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Ornaments

A Christmas Story

A note before I begin: This will be my last post until February because the next six weeks is going to be a whirlwind…

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Hi, I’m Steph.

I’m a freelance social media strategist, content creator and photographer who loves to support and promote small businesses. Born in New York, I currently live in London with my husband Jorge, our kids Emilia and Sebastian, and Oakley, our lazy cat. Beyond work and family, I love to travel, read, explore, blog, bake, eat and drink lots of tea. Read my story here!

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Hi, I’m Steph.

I’m a freelance social media strategist, content creator and photographer who loves to support and promote small businesses. Born in New York, I currently live in London with my husband Jorge, our kids Emilia and Sebastian, and Oakley, our lazy cat. Beyond work and family, I love to travel, read, explore, blog, bake, eat and drink lots of tea. Read my story here!

Shop Photography Prints on Etsy

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littleobservationist

It’s been a month since my last post here. I’v

It’s been a month since my last post here. I’ve taken a small break because life is busy!

Among other things, I’ve been working on quite a few copywriting projects (most of them travel related, a good chunk of them blog posts) alongside my regular client work. A few small projects will be finished soon so I’ll have about 3-4 hours a week opening up for something new - rare but exciting!

I’ve also created and added some new digital downloads to my Etsy shop—something new for me! They are travel posters, but more on those in another post. If anyone is interested in testing the buyer journey and sharing feedback with me, I’ll send you a code for a free one. Just DM me.

There are a few new London prints up as well - littleobservationist.etsy.com

Hope everyone is having a great week!
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#etsysellersofinstagram #londontravelposters #bigben #instalondon #londonthroughmycam #hellolondon #londonlover #londonadventures #astoryoflondon #londonerslondon #its_so_london #prettycitylondon #prettylittlelondon #mydarlinglondon #london_city_photo #gramminginlondon #londonbylondoners #toplondonphoto

I’ve been slowly adding some new prints to my Et

I’ve been slowly adding some new prints to my Etsy shop. This one is from Tenerife, from a walk in Puerto De la Cruz, a bright blue hot sky behind a tall cactus.

Currently focusing on adding some photographs of my London’s iconic sites for anyone missing this magical city!

(Feel free to use the code “BRIGHTENMYDAY” for £3 off. Shipping worldwide.)
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#tenerifenorte #blueskyphotography #cactilove #cactusphotography #tenerifefelicidad

Side 1: Moody London. Light and shadows. Long walk

Side 1: Moody London. Light and shadows. Long walks. Tiny moments of quiet among the chaos. 🚇

Slide 2: Farmer Sebastian says “Moo Moo, I’m two!” Happy birthday, my cow-obsessed, kind-hearted and hilarious wild one. 🐮❤️

Just popping in to say hello. Work is busy and farm parties needed planning, so I’ve had very little time for my own Instagram lately! (Seeing how this goes with no hashtags today because experimenting…) Hope you are all well and, if you’re in London anyway, enjoying the recent sunshine. ☀️

Today is my 5-year anniversary of being fully free

Today is my 5-year anniversary of being fully freelance only!

A huge thanks to all of my amazing clients, past and present (a few who have even been with me the full five years and then some!), to everyone who has recommended me along the way and to Jorge and the kids for putting up with my sometimes awkward working hours and everything else that comes with freelance life.

Here’s to another five years of creativity, flexibility and fulfilling work with people who make it a joy to check my inbox. ❤️
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#freelancelife #freelancelifestyle #freelance #freelancer #socialmediastrategist #copywriters #freelancephotographer

One of life’s little luxuries that I love is to

One of life’s little luxuries that I love is to have time to leisurely browse the shelves of beautifully curated bookshops like Daunt in Marylebone or Stanfords in Covent Garden (where I took this photo the last time I had that opportunity two months ago) or to lose myself in the haphazard stacks of slightly musty secondhand treasure troves that are dotted around the city. Even better if there’s a cat curled up im a corner somewhere and a cafe attached or nearby to enjoy a tea and cake and start digging into the stack I’ve chosen to take home! ❤️

What’s your best book recommendation so far this year?
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#bookshops #bookshopsofinstagram #bookshopsoftheworld #bookstore #bookstoresofinstagram #bookstoresaroundtheworld #coventgarden #prettycitylondon #prettylittlelondon #metroldn #thisislondon #mylondonfairytales #london_is @stanfordstravel

How’s Easter break going for everyone? We’ve

How’s Easter break going for everyone?

We’ve done a week of holiday camp, some messy egg decorating (see stories), Easter crafting, and plenty of snacking. Not sure what else is to come 😂

This is an update for the purpose of an update because it has been a while. I’m working on a lot of writing and editing projects at the moment alongside social media work for some of my lovely retainer clients.

📷: Photo from Tenerife, where we are not.
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#unrelatedcaption #tenerifeisland #tenerifefelicidad #canaryislands #beachview #traveldreamseekers #discoverspain #explorespain

📷 : London city walks. I always tell my Instag

📷 : London city walks.

I always tell my Instagram clients not to look at my account as an example; it’s been 9 days since my last post for one thing! 🤦‍♀️

Busy week as usual, and some fun creative projects coming up, from writing to photography to e-commerce stuff and some social media strategy too. Really enjoying the mix of clients I’m working with right now, and they are all such wonderful businesses and—more importantly—people too!

And at the end of this week, we hit the Easter break juggle. What does everyone have planned?
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#prettycitylondon #thisislondon #metroldn #londonenthusiast #londonthroughmycam #hellolondon #londonlover #londonadventures #astoryoflondon #londonerslondon #londoncityworld #london_city_photo #its_so_london #london_is

📷 : Blue skies with Tenerife’s volcano El Tei

📷 : Blue skies with Tenerife’s volcano El Teide in the background from a few rare child-free hours in December at @punta_paradiso.

Looks like we should a nice week shaping up in London too. Have you been out enjoying the sun?
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#puntahidalgo #tenerifeisland #tenerifenorte #tenerifelicidad #tenerifedays #canaryislands #discoverspain #explorespain #spaindays #poolvibes #blueskiesandsunshine #palmtreesandpools

📸 : Jamaica Wine House, London. Guess it has

📸 : Jamaica Wine House, London.

Guess it has been a while since my last post!

The weeks are flying lately. I’m soon to have a 5-year-old, so I’ve been spending my spare time recently planning for a birthday bash this coming weekend with nearly 30 kids after we had a 100% yes rate on the RSVPs 😬 She’s very excited for her rainbow/bouncy castle extravaganza though! Next project: cake & cupcake baking. Stay tuned for Stories pics unless it’s a total flop 😂🌈🎂

I’ve also been super busy with client work. Things are really picking up after covid/mat leave coincided and it’s soo good to be back to working from cafes and co-working spaces too. I have 11 clients in rotation at the moment, a handful of retainers and the rest project-based. Two are new this month, and one of my old favourites is coming back after a Covid break.

They are all art/travel related or small businesses (or both) and I love the variety of work, from writing projects to social media and strategy to photography. I enjoy each one of them for different reasons.

Etsy shop is still ticking along too!

What’s everyone else been up to since we hopped into March?
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#jamaicawinehouse #freelancelife #socialmediastrategist #metroldn #thisislondon #instalondon #londonthroughmycam #hellolondon #londonlover #londonadventures #astoryoflondon #londonerslondon #visitlondonofficial #mytinyatlaslondon #loves_london #london_enthusiast

Who needs a broom when you have a perfectly good p

Who needs a broom when you have a perfectly good palm leaf? Love the colours of this UNESCO World Heritage city where my in-laws live.

📸 La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
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#tenerifeisland #lalaguna #lalagunatenerife #tenerifenorte #tenerifetag #tenerifelicidad #tenerifemagazine #sancristobaldelalaguna #discoverspain #canaryislands #islascanariasoficial #explorespain #chasing_facades #facadelovers #straightfacade #hello_facades #ihavethisthingwithfacades

Now surrounded by the shiny metal and glass of one

Now surrounded by the shiny metal and glass of one of London’s financial districts, the Victorian structure of Leadenhall Market seems otherworldly.

It’s been the site of a market since 1321 (then selling meat, poultry and game), was reconstructed more or less as it currently looks (structurally anyway) in 1881 and is now host to a mix of boutique and chain shops like Diptyque, Barbour and Waterstones, pubs and a wine bar.

Some might also recognise it from the first Harry Potter film (or one of many others it has featured in!). I did not because I have never seen Harry Potter (*hides*)…

Out of curiosity, have you ever visited a specific place because it was in a film or a book you loved?
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#leadenhallmarket #diagonalley #theleakycauldron #harrypotterscenes #historicallondon #victorianlondon #metroldn #prettylittlelondon #prettycitylondon #london_is #londonarchitecture #magicalplaces #prettylittletrips #mydarlinglondon

This is a view of St. Paul's Cathedral from the so

This is a view of St. Paul's Cathedral from the south side, after crossing the Millennium Bridge from Tate Modern over the Thames. I love the leading lines of the steps and the light falling straight onto the cathedral.

A few fun facts:

1. It was designed by Christopher Wren who was the first to be buried in the tombs here.

2. The dome is 366 feet high and one of the biggest in the world.

3. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr once gave a sermon here.

4. There’s prints in my Etsy shop: littleobservationist.etsy.com

How’s half term going for everyone who has this week with kids home?
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#stpaulscathedral #stpaulslondon #londonarchitecture #arttolivewith #prettylittleinteriors #londonwallart #londonlandmarks #londoninteriors #londonblackandwhite #printsforsale #londonbylondoners #metroldn #hellolondon #londonlover #londonadventures #astoryoflondon

“I hope you realise that every day is a fresh st

“I hope you realise that every day is a fresh start for you. That every sunrise is a new chapter in your life waiting to be written.” - Juansen Dizon, Confessions of a Wallfower
☀️
Putney embankment, a few minutes walk from home, has some of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen. These were taken toward the end, but the sky sometimes looks just like fire when it begins!
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When I took these, there was a woman standing nearby in her pyjamas with a mug of tea and a cigarette. She lives in the flats across the road and said she comes out as often as possible to enjoy it and from her apartment window can also see some spectacular sunsets over the rooftops on the other side.
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Where’s your favourite sunrise watching spot? Do you ever wake up early enough just to see it?
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#shareourputney #putneybridge #putneyembankment #putneysunrise #sunriselover #sunrise_sunset #sunrisesky #sunrisevibes #londonsunrise #sw15 #uk_greatshots #travelengland #uk_photooftheday #excellent_britain #awakethelight #daysofsimpleandslow #quietplaces #beautyofthisworld #amomentofwonder

Lloyd’s Building, the Gherkin & the Cheesegrater

Lloyd’s Building, the Gherkin & the Cheesegrater in the City.
☀️
The last time I had an opportunity to take my camera to central London on my own was November 2018. It’s been 3 years and 3 months. And we live here. Before kids, I used to spend a day of almost every weekend just out and about with my camera exploring.
☀️
So I was grateful to head out on Saturday last weekend, from 7am for the sunrise in Putney, and then the tube to Monument. (It’s been at least two years since I’ve even been on the tube, probably longer.) Walked around the city, to St-Dunstan-in-the-East, the Barbican, the Museum of London, down the old alleyways of the City, Fleet Street and on to Covent Garden where I ended my adventures with tea and books (currently enjoying London in Lockdown) in Stanfords early afternoon.
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It was nice to re-connect with the city (and myself in what has been the longest I’ve been without kids in a very long time). Here’s hoping it won’t be another 3 years, 3 months before another opportunity arises!
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#visitlondonofficial #mytinyatlaslondon #loves_london #london_enthusiast #thisislondon #london_is #metroldn #londonthroughmycam #hellolondon #bestlondonphotos #mylondonfairytales #lovelylondon #guidemelondon #londongram #londonsbest #londoncitylife #londonvibes #londoncityworld #london🇬🇧 #london #toplondonphoto #londonarchitecture #archlovers

I’m (very) slowly adding new prints to my Etsy s

I’m (very) slowly adding new prints to my Etsy shop. This one’s for the lovers of summer vibes and tropical interiors.

It was actually taken in December, the day after my birthday, in Punta del Hidalgo, Tenerife. We didn’t swim, but had brunch and cocktails overlooking this lovely pool, the crashing waves, surfers in their glory and El Teide (the island’s volcano) in the distance.

When’s the last time you bought a print or another piece of art for your walls? What was it and where did you hang it?
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#swimmingpool #swimmingpools #swimminglife #swimmingart #swimmingpoolphotography #puntadelhidalgo #tenerifeisland #tenerifefelicidad #tenerifenorte #tenerifedays #palmtreesandsunshine #palmtreereflections #etsyshopsofinstagram #arttolivewith #prettylittleinteriors #ispiremywalls #tropicalinteriors #discoverspain #canaryislands

Always love walking past this corner bookshop near

Always love walking past this corner bookshop near Putney Bridge tube station, its windows filled completely with a rainbow wall of book spines.
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What’s one book you’ve read already in 2022, one book you’re reading now, and one book on your list?
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I just finished The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal about Identity, Race, Wealth and Power by Dierdre Mask. A great read packed with fascinating stories. I learned a lot.
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Just a handful of pages into Fredrick Blackman’s Anxious People now, for a change of pace.
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And one on my list: let’s say Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr because I absolutely loved the first I read of his, All The Light We Cannot See.
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Your turn!
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#londonbookshops #londonfacades #bookshopwindow #metroldn #mylondonfairytales #prettycitylondon #prettylittlelondon #londonbylondoners #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #bookstack #booksbooksandmorebooks #bookcommunity #booklove

I took this photo while working on a request from

I took this photo while working on a request from someone who lived locally in Putney and wanted to have a memento to take along on a move to New Zealand.

It's a view from the Putney embankment, near Weatherspoons, London's skies typically moody mid-October, and an equally moody crow.

Adding a layer to the story, I used shimmery gold embroidery threads to turn the fence into staff hosting a rainbow and black chord from Rondo in F Major, a piece of music from Mozart's London Sketchbook series.

It’s the last of the embroidered prints I had yet to share and with the way work has exploded this month (in a good way!), it may be a while before I have the time to experiment with another one!

In the meantime, these are in a “Stitched Prints” section in my Etsy shop (link in bio) as limited edition prints of 200 sold as high quality Giclée images on 308gsm Hahnemüle Photorag paper with a white border.

On another note, how is it the end of Jan already!?
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#shareourputney #putneybridge #stitchedpapersociety #embroideredphoto #embroideredphotograph #bordado #embroideredphotography #metroldn #contemporaryembroidery #putneymums #putneylife #putneyart

Milestone day: 15 years since I moved to London in

Milestone day: 15 years since I moved to London in 2007. What an amazing city to have shaped my life through much of my 20s and 30s. 💙❤️
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#portobellomarket #portobelloroad #nottinghill #nottinghilllondon #instalondon #londonthroughmycam #hellolondon #londonlover #londonadventures #astoryoflondon #londonerslondon #metroldn #my_ldn #becauseimalondoner #its_so_london #prettycitylondon #prettylittlelondon #mydarlinglondon

The Barbican - an estate and performing art centre

The Barbican - an estate and performing art centre - is one of London's best known examples of brutalist architecture, was designed by architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, and is a Grade II listed building. In 2003, it was voted ‘London’s ugliest building’ while others see it as a national treasure.

I've given it a rainbow twist with some colourful embroidery threads, including shimmering gold on each storey.

They’re in my Etsy shop as limited edition prints of 200, high quality Giclée images on 308gsm Hahnemüle Photorag paper with a white border, signed, sold unframed.

What’s your fave bit of architecture close to home, wherever that may be?
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#barbican #barbicancentre #barbicanlondon #brutalistarchitecture #brutalistlondon #londonartscene #ihavethisthisthingwiththread #embroideryart #stitchedpapersociety #embroideredphoto #contemporaryembroidery #astitchaday #embroideredphotograph #embroideryonphotography #stitchery #aestheticembroidery #tangledupinfloss

Hello! 👋 🔻 Thought I’d pop in and re-intro

Hello! 👋
🔻
Thought I’d pop in and re-introduce myself. It’s been a while and I know some of you are new here (thanks!).
🔻
Shall we do the ole 5 facts post?
🔻
1. I’m from North Tonawanda, New York, between Buffalo and Niagara Falls (about 15 minutes from the Canadian border or 7 hour drive to NYC).

2. January 23 will mark 15 years I’ve lived in London!

3. I live with my husband Jorge, our kids Emilia (4.5y) and Sebastian (20 months) and our cat Oakley.

4. I’m a freelance social media strategist, content writer and photographer. My clients are mostly independent artists and travel/study abroad companies.

5. I also have an Etsy shop where I sell photography prints - “Little Observationist”.

Okay, 5 lesser known and probably more interesting facts:

1. When I was 15, I rollerbladed down Red Rock Canyon with my little brother at some crazy speed with my parents following behind in a car.

2. When I lived in Colombia for six months, I ate (and enjoyed) hormigas culonas (“big ass ants” which we collected live and cooked in true local tradition.

3. One of my most memorable trips was olive picking in Kardamyli, Greece with my dad where we picked the olives, took them to the mill, watched them being crushed and tasted the oil they were turned into.

4. Small business love is in my blood - my dad and my brother both have their own businesses too.

5. Every Christmas I still (at age 38) hand make my parents’ Christmas cards like I did throughout my childhood.
🔻
Okay, your turn - tell me something I don’t know about you!
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#behindthesquares #londoncreatives #aboutme #createmakeshare #creativesofinstagram #herestocreatives #wearethecreativeeconomy #notonlymama #diftk #etsyuksellers #socialmediastrategist

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