You may call it ‘crazy’…I like to think of it as ‘detail-oriented’.

You’re about to hate me.
Or think I’m ridiculous.
Or maybe even be extremely jealous of me.
Because I have to tell you that I already picked out our Christmas cards.
3 weeks ago.
I think.

There’s a back story here, though (like there so, so often is).

Every year (since the beginning of time) I have placed waaay too much importance and time and consideration and effort and importance (did I already say that?) on the Christmas cards we send.
Even back in 1993 when we first got married and when people actually sent real cards with maybe a small school photo of their kid inside instead of rectangular photo cards (and when America Online blew our minds and only very rich people had cellular telephones the size of small loaves of bread), I was printing out passages from “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” and gluing them into our Mary Englebreit “Believe” cards.
By 1997 about half of the cards we were receiving were 4×8 photo cards with pre-printed greetings and signatures.
I was apalled.  And my hidden Christmas card snob was born.
A Christmas card that wasn’t a card?  And with a pre-printed signature? Where was the cute Christmas scene? Where was the personalization? Where was the Christmas spirit?
I was disgusted.
And, after writing a lengthy Christmas greeting and signing our names on every card and addressing every envelope, more than a tiny bit jealous.
But I refused to give in to the increasing desensitization and impatience of the modern day masses and for another year or so kept on gluing a photo of Thing 1 to the inside of my cute Christmasy cards and writing lengthy greetings and signing…and signing….and signing.
By the time Thing 2 was born, the pressure (and envy) of the pre-printed photo card got to me.
I think it was in about 2002 that I completely caved and gave up all resistance to the 5×7 folded photo card (not the flat 4×8…I refused to be that much of a conformist) and had our message and names pre-printed on the inside.
I was ecstatic at the weight that was lifted off my shoulders!
Until they arrived – all 125 of them – and I realized that I’d spelled the word ‘throughout’ incorrectly.
As in:

Our wishes for a beautiful Christmas 
full of warm and happy memories…
and peace and love througout the New Year.

Yeah, that really happened.
Oh, I reordered.
Of course I reordered (Husband didn’t dare object. He’s too smart to mess with me when it comes to Christmas cards).
And thus, the Christmas card curse was born.
For about the next 4 years, there was some sort of Christmas card drama.
One year, I ordered 125 cards and by the time I got them decided I hated them.
So I ordered 125 different ones.
And may or may not have then decided the first ones were better and sent them instead.
One year I decided I was so over all the stress of Christmas cards that I threw a few photos together one afternoon and sent them to Walgreens to get printed. I hated them and spent most of December with a pit in my stomach every time I thought of the cheesy cards I’d actually sent out (I’m not proud of this…but am damn proud of myself for having the restraint not to order an entire new set. Again).
The next year I decided that was enough suffering and ordered the beyond expensive ones from the family photographer with a ribbon I had to thread through tiny holes and tie into a pretty bow (which promptly flattened out and looked like crap once in the envelope).
One year I used a watercolor marker and colored the ocean light blue on the black and white photograph of our family on the beach. It took me a ridiculous amount of time.

But I’ve gotten better over the years (stop shaking you head, HUSBAND, I have).
I now don’t really put much effort into the process at all – unless you count spending about 10 hours stressing between what photos to choose (and do I use one? two? is a collage just too much?) and at least another 10 searching different websites for a card that has the perfect colors that compliment the photo(s), a whimsical and fun design and a greeting that is the right blend of short and to the point and meaningful as effort.  Whatever.
I mean, I gave up gluing shit to my cards years ago.

And the thing is, I fully realize that it just so doesn’t matter.  I mean, everyone basically sends the same version of their card from the year before (myself included).
Look! It’s a photo of  my kids! Again!
Especially now that facebook is so prevalent.  We know what your kids look like…hell, we’ve even seen that photo that’s on your card! It’s your cover photo, for Christ’s sake! (Okay, mine totally is this year, but whatever.)
And in case you are someone who sends me Christmas cards, you should know that I do display all the cards I receive on a big magnet board in my kitchen.  And I have to say, seeing all of those smiling faces is one of my favorite parts of December.

Makes me happy to look at so many favorite faces!

But when New Year’s is over and I throw the whole bunch in the trash (and realize that everyone else is doing the same with mine), I realize it’s just so not worth the exorbitant amount of effort (which makes Christmas cards seem pretty passive-aggressive and defeats their purspose, does it not?
‘Merry Christmas!!…but I’m kind of pissed and resentful that these cards took up like 2 hours of my busy life’).

But anyway, back to the point of this never ending post.
This year, since we got family pictures taken for the first time in 6 years, I am done.
Knew what photos I was using way back in July, got an email from a card company with a sweet discount (seems that you get rewarded for being as crazy proficient as me), and found the card with the right colors in about 10 minutes.
Bam! Christmas cards 2012 – CHECK.

I might have done a happy dance.
I might have called the family around to celebrate with me (they all shook their heads and walked out…they’ve been to this rodeo before).
I might have not ordered them and gotten the 20% discount because I know myself and know that I will most likely change my mind more than a few times before December.
I don’t see it as crazy.
I see it as a smart fiscal decision.  Saved myself an extra 80%.

I’ll let you know how it turns out…

2 Comments

  1. kyna... on October 10, 2012 at 6:21 pm

    I am just.like.you….lol!
    ♥ Kyna

  2. Kellie @ Delightfully Ludicrous on October 12, 2012 at 5:25 am

    I made the decision a few years back that I wouldn’t give out christmas cards anymore. Instead I give out christmas tree decorations. I’ve found they cost around the same and people seem really chuffed to get them. As for those who I’d normally post cards to, I’m afraid they have to make do with a seasonally themed email 😀

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