Christmas Cards

I haven’t mailed out Christmas cards since December 2007. This year I was determined to update my address list, visit the card store down the street, and send out something that (a) updated my friends and family on my life in 2011 and (b) included all my old and new contact information. It took about three weeks to organize everything, but as of this week I’m finally putting stamps on envelops and sending the cards on their way.

For years I’ve sent out around 20-40 cards, but this year I doubled my address list to include new and old acquaintances through Facebook, conferences, and racquetball.  I bought four boxes of cards, one set with angelic renaissance paintings from the National Gallery, one set featuring cabin and forest drawings, one snowman set from Hallmark and one glittery old-fashioned set that was on sale. It’s so nice to have these cards crossed off my to-do list!

I had planned to create a one-page Christmas letter that updated everyone on my life; however, last week I received Curt & Megan’s Christmas card from New Zealand in which Curt’s paintings and the 2011 family updates were interspersed within an 8-page mini-book folded from one sheet of paper. I unfolded the sheet, studied how it was put it together, then I blatantly copied their idea. I think I’ll make these little booklets every year because they’re so cool. 8 pages from one sheet of paper…I love it! Maybe next year I'll print 16!  Thank you Curt & Megan for this great idea.