Bloggers Get 50 Free Holiday Cards from Shutterfly!

I absolutely love the holidays. Once I get my first Christmas card, I start to get giddy, and I find cards to be such an important part of the holiday season.

It is one of the first things I think of when I am planning my holidays. What do I want my closest friends and family to see? How do I want my card to look?

Since beginning my search more than a month ago, I found that I will certainly be using Shutterfly. Now, I am a journalist and do a lot of layout for the newspaper and could easily design my own card from scratch. But I decided to use Shutterfly for sure.

First of all, the designs of the cards are so gorgeous. I mean, just look at these Christmas cards! If you love simplistic designs with clean lines, they have it. If you prefer dramatic, elegant, fun, unique, they have them all.  I truly mean that.

Now, I love when families do family updates in their cards. Shutterfly has cards where you can put the updates on the card! How creative and fun! I adore these story cards.

The site even has the option to send the cards for you.

I live a busy life, but I still want to be able to send cards to my family and friends, and this allows me to make some quick decisions on the easy-to-use site, and then sit back while they do all the work.

I have used Shutterfly more than once, and I refuse to go to any other site for pictures or photo projects. I have never been disappointed at all. One of my favorite projects was the album I put together for our honeymoon. I love their photo books. Like I said, I design newspapers for a living, so I can be pretty darn picky, but the quality and efficiency form Shutterfly is superb. The photos were so clear, and the quality of the hardback book was unbeatable. The site even allowed for me to add captions, quotes and description. It was a HUGE project, but was so simple, at the same time. I couldn’t believe it was on my doorstep approximately a week later. Unbelievable! It is a true keepsake in our house, and people are always looking through it. Plus, the price was so affordable.

Another favorite thing of mine is I also love the easiness of printing photos and having them delivered to my house. I love a nice matte finish on photos, and they offer it!

A third reason I love Shutterfly is they have great gift options. Just look how great calendar is! We cruised with my parents three times, and they make an entire calendar out of the cruise photos for us each time. We love it and can relive the cruise each month!

That is another reason I love quality. Sometimes you really pay good bucks for a nice album; however, with Shutterfly, I find that I am getting great quality for a fraction of the price.

They have cards for everything! Think of the possibilities. If you don’t do Christmas cards, per say, you might do a Christmas party invitation, a New Years party invitation, birth announcement, housewarmings, etc.  Really, the options are endless.

What’s the best part of all of this? Shutterfly is offering 50 FREE (you read that right) cards to anyone who promotes the company on the site. For more information on this, visit Shutterfly here.

Tell me about your incredible projects with Shutterfly. I would love to hear them. And remember, pass the good experiences onto your friends and family, and share the wealth. Don’t worry! With so many options out there, they won’t choose the same card; I promise!

For more information, visit http://bit.ly/sfly2010.

Carolina's Coming!

Yeah, so I was going strong, blogging almost every weekday and absolutely loving it. Then, life happened!

We decided to have our living room painted and had to clear those rooms out for the painter, pick paint, pick new curtains, etc. After the painting was done I decided I wanted to do a good clean of the two rooms, which mean floorboards, floors, rugs, every piece of furniture in the room and everything that goes back into the room (including what goes back into the china hutch). It was tough work. After I finished that, I decided I wanted to do a good clean of the back bedroom since my best girlfriend, Carolina, is coming to stay with us. So, that meant scrubbing the walls, floorboards, floors, rug, cleaning the curtains, comforter sheets and everything that went back into my room. My back is crying for a break. Yuck.

But, it will pay off because I get to see my Carolina! I just have to clean the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom tonight and maybe make a few treats for the weekend.

Carolina and I waiting to see "Sweeney Todd" in April.

Me and Carolina at the Cherry Blossom Festival! We had incredibly beautiful weather.

Carolina is from Columbia, and we met in college in a history class. We studied together a couple of times, and we really hit it off. I was a communications/journalism major, and she was a communications/theater major. We ended up having a few classes that overlapped, and we just kept hitting it off. Although I was not involved in theater in college, I loved and still do love theater. Carolina was the stage manager in many of the productions, and I loved going to see her.

Carolina, my mom and me

Carolina looking adorable, while I look like a total bum. We were heading home after "Wicked."

Our second year in college, my first roommate decided to live off of campus, so I was left without a roommate. Carolina was my suite mate, and when things with her roommate didn't work out (think young college girl dating a man older than my parents...blah), Carolina decided to move in with me.

We stayed roommates throughout the rest of our college experience. She was the neat freak, and I was the slob. However, I think she rubbed off on me because I am a crazy clean person now. Yes, my house gets messy, but it drives me insane.

In our junior year of college, Carolina and I moved into a house on campus. That house is where we truly bonded. We got our own rooms and had the chance to have some more space to ourselves. It was really good for us. We spent many nights sitting on each other's beds laughing, crying, studying and gossiping (and we, of course, occasionally opened a nice bottle of wine). It was perfect!

After college, Carolina moved around a few times and is now living in Virginia, near Washington, D.C. We see each other more now than we did a few years ago. The last two Thanksgivings she has come to our place (day after Thanksgiving). Last Thanksgiving, she came down to our place, and we went to Cleveland to see "Wicked" and the house from "The Christmas Story." I traveled down to see her the week of Holy Week, and we went to the cherry blossom festival and to see a production of "Sweeney Todd." It was nice because her birthday is April 2, and I got to see her! Remember, we love our theater. So, that's always an important part of our time together, too!

Carolina and I at "Wicked" last November.

My brother's girlfriend Maria, Carolina and I waiting for "Wicked."

I can't wait for this weekend. Our plans include some Christmas shopping and catching up with friends for a nice dinner. It will be great and relaxing!

At a restaurant featured on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," after "Wicked."

Visiting the house from "The Christmas Story," after "Wicked."

I will try to get back into blogging more. Right now is rough because of the holidays and other big things going on, but I am trying to get back into the swing!

Have a great day!

Christmas Tunes Are Welcome!

It's November, and that means it is the holiday season in my mind! I love, love, LOVE this time of year. You can ask anyone in my family. I am like an overgrown child.

Since Christmas is my favorite time of year and music is so important to my life, Christmas music is a necessity. Now, out of respect to other people (aka my husband) I don't listen to it all year around. One reason for that is because I love the anticipation of listening to the Christmas music during the season.

However, once November 1 rolls around, it is fair game. Woo hoo! Now, I don't put up decorations or bake Christmas cookies, but music is played. My husband has even embraced, or shall I say succumbed, the this tradition.

It is a tradition that was always upheld in my family. My dad and I still count down the days until the carols begin. A favorite in my family is Amy Grant, and you can be sure to know that she will be on my play list soon!

I think I will have to gather some of my favorite tunes, which will probably be 50 songs...yes, obsession.

The weatherman is calling for spurts of snow tomorrow, and while many people are whining, I am singing "It's the most wonderful time of the year. ..."

P.S. I really do intend on updating some more and things. Life in our house is insane right now. Welcome to that time of year.

Still Alive!

I haven't fallen off the earth. I had an absolutely insane end of the week and weekend. I will post soon. I have a house repaint and lots of other things going on. Stay tuned for lots of pictures and stories!

Added Pictures!

I added pictures of the big Halloween party to the previous post. Check it out here!

Brace yourself for the cuteness!

Halloween Cuties!

Yesterday was a pretty boring day, until lunch that is. My mom babysits a handful of adorable kids, and since she lives three doors down from me, I stop by her house several days each week to sneak a peak at them.

Some days are better than others, but let me tell you, yesterday was a great day. It was Halloween party for the brood, and they were all decked out for the festivities. We had a Dorothy, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Charlie Brown and a fairy.

My adorable cousin Karlie as Dorothy. She is such a doll!

And we have Mr. Angelo starring as Woody!

And what's Woody without Buzz Lightyear. Michael looks good!

I told my mom I would stop by and take a few photos. Um, I took 89. What can I say? I love those kiddos, and it is quite the challenge to get the attention of little ones while they are checking out each others' costumes and the room full of fun and toys.

The kids had pizza for lunch and got snack bags of course. I believe they were going to watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," after I left. They were having a ball.

Little Liam looks like Charlie Brown.

The gorgeous Khloe Rose as a fairy. I love that little pixie baby! LOVE her!

Happy Halloween from the clan:

Maddy's Home Day Pictures

We rescued our beautiful Maddy Mae from a local shelter, and my husband and I decided we would probably always rescue our animals. There are so many that need homes and just want to be loved. We are blessed with one incredibly adorable and well-behaved dog. I mean she has probably gone to the bathroom twice in our house in the four years we've had her.

Oct. 8 was the four-year anniversary of the day we brought our Maddy home with us, and I can't remember life without my furbaby. We call it her home day, and here are some pictures from her special day. Yes, we give our dog treats, sing to her and give her gifts. What can I say? I think our family would say we need a real child.

 Celebration of Maddy's home day 2010:

Our Maddy had birthday ice cream with peanut butter, and we sang "Happy Home Day!"

Maddy giving me home day kisses.

Mommy will blow out the candle!

My baby eating her ice cream.

Daddy and Maddy.

So, as you can see, we borderline worship our dog. We love her!