happy 2013

It's 2013! A rainy morning in Amsterdam, the streets lined with the evidence of last night's firecracker extravaganza. Marcus and I are usually in Portland or Berlin for New Year's Eve and it was our first time celebrating in Amsterdam. In lieu of a party, we had a quiet celebration with cheese fondue, champagne, and an intense game of Scrabble. As the clock struck midnight, we stood together at the window, watching the fireworks bursting above and sang along with Sufjan Stevens' Auld Lang Syne.

And now, on to the New Year. If you're still looking for a calendar, I would recommend this one from aprons and birds, available in English and Spanish for the northern and southern hemispheres.

The Advent of the Holidays

Tomorrow the month of December begins, along with one of my favorite holiday traditions: the advent calendar. Although the advent calendar of my childhood will always remain my ideal, there are many inventive and creative designs that makes the advent calendar more than just another decoration. The calendar above, by David Fussenegger, is one example.

The Eric Carle Dream Snow pop-up advent calendar.

The Könecke Advent Sausage, designed by Butter, is truly German.

Noix de Coc advent boxes that can have left two sides of the box blank for custom designs (via Bodie and Fou).

A DIY Beer advent calendar.

And Modern Cottage's calendar made from an antique type drawer.