There's Still Time to Become an Advent Addict!

 Every year in December, I go a little nutty--as soon as the year's advent calendar lists come out. I suddenly find myself playing "musical groups" daily--switching groups in and out of my list, depending on where I am on the grid. (Those who have had to do it know what I'm talking about.)

Is it greed? Maybe a bit. 

But I prefer to think of it as allowing that little kid to come to the surface whose eyes grew huge at the mystery of what was to arrive on Christmas day. The participants each year give me a bit of opportunity to again feel that excitement of "loot." Even though I must get rid of whatever I won't possibly use, there's still the act of opening things and ooh-ing and ahhh-ing over the generosity of so many creative people. And it's that feeling that brings me back each year, doing my daily quests of hopping 'round the grid, picking up goodies.

Though there are other lists dedicated to the yearly advents, I tend to stick with the one I discovered first--FabFree's. This year's published list was exceptionally long--longer than years' past. Even with cutting out what felt like a lot, my checklist was still right at 100 locations! 😵 Of course, I didn't get to everything every day--and thanks to the time differences on some calendars (European time vs. SLT), I missed out on some things, but I'm not complaining. This year's haul has been AMAZING. Some old faves rocked it again this year (too many to mention here), but I also have discovered some new (to me) stores. That's another beautiful thing about advents--some of my favorite designers, I found while hopping around gathering goodies. 

Each year, some advents stand out. Some are because of the items they offer (it's a good thing I don't often use voice in SL, or I'd rattle the eardrums of anyone unlucky enough to share a sandbox with my squees!). Others though, it's because of their display design. It's those I try to capture each year to look back on fondly. (This is not to say that others weren't awesome--there's only a handful that scream, "take a picture, why don't you?!?")

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Here's my roster:

I've been visiting the advent at Formanails for years, even before I had mesh fingers--their display is always a delicious diversion.

I stumbled upon the advent at Fatal Fashion totally by accident this year, but I liked the combo of the glitzy gold with the black of the chalkboard.

Entice hosted another double advent tree this year--one for group members and one for non-members.

Ebento has to be one of the most popular of the calendars. Each day features multiple gifts from a variety of SL's best designers. This year they repeated last year's design--bright red dates scattered around the event square. 

I thought DSR's board was cute and original, featuring the color scheme of their tree with mixed days of gifts for both group members and non-members.

Divia's Home and Garden continued their tradition of advent gifts that all work as one (the pieces connect to create a larger giftie). 

CMD made another strong showing this year--their advent and its many goodies played a central focus of their holiday market.

There are gifts under a tree at Celestina's? I'm there!

Byrne's glowing red tree-shaped calendar has gained attention from several visitors, including this little grey guy in a Santa hat. 

BellaBee Designs used quaint cottage displays to house their numbered presents.

BabyMonkey's 12 Days of Christmas display featured coordinated salmon pink packages on a gilded display tree. 

Applique Chic creatively used a holiday backdrop meant for photo taking to set the stage for their advent calendars--for men and women. (I've always thought their gift tower trees were adorable!)

7 Deadly S[k]ins advent display went rustic this year, with gifties in brown paper and raffia. The advent was the centerpiece of a number of daily specials and free items for group members. 

Yasum and Baboon continued their tradition of partnering on advents, hosting two in a single location. They also tend to have a whole scene set up for visitors to enjoy, not just the calendars themselves. The teleport is a bit tricky to find, unless you know what you're looking for--but you're in for a treat when you get there!

Tiptoes was a new one for me this year, but their advent house was adorable!

Sapa went with an understated calendar for their advent (understated is right--I walked right past it several times the first night!). But this subtle touch works perfectly with the style of the rest of their decor.

Minimal went with a traditional tree holding numbered gold stars. Previous days were placed beneath the tree in packages so group members who missed a day had the option to purchase.

I absolutely adore Meva's glam approach to their advent. Their store is mostly in black and silver so their use of pink on the advent (blue on the men's) really makes it pop!

Meander's Dreaming December display isn't technically an advent, though it works the same way. Each day, a new special deal is revealed (so far, they've been between 1-50L).

Justice went with casual elegance for their advent display, featuring a black calendar set off with presents in muted colors and trees made of golden lights. There was one little "employee" of the store I'm going to miss dancing with (see below).

Jumo continued their glamorous display this year, set off with large shining gold trees. Each day, a star ornament stuffed with something gorgeous appears next to that day's number.

The advents at Hope's Creations are always a must for me. Year after year, they're adorable! This year their advent grew to fill a whole room of the shop. It was a kawaii-esque wonderland for anyone who likes pastel colors. :)

 

!gO traditionally puts together a detailed interior scene for their advent (or at least the years I've been visiting them they have). This year was a bit of a departure--instead of warm colors, they went with this gorgeous display of black and glowing light gold. 

Glitter's advent this year featured village pieces against a starry background in bronze and browns. The bright red date numbers really stood out in a striking way (making it much easier to find and click for goodies!).

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If you haven't participated in the advents so far this year, there is still some time. Most end on the 24th but some run until the new year. Lybra is going against the grain this time--their advent starts on December 25th and goes through the traditional 12 days of Christmas, ending on January 5th. 

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On a personal note, last year, when my mother was in hospice and at her worst, health-wise, the advents and fantastic displays in Second Life became my escape. When I hadn't the energy to decorate our real-world home much, I valued the cheer and festive decor in SL all the more. This being our first Christmas without her, Second Life has come to my rescue again, allowing me a diversion, if only for a bit. It's also helped with being cooped up thanks to local Covid rates. For that, there's no way to express enough gratitude to the designers and shops that participated. 

Merry Merry!!!  XOXOX