valentine's day à la tiny prints.

i've professed my love for tiny prints before and, here i am, professing my love for their super cute, personalized cards once again. valentine's day is fast approaching and i love being able to send my children to school with sweet notes and cards for their classmates and teachers. personally, if you ask me, i think valentine's day is overrated, but it think it's such a fun holiday for children.

ask anyone who is a fan of tiny prints and they'll tell you: the selection of cards is amazing. once again, tiny prints has outdone themselves with their section of valentine cards. tiny prints doesn't just offer valentine's day greeting cards, but you can also get photo cards and party invitations, too, each with a valentine's day theme.

it's hard to choose just one card that would be perfect for either of my children's classmates, but here are a few of the designs that we are currently in love with...

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my daughter is quite the baker and is in love with cupcakes, so this would be the perfect card for her to share with her classmates this valentine's day. 

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and another valentine's day card contender...another cupcake themed card! the simplicity of this design is perfect for exchanging with classmates.

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this option is great for my son who isn't quite into all of the lovey-dovey valentine's day cards. i like that this card - in addition to all of the tiny prints valentine's day cards - is different from what you'll find in your nearest discount store.

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and we just loved this fortune cookie valentine's day card. it's perfect for both my daughter & son to share with their classmates.  

like what you're seeing? then i urge you to check out all of the valentine's day cards that tiny prints has to offer.  in addition, you can follow tiny prints on twitter, facebook & pinterest. check them out!

disclaimer: in exchange for a blog post showcasing their valentine's day collection, tiny prints is giving me 50 free kids valentine's day cards of my choice. all opinions in this post are my own & tiny prints did not influence my opinion or the wording of this blog post.

who won?

i don't normally post on the weekends, but i'm sure you're all dying to know who won the 50 free photo cards from tiny prints, right?

no? well, shame on you for not entering.

there were 17 comments, but 15 entries. make sense?

i entered each name, in order of comment, into excel & used handy, dandy random.org to generate the winning entry number...

and the winner??

jayme from the little baby blog

congratulations, jayme! i will give your email to my contact at tiny prints who will then email you about how to redeem your 50 free cards. basically, you'll place an order, but alison from tiny prints will pull your order by your email. make sense? probably not. but, just know that alison & the rest of the tiny prints staff will take good care of you.

thank you to all who entered! i wish i could give all of you free cards this holiday season. definitely keep tiny prints in mind...their customer service is superb {and what other company will mail your cards for you??}.

it's a tiny prints holiday.

clearly, i've been living under a rock for years. i recently discovered the greatness that is tiny prints. creating & sending greeting cards will never be the same for me. never.

i was once that girl who spent a lot of money at that well-known greeting card chain {you know, "when you care enough to send the very best"}. now, i'm that girl who doesn't have much money {thank you, grad school} and, well, if i can get something done within the comforts of my own home, why not?

here's where tiny prints comes in...

i can upload, personalize and send greeting cards from my computer! i'm not talking e-cards either. tiny prints takes all of the guess work & frustration out of sending greeting cards. why is this important and ah-mazing at the same time? because the holidays are rapidly approaching and who likes to stand in the ridiculous lines {at the last minute} at the post office?! yeah, i thought so.

tiny prints pretty much has every occasion covered {you can also order wedding invitations as well as business stationery from them, too}. i've sent birthday cards from tiny prints in the past, but i'm most excited about their holiday collection. in true tiny prints form, their collection is phenomenal. the designs are unique and there is clearly something for every taste imaginable. tiny prints prices are affordable.  and, they also offer address labels, newsletter inserts, gift tags & thank you cards in holiday themes!

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i've ordered from similar companies in the past - and have always been satisfied - but one thing that makes tiny prints stand above the rest is their superb customer service & their fast shipping. trust me.

now, about those holiday cards...

it's a decision that i dread making every year. and, considering i did not send out holiday cards last year {the shame!}, i feel like i need to come up with something super special for this year.  i love, love, LOVE photo cards and i feel like i can share so much of our year if more than one photo can be included.  i also like fun & whimsical designs. with that in mind, here are some of my favorite designs from tiny prints:

{fun fair isle}

{what a delight}

{international color}

{fun filled}

{be merry}

so many choices...like i said, the holiday card selection at tiny prints is amazing. the hard part is choosing the perfect card, but at least sending holiday cards won't seem like a chore after dealing with tiny prints.

take a look at the tiny prints holiday selection. which would you choose?

if you're interested in participating in the tiny prints holiday campaign, please click here.

disclaimer: in exchange for a blog post showcasing their holiday collection, tiny prints is giving me 50 free holiday cards of my choice. all opinions in this post are my own & tiny prints did not influence my opinion or the wording of this blog post.

WINNERS: shutterfly holiday cards

it's getting to be that time of year...again.  i know today is halloween and we all have kit-kats, sweettarts & almond joys on our mind {or maybe that's just me}, but we kind of have to start thinking about the holidays, too.

not long ago, i wrote about photo cards from shutterfly. i also mentioned a pretty sweet giveaway. as promised, here are the THREE winners of 25 cards {of their choice} from shutterfly:

JulesInTheNo

Preppy Girl Meets World

Melanie

thank you to all who entered & a big congratulations to the winners!! 

winners, please be on the lookout for an email {from me} containing your shutterfly code.

oh, at some point last week i passed the 900th blog post mark. yeah, 900 posts. so, i guess i should have another giveaway in honor of that, right?? 

psst...as per usual, the winners were picked using random.org

holiday greetings...and a giveaway!

THE GIVEAWAY PORTION OF THIS POST HAS ENDED. THANK YOU FOR ENTERING!

halloween is less than two weeks away, so it seems a bit silly to think about holiday cards, right? no.

choosing the perfect card to give to family & friends can be a daunting task. there are so many themes, styles, and designs to choose from. should you include a photo? or, should you keep the card simple? these are decisions that can make even the most organized person sweat. if you're not familiar with shutterfly, you need to be. why? because not only is shutterfly a great website that offers photo sharing, but you can also create photo gifts, calendars and beautiful cards, too {cards for all occasions, i might add}. 

creating a holiday card on shutterfly is easy. how can that be? deciding on the perfect design might be difficult {it's hard to choose just one favorite!}, but shutterfly breaks down the card creation process into three simple steps:

• card theme: christmas, holiday, religious, or story
• number of photos: one, two, three, or four {or more}
• card format: flat, folded, or high-quality photo paper 

uploading & editing a photo to create the perfect card could not be easier! the possibilities are endless & the prices are affordable. in addition, shutterfly also offers address labels, gift tags & even thank you notes to round out your holiday needs.

i've been a fan of shutterfly cards for years, especially during the holidays. here are the holiday cards i've ordered from shutterfly in the past:

i love knowing that i'm sending my friends & family a beautiful, high-quality card . . . it's not your average greeting card. instead, i'm giving the people i love an item that can be cherished. 

and, yes, the third card down is totally from the erin condren collection at shutterfly. that particular card style is no longer available, but shutterfly does offer many cute designs by erin!

are you a blogger? want a chance at 25 free holiday cards this season? if so, then register here:  http://goo.gl/DDw7Q

---

now, about the giveaway mentioned in the title...

shutterfly has generously offered to give THREE of my readers 25 free holiday cards.* 

seriously, this is an amazing deal! 

all you need to do is comment on this blog...that's all!

you have until 11:59pm on sunday, october 30th to comment.

i'll choose THREE winners on monday, october 31st {halloween!}.

*please note that you will be responsible for the shipping charges

the fine print: in exchange for this post, shutterfly gave me a promotion code for 50 free cards. all opinions are my own. 

holiday snail mail.

i suppose there's no better time to start thinking about the upcoming winter holidays than now.  as you sit there eating leftover halloween candy, i'm sure you're thinking about who you're going to send holiday cards to, right?  no?  well, perhaps you should be because right now shutterfly is offering 20% off of all holiday cards. {and, no, i'm not asking you to send out your yearly family update to friends & family before thanksgiving...please, nobody likes an overachiever.}

instead, i want you to think about YOUR family's holiday card.  is it usually just some random folded card from the nearest discount chain?  is it impersonal & filled with some preprinted sentiment?  why not jazz things up a little this year? 

have you ever thought about ordering your holiday cards online?  there are many sites to choose from and we all have our favorites, but for the last four years i've exclusively used shutterfly for my holiday card needs.  the assortment of cards that shutterfly offers is amazing!  you can order folded cards, flat stationery cards or flat photo cards and even cards in spanish!  and, if that wasn't enough, shutterfly also offers personalized gift tags & address labels, too!

i love a personalized holiday card that shares photos of the past year with the recipient.  here are my family's holiday cards from the past four years:

{2006}

{2007}

{2008 - this particular "theme" has been discontinued}

{2009}

for the past two years, i've become quite a fan of the flat stationery cards.  they are a great size {i usually get the 5"x7" cards} and they are so sophisticated.  and, for the price, they are quite a steal compared to some of the other personalized photo card companies.  i think the hardest thing about creating a holiday card is choosing which one to use.  there are so many wonderful colors, themes & designs to choose from! 

here are some of my favorites from shutterfly's flat stationery line for the holidays: 

{family wall red}

{dotty holiday monogram}

{framed with love}

{2010 wishes}

oh, the decisions that i'll need to make...and soon!  remember, shutterfly is offering 20% off all holiday cards for a limited time.  get started on your holiday card list now!!  and, if you want to participate in a promotion for 50 free holiday cards, please click here & share this promotion with your friends on twitter or facebook by simply sharing this message:

50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly http://bit.ly/sfly2010 #SFLY

now go...start sorting through your photos & get those creative juices flowing so you can get started on your holiday cards with shutterfly!

disclaimer:  shutterfly contacted me to write this post after responding to a request from the mom blogs.   these are my opinions.  i will receive 50 free holiday cards from shutterfly as compensation for my testimonial and time.  i blog with integrity.

a couple things...

this friday is the deadline to get on my ho ho ho snail mail list. you want a holiday card from me, please email me your mailing address. remember, two lucky people from the snail mail list will also receive a little surprise from moi. you don't know what it is & i don't plan on posting on who those lucky two are until after cards {and two packages} have been sent out & received.

and...

on a different note, i was recently nominated by shannon from welcome to the nuthouse {love her!} to be 'interviewed' over at marlie and me. my 'interview' will be featured this coming thursday. don't worry, i'll remind you so you can check it out.

I can't help but smile...

...when I hear this song. I like the Montgomery Gentry version of it, but nothing beats some Robert Earl Keen.

Feliz Navidad, y'all.

Psst...don't forget to get on my Ho Ho Ho list. You have until Thursday, December 10th because I plan on putting my holiday cards in the mail that weekend. If you're lucky, you just might get a little gift with your card {I'm going to have my children pick two names out of a hat!}.

No ho ho?

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How appropriate, huh? I mean, considering how quickly the holidays are approaching & how ridiculously screwed up the economy is right now.

Honestly, I've seriously considered telling my children that Santa had to do a massive layoff so he's only down to two elves and one reindeer this year. But, I'm sure they would just look at me like I was crazy and still demand something extravagant from the Toys 'R Us catalog.

But...

This isn't about layoffs, toys or even me or my children...this is about YOU! I am sending out holiday cards {um, in December, of course!} and if you are interested in receiving a lil' ho ho ho from me in the mail, then please put yourself onto my snail mail list!

All you need to do is email me at shell {at} stutteringshell {dot} com - be sure to give me your name & address.

And...

TWO lucky snail mail friends will receive a lil' holiday-inspired sumthin'-sumthin' from me!

Did I really just bribe you all to get on my holiday card snail mail list? Yes, I think I did!

Here's the fine print:

• holiday cards will be mailed the second week of December {give me time, people, this is a huge undertaking for me!}
• international addresses are a-ok!
• addresses must be sent to the email address listed above - please don't put your addy in a comment {there are pervs & sickos out there!}
• the two lucky recipients will be chosen at random {we will be pulling a name out of a bowl}
• the two lucky recipients will receive a surprise as well as the promised holiday card
• the gifts for the two chosen will be something picked out & paid for by me - nothing will be donated or given to me or blah, blah, blah
• the only compensation I am getting out of all of this is spreading some holiday cheer to my bloggy friends
• the only way you'll get the aforementioned holiday cheer out of me is by participating...just kidding...but, seriously, if you didn't put yourself on my snail mail list, then you cannot be mad at me for not sending you a card.

Cards for the Cure

It's October.

While it might be time to stock up on miniature candy bars & think of the most ghoulish costume to wear this Halloween, it's also time to "save the ta-ta's" and think pink!

In honor of BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, Hallmark was a FREE card {available in Hallmark stores only} that you can pick up {as many as you want} to send to all of the special people in your life.

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I picked up one today & I plan on sending it to my Mommy -- who just happens to be a breast cancer survivor.

Hometown Swap - All the way from Ohio

A month ago or so, I jumped on the bandwagon and signed myself up to participate in a hometown swap over at Shannon's blog, Welcome to the Nuthouse. The idea of the swap was to be paired up with someone from another part of the country and you would send that person goodies from your hometown. Pretty neat, huh?

I came home this afternoon and there was a big, white package on my porch from Heather (check out her blog, "This is the day..."). It was full of yummy, beautiful and sweet smelling goodies from her town of Lebanon, Ohio:

Heather sent me some yummy donuts made from a local farm...they didn't fare too well while in transit but - trust me - they are so damn good! I also got some homemade apple butter...YUM! I can't wait for breakfast tomorrow - guess what I'm putting on my toast?! The candle is coconut scented and is soy-based and it's heavenly. She also sent a little apple recipe book, a small plaque about family and the most beautiful handmade cards - Heather is a crafty gal!

Heather - you outdid yourself and I am just taken away by your card making talent. Thank you for making some ordinary gal from Virginia Beach happy on what has been a semi-crummy Monday! I will drown my sorrows in a ice, cold Coca-Cola and munch on the yummy donuts and wait for a sugar high to rescue me!

Shannon - thank you for putting together this swap...it was fun, yet challenging! I mean, I had a hard time coming up with things - I even forgot something - so my swap partner will receive TWO packages from me. Oops!