joybrealey's blog

Many years ago, I would scroll past home décor ideas, thinking that they looked good and I was impressed but they weren't something that I was really interested in.

We are all different, which is most definitely a good thing. Just think about how boring life would be if we were all the same. When it comes to picture framing themes, some people like to change things up throughout the year, perhaps in line with the start of a new season. Other people would much prefer to stick with the same theme for the whole year.

More and more people seem to be taking up photography as a hobby, which is no doubt partly due to virtually everyone having access to a camera via their smartphone. And not just any old camera. The overall quality of the camera that is now available on smartphones is quite remarkable, and they are only likely to become even better in the future.

I must admit that back in the day, I was the type of person who would hang up a print using just drawing pins. That was a long time ago, and I am now a way more cultured individual! I have become fully aware of the importance of protecting prints, artwork and photos, as well as other items which are important to me, such as memorabilia.

I went for a long walk with my best friend in the local woods on Sunday. I massively enjoy getting out and about and seeing the beauty of nature. On arriving back home, I always tend to feel in a way better and more positive mood than when I left. During the walk, we stopped to take a short break after about an hour and sat on a bench to catch our breath and to chill out.

Welcoming a newborn into the family is always a joyous occasion. This is especially so, of course, for the parents of the baby. Those first few days and weeks are like a whirlwind and are full of excitement and love. The development of the young baby each day is quite staggering, and they soon start to grow and develop. Before they grow too big, many parents like to take a handprint of their newborn.

There is just something so frustrating about finding that one of your favourite photographs has been damaged or that, over time, it has faded. We all do our best to keep our prized possessions, including our photo albums and other photographs, stored securely and safely, but from time to time, even this is not enough.

Do you have a piece or set of memorabilia that you would like to protect and preserve in order for it to stay in pristine condition for many years to come? This doesn't necessarily have to be something that is worth a great deal of money; it might be just valuable and important to you for many other reasons, such as being sentimental.

Due to the smartphone and for those that own one, which is no doubt around ninety-nine per cent of people in the country, we now have access to a camera at all times that we have the phone on our person. And how great is that? Just being able to take a photo, whether it be a selfie with your nearest and dearest, or a snap of your favourite flower, it's fantastic to be able to take a shot whenever you want to.

When I was growing up, my parents were fortunate to have two living rooms in their house. In reality, one of them was probably meant to be a dining room. What I could never understand, as a young child, is why they kept one of these living rooms for special occasions. It was what they classed as the “posh living room”.