7 comments 17 December 2008

Last Year:

Last year I had a plan. Well before December I had ordered Elliot some green-striped pajamas, red booties, got lucky that his favorite toy already happened to be some sleigh bells, bought some fake snow at the nearby craft chain and viola it was the cutest darn Christmas card!


This Year:

This year I had no plan. As Thanksgiving weekend came to a close we picked up our pug from his weekend away (boarding at the vet). When we arrived at his hotel (the vet) there was a photographer in the lobby (the waiting room) offering to take photos Christmas photos of your pet at a nominal fee (totally overpriced). I made the mistake of asking if children could be in the photo and in a moment of desperation (knowing I did not yet have a plan for Christmas cards) I said I'd leave the pug here to have a bath, take the baby home for a nap and come back to take their pictures. So we did. And they were not quite what I imagined they would be in my last-minute overly optimistic state of mind.


Notice the cheesy chaise lounge, the curtain for dramatic flair, the fake presents and the stupid scarf on Thomas (they put these on the dogs after baths and I forgot to take it off!). We didn't decide immediately that we were not going to use this photo as our card, but we didn't go straight home and start assembling either.

Almost two weeks ago we took Elliot to see Santa. While he napped in the morning I brought up the brilliant idea of us taking the photo as a family and that could be our Christmas card. Dale agreed and we got busy trying to find any clean clothes that coordinate but didn't look too matchy-matchy. We decided on gray and though it was matchy-matchy, I do believe it was understated. Unlike last year, the photographer elf was rushing and didn't really give us an opportunity to take a good picture and of the ones they took she gave me all of 5 seconds to decide on 1 pose for a nominal fee (extremely overpriced). And again, they were not quite what I imagined they would be in my last-minute overly optimistic state of mind.


Though I must say this Santa is the real-deal (though his elves were off their game this year!) due to our unseasonably warm weather he was wearing this "interesting" shirt instead of his snugly warm coat. But I don't blame Santa, it just didn't work out. Again, we didn't decide immediately that we were not going to use this photo, but we weren't "pulling the trigger"on making the cards either.

Last weekend we decided to do what we should have done all along, what we did last year, to take our own Christmas photo. We started out thinking we would set-up the tripod and take a overdue family photo in front of the tree. As usual we were/are behind on everything and it was just going to take too much energy we didn't have to pull-off the family photo, so the family part was not going to happen AND the tree wasn't exactly decorated yet (except for the lights) so I quickly looked around and realized the fireplace would work perfectly. And viola, the Christmas card was born.




Though I generally love to write a message in each card and wish all my friends and family happy and healthy holidays, I just could not make anymore time this year for Christmas cards, so we went with a photo card. There's always next year.

4 comments 11 December 2008

Oh my, it has been over a month since I have said anything! I have had many thoughts at the gym, in the car, at work, and more...just haven't had a moment to type them out. These days a not-so-clever facebook status is about all I can muster up. I am sure that you (my five readers) are just all broken-up about this, but don't despair I'm not gone for good.