As a child growing up in the 70’s I always associated the exchange of holiday cards with Christmas. I can remember the excitement of Christmas preparation and with that the picking and choosing of our family’s holiday card. My Mom would look forward to the holiday for weeks in advance. Carefully choosing our family card, my Mother would then meticulously develop the card list, and beautifully personalize everything with all of our names, even the family dog.

Although it is indeed better to give than to receive, we all excitedly anticipated receiving our cards in the mail. It was a race to see who got the first look at the incoming cards. Some personalized holiday cards were signed with just names, while others had paragraphs of stories. Friends we talked to every day and cousins we hadn’t seen for years. All incoming cards were displayed for all to see hanging from the archway into our living room. Every year we counted them all to see how many we received. When family and friends would visit during the season you could see them looking for their card on display.

Now that I am all grown up with children of my own, I continue the tradition started by my mother. Every year we choose our family holiday card and mail it to family and friends. My kids enjoy reading the cards and displaying them in our living room just as much as I did.

My Mother and Father could never tell me when it was Christmas, as the thought of all of the fun filled family moments would make me utterly sick with excitement. I would lie awake, which seemed to be all night long, waiting for the noise of his sleigh bells, the sound of glistening snow tapping my bedroom window, the moon shining through our living room window and Santa’s arrival. Mom would decorate a circle of greens with ornaments of shiny red and gold which included sprigs of holly, the tiniest little red berries and a golden bow. The wreath’s fragrance of the forest permeated our home before our family walked through the front door. I knew Christmas was getting closer, and the man who had white hair, and a red suit, would bring special toys to my two sisters and I. I would save my small allowance so I could walk to the Red Letter Gift shop to buy my parents something beautiful. My next clue that my favorite holiday was approaching was the daily arrival of the man in the white truck who delivered our mail…beautiful shiny, shimmering holiday wreath cards. These cards looked just like the wreath my Mom dressed up for our big wooden door. Perhaps she got her idea from those cards. Many other cards were decorated with white sparkling snow covering pointed green trees that led me to even more anticipation. I knew that Dad would soon take all of us to pick out our Christmas tree.

Christmas has always blessed my family with so many extraordinary memories. I have always remembered the excited feeling I got when all of my parent’s very special friends and family took the time to send us their beautiful shiny, shimmering Christmas cards. These friends always wrote a special wish for us. In the time of computers, email and cell phones, some have forgotten about the beauty and the thrilling feelings that Christmas cards deliver to your heart. I learned the thought, time and personal touch a Christmas card brings to my favorite holiday warms the heart for a life time. I continue to encourage my own children that a Christmas card or any type of greeting card will warm, encourage and make a special person smile. And to all a good night!

When companies send personalized holiday cards there are always different thoughts behind them. Should it be informal, should it be formal, should I do foil, should I do ink? This paralysis of analysis can sometimes slow you down so much you don’t bother even sending cards out.

It may not seem like a big deal but getting personalized Christmas cards out to your clientele is truly significant. In these trying times it is nice to know someone remembers you spent money there. The card puts you back on the mind of your valued customer.

I found a fool proof way of doing cards each year. I sell heavy equipment parts. So each year I take a picture of my dog Frank and pose him on a new construction vehicle as the driver. So when I make my Christmas cards, I throw in the added bonus of a picture of Frank inside.

You cannot even imagine the reception this gets each year. There isn’t a returning customer who doesn’t ask about Frank when he or she comes through the door. And the key to that statement is, “when he or she comes through the door.” I want my customers to return, I hope if you are a business owner you would want the same. I guess the only exception would be a funeral home. I suppose there is not much return business when it comes to that.

In most businesses you need to go that extra mile for your customers. The moral of the story is take time to put together a personalized Christmas card and have fun with it. It does not have to be something you worry about doing each year, you can make it exciting!

Every year the vast majority of us struggle to find the perfect Christmas cards to send out for the holidays. It can be a difficult decision. I personally like to send out Merry Christmas cards to all of the people on my holiday card list.

Personalized Christmas cards should be reflective of the person or company that is sending them. I am a Merry Christmas person all the way. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and I sing Christmas carols. I think it’s great to send out cards that show people what you celebrate, and that you are also wishing them a merry and joyous time of year.

Season’s Greetings cards are very popular, and I certainly understand why. They cover all the bases for your holiday needs. The holiday season truly is for everyone, no matter what you celebrate. It’s all about the joy and the spirit of the season…whether you celebrate Christmas, or Hanukkah, or just enjoy the general feeling of the time of year. But don’t be afraid to send a specific card. It’s the meaning of your Christmas cards that is the most important thing this time of year.

If you celebrate Christmas you can share that with everyone. Even if people don’t celebrate the same holiday, the shared spirit of goodwill is apparent in your Christmas cards and the thought that you put in to sending them. I certainly don’t mind getting cards from people of all different faiths and beliefs. I’m pleased that friends and co-workers have thought of me during the holidays and wish me well. Every card I receive is a Christmas card to me. The joy I get in both giving and receiving cards is immeasurable.

So next time you are considering what to do for your personalized Christmas cards, feel free to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Remember, it’s the thought that counts!

Did you ever get a personalized Christmas card and notice there was nothing too personal about it? It almost seems the once thoughtful tradition of sending a Christmas card has become a thing of the past. If you’re like me, you get the same, predictable cards – some of which aren’t even signed at the bottom! So, when I send my cards out, I make sure to spice each one up with a little something extra to make the recipient feel as though the card was made just for them. And since I only send cards to a few relatives and close friends, it’s easy to figure out what would make them smile a little brighter after opening my card.

First, you should try to choose a design with a common theme that most of your recipients would appreciate. For example, since all of my family and friends are from a big city, I usually try to select a card that has a skyline or city lights. I chose Design #844CX - Sparkling Skyline, two years ago which was a big hit!

Next, personalize the inside to reflect the way you feel during the Christmas season. After all, that card may be the only communication you have with a distant friend or relative for months at a time. I try to include a greeting that reflects my feeling about Christmas and conveys a hopeful message for the New Year. After selecting the greeting, don’t forget to let your recipients know who the lovely cards came from! I always let The Gallery Collection print my name at the bottom – it gives them such a classy finish.

If time allows, add a quick handwritten message. This is a thoughtful way to let people know the card was made just for them. For example, my mom absolutely loves anything having to do with our beloved cat Fleecie who I ended up “adopting” when I got my first apartment after college. So, I’m always sure to jot down a few details on Fleecie’s latest habits of chewing my brand new pair of shoes or finding his way to tip over the catnip jar.

Taking these few extra steps will ensure that your card stands out among all the rest, not to mention your genuine intent of the season will really show through to your recipients. After all, isn’t that what sending Christmas cards is all about?

The holidays would never be the same without my Christmas cards from friends and relatives strategically arranged like garland around the open French doors to my living room. This area served as the first stop for visitors who entered my family’s home. They couldn’t help but admire the personalized Christmas cards that caught their eyes. Aunt Gert and Uncle Klaus were notorious for adventure and each year they would write about new escapades in their Christmas cards. Everyone looked forward to reading about where they traveled to and what predicaments they got themselves in to…and the content was always as amusing as it was educational.

After appreciating the Christmas cards, guests walk through the open French doors and see the grand piano, which in the past served as the gathering place each holiday when loved ones and guests would burst into harmonic caroling. Fritz always started off the night tickling those ivory keys to tunes of those upbeat classics: “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Joy to the World.” Zelda would sit back cracking her knuckles awaiting her turn at the piano to play the mellow tunes that included “The First Noel,” “Little Drummer Boy,” and “Silver Bells.” They entertained guests throughout the evening and everyone always knew when the night was winding down; Fritz and Zelda would sit together on the piano bench and simultaneously start playing “Silent Night.” No matter where guests had scattered to, this song drew everyone back to the grand piano for what they knew would be one of the last tunes of the night. When the song concluded we held our glasses up high and toasted to another memorable holiday before joining in the final holiday classic “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

In recent years growing families, out of state residences, and busy schedules has kept the tradition from continuing, but for me the magical moments come alive each Christmas. I remember the joy and fun each time I gaze atop the piano where I display the personalized Christmas cards from my dear family and special friends who at one time, on that very spot, let their vocal pipes loose for the sake of good times and tradition.

Have you ever received an unsigned greeting card, in an envelope with no return address?  If so, you may be more likely to appreciate the efficiency and freedom of personalized Christmas cards.

On the surface, you might find the incident to be amusing.  But, like her Royal Highness, “I am not amused.”  I am annoyed.  Who do I thank?  How sincere are these good wishes if the sender was too uninvolved to remember to sign?  I have enough to keep track of in my life without a little mystery like this popping up to distract me!

Perhaps you can imagine my embarrassment when I discovered that I had committed this very faux pas.  I truly don’t know what mental lapse caused it, but one year I discovered that several of my Christmas cards went out in this clueless way.

How did I discover this, you ask.  Well, I had picked out some really distinctive, fabulous looking cards so it was easy to spot mine within the tree-shaped Christmas card display on my friend’s wall.  I was so proud of myself!  Until I started peeking inside the cards to see who sent which.  When I peeked inside my card I was chagrined, but of course my friend knew who sent it because of my return address on the envelope, right?  That’s when I learned that I had sent an unsigned card in a blank envelope.  We shared a little embarrassed laugh.  Oh, well, these things happen.

When I saw the same unsigned card on display in a client’s office, I was mortified.  The worst part was, I had no way of knowing how many went out unsigned (I remember signing some cards) or how many went out with no return address on the envelopes (perhaps a blessing in disguise if the card was unsigned).

That was probably the first time that I messed up in that way (I hope) and it was definitely the last time!  Now I order my cards with my name printed on them and I order my envelopes with my name and return address printed on them.  I still like to handwrite a salutation and a couple of words, if time allows, and sign my first name.  But now I have the comfort of knowing that, if I’m in rush or if I forget, my Christmas greetings will still go out to spread holiday joy without creating confusion.

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” – Norman Vincent Peale

This is the quote I’m putting in my personalized holiday cards this year. Isn’t it lovely? I thought so too. I always have my Christmas cards customized with our names but I also like to include a quote that inspires people (or at least inspires me). I love this quote because it made me realize how true it is that everything seems a little better and a little brighter at Christmastime. People seem cheerier, stores and houses are decorated in festive colors, and family and friends seem to go out of their way to be nicer. Or maybe I am just so taken by all there is during this festive season that I’m the one walking around with rose colored glasses (or red and green colored glasses?). Nevertheless, I feel a magic in the air during the Christmas season that I just don’t feel the rest of the year. If you like this idea but are stumped as to what to include in your own custom holiday cards, consider some of these great quotes:

“What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.” – Agnes M. Pahro

“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.” – Andy Rooney

“Christmas is, of course, the time to be home – in heart as well as body.” – Garry Moore

“Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends.” – Margaret Thatcher

“As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is.” – Eric Sevareid

If you’re like me, you receive dozens of personalized holiday cards in the mail each year. You may choose to display them on your mantle or on top of your piano, or you may tape them up around the doorway to your kitchen or pin them to a bulletin board. But once Christmas and Chanukkah and New Year’s pass, what do you do with all those personalized holiday cards? If you throw them away, then it’s a good thing you’re reading this because I have some really great ideas to share that will reduce waste and maximize your creative potential!

The easiest way to reuse your old holiday greeting cards is to make gift tags from them. All you’ll need is scissors, a hole punch, and ribbon. To start, sort through the holiday cards you received and set aside the ones featuring images or graphics that you’ll want to use. If you’re making Christmas-themed gift tags, look for cards with Christmas trees, ornaments, and wreaths. If you’re making holiday neutral gift tags, set aside cards with snowflakes, snowmen, and gift boxes. Next, cut out the images with a pair of sharp scissors. You can even use an X-Acto knife accompanied by a ruler as a guide. After cutting out the images, punch a hole in each tag and tie a piece of ribbon through the hole. Use the back of each gift tag to personalize with the “To” and “From” information. And voila! That’s one less thing to spend money on next holiday season.

If you can handle making gift tags from your old personalized holiday cards, then you can definitely do this next project. How about reusing the holiday greeting cards you receive to make garland? You’ll need the same materials from the last project: scissors (or an X-Acto knife), a hole punch, and ribbon. Most people associate garland as being very Christmassy, but you can make holiday neutral garland as well. Similarly to the gift tag project, you’ll start by sorting through your old holiday cards and setting aside the ones featuring large images and graphics that suit your fancy. Again, if you’re making a Christmas-themed garland, look for cards with Christmas trees, ornaments, and wreaths. If you’d like your garland to be holiday neutral, use cards with graphics like snowflakes and gift boxes. Next, use a pair of scissors or an X-Acto knife to cut out the images (the amount of images you cut out will depend on how long you want your garland). On a large flat surface, lay your images next to each other; rearrange them as you see fit. Except for the two end pieces, punch two holes in each image – one to the far left and one to the far right. Attach each image with a small piece of ribbon. And there you have it…garland made of recycled holiday cards to string across your Christmas tree, decorate your staircase, or droop along your mantle.

This next and final project is even simpler and easier than using your old personalized holiday cards to make gift tags and garland. Do you have any favorite holiday dishes that you make each year? If so, you can share them with your family and friends by making recipe cards from the holiday greeting cards you received. To start, sort through your old holiday cards, setting aside the ones with your favorite overall designs. To make your life easier, you’ll probably want to pick cards with the same horizontal or vertical orientation. Next, using an X-Acto knife along with a ruler as your guide (or sharp scissors if you have a steady hand), cut each card along the crease, keeping the front piece with the design and discarding the piece with the inside greeting. For the recipe, you have several options. If you’re computer savvy, you can type up the recipe and print it directly onto the back of each card, or you can use a label template that is compatible with your computer and printer. If you’re uneasy about the two previously mentioned options, you can still type the recipe, print out as many copies as you need, and cut and glue each copy onto the back of each card. Once your recipe cards are complete, you can tuck them into your thank you cards or hold on to them and send them in your holiday greetings for the following year.

Now you know three easy and fun ways to reuse your old personalized holiday cards. So when the holiday season comes to an end and you’re left with a pile of cards sent to you by your family and friends, don’t just throw them away! Be creative and recycle your cards into something useful. Not only will your efforts be appreciated by the important people in your life, you will also ease the strain on your wallet.

“It’s beginning to look a lot like the season of the year that generally brings snowwwwww.”

Sound familiar? Of course not. Bing Crosby is probably turning over in his grave. “It’s beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS” is the way it should be. It should also be the way it is in December. Personalized Christmas cards have gone the way of the dinosaur over the last few years. Everyone is trying to be PC (politically correct is the term).

Christmas used to mean carols playing on the radio, trees being sold on street corners, and everyone wishing each other a “Merry Christmas.” What happened? When did Christmas turn into a dirty word? Everything now seems to be geared for the “Holidays.” When was the last time a shopkeeper wished you a Merry Christmas? Quite a while, I’m sure. While I respect everyone’s religious persuasion, I do feel like I am being short shifted.

Christmas is more than just a religious holiday; it is a feeling of happiness and goodwill. If I wish you a Merry Christmas, I just want to share my joy of the season with you. Likewise, if I were to receive a Happy Hanukkah or a Kwanza card from a friend or co-worker, my thought would be “isn’t that nice that they took the trouble to include me in their holiday wishes.” I guess what I’m trying to say is, there is no hidden agenda. I’m just happy and want to share my happiness with those around me. If that’s politically incorrect, then that’s what I want to be.