Blog

I had more or less travelled in a straight line for about a kilometre, and once the sky had sufficiently dulled I turned heel and started to make my way back. Almost immediately I became aware of my footprints and realized that I’d never noticed the zigzag pattern on the sole of my boot before. ...

Photos are ridiculously easy to share and there are so many ways and opportunities to do so, including dedicated photo books, but there are less opportunities to share and collect only thoughtful words, stories and memories ...

the biggest challenge people face in retirement is not being able to replace the social connections that had sustained them at work ...

I just updated Fondfolio’s prices. The price of a hardcover memory book is now $200 instead of $199. ...

I smile and turn to watch as her trot becomes a gallop towards the man and his enticing percussion. ...

If someone had told me when I was starting Fondfolio that these gifts would resonate with US Air Force pilots, a group I never considered to be sentimental, I would’ve found it hard to believe. But I’ve now created more Fondfolios as gifts for retiring US Air Force pilots than for retirees in any other category — corporate, academia, tech etc. so it’s hard to deny there’s an appeal. ...

I walk straight out onto the field, past a man grappling with a large green kiteboarding sail, towards a lonely oak still clinging to all its leaves. I’m following the hint of a path but it’s barely there and I keep my eyes down to avoid tripping on a Skylark burrow. ...

We all have it in us to write a good card, especially for the people we care most about, and the tiny bit of effort it takes is always worth it. ...

There are few people who are with you for such personal moments. My cat Minou was there, sometimes awkwardly, for all of it and I’ve been feeling his loss deeply. ...

That a product or service’s inconvenience could be adding to its value was something I’d never considered. I couldn’t help but think about how this relates to Fondfolio, which in many ways is an inconvenient — albeit deeply meaningful — product. ...

After a few hours of peaceful snoozing — often directly by my side on his own perch — he will get up, stretch, make a few chirps (perhaps announcing his intentions) and then attempt to insert himself onto my lap for a snuggle. ...

Just as intriguing to me are the people who fly the passive kites. Often they are older folks, usually alone, seated on a chair or bench with their kite tied off or anchored to the ground. They will stay in that spot for hours, buffeted by the wind themselves. ...

This past Sunday during an urban foraging walk in Treptower Park I tasted maple flowers for the first time. My first Spring forage in Berlin, I was happy to finally try all the edible leaves before they become too tough — the Beech, Linden and Maple. ...

Swirling kaleidoscopic melodies are come from the player’s hands running up and down the keyboard, as if the piano were a harp. Next to him, a young man in a white t-shirt and black Converse skate shoes is moving to the music. His brow glistens with sweat — the sun is actually hot today. He dances gracefully, his body mirroring the shimmering keys. Facing them, a man sits on the ground with a typewriter, hammering away on his own keys, his back against a lamppost. ...

In a corner on the floor I spot a row of accordion-style sewing boxes. I appreciate that they’re arranged in a way that you can open them fully, so I do. Inside one there are still bobbins of thread, half-used, and I notice the exact colour of emerald green needed to fix my jacket. ...

On the 22nd of January 2021 I met my first Berlin spider. They appeared sometime between the afternoon and evening — spiders always seem to just appear, don’t they? ...

On a recent run around the southern half of Tempelhofer Feld I notice a clump of miniature daffodils on my right a couple of metres into the field. A beautiful little human intervention. Carrying on home, my mind wanders to how they arrived there. ...

If I think about what I most like to write about it’s the little things that jump out at me when I’m out in the world. Nature humming along being amazing, people being kind to me another, playful environmental interventions, cute/weird things my cat did. Little everyday stuff and nonsense — situations that delight me and help tip the balance against complete and utter despair. ...

Lina had been planning her 40th birthday for almost a year. She’d booked a small gallery space within walking distance from her favourite bar in Fitzroy, Melbourne and had invited all her friends and family, making sure to pick a date that worked well for those travelling from out of town. A few months later WHO declared COVID a global pandemic and, shortly after, her birthday plans, like everyone else’s, ceased to exist. ...

There are too many unwanted gifts which is bad for people and worse for the planet. For those of us still entangled in sticky gifting webs, there are some things to consider that might help reduce the chances of our gifts missing the mark. ...

At 40 we don’t need other people to get us things that miss the mark — we can buy our own stuff, when we need it. Instead, we want to feel loved by and connected to our favorite people — those who inspire us to be the best versions of ourselves. Fondfolios make a great gift for people entering the second half of their lives. ...

Words are powerful not only for their ability to provide comfort, but also for the way they can summon something into being, or at least build a bridge to a realm where it enters thoughts, discussions, and is someday understood. ...

We’ve all been there. It’s the night of our friend’s party, we’re already running late and still haven’t written the card! So often it’s the last thing we do before dashing out the door  –  scribble down some cliché or half-hearted hyperbole “Have a great day, you deserve it!” or “You’re the best, have the most amazing Birthday EVER!”. We don’t intend our words to be trite, but that’s how they read and — unless our friend is a pack-rat — our card (no matter how cute) is destined for the dump. Yet, with a little effort the humble card can outshine most gifts and be something our friend actually wants to keep. ...