Chilling out - The Gallery

How ironic that this week's theme for Tara Cain's Gallery is chilling out. Ironic because I'm having one of the least chilled out weeks ever with Tara's christening preparations in full flow for Sunday. If I ever suggest doing a buffet for 100 people again along with the cake and a new baby, tell me I'm off my trolley!

I have chosen this particular picture of Violet as this is how she chills out best - Violet runs around everywhere at 100 miles per hour but when she chills, she really chills. I can guarantee this was lying in our bed on a Sunday morning watching Peppa Pig. Nobody can rush our V when she is not ready to get moving. As I'm sure most parents of a 4 year old can appreciate, getting ready for school is a NIGHTMARE!

April at a glance - The Gallery

This weeks for Tara Cain's The Gallery, we were set the task of summing up the month of April in one photo. This April has been a funny old month this year... The children were off school for Spring Break for the first 2 weeks, then back to school for 3 days then off for Easter. Much to the horror of a lot of small business owners there was another bank holiday on Fri 29th April for The Royal Wedding which fitted in with Mayday bank holiday - My Mum has spent 37 years trying to convince me that the bank holiday at the start of May was in honour of her birthday on 1st May.

All these days off school and Bank Holidays (are they supposed to have capital letters?) meant that we were lucky enough to spend lots of time with family. My picture for the Gallery this week is a family photo that is a replica of one that was taken exactly the same time last year. This also coincided withe the first anniversary of our Dad passing away. We have already started a tradition of getting together at this time and this year's photo includes 2 new additions to the family, our nephew, Miles and our little one, Tara. The photo was taken in my sister's garden the day after Miles' Christening.

We have managed to spend time with both sides of the family this month. Last weekend, we met up with my husband's sister and her family in Windermere as we were staying nearby. We remembered to get a family shot to mark the occasion.

The Gallery - Green -Cake

As a rule I have shied away from talking about my cakes on this blog, preferring to keep cakes and family separate. My time on maternity leave though has made me realise how much I love what I do - I am now baking and cooking again and loving it and this week am attempting my first celebration cake for 4 months for my nephew's christening on Sunday.

I have been having a conversation with Kate and Jen on Twitter this morning and discussed bringing the cake to the Casa Costello blog. This doesn't mean that my girls are any less important to me but does feel that I am no longer leading a double life.

The cake pictured is one from a couple of years ago - I loved how the bride had chosen a different colour scheme from the norm and this cake, although simple, remains one of my favourites.

I have also included this picture as my entry for Tara Cain's Gallery this week - The theme is green in honour of the wonderful lush countryside that the UK has at the moment. Please visit the other entries, there are some crackers!

So that's the plan for the blog - more cake...its never a bad thing!

The Gallery - All 3!

Here's how it goes...
You want to record your comings & goings.
You start a blog.
You take more pictures.
You buy a posh camera.
Your husband starts taking pictures of fruit.

...and now I'm taking pictures of people taking pictures of fruit!

I have 2 more blogs... My cakey/foodie blog aims to tell the story behind my cake orders. They are not always my best cakes or best photos but have the best stories - This was for a couple ruled by their 4 dogs. They are both gaming mad (the groom is holding an x-box controller) and play poker every week.

Aardvark Cakes



This is my newest blog but still very special as I tracking our progress as we turn from a family of 4 into a party of 5 on our caravan travels - We are having great fun so far. This is what we look like when we are set up!

Five Go Caravanning



This is a post for this week's Gallery - visit the other posts to see what other people's blogs mean to them

The Gallery - Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Baby T will be having her first swim!


Post Edit: Since I first posted this (but couldn't publish it because I was in the deep dark depths of the Lake District) Baby T has had her first swim. She absolutely loved it - I wouldn't say she's ready for her 100m badge yet but she definitely seems as comfortable in the water as her sisters.

The Gallery - Simple Pleasures - Family

I have only just got round to checking this week's Gallery entries and find that I am number 100 in the list. The theme this week is Simple Pleasures - For me there is nothing nicer than being surrounded by good company and my photo entry is of my family when they were introduced to Baby T last week - Aged 3 days.

My OH is missing from the pic as he is behind the camera and I am looking less than my best but it was such a lovely evening I couldn't not include this photo.

The Gallery - Shapes

A difficult one this week for Tara Cain's Gallery - we were set the challenge of SHAPES. From looking through my log of photos (which to be honest are full of cakes and children!) I came across this little gem. This is what the Costellos get up to when they arrive back from a night out - no doubt after a port & lemon or two! Let's draw around your husband on the drive with chalk - doesn't everyone?

Bellies!

Well I'm still sticking to my resolutions mentioned in my last post so as part of that here is my Gallery entry for this week. Tara Cain of Sticky Fingers set the challenge of Body Parts.

There is one particular body part of mine that is quite prominent at the moment being 33 weeks pregnant but for no-one am I allowing it to be photographed - There are no specific shots of my bump during any of my 3 pregnancies. But there will be lots of the baby so hopefully that makes up for it. So that's my entry for this week Bellies!

I love this pic of my little V showing her belly and hope that she is always as proud of it - I have to say I'm particularly proud of how clean and tidy my living room looks too! V is now 4 and quite frequently strips off - wouldn't you if you had that body?