• WHAT: An easy way to add a little culture to your geekness
• WHY: If you have to ask you probably don't have a girlfriend
• COST: About $7, $15 if you go nuts

Like most married men I realized long ago that my wife has a lot more style than I do. How she can put together an outfit that makes her seem just a quick step out of Vogue remains a deep and mystifying question to me. If I'm not in jeans and a polo shirt I'm probably in bike shorts and a yellow jersey - suffice it to say I'm not likely to be approached to pose for GQ anytime soon.

The end result is that it's rare, or near impossible, for me to do something for my wife that actually adds style to her life without involving jewelry.

Add to this her love for, and deep knowledge of, impressionist art and you start getting the picture: she - Audrey Hepburn, me - caveman.

Well, I may be a caveman but I'm a romantic at heart. I remembered that she was a big fan of Van Gogh (and after we went to a wonderful exhibit of his paintings at an intimate showing in NY, so am I) and was able to combine her style and love of impressionist art with my love of all things geek to do something that surprised and impressed her (trust me, that ain't easy). It's on her iPhone - although they make the same product for Blackberrys, other smart phones, regular cell phones, iPods and even game consoles - and is an inexpensive way to individualize and protect a phone and have a little fun at the same time.

I've written before about "skins" that protect your screen and strongly recommend putting one on the day you get your phone. I have and it's always paid off when I sell my phone on eBay after the inevitable upgrade cycle hits. But this time I put a "skin" on that protects the back as well as the front and adds a unique matching graphic for wallpaper that completes the image on your screen. These skins, from iStyles, are durable, easy to put on, have incredible color saturation and come in a selection of graphics and patterns that would make a fashion designer's head spin.

When I opened the package that arrived via regular mail just a few days after I placed the order I was actually somewhat surprised - I always figured these things look better on the web site than they do in person but in this case the opposite was true. The graphics on the web site don't do the actual product justice.

The one that I purchased for my wife looks like a piece of Van Gogh's "Starry Night" has been torn from its canvas and pasted to the phone. Add to that the image that was downloaded free using the link and code iStyles sent in the package. When installed on her phone it looks like the entire device is just shrink-wrapped in this fabulous painting.

The results were so good that I wound up doing it for myself and a good friend, too, just for the fun of it. Being an avid cyclist I found one for myself that pictures a long, empty stretch of well-paved road with a few clouds overhead and mountains in the background (how did those guys get inside my head like that?). I did download the companion image and installed it for a while but found a near-matching photo of myself biking along a similar road (thanks, Jack) as the skin and - voila - totally customized and personalized protective covering. 

And for my friend and frequent biking companion Paul, AKA "Talk Radio" (so named because you don't have to say anything, just listen while the miles click by), our official British mascot, a Union Jack and matching wallpaper to turn his phone into an Anglophile's dream machine.

These covers are arty, techy and work on any standard phone, smart phone, Blackberry, iPod, laptop or game console - and cost about $7. So gents, listen up: Valentine's Day is right around the corner and this could be your thoughtful ticket to happiness - if Tiffany's isn't on your list this year - showing a little style, individuality and practicality all at once.  Get one and put it on your loved one's phone while she's not looking and you'll be an instant V-Day hero. 

But remember the flowers and candy if you know what's good for you.