cocomama's

Elinor Dashwood

2013-08-08T23:10:00.000-06:00

Take the Jane Austen Character Quiz here!

Printstagram

2012-05-31T16:33:00.001-06:00

Printstagram will print your Instagram photos in several different formats. GENIUS. For those of us on Instagram ALOT - it would be like a photographic journal (isn't that a scrapbook?)... Anyway - guess which format is my favorite?? You know me too well :)

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Seconds - I Am Second

2012-03-20T01:16:00.001-06:00

Seconds - I Am Second

wantist...

2012-03-16T02:04:00.000-06:00

I am wondering around the web late tonight and found WANTIST. This site is so fun to browse...it spotlights super cool places, products, food, games, household things: basically - lots of things that could be gifted to well-deserving people in your life. Very hip, unique gift ideas for all. I love stumbling upon sites such as this. It makes the lost hours of sleep so worth it.

What's for dinner?

2012-02-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

I found this site that will let you check off food items that you have in your fridge/freezer/pantry and it will find recipes for you! It sorts the recipe search results by the percentage of ingredients you have. All the recipes for which you have 100% of the ingredients will be first on the list, and so on. It also gives you nutrition information, # of ingredients, cooking time, a category list - all of which you can sort by. You have the option to add to your grocery/ingredient list and you may also submit your own recipes.

So next time you are wondering what to do with the shrimp or chicken you have in your freezer and wanting to use up the fresh mushrooms and ricotta so they don't go to waste...try MyFridgeFood.

Please note that I have NOT tested all of the recipes...obviously. But I figure that whatever recipe search results come up will at least get you thinking. And maybe you have a favorite recipe in your collection that you hadn't thought of using.

Ahhh..... I do love it

2011-09-20T23:55:00.002-06:00

What can I say? I just do!

These cool pics make me happy!

Cute, tiny salt & pepper shakers! I must get them!

I love the new aluminum bottles. Very chic.

The new dc can design... oh hello, gorgeous!

2011-09-20T21:36:00.003-06:00

I'm sure that many of you are already hip and cool enough to have jumped on the Pinterest train... my friend Carly was appalled to learn that I had not even heard of it... Shame to me! It is my now my new favorite thing! Mainly because it's what I love to do anyway...find new, cool things and show people. It is a 'visual blog' if you will, and I am super excited that it exists (and a little bummed that I didn't come up with it). Have a blast. I am warning you, though - you will get sucked in and the time will fly!

And if you are so inclined - you may

Idaho Rehearsal Dinner...

2011-09-20T17:34:00.001-06:00

So... I have been putting this post off for a couple of months. This Idaho Falls rehearsal dinner in that I helped with in July was not the greatest experience. Even as I gather these few photos - I wince a little as I review it in my mind.

The Dinner was to be held out on this lovely patio across the river from the Idaho Falls Temple. BEAUTIFUL! Big, spacious, classy patio with globe lights, couches and a fireplace.

Well, around 3:00 pm the wind started to pick up. And it continued to pick up. Tablecloths were blowing up - centerpieces were tipping - favor boxes were tumbling off - paper lanterns were destroyed - candles couldn't be lit - place cards could not be set. The sign-in table even blew over. The hostess (MoG) was insistent that the guests be seated outside. The whole reason she booked the venue was for the Temple view. ~~Was she actually trying to control the weather?~~ Well...that was super fun. About 45 minutes before the guests were supposed to arrive, she conceded, and the hotel staff hurriedly moved the tables inside. But not into the ballroom - no! The dozen tables were set up in the walkway between the ballroom and the windows looking out on the patio (and the Temple).

The guests waited patiently for us to finish setting up and trying to recover the decorations that had been ruined by the wind. It finally became this:

But without the lights, the fireplace, the fresh air, the paper lanterns, etc. The place cards didn't even make it back on the tables. :( There was major chaos because everyone was trying to help - which was nice - but I no longer had any control over what went where. The Sign-In table was cramped and up against a wall, the Seating Chart was not where anyone could see it, and the table with the framed Chinese Calligraphy Scrolls that I had hand-painted (for the family gifts) were right at the front where everyone else could wonder why they weren't getting one. Ugh...

After the 'hostess' went up to her room to regroup (cry), it went fine and nobody cared except her and me. She was mad, I was mad, the hotel manager was I don't know what...trying to be accommodating. One of the lessons I learned: try not to put yourself in a position where someone can blame you for the bad weather. Another...Accept and Allow! Bad weather doesn't define a person, right?

Moab Wedding Photos...at last

2011-08-18T01:21:00.001-06:00

I was able to take some really great photos in Moab when I was down there planning a wedding in May.

It was gorgeous!

The ceremony took place on top of Dead Horse Point... a fitting venue for a bride and groom that spend their free time rock climbing. They are amazing climbers! As the guests walked along the path to the 'point' - something magical was happening:

It was stunning!

The ceremony was perfect. It was incredibly spiritual.

Since the park doesn't allow any live plants brought in - we opted for a bouquet of Iron Roses found on Etsy. The only other prop was the book that held the officiant's notes, the two dad's thoughts and the bride's and groom's vows. I simply tied some ribbon and attached some dried flowers.
Simple. Elegant.

It was amazing!

I could have posted sooner with just the photos that I took (above) but I decided to wait until I had some from the wedding photographer. So that's why the delay.

The dinner and reception were held at the Red Cliffs Lodge. I traveled from Kaysville with my SUV packed full of decor items, candy, containers, dried branches and grapevine, vases, photos, easels and anything else I thought I might need... The bride didn't want the decor to take away from the natural beauty of the surrounding red rock so it was minimal and natural with iron accents. Dinner was hand-carved Prime Rib. We set out a big tub of 'bubble' solution and bubble wands to keep the kiddos occupied. The deck was lit with strings of white globe lights. On the tables were wire photo holders with Engagements and Bridal Photos displayed. Moss, grapevine bundles, moss-wrapped wire, tulle, and crystal drops made up the centerpieces. At each place setting was a hand-drawn card for guests to doodle thoughts, drawings, captions, and their autograph. The bride and groom LOVE s'mores. So in lieu of a cake, dessert was a S'mores Bar-complete with illustrated s'more building suggestions and every topping imaginable. Music, dancing and a big bonfire kept the party going until almost midnight. The self-serve Candy Bar allowed guests to fill a bag(s) to take home as a 'thank you'.

Thanks for enduring the long post - it was really fun for me to review the celebration months later.

Coming soon: yet another wedding post...an Asian themed Rehearsal Dinner in Idaho Falls.

Container Therapy

2011-08-08T01:40:00.002-06:00

Almost anyone who knows me is painfully aware of my container dependence disorder (CDD). If a container is cute, classy, unique, functional, elegant, and/or sometimes just tiny ~ I am inclined to purchase one or several. Not necessarily harmful or destructive you say? Well you wouldn't think so except for the fact that my searching/browsing/purchasing habits are not tied to a need. It is a 'want' and a 'have-to-have' urge that drives me. I confess that I am in possession of a certain quantity of empty (albeit, spectacular) containers of all kinds. I should probably add to my 'life list' an entry that reads: ...find functional uses for containers in collection. Sigh... Back to why I am posting. And why it is linked to my food category. My most favorite and beautiful jars are these. I am in love with them! And I will preserve just about anything to use them. I call it Container Therapy.

Watch for photos of my 'made from scratch' Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Thai Peanut Sauce that I will be bottling and delivering to my sisters, friends, and anyone who would like to purchase a jar or two.

Signs

2011-08-07T09:18:00.001-06:00

I made these signs for a dear friends wedding... she was one of the DHS students that I mentored all three years. I adore her - and her husband! They dated in high school and 'sealed' the deal yesterday at the temple. I am so proud and happy for them!!

Hilarity Runs In The Family

2011-05-26T17:03:00.005-06:00

A guilty pleasure of mine is visiting my niece's blog. She is adorably clever and funny and a little kooky. Visit here. If you need a good laugh, it won't disappoint.

Coming soon: Moab Wedding Post

the flavor's in the beans

2011-03-25T20:31:00.005-06:00

I love coffee flavor! Ice cream, gelato, chocolate sauce, chocolate cake, tiramisu, chocolate pudding, hot chocolate... whatever! And I love chocolate! It is a necessary staple in my kitchen. Ina Garten, one of my favorite chefs, says that coffee flavor enhances chocolate and gives it depth. I totally agree! And it doesn't get much better or more decadant than a good dark chocolate with a hint of coffee flavor.


coffee flavor

I found this really cute site called the Cupcake Project that has a plethora of yummy sounding cupcake recipes, great photos, and some funny dialog. Steph shares a genius way to get coffee flavor into your baked goods without having to use instant powder (which is usually nasty tasting) or brewed coffee (I don't own a coffee maker) which can sometimes water down the recipe. In short, you steep whole coffee beans (mmmmm...I can almost smell them) in super hot whole milk (or 2% or half & half), strain off the beans and use the creamy, coffee-y, yummy goodness that results. G-e-n-i-u-s! I will be trying this method for my next 'must have chocolate' creation.

Super Funny Cards

2011-03-23T06:00:00.006-06:00

Okay - just a warning: If you don't have a slightly slanted sense of humor please don't continue. I found some super funny cards at Cocodot (no relation but I kind-of wish there was). I am a big fan of stayre. I love the retro-style illustrations with the sarcastic sayings. I have attempted to create a couple of things...some with vinyl, a few with photos. It has been suggested that I do a line of cards. Well, I don't know that I could compete with these.

Old School Scrapbooking

2011-03-22T06:00:00.001-06:00

I love the 'Sunday Sketch' page at Studio Calico. It is inspiring and reminds me that I can use all the embellishments that I have collected over the years - and anything I happen to have on hand. If I find myself with 'scrappers block' I can grab one of my sketches and start working without having to think too hard.

P.S. It was a joy to browse their new on-line catalog. Very office-supply/school supply-ish. Some of my favorite things!

Word Art

2011-03-21T19:34:00.004-06:00

I love fonts. I have almost 7,000 of them on my laptop. It's a sickness. I also love to design with words. My 'quotes' file is jam packed and I love collecting and bookmarking ideas for designs. If I had unlimited time, I would love to play with and make things from these ideas. A few years ago I started making these word collages for some of my family members:

I gathered words from siblings &/or children and then, with my Illustrator program, choose 3 or 4 fonts and 2 or 3 colors and started placing the words like a puzzle. They turned out to be really meaningful, personal gifts that could then be framed as a piece of art.

A couple of months ago, I came upon an interactive site called WORDLE. I wish I would have come up with it. It allows you to enter words (as many as you want) into a form and then when you click the 'GO' button, your words become a really cool design piece. You can then choose to randomize the document and it will switch it up with different fonts and colors. I did learn a couple of tricks as I was playing around on the site such as: the word(s) that are repeated become the largest, and it's a good idea to keep a copy of your text just in case you want to try a bunch of different designs.

Here are some of my favorite creations that others have posted from the site:

And here are a couple that I did on the site:

This is text from one of Elder Uchtdorf's talks

This is text from 'A Proclamation to the World'

I love them!! I will definitely use this amazing site for some of my 'word/font/quote' projects.

Color Party

2011-03-20T16:45:00.007-06:00

Here's a look at a party that I helped with a couple weekends ago. The theme was 'colors'. The celebration was for a darling two-year-old ~ Lucy. Lucy's mom, Carly, saw a cake on line that gave her the idea for the theme. We added colorful banners and garland, balloons, vinyl for the walls and for a sign, colored masking tape and butcher paper for the table, cups of crayons for coloring and doodling on the papered table, veggies and fruit in all different colors, and bowls and jars filled with colorful candy. We thought it was all really cute ~ and Lucy was absolutely loving the fact that she was the center of attention for the night.

Lucy's face as she watched everyone sing TO HER!

Check out the cake! Super cool, huh?

Doodling!

For the cake, we used 2 white mixes, divided into 4 each. I used gel coloring to get the really rich, vibrant color.
The hardest part was under-estimating the amount of frosting that it needed. (It took a lot!) Also, serving was a bit tricky because it was so tall. :)

By the end of the night, the table was covered with doodles and cake and ice cream and candy. All we had to do was fold it up and throw it out. Lucy was a happy, exhausted, birthday girl!

Super Cute Stuff...

2011-02-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

ZuLily is a site that is similar to Hautelook, the site that I posted a couple weeks ago. It offers adorable clothes and such for babies, toddlers, children and women at a discount of 50% or more. It is a rotating gallery of online shops that have Super Cute Stuff so if you see something that you can't live without, you had better get it because it won't last. The shops rotate and change every few days. Everything usually sells out. I saw the most adorable little toddler swimsuits a couple of days ago. They are already gone. Look now and check back often!! You won't be disappointed. Use this link please: zulily/cocomama's invitation and bookmark the site so that ZuLily will know that I sent you each time you visit! Thanks and Happy shopping!

The Perfect Gift

2011-02-25T07:00:00.001-07:00

I love to find that perfect gift.

Whether it is a hard to find quirky accessory or a silly reminder of a private joke. Or it could be that perfect piece of vintage memorabilia or sometimes a fabulous, unique gourmet food item. I find joy and satisfaction in the hunt. I love to browse sites that get my brain thinking of all the cool stuff out there waiting to make someone's day.

museum of modern art store

etsy

Here are some groovy sites, each with plenty of inspiration on your quest of The Perfect Gift:
kaboodle, spoonsisters, hip and humble, museum of modern art store (MoMA), think geek, curiosity shoppe, etsy, the cocoa room, see jane work, farmhouse wares

Wedding Wire

2011-02-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

I found the Wedding Wire Blog months ago. It is filled with great information! There are dozens of blog post contributors and two additional blog sites, all with beautiful photos, excellent resources, and some really great tips and advice. I highly recommend browsing these blogs. Especially if you are even tossing around the idea of getting married. You will be inspired!

Spring Inspiration . . .

2011-02-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

It's about this time of the year that I get really antsy for Spring to arrive. The weather teases us with 60+ degree sunny days. The stores clearance their Valentine's Day inventory and have stocked the shelves with Springy Eastery goodness. The calendar starts filling up with plans for road trips and Spring weddings. The anticipation is inspiring.

I recently made these cute alphabet flippers for my cutie-patootie niece and my cuter-than-10-things honorary grand-daughter. They were ridiculously easy. My Mind's Eye Alphabet Soup line includes this darling alphabet card deck. I stuck them in plastic badge holders and clipped them all together. I hope "Auntie Coco's" girlies love them!

Here are some other designs to inspire you:
Echo Park Paper has really cute springy paper patterns and embellishments.
Bella Figura this is a letterpress company that offers, among other fabulous things, customized coasters! If you want some fabulous design ideas for anything...invites, vinyl, cards, etc. - this is where to get them.
May Arts Ribbon I love ribbon! It's one of my very favorite things! This company is known for fabulous ribbon - but there are also some really fun ideas on their blog.

Create something good today! Spring is coming!

HauteLook

2011-02-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

HauteLook is a really cool shopping forum that gives members access to INCREDIBLE savings from 8 or so 'top of the line' merchants for 2 or 3 days at a time. Most of these e-shops are high-end but with the savings offered here you can actually afford most of the items offered. I have purchased from them several times and have not ever been disappointed or felt like I was mislead. Things go fast so check every day. The site offers cash for referrals so enter here and fill in your name and email to start saving! Then you can refer as many friends as you wish and earn cash for yourself! It's a genius little system. Happy shopping!

Road Trip!

2011-02-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

I am heading down south today for a weekend with the girlfriends! It has been bitter cold here in Northern Utah and I am looking very forward to some warmer weather. Forecasters predict 60 degrees. Nice!

I have been to St. George many, many times. A couple of years ago my little family spent several glorious days at the Green Valley Spa and Resort. Our favorite part? We absolutely loved the beds! I know - sounds weird to be obsessed by the linens but we all could have stayed in them for the entire trip. Thick, down pillow top mattresses covered with high thread count crisp white sheets - pulled tight. . . topped with layers of marshmallowy goodness - thick, fluffy, pillowy duvets and a plethera of down pillows - 7 or 8 on each bed! It was heavenly I tell ya. Absolutely divine.

This time I, along with 3 of my besties will be staying at my dear friend's condominium, which just happens to be an affiliate of the Green Valley Spa and Resort. I can't wait! I need some talk therapy and a break from my daily routine. How great that we can drive for a few hours and get such diversity in scenery and climate. I love Utah. I can't wait for Spring in our little corner of it.

Scrapbooking, my long lost friend...

2011-01-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

When my children were wee little ones, I was an avid scrapbooker (is that a word?). Seriously - I have completed 20 full albums, collectively, for my kids, 10 family albums, 1 album for my husband, 4 for me, and several other random albums and projects. This was all done in a 15 year time span. Honestly, I don't know how I did it. I was a scrapbooking fool. A couple of my sisters were fools right along with me. They have each completed more than I have, actually! I'm convinced that one of the biggest reasons for our scrapbooking success was that we made it a point to get together often. Those were the days... and I miss them. So to my happy surprise, my cute sister sent me a text the other day inviting me to her home every Wednesday for 3 or 4 hours to scrapbook! She has a fabulous craft room and tons of scrappin' paraphernalia. She said that I could even keep my current project at her house so I won't have to haul it over every time. I am very excited. I have been away for far too long. Although I have been on the digital bandwagon for a few years - I will still scrapbook the traditional 'paper' way also because I absolutely love paper! (but that fact deserves it's own post.) In any case, I have a few favorite online scrapbook stores for you to check out since I'm in the mood. 2 Peas in a Bucket, Shabby Princess, A Cherry On Top, Scrapbook Graphics, Digiscrap Warehouse, Part Time Sally, Studio Calico, Blue Moon. Locally, I love to browse the store fronts too - Heartland in Bountiful, Pebbles in Holladay, and I am dying to get to Archivers in Orem. I'm sure there are so many more! Leave your favorite site name or store name as a comment if you have one. It's fun to share!

Martha, Martha, Martha

2011-01-29T02:02:00.000-07:00

I need to start making my Valentines. Martha has inspired me. Look how adorable her current collection is... Check back to get a peek at what I come up with.