Here it is — our 2012 family Christmas card, shared with all the merrymakers out there.
This card riffs on the classic tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa, with a healthy dose of reality: food left unattended in our house rarely stays that way. By some miracle we captured this shot without any Photoshop composites. Usually Clara dives straight onto Burger — meaning Burger bolts before the first photo is taken — but with treats involved they actually played nicely together long enough for a few good frames.
These are a few outtakes from our late-night photo session, which we didn’t start until after Clara’s bedtime. Yet another Christmas miracle: she was an absolute angel during the shoot (likely bribed with cookies) and, despite a little post-8pm sugar, slept just fine afterward.
Clara was delighted that Burger was so curious about the milk — she kept encouraging him to take another sip. Pure holiday teamwork, at least until curiosity shifted.
Eventually Burger’s attention turned toward the other snack, at which point we had to end the setup — no chocolate for dogs! It was an abrupt finish, but the photos we kept were worth it.
We loved the final result, and the TinyPrints design made the card feel extra festive. This year we splurged a bit on heavier cardstock instead of our usual CVS or Target prints. A free-shipping promotion and a coupon code helped offset the cost, so we saved about $30 on the order.
In case you want to stroll down memory lane, here are a few of our past cards. Last year’s card:
And our 2010 card, where we actually photoshopped a bow onto Clara’s head so long-distance relatives would remember she’s a girl.
Finally, our 2009 card from when we were still waiting for Clara’s arrival the following May.
With that, we’re off to spend the rest of Christmas Day with family. We hope you’re enjoying the holiday — whether that means great food, time with loved ones, rest, or whatever makes this season special for you. Thank you for reading our blog; we’re grateful for your support and wish you a joyful holiday.
Update: You can also browse our favorite holiday decor finds — many are budget-friendly and under $15.