FINALLY... time for Christmas cards!

Those of you who know me know that I start thinking about next year's Christmas cards as soon as the current cards are being mailed out. Christmas cards bring me so much joy, for so many reasons. I love thinking about the picture they'll include, I love looking at the different styles, colors, and ideas, and I love having an opportunity to share what Christmas is all about through the message I choose to include. Ever year, after my card is created, I have it transferred onto a tile. These tiles of cards past are my favorite items to pull out of my Christmas decoration bins!

So, you can imagine how excited I was when I pulled a shutterfly catalog out of our mailbox a few weeks ago. I've lost count of how many times I've flipped through this thing! Although I do use shutterfly for all of my photo sharing/storage, it's been a few years since I've used them for Christmas cards. There are so many options now! Pictures on the front, pictures on the inside, trendy or classic colors, room to write the year's highlights (eliminating the need for a lengthy letter, if you do that sort of thing)... just tons of new products. I usually keep our card simple and classic. This one really caught my eye:


as did this Merry Moments card and this Joyous and Blessed card.

The new calendars also caught my eye this year. We did this one year for grandparent gifts, and I have to say that every time I looked at their calendar, I wish I had ordered one for myself!

There are just so many beautiful and fun options. Even though I'm having trouble choosing a very favorite, I sure am enjoying the process of searching for the perfect one. And I know that I'll enjoy it for years to come, each time I pull out my tiles.




it's been a long time

But I hope to be back soon. I'll take the entry back into blogging slow and easy with a link to a great giveaway for any of you locals.

Visit my friend Heather at the Gift Closet to enter to win a photography session with Odalys Mendez. Heather has pictures on her blog of her latest session, and they are beautiful!

Just click HERE to enter.