It's that time of year. Holiday greetings have been spread far and wide, for us this year in both analog and digital format.

My love of mailed correspondence and hand lettering really culminate this season. Not to mention that the reason I started this site was based on encouragement after sending out my annual holiday greetings in 2013. But I also just have a fondness for the intimacy of a "Christmas letter". I was happy to see this article in Darling about the author's "unapologetic love for the Christmas letter". Certainly a pristine family photo has become en vogue with so many web services printing it with a well-designed border on beautiful card stock. But I love hearing a family's perspective on their year. Certainly it allows my partner and I to reflect on our accomplishments and our adventures, and think about how we've grown and changed in the course of the year. Due to time restrictions with a young family, most of my cards could not include handwritten greetings in addition to the printed message this year. But all of my envelopes were lovingly hand-addressed.

Front and back of this year's card. (I can't wait until Isaac can print his own name too!)

I love picking out stamps for each recipient. It's like a little scavenger hunt through my collection.

I love the part where you put a thick stack in an 1950's mail slot at the post office, and hear the "thunk" of it landing on the other side.

While my young children don't yet appreciate a nicely wrapped present, for ones I send out, I like to take some care to wrap them neatly. This year the wrapping paper was store bought (I'm actually not sure how we acquired it), but I do like attempting reuse where possible. And I have a staunch no-bows rule. Not only do they offend my design sensibilities, but they are immediately trashed. Washi tape and baker's twine certainly suffice.

Packages all ready to go. Hope the recipients enjoy opening as much as I enjoy sending!

There really is little better than getting something fun and lovingly designed in the mail.