eager, and always working, but who still makes it look like fun.

Searching our dining room for the perfect place to build his new dam...

Happy December to you all. May all of your making be happy and fun. Until tomorrow...

~xox~

alison