Day 66 of 365 - Christmas Cards

To shift to a somewhat lighter topic today, let's talk about Christmas cards.

In the past, I used to send quite a few cards by mail.  In some, to extended family members who were rarely seen, or to a few friends far away, I would write a note giving an update about our family.  I enjoyed purchasing, sending and receiving cards in the mail.  Those days are pretty much gone.

I still have quite a few paper cards, and usually purchase a couple more boxes when they are on sale at the end of the season.  There are such beautiful choices, and I love looking at them.  Now, I rarely send cards in the mail.  Handwritten cards are hand delivered to friends or included with gifts.  Only a few are sent via the postal service.  The cost of doing that has become a bit prohibitive.

Instead, I mainly send e-cards to family and online friends, and sometimes share them in a general way on Facebook.  I have subscribed to a few different sites in recent years but currently, I am using one based in the UK.  It is jacquielawson.com, the same site that makes the animated advent calendars which I spoke of in a previous post.

That site has a selection of greeting cards and note cards for a great variety of occasions.  I love their artistry, animation and musical accompaniments for their cards.  And, the price is right.  For a reasonable annual fee I can send as many cards as I like.

Some cards are very whimsical and playful.  Others are quite traditional and beautiful.  So, there is a cross-section of appeal.  I've been very pleased with their service and it works for anyone who uses email and who has a flash player on their computer to activate the card.

I do still enjoy going to a shop to purchase a specific Christmas card for my husband.  The little village boutique I've mentioned before is my go to location for that.  I can count on them to have something we both appreciate, something different from the usual corny 'better-half' type commonly found on other store card racks.

A couple of my nieces have kept up a practice over the years of doing a family holiday photo and then sending prints of that on a post card style in an envelope.  It has been a nice way to collect their family photos over the years.  I'm not sure how much longer they will continue that practice as it would also be rather costly.

Now that we have a grandson, we also appreciate receiving his photo with Santa.  Last year we were given his first one in a little framed ornament which now hangs on our Christmas tree.

I do also have a collection of Christmas art cards from local artist and friend, Nicole Campbell.  Nicole creates stunning watercolor paintings with exquisite detail and has transferred many to cards.  I especially love her many versions of traditional Santa.  I keep her cards to display at home during the Christmas season just because I love looking at them.

Receiving a card, whether by mail or email  is always a delight for me and brightens my day.  If you enjoy Christmas cards, I hope you also have fun choosing them or take pleasure in receiving them.


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