Magazine Photo Covers from YourCover.com

My parents are big on photos. Every square inch of their home is adorned with frames: family photos, photos of us (the kids) as kids and as grownups, and now, of course, photos of the grandkids. Getting them presents for Christmas is pretty easy -- just stick a photo on it and they'll like it. So along with the frames, they have a ton of photo calendars, mugs, mouse pads, shirts, posters. They love it all, but my mom does end up with a ton of one-of-a-kind photo mugs.

Their 40th wedding anniversary is coming up next year and I decided to get them something more out-of-the-ordinary, something they'll want to display at the big anniversary bash they're planning for family and friends. So I went to YourCover.com and got them a personalized magazine photo cover.

The folks at YourCover.com graciously allowed me to try out their Magazine Cover product, and I'm very happy with the result. You just upload a photo to their website, choose the occasion (anniversary, birthday, graduation, mother's day, ) and the magazine layout is automatically created for you -- no need to fiddle with Photoshop, or God forbid, Microsoft Paint. If you're not feeling witty or schmaltzy enough to compose your own messages, you can use their suggested text and customize it for the people you're featuring on the cover.

The nice thing is, the products come in all price ranges. If you want to print it out yourself, you pay $15 for the JPEG image download. If you just want the front cover to hang in a study or den, you can have them send it to you in a nice wooden frame for $45 (shipping included). Or you can go the whole hog and get a front and back cover (the back cover features customizable messages and a smaller photo) in a clear plastic standalone frame for $55. They also do centerpieces and invitations so you can create themed party decor centered around your chosen photo.