EZPZ Father’s Day: Love Don’t Cost Much. And It Isn’t Always A Tie, Either.

Father’s Day is Sunday, June 19.  That’s not tomorrow or anything, but it’s not super far away either.

I have a problem.  Correction, had a problem.  This year, my husband and I decided to become grown ups.

Gag.

To us, being grown up means paying cash for everything and not buying an iPad2 even though we would love it as much as we love our own children and it would make us happy beyond measure, er, being responsible with our money.

Besides, gifts are expressions of love, right?  They’re not flagrant and ostentatious displays that center around buying items that may very well represent the pinnacle of human technological evolution or that are, at the very least, just the coolest thing EVER.

So, anyway, now that we’re all lame responsible, I’m focusing on the kind of gifts that will maximize thought and love and minimize coolness cost .

My husband reads a lot.

You know what people who read a lot really need, but probably never think to buy?

Bookmarks.

Making the Dopest Bookmarks on the Planet

Things you will need:

• Good photos of your kids.  Or friends who take good photos of your kids.
• A printer that can print photos, like my HP e-Envy All -in-One
• Child labor
• Glass beads of assorted shapes
• Those leather string things that they sell at craft stores that you can make necklaces out of.

Instructions (now with free commentary and unnecessary verbiage):

• Find great photos of your kids and edit them.  If you’re short on ideas or don’t feel up to creating a legendary bookmark which is the stuff of legends, you can check out some of the pre-made templates at HP’s Creative Studio. I actually knew exactly what I wanted.  Motivational posters are so cool.  Motivational posters with my kids pictures on them?  TOTAL.FREAKING.AWESOMENESS.*

(I actually edited the one of my daughter so that it was black and white, but I can’t find the file to upload.  Don’t you judge me, this site is called Aiming Low and all I’m trying to do is fit in here.  The text at the bottom of the photos is directed to my husband.  They’re his kids, they’re here because of him, so… yeah, you get it.)

• Once I had these images looking just like I wanted them, I printed them up on an HP Envy 100 e-All-in-One Printer and switched the paper size to 4 X 6 (Index Card). For maximum quality, I used HP Premium Plus Photo Paper (Soft Gloss).
• I took them to a copy shop and had them mounted on a thick, black vinyl sheet and attached them with spray adhesive made for photos.
• The lady behind the counter laminated them for me.  I was astounded by her total lack of enthusiasm about being an integral part of the fabrication of the dopest bookmarks on the planet.
• She did cut them down in neat squares for me, though, so that was nice.
• Next, I poked a very small hole in the corner of each laminated photo with a steak knife and not an Exacto knife which it seems is something everyone is supposed to have lying around.
  
• I fully utilized my cultural disposition to exploit small children in the manufacture of items that require fine motor skills as well as expounded on the difference between “beads” and “cookies.”  In other words, string the beads through the hole, throw some beads on there and then tie a knot.

BEAD, not Cookie. Bead For Pretty Things. NO EAT BEAD.

Little Indian Hands Making Jewelry. Not in a sweatshop. Plus, we have a pool.

• And, presto, DOPEST.BOOKMARKS.EVER.  Mostly because my kids are on them.

And, no, honey, it’s not an iPad2 because I’m totally lame trying to be a grown up.

Feature Image Photo Credit: stevendepolo

Photo of My Daughter Credit: miss-britt

Photo of My Son Credit: Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing]

The Rest of Those Crappy Photos: Me

*P.S. There are a variety of online applications that you can use to create photographs based on motivational posters.  I used Lunapic Online Photo Editor