Some family heirlooms, such as jewelry and photographs, are enthusiastically accepted by younger generations, and others, including Grandpa's gallstone and Betamax copies of Ishtar, are not. Procure a pride-inspiring heirloom with today's Groupon: for $65, you get a personalized alphabet photography keepsake framed in black steel from Sticks and Stones (a $139.99 value). You can also apply the value toward another frame style and pay the difference.

With their own customized alphabet art, customers get to own something similar to the gift Oprah gave to Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes to celebrate their joint invention of the cotton gin. After deciding on an heirloom-worthy name or word, peruse Sticks and Stones' alphabet gallery and choose from a series of up to 14 black-and-white art photographs of natural and structural images that represent each letter. Once finished, a panel of spelling-bee judges approves the message masterpiece, which gets framed and shipped regardless of semiotic weight for an additional charge of $15.95 anywhere in the United States. Lauded by numerous other celebrity and media outlets, these letter-based and individually tailored décor concoctions make ideal housewarming, wedding, and new-baby gifts.

Reviews

Numerous publications have featured Sticks and Stones, including O, The Oprah Magazine and People.