It's been a big week, an end of an era week.  

The start of new adventures and interests, the end of boys being babies and goodbyes. 

This was my week in photos. 

A hint of what's coming up on the blog over the next week or so.  

A party, summer fun, making memories with friends, challenging myself, sad times, happy times, new beginnings. 

With a good few beautiful blooms thrown in. And fancy drinks for scorching days. 

I am counting down to our weekend away in Honfleur this Friday. The boys and the dogs are off to Granny's and Grandma and Grandad's! I just hope the weather forecast improves, otherwise it will be an umbrella I'll need rather than my floppy sun hat!

What are you looking forward to this week? 

Is it just me or has the whole world fallen in love with food styling? I guess that is the power and magic of Twitter because over the last few months, I have found and followed the most incredibly talented food bloggers. 

Which means my Twitter news feed is full of delicious photos and inspiring foodie anecdotes. 

The only downside is that you have to cook and I am on the inadequate scale of proper cooking, for now. So I thought I would let my first love, inspire the dishes. I love photography and specifically styled photography. 

I enjoy nothing better than a mini photo shoot in the garden (hooray for natural light and no nasty flash) and on my charity shop travels this week, searching for a giant stuffed monkey toy, for my Monkey Surgery lucky dip, (for Ollie's Doctor Party - photos coming up this week!) I found some "props" to inspire the cook that I hope is lurking inside.

It may seem a funny way to fall in love with food but it's working for me. I am being more adventurous, have found a new blog energy and can totally indulge in combining styled product photography with flowers. They are my fail safe prop.

I feel like I am developing my own style, to the point that I would like it to be recognisable as one of my posts or photos.  

I follow a number of food blogs, a couple more for the photography than to repeat the recipes, but that is why I love them. For me they are lifestyle blogs too.  

I have read a lot about blogs that post 10 different photos of the same dish and how awful that is, but I totally disagree. If you have gone to a huge effort of making something wonderful then I say show it off! Your blog is not a recipe book it's a blog! You have the freedom to post as much as you want!  

I love seeing a recipe step by step guide in photo form, it makes it easier to copy at home and seeing how people present their food with different props and styling. I am disappointed with just one photo!  

Pinterest and it's success, is a great example of how important the visual side of your blog or website is. Pinterest is all about pinning photos. 

I have a few dishes up my sleeve for the next few weeks, think rustic, think easy to repeat at home and think flowers in the foreground! 

All inspired by these little beauties from my local hospice shop. 

An old sieve for 50p, a metal bowl for 50p and a small cooling tray for £1. Now I am going to have to learn how to bake! 

I love layering my photos. Texture for the background, (I used an old wooden green chest from our lounge for these photos) fabric, adding height by stacking the plates and bowls and pretty flowers.

The food photography I find engaging always uses lovely fabric napkins. Unless I can learn to sew overnight, I need a quicker fix to my napkin dreams. I found it in the form of second hand table cloths! Perfect for using a small corner as a makeshift napkin. £1 a piece. 

I also snapped up a vintage white and blue edged enamel bowl for £1 and a children's play tin saucepan.  

I couldn't resist the set of antique copper measuring cup pans. Perfect for picture perfect mini bakes (although not eggs as my mother in law read they can taste funny cooked in a copper tin). They have beautiful bottoms! Really! Pretty floral patterns engraved into their underneaths. I also found a sweet fish knife which compliments some old spoons I picked up for 20p!

The glass plates are a complete contrast with the more rustic bits and bobs, but I feel that's my style, or the style I hope to have! Secondhand vintage pieces mixed with pretty precise classics.

A little while ago I picked up a few bits in Vintage Von, the local vintage super store. This Schweppes Soda Bottle was one of them. 

My blog is my hobby, so instead of a gym membership I buy things I can use time and time again for my photography. That are useful too! The glass plates would make perfect jewellery trays on our chest of drawers in our bedroom.

My last bargain to share is a little international purchase. Having a brother with a US shipping address is awesome. Just look at the crazy international shipping cost!  He was the one and only bidder on these vintage utensils! I can't wait to pick them up and bring them home in August when we visit for a week! In fact my sister in law has a wicked healthy homemade pizza recipe, which I might just have to get her to guest blog! 

What are your favourite props for mini photo shoots at home? 

Have you found any bargains this week? I am hoping I might pick up a few bits on our weekend to Honfleur, France in less than 2 weeks! 

ps. I am going to do another post dedicated to the actual food photography I love and my tips for getting great pictures at home. Coming soon!

To have a look at some of my favourite past food posts click on one of the photos below.  

Orange Blossom Cocktail

Summer Berry Bake

Homemade Mini Milks

Summer Canapé

What a week. A whirlwind week of post holiday unpacking (still), a family party in Oxford, party prep, meeting a very special charity, preparing for the end of an era (queue tears at preschool) and a small boy's birthday.  

I've barely had time for anything else this week, but I did discover the most wonderful video from the US store Anthropologie. Not only does it get me in the mood for our weekend away to Honfleur, France, in a fortnight, but I literally would love everything in it!

I see a little visit coming on when we head to my brother and sister in law's on August 2nd! After all, I will be having my birthday in New York - I'd love a super market sweep but would be just as happy with one peacock plate!  

Doctor Party day is finally here! Granny and Grandma will be patients on hospital beds (sun loungers) and we have 20 little Doctors and Nurses arriving at a sweet little hall at 3.30pm. I can't wait to share all the little details and photos!  

Have a lovely weekend in the sunshine where ever you are!  

Isn't it wonderful when your face feels like it's being kissed by the sun?!