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Thursday, December 06, 2007

SPT
(the T means Thursday right?)

Photos in post are random photos from Cards I received last year

I must blog something this week and so I think I will do SPT on "where do you hang your Christmas cards."
I love where I hang my Christmas cards because it is where my sister in law, Julie, hangs hers. I love my sister in law Julie. I love doing things in my home because other family members do them too. The reason we call our kids blankets, "Soupies" is because my other sister in law, Lizzy, called her blanket as a child her soup. I love telling my kids that this is what your Aunt Lizzy called her blanket.

So, back to the cards. I hang them on all of our Kitchen cabinets. Every single one gets displayed flat so you can see them all. It is so fun to have friends come over and get excited to see the cards I get.
I have a strong passion about sending and receiving cards. I send a lot of cards because I love keeping in touch with people. I send cards to friends that both my husband and I went to High School with, people from my mission in North and South Dakota.


One of the funnest people I send a card to every year and have for many years is a lady I met when I worked at the GAP in college. Gap Customers Christmas card, it is so awesome!

yes a customer! I just loved this woman. We became friends and she even had me over for dinner after I was married and had me speak to her youth church group. I truly have never met a stranger and if I did I would still send them a Christmas card. I send a card to Annie Kate's preschool teacher from 6 years ago that I never saw after we moved from the school, but hope that by me sending her a card shares with her how much she meant to our family.



This card was one of my favorites last year
This is the inside of the Christmas Card

I thought I was super woman last year by ordering my Christmas cards at the end of December for cheap preprinted for this year. I have spent many hours making and stressing over getting my Christmas cards done and I promised myself that the next year I was going to just buy them. I really enjoy creating them but over the years executing them has been an issue. So may cards have sat on my shelf waiting to get sent out. I pulled them off the shelf a week ago to put my awesome photo on them (photo taken at the Jefferson Memorial by Anne!) I thought to myself, these cards are HUGE! I took them to the post office and you are not going to believe how much it is going to cost for me to send these out. 80 cents a piece. (to my husband if by chance you read this post, please don't be mad) I about flipped out of my skin when the lady told me that. I am not even going to document how many of these I have to send out. So, now i realize why they were so cheap and no one bought them last year, they had to take out a second loan to send them.

This year my cards are embarrassingly large. And I am embarrassed with how much postage will be on the front. I had planed to put a new Thomas Jefferson Nickel in each card to go along with our Jefferson themed card, but my postage money pretty much cut into that budget. Oh well, maybe I will just have to sell some ribbon sticks to make up the postage.

To sum up. I love sending Christmas cards. I LOVE, LOVE receiving them. I don't save them all but scan them and keep a file of them on SMUGMUG (the Smugmug president called me a few weeks ago and I was a little star struck - I kept pointing to the phone telling Jeff "I am talking to Smugmug!)

I can't believe i don't have a photo of my cards on my cupboards from any year. A must photo op this year for sure.

Every year we get one card that I can't wait to open. It is from someone that Jeff and I used to work with in Utah. We worked at a office with a Retinal surgeon in the operating room. Well, until I faitned on the floor and then stayed behind the desk. That has nothing to do with the card, but... he writes us a hand written letter each year. It is such an awesome gift. He tells us about some of the patients we might remember and tells us lots of funny jokes. If I saw him now 11 years later it would be like I still worked with him - all because of Christmas cards.

Also one more thing. I have always wanted to do and just may this year. Is to have a few catagories of cards. Best photo, best family summary, made us really miss you, made us laugh out loud. Then when we take them all down to have a family night where we choose one for each catagory and reward our winners with a prize in the mail. Would this not make the best family night! My friend told me of a family tradition her friend did every year. As they put their Christmas cards away they would then pick 12 cards, one for each month of the next year. At the beginning of that month they would send that family a card and tell them how much they loved them and appreciated keeping in touch with them. In the letter they told the family that they had selected them for their family of the month. They kept them in their prayers that month and spent time reflecting on how their friendship had blessed their lives. I thought this was also a great way to start your new year with a night set aside to do this with your family.


Since ya'll could not come and look at my kitchen cupboards last year here is a glimpse. Just looking back at the cards from last year are just awesome. Once again Lelly has blessed my life with her SPT challenges.
Also, don't forget to send a Christmas card to the White House addressed to George and Laura Bush. If you have kids or not your home will love the package they send you as a thank you for sending them one.
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Did you know that through this link here you can have a card sent to someone for their Anniversary, Birthday, Wedding etc from the White House. This is some Presidential Good Mail.

21 comments:

Lindsay said...

I think it is so neat that you scan all of the cards you receive. Sometimes, I hesitate to send cards because I think that they will just get thrown away. Your post helped me to realize that there is something bigger here.

I loved the idea of sending mail to your winners and the family of the month one too.

Thanks for this post! I guess I better get busy on putting our card together after all.

Elizabeth said...

I am going to start scanning. What a great idea. So sorry about your extra postage.

Melissa said...

I also love sending and receiving Christmas cards. I consistantly send about 120 cards a year and only receive about 30. Every year I hope the numbers will increase on the receiving end, but they don't. I'm still grateful for the ones I receive. I save all my christmas cards in a photo box, but love your idea of scanning them- for smaller storage. I also love the idea of awards. Once again- your creativity amazes me.

Melissa said...

ps) why did the president of smugmug call you?

everything pink! said...

melissa, just keep sending the cards, I think it also helps that we move a lot so it is how we keep in touch with those we no longer see - are you on Jill's good mail list?

stefanie said...

I can't wait to see your card. The bigger the better! I got so wrapped up with having to make my cards last year that I never got any sent out... I hate that. I should have just bought some cards at Walmart and been done with it.

Your friends always have the most amazing cards!

Melinda said...

Hey thanks for putting up the pres address. What a fun thing to do and my kids will go crazy when we get that package.

I really like the idea of picture 12 cards like that. I think we may have to try that one.

Jill said...

This is a fun post. It's cool that you put all those cards into Smugmug, I should do that as they trickle in so that it wouldn't end up being overwhelming.

Watching that slideshow was fun. I kept thinking how many babies were born to different friends (bloggers) in those pictures, so fun and amazing.

Thanks!

Unknown said...

i love the idea about picking 12 families for the following year. an awesome way to keep in touch!

i save almost all of my cards, of course with the intention of making something totally creative with them!! the collection keeps growing, and growing, and not a project finished yet!!

patsy said...

Oh my- what a great post. this is why I have missed your blogging. such great ideas! I sent my card to you yesterday & I am glad I did. But, if I would've known I would have slipped a dollar in it in hopes of getting one of yours. thanks for all the GREAT ideas. Your blog inspires me. patsy

Liz said...

This was such a fun post! I loved looking at all your fun cards. That freaky card really freaked me out. I thought at first that you had doctored it for security reasons. Ha! What a riot!

That really stinks about the extra postage!!!

Rebecca said...

You seem to always have the best posts and the best ideas. You are just the best!!

carlo said...

you really are amazing, kristi. i love that you scan the cards.

so what did the PRez of smugmug have to say??????? i am so interested!!!!!!!!! :)

i really get stressed about the cards b/c we send a ton. i mean a ton and due to the number, the "fun" is taken out of it a bit.

the challenge is, and i know you know what i mean here, is that we WANT to send to all of the list.
so many awesome people are on the list, ya know?

hmmm, i need to start earlier, i know that would help but dang, i just can't seem to get it together enough to do that through the year.

i think you are on to something here with the montly notes.

at any rate, i think i have my own post brewing now.

thanks for giving great ideas to keep the Christmas love going all year.!

lisa h. said...

yay! thanks for the white house address! great idea...we'll send one for sure! i ordered my cards from smugmug this year!

Michelle Alley said...

Thanks for doing the work for us! We so wanted to send a Christmas Card to President Bush! Fun post and such great cards.

Jennifer (mom of four) said...

You scan all your cards. Holy cow!!

What a great idea. I take all mine down and box them with my Christmas things and look at them again each year!

I love the contest idea. How fun would that be to do Christmas Eve. We play bingo Christmas eve and win prizes from the Dollar Shop. My kids love this.

We are going to Vermont and New York and D.C. for CHristmas so a lot of new traditions to experience.

Maybe I can finally hit the Ribbon outlet near you. I missed out last year.

You are awesome Kristi! I want to be you when I grow up!!

michelle said...

I LOVE the FHE card contest idea! Also your friend's idea of focusing on one family each month and praying for them. I miss your great ideas when you are not blogging, you are a real treasure trove, Kristi.

Adam Buchanan said...

yeah dude, definitely need to get on my christmas card....

Elisa said...

Kristi, I have always loved your cards. I felt a bit shy sending out cards when I was first married, worried that people would think I was lame, or my homemade cards were. Because I LOVED getting your cards it encouraged me to leave those fears aside. I kind of live my the notion that, yes, people might think I am lame (or bragging, or trying to hard or whatever mean people think), but if I make others happy who cares.

Laurie said...

Excellent idea to scan the cards and keep them in a gallery! And thanks for the president's address. I love sending Christmas cards. I look forward to it every year.

Anonymous said...

Kristi-
I love the idea of the card for the President. Our hometown newspaper gave this address-I know it will be near and dear to your heart since your husband works with these soldiers.

To:Any Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20307-5001

I know how many people your blog reaches so this would get these young men and women a ton of cards.


KristyD3