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MyPhoto Changed the Way I Do Sentimental Gifts, And I’ll Never Go Back

MyPhoto came in and saved the day—and might have just changed the way I looked at online businesses for the better.

By Michael PickettPublished 5 years ago 6 min read
Top Story - November 2018
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Call me old, or just call me old-fashioned, but I’ve never been much of a tech guy. It just never was my thing, and I preferred to live life the way my parents lived it. It’s been that way for 45 years, and I never really saw it changing.

Even during the 80s, I was one of the non-believers who thought that computers were a fad that’d die out sooner rather than later. I never really thought I’d change my mind; I’ve lived most of my life with minimal help from tech. Things change, and I suppose it’s better late than never.

Recently, I discovered a company that makes technology feel more like magic…and it’s something that anyone (even I) can do! My little discovery was a photo product site called MyPhoto, and it changed how I looked at gift giving.

I want to tell you the tale involving the personalized gift I got, and an incredibly special journey I took making an amazing gift for the most amazing couple I know. My story might not seem that major to you, but it means a lot to me.

My parents' anniversary was coming up, and it was their 50th anniversary too.

My parents are two of the happiest people you’ll ever meet. They have been together since they were teens—high school sweethearts, married after college, spent every year since 1967 together as a family. To me, they are true love, personified.

Recently, they were getting ready to celebrate a total of 50 years together.

Photo by Gemma Evans on Unsplash

We all wanted to give them a gift that would make them realize how much we appreciated them.

When we decided to plan their anniversary party for them, we wanted to give them a gift that celebrated their love. We also wanted to give them a physical gift, but coming up with ideas wasn’t easy.

My wife and daughters were tasked with the party. My task was getting them a gift they'd remember. Like always, I wasn't exactly pleased about it. I dislike shopping, but I agreed to it.

Going to the mall meant sifting through dozens of different gifts, finding flaws with each one, and just not finding something that was all “them.” We tried, but frankly, there’s only so many elegant cutting boards and house goods you can look through before you get tired of shopping.

Brainstorming, I realized my own ideas fell short.

Usually, when I try to get a gift, I’ll make something on my own. But this time was different. I didn’t want to get a jewelry set for mom and a pipe for dad. I wanted to make something handmade and personalized, but all I really did was woodworking and jewelry making.

What should I get? A spice rack? A cabinet? Matching necklaces? I don’t think mom wanted another wooden spice rack, so I quickly found myself at a loss. I wanted something that was personalized and clearly high quality. The mall wasn’t going to have anything like that available.

Photo by Nicole Honeywill on Unsplash

One night, I spent hours just looking through family photos.

Around two weeks before the party, I spent a night scrolling through my phone and computer of photos of my family from the past and present. I sat there, staring and scrolling, looking at all the beautiful memories that we all had together.

The photos that really struck me were the ones before my parents had me. My mom looked so beautiful. My dad looked so full of life. Their wedding photos looked absolutely stunning, and they just made their relationship look amazing.

These photos would be perfect, if only they could hold them! I now had an idea, but I really wished I knew a way to make those photos come to life in a way that didn’t look like a faded mall tee shirt from a low-quality printer.

The next day, I spent some time talking to my sister, Joanna.

I’m one of those guys who is blessed to be able to have family in the neighborhood. Joanna, my sister, is both a neighbor and a confidant—and boy, was she excited for the anniversary bash. I, on the other hand, didn’t seem so hot with it.

Joanna noticed that I seemed upset. After a little bit of talking, I explained what was up. I wanted to give my parents a photo I knew they loved for their anniversary, but didn’t want them on a lousy mug or a cheap frame. I didn’t even have a good “backup” idea, simply because everything from the mall seemed so hackneyed.

Joanna referred me to MyPhoto, a site that allows you to transform your favorite family photos into a variety of different gifts. She told me that they had keepsake boxes, trays, and more. All I had to do was email the photos I wanted to gift, and they would help me complete the buying process.

Like myself, Joanna wasn’t very well-versed in the ways of the internet. But, she was a master at sentimental gifts and also had a knack for finding good shopping deals. And the process of making those special gifts was something even I knew how to do; by simply sending an email.

So, I found the perfect photos and emailed them to [email protected].

I emailed three of my favorite photos. MyPhoto emailed me back to show me that photo on all their products. Shopping has never been easier! I chose to get the three photos in Diamond Glass in the largest size possible.

Diamond Glass looked slick, and actually looked like a photo was printed into a sheet of glass. It came with its own stand, and looked sturdy enough. Since it was beautiful and worked with their love of simple decor, it made sense to buy it.

Within a matter of days, the photos were all delivered and ready just in time for the anniversary. I won’t lie; I peeked so that I could see how well the photos printed out. They looked great. I couldn’t believe how easy the whole the process was!

The party came and went, and everyone loved our present.

Mom, being sentimental, was the most moved by it. She saw the collection of pictures, her eyes welled up with tears, and she gave me a big hug. I felt like a son who did right by his parents. My daughters and wife all seemed proud, too—and maybe were a little impressed at my tech prowess.

The gifts were far better than a birdhouse or cabinet. They showed what I saw in my family, and they also will help keep those memories in our family for years to come. They showed what we all saw in them!

After the party, my daughters asked me which store did my photos.

They had never seen mall kiosks do such a good job, and I just nodded knowingly. I then explained to them that it wasn’t a purchase from a mall kiosk or retail store. Rather, it was MyPhoto—and yes, it was I, dear ol’ Dad, who did the online ordering.

They were shocked.

I showed them how easy it was by ordering a photo of the five of us together. That’s right—for the first time in my life, I taught my family how to do something on the internet!

The entire email exchange was as easy as could be, and my wife watched it happen while she sat right next to me. They seemed impressed at how simple getting a great photo gift could be. And then my wife decided to gift a MyPhoto for our anniversary, too. I loved it!

Overall, my experience was one that really changed the way I looked at shopping online.

I won’t say that I’ve turned into a technology wizard or started using Facebook like a Millennial, because I haven’t. But, I definitely will say that MyPhoto is the perfect online experience for those of us who are not internet-savvy. It will be my go-to for all my sentimental gifting purposes.

As far as my family goes, our love of sentimental gifts made us MyPhoto aficionados. We use them for our holiday gifts all the time. If you need a memorable, yet easy, gift in a hurry, give MyPhoto a shot. You’ll be glad you did! Visit MyPhoto.com today or email [email protected]

product review
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About the Creator

Michael Pickett

Retired United States Postal Worker. Passionate about woodworking and restoration. Living in Connecticut with my wife and two dogs.

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