Christmas Cards, Done!

It’s December 1, do you know where your Christmas cards are?

This year, I took advantage of the fall teacher inservice days and dragged my boys out for a photo shoot. When most people think of an ideal backdrops for a family portrait, they usually head for a park, the beach, or maybe a historic mansion. We’ve done that before.

But there’s something about family portraits taken in bucolic (dare I say aspirational?) settings that doesn’t quite sit well with me. I mean, everyone knows my kids run around in t-shirts that were handed out free during summer camp. And my daily uniform is pretty much yoga pants and a ponytail. So there’s something sort of phony and show-offy about gussying everyone up in their matching sweaters and combed hair for the family photo that reflects nothing of what everyone looks like the other 364 days of the year.

There’s this old warehouse I’ve driven by hundreds of times. The paint is peeling and it’s right next to the railroad tracks (on the wrong side, I’m sure). There’s a strip bar that caters to factory workers across the street. But every time I saw the warehouse from the my car, I’d notice the symmetry of the loading docks, the monochromatic coloring, and the gritty realism of it all.

But wait. I thought we were talking about family pictures?

Yep. One morning, I told my boys to put on their grommiest clothes, and we drove over to the warehouse. I kinda liked the results. In fact, I’m using them for our Christmas cards.

Stationery card

View the entire collection of Christmas cards.

Shutterfly is currently running a promotion in which you can share your project on a blog or Facebook and receive a $10 off a future order. I did not receive any other compensation, and all opinions expressed here are my own.