Saying "Hi" with Pie

I mailed 85 slices of fake pumpkin pie this week to family & friends. The annual Denneler Family letter took the form of mailable pie this year. Sometimes, when I get an idea for a project, I become completely obsessed with it until I've executed it. That would be the case here. I started on them in early August and completed them a few weeks ago. 

Carpel tunnel be damned! I was going to mail pumpkin pie if it killed me. 

I hear they've been a hit with many mail carriers. One of my friends even pranked his wife by putting their slice on a plate, covering it with Saran Wrap, and leaving it in the fridge for her to find. (Imagine her disappointment when she discovered it was made of upholstery foam, cardboard and wall caulking.)

Happy Fall y'all.... Hope you enjoy every last bite of 2012!

p.s.
Wanna make one (or 85) for yourself? Here's my simple tutorial on SheKnows.com. 

I love mailing weird stuff.

Looks real, doesn't it?

Lots of pie drying on our spare bed in the basement.

Piles of pie on my kitchen table, ready to mail.

Denneler Family Infographics

The Denneler fall family letter has been signed, sealed and delivered. 

In case you didn't get one, here's a sample of this year's version. (Sorry...but I gotta limit my mailing list to 100. As much as I enjoy keeping the post office out of bankruptcy, Eric does not.)

I decided to work with infographics. Mostly because it was kinda fun to put our family factoids into creative charts & graphs. But also because we went an entire year without taking a decent family photo. So no picture this time ... just the facts, ma'am.

Enjoy. Oh... and if you're curious, here's a sample of last year's letter. 

I don't send Christmas cards.

Nine years ago, I designed and mailed out Gus' birth announcements. And every year since then, I've always tried to send a fun "Denneler Update" to family and friends in the fall. It's my version of a Christmas card. Minus the stress & frenzy of the holidays. 

Once a year, I get to be my own client. Sometimes, Eric doesn't even see what I'm doing until it's in the mail. I'm working on our 2010 Denneler Update now - trying to find the perfect mix of informative, entertaining, and cheap to produce. (That's the hardest part, of course.) Here's a look at the last 9 years. Enjoy!

2001 - "Gus' Birth Announcement"

2002 - "Sandals"

2003 - "Tidbits of 2003"

2004 - "Library Cards"

2005 - "The Alphabet"

2006 - "Bea's Birth Announcement"

2007 - "Starbucks Cups"

2008 - "Denneler Family Buttons"

2009 - "Business Cards"