This is my third year of designing our own Christmas cards (using what little skills I have in Photoshop Elements!) and I am SO pleased with how they turned out. For the past several years we've had professional pictures taken around the holidays but we skipped the photo shoot this year. Instead I collected photos throughout our year and I love the story that they will tell to friends and family: This is what 2015 looked like for Team Wharton.

The card design was inspired by Sara's Christmas card round up. Initially I thought I would order a card from Etsy and have someone else arrange our photos. But then I realized that it would be just as much work to collect the photos and transfer them to someone else as to put together a simple design myself. So that's what I did!

Using Photoshop Elements I created a 5 x 7 inch Christmas card, saved it as a JPEG and uploaded it to GotPrint to create a 5 x 7 postcard. In the past I've used Overnight Prints and have been happy with them but was curious to try a new service, plus the shipping on Overnight Prints can be steep. I paid about $27 for 100 cards. The envelopes weren't included (as they are with Overnight Prints) and so I picked up 100 craft paper envelopes at a craft store for about $10.

Fun Kelsey fact: I get VERY excited about the Christmas stamp design each year, and I'm also really judgy about it. The holiday baubles from a few year ago: not a fan. The Charlie Brown Christmas collection this year: APPROVE!

On the first night that I sat down to address cards I felt like I wrote and sealed envelopes forever and yet barely made it half way down my list. We are truly rich in dear friends and family and I am so very grateful.

Wishing you and your family a cozy and very happy holiday this year!

With love, 
Team Wharton

Our 2014 cards (note mention of holiday stamps), 2013 cards, 2012 cards and 2011 cards.