It’s that time again! Time to be thinking about holiday cards! Actually, if you’re like me, you started thinking about your Christmas cards early August. :) I love making my cards and that requires some early planning. It’s always a goal to have the actual month of December be as stress free as possible!
I’ve received some e-mails with questions about my homemade cards so I thought I’d post them all together to give some of you ideas if you’re planning to make your own this year. FUN!
**click on the picture to enlarge if you want to read the cards
{2004}
Our first Christmas card. Ellie was 11 months old. Not homemade because I don’t make my cards during “the year of the baby.” Photo shoot at the beach. After about two pictures Ellie rubbed sand in her eyes and cried for an hour. After the photo shoot I cried for an hour because I was sure we hadn’t got one decent picture. It was a total nightmare! My first glimpse into the reality of photo shoots with little ones. Kenny said never again. Of course in my mind I heard never again…until next year.
{2005}
My first homemade card. It was simple. I wanted to make my own so I could share our news about baby #2 on the way.
Enter baby #2 – no homemade card but a much easier photo shoot.
Our Charger card. This was so fun to work on. I couldn’t get too creative with the card design because I needed lots of space for all of the writing. A poem is a fun way to personalize a card and share something fun about your family.
A look at the cards in the making. Half way done with 2008!
Just getting started on 2009 cards.
{2009}
Last years card. Once again announcing the news of a new addition on the way. :) I cut these a little too close for comfort. Kenny and I went to Denver around Thanksgiving to see the Chargers play the Broncos and I was working like mad on these cards the whole trip! In the Denver airport, on the plane, in the hotel room… I think people thought I was crazy! (most people traveling bring a magazine and maybe a snack – not card stock and glue dots) Kenny said never again. I heard never again…until next year.
For the third and last time I find myself in “the year of the baby” and so I will not be making my cards this year. When I was trying to decide what to do instead Kenny said, you know, we could take a year off and just not send cards. {GASP!} Blasphemy! I told him I was going to pretend I didn’t hear that and then continued to ramble on about possible card ideas. Haylee, a close friend of mine, is designing my cards for me this year. You can check out her beautiful work at her website heyhaydesigns.com or her blog www.heyhaydesigns.blogspot.com. She is so talented! A great person to contact for cards/announcements for any occasion. I’m so excited to send my cards out and start receiving cards in the mail! It’s one of my favorite things about this time of year.
Update with our 2010 and 2011 card….
{2010}
They all look great! I go generic every year, but man those home made ones are nice! I LOVE getting Christmas cards in the mail:) Kenny’s lucky to have a wife like you! :) :)
Your cards are fantastic! I like the one you did with everyone’s favorite things!
Your Christmas cards are so cute every year. I especially loved the Chargers one with the poem. My husband is the biggest Boiste State fan. I mean THE BIGGEST. So I think one year we will have to dedicate our cards to them. Not this year though. :)
Wanted to tell you how much I loved your last organizing post too! I got myself a 3 ring binder, and some subject dividers, and I can’t wait to get my lists on paper and off my brain!! I also re organized my silverware drawer this week and bought some new shelf paper to re line my entire pantry and kitchen and re organize it all!! Just gotta get going on it as soon as time allows.
Have a great day Erin. Happy organizing!!
Haha! Year of the baby! I took 2 years off from doing Christmas cards AT ALL after I had Sam. Good luck. I look forward to my card from you every year.
I love how you did every other a year a homemade one and a not homemade one! Just by looking at the pics you can tell how much effort and planning you put into them! Kudos to you =) Thanks for sharing! Maybe next year I’ll make homemade ones =)
Love the “incredible cool wife who tolerates football”. I have gone to a Happy New Year Card. Its probably a pretty lame way out of the Christmas Card rush, but it works! This year we will be together in St. George for Christmas so hoping to get a picture to send out for the New Year. Loving the Christmas music in the background as I type this, too.
Or you could do what I’m going to do this year and get the generic ones and glue them to cardstock w/ a printed letter on the back. :) Much easier than completely handmaking them.
Love your designs and I’m totally going to try doing our favorite things. Thank you for sharing and inspiring. :)
I don’t make homemade cards, but I have done a picture card EVERY year of my children since 1988! I am so glad to have all those pictures and am going to have them framed. My favorite thing about this time of year is getting cards(especially picture cards) in the mail! Yours are beautiful!
*I think the family just keeps getting better looking every year!
We always love getting your creative cards. How do you do it all? So organized…So creative…Such a great Mom….So stylish…..And such a great blog! Thanks for all your great tips.
We are so alike in many ways….I love Christmas Picture Cards….I wish I had more time to make my own but I am so busy with 3 kids and a full time job. But I get so giddy when I am sending out my picture Christmas cards. Last year we took professional photos and I had her design mine. It came out cute. My tradition now is to take a family professional photo every year no matter how big I am…hee hee hee….
How can we get on your Christmas card distribution list? lol
Great Job…keep up the great work Erin….
Oh, Erin, how can you be so funny?? :-))
Loved the story of 2 hours crying – Ellie & you.
And I’ve just discovered you are a great poet.
And I’ve just discovered there is also lots of football involved in your life – the same as in mine, but I’m still furious all the time when Adrian comes late home because of it…
Oh, my Goodness!!! I cannot believe how many Christmas cards you are sending each year!! This is incredible how many friend you have!! Great!
And as I can see from those pictures, you don’t change at all, but Kenny is thinner and thinner. Is it because of football? :-)
Thanks for sharing those wonderful ideas! You are so crafty! As usual, a model to be followed!
I just did a post similar to this because I love making my cards. It was neat looking back at the cards that you’ve done over the years…the Chargers card was really cute!
Erin,
I really enjoyed this Christmas card post of yours. Your cards are all lovely. I do a Christmas letter every year. I think cards are more special when you include updates and photos. I must admit, though, I have thought about ommitting the letter in the past, but I never have. It makes for a wonderful keepsake for my children since it includes all of our yearly highlights and such. One more thing, I love the witty lines in many of your posts. The one about you buying yourself a Christmas gift from Kenny made me laugh. And gotta say, once again, love your blog!
Stacy :-)
This is such a cool “travel through time” post with all the cards! Loved it!
I sure can’t wait to see your cards and pics this year! I’ve loved all your cards from the past. They are darling and so creative…
It’s fun to see all your cards through the years. I loved your card last year. You’ve inspired me to do a bit more with ours this year.
Thanks Erin!
Oh my gosh…year of the baby. I love it. I’ve been in the year of the baby almost three years straight. Eight more months to go. Love your Christmas cards, but love your clothes even more. You’ve got such cute style…we need to go shopping together! ha!
Since we’ve kept in touch for a couple of years now, this the post I look forward to. I love the evolution of Kenny and you from ’04 to last years card. From babies having babies, to the power family that you are today.
I just found your blog today and I am having so much fun going through some of your older posts and being so inspired!! You have a BEAUTIFUL family and I love each of your Christmas cards…thank you so much for sharing!