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Archive for the ‘Christmas’ Category

Holiday Photo Cards: Winter Wishes

Monday, October 17th, 2011

The beautiful blue snowy background of the Winter Wishes Christmas Photo Cards will highlight your favorite family photo taken in the snow or at the beach, in blue jeans or formal wear.

Winter Wishes Holiday Photo Cards

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Why do you Need to Mail Invitations?

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

Party InvitationsIn today’s world of cellphones, email, tweets and facebook posts, you might think mailing party invitations isn’t necessary. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mailing enticing party invitations to your guests shows that you value them as friends and as a guest at your upcoming event.

Printed party invitations get guests excited about your event and set the tone for your party. Invitations let guests know what you’re celebrating, what you’re serving, how to dress as well as the date, time and location. They also look great posted on their refrigerators. Custom printed invitations show your personality and can be casual, formal, modern or traditional.

An emailed invitation or a home-printed flyer might get guests to come to your party, but if you want an awesome turnout, nothing is better than mailing personalized party invitations to your guests. Invitations from Announcingit.com are a perfect way to invite guests to your birthday party, baby shower, bridal shower, business event or even your wedding.

Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 25th, 2010
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Are you Dreaming of a White Christmas?

Monday, December 20th, 2010

Snowman and Wife Winter InvitationsChristmas cards, Christmas specials, or Christmas carols, one thing that  seems to be a universal message is the presence of snow. Glistening snowflakes and snowy white lawns have become as much a part of the Christmas message as anything. Perhaps it is because it looks so bright and pure or because it makes the scene immediately identifiable as a winter one, and therefore links it to Christmas. But there are many people in the English-speaking world who have never seen a White Christmas, and wonder if they will.

The chance of a white Christmas depends, of course, on where you live.  Here in Southern California, our home is high enough in the Saddleback Mountain foothills that we have had snow three times since we’ve lived here. While it was short lived and only once did we have enough snow for a mini snowball fight, it wasn’t at Christmas.  This year, we’ve just had days of rain which while needed, isn’t what we or tourists expect in Southern California at Christmas.

Snow Surfer Winter InvitationIn the Southern Hemisphere, Australia has Christmas in the middle of its climatic summer. Australia is a temperate country anyway, so the chances of snow at Christmas are roughly equivalent to those of a 100-degree heatwave in New York in January. Even in the United Kingdom, which is known for its cold winters, snow tends to hold off until January for whatever reason. Though cold enough, the snow just doesn’t seem to have that sense of timing. 

Nonetheless, whether you live somewhere that gets snow reliably at Christmas or somewhere where it is unlikely to ever happen, the fact remains that snow is something that is inextricably linked with Christmas. This holds true wherever you are, and is why we all know what Bing Crosby was singing about.

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Dickens Christmas Quote for Invitations, Greeting Cards & More

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.

~Charles Dickens

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Caring for your Holiday Poinsettias

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

Caring for your Holiday PoinsettiasThe length of time your poinsettia will give you pleasure in your home is dependent on:

  1. the maturity of the plant,
  2. when you buy it, and
  3. how you treat the plant.

With care, poinsettias should retain their beauty for weeks and some varieties will stay attractive for months.

  • After you have made your poinsettia selection, make sure it is wrapped properly because exposure to low temperatures even for a few minutes can damage the bracts and leaves.
  • Unwrap your poinsettia carefully and place in indirect light. Six hours of light daily is ideal. Keep the plant from touching cold windows.
  • Keep poinsettias away from warm or cold drafts from radiators, air registers or open doors and windows.
  • Ideally poinsettias require daytime temperatures of 60 to 70°F and night time temperatures around 55°F. High temperatures will shorten the plant’s life. Move the plant to a cooler room at night, if possible.
  • Check the soil daily. Be sure to punch holes in foil so water can drain into a saucer. Water when soil is dry. Allow water to drain into the saucer and discard excess water. Wilted plants will tend to drop bracts sooner.
  • Fertilize the poinsettia if you keep it past the holiday season. Apply a houseplant fertilizer once a month. Do not fertilize when it is in bloom.

Information from the University of Illinois Extension Poinsettia Pages website.

Tips for Taking a Perfect Baby Picture for Your Christmas Photo Cards

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

Vintage Holiday Tree Christmas Photo CardsEveryone wants a perfect picture of their baby for their holiday photo cards or for just a keepsake. The hardest part of doing this is often getting the baby to pose. Follow these steps to get the results you want at the studio.

Bring your baby’s favorite toys or stuffed animals to the portrait studio. It’s a new environment for your baby, so having familiar objects will make them more comfortable.

Baby Love Blue Christmas Photo CardsDress the baby for comfort. Often in the quest for that perfect picture, parents try too hard to dress the baby in something that is more attractive than it is comfortable. If your baby is uncomfortable, they will be agitated more quickly and be less likely to cooperate.

Arrive to the studio early so that the baby has time to get used to the new surroundings.

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How To Take a Beautiful Professional Style Baby Picture for your Holiday Photo Cards

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

Professional Style Black and White Baby PhotosWith a few helpful tips, you can take a professional style photo of you and your baby for your holiday photo cards.

Things you will need:

  • A Baby (duhhhh)
  • A Digital Camera
  • A Black T-Shirt
  • Mom or Dad (to hold the baby)
  • A Photo Editing Program

Have mom or dad (or both) put on a solid black t-shirt and hold their baby in their arm(s) close to their body. Take more pictures than you think you’ll need so you have lots to look through to find your favorite.

Make sure you have good lighting because you don’t want to use a flash unless you have a special kind of flash or a diffuser on your flash. Natural light is good, or even a lamp to retain tones on your photos. The photographer should  take pictures with the light behind them, and try and position everything so that there are no major shadows.

Load the pictures on to your computer. With your photo editing software, crop the pictures so that nothing but arms and the upper half of the baby’s body are showing. On your photo editing program change the picture (if haven’t used the option on your camera already) to sepia. Then use the brightness/contrast setting to adjust the contrast. The goal here is to get the black t-shirt to be a solid black background.

Once you’ve selected your favorite photo, it’s time to order Christmas photo cards to show off your newborn to friends and family.

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Make taking your Annual Holiday Photo Card Picture a Family Tradition

Sunday, November 28th, 2010

Green Damask Holiday Photo CardsDo you dread taking a family photo each year for your Christmas photo cards? With a few tips and a reward thrown in, you can turn this chore into a fun family tradition.

Mount your camera on a tripod and use a self-timer so the photo taker can be in the photo too. Do a variety of poses and rearrange everyone so you have a choice of several images to use. Then celebrate by going out to dinner or set another tradition you can all look forward too after the photo taking is done.

If you have a fabulous vacation photo with everyone in it, by all means, use it for your photo holiday cards. You don’t have to use formally posed photographs or winter scenes for your cards.

Wishing You Joy Christmas Photo CardBefore mailing your Christmas photo cards, add a personal touch to your cards by writing a personal message on the back (with a sharpie so it doesn’t smear) or include a family newsletter for everyone to catch up on what your family’s been doing for the past year.

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Shop our Traditional Folded Christmas Photo Cards

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday, Why Wait?

Wednesday, November 24th, 2010
Digital Holiday Photo Cards on Sale!

Digital Holiday Photo Cards on Sale!

We’re an impatient lot and we don’t want to wait until Friday to shop, do you?

We’ve all heard the commercials for Black Friday, Small Cyber Monday and now, Small Business Saturday and we decided to roll them into one big event that starts the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and runs through November 30th.

We’ve got all the things you love…on sale!

Invitations for kids, baby, adults, wedding, business, holiday, communion, graduation, note cards, holiday photo cards and more!

PLUS…enter to WIN a Kodak Easyshare Camera! One lucky social media follower will win, will it be you?

Click here to get all the promo codes and to start shopping!

 

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