And the yourParenthood Father's Day Grand Prize Winner is...

...Carrie Moore of Grand Blanc, Michigan. Carrie captured a sweet moment between her husband and son and knew she had the perfect photo for a Father's Day card. Well, Carrie, it looks like it was perfect enough to win the Grand Prize. Congratulations!




(Inside):
Not all superheroes wear capes.
Happy Father's Day!

Other Stores Love 'Em, Too!

So there I was at my local pharmacy, just picking up a few necessities: shampoo, lotion, chips (C'mon. They're a necessity sometimes.), when I spotted the yourParenthood Father's Day cards. And boy, did they look good.



They kinda made me giddy. As soon as the aisle was clear, I snapped a couple of pics to share with you. Enjoy!

Hallmark Loves yourParenthood Father's Day Cards!

It wasn't all that long ago that we showed you the yourParenthood Mother's Day cards in our employee card shop. Did we mention that people loved them? Consider it mentioned. Well, now it's time for the Father's Day cards to shine.



We're placing bets that these babies will fly off the shelves as fast as their Mother's Day counterparts. Not actual bets (we promise, boss), just verbal bets.



Have any of you seen the cards in your local stores yet? Give us the scoop from your neck of the woods.

And the yourParenthood Mother's Day Grand Prize Winner Is...

...Hailey Lystad! Hailey's daughter and her wild hairdo found a place in the hearts of Mother's Day card buyers all across the country this month. And who could blame them? That's one pretty priceless expression. Hailey's card earned the most votes, both through free online voting and through votes by card purchases. Join us in giving her a big hooray and congratulations!



And yay for you too, kiddo!



Cover:
(Blank)
Inside:
Being a mom is hard work.
It can make your hair
stand on end.
Happy Mother's Day!

Last Weekend to Vote & Buy your Mother's Day Cards

Just a reminder that Sunday is the last day to vote and buy your Mother's Day cards. And if you're not currently in the lead, fear not! Think about all those procrastinators out there (myself included) that might not have made the trip to the store yet or maybe have yet to remember that Mother's Day is this weekend. (If you happen to know one, give them a friendly reminder to help them save face, why don't ya?)

If you've ever been to the card section during a holiday weekend you know exactly what I mean. Most of the public will be making the trip and fighting the crowds this weekend. We have a term for this in the card biz - we call it the fanny factor. There are only so many fannies that can fit in front of the card section and you have to use your fanny to push your way in sometimes! It's fun to watch...really! If you already have your card I still encourage you to watch the fannies in action this weekend, it's quite amusing. And if you feel so inclined to participate in the action, too, I'm sure your aunts, grandmas, cousins, daughters, nieces, best friends, etc, etc, would love to be recognized on this special day too!

To the finalists, be sure to remember all the moms across the country who will be receiving and giving your card on Sunday. Pretty darn cool if you ask me!

Finally, wanted to give a big shout out to all the mother's out there - have a fantastic, well-deserved celebration this weekend. Would love to know how YOU celebrated with the special moms in your life, so feel free to post in the comments section!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

The Father's Day Grand Prize action will begin on Monday!

Hallmark Loves yourParenthood Mother's Day Cards!

Here at Hallmark's headquarters, the yourParenthood Mother's Day cards are being featured in a big way. Check out the can't-miss display in our employee card shop.



Hey Mother's Day finalists, can you spot your card? We had to hurry up and take a picture before these babies all sell out. Only 6 days 'til Mother's Day!

Dawn Sayles is the yourParenthood Father's Day Fan Favorite!

Did you hear? And more importantly, did you see?! Dawn Sayles' card, "Say Cheese... Please!" is the Father's Day Fan Favorite! Congratulations, Dawn. Looks like you're not the only one who can't resist a cute little pout.






Cover:
Whaddya mean, "Say Cheese"?

Inside:
All I wanna say is,
Happy Father's Day"!

In the News

Check out the Mother's Day press release that went out and check out the incredible call-out that the 16 Mother's Day YourParenthood finalists received (click on it to make it readable or click here to be redirected). This will probably be picked up by publications all over the country!


Lots of love for the Bloopers finalists in the pressroom, too! Check it out.


Can't wait to see many of your bright shining faces in the newspaper and on TV! If your local media does a story on your card, we'd love for you to share it with us!

Father's Day Card Samples!

It's a whole box full of Father's Day finalists' cards! A whole box full o' cuteness, more like. These card packs will be sent to their respective finalists so they can see the way their cards will show up in stores.



Can you spot the finalists' names on the white paper behind the cards? Squint hard.



Now, go vote for your favorite in the the Father's Day Fan Favorite contest. You've got until May 3rd to do it!

Vote for your Mother's Day Grand Prize Winner!

Now that you've gotten practice voting for the Mother's Day Fan Favorite, do the voting thing in our big-heck-of-a-deal Mother's Day Grand Prize contest. Oh, did we mention that means you can also buy the Mother's Day cards online starting Monday, too? Yep, you can be the early bird and get the perfect cards for the moms in your life.

The your Mother's Day Grand Prize Contest starts Monday, April 6 at 12:00 a.m., CT and ends Sunday, May 10 at 11:59 p.m., CT.

Do you know what to do?

1. Vote for free each day online
2. Buy finalists' cards online and in stores. One card = one vote.

Vote for your Father's Day Fan Favorite!

Time to rev up your voting engines for the Father's Day Fan Favorite contest! Monday morning, bright and early, you can cast your first vote! Then, keep it up once per day until May 3. Will it be a close race like the Mother's Day Fan Favorite, or will it be a landslide? Only your votes will tell.

The Votes Are In! Lindsey Simpson is your Mother's Day Fan Favorite!

Everybody around here's talking about Lindsey's Fan Favorite win. Congrats, Lindsey!



The undeniably adorable stars of her card helped Lindsey pull in the most Mother's Day votes, and that was no easy task. When all the votes were counted, her card was declared the winner by only 25 votes! Whew. That was a close race.

Thanks to all our dutiful voters out there for keeping us on the edges of our seats. Come back and vote for your Father's Day Fan Favorite, starting April 6. Think it'll be another close one?

Lookie Lookie!

We've got real, live card samples, folks. We ordered a bunch of the yourParenthood Mother's Day cards so we could pass them on to their rightful finalists. This is just the way they'll show up in stores, ready to be unpacked and placed in their neat, little slots.



If you look reeeaaally close, you can see the finalists' names on the white pieces of paper peeking up from the top of each card pack. That's what we in card land call the PID (pocket ID). In stores, it goes in the card slot (a.k.a. pocket) behind the cards so everyone can see the card creator. It's almost like seeing your name in lights.

These Babies Look Good, Too!

It's here! The picture of the Father's Day finalists' card flats is ready for your viewing pleasure. Of course, the finalists get the real viewing pleasure, up close and personal. And they've sure earned it.

Vote for your Mother's Day Fan Favorite!

Riiiiiiiiing! Consider this your wakeup call to vote for the yourParenthood Mother's Day card that captures your attention.

Vote once each day until March 29 and see if your favorite turns out to be beloved by other fans. Ooh, we can hardly wait to see the results!

Introducing Dawn Sayles, yourParenthood Father's Day Finalist

Meet our finalist of the day. Read on to learn a bit about her and her entry. If you like what you see, comment right here--everybody deserves a pat on the back for their card-making skills. And check back weekdays through February 18 to meet the rest of the yourParenthood finalists.



Dawn loves little things! She raises miniature horses for a living at her Vintage Farms home. Dawn also enjoys spending time with her little grandson, who's taught her that an adorable frown can win a heart as well as any smile.

"Little Loves"



Cover:
Whaddya mean, "Say Cheese"?
Inside:
All I wanna say is,
"Happy Father's Day"!

Introducing Stacey Neal, yourParenthood Father's Day Finalist

Meet our finalist of the day. Read on to learn a bit about her and her entry. If you like what you see, comment right here--everybody deserves a pat on the back for their card-making skills. And check back weekdays through February 18 to meet the rest of the yourParenthood finalists.



Between full-time jobs at Toyota and at home with her "two young kids and an ark full of animals," Stacey likes to snap photos. In this one, she caught her son mid-scratch, not letting a little thing like a diaper get in the way of just being a guy.

"All Boy"



Cover:
(Blank)
Inside:
It's your day.
If you have an itch, scratch it.
Happy Father's Day!

Introducing Maria Curcio, yourParenthood Father's Day FInalist

Meet our finalist of the day. Read on to learn a bit about her and her entry. If you like what you see, comment right here--everybody deserves a pat on the back for their card-making skills. And check back weekdays through February 18 to meet the rest of the yourParenthood finalists.



This card "turns the tables," says Maria, showing the child (her son) giving the parent a lecture. And she should know about lectures--she's worked in higher education for 14 years! The mother of two also enjoys creating greeting cards with her daughter...most likely under the tutelage of her son.

"Tables Turned"



Cover:
Now listen up and listen good...
Inside:
You're the best there is.
Happy Father's Day!
(Don't make me repeat myself.)

Introducing Carrie Moore, yourParenthood Father's Day Finalist

Meet our finalist of the day. Read on to learn a bit about her and her entry. If you like what you see, comment right here--everybody deserves a pat on the back for their card-making skills. And check back weekdays through February 18 to meet the rest of the yourParenthood finalists.



Carrie says she frequently falls behind when she's walking with her husband and son. How lucky for us! The photographer, human resources worker and mom of two believes the most important job a dad has is being a superhero to his kids, and calls the bond between her two heroes "amazing to watch."

"'Super' Sweet"



Cover:
(Blank)
Inside:
Not all superheroes wear capes.
Happy Father's Day!

Introducing Katie Cowdin, yourParenthood Father's Day Finalist

Meet our finalist of the day. Read on to learn a bit about her and her entry. If you like what you see, comment right here--everybody deserves a pat on the back for their card-making skills. And check back weekdays through February 18 to meet the rest of the yourParenthood finalists.



Shining sun and silly smiles make for the perfect summer day...and a darn sweet photo, too! Katie, who "finds joy in the title Mom," hopes this shot of her son will remind dads of the "goofy and innocent" moments of their own kids' lives.

"Sunny Smile"



Cover:
(Blank)
Inside:
A perfect Father's Day
is all about taking it easy.
Here's hoping that your day is perfect.
Happy Father's Day!