22 | December | 2009 | Paper Crafts Connection

Susan R. Opel

At this very minute, I am in my home state of Michigan for Christmas, and I’m seriously giddy! There’s nothing like being surrounded by family and friends, you know?

Today I am getting together with my college roommate and suitemates for a little reunion. The four of us had some hilarious and fun times at Concordia College, Ann Arbor, MI, in the early 90’s jamming out to EMF and Vanilla Ice. Now 18 years later, it’ll be exciting to share our experiences since then.

Tomorrow, I’ll be gathering with all sorts of old friends from my alma mater, Valley Lutheran High School for a night of karaoke and reminiscing. We’re all a little older and grayer (underneath the hair color), but we still know how to rock!

And the rest of this week and into the weekend I’ll be basking in the Christmas joy with my sweet family. My brother Kurt and his family spent the last two Christmases in Istanbul, Turkey, so I’m awfully thrilled to spend time with my cute nephews (and my brother and sister-in-law, too, of course!). My brother Paul is coming from upstate New York, and my sister will arrive from Utah on Thursday. My adorable parents will have a houseful! We’ll spend time celebrating our Lord’s birth at one of my favorite places on the planet, St. John Lutheran Church.

Yes, spending time with family and reconnecting with friends is one of my all-time favorite parts of the Christmas season. One way that we can stay connected all throughout the year is to send handmade cards. That personal touch makes all the difference in saying, “You mean the world to me!”

I recently created this sparkly thank you card using the brand new L Letterpress from Lifestyle Crafts, and I think I just might send it to a fabulous friend in 2010 just to say thanks for being so awesome.

This year I’m particularly thankful for Facebook! Both my college and high school reunions came about because of our contacts there. And did you know that you can be connected to Paper Crafts magazine through our Facebook Fan Page? Become a fan and join in the rollicking good time!

So now I want to know, who are you looking forward to seeing during this festive time of year? Leave me a comment by Friday, December 25^th at midnight MST, and you can win this stash of goodies to create your own cards for someone special. We’ll announce the winner on Monday, December 28^th!