Flora & Angus

Hello! I am just popping into the Dotty T world to wish you all the best for tomorrow. It's the start of Advent, daily chocolates, double bookings, pantos, school plays, decorations, family squabbles, last minute present buying and frantic Christmas card scribbling. We have already started by testing out the mince pies, something we take very seriously in this household. At least once box from various supermarkets has to be consumed and then we decide which one to buy our 'proper' Christmas mince pies from; such a task!

This year, a little known tradition seems to have exploded in all of the shops here in England. Do any of you know of Elf on the Shelf? The story is that Santa sends his Elves out to 'watch' the children to see who should be on his nice list and get presents under the tree on the big day. The Elves arrive on the first day of December and stay until Christmas Eve when they have to go back to the North Pole and present their report. They are given magic to enable them to move around the house when no one is looking and can get up to all sorts of mischief, but if a child touches the Elf then it loses its magic (and presumably doesn't give a favourable report to Santa)!
I have to admit I don't really like the look of the mass produced Elves for the shelves, but a lady at work makes the most amazingly beautiful fabric Elves, and I asked her if she would mind my adopting two.

Meet.... (pause for effect).... Flora & Angus!!! So cute! They are quite tall and beanpole like, about 40cm tall, and with bags of character. They were hiding in a white bag on the bus home, peeping cheekily at me through the gaps in the handles. The attention to detail is quite amazing, from the fur trims around their hats and boots, the carefully sewn hair and pert noses, the removable outfits, bells on their toes and the hand sewn bobble trim on Flora's skirt- they are quite the best Christmas Elves ever!

I am planning on doing my own Dotty T style Elf on the Shelf, and will keep you updated with the mischiefs this cheeky pair get up to. Let me know if you have your own little Elf visitors!!