Internet gift-giving at it's most creative?

November 18, 2010 11:16 AM

How can I creatively and virtually give my travelling sister and brother-in-law their christmas gift of their travel-blog-turned-into-a-book?

My sister and her husband are travelling through a bunch of countries for the next 6 months. they've made a travel blog and are updating it with lots of pictures and stories from their trip. I want to give them a gift card to turn their blog into a book at blurb.com. since their travels aren't over till may, i can't actually mail them their gift. they will be in india for actual christmas day, but they don't have a fixed location yet. how can i creatively 'give' them their gift at christmas time? we have skype, video chat, the internet, facebook, etc.

a song? some sort of video? i'm pretty crafty but i could use some help with the ideas here. Thank you!

posted by andreapandrea to computers & internet (5 answers total)

Do you know which city in India at least?
posted by The Lady is a designer at 11:29 AM on November 18, 2010

nope, and neither do they. that's why i need to do some sort of virtual thing, so as long as they have internet (and they will) i can present them with their gift.
posted by andreapandrea at 11:34 AM on November 18, 2010

Does blurb have a gift card type of scheme already? You know where they send a whole song and dance about the gift to the recipients by email or some such and they can collect the actual book later? If not, let me know.
posted by The Lady is a designer at 11:35 AM on November 18, 2010

Is there any way you could give them something else for Christmas, and save this for next year or their anniversary or something? It's a really cool gift, don't get me wrong! I'd be THRILLED. But... I wonder if I was told my blog would be given to me in book form some 6 months down the road if I wouldn't subconsciously start self-editing (posting only the pics where I look gorgeous, overly careful writing, etc). Plus - it seems like it would be more exciting to get it as a true surprise, just a book handed to me one day after my trip is long over and all of a sudden I am reliving the memories. You know?
posted by coupdefoudre at 11:54 AM on November 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

This is a great idea!

How about making a very short DIY version of the book, say 4 pages, with just a couple of photos and funny (rhyming? rapped? sung?) captions written a bit like telling the beginning of a story about their trip. Wrap it like a present.

Then on Xmas, you get on Skype and unwrap the little book for them (which would be cute and funny). Then read it to them, turning pages and showing them the pics like you were reading a story to kids. "Once upon a time Lucy and Bing went to India! They saw stuff! They took pictures! Lucy's sister missed them so she followed their blog! And then she made their blog into a book all about them!" ....etc, but written cuter.
And the end of the little story is "... Little did Lucy and Bob know that this wasn't a story, it was the truth! I do miss you, and I am obsessing over your blog, and you'll get your blog book when you're back, Merry Xmas!" or something like that.

And then you could even use that same little story explaining the gift as the foreword of their actual book when you make it. Maybe also include a CD of you singing it as a song, if you go that route.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 1:31 PM on November 18, 2010