Thursday 15 March 2018

Personalised Adoption Gift ideas

Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to work on some lovely gift ideas for families that have adopted, or are going through the process of adopting, a child. One of the most popular gifts over the years has been the personalised board books which work really well as an introduction welcome book for the child or baby.

I wanted to increase the range of personalised adoption gift ideas to offer more choice, and so I’ve introduced a whole new range of gorgeous gifts to celebrate this exciting moment in your family’s life.
Personalised Adoption Gift Ideas from PhotoFairytales.co.uk
Personalised Adoption Gift Ideas from PhotoFairytales.co.uk
Whether you’re adopting a child into your own family, you want to say ‘thank you’ to someone who has helped you on your adopting journey, or you want to give a thoughtful memento to friends or family who have recently adopted, I think you’ll discover some truly thoughtful and special keepsakes to mark the moment.

Personalised Adoption Gift Ideas from PhotoFairytales.co.uk

From personalised art prints and family trees, to handmade books, wooden gifts and plaques - I hope you’ll enjoy my range of adoption gift ideas and discover a special gift to mark this exciting time.

Sarah :)

Wednesday 7 March 2018

Everyone loves a cup of coffee... except me

I've just had a hot cup of coffee. I know, it's not something you'd think was worth a mention really. Except, I hate coffee. I'm a tea drinker, have been for years. Coffee is horrible.

So, why am I even drinking a cup of coffee you ask?


Look at that cup of coffee - pretending to taste nice just to tempt you in...
Well, I'm just getting over the flu and my taste buds are shot to hell - I can taste barely anything (we had an exciting chilli the other night - my family sat there with steam coming out of their ears, while I was complaining that it was too mild). I didn't make the coffee by mistake though - since having the flu I've pretty much gone off tea for some weird reason and I don't know what else to drink during the day! I'm lost!! Water, lemonade, blah blah - rosehip/herbal tea, yeah, I can take it for a couple of days but no more - hot chocolate, too sweet and claggy. So I figured if there's ever a time to try a cup of coffee it was now...

The only time I've ever drunk coffee by choice was during my time working in the publishing section at HMSO years ago - the tea trolley lady was replaced by a horrible vending machine (no more yells of "Caaaake!!" from the corridor as she trundled towards the office... it was a sad, sad day). All hot drinks came out of the same nozzle in this horrible new machine - tea became a foul and awful mockery of itself. So that pretty much left me with a choice of coffee or nothing. Coffee it was then. And the 'coffee' that came out of the machine actually tasted more like tea - so I just used to drink it because it tasted absolutely nothing like hideous coffee.

It was almost a newly invented drink of it's very own rarity...

I have to say I only ever started being a tea drinker when I was in my teens/20's. It seems when you get to that age people don't offer you milk or squash or pop anymore - you're expected to want a hot drink. A hot drink that is either tea or coffee (hot chocolate doesn't get a look in). Why is that? This happens more especially in a professional/work environment. Go to a meeting: can I get you a tea or coffee? Go for an interview: would you like tea or coffee? Head to the tea lady/vending machine/staff kitchen: you can have tea or coffee, that's your lot. So I started drinking tea purely because it was the lesser of the two evils. And now, actually, I don't mind it - in fact, quite often I enjoy a good cuppa. It hits the spot in a way that nothing else does sometimes!

So, what did I think of my recent cup of coffee? Put it this way, I won't be rushing back for a second. Guess I'll just have to wait a few more days until my wretched taste buds get back to normal and I can enjoy my tea again. Still, it's always worth trying things more than once I guess - otherwise I wouldn't be here in front of you able to declare my love of sprouts and olives, and I'd still be telling you my favourite food is Frosties and chicken nuggets!

Sarah :) 

Friday 2 March 2018

Why you should buy handmade from a designer-maker, crafts person or artisan…

When you buy a bespoke, personalised item you’re buying something unique - most often something that’s been created especially for you. You can’t get more special than that!

But there’s so much more you’re buying into that you possibly haven’t consciously thought about…

Picture those super wealthy types - you know, those glossy people that enjoy living in a world where the things they surround themselves are one-offs: works of art, tailored clothes, shoes that have been hand-stitched to their exact foot measurement! Well, when you buy a bespoke handmade item direct from the creator, that’s exactly what you’re doing too (albeit on a slightly more accessible budget).
The top reasons why you should buy handmade

Think of it as your chance to live the high life on a budget!

That item you buy - whether it’s a treat for you, or a gift for a loved one - has been made with so much care and love that it’s likely the designer or craftsperson feels a pang when they package and post it to you. They’ve spent time on it for you, they’ve packaged it up themselves and posted it. They’ve been through every stage of the creation process - and all for you! Forget those things that have been designed by a team, put before a board for approval, sent to a factory to be made, stuck on a pallet and shipped to a warehouse, and finally shoved in a box or envelope by someone with no idea who you are. The person you’re buying from is the same person who’ll be making your item, who designed it in the first place, and who’ll be packing it up and posting it to you and saying ‘thank you’ for your custom. And you know that your purchase supports that person and their family - that small cottage business that was built from a dream and a talent, to support their loved ones.

There’s always a story behind the item too - it could be that they were inspired by their surroundings, by a colour they saw in the sky that morning, by a song, anything! And that means that what they’re creating is a part of them. You’ve no doubt heard the phrase ‘made with love’ - and it truly has been!

Buying ‘designer’ in its truest sense

Not only that of course, but you know that the item you’ve bought is unlike any other. There aren’t a thousand of them in shops up and down the land. What you buy will be unique. It’s hard to find originality on the high street—nearly everything has gone through a filter process, from the designer down to the shop floor. See what prickly Miranda Priestly in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ says about the subject!:
“What you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent... wasn't it who showed cerulean military jackets? And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin.”
OK, her character was pretty mean, but you get the idea! So just imagine, you’re buying that cerulean sweater (or whatever) direct from the person who came up with the idea in the first place!

So next time you find yourself shopping for a gift, seriously, put aside the high street and seek out something special. Something you or your loved one can treasure and cherish.

Sarah :)

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