The Genius of Burpee: Advent Calendar Promotion

Every once in a while I come across something that deserves an award in promotions & marketing. This year the award goes to the Burpee Seed Company.

They created an advent calendar for the 2017 holiday season and mailed it to garden writers and journalists. The calendar features the Burpee Seed House (which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places) and behind each of the 25 windows of the advent calendar is a tiny packet of seeds. Each package of seeds is a sample of a new Burpee variety.

You can applaud now. Isn't that the cutest idea ever?  It is clever, interesting, unique and builds anticipation. It actually transcends marketing and would be a fantastic item to sell in gift shops and garden centers. I mean it! I can think of a lot of people that would love to get this whimsical gift.

I have to tell you that I have not opened all of my windows yet. My move was scheduled just after Christmas and I was nervous that I would lose the seed packets in the chaos. My dormant treasures are still safe behind the paper windows. When I am ready to sow seeds I will open them all with abandon.

My all-time-favorite-advent-calendar came with an informative booklet that includes a photograph, a description of each new seed and the plant's attributes. Genius.

I have to mention something that is so interesting about the historic Burpee Seed House on the calendar. The booklet explains that the seed house was designed and built in the late 1800's to let in as much natural light as possible in late summer/early fall. It wasn't a safe environment for candles so the employees worked by the natural light from the windows to wash, grade, sort and catalog the seeds. Isn't that wonderful? 

I love everything about this advent calendar promotion:

• It is beautifully designed and therefore fun to display
• It builds anticipation for growing season in the darkest time of the year
• It is informative and tells you everything you need to know about the product
• It blends the history of the company while including the latest products they offer

Bravo, Burpee! I can't wait to try out some of your latest and greatest seeds. 

Adorable Advent Calendar

It's December 1st! Time to start the countdown to Christmas on your advent calendar.

I am completely taken with my new tin advent calendar. I found it at Michaels Craft store on sale for 50% off the $15 price tag - how could I resist? The only drawback is that the teeny-tiny tin pockets have been challenging to fill. You can see that only the Ghirardelli chocolates are a good fit. Since there are no kids in the house, I am comfortable tucking things in the pockets as I find them. My goal is to finish by Christmas Eve!

I found the darling Swedish clothespin doll girls at my new favorite garden store, Molbak's. One of my other favorite finds is the chocolate "Swiss Army knife." It was for sale in the candy section at Cost Plus World Market.

Are you counting down to Santa on a calendar that is special?

Advent Calendars: My Love Runs Deep

I absolutely love advent calendars. There are so many beautiful designs to choose from. I prefer the flat paper calendars with a winter scene. There is something about the excitement of counting down to a holiday paired with the childlike anticipation of opening a window to see the image of the day. I think having an advent calendar is a perfect way to keep yourself in the moment and aware of where you are in the advent season. 

That said, I am known for not always opening the windows. The scene is often so pretty, that I like to look at it on my refrigerator just as it is. Don't worry though, I have lots of advent calendars around the house and I do keep track of the countdown.  Do you remember this one that looks like a general store?  Or this one I made with paper drawers? I need to get busy finding little items to fill each drawer!

If you love this farm scene advent calendar as much as I do, you can buy it here. I also found some beautiful advent calendars online here. 

Advent Calendar: Boxes Filled With Treasures

I was over at my friend Angie's house for one of our "Glue & Gab" sessions when I suddenly, I simply had to made an Advent calendar. We usually sit in her dining room with glue, paper and scissors and work on something that has been on our mind. Angie is a real scrapbooker, with supplies and technique on her side. She makes scores of beautiful memory books and has captured a lot of wonderful family moments on some oh-so-cute pages.

I am not a scrapbooker, but my love of paper and stickers runs deep.  When I was talking with Angie, I was reminded of the super cute Advent calendar that she made last year.  She said that if I was in the mood to make one, I could use her Cricut paper cutting machine.  It starts with a simple cardboard cubby made by Scrapbook Company "Close To My Heart."  Then you need to buy 15 sheets of coordinating scrapbook paper (a selection that is a little bit stiffer than traditional paper works best).  I cut each piece of 12 x 12 paper in half and fed them one-by-one into the Cricut, loaded with the "Artistic Cartridge."  The Artistic cartridge allows you to choose "3D box; size 2.5 inches.

After all of the boxes are cut out, you can fold them along the perforations/scores and then glue the flaps together with a glue stick to create the box.  I chose a variety of green papers and I just love how it turned out.  I decided not to number the boxes as it would interfere with the overall effect.  I have been having a lot of fun choosing the stickers to adorn each box.  You can see that I am still 3 stickers shy, but I couldn't wait any longer to show you - Advent has begun!  And these boxes are big enough to hold wonderful treats!

I saw Angie make her Advent calendar last December and percolated on how cute it was all year long.  I am showing you this project now, so that maybe next year will be your year!

Advent Calendars

You know that my brain go "tilt" whenever I see a house made of paper.  Add Christmas and chocolate into the mix and I swoon.  I'd like to present my Advent Calendar!  It is very similar to this one, if you'd like to order one for your holiday countdown. 

I must admit that I bought this paper advent house last year and never had a chance to "build it" (Put slot A into tab B), so it was a happy surprise yesterday when I opened my box of Christmas decorations.  I am December-ready.

There are little chocolates (the house is made in Germany) behind each numbered panel, so this year I plan to countdown to Christmas in the afternoon - the perfect time for a sweet treat.

This house was designed with thought and care.  The interior is printed with just as much detail as the exterior. You can peek in any window or door and see Santa hosting a party inside.  I love this kind of attention to detail. Bravo.  

I am going to place a few battery-operated votive candles inside to give my little house a cozy feel.  Have you ever had a 3D Advent calendar?  This might be a great year to try one.  Christmas is one month from today!

Advent Calendars

Today is December 1st and it is finally time to open Window #1 on the Advent Calendar.  Except of course that I like my new advent calendar so much that I don't want to disrupt this pretty picture of a general store by bending the flaps open.  Am I the only one that feels this way? Year after year the joke in my house is that you can't actually open the windows on the advent calendar on display.  Today I'll pretend I opened #1 and saw "a sewing basket full of thread." 

My parents found this beautiful advent calendar for me and brought it over as a surprise last week.  When she saw it, the design immediately reminded my mom of a sketch I did of an armoire full of clothes (below).  And I must say, I see the similarity too.  This advent calendar is full of some of my favorite things: fabric, ribbons, sweets, toys, housewares and Christmas decorations.  I wouldn't think such an advent calendar exists!  You can see why I want to keep it forever.

I was able to find a link to my darling advent calendar online in case you want to order one.  It is made in Germany by Korsch-Verlag.  You can also find some wonderful advent calendars at Blumchen and in your local bookstore. What is behind your Window #1?

Advent Calendars

Today is the day!  It is December 1st and it's time to open Door #1 on your advent calendar.  

As an "Architect of Delight," I believe in looking for beauty in everyday moments.  Anticipation is a big part of enjoying a wonderful life...not only do you enjoy what you are looking forward to when it happens, you also savor the planning and preparation involved in getting there.

Advent calendars are a perfect example of this.  They give you a little lift every day, inspiring you to enjoy all the days leading up to the glorious celebration of Christmas.

Do you have an advent calendar?  I saw some cute ones at a local bookstore last night.  If you are willing to miss the first few days of "window opening," I encourage you to look at the beautiful selection available online at Blumchen.  

Advent Calendars

Would you believe that this sweet paper cottage is also an advent calendar? 

I love to countdown to Christmas with an advent calendar and have decorated my house with many cute ones over the years.  Remember the one I made with scrapbook paper?

 

I bought this pastel advent house years ago (by artist Camilla Ashforth for her illustrated series about a bear named, Willow) and have resisted bending back the paper doors until now.  It felt too pretty to open (and looks so great with my "Swedish Beach house" decorating!) that I liked having it on display just as it is.  This year, though, I've decided to open each window and peek into the world of a teddy bear as he prepares for the holidays.

We have just two more days until we can open the window marked 1.  Does your house have an advent calendar?  If not, you can head to the nearest bookstore (or shop online for darling ones here!) and find one to help you count down the days until Christmas.

Advent Calendar 2009

Would you believe that this is a single piece of cardstock that I bought for $1?

December 1st is right around the corner, so today I am making an advent calendar from a We R Merry & Bright Advent Calendar die cut. The 25 days have pre-punched windows that open - what could be better?

I am going to cut a piece of poster board to be the same size as this house. Then I will affix a holiday sticker (sled, candy cane, ornament) behind each window and then glue around the perimeter of the house to attach it to the poster board. I'll staple a striped ribbon to the back of the board (at the corners) so my calendar can hang on the wall. Love it!

Have you found (or made) yourself an advent calendar?

Advent Calendars

With only a few days until December 1st, I thought I would talk about advent calendars. Each morning you open a numbered flap on the advent calendar to reveal a Christmas image. There are so many sweet designs to choose from in retail stores, but I also want you to see a few unique examples at Blumchen, an online resource for Old World holiday papers and ornaments.

This advent calendar is actually a house by Martha Stewart Crafts. Behind each numbered panel on the roof is a compartment for candy & prizes. It was easy to assemble and I absolutely love how it looks in my dining room. I've actually decided to count down to Christmas on another advent calendar in my kitchen...I just can't bring myself to alter this roof line!