It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

 

I’ve been at my apartment for almost 2 years. Last year was my first Christmas here. I didn’t decorate the outside because, well, I’m lazy. I got a fake, pre-lit tree, and decided I might need to put it up around December 20th. In the interest of full disclosure, when I boxed the tree up after Christmas, it didn’t go far. The box is still in the corner of my living room. Don’t judge. There’s not a lot of storage in this place.

Anyway.

My sister came in town last Sunday night. We made tentative plans to go to the movies after I got off work on Monday, but I ended up having to cancel because I had more schoolwork than I thought due 2 days later. I was getting ready to leave work on Monday and was closing down my Facebook page (I was working hard, trust me) when it refreshed and showed that my sister had posted a picture with the caption “Mom and I did a drive by decorate!! Guess who the victim...I mean lucky person was?”, and then a picture of the outside of my apartment all decorated:

 

(I’ve since taken down the hideous stocking on the door and replaced it with my ornament wreath)

Now, I’m not a fan of colored Christmas lights. I’ve never liked them, except in very small doses. I’ve just always liked the clean look of white lights. My family knows this.

Here’s the kicker though. They were trying SO hard to make it gaudy looking so that it would embarrass me and I’d take them down. But I realized after I got home that they used some old lights that were my grandmother’s. You know the ones, they’re all pokey and inflict horrid pain when you step on them. Especially if you’re barefoot. And carrying a plate of food.

 

So now, instead of embarrassing me, they just remind me of Granny’s house. Her tree, decorated to the nines, with all of our ornaments from every year adorning each limb weighing it down so they’re all dangerously low, in her living room full of family.

And that’s not gaudy at all.

Christmas Cards

My family and I use Shutterfly for all sorts of things. Almost every time we go on a vacation or any type of trip, we use Shutterfly to upload and share most of our pictures. It’s the easiest thing to do! I’ve also made several photobooks through them, and the quality is great! I keep the books out in my living room, and they’re always good conversation starters.

They have the best selection of Christmas cards this year! We’ve never sent one out as a family before (my parents, sister and I), but now that my parents don’t have any children living at home anymore, mom said she might want to send one out, just so extended family would be able to keep tabs on all 4 of us, since my sister and I don’t have our own families yet.

Whether you want only 1 picture on the card, or 3 or more, they have something to suit every whim. They have flat cards, and folded cards, and I’ve heard of people sending out folded cards with a 4x6 print inside—that you can get printed through Shutterfly! Here are a few of my favorite layouts!

And great news for bloggers! Go here to sign up, and you get 50 free cards! How great is that?!