Countdown to Christmas?

I didn't do any sewing today (instead I went up to town, shopped in Oxford Street and had a rather nice lunch with DH - what a hardship!) but I did dig out the advent calendars - I know it's a day early, but I needed to make sure I had all the bits and bobs. (I do, whew!)

As last year, Sarah doesn't have a "pocket" calendar (where you get a little gift each day), but Olivia still does (house rule is 8 years old, decided by me last year as I couldn't face the thought of making another advent calendar with pockets - and anyway, she's too old for it) and of course, Alex does, so those two are hanging upstairs, Olivia's in the hallway at the foot of the stairs to her room and Alex's on his door.
Sarah made a big cardboard tree last year (18 inches high or so) and we cut out shapes from old Christmas cards, so she'll have something to add to each morning (plus she has a chocolate one from Oxfam) and of course, I have my quilted one.

I made this two years ago (so this is its third outing) - I photographed it with all the slots full, but of course it's empty now and will have one picture added each day until Christmas day. The slots have little tabs in the corner, like old-fashioned photograph albums and you can put the pictures in in whatever order you like. I also have three more little pictures upstairs which need to be finished off - quilted and edged - so this year, there will be extras to choose from. The pictures are all about 4 inches square, finished, and are foundation paper pieced.

Can't remember where the pattern was from - will dig that info out tomorrow/later and see if there's a link to it - it's a very nice pattern, though I adapted it a bit. The three new pictures for this year are from another source, though. The intention (ha) is to add one or two each year until I either run out of ideas or get bored. I'd like to add a few English things (it was an American or maybe Canadian pattern) like a Christmas pudding and a Chrismas cracker, for instance, even if it means drawing the pattern up myself.