Skinning the World...One Device at a Time

Skinit Stories

2009-01-28T12:07:00.000-08:00

Skinit SkinarioTM

Mom!!! Who Took My Phone?

My husband, Tony, decided to get the whole family the same style cell phone for Christmas—a great idea, cost effective and practical. While I walk from room to room talking to my sister about fashion finds, the kids sit in corners texting with their “BFFs”—Cyndi writes about Hannah Montana’s newest episodes, and Danny passes on game codes for the newest PlayStation video game. Despite our differences, the phones seemed to meet all of our needs--except one—identification. It’s a big dilemma when you look and wonder “whose phone is whose phone?”

Yesterday, in a mad morning rush to get the kids out to school, I spotted three identical phones sitting side by side on the coffee table. I grabbed the first phone and ran out of the door. The rest of the day was a virtual nightmare. I was disconnected from important clients, friends, and coworkers—you know, the real world. Instead I got on-the-hour updates of video game news feeds – do my kids really have that much time on their hands? Suffice it to say, it was not my best day. And, based on the number of gamer withdrawal complaints I got from my son, his day was worse!

That evening, I thought long and hard about a solution to this problem but got nowhere. Eventually I hit the Internet and that’s where I found Skinit.com—an online store where I can find custom and designer skins for all of our cell phones. Finally a way of distinguishing the difference and easily identifying our cell phones! As soon as I clicked on the site I knew what I wanted. Surprisingly it wasn’t fashion leopard or pink taffeta. Instead I clicked on the customization option and uploaded a picture of my kids—what better design for a proud Mom? I knew it wasn’t going to be enough to only skin my phone—so I gathered the kids and we went shopping. Cyndi chose a totally tween Hannah Montana design, and Danny chose a Frogger (whatever that is). We’re still working on Tony. Within a week the kids and I received our skins and never again were we inadvertently separated from our own lives. Skinit gave us the phone that truly meets our needs—a personalized, skinned one. Thanks Skinit!

Do you have a Skinit SkinarioTM to share? Share it here and we’ll post it to our readers.

Last Minute Fashion Accessory Gift Suggestions for Men and Women

2008-12-19T21:20:00.000-08:00

Jewelry for the Fashionable Female

New York jewelry designer, Dean Harris has a inexpensive yet stylish jewelry line available at target. Pieces are a mix of sterling silver and cow horn, and start as

low as 19.99. They can be purchased directly at Target.

Who says that great jewelry accessories have to cost a lot? Check out these furious necklaces at Kohls.com. Prices start as low as $8 at Kohls.

Would you rather give away a great one-of-a-kind, hand

made piece? Check out Etsy.com, where everything is handmade. My personal favorite finds include : CATANE JEWELRY DESI

GN (most products under $30 including lime necklace on left) and The Laughing Mouse.

Sparkling Scarves
Sparkles say a lot. Give the gift of sequins. No Boundaries' cotton scarf with sequins is an inexpensive way of putting together a simple outfit. Priced at $7, it can be purchased at Walmart.

Pennies for your Purse
Need a gift for the handbag-happy friend? Forever 21 has a variety of great clutch purses to choose from including: Leopard fur, faux croc skin, and satin. Prices start at $7.50!

Men's Last Minute Fashion-Friendly Gifts

Wallet Finds

Looking for a perfect wallet for the music lover? Check out this super sleek and convenient wallet, the Mophie Relo Knox. It facilitates carrying the oh-so-necessary bills, cards, and IPod. It’s priced at about $42 and can be purchased on Amazon.

Looking for a wallet with more of an urban or artistic feel? Check out Poketo. Wallet designs are created by contemporary artists and designers, and price begins at about $45. (Wallet by Christin Castro)

Cool Cuffs
Check out these great cuffs for men looking to add a touch of sty

le and masculinity to their look. Available in combinations of leather and metal, Urban Outfitters has an assortment of cuffs beginning at prices as low as $12.

Colorful Coffee
The Pantone Matching systerm doesn’t just create ideal colors for the graphic industry an

d fashion industry. PMS is brightening up the colors of coffee mugs. Great gifts for men. They are priced at about $16 and are available at Shop Composition.

Personalized Photo-friendly Holiday Gifts That Say More Than The Average Framed Photo

2008-12-02T23:47:00.000-08:00

Looking for a unique gift that’s worth a thousand words? Check out these cool products and gadgets that’ll say a lot but won’t cost a lot.

Pics that Keep Shaking Looking for a gift that will have them seeing snow all year long? The Pandigital Digital Snow Globe holds up to 40 photos that appear on an 1.8” screen. You can easily rotate and resize images, and the snow globe is compatible with a memory stick and pc. If you’re looking for a more holiday-themed alternative, check out the Senario Digital Snow Globe that can be purchased from about 29.99 to $40.

Memories that Travel Minimize the mess in their wallet and give them a digital picture key chain that will help remind them of good times. These key chains typically have display screens of about 1.1” to 1.5”. They typically carry anywhere from 20 to 40 pics. Prices start at about $10 to $39.95. You can find various styles of digital key chains at Amazon , Overstock , and Brookstone.





Customized Skins for Their Gadgets

Looking for a gift for the gadget-giddy person who’s always looking for a unique touch? Get them a skin. Skinit allows you to use your personal photos to create customized skins for a variety of devices including laptops, cell phones, IPods, and more. No need to use just one picture, create a collage of pictures. Don’t have a specific picture in mind, no problem. Skinit has hundreds of fashionable and aesthetically appealing designs to choose from. Skins cost from about $15 to $40.

Photo-Fashion Need a unique gift for the fashionista? Check out Zazzle’s assortment of personalized gifts. Design a pair of Ked’s shoes with a pic o f their puppy or your personally designed art work. You can choose slip-on or laced tennis shoes, upload your favorite pic, and create your design online. Shoes cost between $50 and $60.

Maybe you’re looking for a unique fashionable shirt for that special someone. Use your personal artwork or a funny message to create a unique apparel product. Price varies by design, but on average costs about $23 to $40 at online retailers such as Spreadshirt, UberPrints, and Cafe Press. Looking for a feminine touch? Check out Customized Girls assortment of personalized tanks, underwear, and more.

Photo-Inspired Masterpieces Another artistically appealing way of displaying all their favorite photos is through a photo mosaic. Design-a-Mosaic allows you to upload a variety of personal digital photos that help create the mosaic background. While it highlights one particular photo, it allows you to use hundreds of your personally selected photos to create a beautiful background. Pricing starts at 29.99 for an 8 by 10 sized photo mosaic with anywhere from 20 to 400 personal pictures included. Shipping is free and Design-a-mosaic offers 40% off of additional prints.

Other picture-perfect gifts priced at under $50, offered by a variety of online retailers include:

Picture/ Photo books: A compilation of your selected fotos. Choose a theme or showcase pictures from a particular trip or gathering.
Picture-inspired wall canvas : Turn your picture or art work into a canvas portrait or painting.
Personalized Keep Sake Boxes: Choose a cute keepsake box in wood or metal that highlights a special moment or special someone on its top. These gifts can be purchased at a variety of sites online including: Kodak Gallery ,Photo Works , Personalization Mall , ShutterFly .

Skintillating Christmas Gift Suggestions…That Won’t Break The Bank

2008-11-20T22:17:00.000-08:00

It’s not quite Thanksgiving, and stores have already put out the Christmas decs… another typical year. We know consumers are anything but typical this year. You’re probably looking for the best deals on quality electronics and accessories at the best prices. As avid creators and followers of personalized products, we’re recommending some of the coolest (or at least interesting) accessories for under $70.

Gifts That Make the Portable Experience Pleasurable
Does your niece need a mouse for her notebook? This chic “clicker” sells for about $20. Mice come in a variety of colors, but 8 new cool designs are being featured at Saitek . They’ve also got the matching keyboards, hubs, and mouse pads.

Your husband’s neck and back stiff from leaning over his laptop while lying in bed or sitting on the couch? Check out these cool laptop desks and cushions. Lap Works offers metal lap desks that help ventilate the heat from your laptop and come in trendy designs such as leopard print and a space-inspired print. This item costs from about $29 to $49.

Belkin also has laptop desks/cushions. The Belkin Cushtop comes in 4 colors including dove, steel, chocolate, and black, and runs about $34.99.

Gifts for the Mobile Phone Maniac
These accessories are not available in different colors, per se, but they appear to be stylish and practical. Could your significant other use a hands-free blue tooth device? The new Motorola blue tooth,MotoPure H12 might be small, but it’s very eye catching. He/ she is sure to get plenty of use and complements from this sleekly designed device. It runs from about $38 to $62, depending on where you buy it. It’s supposed to have noise-blocking technology and built-in technology that facilitates fit and comfort in your ear.

What about a gift that’s practical and safe? The Nubrella is a hands-free alternative to the typical umbrella. According to the makers, the Nubrella not only protects against rain, but also protects against wind chill, snow, and it's guaranteed not to invert. Wow, what a way of keeping your hair in tact and minimizing text message and phone conversation interruptions. The Nubrella costs about $49.99.

Memory-Making Gifts
You can’t go wrong with a unique flashdrive --whether it’s for the office holiday party or a gift for a friend or family member (who uses computers). USB drives come in all shapes and styles. Computergear features a “Wrist USB drive” that you wear as a writstband (2 for $50) and a “Dog Tag USB Drive” that you can wear around your neck ($29.99)…so you never leave your documents behind. You could also go with a cutsy iBear Flash drive that features baby angel, devil, santa, or panda bear designs. If you like bling Coolkii.com has flash drives for less than $35 in various colors and designs.

Handmade Holiday Surprises
If you’re looking for something hand-made and stylish, check out ETSY . It’s an online market place that allows you to personalize your shopping experience while buying handmade gifts such as jewelry, clothing, furniture, and more. At Etsy you’ll find an array of cell phone accessories such as phone sleeves and cases, camera cases, and even organizers for your IPhone, at very reasonable prices. You can shop by item, price, color, and even location!

Everyday forms of Expression for Everyone
And of course Skinit has some of the most affordable gifts that can help accent the devices of your loved ones. For under $20 you can get a skin with pretty much any design you like. Skinit has an easy-to-use customizer that allows each customer to upload pics or other graphics to make a custom skin. So create a personalized gift with your partner’s favorite pic or your daughter’s favorite Disney character. Save 20% off your next purchase using coupon code PERFECTGIFT.