Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Do you send Christmas Cards?

A few days ago I was watching a local station’s morning show. They were talking about Christmas Cards and whether it was still a good idea to send them anymore, or if it was just a waste of paper… since supposedly in our high tech world everyone is connected all the time and knows everything you are doing anyway. They cautioned that you wouldn’t want to annoy anyone with too many pictures of your kids or bore anyone with a lengthy holiday newsletter. They advised that if you type the message then be sure to hand write the address (as if your holiday cards are so critically scrutinized!) to make it more personal.

I’m curious. Who are these overly critical people who are annoyed with a friendly gesture to stay in touch and wish them a happy holiday season? I’d be happy to take you off my mailing list. I, for one, LOVE Christmas cards. They are one of my favorite treats of the holiday season…especially if they have pictures, and even if you are my Facebook friend. It’s like a present every time I get one in the mail. I proudly display them in my home throughout the holiday season… and yes, I’ve been known to keep my favorites in a photo album that shows the growth of my friends and their families over the years. Just try to bore me with the cute things your kids are saying. Go ahead and brag about every milestone. You won’t find a more appreciative recipient than me.

Because I love to receive Christmas cards, I also send them every year and I’ve been thinking a lot about what card I’ll send this year. I’ve vowed not to put it off until mid-December when it is impossible to get them printed and sent before Christmas. In my search I came across a wonderful offer from Shutterfly: 50 free photocards for bloggers. I had to check it out, and was even more excited when I saw the vast offering of well designed cards they have this year. Here are few of my favorites (click on the images to link to Shutterfly).

Last year we didn’t have time for a formal family portrait, so I ended up making a collage of photos taken throughout the year. I spent a lot of time designing a custom layout, and wish I’d seen this option then:

This year we do have a recent family picture so this card with the option for more pics and individual updates inside might be the perfect fit:

Or this one, where the photo is the focus and the design is fresh and uses non-traditional color-scheme?Two of my daughters were born in the late fall so our Christmas card was mostly a birth announcement. How perfect would this layout be for that?

This one is just interesting to me… perfect for my friends who were married at the beach this year… or for another special black and white portrait.

I have to admit that it has been a number of years since I’ve ordered my cards from Shutterfly. Check them out. I think you might be as surprised as I was by the overwhelming number of classy choices they have.

While you’re at it, put together a calendar for all the grandparents in your life. It's one of the best Christmas presents for family I can think of. I’ve loved both giving and receiving photo calendars over the years, but I have to say this one, with the option of adding special dates and photos within the calendar itself is a step up from what I’ve done in the past:

2 comments:

Liz said...

I plan on sending them! I get a ton with the picture package I always buy at Christmas, so I'll be sending those.

Lexi and Jordan said...

I LOVE receiving Christmas cards. I hang them up as part of my Christmas decor.

I even enjoy sending them out every year in the beginning of December (usually around the 1st). I always include a photo as part of the card. Letters are wonderful too, but I rarely get around to doing them.

If you want to be on my list, email me your address:
steph_law@hotmail.com