Welcome

In case you don't know:

Brian and I started making photo Christmas cards our very first Christmas together as a married couple and have done them ever since.  This year we put together a blog so that we could share all of them in one place and you can see how our family has grown.  It is not our plan to keep up this blog throughout the year.  Potentially we will share some behind the scenes info as we produce our card next year.  Thank you for stopping by and we wish you a very happy holiday!

Sharon
Photo by Casey Holland

Year 7 - have a super Christmas

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I came up with the super hero theme this year, but these cards are Brian's babies.  So it took him about a month to finally approve the idea, but then it was out of my hands.  I had originally envisioned capes and full-on costumes, but it really was much easier to not have to sew all that.  This card really came together with the help of some ridiculously creative friends of Brian's.  The photographs were taken by Casey Holland and I am truly grateful for the family photos that we got out of this.  We are terrible at taking photos together as a family and most of the time I am taking them of the boys and Brian so we ended up with some amazing keepsakes due to this card.  The photoshop work on our superhero photos was done by the incredible Justin Maller (I'll try to figure out how to save the photo in a different format so I can make it bigger) and then Casey designed the rest of the card.  Oliver, who used to hate having his photo taken, has turned in to a total ham in front of the camera.  His poses are amazing and often are on one foot and karate-like.  Miles just wanted to run in to the street.  


Photos by:  Casey Holland
Photoshop work by:  Justin Maller
Printing by: Direct Edge Media

Year 6 - Without a second to spare

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There is bowling on our TV as I sit here writing this.  And Brian often threatens that he could probably make the bowling tour and talks of a cross-country life in a motor home.  It was only a matter of time before this theme came up.  The day we planned to take these photos it was pouring rain and the bowling alley was quite crowded.  We did the photos ourselves and bowled a half game before Miles decided he wasn't in to it and only wanted to run down the lane or into the bar.  The bowlers around us looked on in curiosity.  I have successfully managed to not be signed up for a bowling league which is a huge accomplishment when your husband owns his own bowling balls (yes, plural) and shoes (although if he were to bring up the new outfits I would get to buy or non-grody bowling shoes, I might be coerced).

Designed by:  Matt Barlow
Printed by:  Direct Edge Media

Year 5 - The addiction continues

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As usual, we waited until the last minute to put the card together.  And this year I was extra cranky due to being almost 9 months prego with Miles.  But B came up with the idea and was the only one to require a special outfit so it worked out.  I was also super excited because I finally got a professional pregnant photo.  I had gone in to labor with Oliver before a session I had scheduled and, again, was too cranky to worry about putting one together for this baby.  We were super lucky to have an amazing photographer take the shots for us and an equally amazing graphic designer create the look of the card.  We truly couldn't put these cards together without the help of our extraordinary friends.  

Designed by:  Johannes Dachgruber

Photographed by:  Dom Cooley

Printed by:  Direct Edge Media 

Year 4 - Taking it Presidential

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After realizing that our son was looking a lot like a young Republican, we decided to get political.  Again, we dressed up (at least this year we sort of fit in with the other families getting their pictures taken) and headed out to the mall for photos.  As we usually wait until the very last possible minute to take our photos, the picture shop was understaffed and very behind.  This worked fine for us because we were able to use tons of their photo props and our own camera to get some great pictures.  The computer O was playing with in the photo above was theirs as well as an odd throne like small chair that they seem to use on a regular basis for their children's photos.  

Designed by: Johannes Dachgruber

Printed by:  Direct Edge Media

Year 3 - One Hit Wonders

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Year 3 was a big year for the family card.  Not only did we conceptualize the theme for our card, but we also wrote and performed an original song and made a music video to go with it.  Yeah.  We really should have kept this for year 12 since all the cards have been down hill ever since.  See the music video here:

Special thanks to Taryn for helping to film and take the family photos and for the use of her banjo.  B likes to keep these cards under wraps and I was surprised he brought in an outsider to help.  These were taken on a park-like street corner near our home and many cars slowed down to see if they could figure out what we were doing.  I'm pretty sure none of them would have guessed.

Designed by me and my remedial design skills
Printed by Direct Edge Media

Year 2 - Holla!

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Year 2 found us "in costume" strolling through a luxury mall in Newport Beach where the photo shop was located.  Something new I learned this year was as soon as B puts on his costume, he is in character and stays in character until it comes off.  I tried to walk a safe distance behind him so that people might not know we were together.  I was about 5 months pregnant with Oliver in this photo.  We met the same quizzical looks by both the patrons and workers as the year before.  And I remember trying to explain what the inside of the card meant to my grandmother and her replying, "I know what bling is!" as if I offended her.

Designed and printed by Direct Edge Media