The countdown to Halloween has started - a little bit of fun before the serious business of Christmas kicks in! And to celebrate the season of all things spooky and cosy, I've just added some lovely new Halloween-themed treats to the website for you!
Take a look at the PhotoFairytales website for more details - and if you're on my VIP mailing list look out for an exclusive discount code pinging into your inbox this evening!
Sarah x
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As we gently ease into autumn, I wanted to share some of the latest additions to PhotoFairytales - I've been working on them all summer long, and so excited to see them finally live on the website!
I've added 23 brand new Fantasy Portrait themes, and I very much hope you'll like them. If you're not familiar with them, this is where PhotoFairytales all began. The Portraits were my very first item when I began my small business and, although my site has grown a lot since 2009, I still love creating them as much today as I did back in the day.
Each one is created individually by hand (there's no 'click to upload/AI' going on here!) - painstakingly working with my customer's own photo to create a magical setting. Although I have dozens and dozens of themes to choose from, each image is completely bespoke and created to order.
I start with the customer's photo, carefully and slowly cropping away the background before introducing it to their chosen theme. I delicately tweak light and shadows, adjust the composition where necessary, and add props where needed like little fairy wings or wands, slowly building an image that's completely unique. The images are built using layer upon layer of digital art, with images usually made up of over 50 layers.
You can order just the artwork image only, or I offer various print options and sizes. Take a look at my site to see all the Fantasy Portrait designs available. I have lots to see, with designs for pretty much all ages (I've even created images for much loved fur babies too!)
Hope you like the new designs - click here to see them all on the website!
Sarah :)
First we had 'Cottagecore' now we have what's known as the 'Coastal Grandmother' aesthetic - in fact, you may have noticed the #coastalgrandmother hashtag on social media for the last few months, and seen nautical styles creeping into homeware shops on the high street. It’s an aesthetic that’s really caught the imagination - but don’t think it means fuddy-duddy granny-style, this is all about stylish minimal easy-living, timeless cosiness, simplicity and elegance.
The pandemic spurred a lot of people into dreams of living live life at a slower pace - to have outside space, be away from city life. The wish for space, nature, fresh air, calmness, a bit of peace and tranquillity. Apart from country style living, the other aspect to this lifestyle trend is one for waterfront, beachside or riverside living. Picture the scene: working from home and looking out of your window at the sea or a river. Ending your day with a stroll on the beach or along the riverbank... bliss!
The look can be smart and elegant with a tailored feel, or it can have a cosy and casual, lived-in feel. The beauty of it is that you can make it your own style, there are no rules, and (most importantly!) you don't have to live at the seaside to achieve it. The look is all about relaxation, friends and family, an easy-going life and escapism - the feeling of holidays and days off, even when you're not doing either of those things! Sitting back and relaxing is the new adventure day.
Here's a few lovely things I found on Folksy which all fit the Coastal Grandmother theme perfectly:
Sellers featured (from left to right, top to bottom): Janiemade, Pocketful Creations, Cornish Craftwork, WhiteCottageSoftFurnishings, Adrienne Hughes Art, the crimson rabbit, Velvet Moth Creations, Red Dog Sews, Lizzie Mabley Fabric & Home, and AliDufty
Along with this new lifestyle wish has been a trend for interior decor and colours to reflect the waterside living. Basically, the look is a more modern and minimalist version of the traditional and oh-so-lovely farmhouse aesthetic. It's grown up but relaxed, with a nod to heritage. It's the opposite to the maximalist style (dark colours, florals and heavy patterns) - instead it's all about simplified colour palettes, and pattern is often limited to basic lines and checks. It's a look that works all year round too, creating a cosy and calming interior for the home.
Neutral coastal colours of creams, whites, sands, soft blues and smart navy are the basic shades to build on, combined with textures such as wicker, rattan and wood. Touches of natural rope, checks and stripes, driftwood. Keep it soft by mixing in a little ochre yellow or coral, or perhaps a pale turquoise or gentle green - or add a smart contrasting deep red or yellow for a real pop of colour against the neutrals. Black also makes a brilliant contrast colour against the neutral beige, sand and white colours.
Bringing a little coastal charm to your home is a classic, timeless look that can be enjoyed in any home, bringing a touch of calm with a straightforward easy palette and simplified lines. A look that makes you feel that you're in your 'happy place'.
Check out the Instagram accounts for more inspiration:
Key takeaway for this look: Keeping this look contemporary means nodding towards the style, rather than shouting about it and filling your room with nautical-themed knick-knacks. Instead keep lines and colours simple, pared down and refined, use natural materials, tonal neutral colours, and don't go overboard (pardon the pun) with seaside decor. Let the overall design do the talking, adding little subtle touches that have a more 'found' feel rather than by design.
Take a look on PhotoFairytales for some great inspiration for this timeless interior look:
Oh, and if you want the ultimate inspiration, watch the Nancy Meyers movie "Something's Gotta Give" starring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton - and search the #nancymeyersinteriors hashtag on Instagram!
Sarah :)It's that time of year again - Father's Day is fast approaching (June 18th), and it's time to show your lovely dad, step-dad, or grandad just how much you love and appreciate them.
So I'm going to kick straight in with a few brilliant, personalised Father's Day gift ideas that I know he'll love (and yes, men are indeed really hard to buy for, I know!)...
1) First Time Daddy! The first Father's Day is a real milestone, and one that you're all going to absolutely love to celebrate.
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We're used to seeing trends in fashion and interiors, but there are some big themes taking centre stage in the gardening world this year - so with Chelsea Flower Show happening this week I thought it would be an ideal time to do some research for you to unearth the latest directions and key looks I'm seeing in the gardening world... (hint: gravel is going to be huge!)
1: Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Gardening
Climate change is forcing gardeners to carefully consider their planting choices, with rising temperatures, harsher weather, and often summer water shortages. Gardeners are in touch with sustainability by nature, so shopping locally, choosing plants that are able to cope with climate changes, and adapting your plans to suit the new conditions are all at the forefront of garden design this year. Drought tolerant plants, the use of mulches to retain moisture in the soil, and Mediterranean style planting is all bang on trend this year. Also plants that flower later into the season as summers go beyond August. Finding tough plants that can tolerate weather extremes, from droughts to floods, is important - the RHS have created a useful list of plants suitable for awkward conditions - click here
2: Colour Trends
Designers are predicting a move towards dark planting colours, intermingled with bright bursts of colour. Combine plants with deep purple, bronze, brown and darkest green stems and foliage, with bright meadow style flowers. For a softer combination, think about mixing smoky purples and soft grey foliage. Mix dark blue, grey and purple hues with small flashes of colour such as vivid pinks or bright yellow. Also terracotta is becoming huge: not just in planters and landscaping, but in plant colours too. Sun baked soft terracotta, and slightly more punchy paprika shades, are popular for interiors right now and are making a move into the garden too. Dahlias are going to be a popular plant for 2023, as they're perfect for small spaces and come in an abundance of colours.
The cost of living crisis is driving more gardeners to grow their own - and while having a lovely big greenhouse would be lovely, we don't all have the space. Utilise a windowsill, or create a simple mini greenhouse by cutting down an old plastic drink bottle. If you can afford a greenhouse though, the trending styles will be romantic, intricate Victorian designs, creating a beautiful feature in the garden rather than simply a practical growing space.
Water retention in flower beds is becoming more and more important, so the use of mulches will be growing hugely in 2023. Not just restricted to the flower bed though, these useful materials can also be used to create gentle pathways through the garden. Think gravel, crushed concrete, and natural materials such as nut shells, bark and fruit pits. Using gravel instead of pointing between paving slabs on the patio will give a softer look and also allow for drainage too. The use of dark natural stones for paving and landscaping will be big this year, and is the perfect off-set to dramatic greenery. Think dark greys, warm buffs and browns. The rise of patterned flooring in the home in kitchens and bathrooms is spilling out into the garden, with patterned patios in small urban spaces becoming popular and creating a bold modern statement.
Whether it's encouraging insects with a bug hotel, or keeping your garden hedgehog friendly, we can all see the importance of finding innovative ways to include wildlife habitats into the garden. Encourage those all important bees into your garden by planting pretty cottage garden and native wildflowers in large drifts to provide nectar during the growing season. The WWF have some great tips on encouraging bees on their website - click here for details. Water features and ponds are still going to be hugely popular, and a lovely way to while away a few hours watching visiting insect life. 'Biophilia’ is a buzzword this year, which means the theory of humans wanting to interact or commune with nature - find ways to share your garden with wildlife to improve your own sense of wellbeing, take a moment to walk barefoot or lay down and gaze at the birds flying overhead, meditate and contemplate as the bees buzz... 2023 is all about encouraging wildlife, but also about using your outdoor space as an escape from life and a way of helping your own mental wellbeing.
6: Houseplant Trends
Expect to see lots of exotic plants in the home this year: orchids in particular. As we dial down the temperature of our homes thanks to rising fuel bills, we are actually creating great climates for growing unusual exotics which prefer cooler environments.
7: Wildflower Lawns
While the perfectly manicured lawn is a thing of beauty, 2023 will be seeing more of the trend towards letting parts of our lawns have a wild meadow-like feel. Lawns will also be getting smaller as we make way for more planting. The rewilding approach will be coupled with a structured design though, keeping gardens tidy and also productive, but allowing us to feel more in touch with a less groomed naturalistic feel. Tapestry lawns will be big, dividing larger lawns into designated patchwork areas: giving up parts of their lawn to pollinators, parts to low-lying flowering plants and mini wildflower meadows, embracing dandelions and clover in other parts.
8: Decorative Garden Screens and Panels
Using screens and garden panelling either in wood or intricate metal designs is a great way of creating privacy, but also creating individual zones or areas in your garden - and they are going to be a popular trend in 2023. We want to use our gardens for all sorts of activities, from relaxing with a book, to eating alfresco, to giving the children a play space, and the use of screens allows you to create rooms in your garden in a contemporary way and at the same time provide an area to train plants against. Vertical gardening is also going to be big for 2023, and is a great way of combining planting and screening with the use of climbers or adding small planters and troughs to an existing screen or boundary fence or wall.
9: Cottage Garden Style
The cottagecore trend is still as popular as ever, and it is encouraging gardeners to opt for an old fashioned cottage style in their garden plans, combining functionality and practicality, with aesthetics. Mix native colourful flowers with vegetables and herbs planted in the same bed, encourage insect life, start making your own compost, add a water butt, and let the edges of your plot soften and run a little wild (in a nurtured way)!
10: Mediterranean Garden Style
The popularity of gravel and drought loving plants all adds up to this classic garden style. Greece is having a big impact too, with artfully placed statues, archways, natural stone, a shaded bench in white under some bougainvillia, evergreen box and agapanthus. Think blues and whites, mixed with natural stone and terracotta, and pops of vivid pink. It's a holiday destination in your own back garden!
I also have a board dedicated to Boho Garden Styles which you might find interesting!
Sarah :)
