Jikana Damaru: 06/25/11

Snaps for the snaps

We've never had 'professional' family photographs taken, even of the Tsunamis. And definitely not of me. I even shied away from having a typical wedding photographer. I'm just so... shy... who me?... having my picture taken. I get stressed, or act the ham or my hair just threatens to take over the entire world. I just never look the way I think I look in my head. Reality check needed, anyone?

Anyway, you can imagine how nervous I was at the thought of snapper-extraordinaire (and soon to be famous given the love he is deservedly receiving in our blogging world) Tim Coulson coming over to our place yesterday to record our family 'doing what we do'. You mean, like, reality? You want the 'real' us? Really?

Oh, why not? I suddenly thought. Why not?

So glad. So glad I just decided to go for it. Tim put me at ease within about 5 seconds of coming in our front door at 8am on Saturday. We were all in our jamies. The porridge was threatening to bubble over on the stove. I was baking disastrous-looking (but not bad-eating) cinnamon scrolls. In he came.

So glad. We spent the most terrific morning showing him around our place and then taking him to a little spot that we love to go to as often as possible. It was just so wonderful when he loved everything we love almost as much as us. Snap snap snap away he went and I wasn't nervous or silly or hammy at all. I was just me. I have no idea what the majority of the photos look like yet, but I'm loving the sneak preview Tim has posted... and I will do a 'big reveal' post in the next couple of days to show you more of the good stuff.

So glad. Tim does a different sort of photography. He really does just capture a family doing what they do. No posed, awkward, matchy-match shots. Just 'a day in the life' stuff and a beautiful record of home and family life as we know it. It felt like a lovely morning with a lovely friend and I'm hoping that the resulting images capture the beauty of the day. Can't wait to show you more.

Have you had professional shots taken of your family before?

(If you've blogged them, share a link as we'd love to take a peek.)

Do you like having your picture taken?

[Image by Tim Coulson]

: scavenger hunt :

It was so much fun taking shots for this weeks hunt & it kept my mind busy with ideas. Here they are & make sure you head over to Ashley's blog to check out all the other amazing entries too - or join in!

: door :

a door I open every day. the home of my clothes & hand bags & shoes & jewels. it always needs tidying up

: eyelashes :

my trusty eye lash curler

: paint :

paint is every where in this busy lane way of Melbourne

: leaf veins :

i love strawberries

: face less portrait :

Handmade Hunt

Have you seen the massive giveaway happening over at Shop Contemporary Handmade?

There are 3 separate competitions

One for us!

One for Little Miss!

One for Little Mr!

Enter just one or enter them all ....

Pop Bakery by Clare O'Connell

This month I'm reviewing Pop Bakery by Clare O'Connell, from illustrated lifestyle publishers Ryland Peters & Small and CICO Books. Clare O'Connell, along with her daughter, Judith, is the owner of Pop Bakery in West Hampstead, London.

I chose to review this book as I love cake pops. Hailed as the new cupcake, cake pops are small moist cakes coated in candy on lollipop sticks. Claire, too, loves cake pops and wanted to create her own versions. For Claire cake pops were the ideal medium for her to share her creative flair and love of baking. After work experience in a combined bakery and confectioners for a year Claire started her business, Pop Bakery, from her family home in West Hampstead. She supplies Harvey Nichols and boutique hotels across London and was recently commissioned by Top Shop to make cake pops for their Launch Party in Bath, England.

The front cover of this hardback book says "25 recipes for delicious little cakes on sticks". I would argue that it contains one recipe of a chocolate cake pop with 25 different ways of decorating them.

Each beautifully photographed decorated cake pop has clear step by step instructions on how to create the cake pops, from moulding the cake to hand painting them. It contains some great advice on ingredients, tools, equipment and stockists. The book covers a variety of styles, from the funky on-trend leopard print ones to the cute panda & frog heads with varying levels of difficulty. Each gorgeous looking cake pop is beautifully photographed by Nicole Rees.

The only downside to this book is that it only provides one recipe for the cake pops.
At a recommended price of £9.99, I think this hardback book is a good introduction to cake pops and how to decorate them.

Some of my favourite cake pops:

Cute Panda heads

Whimsical toadstools for woodland themed parties!

Fun bright frogs

The stylish leopard print cake pops inspired by nail artists

To summarize, Cake pops is a good decorating book for cake pops with great tips and advice.

Please note that my opinions are my own and I am not paid for these reviews (apart from receiving a free book, of course!).

Have a sweet day!