Advent 1st

Yesterday was Advent 1st. Wille and I went to an Advent market in the afternoon and I listened to Holiday Music while typing away on the lap top.  Traditionally Advent calendar (duh!) candle holders look like this and in the past my own has looked like this but I’m skipping red this year. I still wanted the little shrooms though.

 

So I dipped them. I used somewhat diluted white craft paint and dipped them three times leaving them to dry in between. I made a little impromptu drying rack from a glass container and two chop sticks and it worked really well.

 

I love how the tops became a little pointy from the dripping paint. Then I got my green marker out again and drew little spots.

 

And here they are my little toxic buddies.

Comments

[Petra from NL]

LOVE the fresh green!

[Jo]

Happy Advent Benita !!
I'm a big fan of the green too.. seems I have been for ages now.
So where did these shrooms come from, are they Panduro too ?
Did they come with the wire already attached to the bottom to push into the florist's foam which I assume is under the 'grass'.
I'm also curious to know why you chose to paint them this way. Did you know that the dripping paint would give you the little dimple on the top ahead of time?
Gracious.. I'm nosey today ;o)
Jo xx

[Sandra Yeong]

I love it.. very fresh look. You mean Advent Candle holder?

[Carlos]

You can get the little toadstools in all the stores over here, grocery stores, florists, department stores. I had mine from years back. The wire is already attached so you can stick then in your moss (which is the traditional thing to do).

I just didn't want red this year but I still love the look of the shrooms and since I already had them (and plenty left over in their original red/white color) I figured I'd try dipping them. I had no ide they would get dimples or little points but that only makes for a more shroomy look so I'm happy with that :).

[Carlos]

I did mean CANDLE. That's what I get for listening to music while typing. I very rarely do so and the reason is just that, I can't concentrate while I'm singing along :).

[Jo]

Ooh Ooh, what were you singing ????
xx

[Carlos]

I was listening to Sarah Dawn Finers album Winterland. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzfuiFoLzSs

[Nolwenn]

The shrooms are really cute, I love the nice and fresh green dots :)
When do you start decorating your Christmas tree? Is there a tradition as to when to decorate the tree in Sweden? In Germany, they do it on December 24th (or was it 23rd?), which I find way too late. In France, when I was a kid/teenie I used to decorate the tree at the beginning of December (don't know if it's the tradition, but we did anyway).
Anyway, my husband and I decorated our tree yesterday, all white and silver. He finds it's way too early, but our parents and some friends will visit us this week and next week, so I think it's nicer to have everything decorated for when they are here. What do you do? Do you keep to the tradition or do you plan the tree decorating before receiving a lot of visits, even if it's early in the month?

[Jo]

What a pretty voice.. I found a post of her on YT singing a song called 'Kärleksvisan'.. very very pretty.
xx

[Anne]

Couldn't find my shrooms after moving so I thought I would by some new ones. But after I'd put the green moss in both Märtha and I agreed that it was nice on its own. No mushrooms. Hm. Feeling pretty ADVENTurous (no pun intended ;)

[Monica]

How perfect, especially with the Hyacinths. What a clever forcing glass. Mine always fall over when they are at their prettiest. Must try to find one.

[Tia]

I can't believe the ice on your window- it's so beautiful!

[Tina]

Sött med lite giftigt! ;-) Själv har jag sprungit runt i flertalet affärer i dag på jakt efter vita, enkla porslinstomtar, vill gärna ha dem så enkla som möjligt. Hittade faktiskt riktigt fina till slut så jag känner mig väldigt nöjd. :-)

[Monica]

Funny enough, this Monica also likes the Hyacinth vase. You water these though, right? Unlike the amarylsis (?) that you water only after it blooms.

[RebeccaNYC]

Love it! Here the advent candle holder is a wreath (hence we always called it an advent wreath) and I have not had one in years because I really don't have a place to put one. But I have a perfect place for the kind of advent candle holder you have...are the mushrooms a traditional touch? All around, it is lovely and now I have to go because I have to make one! Happy Advent!

[Aimee]

Would you do a post about Advent and it's traditions for those of us in the States that haven't grown up with it. I would love to know more. I remember a neighbor growing up celebrated it since both her parents had lived in Germany before they married. I'd like to know more.

[Carlos]

In Sweden a lot of people wait until Dec 23rd to decorate the tree. Then it's tradition to leave it up intil 20 days after Christmas Eve (which is when we celebrate). I put our tree up around mid December and then remove it a few days after Christmas Eve. I'm always excited about Christmas before (like from mid November until the actual day) but then I'm eager to get rid of most of the decorations soon after.

As Wille and I were walking to the Advent market yesterday we met our neighbors who had just bought their tree and we thought it was for outside (with string lights) but it turned out they'd decorated it inside because I saw it through the window coming home from work today. That's really early for a Swedish family.

[Carlos]

Haha, funny girl!

[Carlos]

In the vase you add water but only touching the roots, never the bulb. I never water potted amaryllises or hyacinths as they usually just grow very tall and fall over. I guess if you want to keep the bulb for next year you'll need to water it at some point though.

[Carlos]

I'm not religous and most people in Sweden aren't very religous so for us it's more of a popular tradition lighting the candles than a religious one. I'll think about writing a post but meanwhile here are a couple of articles describing advent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent, http://www.essortment.com/all/adventchristmas_rlfd.htm

[.amanda.]

so super cute! these would be adorable in the spring time too..little pastel colors...

[Barbara]

Here in Italy we decorate the tree, or more traditionally make the crib, on the 8th of December, day of the Immaculate Conception, one of Virgin Mary's appellatives. Or may be it's only in my family...
Anyway there's also a strictly religious tradition about Advent, not so widespread among non-religious people like me. But I bought an Advent Calendar for my nephew: hope he will like it as much as I do!

[Barbara]

And we dismantle anything on the 6th of January, after the Magi (or the Epiphany, more tipically) have come!

[Amy Herbst (Herbst Handmade)]

Such a pretty photo.. and the mushrooms are so clever!

[Lourdes]

They look great! So light and refreshing! Thanks for sharing!
Love your blog, btw.
xo,
Lourdes
Please feel free to stop by my blog if you have a moment. Thanks!
http://lajolielavie.wordpress.com

[Noga]

Hi Benita!
Such a refreshing and lovely set up!
It looks very much like our Hanukia... with some differences.. In Hanuka holiday We eat Sufganiot, Which are donuts filled with Jam. Do you have special dishes for this holiday?

[Carlos]

Most people over here have their first glass of "glögg" on Advent first. Glögg is mulled wine and you have raisins and almonds in it.

[Jesse Lu]

I can't believe I missed first advent. Moreover I can't believe I didn't receive a phone call from my mum to remind me. It must be one heck of a semester for me to forget advent. Thanks for the lovely reminder, Benita!

[Noga]

It must make it a very happy holiday!

[Genie]

Hello!
I have to say that, no matter how tired I am, how crafted out I might be, I am still inspired for more creative goodness when I see the things you do. My inspiration for the past 2 weeks has been this advent candle holder with the sweet mushrooms. Where did you get the white planter/vase? I thought Ikea, but after a visit, I wasn't able to find it. Will you share?

[Carlos]

I'm sure they had them at IKEA, but maybe they were all out, I often get that with their holiday stuff, they never seem to get enough. I bought my candle holder at a local department store and you can really get them in ALL the stores over here in November. Sorry you wewn't able to find one. Maybe you could try making one? A rectangular container, candle holders from a craft store and the appropriate glue?!