Is this vain? Mostly just a photo, not so much a card.

[Cat-Fu]

I like receiving photo cards—with facebook I never seem to get around to printing photos of the people I love. I like it when they do it for me. With the first type of card I usually cut out the picture, with the second it would probably be a lot easier to just tuck into an album.

I've been contemplating sending out photo cards for the first time this year with pictures of my cats, but I'm not sure if that would be obnoxious.

[Kendo_Bunny]

I like receiving photo cards—with facebook I never seem to get around to printing photos of the people I love. I like it when they do it for me. With the first type of card I usually cut out the picture, with the second it would probably be a lot easier to just tuck into an album.

I've been contemplating sending out photo cards for the first time this year with pictures of my cats, but I'm not sure if that would be obnoxious.

My sister does. No one seems to mind.

[heartmug]

I don't mind these cards, but I do think it is self absorbed to send without some sort of personal greetinghand written on the card.  Just sounds like no effort whatsoever.

POD.  I appreciate when someone takes a minute or 2 to write a personal greeting otherwise I just feel like they hurridly put it in an envelope and checked me off a list.  Like the relationship is not that big of deal, I am more of an obligation.

[NyaChan]

I don't mind getting them, but it puts me in a bit of an awkward position - what am I supposed to do with this professional photo of the person that has a line of text re: Happy Holidays?  I feel bad throwing them away, but I can't keep them up forever either.

[Girly]

Personally, I love the photo cards, either one.  Those are my favorite cards, because we live far away from family and friends and don't get sent pictures, so it's a way to keep in touch and see what the family looks like this year.  We're also sending them out ourselves this year for the first time.

We live 8 hours away from my family and 10 hours away from my husbands. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the photo cards, along with the blurb about what their family did during the year.

For my one cousin, I kept the photos of her three kids from birth - college age (where the oldest is now) and looking through them every year always makes me remember the fun stuff we did together whenever we were lucky enough to meet up.

That said, if I received something like this from someone DH works with, or a vague acquaintance, I would think it was a little weird. A glimpse into someones personal life when you are really just 'Hey how are you' people is really kind of odd.

[Lovemykids]

I love receiving photo cards of any sort, because often this is the one chance each year I get to see old friends who live far away.  I keep the photo cards we receive from year to year and enjoy looking back at them to see how everyone has grown up.  We do a photo card for the holidays and use a photo of our entire family (as opposed to just the kids, though frankly my kids are much more photogenic than DH or I!), and I write a note to each recipient in the card (or this year, on the back of the card, since it won't be a foldover).  I've never thought of it as being vain, probably because I like receiving them so much.

We actually do send them to a couple of DH's coworkers, because he has a few who are constantly asking for photos and updates on our kids.  Otherwise, though, we just send cards to family and close friends.  I usually keep a stash of more generic holiday cards (without photos) to send out if we receive an unexpected card from an acquaintance.

[jmarvellous]

I like receiving photo cards—with facebook I never seem to get around to printing photos of the people I love. I like it when they do it for me. With the first type of card I usually cut out the picture, with the second it would probably be a lot easier to just tuck into an album.

I've been contemplating sending out photo cards for the first time this year with pictures of my cats, but I'm not sure if that would be obnoxious.

My sister does. No one seems to mind.

Not saying you're right or wrong, but if people thought this was ridiculous, how would they politely let her know? My guess is that they wouldn't bother.

[Venus193]

I worked in a photo lab years ago and the demand for these was high.  You needed to order them at least two weeks in advance of when you wanted them because of the volume and place a 50% deposit.  Some customers asked for the envelopes in advance so they could have them addressed and stamped before the photos were ready.

Which meant that most of the photos didn't show people with Christmas trees, red-and-or-green sweaters, or other symbols of the season.

I had ones made for myself with photos I took of the NY Skyline at night; I still have some of them.

What always irritated me about them was that they were difficult to write on because of photo paper stock.  Some ink smeared while others didn't take, so it was not pleasant to sign these cards.  That's why so many customers asked to have them signed "The Smiths" or whatever.

Years later when my college buddy and his ex were having their children it bothered me that the photos were only of their children and they didn't appear in them at all.  As though they didn't count because they were adults.  I later learned that one of her psych problems was that she felt useless once her children were of school age.

Add me to the list of people who can't handle the braggart newsletters.  Fortunately nobody in my family or among my friends got into sending those.

[KenveeB]

I prefer the first style, just because it looks more festive. It's a card that's also a picture, while the second looks like a picture masquerading as a card. But I love photo cards in general. I make one every year with my dogs' annual Christmas picture.  

[Hmmmmm]

I love photo cards but prefer for them to have some type of holiday theme, at least a nice holiday border.  I used to also want the photo to have a winter season theme, but now I'm used to getting ones from beach vacations or Disney.  But I do appreciate some type of hand written message.

[artk2002]

I don't find it vain at all, just personal. But then, I don't begrudge someone a moment of "hey, look at me," either.

[Hmmmmm]

And it is no more vain than posting pictures of yor family on Facebook.

[Danika]

OP here. I'm glad to read all the responses. Thanks! Our photo is a formal family portrait. And I Photoshopped in some snowflakes to give it a border. So I think I will keep it as is.

But I will make an extra effort to write some pleasantries and notes on the backs. And I do have quite a few friends in Europe, so I am glad for the viewpoints here because I think I'll enclose the photo card inside another folded paper card so it's a little more like what it sounds like they're used to. When my friends in Europe send me cards, they are folded paper with a large family photo inserted into the front with tabs/cutouts, like a cardstock frame. Hope I explained that correctly.

[hobish]

I don't find it vain at all, just personal. But then, I don't begrudge someone a moment of "hey, look at me," either.

That's just about word for word what i was thinking. There is nothing wrong with being proud of yourself now and then, in my book. I would also love cards like this with people's pets. I think they are even cuter than the ones with families and children. I don't know anyone who does it up with matching holiday sweaters and what not, but i think they are really funny (in a nice way, i swear; but still funny).

I would say, though, that writing something on them is a little better. The pre-printed unsigned blank card reminds me too much of pre-printed unsigned mass mailed thank you notes. I know these things aren't cheap, and signing them takes time; but it feels so much less like a circular from your local supermarket with something written there. I'm not poking fun - i have seen cards like this, even with fake handwriting on them, that are ads from chain stores. They're a little creepy.

[Kendo_Bunny]

My sister does. No one seems to mind.

Not saying you're right or wrong, but if people thought this was ridiculous, how would they politely let her know? My guess is that they wouldn't bother.

I'm usually the one people approach when they have an issue with my sister and no one has ever said anything. Since she's unmarried, unattached, and childfree, but loves her cats very much, her usual Christmas card contains a picture of herself with her cats, or her cats doing something festive, like hiding in wrapped boxes, wearing antlers, or playing with tinsel. Everyone on her Christmas list knows her cats are her "babies", and it's about as expected that she wants to show off her precious darlings as any other proud parent.