Creating Traditions for the Holidays
Whether you are creating new traditions or are nostalgic over the good ole days... here is one family's fun journey of creating Holiday Family Picture Cards! December 2013
The Sullivan Family Annual Christmas Card Album
20 Years in the Making 1993 – 2013
20 Years of Sullivan Christmas Cards Vintage is generally accepted to be something at least 20 years old. Our family has been sending Christmas cards for 20 years, making our 1st card in 1993 officially ‘vintage’. Some years, they didn’t get sent until after Christmas, making them ‘season’s greetings’ cards instead. One was a ‘Happy New Year’ card. One year they never went out at all. This year, our 21th Sullivan Family Christmas, our cards started landing in mailboxes on December 16th, leading my younger sister to note, “1st time for everything.” Journey with us through 20 years of our Sullivan family tradition . . .
1993
Our 1st Christmas in our first home We thought the cards from friends & family with children were amusing and since our yellow Labrador Retriever, Sasha, was our baby . . . we decided to show off our 6-month old. OK, so we were poking a bit of fun at those cards, but check out our Christmas sweaters! But . . . we got such a large amount of positive feedback about our silly card with people asking to stay on our list for next year . . . the pressure was on . . .
1994
Needless to say, a star was born. Word spread and more names were added to our list. Our baby Sasha is 18 months old and rapidly outgrowing her Santa suit.
1995
53 photos later, we got a keeper (you try keeping an antler headband on a 75 lb. dog without super glue). Note the vintage Merry Christmas sign.
1996
I honestly think Sasha let out a sigh when she saw the Santa hat and camera. Our regal girl is 3 ½ years old.
1997
Sasha gracefully accepts second fiddle to her baby brother Nicholas, 11 months old. The photo shoot took 3 adults and 108 takes for this perfect pose. We were novices.
1998
Sasha did an impressive vertical leap to get out of the box (about 12 times). Dad was sweating profusely during this photo shoot. Nick is almost 2 years & Sasha is 5.
1999
Can you just hear Sasha thinking, “Two!?! Really?” This photo shoot is a blur in my mind. I’m not sure what that red thingy on Sasha’s neck is supposed to be—a bow? I think this is the year Dad started cursing under his breath . . . Nick is almost 3 years old. Megan is 8 months old. Sasha is 6 years old.
2000
They all look happy in this photo, don’t they? Probably because Mom & Dad bickering in front of them was funny to watch . . . Dad wasn’t posing them correctly, Mom wasn’t snapping the photos fast enough and who picked that Grinch headband for the dog? Nick is almost 4 years old. Megan is 20 months old. Sasha is 7 years old. Mom & Dad age 2 years faster every time a Christmas card photo shoot takes place.
2001
My favorite matching outfits! Sasha knows the drill and plays her part to perfection.
2002
No room in the box for Sasha this year because baby makes 3! We wanted the kids on a sled with Sasha pulling them but we couldn’t get it to work. I think we promised the kids they could eat chocolate bars for dinner if they would smile and sit still for 10 seconds. Nick is 6, Megan is 3 ½, Michael is 8 months and Sasha is 9 years old.
2003
All five of us came down with a nasty flu bug one week before Christmas this year. This photo was taken on Christmas Eve morning just before we left for Gami & Gampi’s house. Sasha’s laughing because this is the first card that will go out late. Nick is almost 7, Megan is 4 ½, Michael is 20 months and Sasha is 10 years old.
2004
Our most creative and high production value card, starring Nick as Father Time (we told him he got to hold the weapon and he was in), Michael as Baby New Year, Megan as the Christmas Angel and Sasha as Rudolph the red nosed reindeer! I don’t think Sasha moved the entire photo shoot, just those blasted antlers kept falling off. Nick is almost 8, Megan is 5 ½, Michael is 2 1/2 and our sweet Sasha is 11 years old.
Sasha Nick Megan 2001
Family photo 2005 fun fact: Dad’s shirt is inside out because he didn’t notice (nor did we until after the photo shoot!)
2005
The kids really had fun spelling out the letters, I can still hear Michael giggling because Nick’s feet were in his face. We lost our Sasha earlier that year but included one of her headband props in her memory—look inside the ‘O’.
2006
“Wishing you Seasons of Joy” Yep, this card went out sometime in February, 2007. Since there are only two seasons in Chicago, winter & construction, there are 3 scenes of winter. We tried for a photo by the tree, but it was getting harder to have the three kids pose together because they really didn’t like each other much. Our marriage may not have made it through another Christmas card photo shoot either. So, we thought it best to do a collage. Nick is almost 10, Megan is 7 ½, Michael is 4 ½
2007
2007 This photo was taken at my sister’s house on Christmas Day as we never got our tree decorated that year because one of our new kittens kept climbing on it. Introducing Bobcat & Tiger, our newest family additions. After Sasha went to doggie heaven, the kids asked for every pet under the sun: fish, lizard, turtle, hermit crab, rock, frog, hamster, parakeet . . . and Nick started naming the ants that invaded our house in the Spring (I’ll always miss Carl). So Mom chose cats! First time since 1993 that Mom & Dad got in the photo, we had fun making this one! Nick is almost 11, Megan is 8 ½, Michael is 5 ½ and Bobcat & Tiger are 6 months old. Outtake below:
2008
Another ‘Happy Holidays’ card that obviously went out after Christmas. 2008 was a tough year as we lost several loved ones, including Tiger. Zeke came into our lives on August 3, the feast of St. Ezekiel, and bonded immediately with Bobcat. See the white and gray cat in the bottom left corner with Michael? Meet Sophie, the shelter cat that Megan had to have because the other two cats are boys. Mom picked a collage of photos that featured our 3 kids and 3 cats. Nick is almost 12, Megan is 9 ½, Michael is 6½, Sophie is about 3, Bobcat is 2 and Zeke is 1 year old.
2009
“A Blessed New Year”, definitely sent in January with a quick photo taken on Christmas Eve before going to Gami & Gampi’s house. It’s getting harder as the kids get older to make them dress up for a card photo shoot so we get a photo when we can. The good news is that Dad stopped cursing after the 2005 photo shoot. Nick is almost 13, Megan is 10 ½, Michael is 7½, Sophie is about 4, Bobcat is 3 and Zeke is 2 years old.
2010
Dad says this card was made in 2010 but never got mailed, so I included it with the 2011 Highlights photo but I really have no memory of it. I was wearing many hats and juggling several responsibilities that year (as opposed to watching soap operas and eating bon bons every other year). We still have all three cats but there was no time to chase them down for new photos. But this annual Christmas card is a Sullivan family tradition so it got done (maybe just not mailed in the right year)!
2011
We finally took our family dream vacation to Universal Studios and Disney World in Florida plus a side trip to a family wedding in Ohio. Nick graduated from 8th grade. Mom & Dad just tried to keep up with it all this year. Nick is almost 15, Megan is 12 ½, Michael is 9 ½, Sophie is 6, Bobcat is 5 and Zeke is 4 years old.
2012
This page left intentionally blank as 2012 was ‘The Year Without A Christmas Card’
And Mom has still not heard the end of it even though no one else, not even the cats, would step up to help. Just sayin’.
2013
Many changes this year for all of us: Dad got promoted to operations management, Mom quit volunteering to focus on her vintage jewelry business and did her first public show, Nick got his driver’s license & a car, Megan started high school and plays bass drum in the marching band, Michael met Sylvester & started junior high at a new school, and the cats supervised it all. Mom & Dad are old, Nick is almost 17, Megan is 14 ½, Michael is 11 ½, Sophie is 8, Bobcat is 7 and Zeke is 6 years old.
And in 2013, for the 1st time ever, the annual Sullivan Family Christmas Card was sent out before December 24!
Thank you for sharing 21 years of family memories with us! Make the most of each moment, it all goes by far too quickly. Here’s to health, happiness & many more years of family love, fun and togetherness!
Nick, Dad, Michael, Megan & Mom The Sullivans
No children or animals were harmed in the making of these annual family Christmas cards but Mom & Dad have been known to develop stress headaches, sore backs, gray hairs and a penchant for alcohol.
Shameless plugs page
Lisa Sullivan is the owner of Suzy’s Timeless Treasures & Vintage Jewelry, an online shop on Ruby Lane
Lisa also works as an administrative member for TheVintageVillage.com, a free online community for lovers of all things vintage
Lisa’s plans to do some public shows at Vintage Garage Chicago in 2014