Funny,ChristmasDEC 16, 2020

Our Family's Tradition Is Doing These Christmas Cards, And It's The 13th Year

Here are 13 years of Christmas Cards featuring Sherman Shart, Sheryl Shart, Shoney and Shoney Shart, and Little Baby Sherkin Shart. Our Christmas Card Tradition began with the birth of our twin daughters in 2002. One of the pictures seemed like it deserved a caption and so a tradition was born… well, sort of. We didn’t really up our game until 2007 when we were discussing how Christmas might have been celebrated differently in 1957. That 2007 card was so much fun to shoot, it became something we wanted to do every year.

Another tradition that began in 2007 was the strategic placement of Black Baby in each of our Christmas Cards. Black Baby is a baby doll that was given to all of our daughters by our “official” photographer and family best friend, Shannon “Dodo” Reed. Black Baby’s first appearance was in 2004, but she didn’t become a permanent fixture until 2007. She has not missed a Christmas card since.

In 2011, we learned that the best ideas are not always the ones we should do. The preparation and photo shoot for Merry Kissmas took over 13 hours. Although it’s one of our favorite cards, it was definitely not one of our best shoots. The long hours, makeup, and tension took a lot of fun out of the day. Since this shoot, budget and production value are always considered when we are having our family brainstorming sessions in late October and November.

Merry Christmas and thanks for checking out our Christmas Card collection!

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#1 Merry Kissmas

21points

It took us two years to figure out this one, but we also learned the importance of location when shooting our cards in 2013 and 2014. Both were shot outside in the freezing cold, which really minimizes the number of pictures you want to take. Ironically, all of our cards since 2014 have been shot in the warmth of the indoors.

#2 Amish You A Merry Christmas And A Nutty New Year!

18points

This year, we came up with the idea of the girls all being the Christmas superheroes, the Santastic 4, and putting Donald Trump in jail. We usually don’t like to get political, but it just felt right this year from our perspective.

#3 Happy Holidays 2007

17points

2018 is one of our family favorites. While we go by the Sharts online, our last name is Schleuning so we came up with the idea of doing The Shlining Christmas based on the movie The Shining. We shot it at the Seelbach Hotel, one of the oldest hotels in Louisville, and had a blast roaming the halls in our costumes. Mom and dad got to stay in the room that night while the girls went home with “Dodo.” Magic was made… twice.

#4 #KardashianKristmas

17points

#5 The Shlining Christmas

17points

#6 Gen Xmas

16points

#7 Santastic 4

16points

#8 Hippie Holidays

15points

#9 Tis The Season To Be Mary

15points

#10 Hip Hop Holidays

13points

#11 Krismas In Kentucky

12points

#12 Celebrating Diva-Ersity

11points

#13 Happy Birthday Jesus

10points

#14 Feline Navidad

9points

#15 2003

8points

#16 2004

6points

The concept of personalized and humorous Christmas cards is a theme that resonates across many families, creating cherished traditions and memories. For instance, there are families who annually design their own unique take on holiday cards, drawing inspiration from a variety of sources. One family's creative twist on holiday cards emphasizes the joy of crafting whimsical and funny experiences.

To explore more about how another family engages in this delightful tradition, you can check out how their holiday card creation has become a yearly masterpiece of fun inspired by classic films and popular culture.