Tuesday, November 2, 2010

It's the most wonderful time of the year - Christmas card time

One of my favorite things about the holidays is the sending and receiving of Christmas cards. I love the whole aspect of taking the girls somewhere and taking numerous pictures. I love picking out the perfect picture. And I love designing the perfect card. I love mailing them out - usually the day before Thanksgiving. And then checking the mailbox to see the cards from friends. Once the season is over, I love scrap booking them all together for the perfect holiday memory. I even take a picture of my girl scout troop, which we then make into a photo card and send to the families of the girls for a holiday surprise!

The last few years, I have had my cards designed with the help of a friend and printed through a third party company. This year, I cannot pass up going back to Shutterfly for my Christmas cards. The hard part this year will be choosing the perfect background for my cards. There are so many to choose from, it's going to be tough to decide!

I love this card for the simplicity of it. A happy family picture all tied up with a neat little bow that says Merry Christmas. Simple yet elegant. I also like how there is plenty of room inside to personalize it for my family.


I also like for my cards to have the date on them. While I scrapbook the one's I receive, I know other people may not. In reality, most people probably chuck them after the holidays (although I hate to think that after all the work that goes into them). Other may put them in a box - to save or look at in the future. I like to look back and remember when the picture was taken. I like this particular card because it has room for three pictures and I have three daughters. And while I'd LOVE to say that they take perfect pictures, it is a royal pain to get the perfect picture of the three of them - one where they are all smiling and looking at the camera, not making goofy faces or giving each other bunny ears. Sometimes it's just easier to take individual pictures and have them on the card. I love the contrast of browns and greens with Christmas cards. It's warm and homey and almost any picture fits.


I like to try to include a yearly note with my pictures. But in reality, I can never narrow the list for the year down. I also never get around to printing it as well as my cards. So normally, if I complete a letter, it never gets printed. This card takes care of both. I love how you can share the highlights of the year with your friends and family as well as wish them a Merry Christmas!

One of the reasons I went to using a different company in the past was I like to have my cards printed on heavy card stock with a matte finish. While I like the glossy photo pictures, my preference is the heavy card stock. And I could never find one that fit my needs. With hundreds of designs to choose from available on the heavy card stock at affordable prices, Shutterfly has met my needs this year.

As to what background we will pick for our holiday cards this year, you'll just have to wait and see!

This post was written as a promotion for Shutterfly. I will be receiving 50 FREE cards this year. For more information on how you can get 50 FREE holiday cards from Shutterfly, click here.