When did home-made become CHIC???

My son is turning 8 this month and he will get baptized. I spent today frantically putting together the invitations for his Baptism. I started them several weeks ago, but finally got them finished today. As I was working on them, I started thinking, "Why am I doing this???" I really didn't have time to make them and could have bought a pack of pre-printed ones at the store. But, I felt I HAD to make them.

I had to chuckle to myself. When we got married 18 years ago, we went to the Printer and looked through the half-dozen invitation books. We chose a very formal invitation; they were off-white with a window in the front for a photo. Then we went and had a FORMAL professional photograph taken.

NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS would I have MADE my wedding invitations. Home-made wedding invitations basically said, "We're too poor or cheap to send you something 'nice'". People would have thought, "Those poor kids are getting married on a shoestring." Making your own invitations wasn't something you would choose to do in the 80's, you would have done it because you HAD to. Now, I rarely get one that isn't home-made with a "snap shot" (rather than a formal photo) of the happy couple inside. And, I always think, "How cute is that!!!"

Flash forward a few years. Now, I think that, in certain circles, you wouldn't be caught dead sending out PRE-PRINTED invitations to anything! Heck, I feel guilty when I put a store-bought birthday card on a gift for a 7 year old. I keep having the remind myself that the 7 year old couldn't care less about a home-made card - don't waste the time! But, somehow I feel like I didn't QUITE show I cared enough because I slapped a store-bought card on the gift (a gift shoved into a gift bag - I mean, we can't be bothered to take the time to WRAP the stinkin' thing - ohhhh nooooo, that's too much work to come up with a box, find some wrapping paper, the scissors and tape. Nooooo, we save time by shoving it into a gift bag. Then we take 3 hours to make the card - LOL). Not to mention that some store bought cards are the same price as a book these days. Making your own cards and invitations is not only CHIC, but economical at times, too.

I am already stressing about my Christmas Cards. I bought some embellishments for them the other day. It's silly because I bought PRE-MADE embellishments (3-D layered ornaments by Marcella By Kay from Target) to slap on the front of my cards. They will be super fast and easy this year but the point is, I HAVE to make them - I wouldn't be caught dead sending out a store-bought Christmas card.

My... how things have changed...