2010 Christmas Card Reveal

This year's card was from Tiny Prints:
Front

Inside Left

Holiday Message

Back

 A couple of things that I love about this card are:

• the story that it tells about our family, its early beginnings & what we enjoy doing together~read more below
• it sounds crazy but I love the gate fold (the fold is along the left, opens like a book)
• the ability to use so many pictures
• being able to choose from so many fonts & creating my own custom greeting
• all of our legs outstretched, especially Ana's! Yes, she has super long legs like her Daddy!

 **This is a very low light day here in the Midwest! The pics do not accurately portray the level of photo quality, which is very good. I tried with flash, without flash & in different settings & this was the best I could come up with.**


The Story of This Card
The story of this card is 17 years in the making! The first day I met my husband, we biked 20 miles together. It is funny how a bike ride lead us to this incredible life with three children. Although, we don't put in much mileage these days, we do love to ride these bikes at the lake with our family. We bike to the pool. We bike to friend's houses. We go on little excursions. Everyone else uses a golf cart, but we love the simplicity of our "beach cruisers".  I love the baskets for towels & goggles. Hubby likes his drink holder, which is usually occupied by my afternoon Diet Coke. I got the idea to purchase the beach cruisers when I saw a picture of Kim on her bike.

I love getting holiday cards. It is my very favorite thing of the season. It is a chance to connect with others that we care about, but perhaps don't see too often. I love getting photos of family and friends. The kids scream with excitement as they open the cards each day. It is true joy!

Wouldn't you like to see what others are doing for their holiday card? Me too! So here is my first Linky Party!! If you are a blogger and would like to share anything related to your Holiday card, please link to your post below. It could be choosing the photo or card, past cards, or your current card. It could even be a post about procrastination of sending out cards!

Hugs,

 

One Year Blogiversary!

I started this blog one year ago! My first post is HERE. I have learned so much about blogging, my interests and how to connect with others. I am grateful for each & every follower and really appreciate all of the nice comments that people have left in the past year.

I am all about ribbon this time of year. It is probably my favorite element to decorate with! I am crazy about this ribbon & will be using it  everywhere!! Here is my latest find:

In a previous post I mentioned that I have 2 new assignments. One of the assignments is a photo assignment that I am working on & will share with you at a later date. I am photographing an architectural element in our city & have found that the dwindling light from fall into winter is making it challenging to complete it. The great thing about this assignment is that it has no due date. My goal is to share it with you when I feel that I have it completed, which will be sometime before spring. (I hope!)

My second assignment is profiling women in business in our local area. I have been impressed with a number of women who have taken their passion & turned it into a business. You will get a behind the scenes look at how & where they work. Later this week I will be giving you a behind the scenes tour of Lucy's  (the Slipcover Queen) studio. You will love seeing how she turned her garage into a stunning, cozy studio!

These assignments are "self-assigned". I figured that my kids have several assignments which are designed to further their understanding of a subject and that I could do this for myself. I hope you have a self-assignment or two! I would like to hear about yours and if you are still thinking about it, this is a good time of year to stretch your boundaries & work on something new for you!

As I was composing holiday card tips post here, I realized that I didn't have my previous year's Christmas cards all in one box. I am hoping that when I find the kids' memory boxes (safely tucked away in storage, but not visible), that I will have a copy of previous years cards. I did find a good portion of the photos & cards. Following is a tour of our cards (some are just the photo, as I am not digging into the storage room until after the holidays!).

1997~I remember this like it was yesterday. My husband & I were heading to his first company Christmas party & I was a bit nervous to leave my 4 month old with a new babysitter. It turned out that she was a great babysitter & a pretty good photographer , too!

1998~hard to believe that the one with the dimple is now a teenager! She had a choir concert last night & sang like an angel! That chubby baby is now defying gravity with his skiing and wakeboarding. Thus the progression of my wrinkles!

1999~this was taken by my father-in-law. I think my mother-in-law was doing something crazy to get the kids to laugh. It worked. We hung a sheet from our garage door for the back drop. My husband & I developed this photo in our basement that year. I miss our make shift photo lab. I ended up having this printed by a real lab, but it didn't turn out quite as surreal as the photo below. 

2000~We used a piece of black velvet & draped it over a door for this photo. My husband added the red bow. My favorite thing here is how they are holding hands. That doesn't happen anymore! This is a gorgeous card from Exposures. That gold ribbon took forever to weave through the tiny holes!!

2001~Another Exposures card. It had a vellum overlay & ribbon, too. I love this photo~so sweet!

Without the vellum:

2002~we added our third child this year & moved to a new home in December (avoid moving in December, it is only for insane people!!) The baby in this photo, Miss Boo, really did fall asleep! Mr. F. was being a 4 year-old boy & wasn't cooperating, so I thought it was fine that he was in his normal mode of being goofy with his eyes squinched shut! I made this card on my computer & added a phrase inside that said..while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads... The back of the card featured our new address & a photo that I had snapped our new house. 

Back of card (2002)

2003~this is my Mom's favorite photo of the kids. I took this one:) I just used a store-bought card & slipped in the photo. 

2004~This is the snow picture! We had snow the day after Thanksgiving & I was able to get it before the snow melted! The kids were ice cold when they came in!! This is also the card where I added that apostrophe & had to have all of the photos re-printed~oops!

2005~I think this is one of my favorites (I cannot pick a favorite since they all hold special meaning to me!) I really wanted a pocket card in 2005, but I couldn't justify the cost. I came up with a way to get the pocket card. I found this beautiful stationery & then printed a photo of the kids that I had taken along with the saying onto the cardstock. I fed the tassel through the hole & looped it & then inserted it into the pocket. The pocket is a pretty bronze color.

The card out of the pocket: The card said BELIEVE and then below the pic, it said ...in thespiritof the season. The font was regular & then spirit was in red & script. 

2006~This was one of the easiest cards ever! We had our photo taken at a local chain photo studio & ordered the cards on the spot. I had my cards ready in September that year!!

2007~I love the color of this card & how whimsical it is! The inside greeting said: Wishing you a bright & cheerful holiday season in pink & green fonts!!



2008~This was my first true digital card, where I sent the photo online. I love how the greenery in the background complements the design of the card.

2009~if you haven't read my recent post about this card, you can go here.

2010~

Sarah over at Clover Lane, just posted a tutorial on how she has recently displayed her cards for Christmas. I love this idea, but will be heading more toward the scrapbooking route, as I have a limited supply of cards.

It is snowing outside and my family is beyond giddy! I am happy that they are giddy. Here we go, winter! This is a recent splurge! I love these *Bogs*. Waterproof.  Warm. Comfy. Colorful.

This one is for all of my family & friends that live where it isn't snowing:

Snow is flying, but we are ready!

I am loving my blogiversary. I am celebrating one year of having fun in blogland!! What are you loving today?
Hugs,
 

Holiday Card Tips

If you are a reader or friend of mine, then you probably know that I am a paper girl. I have my own line of botanical note cards and I also sell several lines of personalized stationery like notepads, wedding invites, baby announcements and holiday cards.  Following is a list to help keep you focused & organized with your holiday cards, so that you can spend time on shopping decorating & cooking.


#1 Choose the photo. I personally think that your holiday card should include a photo. In this day & age you should send a photo along with your well wishes. If including a family photo, make sure you choose a shot where all members look decent. No poles sticking out of heads. Good lighting, please! No closed eyes, unless it is a sleeping baby! One of my cards had a sleeping baby & it turned out adorable! Also, there are so many options of cards, that you can choose individual photos (see below).

#2 Choose your greeting & double check all spelling. If saying the family name, The Marquardts, do NOT add an apostrophe. I did this one year, without thinking, and had to re-do all of my cards, ugh! Always have another pair of eyes check your wording before printing!

#3 Choose your card. Be careful not to let the design of the card overwhelm the photo. The design should complement the photo or help to tell a story.

#4 View the card before purchasing. Online viewing of proofs is very commonplace & yes, you should shell out the extra dough for this. Period. This may lengthen the process of ordering the card, but it is well worth the extra time!

#5 Order a few extra, at least 5-10. If you have leftovers they can go into a Holiday Card Scrapbook or the kids' memory box.

#6 Use a return address, always! You will be surprised how many cards come back to you!

#7 While waiting for your card to be printed, get your mailing list in order & purchase your stamps. I always print my list on paper first. I make edits before printing on labels.

#8 Allow time for assembly & addressing of the holiday cards when they do arrive. Allow time for affixing bows or photos. I use evening tv time for assembly!

#9 Assemble with clean hands in a clean space. Do not assemble while wearing colored nail polish as this can easily rub off!

#10 Do write personal notes to family members. It can be as simple as, "Thinking of you during this holiday season!"

#11 If you include a holiday letter, please do not be too boastful. This turns people off.

#12 Always take the card to the post office (fully assembled) and have it weighed PRIOR to mailing. Last year I had my card weighed before I put on the address label & the weight was fine. Just to be sure I had it weighed againand sure enough I needed more postage!! Who would think that an address label would push it over the limit? I bought more postage & added the stamps while in the post office. I certainly did not need 150 cards coming back to me!!

#13 NEVER mail the card so that it is received before Thanksgiving (that's for my U.S. readers).  The only exception is if it's a Thanksgiving card. That's the only exception!!

#14 Electronic cards do not count. They are better than nothing, but they do NOT qualify as a holiday card. Got me?

Other ideas

• You can send New Year's cards if you cannot get your picture until the holidays. OR you are waiting for the snow pic
• I have a friend that sends a Valentine's card, which is a welcome piece of  mail in February!
• You can  let people know of a new address with a holiday greeting. I love baby announcements with holiday greetings. Or how about a wedding picture with a holiday greeting? They make everyone's heart melt!

Sources for cards

• Your local stationer~allow time to peruse their books & for production & shipping. This is the best way to observe the quality of the card & photo. Also, your stationer can guide you in the myriad of options & details. (read: customer service) 
• Homemade~I have made homemade cards in the past & they take considerably more time than ordering from a source. Just be sure to test your paper & make sure you have loads of extra ink cartridges! Use a bone folder to help fold paper. Purchase your envelopes first, as this can also be a tricky time trap!
• Online sources~be prepared to spend time looking for the right card! I ordered this year's card from *Tiny Prints*. (NO, I am not receiving anything from them). I was very pleased with their customer service (in October) and they exceeded my expectations. I was very happy with their quality & selection, as well. I have used *Minted* in the past & was somewhat disappointed with their service. However their quality is excellent. And perhaps by now, they have added more qualified customer service reps. I have received cards that were from *Vistaprint* & *Mac* & thought that their quality & design were very good.  *The biggest negatives in ordering online is that you cannot feel the weight & quality of the card. If you have time, order a sample.*
• Local~Drug stores & one stop shopping places. I am not a huge fan of their products, however, they do tend to be very budget minded. Try to coordinate your pic with a cute saying that ties the photo to the card. 
• Traditional photo cards~if you are ordering a photo to place on a card (rather than a digital card where the photo is printed directly on the paper), be sure you preview the photo before ordering a large amount. In our smaller city, we are currently without a high quality photo lab that will deal directly with customers. This may not be a consideration if you live in a larger city. 

In a future post I will show you this year's card. Here is our 2009  holiday card that I ordered from *Minted*:

The actual card is grommeted & is a short storybook. 

*Each of the photos of the kids was cropped to take advantage of the Peace, Love, Joy story here. I sacrificed a bit of the photo quality to get the story~a tradeoff~ 

*The family photo is a bit unique, but if you are a boater you can appreciate this. It is almost impossible to get a shot of your family on your boat, unless it is planned. Many times you are too busy having fun & getting equipment in & out of the boat to care about a family photo. It takes a bit of planning & luck!  This was taken by my friend Tom, who was on their boat, while we were on a trip. Do you see that large rock behind us? Um hmmm, we didn't hit it. Thanks to my husband's quick reactions. Also, there is this other matter called waves & the resulting rocking of the boat. Tricky stuff!

After looking at this card, I am amazed at the changes in my kids in just one year! I think my favorite thing about the holidays is receiving cards from friends & families. I know my whole family is excited to check the mailbox! And yes, we do argue over who gets to open the cards!!

I would love to hear your feelings about holiday cards! Do you love seeing how your friend's & family's lives have changed? Does it make you feel more connected? I am looking forward to the holidays & re-connecting with others via their greetings. I wish I could check the mailbox, but it is too early! One week to go!

(After writing this post I found many of my holiday cards dating back to 2000 and the photos going back to 1998! Would you like to see pictures of my past cards? Including the "eyes closed" photo? )

Hugs,

November 1st, Really?

How can November already be here? I am sure you are feeling the same way...aren't you? In the past few years this has been my busiest time of year. When you sell stationery and personalized Christmas or Holiday cards, as I do, this is THE time of year when all of your business hits. The problem is (at least in my area) that no one wants to think about their card until we get our first snowfall. We have frost now, but we certainly do not have snow! So I prepare for the holidays & work on multitudes of cards & help people design the perfect card. My family suffers as their crazy momma panics while wondering where the UPS woman or FedEx man is?? I pace back & forth the front of the house, just hoping to have a sound or a glimpse of a delivery truck. And then the realization hits, how come my order wasn't delivered? Then I call my suppliers in a frenzy, which in turn leads to another call to my customer. The panic & sleepless nights ensue, until the last order is delivered around December 23rd. (I think my heart rate has jumped  just typing this paragraph.)

Go ahead & ask me. Are your Christmas cards done, Cathy? Why yes, they are! I received them last week (in October).  This probably sounds extremely boastful. It is. Just remember that I started the process in June, which was when I ran into my photographer in Barnes & Noble & booked a family photo shoot. Lucky me!

To keep it real, my house is a mess, and I won't even think about decorating for the holidays until after Thanksgiving. That's how I roll, one holiday at a time. All the while searching for that delivery truck, which won't make it up our driveway in late November & December, due to the snow!

Would you like a sneak peek at the photos that weren't used in the Christmas card? Ok, here are a few:

All photos above are by Aimee Ferguson.

More later on holiday cards. Start thinking about them & then I will write another post on the 

"do's and don't's".

Weekend review

(after volunteering @ school on Friday for my 2nd grader's fun Halloween party)

pick up 3 kids from 3 different schools

drive by apple orchard with windmill for 6th grade science project idea

drop off @ soccer practice

drop teen off at friend's house

dinner out with 4/5 of family

movie @ home with hubby: It's Complicated

drop off teen jr high to board bus for swim meet

buy donuts & birthday card 

 zip to swim meet to watch teen swim fast (fast meet & fast swimming)

lunch @ McDonald's with youngest

quick trip to Wal Mart

pick up teen @ jr high

home to bake triple batch of brownies & appetizer

sort receipts with hubby

take girls to friend's tennis match

go to new neighbor's family party

race to ski resort to join pre-season festivities including bonfire

church

grocery

home to change & then to lake to winterize outdoors

take 8 year old for haircut & shopping @ mall

get pumpkins ready for carving

take pictures

take Miss M's friend home

de-slime pumpkin seeds

bake yummy pumpkin seeds

enjoy awesome fall dinner cooked by hubby

family tv time in snuggle fashion

Wonderful Halloween!

(glad we trick or treated last Thursday!)

Now I know why I am tired today! Here are a few Halloween pics:

End of "never-ending" blog post.

Hugs,