HNT - A Custom Book For Your Sweetheart

When you own an Espresso Book Machine, there's no end to the fun you can have creating custom books of your own or using public domain sources.

This past weekend I started fooling around with the creation of a custom book in which we would allow customers the ability to put a picture of their sweetheart on the front cover of a collection of Shakespeare's The Sonnets. I thought it would be a great idea for Valentine's Day.

Entitled Thou Art More Lovely, a title inspired by Sonnet 18 (the one most people know, that begins with: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.") customers can have a picture of their choice (anywhere between 1 inch X 1 inch to 3.5 X 3.5 inches) added to the cover along with a name under the statement "Custom printed for."

Of course, we have a plain version of the book (no custom picture, just a nice red heart on the cover) available for a real cheap price -- but customers can special order a unique one for their sweetheart for only $16.95. [Email me to request an order if you don't live in the Hamilton area and are interested in ordering one -- Titles will gladly ship one out]

I used my own sweetheart for the cover of the book to create some samples that customers could see, using one of my favourite pictures from our wedding day. (I honestly can't remember who took this picture -- it was likely either one of my talented photographer buddies, Steve or Greg who both took some phenomenal pics that wonderful day)


It's far less expensive than the steep price of roses this time of year. And while the flowers, like summer's lease, hath but all too short a date, this book will last a long time (I won't say forever since we know that paper does eventually crumble after hundreds of years). And it's a bit more romantic and unique than the tired old cliche of a box of chocolates (which only last on the hips). Of course, I'm a book nerd, so you'd fully expect me to say something along the lines of a book being the perfect gift.

The only catch is that to get one in time for Valentine's Day, they need to be ordered by the end of the day on Wednesday February 11th in order to pick them up on Friday February 13th.

But, it's always best when you plan ahead for that special love of your life, isn't it?

Of course, the book doesn't say "Valentine's Day" anywhere on the cover, so those who don't order one in time could always get one for their sweetheart for an anniversary or birthday.

After all, as the Bard says, thy eternal summer shall not fade . . . so long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee.