It’s Because I’m Green, Isn’t It?


If I had a dollar for each time someone has called me cuddly-as-a-cactus since my previous post I’d have a million dollars. Okay, that’s a total lie – I wouldn’t have any dollars (which is not so different from the amount of dollars my bank account has, so I’m in good company), but I did feel very judged after admitting my aversion to Frosty the Snowman. 

So, in attempt to reconcile with my audience the four of you who read this and with my family (Christmas is here, there are gifts that will require my acceptance) I will explain myself further.

“How do you hate Christmas music? I LOVE this time of year.”
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold yir horses there cowboy. I didn’t say I hate Christmas or this time of year. Au contraire grasshopper, I love almost all (non-musical) things Christmas and I greatly enjoy this time of year. In fact, making, sending and receiving Christmas cards has to be one of my favorite things ever. This year we actually had a wonderful photographer, who also happens to be a wonderful friend, take some “family portraits” for us.
If you follow me on Twitter you know I am ridiculously happily married to my (intensely handsome and exceedingly geeky) college sweetheart and we have three children crazy dogs. We have been a “family” for almost 3 years now and despite having an absurd amount of pictures of our dogs, we have no pictures of all 5 of us. So, I decided Christmas cards would be a divine excuse to obtain such a picture. I mean, if we’re going to force our friends and family to look at pictures of us and our hairy children, they might as well be good pictures, right?
So, in my giddiness to create Christmas cards I contacted my friend and we had a little photo shoot. I peed my pants the day our cards came in the mail. Unfortunately, it seems not everyone gets this delighted to send and receive Christmas cards. My cognizance of the Christmas Card Haters was born following a riveting conversation I had at a local drug store:

Me: “Are there 20 stamps in each booklet? I think I need two sets.”

Checker: “Yeah. What do you need so many stamps for anyway?”

Me: (Alright meddling woman, I’ve been looking for stamps for an hour….freaking sell them to me so I can get on with my life.) “To mail our Christmas cards.”

Checker: “WHAT!? This is a LOT of money to spend on Christmas cards. You should just send a text. My Christmas card is a mass text to my friends.

Me: (WHAT is wrong with your my generation!? Snail mail is dead and part of my heart has died with it. You kids and your new-fangled mePhones and weemail….pick up an ink pen dagnabit) “Thanks, Merry Christmas. I’ll text you.”  

Merry Christmas, Friends – With Love From The Joneses
Danielle, Donnie, Wrigley, Sage & Mae
More photos and hilarious blooper shots on our post at Linda Schillberg’s blog



So, rest assured hollyjollychristmasers, that I know how you feel when you tell me it makes your peanut brittle to hear that I hate Christmas music. I felt like I’d be given a stocking full of coal when I discovered there was a breed of folks out there who hate Christmas cards. The only thing I love more than designing and sending our Christmas cards is receiving cards from our friends and family.

Some of the cards we’ve received from friends & family this year.
Tell me, readers, what do you think of Christmas cards? And please tell me you aren’t mass texting your friends and family as their holiday greeting….I need my faith in our generation restored.