As much as I love beautiful things, it's the stories behind them that really get me.
I've always been a keeper of things. Old family photos, handwritten notes, little drawings, funny sayings, letters from people I love. You name it, I've probably got it tucked away in a box somewhere! Haha!
And that's saying something because I've moved A LOT over the years. I've even sold houses with practically everything in them! Furniture, art, the works. But those boxes of family memories?! Those always come with me.
Because at the end of the day, those are the things that really matter.
So when Shutterfly asked me to design a collection of holiday cards and photo books, it felt like a pretty natural fit!
I spend so much of my life designing spaces for people to LIVE in. But this was an opportunity to design something for people to put a little piece of their LIVES into. And I just loved that idea.
Designed by me. Made yours by YOU!
We created sixteen holiday card designs and a photo book with four different cover options, all with the same idea in mind. Keep it simple, keep it beautiful, and leave plenty of room for the good stuff!
YOUR people. YOUR memories. YOUR stories.
And listen, I'm a designer, not a graphic designer! Haha! So I approached these the same way I approach everything else I make. I wanted them to feel timeless, a little imperfect, and easy to make your own.
A beautiful family photo, a funny little saying, a handwritten note on the back. That's what makes a holiday card special.
And those thousands of photos sitting on your phone?! They deserve to be looked at! Passed around! Laughed over! Not just forgotten about somewhere in your camera roll.
That's why I love the photo books. They're beautiful enough to sit out with all your favorite coffee table books, but the REALLY good stuff is what you put inside.
A little something worth keeping
I think we've gotten so used to everything being digital that I'm craving a return to a more analog life! Getting real mail, opening an envelope, flipping through family photos, and having something you can actually hold in your hands. The little things that used to be so ordinary but now feel extra special!
A card that stays on the fridge long after the holidays are over. A book that your kids pull off the shelf years from now. Something that makes you laugh, or cry, or remember a little moment you might have otherwise forgotten.
And please, don't worry about making any of it perfect!
The goal is SPECIAL, not PERFECT!!!
I've done the designing. Now it's your turn to play around, have some fun, and make them yours.
Because the best things we keep aren't always the prettiest or the fanciest.
They're the ones with a story.
HAPPIEST HOLIDAYS! From my family to yours!
Xo,
Leanne