It's only September, the season has only just turned to fall, and yet here I am, thinking about Christmas. Grossly premature, I know. Don't worry—I haven't bought any gifts or decor yet. I'm not that good.
But being the stationery aficionado that I am, I'm thinking about holiday cards. Every year I intend to send out warm wishes in paper form to my friends and family. Some years it happens. Other years it doesn't. The procrastinator in me is to blame.
So that's why I'm thinking about it now, three months in advance. As you probably know, I have plenty of recent professional photographs (here's looking at you, engagement session and wedding) that cost big bucks and I want to share them! It's like that expensive fancy dress you justify splurging on by telling yourself you'll wear it more than once—over and over and over again, in fact.
We used Minted for our wedding invitations and were absolutely delighted with their look and quality, so it was a no-brainer to turn to the online marketplace once again for its selection of unique holiday cards created by indie designers and artists.
There are tons of wonderful options (including non-photo cards) that can keep you busy browsing for hours, but here are my fave flat-format photo cards:
Painted Banner. (This may be my top contender; I am smitten with the holly and pine banner and matching envelope liner and label!)
Clockwise from top left: Mosaic // Merry Brush and backer options // Oh So Merry Collage // Festive Type and envelope liner & label
I'm also loving the beautiful foil-stamped holiday cards (available in gold, silver and rose gold foil). The shimmer and shine is perfect for the holiday season.
If you're planning ahead like me, make sure to take advantage of Minted's annual preview sale, going on now but only for a limited time. Minted doesn't offer discounts often, and usually never this good: 20% off holiday cards with the code PREVIEW2014. You're welcome!
(Top image via Edelweiss Post, an awesome Etsy shop dedicated to keep real mail alive and well, one vintage stamp at a time. Love.)
