This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Open Me, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #OpenMeHoliday http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.
It’s that time of year again! No, I’m not talking about the gift shopping, singing carols, decorating the house, or baking sweet confections to give away. I’m referring to the season where it’s ok (and frankly quite fun, if you ask me) to don the beautiful, tacky, hideous, outrageous, ironic, out-dated…you name it…red, green and white sweaters! They don’t call it the most wonderful time of year for nothing. 🙂
If you follow me on Instagram, you probably noticed the teaser I posted last week after a very successful trip to the thrift store. Under $10 later and after a few snips and stitches, this is what happened.
Hey, the hubby pulls off “yarn ball explosion” quite well.
Good news! Frosty lives again, this time in sequin form!
Good news! Frosty lives again, this time in sequin form!
Feel free to chuckle to yourself (or cackle uncontrollably out loud). I did plenty of that while attaching an 8″ plush reindeer to the front of my daughter’s red top and sprucing up a felt tree with real ornaments on my son’s. My daughter insisted that they were pretty Christmas sweaters, not ugly. 🙂
All kidding aside, I had a specific purpose in mind when I gathered these outlandishly-clad individuals to accomplish the difficult feat of a family photo shoot. It’s a wonder two of the three children were facing forward with a pleasant look on their faces. I wasn’t expecting as much from my sweet one-year-old, but it just adds to the ambiance of the theme. We received some hearty laughs from neighbors passing by, and even wondering stares from, yes, a dog on his morning walk. But it was all for a very worthy cause.
“I’ll be home for Christmas…if only in my dreams”. It’s a song heard often this time of year, but has a much more personal meaning to me now. This is my brother, who’s just 14 months my elder (my sister’s on his right), and his dog Toto, that he’s trained for combat. Philip’s deployed with the U.S. Marines in a very distant land where he faces constant threats to his life. He’ll be spending the holidays in the service of our country, fighting to preserve our precious freedoms. I worry about his situation and safety often. All I can do is pray and trust that he will be protected.Because he’s many miles from home, familiar comforts, and loved ones, this holiday could be a lonely one for him. So I decided to send him an Open Me greeting card, featuring our ugly Christmas sweater photo, that will hopefully put a much-needed smile on his face and a snigger in his belly.
It took only a matter of minutes to create and is sure to bring some holiday cheer.
.png)
The Cross Threaded Joy cover design is courtesy of a vote from my followers on Instagram. I think it sums up the theme of the card perfectly, don’t you?
Here’s how to design your own! The process could not be simpler.
Choose a design from the many fun holiday options.
Customize the inside with a photo and personal message. In keeping with the theme, I wrote, “Don we now our ugly sweaters…fa la la la la la la la la!” followed by a “thinking of you note”.
Here’s the completed inside. Now just select how you’d like the card to be sent. If you click “Mail Card”, Open Me will print and deliver it (in 3-5 days) for just $4.
Or, you can select “Digital Card” and choose a date for it to be emailed (for FREE!). I chose this option because Philip’s not in a place where he can receive snail mail.
The finished product!
So fun and easy peasy too! I can’t wait for his response.
I love that during this crazy time of year, I don’t have to set foot in a busy store or scramble to find postage in order to send a thoughtful card to loved ones. Not to mention the worrying about mailing it in time. I get to do the fun part (choose the design and personalize the card) and Open Me will do the rest!
Visit Open Me to customize a holiday card for loved ones of your own. Then relax while they send the cards for you!
Happy Holidays and Happy Card Creating!
Anne @ The Pink Momma