Previously reserved for pictures of posed families or horribly dressed up children, the holiday card has morphed with the times to reflect our changing definition of "family" and social norms. Last year we got a few traditional family shots, but mixed in were pets with and without costumes, couples both married and unmarried, new babies with naked tushies and even a goldfish in a bowl made an appearance. They were actually a nice window into people's lives and I really enjoyed seeing how much families had changed.
Gone were option A, the christmas tree or santa and option B, the menorah or l'chaim and in their places were tasteful, modern designs that appealed to all religions and creeds. Some were so fabulously un-tacky that we proudly displayed them without embarrassment for the world to see. I think we actually got more "Happy Holidays" and "Happy New Years" than "Merry Christmases" and "Happy Hanukkahs". This refreshing trend is probably due to the crazy variety of holiday card designs that you can get online, especially from websites such as Shutterfly.
I still have a couple shutterfly cards tacked to the fridge from over the past year showcasing my nieces and kids I babysit that are growing up so quickly it's hard to keep a clear image of them in your head. When I picture the twins I've watched since they were 3 months old I see chubby cheeked babies, rambunctious toddlers and bright eyed first time sleep away camp campers in addition to the smart, wonderful 11 year olds they've grown into. When I picture baby emily I have to remind myself to stop calling her a baby since she's now 4 years old and look over at the picture of her new baby brother Jonah on the fridge. Oh yeah, he's the baby now, she's technically a big girl.
Since this is the last holiday season my honey and I will spend as single chums, I was toying around with the idea of sending out a holiday card reflecting our merging families. Our friends and relatives have become scattered across the globe from Los Angeles to Istanbul and while technology keeps us connected there's something special about holding a physical object like a card. Now that we've sent the Save the Dates I also have everyone's updated address so tracking people down should be easier than ever.
I've been toying with the idea of something sweet and vintage like this Mint Frame Holiday Card:
Something funky and modern like the Mod Ornaments Holiday Card:
Or something traditional but still secular like this Vintage Provence Holiday 2011 Card:
I personally tend to stay away from any overtly religious or holiday tied cards. No Merry Christmases or Happy Hanukkahs, even Joyful New Year cards tend to feel a little too Christian. Seasons Greetings or Happy Holidays tends to cover everyone without offense and with the huge selection of neutral holiday cards Shutterfly has this year the only difficult part will be narrowing down my choices. Even picking only three for this post was tough so there should be something for everyone.
This year Shutterfly is doing something a little special for bloggers. If you blog and want 50 free awesome holiday cards of your own, check out this link. Just apply for the promotion, write up your post, and try to make up your mind!
Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly http://bit.ly/sfly2010
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