I love receiving mail, don’t you? Not email, I’m talking about the old-fashioned paper kind that gets delivered to your postbox by a mailperson. I love to send it, and I love to receive it, but the truth is I’m sending and receiving almost no mail these days with one major exception: Holiday cards!
Merry Christmas from Venice Beach!
Every December I look forward to finding cards from friends and family near and far in my mailbox. I love to see how much everyone has changed over the past year and reading about what everyone is up to.
No matter how techy the world gets, I will still send an annual holiday card, and I plan to do so for the foreseeable future. However, I will admit to agonizing over getting it done.
For this year’s card, the boys are posing at the Venice Beach Art Walls, and in front of one of James Goldcrown’s newest #bleedinghearts Walls. There are a few of these Love Walls around town and I love how much joy they bring.
Bah Humbug
Even though Tim refuses to be on the card, and I refuse to be on it without him, that would be weird, I try to make sure the card represents us as family.
The last time Tim and I were on the card… Elliot wasn’t even born!
That’s why this year’s theme is centered around a love of street and public art! Our family has spent a large part of the last year creating, exploring and photographing art, which is why it made perfect sense that our card represent all of those things.
Outtakes
In my attempt to capture the perfect shot the boys and I visited some of our favorite areas of town, and I feel like we got two great photos! Two is great considering the antics, which ensued, and the location of the sun, which was definitely working against us.
Last year I lucked out, I told the kids we were just practicing, and I got what I felt was the “perfect” shot on my very first try! As you can see from the outtakes above this year didn’t go quite as smoothly, and after torturing both myself and the boys in my attempt to get ANY decent shot, I realized that last year’s greatness was in large part because that image is a silhouette. No weird faces, closed eyes, or silliness, at least none that anyone can see.
2016’s holiday card.
In preparation for this year’s card we actually tried our hand (finally) at creating our very own “graffiti” on the Venice Beach Art Walls! We had an amazing time spray-painting our beachy yet Christmassy mural then the boys posed while I took their photo!
We’re definitely hooked on wall painting, and will absolutely be creating more “masterpieces” in the very near future! I know posting here isn’t exactly the same as sending real snail mail, but I don’t have your address, so this will have to do.
Wherever you are and however you celebrate, we wish you the merriest of Christmases and a happy New Year!
Love, Hilary, Tim, Simon & Elliot
Pin for later:
qjrhee
Awesome post-I love all your photos! I also love Christmas cards! We’ll be opening them today, along with gifts.
Hilary
Thank you! merry Merry Christmas!
baublesandknots
Merry Christmas!
Hilary
Merry Christmas!
Are We Adults Yet
Merry Christmas, Hilary and fam! 🎄🎁🎉🥂
Hilary
Merry Christmas!! 🎄🎁
Clare Thomson
This post is adorable. I love the one of Elliot yawning! But that sunset one is truly spectacular. Something in the snail mail winging its way to you very soon… No matter what anyone says, real letters are still the best.
Hilary
Thank you! We had so much fun! I’ll keep my eye out! Xxo
TL Kennedy
Love this post… can you tell me where I can find the bleeding heart wall and the rainbow mural?
Hilary
Thank you! I can’t guarantee they’re both still there, but as of December 2017 The bleeding hearts were located on west 3rd street in West Hollywood. The rainbow is on Melrose. Good luck and happy hunting!