My sister's amazing Christmas present

I never got round to doing a post-Christmas book post, which is a shame because I got some lovely books that I'm really looking forward to reading, plus one or two bookish gifts that I wanted to share!  So I thought maybe I'd just do a really late one sometime with a few photos and stuff - what's a week or four between friends, after all?

 

But first, I have to show you my sister's incredible gift to me this year.  Hannah's been amazing this Christmas, making some wonderfully thoughtful presents, including two beautiful scrapbooks and a set of hand-made, hand-decorated scented bags with lavender from our back garden.  Even so, I had no idea that she had anything lined up for me!  And then, on Christmas afternoon, she gave me this:

 

 

Alarm bells rang.  "Hannah, am I going to cry?" I asked.  "Noooo!" she said as she got her video camera trained on me.  "I'm going to cry, aren't I?"  "Noooo, just open it!"  And I did.  And I burst into tears.  And she got it all on video, but I didn't mind, because I was too busy trying to see through the wall of water across my retinas to read this, perched in a nest of tissue paper in the top of the box:

 

 

In case you can't see it very well, it says:

 

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS 2012!! 

So here's how this works - there are 370 cards in the box (5 for today and one for every day up to Christmas next year) with something different on each one.  It might be something funny, something cute or something motivational, something to be proud of or something else entirely!  Every day you should pick one out and remember that you always have a reason to smile - this is just getting you started!"

 

When I take the folded tissue off the top every morning, I see this:

 

 

Isn't that amazing?  I have the best frickin' sister in the universe, I swear.  I'm only a few days in but already the sheer enormity of what she's created is becoming apparent.  Here, for example, are a bunch of the cards I've picked out so far when I've gone lucky-dipping into the box each day:

 

 

I've had brilliant funnies, profound pictures, some of my favourite book quotes that I've included in the 'Notable Quotables' section of my blog reviews over the last couple of years, and a handful of super-cute photos from when I was little.  I mean, seriously...

 

 

It's such a heartwarming thing to look forward to each morning, and Mum and Hannah have been asking me eagerly every evening which card I've picked that day!  I've been writing the day number on the back of each one as I go, and tucking them together on top of the tissue paper to separate them out from the ones I haven't seen yet.

 

I just love it, and I'm sure there'll be more teary moments yet as more beautiful sentiments and cute photos emerge from the box!  I can't wait.  :)

**UPDATE** - The day after I posted this I got what may be the best photo in the history of all photos ever as my card for the day.  My sister, aged 22, had taken my (large) Nemo cuddly toy to the dentist with her and HAD HIS PHOTO TAKEN ON THE CHAIR.  The dentist is sitting on one side looking down at him and 'consulting his notes' and the lovely assistant (who's been there since I started going and yet looks younger than ever) is grinning like this is her best day at work EVER.  HOW FRICKIN' AWESOME IS THAT.  As soon as I can get a copy of this photograph I'll add it here, just for the laughs!

 

Thank you Hannah, you're the best little sister a girl could wish for! xxx