A note or email is always welcome encouragement, but I love the sentiment of a paper greeting card… especially “just because” or one with a lengthy, endearing message like the ones that my maid of honour often writes… so heartwarming, so personal. I have saved every birthday card my mom has given me since I was about 4… I remember that one vividly – it had a photo of a collie pup.
$3-7 for a greeting card… that, unless you’re a saver, is likely heading for the recycling box. Plus, an envelope – more paper. As your family grows… more occasions, more cards! The tally of the cost and the impact of greeting cards started to tweak my conscience.
So, in our home, just among our immediate family, I have designed one card. Starting with C2’s first birthday, we will use this greeting card for every birthday from now until….. ? Well, it will be interesting to see how long we can stretch out the tradition of the one card. I love entertaining the thought that we will bring out the family birthday card 25 years from now and read about all of the memories written there.
For other occasions – birthdays, Mothers Day, party invitations – I have been designing postcards using my own photos and an online photo editing website called Picnik. Unique, personal, with limited environmental impact. Nice.
DeirdreSpeak 