I love good mail...real, fun, hand written mail. I never get it though. Is that because I have no friends? Maybe. Is that because social networking has taken over our lives? Probably. Either way, I pee myself a little bit when I get real mail (then and when it's windy).
Christmas cards pictures stress some people out. They spend time thinking over a theme, choosing outfits, and booking venues. Not me...throw some garland and lights behind the Crazies, put them in a lovely little outfit, and hope for the best. I'm not very picky. My Christmas pictures have never been (and will never be) perfect. I don't believe in that word...for me, it is unachievable and, let's be honest, I don't really want to achieve perfection because I believe life would be boring at that point.
I ordered my cards from Tiny Prints this year and couldn't be happier. Yes, I probably definitely spent a little lot more than I did last year, but I am a sucker for good product and great customer service.
I got them on Friday and set aside a little time today to get them done. Here is how psychotic I really am:
- I set myself up on my chair so that I don't have to move and arrange things precariously while praying that the Crazies don't wake up from their naps.
- I use the same book that I use for thank you notes and shower invitations to lean on. This is a book that I HATE reading to the Crazies (something about a hundred useful words...seriously, a hundred? Kill me now), but I keep around because it's good to lean on.
- I retype my address list every year rather than copy/paste. I don't know why I do this, but I really like to confirm that I am current on addresses and my email account is the best place for this.
- I use a red and a green Sharpie marker.
- I alternate between the two so that each envelope is written in either red or green.
- I also place check marks next to the recipient's address in alternating color...because it's pretty.
- I write a short message on every single card. I like to make it personal because even Christmas cards are becoming impersonal.
- I hand write every single address...no labels here (although computer genius Husband could probably set that up lickety split...not interested).
- I thumb through my completed envelopes to see how pretty the red and green writing looks.
- I turn them all over to their backsides (dirty, dirty)!
- I use scotch tape to close the envelopes (this is where I start to think about Seinfeld and how George's fiance died while licking her envelopes for their wedding. I also smile over the time that Elaine sent out the cards with her nipple showing, panic over whether or not I did that, realize I'm not in the pictures this year, and sigh with relief).
- I flip them back over (I'm not done with you yet...that's what she said).
- I attach a return address label on each envelope (I almost broke into hives this year because I ran out of holiday return address labels, but so be it. I am not holding everything up to wait for labels to ship).
- I then place them in the same brown bag with brown handles that I use for everything else (thank you notes, shower invitations, probably my wedding invitations). It's amazing that I still have this bag quite frankly.
- They are now sitting next to my front door for the trip to the post office where I will spend time affixing stamps to all 57 of them.
See? That's a lot of freaking work. Did you know that Tiny Prints will actually address and send your cards (God, I should work for them or get some free shit, dontcha think)? Yeah, well, I'm not into that. I'd rather do it myself and feel a great sense of accomplishment.
So, that's done...how do you do them? How many do you send? Do you love getting them? Do you skip it altogether?
I have lots of pictures to get up from this weekend...presents with G.G., breakfast with Santa, getting our tree, and decorating our tree. It's just that the Christmas card thing totally took over my thought process and then I wondered if I was the only one who had a "system."
15 comments:
Of course I have a system!
This year I kept it lite http://www.the123blog.com/2010/11/christmas-cards.html but usually I send to a lot more people and my system sounds scarily very much like yours, esp with the red and green ink!
Except I've never done "holiday cards" - is this a US thing?
I've promised myself I will not buy more cards til the current stash is done and I think I have enough for next year too.......OY!
I am a labeler.
I ordered my cards from Snapfish. The pic I used was of Little K crying on Santa's lap. In my mind, that is perfection. I have received numerous calls and emails from people about how much they love the card. HOw it gave them a good laugh.
This year I sent out 60. I would have sent more, excpept 60 was all I had.
I label, I stamp, I use the return labels to close the backside (instead of your tape - and because of the Seinfeld episode!).
Before I used picture cards, I did hand write a personal message on every card. Not any longer...you are lucky if you make my card cut, be happy with that! lol
Since the babies, everything has been toned down over here! My card count has dropped in half and are only semi-handmade now. But I do write in each card a message of thanks and all that mushy stuff. I'm all about uniformity so everything is done in one black gel pen. Maybe I'll try to be festive with red and green this year!
Have you ever tried the return address stamps? I REALLY want one, they seem so neat but definitely make me feel like my grandmother!
I love your process...and your passion for it! HA!
I have a certain pen that I use all the time. I buy the pens in packs of six, but I only get out one at a time. And if I can't find my pen, my day is shot.
I write in every card, too. If it's my BFF that I see every week, I might just say, "Love you!" and sign our names. But if it's someone I haven't seen in ages, I've got to at least write a little hello. While I love seeing people's pictures, I'd almost rather not get a card that is just a picture, with a printed address and a free sticker return label from the ASPCA. Seriously, why don't you just send a mass email and save yourself the postage, too???
LOVE the Seinfeld episodes you referenced...still one of my all-time favorite shows. And I, too, think of George's fiance quite often...and how he said, "Oh, well," when he learned she died. HA!!!
If I send them to you, could you please do mine this year? Where did you come from?
I send out cards for every-single- holiday. You are officially on my mailing list, you'll see. As I write them I wonder why I write so HUGE and why has my handwriting has taken a turn for the worst? I don't believe in labels either, I like to address envelopes by hand. And I seal them shut with a sponge and the thought that if I lick them I'll die.
I have lists from every single year ever of who I sent cards to, who sent one back and who got added. I refuse to lick the cards and use the same red ballpoint pen that I've had for years. I handwrite everything. I only personalize the ones to family because my friends will just have to deal with it!
Everyone's responses make me laugh. I'm glad my husband doesnt read blogs much because he would think we have all gone loony. This coming from a guy who has and most likely will never send a christmas card. Do guys ever send cards out like we women do? I wonder. I too have a system. I have an address book that has served me well for about 20 years. I hand write the address but use a stamp for our return address. It's new this year and I love it. I also got 50 free cards from shutterfly this year so I sent them out. Most I wrote a short note on, some longer. Then I stamped them all and actually licked them because I was just feeling too lazy that night to get a sponge. I am still alive so it must be alright. :)
I'm very disappointed that you don't use green ink for the name, red ink for the street address, green ink for the city & state, and red for the zipcode. Shame on you!
you are too much. it's so funny how much thought you put into it. tiny prints almost sent me over the edge this year...too many choices! got the cards yesterday though and i'm happy. now for that awful trip to the post office...groan...
ps - green and red ink make it tough for the post office to process your cards.
I don't really have a system. And you know how the attempt at taking pics went. I am so disappointed that I had my cards done early this year. They were already ordered and on their way to me (from shutterfly) when we did that Santa pic. Otherwise I would have used that one in a heartbeat.
I am liking the whole alternate red and green sharpie thing though. I may have to steal that from you.
BTW, I am so bad at commenting lately. But I am reading. I just read in my iphone mobile rss app and then it is a bitch to comment from that.
Oh, and I send out 125 cards each year. Huge family.
Those sound so pretty! I think the personal touches make them even more special.
I sometimes send them out. This year, I just don't feel like it.
I admit it, I am the obsessed one.
Every year, since before children, we started with Christmas cards of the dogs and everyone loved them.
Then we had the girls - more people wanted to receive one and then they would comment - Oh, I loved the card. So I feel like I have to one up. And seriously, I love receiving and sending them but my list # keeps increasing and that costs $ - I secretly knocked a few people off this year : ) They did not send me one last year so they got the boot, is that horrible?
my system is so close to yours it's scary, right down to the hand written note. except i only have a green sharpie this year (has to be fine tip!) and i don't print out my addresses. i HATE licking envelopes... i think i need to get more tape....
I want to see the cards!
and i will totally send you mail - because I LOVE getting mail too!
I love doing Christmas cards...and I love getting them, too! Even as a kid, I loved getting the mail and digging through the cards and helping put them up in the living room where we hung them each year.
We ended up using a photo taken by a friend during a photo session this fall - I won a photo contest with her (She's starting up a photography business) - so we got family pics done along with pics of the kids and Paul and I. It wasn't 'perfect' but Paul and I looked good and the kids still
looked cute - ha!
I used to do the red/green ink thing and stickers...but I can't find any and haven't run out to get any so black it is...with 100+ cards to do, I'm not that picky anymore!
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