Yes, the sepia photo below is our Christmas card photo.
I have mentioned before the struggle I go through getting the cards our each Christmas season. First, is getting the right photo of the kids. I am extremely picky and my kids are extremely difficult when it comes to photo time. It is rare to have a group photo turn out right. I have taken hundreds, maybe thousands of photos of them together and I have maybe a handful that are good. For some reason they just don’t cooperate. They have been this way since the very beginning too.
Then there is the issue of the card. I love cards, but it is expensive to provide the card, the photo and the letter printed on pretty Christmas paper. Usually I do the photo cards at Costco and call it good. Some years I add a letter. This year I made my cards, included a photo inside and added a short letter on a half sheet with 12pt type. Only my out of town people get a letter. I don’t want to bore those who know every aspect of my life already.
I send out at least 60 cards. I don’t know about you, but when I send out cards, I kind of expect the same number in return. It never happens. Why is it I feel obligated to send out cards to people, including family, even those we hardly know, and each year we don’t hear back from these same people? I spend all this energy, money, and angst on Christmas cards and yet for some reason I just can’t let go of sending them.
I want to simplify Christmas. Not sending out cards would certainly help in that department. Well, I think I have come up with a solution for my next year. I am going to send my cards out on Valentines Day. Usually there is nothing going on in February except dreaming of a warm dry day. I will have plenty of time to devote to creating the perfect card, with the perfect photo. I will have eliminated the stress at Christmas and I will likely only receive 5 cards. Oh well. If you have similar struggles with the card issue and need a good laugh, head over here and read about a Christmas card rating system. It is brilliant.
Susan
Ah, cards…. the first few years of our marriage I handmade them, and enjoyed that. The last few years I’ve bought them for lack of time. Mine went out very late this year, although hopefully my in the USA people at least will get theirs by Christmas! (Did you get yours yet?) I usually send out an email newsletter and Christmas greetings to our email list, and only about 45 cards. I know what you mean about pictures- my kids just don’t cooperate either. I wanted to try to get a nice one this year but I ran out of time so we just used one from our trip. It wasn’t my favorite, but I figure people don’t really care, they just like to see the kids! I think the bottom line is that sending out cards should be a joy, not some obligatory chore! I think your idea of sending out something at another time is a good one.
By the way, I thought your card was beautiful, and I’m impressed that you made it. (Since card-making isn’t your “thing”!)
I’ll see you this evening!
hey! I can’t see the card?! What am I doing wrong?
february! actually a great idea. i love getting mail anytime of the year. hey, where did you find the background here on your blog. the wheat? did you do it or someone else?
I KNOW! This year I sent out 45 cards, and so far we’ve received 17. Some of the differences make sense: I send to my MIL, SIL, and FIL even though they never send cards, and I’m not going to take them off the list. But others? I think some people don’t enjoy the card tradition, and I try to be understanding, but I LOVE CARDS AND WANT LOTS!
Hi Sus,
To some people cards are more important. They used to be really important to me, but I let it go. When they were important to me, I always sent more than I received.
I guess you could stop sending cards, or you could think of it as sending a little bit of God’s love someone else’s way…which sometimes is appreciated but not necessarily reciprocated. We didn’t do cards this year. Last year I think I only sent to people who sent to me. This year I only got letters from close relatives and friends and they already know I’m not sending any. I used to think if I didn’t get one back they didn’t love me. Now that I belong to the unreciprocator’s club, I know it is not true. We do love card senders! We just don’t get our act together as well, or choose to leave it out for the promotion of peace within our homes!! So that’s my lame excuse.
I got my hair cut today. I put the picture on my blog, and my braces can be seen too. The tree in background has been loved to death already, and stripped of most the candy canes.
Merry Christmas Susan, enjoy making the new house homey!
Love,
Jen
Susan, I for one LOVED my card from you! You have a beautiful, beautiful family.
But I totally get your stress. This year goes on record as the lowest cards received ever. I thought it was moving…and people didn’t know our address.
But, I think it is bigger than that. We changed churches. We “lost” many of our former church friends.
And then, there is my mom. She has always gotten a ton of cards, and hers are down this year as well. She thinks it is the economy. And, well, when you think it costs you almost $1.00 to send TWO cards, just for postage alone, then it might be a good guess?
Merry Christmas anyway!
This Christmas, because I’m so far behind with everything…I’m sending my cards for New Years!! The benefit is that, I can send a calendar that people will keep all year….they can put it up in the bathroom or on the fridge…it’s helpful and an easy gift to send. Also, I can send New Year’s wishes and I’ll probably be the only mail received….
I have over a hundred cards to send….I have an automated system, I even have my lists in groups….I’ve just been busy with customers and other networking and social events. I’ll send them next week!!
Enjoy your holidays!!
Oh gosh, it is like you are reading my brain! I have gotten to the point now where I don’t send cards out to people who do not respond in kind anymore. Or at least email me once in awhile! KWIM?
My children will sit, but my son will never smile just do a plain face (not scowly) and they both must endure the baby screaming and careening as she desperately tries to escape their laps while I hope to catch just one picture of them all looking somewhere in the direction of the camera and not looking completely out of control. It has something to do with me having the camera out??? Because they can manage to behave all the rest of time! LOL!
What a beautiful family!
Hugs,
Amanda
GREAT way to send cards (not only at Christmas time, but anytime you need to send a greeting card).
Check out the website: http://www.easy2sendcards.com
You send out “real” greeting cards (not e-cards) right from your computer. You can add your own handwriting, signature, photos, etc. and make your own custom cards right from where you’re sitting now!! And the cards are NOT expensive. With postage, they cost less than a dollar to send.
Pretty cool twist on the traditional greeting card process!!
Barb