Ana's Advent Calendar and the Elf in the Corner

It all started with the painting of the Elf in the Corner.  (Naughty Elf!!!)  

Naturally, all the other elves in Mrs Claus' kitchen blamed each other. Katie said it was Ana and Ana said it was Minelle, and Minelle stamped her foot and also said it was Ana, and Cat said it could have been either of them.  Or, of course, it could have been Cat. Or Terps.  Or Sue.

I just kept my head down and my smug smile to myself...  (Well, wouldn't you when you knew that one of the prizes on offer is a Wooden Spoon and Spatula Set!) I just got on happily helping Mrs Claus mix up her Christmas puddings. (Smug smile!) I'm a good elf, I am. (Ha!)

In fact I'm so good I will now present the evidence.  

Now, naturally you have to imagine the "back view" of knickers that have been pulled down in order to spank the elf!  However, I am sure you will agree that my knickers, which are in the final picture, do not resemble the spotty knickers worn by the red-bottomed elf, in the slightest!

So, who does that leave around here with spotty knickers?  Hmmmm.... 

Do you member, if you were lucky, having an advent calendar as a child?  The traditional kind had small, perforated paper windows to open for each day of December.  Each day’s window revealed a small surprise.  Usually it was a piece of chocolate or candy.  I never had one, but I envied the children who did.  Guess what?  We’re going to have an Advent Calendar, but we’re going to do it my way!

How will the advent calendar work, Ana style?  There will be rules.  Of course there will be rules.

• Sign up!  Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you are a winner!  This will ensure that I track your comments to give you credit for each day that you play.  If you have any trouble leaving a comment, please let me know immediately by email.  If you do not sign up, you will not get credit for your entries!
• Play daily.  Leave a comment responding to a post or answering a daily Advent Calendar question.  Only one comment per post will count as an entry, but you are welcome and encouraged to leave additional comments as part of the conversation.
• Check for the winner list on Christmas Day!  Those who participate the most will win!

Yup, that’s it!  Oh, you want more rules?  Well, if you insist.  

• Surprise Checks!  Prizes will be awarded during random “surprise checks” throughout the month.  It may be the first person to post on a certain day, a randomly selected commenter on a randomly selected day, the first person to mention a secret word, or anything else.  Surprise!
• Perfect Attendance award!  Everyone who comments every day (by midnight EST on the day of each post) of the month will win a small surprise.
• Free book days!  A few authors will be offering one or more books free on select days in December.  Check for details on the blog throughout the month.

Grand Prizes

• Kindle Fire or Nook HD (winner’s choice), donated by Blushing Books
• 2014 VIP discount to Loose Id, donated by the same
• Wooden spoon and spatula set, donated by Katie
• Knitted jingle bell slippers, donated by Celeste Jones (US only)

• $50 gift certificate to Blushing Books, donated by the same
• $50 gift certificate to Adam and Eve, donated by Kate Richards
• $25 gift certificate to Blushing Books, donated by Penelope Hasler
• $20 gift certificate to HoneyBaked Ham, donated by Yong Takahashi
• $5 gift certificate to Amazon, donated by Fallen Over Book Reviews
• $5 gift certificate to Amazon, donated by Elise Lansing

Book Prizes

Becoming a Lady and Marked by the Alpha by Adaline Raine

Spank Camp by Alice Dark

Ruby Rose (two copies) by Alta Hensley

Fever Dream by Annabel Joseph

Becoming Clissine, Simple Gifts, and The Vengeance of Mrs. Claus, and The Way Home by Anastasia Vitsky

Still, Guarding Hope, and Ivan’s Captive Submission by Ann Mayburn

The Solicitation by Bella Bryce

Destiny’s Chance by Cara Bristol

Lady Katherine’s Comeuppance and Lady Katherine’s Conundrum by Celeste Jones

Toy Run by Charley Descoteaux

The Grass is Greener by Constance Masters

L’Amore Perfetto and Budde Bear Quilt Top Pattern by Cynthia Kimball

Wraith’s Heart (US & Canada only) and Nowhere for Christmas by Donna Steele

Claiming One and Tell Me (How to Write) A Story: Good, Basic Advice for Novices Ready to Write by E.J. Runyon

Explorations: The First Notebook of Emily Orn Wilkes, Secret Countess of Wessulk by Emily Tilton

Correspondence Hall of Shame by Erica Scott

Valkyrie Chronicles: Return of the Asgard and Karaoke Queen (Music of the Soul) by Erik Schubach

Time of Grace by Gabriella West

South Sea Siren (two copies) by Heather Geoffries

Santa Spanks! by Holla Dean

Bella Rosa by Jade Cary

Alien Adoration and Alien Lover by Jessica E. Subject

Magic of the Loch by Karen Michelle Nutt

Spanking Ms. Whitman by Kate Richards

Acting Lessons by Kathryn R. Blake

The Gate and Sharp Bite of Pleasure by KT Grant

The Story of M: A Seduction, The Story of L: An Odyssey, and The Story of L:

Enlightenment by LA Cloutier

Little and Loved and Michael and Jenna’s Christian Domestic Discipline Marriage by Leena Darling  

Lonesome Oak Ranch and Living the Dream by Leigh Smith

Demon Soul by Linda Hamonou

Coming, Ready or Not! Three Tales of Tease and Denial (two copies) and The Journal (two copies) byLiv Honeywell

No Flag (two copies) and Mine (two copies) by Liz Borino

All-Girls Academy and A Date with The Death by Louisa Bacio

A French Affair by Lucy Felthouse

Everything Christmas by Maddie Taylor

Forbidden Deception by Mahalia Levey

Aspen Meadows (two copies) by Mila Kerr

Aching To Submit, Taken By The Beast, and Captive’s Desire by Natasha Knight

Dreaming in Blue and Her Moonlight Lover by Olivia Starke

Hold My Hand and Touch My Heart by Paloma Beck
Correcting Kathy and The Winner: Romantek Book One by Patricia Green

Christmas Joy and Tyler’s Resolution by Patty Devlin

Tie Me Free by Sandra Bunino

Desire and Deception by Sharon Buchbinder

Bound for Disappointment (two copies) by Sheri Savill

A Hell Hound’s Fire and The Beltane Witch (two-book set) by Siobhan Muir

Taking Chances by SJ Maylee

Hanna’s Awakening (five copies) and Christmas With the Professor (five copies) by Sue Lyndon

Master-bation, At Sir’s Command (The Torn Series: Book 1) by Suzy Ayers

Mastering Maeve and My Naughty Little Secret (four copies total, reader’s choice) by Tara Finnegan

Twice as Nice: Anya’s Tale and Erotic Shorts, Volume III by Thianna D

Betrothed to Mr. Darcy by Violet Bedford 

Taking Control and Catching Death by Virginia Nelson

Immoral: Tales of a Vampire Hunter and Amaranthine Rain by Zander Vyne

Surprise Day Sponsors

Dinah McLeod

Leigh Ellwood

Kathryn R. Blake

Maren Smith

Renee Rose

Tara Finnegan

AND THE MOST EXCITING PRIZE OF THE LOT?!

TO CELEBRATE ST KNICKERLESS DAY - 6TH DECEMBER - YOUR VERY OWN AMI STARSONG IS GIVING AWAY A PAIR OF KNICKERS!  

THEY ARE VERY PRETTY KNICKERS YOU JUST WON'T BE ABLE TO WAIT TO BE SPANKED IN! (SEE THE KNICKERS WORN BY THE NAUGHTY ELF IN THE CORNER?)  WELL, JUST LIKE THOSE!

YES, OKAY, I ADMIT, JUST  LIKE THE SPOTTY PAIR ABOVE...  (Now let me run for the hills!!! Shriek!!!)

Ana and I had a lot of fun talking "knicker talk" the other day.  She said that she could just imagine my conversation with Dan.

"Honey, can I have some money for a prize, plus postage?"

"What for?"

"Well, I want to send a pair of knickers."

"Ami, no!  Do you know what kind of sick people will come out of the woodwork if you offer that?"

"I don't mean used ones!  Clean ones!  Brand new!"

"That's supposed to make it better?"

"Oh, please let me. It's for Ana's Advent Calendar."

"Why does she want knickers for that?  I don't think you should talk to that girl any more.  She sounds like an odd duck."

"No, Dan, I swear, it's not like that!"

Tee hee!  Odd duck!  Tee hee!  I am just glad Dan doesn't read this banter!  (Do ducks wear knickers?!) 

Artwork by Minelle Labraun

Graphic design by Katie

Just want to say...

Wishing you all a Very Happy Thanksgiving - have a great weekend!

A Little Intermission - Just to Say It's One Year On!

Note the pink collar!  Note the look in Dan's eye! Could it mean a spanking?!  You may be right!

This time last year I received my first spanking.  It was also my first ever Birthday Spanking. It was the beginning of our journey.  I hadn't even had the courage to start a blog - that came  a bit later.  

After all, it had taken me the best part of a couple of weeks to decide that it was now or never.  I'm so glad I decided it was now.  Mind you, I seem to remember hiding under Dan's armpit and suddenly bursting into tears.  He asked me in horror what was wrong, thinking I had decided to leave him, was having an affair etc.  I think he was so relieved when I sobbed out that I wanted him to spank me, that he was willing to do whatever I wanted.  At the time, anyway.

I had blithely assumed that I would become, overnight, a submissive wife; that Dan would reward disobedience, disrespect, dishonesty and dangerous actions with swift bottom-busting spanks and that they would serve as a great deterrent and all in the garden would be lovely - for ever afterwards.

Ha!

I had thought that our road to discovery would look something like this

When in fact, for a great deal of the time, especially over the next few months, it looked like this

and even like this

A bit like wading through the slough of despond!

Happily, we are now out the other side, and whilst there is the occasional obstacle to be overcome

we seem to be able to help each other over it.  So the road ahead now looks something like this

and most of the time the journey is all we had hoped it would be.

Dd/TTWD is a funny thing.  It starts off being one thing, and ends up being something completely different. My advice to anyone just starting would be to put away any preconceptions you have, and to go into this completely open-minded. You may be in for a surprise.  I know we were.

I don't think we have had so many disagreements in the whole of our marriage as we had this last year.

Dan learned quite early on how to use the look.  I did, and still do, tend to have more attitude than is good for me, and frequently ignore it!

But I am trying.  Very trying, as Dan would say!

At some point during the year I finally had to admit to being a spanko.  I couldn't see all my friends nudging each other and shaking their heads.  They all knew I had to find that one out for myself.  

It was a strange conclusion to come to, because as I was saying to one of them recently, Why is it that we love being spanked, but we hate a really intense session - the actual spanks themselves?! They hurt like hell and we wonder why on earth we agreed to it in the first place. Yet the anticipation, if there is a time lag before the spanking can take place, and then the feeling afterwards (red and/or bruised/striped bottoms, soreness, heat, sting, discomfort sitting, plus the mind-blowing surge of endorphins), is the best thing ever!  And the sex! Wow!  

I know that this applies to me, even when the spanking turns out to be of the disciplinary type. I can count on one hand the few occasions when this has proved not to be the case.  In fact, if for any reason a spanking is delayed - I am like a well-shaken bottle of lemonade! As Dan knows to his cost.  And as my bottom knows to its cost as well! Yet those endorphins still surge!

This year I have made more genuine friends, who I email with, speak with on the telephone, and have even met up with, than I would ever have believed could be possible.  My throat gets all chokey at the thought.  So while I am about it

A GREAT BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL!!!! ESPECIALLY FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT, POSITIVE THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS FOR DAN!!!!

Little did I realise when Dan suggested I read Fifty Shades of Grey (Bless him, he had no idea whatsoever what it was about!) just how much our lives were going to be changed.  I will always have a soft spot for those books, and also for their author, despite her bad press!

I have no wish to tell you how many spanks Dan will be giving me tomorrow morning!  Let's just say it will be a significant number.  

But they will be given as an affirmation of his desire to love and cherish me, always. (Love you too, sweetheart!)

And the picture I will leave you with is not of walking off into the sunset.  But of walking into the sunrise.

  Hugs to you all, my dear friends! 

Saturday Snippets (11)

As autumn is now well and truly with us, I thought I'd post a couple of my favourite recipes.  Not sure what to suggest if you live in the sub tropics, (or tropics for that matter) but maybe you could use substitutes?

Rose Hip Syrup

This is a rich source of vitamin C, and is much cheaper to make than to buy.  It is best stored in small bottles.

I have such fond memories of my children making patterns on ground rice pudding of happy faces.  Now I am introducing it to my older grandson, and the little one will get the occasional spoonful when he is old enough as well!

This is what you do:

Take two and a half pounds of ripe red rose hips, wash and remove the calyces.  Put through a mincer (I use a food processor), and then pour on 3 pints boiling water. Put in a pan and bring up to the boil.

Draw aside and stand for 15 minutes. Strain through a jelly-bag or muslin.  

Measure juice and, if more than one and a half pints, boil down in a jam pan until the juice measures that amount. Add one and a quarter pounds of sugar, allow to dissolve, then boil hard for 5 minutes.  Bottle and sterilise.  (I usually put a sterilising tablet in my bottles overnight before I use them, or you could warm them in the oven like jam jars).

It keeps all winter and is sooooo delicious!  Dan adores it!

Sloe Gin

Ladies, if you drink too much of this, and there are consequences - don't come running to me!  

Very easy to make - here's how:

Take half a pound of ripe sloes and roll them in a damp cloth to clean them.  Then prick them all over with a needle.  (I get bored with this and so I tend to use a fork, but you only want one or two holes piercing in each sloe!) 

Now you need a bottle of gin (only use cheap gin for this!) and a little over a quarter a pound of granulated (the type you put in your tea) sugar.  Put sloes, gin and sugar in a large jar with a screw top, or a large bottle.  (I make a large amount of this each autumn and I put it in a very large jug then decant it into old gin bottles I have saved during the year.)

Screw the lid on tightly and then every day or two remember to give it a good shake.  Over the weeks you will see it darken to a deep ruby red like Port.

At the end of three months - longer if possible! - strain off the liquid and pour it into clean bottles.

This is best made and kept for a whole year to mature.  So if you make some this year, try to keep some of it to drink next winter.  Once you are making it every year, you will always have plenty.  The longer you keep it (we have some five years old) the better it gets!

A friend sent me this a little while ago, and I have been meaning to post it.  Seems to me that it is very true!  Even though I am on HRT my hormones sometimes go up and down which in turn make my moods go up and down like a whore's drawers!  Can't understand why.  We women are complex creatures! I tried to come off them once, and in the end I was reduced to crawling into the Doc's practically on my hands and knees and threatening him with all sorts of Armageddon unless he renewed my prescription!  

Another friend sent me this gem of a picture.  Don't know where she got it from.

I've done some funny things, but I've never pressure-washed a cow!

Dan is at a soccer match this afternoon, so the house is very peaceful.  I've planted up all my terracotta pots with winter pansies and violas, and I'm feeling very virtuous. I've filled up all the bird feeders, and collected a load of kindling, re-hemmed some new jeans that were a couple of inches too long, written out a load of Christmas cards, and now I am planning on making a load of 'Tiny Cheese, Onion and Olive Scones' to put in the freezer to serve when we entertain during the Christmas period.  The sky outside has turned black and it is going to rain cats and dogs in a minute.  I think I'll make a large latte!

All Dan has to do this coming week (cough!) is to sort out our log pile and get the logs undercover before we start to get snow.  We are lucky because so far the weather hasn't been too bad apart from the gales which keep blowing in from the Atlantic, and as we are on the other side we don't suffer so much.  We do enjoy our crackling log fires in the evenings though. I'm telling you, I'm a reincarnated 'frontier wife'!

I can't remember where I got this from.  I tried to make it bigger but I've already got it on extra-large. I hope you can just about read it.  I thought it was a good note to finish on, and no apologies if I am reproducing something someone else around here posted, because it really puts things into perspective.

See you later alligators!

The Hump-backed Bridges of Starsong Land

In the UK we still have a considerable number of these.

They look very picturesque, but see what happens if you drive over them too quickly:

All four wheels leave the ground!

So when you see a sign like this

it's time to slow down, because any minute now you are going to be crossing a hump-backed bridge!

You are all wondering where I am going with this. 

The fact is that many people around Blogland seem to be encountering hump-backed bridges at the moment - me included.

They come in all shapes and sizes, and the method of approach has to be the same in every case

SLOW!  

Yet it seems to me that time and time again we refuse to obey the rules of the road!

I am sensing a communication difficulty here.

I'm going to start with a couple of little questions.  I should be very interested in your answers.

1  If you are married, and the female in the partnership, did you promise to obey?

2  If not, why not?  

3  If you did, then are you both living up to your promises?  

4  If not, why not?

I know.  It's a toughie.  I know some people here in Blogland who have been practising Dd and TTWD for many years, and yet "obey" never came into it, and I am intrigued as to why.  Because I can't help but see a bit of a conflict situation here - unless you have changed through 360 degrees of course.

I said obey. In turn Dan promised to love and cherish me and guard me with his life. He's done a pretty damn good job of it too considering the hoops I've put him through, although he is still having difficulty with being "openly affectionate".  He still holds a lot inside.

Yet there are things I have always done simply for the love of the man.  Simply because I watched my grandmother do them for my grandfather, and my mother do them for my father.  (I know I am lucky.) 

Such as spend so much time in the kitchen I feel I should've been a frontier wife in a log cabin!  Such as really enjoy doing the laundry and ensuring we have regular changes of linen and our clothing is aired and ironed and presentable.  Such as packing away the dishwasher in the evenings but leaving any food left over, or some snacks such as peanuts, or cheese and celery out on the work surface till bedtime, in case Dan should feel the need.  Such as automatically making Dan a mug of tea whenever I make myself a coffee, even though he sometimes forgets to reciprocate.  

Such as being open-minded about sex and letting him lead the way, but not being afraid of asking him what he would like from me, even if it initially makes me uncomfortable.  Such as being willing to learn and trusting he will stop if I am scared or it hurts.

So the latest gift was Dd/TTWD.  I managed after many false starts, to put into words, to communicate, that I was willing to try my best to truly obey.

I think it has been the toughest part of our marriage so far.  We've had, without question, more rows, more distancing, more problems with attitude, more ups and downs, in such a short time, than I can ever remember.  

But though we are still working on them, the positives so far have been enormous.  We've worked our way through elementary level, and have now embarked on intermediate.  (I think this promises to be quite a long haul!)

And it comes down to the fact that it is communication that is not only the hinge upon which our TTWD hangs, but it is without doubt the most difficult expectation we have of each other. 

To be able to look each other in the eyes and really communicate.  Not just talk.  Not just say the things we want to hear each other say.  But utterly mean them.   It's so, so difficult!

There have been times we have reached stand-off.

These times have been awful.  Destructive.  They've placed us both in a "lose lose" situation instead of "win win". 

I've stated before that probably the most effective discussions for us, take place when I am over Dan's lap, and he reinforces his words with spanks!

But this is not always feasible, nor helpful, as there have been occasions when I would willingly promise the world and everything in it just to get him to stop! 

So we do have to purposely ensure we take the time to sit and do nothing other than talk.  This is where Willie has mentioned the "lump in the throat".  I can vouch for it.  Or your mouth suddenly seems full of cotton wool.

What we don't want is this situation

The scowl, the tight jaw, the pointy finger.  Bad.  Very bad!

We need to be more like this

We need to be able to reach out to each other.  To be able to fully explain our feelings.  To listen, and be listened to.

If I am nervous, because I know the session is going to be intense - I need to be able to explain this to Dan without him getting all HOHy and telling me I should just do as I am told.  

If I think he is being inconsistent, I need to be able to tell him so.  If he thinks I am being controlling, he needs to be able to tell me so.  We need to be able to have a discussion without recrimination or hurt feelings.  

I need to be able to explain how I feel without him going into "sulky little boy mode" and he needs to be able to "suggest" things to me without me going into "stroppy, venomous wife mode". 

So in order to drive safely over these hump-backed bridges, we both need to observe the warning signs. 

We are both in this together.  We've seen the benefits, but we need to work harder at our communication skills.  It doesn't just come from one of us.  But from both of us.  

I suppose only time will tell.

Don't forget those questions I asked you. I'd love to know your answers. Of even how you feel about the whole "obey" word.  

Remember the hump-backed bridges! It's good to communicate!