Love with a capital “L”

Cheryl Hawkinson, writer

Some holiday seasons are bittersweet. Maybe you’ve lost a parent in the past year, but you also have beautiful children in your life—and you want to make Christmas joyful for them. Or someone in your family is stationed overseas, so how can the holidays be the same?

I guess it all comes down to love—love for the ones who’ve gone before us…for the ones too far away…for the ones comfortingly near. That’s what keeps us going.

Here’s a way to honor that Love with a capital “L” in a card. Gather photos from the past and present, the only common thread being that they’re all of people you care deeply about. What a tribute that would be…to the circle of life.

This reminds me of a message I wrote for a card long ago:
      If I could reach out across time and space,
      I would take the hand of every person
      I have ever loved,
      and draw them all close to me.
      And that would be happiness.
      And that would be Christmas.

Just add your photos, and we’ll mail your cards for you.

The card that struck a chord

Suzanne Berry, writer

This photo card with the PEANUTS® gang, each in their own little holiday groove, totally got to me.

After all, one of my favorite things about the holiday season is its soundtrack. From the age-old carols to the rockin’ renditions. I love every single bit of it. Always have.

I guess that’s something I get from my family. No holiday season has ever been complete without a full-family sing-a-long. Everyone—young and old—grabs an instrument, gathers around the piano and sings along to a medley of our festive favorites. My grandmother used to love to play “Winter Wonderland” so much, she’d break it out at family gatherings year round.

So now this card’s got me thinking of those happy holiday moments, and even digging up old photos of “the family band.” I think I’ll add a note about being “all keyed up for Christmas,” then put it in the mail to my own little gang of motley musicians. I can already bet it’s going to put a smile on those faces I love.

PEANUTS ©United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

You can personalize this card with your photos, and we’ll mail it to everyone on your list.

Giving Holiday Thanks

Lauren Debiak, writer

‘Tis the season of giving, gifting and receiving. Now, how about the thanking? Expressing gratitude to friends and family for their generosity during the holidays isn’t always simple, but with these easy-to-follow tips, you’ll be sending your well-wishers their richly deserved thanks in no time.

• Make a list (no need to check it twice…we’re way past that) of those who sent you gifts, helped you plan/host parties, etc.
• Be sincere in your introduction.
  • Thank you so much for …
  • It made my day when I opened…
  • I appreciate the time you took to…
  • I’m so grateful you were there when…
  • I’ll think of you whenever…
• Refer to a specific gift or event. Tell them what it meant to you or how you’ll use it.
• Restate your appreciation with kind words for the one you’re thanking.
  • Again, thank you for your generosity…
  • It was thoughtful of you to make the trip…
  • Once again, I couldn’t have done it without you...

Looking for an extra special way to say show your appreciation?
Click here to start personalizing and we?ll mail your cards for you.

Teaching Her Gratitude…Followed by
Walking & Talking!

Amy Trowbridge-Yates, writer

This will be Lydia’s first Christmas. She’ll be seven months old, and I’m so thrilled and excited and emotional I can hardly stand it. She already has a drawer full of sleepers and hats and bibs with velvety Santas and fuzzy snowmen, all declaring “Baby’s 1st Christmas.” She can’t open gifts and will have no idea what all the fuss is about, but I’m sure she’ll get loads of presents (I think the grandparents have been buying since July).

I’ve been trying to come up with a fun (and more personal) way to say thank you than just an e-mail or quick note. So, I’ve decided to take photos of her with each gift—ripping the paper, wearing the bow on her head, playing with the toy or dressed in the outfit—and use them to make personalized photo cards for each of the sweet gift-givers. It’ll be Lydia’s little way of saying “goo-goo-ga-goo,” which translates to “thanks so much, you kind person you.”

It’s not too early to get your thank-yous specially designed for this time of year.

YourHoliday: Making Cards That Make a Difference

Sarah Mueller, associate editorial director

Holiday stress. Ack. It even manages to sneak into such a nice place-of-work as Hallmark. So our little team came up with a way to beat some of the November-December craziness: Let other people make the cards for a change.

Yep. We’re pulling a Tom Sawyer. Don’t tell all the other hard-working Hallmarkers! It started when word got out that the #1 question our friendly phone answerers get is (drumroll): “How can I give you an idea for a card?” We finally got smart and put these ambitious card-creators to work: your Greeting Card Contests launched in 2007 and has been going strong ever since.

This season, while the Greeting Card Contests team has been lazing around eating cookies and crying to Hallmark Hall of Fame commercials, 20 crackerjack yourHoliday contest finalists made some very spirited holiday cards.

And get this: through a partnership with (RED), every card will contribute money to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Brilliant! We don’t have to work very hard, our finalists win fab prizes, and some serious good gets done across the world. Why didn’t we think of this sooner?

Check out these holiday wonders.

Holiday Listmaker

Alyce Leytham, Editorial Director

I admit it; I'm a list-maker. I don't even have to check things off. It just seems to help keep me sane if I can occasionally move stuff from my brain to a scrap of paper.

A few years ago, I started making the Leytham Family Holiday List to send out with our greeting cards each year. It's a lot quicker to do than a newsletter and several people have told me that they really enjoyed getting to know new things about us and have tried out some of our family faves.

The categories on the list vary, but each family member gets to add an item. We share things like…

• Books We Loved
• New Things We Learned
• What's Playing on our iPods
• People & Places We Visited This Year.

It's fun to review highlights of our year as a family and see how things have changed. (Though I'm sure when she gets older, my daughter will not be thrilled that we told everybody she learned to use the potty in 2006!)

So if you're a list-maker or if you're looking for a faster/easier way to write a holiday newsletter, try the Holiday List approach.

You can use any of our 4x9 flat cards for a photo in front and a list on the back.
See all the 4x9 photo cards.

Use Kids’ Artwork Instead of Photos

Jeannie Jackson, writer

While browsing Christmas card possibilities, I get this idea. Why not use a photo to personalize my card this year…but make the photo something unexpected.

So I quickly shoot a photo of one of Chontelle’s school art projects. She drew an enormous Christmas tree with stick figures of all of us around it. And it’s great the way drawings are great when you’re seven. Oh, and she drew the dog in there, too, of course. At seven, you leave nothing out!

So, I upload that onto my Christmas card…and inside, hmmmm…I think I’ll change the wording slightly. I want it to talk about “everyday miracles” instead of the miracle of Christmas. That sounds more “me.”

Now I'm excited! The card looks great—both totally pro and totally unique. And, everyone will know where our hearts are without my even telling them.

Darn, I’m good! I definitely deserve a sugar cookie. (Or three.)

Try out your children’s artwork on the front or just the back.
You can use this card or see all the photo cards.

In Pursuit of the Perfect Holiday Photo

Keely Chace, writer and great sister

One of my most enduring holiday memories is posing for our annual Christmas Eve photo. Mom would have my four brothers and me all dressed up—sometimes in coordinating outfits. (Think polyester, plaid, that kind of thing.) Oh, she’d have us looking sharp.

I also remember my little brother dissolving into tears year after year. Somehow, the combination of the stiff clothes, the general excitement, and the photo shoot was too much. There was no bribing him or calming him down either. Mom would keep trying until the rest of us started to mutiny. Then she’d settle for a picture with four pained smiles and one tear-streaked frown.

So, what’s the lesson here? Maybe it’s pick another, quieter day for the group photo. How about December 3rd? October 22nd? There are no rules. It doesn’t have to be near the holidays. The kids don’t have to match or (gasp!) even dress up. Sometimes ordinary day pictures make the best memories.

And if the goal is a photo holiday card, don’t sweat it. With today’s multi-photo formats, you don’t even have to get everyone to look at the camera at the same time. Cherry-pick your favorite photos of individual family members. Include one great group shot and a few bloopers too.

It’s all up to you. Make your own rules!
Keely

Here's the card that captures those less-than-perfect pics. Send this one.

Minnesota Chow Mein

Cheryl Hawkinson, writer

A large number of people on my Christmas card list grew up in the Minneapolis area
and, like me, shared a devotion to the Nankin Café downtown. The food probably wasn’t authentic Chinese, but it was delicious to us. When it closed after 80 years, it was heartbreaking.

The Nankin was a piece of exotica on the bland Midwestern landscape—red carpets sweeping up to the balcony level…huge paper lanterns hanging majestically. For me, it was a ritual to meet friends there during the holiday season. And the take-out food was just as big of a deal. When my family drove down to visit me after I moved to Kansas City, they brought frozen Nankin fare with them.

So I’m thinking of creating a holiday photo card that includes a picture of the Nankin (yet to be found) and the recipe below, which tastes as close as I’ve been able to get to the real thing. (Alas, the real recipes were apparently never passed on to anyone.) This started out as the recipe of the mother of a man down the street from my sister (are you following this?) I’ve cut it down in size and tinkered a little with it.

I’ll put the photo on the cover, the recipe on the inside left, and then have a message such as “Wishing you a holiday season full of delicious memories.” I’m bound to get feedback on this one!

Send a recipe card this year.

Has It Been a Whole Year? Don’t Feel Guilty!

Ellen Brenneman, writer

You know that feeling when you start to do your Christmas card list and get to that one cousin, niece or friend who’s really fun and you really meant to keep up through the year, but didn’t?

Stop stressing. Personalize your card with an extra-warm note.

Here are some good starters if you feel a little stuck:

• “I think of you whenever…”
• “I have to laugh when…”
• “You should see…”
• “Remember how…” or “Remember that time?”
• “Is it me or…”
• “I wish I had time to…”
• “In my next life I’ll…”
• “This year we decided to…”
• “Know what I miss most?”
• “I wish Grandma were still with us…”
• “Have you been watching (name of program?) I’m obsessed…”
• “Those mittens you sent that time are still my favorites…”
• “I did make time to …”
• “Christmas always reminds me of…”

And my favorite way to end on a positive note…
“We’ll have to get together and…”

You can add your personal message to all our holiday cards. Have a look at some favorites.

Many Languages, Same Message

Sergio Moreno-Dento, writer

When we first decided to plan a card that said “Merry Christmas” in a lot of different languages, I had no idea what the end product would be. My art director assigned it to Ric, our lettering artist, and we just loved what he did with it! The moment I saw it, I knew it would be the card I’d want to send this holiday season.

I’ve always been fascinated with languages, so the concept for this card was very appealing from the start. I’m looking forward to sending this to my multilingual friends and relatives. I know they’ll appreciate it. Now, if I could only remember what language “Wesolych Swiat” is…

Want to use this card for your holiday? Click here.

I’m Thinking Warm Thoughts

Jeannie Jackson, writer

Can I admit something here? I’m not a snow person. I know… it’s not a popular point of view this time of year, what with all the glistening and boots crunching and so forth and so on.

And, please don't get me wrong. I’m no Scrooge. It’s just that I have issues about being, well, cold. And wet. And weighted down under too many layers of clothing.

So…guess what I’m doing on my Christmas card? I’m choosing a very Christmasy design, but I’m uploading last summer’s photos from our family trip to Mexico instead of the usual “sweater group.”

I’m trying out different shots—could go with the kids building their sand castle or everyone toasting marshmallows…better still, I’ll include everything from sunbathing to volleyball.

The finishing touch? I'm using one of Hallmark’s messages, but putting a little extra “warmth” of my own in it.

LOVE it! Very me. And sure to give our friends a giggle.

Like this card? Click here to start personalizing.

But if you’re looking for an anti-winter card, we’ve got holiday cards
inspired by sunny places. See the regional card collection.

Holding on to Holiday Photos

Tina Neidlein, Shoebox writer

It happens every year: I look at the stack of family pictures and photo cards we’ve received in the mail and I just can’t bear to throw them away. So I put them in with the decorations when it’s time to pack up, and before you know it, I’ve got nine years of friends and family peering at me from inside one of those boxes.

Last year, though, I finally figured out a proper system for keeping those photos safe. By some miracle, I remembered my photo-storing dilemma while out shopping, so I picked up a festive photo album with magnetic pages. (Lots of those photo cards are bigger than your standard-size album windows.) And when I got home, I had that out-of-control pile organized in no time.

Now, I look forward to unpacking that special photo album every year when the decorations come out. It even gets a special place right in the middle of our coffee table—where my son loves to page through it and see how his friends have grown from babies to big kids through the years. And soon, I suppose, it’ll be time to add a second volume…heck, maybe even a second coffee table!

Like this card? Click here to personalize.

We print our photo cards on quality card paper so you can put photos on the
front and write a message on the back. Find the design that’s right for you.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Amy Trowbridge-Yates, writer

I’ve decided this year to stop worrying about how to sign my cards.

I used to really struggle with the big decision of whether to use “warmly,” “your friend,” “love,” or “sincerely.” I mean, sometimes it’s easy: if it’s family or close friends. But what about the mailman? Or the secretary at work? Well, I fret no more. This year, I’m all “love.” With a capital “L” even. Why, you ask? Simply because it’s Christmas.
Love, Amy

Feeling the love too?  Click here to start personalizing and we’ll do the delivering.

Pretend You’re a Kid Again!

Cheryl Hawkinson, writer

Who says the photos on personalized Christmas cards have to be new? Or only from
the past year? Why have I always assumed that?

Maybe this year I’ll send out a card with a photo of when I was five years old: Standing on a huge pile of snow. Wielding a tiny red shovel. Wearing my heavy duty navy blue snowsuit, my furry white hat…and a blissful smile.

Then I’ll add my own message. Something like “Hope Christmas keeps you feeling young at heart.” I’m feeling pretty youthful just thinking about it.

Oh, wait, there’s also the snapshot of me in my pajamas riding my new tricycle through mounds of crumpled wrapping paper…Hmmm…

Addressing the Envelope

Ellen Brenneman, Hallmark writer

How to address all the different living situations in modern society when there’s only so much room on the envelope? Here’s a list of the etiquette conventions for everyone from your single friends to the President. (On second thought, if you’re really sending a card to the President, you’ve probably got a social secretary handling these pesky details.)

Instead of spending late nights addressing and stuffing envelopes, let us do the work for you.
Personalize your cards, upload your address list and we’ll do the mailing for you.

Reconnect with old friends

Lauren Debiak, writer

In college, it was easy to say we’d keep in touch. Besides remembering to go to class (sleeping when needed, cramming when possible), there wasn’t much else that concerned us. But life, as it generally tends to do, got in the way. Graduation, jobs, marriage, and a few thousand miles relegated our once BFF promise to a “hey, how are you these days” annual exchange. So last year, I sent this photo in a holiday card to my college friend Sarah with the message: Hope your holidays are as fun-filled as our freshman year.
Now Sarah and I make it a point to have phone dates once a month. So glad to have my old friend back.

If you’re considering reconnecting with an old friend, here are a few pointers for breaking the holiday card-writing ice:

• Start with a thoughtful message of holiday good cheer.
• Play catch up with your latest news, but be careful not to brag (too much).
• Relate your news to a stand-out moment the two of you shared.
• Express how much you’ve missed him/her.
• Invite your friend to any festive gatherings you may be hosting.
• Ask about family, friends and hobbies he/she once enjoyed.
• Close with warm holiday wishes, and the hope that you two can catch up on old times soon.

Including a photo and special message is a great way to personalize your holiday cards.
You can start by choosing from Hallmark’s latest holiday collections.

I Got Bratitude

Jeannie Jackson, writer

Sisters. Nobody brings out the BRAT in each other like sisters. And mine, whew. She’s a doozie. I love her to pieces, but dang. Can we EVER push each other’s buttons? Oh yeah. Big time.

Still. She’d do just about anything for me. Guaranteed to show up when things are at their worst. And to be so nice and good and helpful, you’d swear she was a saint.

However…most of the time, you know, that 99% of the time when things are just going along normally—we kinda want to throttle each other on a regular basis. But we don’t, of course.

Cause we’re sisters. And, crazy as we can make each other, we still couldn’t get along withOUT each other.

Which is why I could no way resist making her this card. (I am so bad!)

Got a sibling or someone you’d like to tease a little? Here’s the card.

Don’t Miss the Back of Your Card

Paulette Field, Editorial Strategist

Think of the back of your card as that perfect pair of shoes that takes your outfit from fancy to fabulous. Here are three steps to get your creativity going.

1. Brand it as yours.
• Made especially for you by the Field family
• Created by Fields, Inc.
• Find a quote that fits your attitude or sums up your year
2. Add a picture.
• Use an extreme close-up of your baby’s feet or hands, a child’s smile, a winking eye
• The official family photo is on the cover—this is the place for the less-than-perfect shot
• Scan in your signature or child’s artwork
3. Make it memorable by adding the date, year or name of the holiday.

You can add your final touch to any one of our cards. It’s quick, easy to do, and completely you.  With over 300 cards to choose from, you’ll find the one just right for you. Start shopping.

Here’s what’s really going on in the Field household

Newsletter Writing

Lauren Debiak, writer

Here are ideas I’ve used to make my holiday newsletters thoughtful, fresh and fun. Feel free to nab a few for your own this year.

1. Find your inner photographer. Dress up the dog. Include recent photos or silly ones from childhood and write funny captions. Feature a person holding a sign with a holiday message on it. Use a child’s artwork.

2. Include festive quotes. Inspirational or cheerful words can set the tone for your newsletter. Use one at the beginning or close of your season’s greetings.

3. Parody a popular holiday tale. Choose your favorite carol or story, and replace the characters with your family members. Get creative with your story-telling.

4. Make a hits list. Put all your “best-ofs” in one place—from most-watched TV shows and top playlists to Web sites worth visiting and must-reads.

5. Share key ingredients for a good year. Format your newsletter to read as a holiday recipe. Start with sugar and spice. Also, include a delicious dessert recipe of your own.

6. Theme your newsletter. Was it a year of changes, travel or growth? Tailor your images to fit
your theme.

7. Write your holiday checklist. Outline your family’s big to-dos this year in a fresh, fun format.

8. Challenge your readers to trivia. Include fun facts or a quick quiz based on your latest news.

9. Let them put in their two cents. Each family member writes a little bit about their year. You can even write a blurb from the family pet’s point of view.

10. Highlight the year’s most memorable moments. Share your favorite memories. Don’t forget the honorable mentions.

You can use any card to create a newsletter, but we’ve created designs that make it super-easy.
Find one to fit your style and story.

Writing Tip

Keely Chace, writer

Hi! I’m Keely, I’m a writer at Hallmark, and this is one of my cards

Surprise, surprise: I got the idea for this card from “The Night Before Christmas.” That’s one of the reasons I love writing Christmas cards in particular. There are so many familiar holiday stories, traditions and songs to spark writing ideas. I always feel like I’ve got a head start whenever I go to write a holiday card.

As you can see, I didn’t have to do much for this one. I just took the closing lines of the old poem (“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”), and changed two little words. Two words. That’s all. The result was this fun message with a familiar ring to it.

It’s easy to do this in your own holiday cards and newsletters, too. Just think of familiar songs, stories, movie lines, seasonal sayings—you name it. Then add your own fresh twist!

If you’d like to personalize this card for your family and friends, click here.

Statement-making cards your friends will love

It’s been a year of hard campaigning so sum up 2008 with a light touch. Try one of these messages for
this card.

Why did I vote for Santa?

• It’s the politically correct thing to do this time of year.
• Because I just can’t stand that smug-faced Easter Bunny.
• Two words: power suit.
• What he lacks in experience, he more than makes up in fashion sense.
• He promised we’d get gifts every day of the year.

No matter how they voted, your friends are sure to get a good laugh.

Turn a Holiday Card Into an Invitation

Megan Haave, writer

There are obligatory holiday parties and there are festive holiday parties. I like to think I host the latter. That’s why my invitations will get the fun and games started right away.

Instead of just looking at invitations, I started looking at holiday cards I really liked. Then, I found a card with a little attitude. It’s the one that shows Mrs. Claus’ naughty side. I personalized the card to include the party information, and I’m hoping it’ll make an impression on my guests. Let the holiday fun and games begin.

Like this card? Have a closer look.

Singular Sensations

Cheryl Hawkinson, writer

Christmas, of course, is the perfect time to send out personalized cards with photos of the blissful newlyweds, the darling newborn, or the happy family unit of any size. But why can’t single people send them, too?

Some of my favorite holiday photo cards over the years have featured the creativity of my singleton friends. A few examples:

• Lisa dressed in a clown costume and reclining perkily on a park bench
• Nancy on her couch, surrounded by a menagerie of cats and dogs
• Jason standing proudly next to his company’s waste disposal truck—appropriately decorated for the season J

Just picture it—YOU on vacation. YOU at the door of your new home or apartment or car. YOU with a tennis racquet, football or bowling trophy. YOU on a charity walk…in a karaoke bar…at the U2 concert. Go ahead. Your public is waiting. Give ’em a holiday memory they weren’t expecting.

See our selection of over 300 cards.

Holiday Photos: The Do’s and Don’ts

Tina Neidlein, Shoebox writer

I’ve often found that the hardest part of sending holiday cards is taking the perfect family photo to go along with them. (As if the holidays aren’t stressful enough, right?) Here are a few things I’ve learned that may help as you begin the quest for the perfect shot.

DON’T: Strive for perfection. Nobody can look like the fake family that comes with the picture frame.
DO: Go for real-life. If you happen to snap your toddler mid-tantrum, well, that’s pretty dang cute too.

DON’T: Stress about everyone wearing matching outfits.
DO: Shoot for similar, if you want, or pick three colors that everyone can mix and match. It’s those lovely faces that really matter, anyway.

DON’T: Expect perfect smiles from anyone under, oh…say, 30 years old.
DO: Pull the treats out and bribe away, if you need to. Never, ever underestimate the power of sugar.

DON’T: Feel like you have to send out the most current, wintertime photo.
DO: Pick a favorite from anytime over the past year, taken anywhere, and just use that. Nobody will care if it’s a shot from last summer’s softball picnic, I promise.

DON’T: Put too much pressure on yourself to get the perfect picture. After all, you’re not a professional photographer. (And if you are, then why are you reading this?!?)
DO: Invite a friend or neighbor over for a few minutes to act as photographer. Have them snap away, leaving you nothing to do but smile.

Hopefully, these tips will help make your next holiday photo session just a tad less harried. And, hey, if all else fails, put a costume on the pet. What could go wrong then?

When you get that holiday photo finished, we’ve got plenty of designs to make that shot look great. See the full selection of photo cards.

My most recent holiday photo…taken by a neighbor under bitterly cold,
“everyone-gets-a-cookie-if-they-smile” conditions.