How was your Christmas...

...or, did you get everything you wanted?

I for one had a very good Christmas. Possibly because this year I really didn't want anything but to be sure my kids, wife and the rest of the family had a good time. Probably because I made my wife cry again...in a good way.

Looking for a good gift to give someone anytime of year? Restore and reprint an old photograph (or several). My wife gave me an old picture of her grandparents from when they were in New York City years ago. Like, when they were our age, or younger. The picture was torn, creased, corners missing. You get the idea.

Well, Photoshop is your friend. Crop off as little as possible of the torn areas, a little work with the rubber stamp tool to cover up the creases and blemishes, add some color correction and voila; your newly restored picture awaits.

I printed 2 8x10s at the Kodak machine in Walmart, got 2 frames and gave one to my wife on Christmas morning. She was so surprised, she bust into tears. I told her I made a second one for her to give to whoever she wanted. She gave it to her mother, who also burst into tears. Only her grandmother is still with us, but very sick, and my wife never knew her grandfather. I hope this newly restored photo will help them remember the happy times.

Everyone has pictures like that. Give them some new life and pass them around. If the people in the photos are still with us, ask them about the pictures. I'd love to know the stories that went with the picture I restored.