Weather spoiling your pool party? what about this!

In a quiet moment between the heavy rain showers earlier today, someone in the Fabulous Photo Gifts office commented that they wished they had a swimming pool in the garden.

Our reply was "with weather like this?"

Apparently not a problem.... when you have something like this to cover your pool (or patio I guess):



Pool enclosures look like they could be the next must have item - we think it's a great idea - a retractable enclosure that can either cover your pool, so you can use it all year round, or open up partly or fully for when the sun does shine (when's that then?).

And apparently they cut out UV rays as well as insulate and save on water heating bills etc.

We found them here - 5 Star Windows & Conservatories. If nothing else, it was nice to look at the pictures and dream. The pictures would also make some smashing photo jigsaws, which are also ideal whether it's rain or shine. Click here to personalise your own photo jigsaw - perhaps with a picture of your own garden?

July's Wedding themed photo gift competition - the end is near

Just wanted to let you know that ypu've still got a few days left to enter our July photo competition and perhaps win a personalised deluxe photo panel.

July's theme is Weddings. Maybe the happy couple, maybe guests, maybe a honeymoon, maybe an anniversary? They all count.

What's more it's completely free to enter. Just place a personalised photo gift order with us (as normal) using a wedding themed oicture and we'll pick the best one (in our opinion - judges decision is final) and the winner in addition to their order, will receive that personalised photo panel worth £9.95.

So what are you waiting for? Dig out that old photo or brush off your computer and start searching for those wedding themed pictures today.

Don't forget, the winner will be featured on our website and this blog.

Good luck!

Fabulous Photo Gifts.

Fitted kitchens with one important difference

The other day, i came across this website for a fitted kitchen company that also specialises in kitchens designed for the disabled and wheelchair users.

When you look into it, there are all sorts of special considerations - everything from appliances that don't have the switches on the wall or at the back out of reach of a wheelchair user right down to ovens with sliding doors.

Even the smallest details like a smooth kitchen flooring instead of a ridged tiled surface can make the difference.

If you're thinking of having a new kitchen installed, whether your disabled or not, you can personalise your kitchen with a range of photo gift ideas from Fabulous Photo Gifts.

As well as mugs, we also have a range of placemats and serving mats you can personalise with your own photographs, dinner trays and even glass chopping boards.

Why does no one use the automated self serve tills?

Why is there always a que for a supermarket till with a cashier when the self serve ones go empty?

It's a question i often ask myself. Usually when i'm standing patiently in line with my basket of emergency groceries along with everyone else. Oh there are a few brave souls that try the automated tills but they usually end up standing, scratching their heads and asking for help from the assistant that loiters with purpose.

I think it comes down to the fact that we, as shoppers, still like to be served by a person. We feel comfortable and re-assured that our transaction has gone smoothly. When the automated system starts yelling at you for removing an item from the bag - you know you're in trouble.

The reason I mention this, apart from the fact that I know I'm not the only one with a phobia of the automated tills, is that we've noticed over the last year that we get a lot of 'Internet Newbies'. By that I mean we get a lot, and I mean a lot, of customers who not only have never ordered a personalised photo gift before, they've never purchased anything online before.

So they are always pleasantly surprised at just how easy it is to use the Fabulous Photo Gifts website and personalise a photo gift there and then.

Of course, we do get customers phoning us with a variety of questions both technical and not so technical. Although our office phone is manned office hours, we do have a relay system in place so our customers usually manage to catch us at home anyway.

It's always the same, they ring, we answer, they say "Oh i'm sorry, I wasn't expecting anybody to answer" and once we've had a good laugh together about them actually getting someone, then we are able to help them with their query.

Later on, once their photo gift has been delivered, it's no wonder we receive such large amounts of praise from our customers e.g:

"thanks for the 1st t-shirt I've ordered! It was great! Just ordered another one but forgot to change the address again" M.B - Essex.

"Dear Mandy, Just to let you know the place mats arrived today. They are fab!!! Thankyou so much, my parents will be so pleased with them. Excellent quality and brilliant service. Thank you!!" A.R.

So you'll be pleased to know we're going to keep right on doing things how we think they should be done - with care and attention and with the human touch - every order is processed and printed by hand - that includes optimising your photo for optimum reproduction.

Hopefully, we'll see you soon at Fabulous Photo Gifts and have the opportunity to welcome you back as a customer.

Jonathan.

Daytime TV - it doesn't get any better than this...

On the rare occasions when you're off poorly from work and find yourself at home in the daytime, it's very tempting to stay in bed. Unfortunately, it becomes a requirement to take on water and food in the shape of whatever doesn't need any preparation.

Of course, if your loved one hasn't bought you a personalised photo jigsaw to while away the hours with (at Fabulous Photo Gifts, they have sizes going upto 2000 pieces), and you're still waiting for them to buy you a personalised mug with a little teddy bear keyring inside it with 'I Love You' printed on its little t-shirt, then your options are probably limited to the TV.

Now I warn you, you'll feel a whole lot worse if you watch a channel with adverts!

They all assume you're:
A) over 55
B) in need of life insurance for those death expenses
C) in need of even cheaper car insurance
D) enriched by watching a large dog say 'Oh yes'
E) had an accident at work and are dying to get rich quick by sueing somebody
F) have dental decay, acid erosion, gum disease or a mouthful of little white men hitting your molars with sledge hammers

However, the rare treat can be found - the other day for instance, i came across the last hour of 'Return of The Incredible Hulk' starring the original 'don't make me angry' man - Bill Bixby.

Now this film also featured the Mighty Thor. This is hollywood after all...

What struck me (no not Thor's hammer or the fact that every bit of clothing apart from the trousers ripped and fell off Bill when he changed into the 'green troll' ( a great line from the Thor) ... no what struck me was despite the poor sets, the 70's style of the rooms and the poor taste in interior decorating... the hulk transformation was still quite realistic.

Can't the film makers get it right and cast a suitable live actor as the hulk in these recent movie remakes - i mean the cgi is awful.. and just make them bigger like they do with Hagrid in Harry Potter films? Then it would all work - beautifully.

ooops - i think i've been watching too much tv!

Summer 'factory fortnight' comes early

Just an update for you - Fabulous Photo Gifts is now shut for its two weeks annual holiday as of Saturday 12th July.

You can still place your personalised photo gift orders online (securely) but please ignore any automated delivery replies you may receive. Our phone system will take messages so if you call, please leave a message with your phone number and we're hoping to check in remotely to access any recordings.

Orders that were placed by the 10th July will be delivered as normal.

Don't forget our great July photo competition - just order any photo gift - personalise it with a wedding or anniversary 'themed' photograph and you'll automatically be entered into our free competition to win a personalised deluxe photo panel (small).

We'll see you in a couple of weeks (we hope the wilds of Anglesey allow some internet connection so we can update the blog and keep up to date with any emails), hopefully tanned, rather than drowned, as we grab our buckets and spades and hope to have a lovely time the day we go to Bangor.

P.S Augusts competition theme will be holidays so remember to take your camera with you on those holiday outings....

June's Photo Competition Winner announced

It wasn't an easy decision - we had so many great photo's that featured our Pets and Animals theme for our June Photo Competiton, but in the end this lovely photo of a child kissing a puppy (or is that the puppy kissing the child?) was chosen as a very worthy winner.

The family who placed the order will be receiving a FREE deluxe photo panel (small) personalised with their winning photograph, courtesy of Fabulous Photo Gifts.

Despite moving into our 'factory fortnight' summer holiday, our July photo competition themed on weddings and anniversary celebrations is still running until the end of July. Just place your order as normal and any photo gift purchase personalised with a 'themed' photograph will qualify for FREE entry into our competition. You can still place your order securely and it will be dealt with upon our return.

Once again, our congratulations to the winners, our thanks to all those of you who took part and we look forward to seeing your lovely wedding and anniversary photo's over the coming weeks.

We're still Singing in The Rain....

So the Summer has got off to its usual high octane levels of dampness - Wimbledon's seen more strawberry eating than tennis (probably) and here at Fabulous Photo Gifts as we prepare to unveil June's Pet Photo competition winner, we've yet again, been humbled and delighted to receive your emails of thanks and gratitude following the delivery of your personalised photo gift orders...

"Dear Mandy,
It came and it looked great and was very succesful as a present! Thanks very much." - C.

"I got this order today - ready for my mums birthday tomorrow. Many thanks for the fast delivery. Really pleased with the product. Thanks again." - C & C

"Hi , there. Thank you very much. I am delighted with the clocks and will find a use for the 6th one too so thank you. Am also very pleased with such a fast delivery. Thank you again." - L.

"Hello Mandy and Jonathan
Just wanted to say thank for your excellent service my order was delivered to day and I am delighted with the table mats.
Thank you once again." - Ann W.

"Hi Mandy
Received the jigsaw back today - just wanted to say thanks. It's FANTASTIC! Exactly what I was hoping for. I'll be sure to recommend you. Many thanks" - F.L.

And that's just in the last week! So if you'd like to find out why our customers think we're so 'fabulous', head over to Fabulous Photo Gifts now, choose from possibly the largest selection of jigsaw puzzles and a whole collection of other photo gift ideas you can personalise with your own photographs, choose your favourite photo and complete your order online. It really is as simple as that.

Also, don't forget if your photo has a wedding theme about it, then it will automatically be entered into our free July photo competition to win a small deluxe photo panel. SO good luck and remember to watch out for more great photo competitions and prizes throughout the rest of the year.

Mighty Mouse stops scrolling, scrolling, scrolling...

Horror of horrors - just a few weeks into my Mac experience and my Mighty Mouse suddenly stopped scrolling downwards.

I replaced the batteries - no good, I restarted my Mac - no good - O.K now we're worried.

Then i typed in 'mighty mouse won't scroll down' into Google and wow - this is a common problem with a simple solution.

The problem comes from a dirty tracker ball (the little grey blimp on the top of the mouse where you'd normally expect to find a great big click wheel).

The solution - take a dry lint free cloth and holding the mouse upside down, roll the ball with the cloth.

It took me several goes at this - I was on the point of saying it can go back to Apple, so stick with it.

Now my desk isn't a dirty one - quite the opposite and I don't eat and 'mouse' so no food debris there! Anyway, I fell foul so if it happens to you, then you now know what to do.

Oh well, no excuse now - back to the Fabulous Photo Gifts web updates.......

July's Competiton - Wedding theme - win a photo panel

While we're busy making a final decision on the winner of our fabulous June competition to win a personalised photo panel, from all the pet / animal related photo gift orders placed, we' thought you might like to know the flavour of July's competition.

Weddings! Yes with so may wedding taking place this last few months, we thought we'd give newlyweds and not so newlyweds the chance to win a personalised deluxe photo panel (13x18cm).

Its really easy to enter - just place your order during July as normal. Any orders which we consider to have a wedding theme will automatically be entered and the winner announced right here on this blog the following month.

And our competitions not just for the 'beginners'. If you're celebrating an anniversary or you were guests at a wedding etc, then your orders will also count.

Of course, we can personalise anything from our photo gift range with any photo you like - it doesn't have to be wedding themed to be personalised.

We're looking forward to seeing your wedding day memories - especially during July. Click here to place your order online now from the small, caring photo gift company where every order is printed by hand.

Competition rules:
Any Photograph uploaded or otherwise received as part of a photo gift order during July 2008 which we consider to have a wedding, anniversary or engagement theme will automatically be entered into our free competition. The winner will be decided by Fabulous Photo Gifts and our decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into and no cash alternative will be offered.
By submitting your wedding, anniversary or engagement themed photograph, you allow us to publish the winning photograph as part of the campaign publicity. Your photo will not be shared with third parties.