The holiday season and Tiny Prints go hand in hand for our family, so I couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to work with them to bring you this post. All opinions are my own.
Growing up, one of my favorite things about the winter season was looking through the stack of holiday cards and reading the letters from friends near and far, old and new. I couldn’t get enough of the family photos (remember when there really was #nofilter?), family triumphs after hard times, kids’ accomplishments (I may have gone through an eye-rolling phase), world travels, and even the daily mundane. The cards so often told a story that was bigger than one moment captured on film, and I loved that.
Each year, no matter how many exceptional cards we received, our family (and a number of friends) awarded my dad the Christmas-letter-writing crown. He had a way with words. Somehow he always struck the perfect balance of humble bragging, self-deprecating humor, and sweet honesty that truly reflected what life was like in the Sneed household.
Sadly for letter lovers like me, the rise of social media has resulted in the decline of the lengthy, traditional Christmas letter. (Lucky for you, I write my own version of them year round here on the good ol’ blog.) But I’m still doing my best to carry on my dad’s storytelling legacy in a new-fashioned way.
Tiny Prints has long been a favorite brand of mine, so I always start by browsing their beautiful collection to see how I can bring my theme of the year to life. This year I was wowed by the classy sparkle they’re offering in their new (Pink-approved-and-endorsed) glitter collection, and I knew right away I’d settle on one of these options.
As regular readers are well aware, this year we’ve been buried in plywood and insulation and wiring and plumbing as we rebuild our house. It’s been a year filled with decisions, dreams, and anticipation. With that in mind, a holiday photo idea (and life-size craft project) to accompany my construction/dream theme was born.
And because we’re living in a rental during the year plus of construction, we have to let people know where to send their greetings before the rush. So, instead of licking envelopes with my eggnog on Christmas Eve like usual, I ordered my cards (get ready for this…) right after Halloween!
Believe it or not, a lengthy letter felt like a bit much — even for me — so I was grateful to discover the free back-of-card design options Tiny Prints offers for customization. They offer multiple photo and/or text combinations so you can tell your story in a unique way. Since we didn’t opt for a family photo on the front, in choosing a layout that allowed four small photos with captions on the back, we could include a family shot, our temporary address, and an individual photo/write up for each of the kids.
I toyed with the idea of ordering envelope liners — what a gorgeous customization idea! — but since we were in a hurry to get them mailed out, I went without. (Guess I’ll just have to spend the time I usually would have used assembling envelopes and fretting about getting our cards out before 2016 to second guess my decisions on things like faucets and cabinets.)
When the cards arrived last week, I was thrilled to discover that the glitter perfectly fit our photo. I like to think it’s reminiscent of sawdust, but far more dreamy. And, better yet, the glitter didn’t get all over the place while I was working with the cards as I had assumed it would. Whatever application process Tiny Prints used was pure genius. (I’m thinking they have a future in making glittery clothes for little girls that won’t leave the whole family sparkling after a load of laundry.)
So…what about you? What’s your family’s story this year? No matter what it is, I’m confident that Tiny Prints has the just-right canvas waiting for you.
Check out some of my favorite offerings from Tiny Prints this season including…
Glitter Card Collection
(love mine!)
Personalized Gift Tag Collection
(on my must-purchase list…so many to choose from!)
Personalized Postage
(what fun!)
Holiday Party Invitations
(invite me, please)
Personalized Thank You Notes
(yes, I still make my kids write them)
Tiny Prints product photos used with permission.
Use Your Words