Are you still excited by the royal wedding? What to buy

Problem - Souvenirs Wanted
The royal wedding is over. Some people have souvenirs cluttering up the house. Others wish they had a souvenir.

Answers - What's Availble
I read that some of the guests are selling bags from the wedding on ebay. Sometimes without the contents (presumably after eating the shortbread and chocolate and drinking the water. Why not?

Ebay
Go to ebay. What can you find?

If you want something small, key rings and magnets.

What is you want to be seen, to make a statement, appear at an event, stage a party, cause amusement?

Masks
Masks of the royal family. Why would you want those? I hate masks in public places. I would ban all masks, in streets, banks, public transport, shops, cashier tills, everywhere.

However, for a wedding or other event such as a summer garden party or fancy dress party at home, if you want masks for amusment when mingling whilst waiting for the proceedings to start, why not.

You can by an individual mask, or a set of 8 for under ten pounds sterling including postage. (Similar prices elsewhere.)

Union Jacks
What else? Union Jack bunting (strings of min flags, either triangular or olbong, to hand across the ceiling or drape across doorways and lecterns.

Outfits include clothes or cloaks, as well as baseball hats and bowlers with a band.

American Flags
The Union Jack and American flag items can be used on many other festive occasions. I was looking for something American to wear for a talk I was giving ont he American way of starting and closing a sale.

Check what goods are made of. Paper plates, Plastic hats and flags. Or cottom baseball caps. I want things to remain intact in the post and to last for another occasion - but also to be reasonably priced because mail order goods are always of unknown quality.

Amazon
Amazon comes up straight away with permanent, practical items. Tea-towels and souvenir mugs pop up straight across the top of my screen. Although the te-towels look pricey, one of the reviewers says they are large size and the item seens to be popular. That's another point. Check size.

Royal Souvenirs
Buckingham Palace shop! Yes, Buckingham palace has gone commerical like many other historic and royal buildings with tours and a shop. Even a sale price listing.

You could visit Buckingham Palace in London, choose what you like from the shop, and take your own souvenir photos of yourself in London.  Take a side trip to Windsor.

Or visit America, where Meghan comes from.

Useful Websites

http://www.royalcollectionshop.co.uk/sale

https://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Prince-Meghan-Markle-Design/dp/B079HZFFHZ#customerReviews

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Royal-Family-Wedding-2018-Face-Masks-8-Pack-Incl-Harry-Meghan-Hen-Stag-Party/

visitbrtitain.com
vistittheusa.com
windsor.gov.uk

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Photo credit:

English: The view of the eastern façade of Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Memorial, seen from the gardens.
Date	15 April 2014
Source	Own work
Author	Diliff
Permission (Reusing this file)	Summary: In using this image or any subsequent derivatives of it, you are required to release the image under the same license. As such, any reproduction of this image, in any medium, must appear with a copy of, or full URL of the license. Attribution of this image to the author (DAVID ILIFF) is also required, preferably in a prominent location near the image. No other conditions may be added to, or removed from this license without the permission of the author and copyright holder. Suggested attribution: "Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0" Please review the full license requirements carefully before using this image. If you would like to clarify the terms of the license or negotiate less restrictive commercial licensing outside of the bounds of GFDL/CC-BY-SA, please contact me by email, or if you don't have a Wikipedia account you can either leave a message on my talk pagewith your contact details and your request, or you can contact me on Facebook. Please also send a 'friend request' to ensure that I am aware of your message.

Camera location	51° 30′ 06.3″ N, 0° 08′ 21.42″ W	View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMap - Google Earth

This file has been extracted from another file:  Buckingham Palace from gardens, London, UK - Diliff.jpg

Valentine's Day In Morrison's Supermarket: a mug

Problem
What can you buy your sweetheart for Valentine's Day?

Answer
Heart Design Napkins
I walk around Morrison's supermarket and spy some table napkins with assorted coloured small hearts on them. Handy for a party, or a club meeting with a seasonal theme.

Love Signs
I see a sign about love to display on a shelf. Hm. I like practical things.



Valentine's Cards
Is that all? No. Two aisles further on I spy Valentine's day cards and a huge sign saying Valentine's.

Heart Cushions
Beside the cards are cushions with hearts on them, for the home. Practical and cosy.

Mugs With Hearts
Alongside are assorted mugs. Would I be a mug to buy another mug? Again, for the home.

Travel Mugs
For the traveller there are travel mugs decorated with hearts. So you can't forget your loved one when you are away. So you never feel lonely.

If you are away you can send home flowers. You could also order cupcakes. Plan now because they say allow six days. Morrisons food to order catalogue shows Personalised cupcakes, 3 x vanilla, blue, chocolate strawberry, choose four toppings several options, which include pink and dark pink hearts. pack of 12. Order number 4668243

Useful Websites
visitbritain.com
morrisons.com/foodtoorder

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Making your holiday photo into souvenirs and gifts: tablecloths; mats, bedding

What can you do with your favourite holiday photos? I was walking though a supermarket car park when i spotted a postcard on the ground advertising something. I picked it up.

The company makes your photos into blankets, cushions, tablecloths at £50-£100. Artido.co.uk

Vistaprint also does lots of useful items such as hats and shirts. Their original business was printing business cards. I have had business cards, a business cad holder, a cap, a tee-shirt and a bag.

Vistaprint often have a 'free cards' offer. If you have no cards, and want them urgently for a conference or to boost your confidence and networking, it's worthwhile trying out a simple free design. They have lots of options. Anything is better than nothing.

Once you have ordered your first set, you will probably go back and re-order higher quality.

At checkout you are likely to be sold a business card holder or a second set of cards.

Checkout Mistakes
This website, like many, might also try to make you sign up for something which involves a monthly payment. If you notice, and are happy, fine. But some students have been caught out and ended up with a huge bill which they could not pay.

Endless Repeat Charges and Cancellation
I am not good at remembering to cancel and tend to get stressed out if I want to cancel something and it proves difficult. So I have learned to avoid anything which commits me forever on the basis of cancel any time. If you are one of those people who keeps good track of your finances and regular payment.

I wish I were highly organised. I have a friend who checks his bank balance daily. He is a do it now person. He devotes three hours every Sunday after noon to managing accounts.

I am a creative. I am the one who orders either no sets of business cards, then for the rest of their life ten sets a year in six colours and styles!

Order Early For Xmas
Here's a recap. A good idea for Xmas presents for business or family. I tend to find I need cards just before a conference or trip overseas. Then it's a rush. I underestimate how long it takes to order. Postage time is unpredictable. I've had orders of business cards and books which arrived within three days, just in time. Others took weeks. You have a choice of times and payments for postage at checkout. You save money if you order early and opt for the cheapest and slowest rate.

Allowing Ordering and Postage Time
To allow time to get your orders in for Xmas, get your plans made, then allow for postage times, so start checking out the websites now. Then make sure you know the room and place where you have hidden the gifts from others in the same household. You can wrap items when they are out of the house so the recipient does not rummage through a cupboard and come across a supposed surprise.

Travelling With Gifts
If you are travelling, you may have to unwrap parcels at security or the customs for inspection. So rather than sealing, you can make concertina folds of the paper, and pretty coloured elastic bands you can slide off. You might want to pack sticky tape and a ribbon or bow to add at your destination.

Re-Oordering and Updating
Vistaprint, once you have made an account, keeps all your past designs permanently available so you can go back and re-order without having to create again.

Seeing Samples In Supermarkets and Stores
In the UK at one time you could order photos on mugs and other items at supermarkets such as Tesco and some of the department stores such as Boots. This may be a seasonal offer, or they may run it until the market is saturated and then stop.

Checking Choices
The advantage is it gives you a chance to check out whether the product will suit you and the recipient. What is the quality of the fabric, the cut of the sweater, the size? Will you and the recipient consider the colours are pale/subtle/faded or shouty/lively/vibrant? Are the mugs are good enough for a gift, solid so they won't break, or too chunky and heavy.

Selling Your Photos
Another site allows you to sell your own photos or illustrations to others to decorate their cards, key-rings, hats and so on. You set up a site selling your designs within their system and they take a cut from the price of every sale you make. Some artists make a good proportion of their living though online sales.

Look at it another way. The hard work of setting a business is done for you. All the planning of the production of the standard items, the cards, key rings and so on, is done from the central ordering and factory. You are just adding your design to their collection and getting a share of their profit.

To sum up, poor quality, not suitable, or just right? Too expensive for the size you need, or must have it, ever mind the price, or excellent value? Check out the choices. I'll add more websites later, or you can add your comments and suggestions.

Gift Photoproducts Websites
artido.co.uk (High price tablecloths etc)
vistaprint (huge choice of business card designs and add the same picture to caps etc)
photoshelter.com (selling your work)

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and author.