Holiday Boxed Cards

Sure, it's the thought that counts, but sometimes it's painfully obvious there wasn't much thought put into the card selection at all. Many holiday boxed cards look like they came from an old shoe box of mismatches donated to the church tag sale.

Here are some rules of thumb:

--If the paper's thin enough to blow your nose in, the card will feel cheap.

--Let he who hath not sinned, cast the first overly religious card.

--A moody photo of a glowing candle isn't artsy, It's cheesy.

--Sappy rhyming poetry is the fruitcake of holiday boxed cards. (Unless you wrote it. Then it's okay.)

Rather than evoke the overwhelming commercialism of the season, the best holiday boxed cards reinforce the warmth of friendship and family bonds.

Think about what makes a great holiday party. The best part is the laughter and spontaneity, mixed with just the right touches of seasonal cliche. It's the snapshot moment when grandma's wearing the reindeer antlers, or the toddler sneaking a few sips of brandy.

Anyone would be lucky to find one set of holiday boxed cards they can send to all their friends, family and co-workers. But it might take two or more styles to cover the gamut. An off-color joke about Mrs Claus may go over well with the softball buddies. But maybe something more charming for the rest of the list. A city skyline with maybe a little snow, perhaps?

The bottom line is, keep the Holidays happy, there's enough boredom the rest of the year!