60Th Bday Gift

Updated on March 21, 2010
T.B. asks from Conroe, TX
19 answers

Good morning all! I'm planning a surprise 60th bday for my dad and am having trouble on the gift. I was thinking of some type of photo collage...the many face of dad (give any one has a better idea for the title please let me know). I will include pic of him with me and my brother, pics of him with the grandkids, son-in-law, his friends...my dilemna is can I include pics of my deceased Mother (his wife of almost 30yrs b/f she passed) and his girlfriend of the past couple of years??? One more question...should I do this as a scrapbook page and frame it or do one of the online collage set ups and have it printed on like one big photo??
Thanks ladies!!!

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A.R.

answers from Houston on

With that many different photos & groups, I would put it in a book.
I had the same idea when my dad was retiring. It was titled "John is..." and each page said ...a father, ...a son, ...a brother, ...a husband, ...a farmer, ...a Sunday School teacher, ...a friend, etc.
I can help you make the book if you'd like. Here are a few templates (you can edit the text, number of photos and colors,ect.):

http://www.heritagemakers.com/index.cfm?event=projectBrow...

http://www.heritagemakers.com/index.cfm?event=projectBrow...

http://www.heritagemakers.com/index.cfm?event=projectBrow...

http://www.heritagemakers.com/index.cfm?event=projectBrow...

A.
www.CreateHeritage.com

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J.H.

answers from Houston on

What layout you use is of little importance. What is important is that you include his wife of 30 years and his girl friend of the last few. There ladies have been an important part of his life and certainly should not be left out because by leaving them out, you are omitting part of his life.

More Answers

L.A.

answers from Austin on

I love this idea! Maybe have it printed like a photo so it could be given to other family members?

Also for fun, you could also have a puzzle made out of it... We did that one year for Christmas (we're a puzzle crazy family) and everybody loved putting their own puzzle together.. We ordered the puzzles online also.

BTW, Do include your mom. She was with your father longer than all of you and I am sure his girlfriend will be gracious and understand that. You are sweet to include her.

I would have to have about a 4ft x 4ft collage made to include all of my fathers ex-wives and current girlfriends!

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S.B.

answers from Houston on

Good Morning T.B., I normally don't respond to guestions, but I could not passs this one up. Why can't you include pictures of your deceased Mother? If it is because of your dads girlfriend then there is a problem there not with your deceased mother. My mother passed away 33 years ago and my dad remarried. My stepmother is the best thing that happened to me and she doesn't have a problem with anything that my mother could be involved with. Because your mother is deceased that allows you dad to have a girlfriend. Your mother started the road for the rest of her family to travel. It would be disrespectful of you to exclude your mother. I am sure she will be watching from heaven.

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A.M.

answers from El Paso on

Great idea! I think you're very thoughtful to wonder about pics of mom. I think he would probably appreciate that. You might tell the girlfriend what you'd like to do, just out of courtesy, but hopefully she'd understand and appreciate the gesture.

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S.W.

answers from Houston on

We just had a surprise 75th Bday party for my Father-in-law. At the party we gave him our family photo framed since we had it in mind before the party came to mind. I took a ton of pictures at the party plus we have asked for photos from other related families (His brothers & sisters & some of their kids were there as well as old friends) I plan to put them together in a Walgreen's photo book for Father's Day.
Have fun!

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K.S.

answers from San Antonio on

Wow...I am getting ready to do kind of the same idea for my father this year. He will turn 60 in November and I've decided to put together a "Yearbook of Dad" type thing where it'll start off with things that happened and were around while he was growing up (along with his childhood pictures) all the way up through college, his military career, marriage to my mother--his wife of 31 years--(who has passed away), me and my siblings, and his grandchildren. I haven't decided whether I'll be using the shutterfly or snapfish printed photo books (I really like the layout options on both websites), but if you enjoy scrapbooking and have an eye for it, I think that would be a GREAT way to go for your collage! Have fun and good luck! --K.

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B.G.

answers from Austin on

My personal opinion is that you go ahead and include pictures of your mom and his girlfriend. Have you looked at the photobooks that Kodak Gallery and Snap Fish offer? They are really neat and inexpensive (photos bound in books).

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D.J.

answers from Austin on

Photo collages/scrap books are almost always a welcome addition . .. I made one for my Mom that included my daughter from early years through high school graduation (which was her age at time of book) - I didn't live too close when she was growing up so mom never got too much visit/watch her grow time . . . anyway - she loved it.

as for your questions:

1. The life of dad and family/friends . . . good idea.
2. Include late wife AND new girlfriend . . . of course. I am of course assuming that girlfriend came after wife and not at the same time (I know you already said she is a recent addition to his life). They are both part of his life and who he was and now is . . . by all means include both . . maybe not on the same page, but in the same "book".
3. Format: If you have the time and enough "data" I would do a physical scrap book, leave or add a few blank pages with maybe a "post-it" that says "to be continued" or "we will contiune to update you as the story unfolds" or something like that. . . that way you can add pages as events/years/etc happen.
If time and or pictures don't allow, then maybe a family tree sort of collage to be framed. . . Mom & Dad at top of "page" with "groups" below showing "brothers, sisters, uncles, etc" and "girlfriend (unless they are really serious/getting hitched, then she can go at the top on the other side of him from Mom), friends, fishing buddies, etc".
Or even do a calendar with a differnt assortment of people each month (maybe based on special dates or birthdates)
The format really needs to depend on your time available to spend, his wall space/decorating scheme, and the number of pictures you have.

Good luck and remember, just make it mean something while you have fun with it.

M.H.

answers from Minneapolis on

I know that the birthday has come and gone, but if you are looking for future gifts and like the idea of storybooks, please check out my site: www.MyPhotobookStory.com. I am a consultant with Heritage Makers and the products are amazing.

The templates are 100% customizable and it's all online!

Watch this 5min video to give you an idea of what we are about! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irdqtq7mF6Y

For more information, please contact me at ____@____.com.

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C.B.

answers from Austin on

Your photo collage sounds great. For my father in law's 90th we went to one of the paint your own ceramics places and made a large plate with a family tree on it. I drew a tree and made each person a flower, with slightly different shades for each "branch". I got signatures from each family member and put them on their flowers. He loved it, and it hung in his home until he passed away last December at age 100! Now we have it, and its a lovely memory. Of course include your mom and a picture or two of the girlfriend. Both are happy memories for him, and this is his life.

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C.O.

answers from Houston on

Have you thought of doing a photo book? you can upload the photos online and design the book, even add comments, then they print an actual hard cover bound book and mail it to you. It would be neat to do a timeline of important event/people of his life. I think that you should include your mother. She was and still is (through you and your siblings) a huge part of his life. That should be honored. (just my opinion) The girlfriend... i don't know,it depends on the relarionship... only you can decide but it might be a nice thing to do. She is a part of his life now. This is why I suggest a time line type idea... good luck.

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K.L.

answers from Houston on

I say show everyone! This is for your Dad and those who are/have been important to him should be represented in the collage. Personally, I like the poster photo print. Here's a link to view an example:

http://www.heritagemakers.com/?event=projectBrowse&pr...

This particular one is 24x20 canvas poster that comes gallery-wrapped. This company also has the same size on photo quality paper as well as individual scrapbook pages you can frame. Also,with this company you can choose from templates or create from scratch to get the look you want. Very nice look!

Call me and I'd be glad to help. ###-###-####

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R.B.

answers from El Paso on

If you have the bang to afford it, cause it took me, my sister and my dad to afford it. We got my mom a digital picture frame for Christmas and I took about 4 hours and loaded 200 pictures on a disk for it. When we gave it to her and she turned it on, it was pictures from our lives growing up and pictures of her and the grandkids. She loved it and she cried. I am sure your Dad would feel the same way. The total cost for it was almost $200, but we did get a bigger frame. I got a 2g sd card and it held all those pictures and more. You may want to put pictures of yourselves when you were kids too.

Whatever you do I'm sure he will love it. He's your dad afterall.

R.
www.roxannebruce.pureromance.com

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M.J.

answers from Houston on

I think this is a wonderful idea! What a special way to celebrate your father's 60th. I agree with the others to include your lovely mother in the collage. Your parents were married for so long I think he would be disapointed if you didn't include her. I don't know if this is too much, but would you be able to make him a book on-line (they are really easy to put together) and then make the framed collage as well? The framed collage will take some time to put together, but the on-line ones you can put together quickly. Kodak Gallery lets you set up the pages however you want them, but it's a very user friendly set-up. This way, he'll have the book to look through and the collage to hang on his wall to share with everyone.

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K.M.

answers from Houston on

A slightly different spin on the album or collage would be a dvd. You chose photos and music and show them together. It is beautiful and sometimes more touching that way with the music. You can choose music from his early years, his favorite tunes, or just songs that work with the particular pictures that are playing.

And yes, please include pictures of your mother. My husband was a young widower when we married. His late wife was a big part of his life, part of the man I love so much. He had to retire early, and on the video of pictures they showed at the big celebration there were picutres of her, pictures of me... it wasn't odd at all. In fact, it really brought his life together. The girlfriend shouldn't be uncomfortable. He is who he is because of your mother.

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C.H.

answers from Houston on

Hi T B, Of course you can include his wife of 30 yrs and his girlfriend of the last couple of years. That is his story. Including both shows no disrespect to either lady. It illustrates your dad having a life well lived. Peace. HTH

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J.T.

answers from Victoria on

what about www.snapfish.com and making a book. they arent very expensive and you could do other things like a calendar, they have tons of ideas. I would put both in there late wife and girlfriend. They are part of his life like everyone else. have fun sounds like its going to be great what ever you do.

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M.T.

answers from Austin on

So many great ideas! I have done them all and I can tell you, you won't go wrong with whatever you choose. The books are a lot of fun to make...you can do just pictures or even tell stories along side the pictures.
The picture DVD is wonderful...something when you put music alongside of photos makes it so much more touching, emotional, and memorable. I have made many of these for family members and it never fails that they overcome with emotion and end up watching it several times over.
Most recently I ordered a photo collage from kodak gallery online and it turned out absolutly amazing. 16x20 with 100 photos...looks like a quilt or some sort of tapestry.
Good luck with your project and I think it is totally appropriate to include pics of your mother as well as your father's girlfriend.

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