Decorating for Advent

Since yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent, I have been changing the decorations in the house. We bought a wreath for the dining room table and put together the Advent wreath. I love walking through the dining room smelling fresh cut evergreens; I'm looking forward to Christmas so we can put up the tree and get even more piney goodness in the house.
Since I only decorate for Advent during the majority of December the mantle is a little sparse with just the Nativity and some pinecones. Because the wallpaper is red and the woodwork is dark, I have been feeling like the pinecones were getting a little lost and needed a little extra something. I had been contemplating glittering them, but I kinda hate glitter. The few things I have been given with it seem to spread to all the far corners of the house. I asked for some advice and suggestions on thenest yesterday and one woman admitted that glitter is "the herpes of the arts and crafts"! I thought was very well put. Some suggestions were spray paint, a clear coat after the glittering, or spray glitter. So today I set out for the hardware store. I feel like a bad Oregonian though. I drove all the way from Sunnyside to Woodstock to go to the Ace hardware store there. I also needed to pick up a few more picture rail hooks for Mr. W's birthday/Christmas present and Woodstock is where I found them before. Unfortunately they didn't have the right finish in the picture hooks or spray glitter. I decided to buy some gold spray paint and do that as a first coat on the pinecones and if I decide that isn't enough I can always add some glitter as a second coat. I stopped at two other stores on the way home, Powell Paint and the hardware store on Division, neither had spray glitter. That must be more of a craft item. I just desperately want to avoid the Depot. I can't think of any locally owned craft stores either.
So the pinecones have received their first coat of gold paint and are lining the porch railings. I'll post pics once they are dry enough to bring indoors and set on the mantle.