This month we hustled to design our holiday cards well in advance and it looks as though our planning is going to pay off in the form of early card delivery. yay! I feel like each year we have taken a different approach to creating a unique and meaningful card design. We like to save the cards and to look back on each year in time. We love receiving the cards from friends as much as we enjoy sending them out. Each day throughout the month of December we are thrilled to receive various cards from friends and family. Today, I'd like to share with you a ideas to make your holiday special that I have helped us over the years. Ideas come from our own cards and the ones that we receive. 

#1: Use a high-quality photo from a vacation or event. This type of card gives friends and family an insight into your year and highlights a happy moment or trip. This photo is from our vacation to Maui in 2013. I love that lone yellow kayaker on the horizon. Our first year of cards, we used another photo of ourselves that my Dad had taken of us from our visit to Big Island, Hawaii. 

#2: Design your own card with help from an online store such as Minted.com. Long before, I sold my fine art prints online, we used Minted for their savvy graphic designs. All of the designs on their site are created by independent artists and designers that win awards for their stationary and card designs. I like how the cards can be customized through different text and color options. 

#3: A graphic background is a good idea. For 2 of our photo sessions, we visited LACMA and the Broad museum. In this photo, the bright green art of Ellsworth Kelly at the Broad made a vibrant back-drop for our family. We noticed other photos from this shoot came out equally great when we used a close-up of a modern art piece as a backdrop for the photography. Museum grounds and gardens such as The Getty, would also make an excellent choice for their scenery. 

#4: For your photos, good lighting is so important. I suggest shooting the photos in morning or late afternoon outdoors, when the light is best. We worked with a professional photographer who advised us on this. Our friend, Amelia is a photographer and we work with her most often on our photos. This photo was taken before dusk at the Los Angeles Arboretum.   

#5: Choose a non-crowded favorite location. We had never visited the Los Angeles Arboretum and decided to give it a try based on the positive reviews online. We were interested in finding an outdoor venue somewhere in a garden.  We found it to be an easy location to explore and not overly crowded with people, a tip our photographer shared with us! 

#6. If you are short on time, order pre-made. Check out these cool holiday photocards from Unsplash. I plan to send these out to businesses and professionals that I work with throughout the year. I think that they are great for creative individuals and I love that they showcase the work of various photographers and graphic artists.

I hope you have enjoyed hearing these 5 simple ways to get started. I would love to hear from you. How do you approach holiday cards each year? Do you typically use photography in your cards? If so, do you like to use candid or professional?
I would love to hear and see them! 

Are you ready for an easy craft-based project from a unique workshop that I attended this weekend in Los Angeles? Me too! It was a rare and rainy Sunday in Los Angeles, and I learned how to create a trio of adorable succulents while potting them correctly...and to think that all this time to think I had been doing it wrong!

Not to mention, with the drizzle outdoors spending time in a candle-lit garden store felt like the perfect cozy Sunday activity. In this class, we potted a few succulents of our choice. You may remember that when I started this blog, I set out to attend, share and discover as many art, craft and design workshops as possible, share them and remain creatively inspired. I hope this workshop and tutorial gets your creativity flowing and sets the tone for the week. 

First off, if you live in L.A, you simply must go and visit Rolling Greens. It is one of my favorite garden shops in Los Angeles and this workshop was held at the Beverly Blvd. location. It is a great place to visit if you are seeking creative inspiration b/c it is well curated and possesses endless cool garden decor, plants, small gifts and home accessories. 

As you can see, they have some beautiful wreaths out this time of year. In the past, I've found many house plants here. You can even have arrangements made if you need one!

Please read on if you are like me and were potting succulents completely wrong and/or would like to make some cute succulents for gifting! Also, I will share a list of succulent supplies for those of you not in L.A.