Take a trip down memory lane and visit our pages from past years.
HEMINGHoliday
2023
Welcome to our annual site where our attempts at holiday perfection (totally overrated btw), usually fail miserably.
Note from the author: The theme of this year's site is "Pixel or Paper?" Take our anonymous survey and help us determine if we should do away with our old-school, snail-mail holiday cards and embrace the digital age instead.
Folks, the fate of our cards
rests in YOUR HANDS!
HEMINGHappenings
—
Whaddup?
Paying Taxes
GRACE
Navigating the Windy City like the pro consultant that she is. Spends free time mastering the art of travel and yoga. Contorting into budget-friendly flight seats counts as a legitimate pose, right?
Almost Paying Taxes
CATHERINE
So, her grand Chicago consultancy debut has been pushed to February 2024 – currently savoring the perks of "funemployment" while training for marathons. Let's face it, outrunning job start dates is excellent cardio!
Tax Write-Off
GT
Our Abu Dhabi teen is getting ready to ditch the desert for a dorm in Boston. With a nasty case of senioritis, this year he's been honing his skills in the fine art of staying out too late and embracing the allure of "I'll study tomorrow."
More of an Expense than a Tax Deduction
CAROLINE
Juggling the grueling world of brand direction during the week and happily painting on the weekends. I mean come on, even the Mona Lisa needed a side hustle to keep her smile intact.
Paying Way, Way too Much in Taxes
BRAD
Kickstarts the mornings swimming with dolphins in the gulf, gaining insight into fish supply and seaweed trends. Then heads to the office to swim in spreadsheets and algorithms.
The Only Tax-Exempt Heming
GAZOO
This grumpy, old man has mastered the art of the 3-hour work week. Uses this time (starting around 4am) to trampolline us into getting out of bed and feeding him. Secures our castle from Abu Dhabi wild cats with his few remaining teeth.
So friends, what will it be?
Holiday Cards, Website, or Both?
Your input might prevent us from accidentally faxing holiday wishes to everyone next year.
HEMINGOuttakes
—
When you ask your family to send a nice photo of themselves for the holiday website, and they respond by unleashing a barrage of photos that scream "family dysfunction" louder than any therapy session could.
PAINTINGSHuh?
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Unwrapping the connections behind this year's theme
First of all, I applaud you for scrolling this far down the page. I haven't lost you yet! As for the link, stay with me here. I reside in the UAE 10 months out of the year, but due to card-sending logistics, I prep the cards in Bethesda during the summer — 5 months ahead of Christmas — exhausted sigh.
Facing a creative block for card ideas this year — nothing says Christmas like Maryland in July — I opted to ignore the chore and paint winter scenes instead. Utilizing torn pages from old books added a unique texture to the canvases I was working on. This sparked a profound thought: What's the true worth of holiday cards? Environmentally, we're contributing to the crisis, yet there's potential for joy upon receiving a card in the mail. I'm genuinely curious as to where you stand on the subject.
Now, if you're raising an eyebrow at the fact that I deconstructed books, let me assure you that the books I sacrificed weren't exactly treasures.
Take, these 2 for example:
-
A squirrel/bug-chomped copy of "Beowulf." Who liked Beowulf anyway?
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A university textbook from a dreadful art history class that made me seriously question my life choices.
So there you have it—a glimpse into the unconventional materials and musings behind the theme of this year's holiday card and website —obscure as they might be.
PEACE, HARMONY, & LOVE
Or, as we say in Abu Dhabi,
As-Salamu Alaykum
Caroline, Brad, Grace, Catherine, and GT Heming