HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

All photos in this post by Coco of COCOCOZY

Cut and peeled Granny Smith apples coated in cinnamon and sugar - pie filling in the works on Thanksgiving Day! (above)

It is Thanksgiving morning and I am running behind.  I was supposed to be in my car going to my mother's house for a big family dinner...but I am still baking my pies!  I am making 1 lumpy rustic apple pie and 1 sweet potato pie (a tradition from Grandmother). I'm running a few hours behind. At least I'll be there I hope before all of the extended family arrives. We're having our Thanksgiving with about 9-10 family members.

As I just finished one pie, I am taking a moment to reflect on how thankful I am for everyone in my life.

I am so thankful for my sweet family (mom, sis DS, aunts, uncles and cousins). Am also thankful for my dear dear friends (AM, FF, JH, NS, AT, JD, AG, ALG, A.Ro., JE, JLF, RRM, BN, SN to mention just a few of the many many good friends I am so lucky to have) and more (TE).  Then there is the gratitude I feel towards those who have become my extended COCOCOZY family (CM, KS, JF, HJ, HH, PR, JW, LH and more) - the people who have been so amazing in helping me with COCOCOZY this year at any given point.

And then of course there is you...you readers who check in on a regular basis...I am so so very thankful for you my dear COCOCOZY readers...you inspire me, you motivate me, and I am so thankful that you take the time to learn about design and decor with me on a day to day basis.

Anyhooo...here is how my lumpy rustic apple pie unfolded this morning!  Smells so delicious.  I love the warm sweet smells that permeate the house when I bake pies.  So wonderful.

My rustic looking apple pie! (above)

Hope you have a wonderful day however you are spending it.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

xo
Coco

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AN apple, apple pie, bake, eat, family, food, holiday, recipe, Thanksgiving

DESIGNING A COLORFUL SUMMER STONE FRUIT SALAD IN 5 MINUTES!

All photos in this post by Coco of Nbaynadamas

A design non sequitur this Sunday. I put the word design in the title so I could feel like I was staying "on brand" and bringing you only design and style posts. But for those of you who think that an off brand post is just fine then don't read this admission that I purposefully went off brand this Sunday morning...please just enjoy the story. For those of you who are decor purists, I know this is not a focused decor post, but I hope you in enjoy nonetheless...(sorry?!??!...tee hee)!

So was at one of my favorite food places the other day...Joan's on Third. For years, Joan's has catered many a party for me and my sis (note to self...need to have a party in September and have Joan's come up with some food) and is a great place for a gourmet bite to eat. I love it there. The food is delicious and the ambiance is wonderful...kind of a gourmet food marketplace really.

The other day, I was at Joan's picking up some food and I saw a wonderful summer fruit salad in the case...I ordered a side...when I got home I tasted it and all that came to mind was how fresh and sweet the salad was. The second thing that came to mind was how simple it looked to make.

Yesterday, I went to Whole Foods (oh have you guys seen that hilarious online spoof music video about the Whole Foods called Whole Food Parking Lot? It is so true about the Whole Foods experience here in Los Angeles!) and bought what I thought I might need to duplicate the Joan's on Third fruit salad. It was pretty simple...

Ingredients -
Pluots
Nectarines
White Nectarines
Blueberries

I noticed that there was nothing delicate about the way the fruit was cut up in the Joan's salad and it really was just about large chunky rustic pieces of fruit ... all stone fruit except the blueberries...cut up and mixed together.

I got home from the market and immediately began chopping...the whole thing took me about 5 minutes to wash the fruit and slice it into large pieces, throw it into a bowl and toss. The only thing I might add next time is a bit of mint...but in 5 minutes or less I had a wonderful summer stone fruit salad!

Started out by washing all of the fruit and tossing the blueberries into a medium bowl - 1 minute (above)

Cut the pluots first wth their beautiful succulent red flesh and I used 3 or 4 of them - 1 minute. (above)

Then it was onto chopping up oh maybe 4 nectarines both regular and white - 2 minutes (above and below)

Then I gave the fruit salad a good toss, stared at it a bit, and plucked out a pluot piece to taste and then was good to go - less than 1 minute. (above)

There..a quick summer stone fruit salad designed...and nibbled at ever since. The salad was so pretty that I thought it could be a great addition to summer brunch array or refreshing after dinner palette cleanser. Love this.

What is your favorite quick summer salad recipe?

Happy Sunday!

xo
Coco

P.S.  Went to a fabulous dinner last night at the Petit Ermitage here in Los Angeles.  It is a quirky hotel secreted away on a small street in West Hollywood.  The roof  top private club is amazing...pool, dining, fire pit and lounge area - all with fantastic views of the city...spectacular!  Thank you KD for inviting us!

All photos in this post by Coco of Nbaynadamas

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AN entertaining/tableware, food, recipe

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

All photos in this post by Coco of Nbaynadamas


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I am so thankful for all you Nbaynadamas readers, for my wonderful family and my dear friends. I feel very fortunate for so many things and trust me there isn't a day that I am not reminded about being thankful for the amazing people I have in my life.

Today...my sis is doing dinner for the family. My only kitchen responsibilities are baking a sweet potato pie and making cranberries. Thankful that these are my only responsibilities too. :-)

These are some photos from my kitchen this morning!





Hope you have a tremendously fantastic Thanksgiving however you chose to spend this holiday. See you back here tomorrow!

xo
Coco

All photos in this post by Coco of Nbaynadamas

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AN food, holiday, Nbaynadamas, Thanksgiving

BRINGING THE INDOORS OUT - PATIO ENTERTAINING AT ITS BEST!

A bold stripes of the rug set the tone for this lovely outdoor dining party scene. A simple color palette of blues, whites and greens from plants and flowers creates a simply elegant patio garden party scene. (above)

I adore this little garden outdoor dining scene. Dinner (or perhaps a late lunch) for 6 on a beautiful little paved patio. Instead of the outdoors coming inside...this time the indoors went out. Feels like a fresh dining space inside a home.

The garden party of sorts was created by designer Scot Meacham Wood who has a blog named The Adventures of a Tartan Scot. He imagined this delightful setting... it is fresh, definitely encourages the whole "eat, drink and be merry" feel, is elegant yet still comfortably casual! A wonderful environment for a great time with good friends and good food!

So many details to enjoy...including the impressive row of tiny boxwood trees planted in white pots that are simply lined up along one side of the patio's perimeter...creating a very miniature prive of sorts which defines and outlines the wonderful outside dining space.

To do this yourself...all you need is to keep your color palette simple, navy and white for instance...find a bold but cheap indoor rug that you can put outside with out being worried, make sure accents of your color palette are repeated throughout the table scape and finally accessorize with flowers, candles, lanterns and a few comfy pillows.






What would be your color story for an outdoor dining space? What are some of your design and decorating tricks for outside dinner parties or luncheons?

Happy Thursday!

xo
Coco

P.S. Please remember to join the Nbaynadamas FACEBOOK PAGE. I post special reader submissions and extra design photos there every few days. Plus, once we reach 2000 fans there, I'll do another linen pillow giveaway just for those of you following me on Facebook. If you're a fan already, please go to the page and "Suggest to Friends"! Today's Facebook post is an "UGLY OR PRETTY?" Go to the Nbaynadamas Facebook page to weigh in on whether a sofa collection is the ugliest thing you've seen or the most beautiful! I find this one quite amusing. Look forward to hearing from you on this! :-)

Photos: SMW Design

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AN candles, dishes, dishware, entertaining/tableware, food, glassware, lantern, Nbaynadamas, outdoor living, patio, tabletop

TICKLED PINK: A PERFECTLY ROSY BABY SHOWER MAKES A BABY!

All photos in this post by Coco of Nbaynadamas

Hostess CB (left in coral long dress) hosts a chic baby shower for mom-to-be MM (right, in fuchsia dress and white hat).(above)

About an hour after her beautiful baby shower at CB's house ended, MM went into labor and then delivered a gorgeous baby girl!

This all happened this past Sunday! Need more details but I'll tell you what I know.

Yes. It was another very very perfect party at the Venice Beach cottage of veterinarian CB, my good friend. Sunday afternoon. A lovely February day (rain was in the forecast but it never happened...that's Los Angeles, California for you!).

I was invited to the party CB was hosting for her dear friend MM who was just about two weeks away from her due date - MM was having her first child with her husband (ML), a little baby girl. CB and her lovely mother (who flew in all the way from Houston to help prepare for the event) designed a gorgeous afternoon outdoor baby shower for MM...a very special shower!

Pleasant pops of pink were the order of the day at this posh shower for MM...CB designed every detail with great care. Stylish, elegant, relaxed, and fun...that's what the party setting exuded. CB's hostess skills are impeccable.

Back to the pink...dashes were everywhere....with roses and orchids in a variety of shades of pink in the floral arrangements, pink party favors in the form of iced ducklings cookies, pink and white party lanterns hanging from the trees, those "in the know" all wearing outfits in different shades of pink (clearly I was not in the know...I didn't get the "pink memo", so I showed up (late) dressed like a somber school girl in a dark green and black plaid Brooks Brothers cardigan sweater, black pleated skirt, black tights, crisp white ruffle shirt, classic black Gucci heels and a faux tortoise headband...I definitely looked OUT OF PLACE in this almost spring like setting in Charlotte's gorgeous yard...yoooohoooo...)

Anyhoooooo, MM's beautifully designed baby shower started at 1p and carried on without a hitch. The food and drink were splendid (champagne with pink wild hibiscus flowers was my favorite treat), the conversation was entertaining and most important of all, pregnant mom-to-be MM was beaming with joy.

CB, as hostess, I'm sure was very proud. She was hosting a wonderful shower where everyone was just thrilled to spend the afternoon in such a lovely setting.

The party ended about 4p (I left about 4:15p).

At about 4:30p (I think), CB, MM, and CB's mom said good bye to the last guest and MM headed home.

MM got home to her husband at 5p according to CB.

And pretty much an hour after arriving home, MM went into labor and was whisked off to the hospital CB reports.

All I know is the next day, I got an email from CB that said "MM had her baby yesterday right after the shower!".

I don't know if it was all of the excitement of the day...or if it was being around family and good friends. Could it have been the wonderful food? The beautiful setting? Don't know. All I do know is that after this gorgeous shower, it seems that MM's baby was so tickled pink that she decided that this past Sunday, the day of her mom's baby shower, should also be her birthday!

Here are some photos of the perfect baby shower that my friend CB threw for her friend MM...a baby shower that unbeknownst to anyone there at the time, was also an early birthday party for MM's baby girl.




Hot pink and pale pink roses are arranged in a crystal urn for the main buffet table centerpiece.(above)

Pink tulips and roses in a trio of silver Mint Julep cups! (above)





The guest lavished MM with loads of gifts including a modern bassinet, the cutest baby clothes, and several silver spoons! (above)

Pink duckling cookies wrapped and tied with white satin ribbons were placed in a wicker picnic basket for guests to take home as party favors. Cookies come from Sabrina's Sweetery.(above)




CB's mom found these festive round paper decorative lanterns online at the Land of Nod, a children's focused furniture store.(above)



CB's custom-made pink ruffled outdoor umbrella that she personally designed to replicate those that she had seen on a recent vacation to Bermuda.(above)

Oh did I mention there were pink tulips too!(above)


A garden potting table is transformed into a well appointed bar for this afternoon event.(above)




A glass of champagne dazzles with dark rose colored edible Wild Hibiscus flowers. Found these Wild Hibiscus flowers online...great party idea...they are soaked in syrup so they add a bit a sweetness to a wonderful crisp dry glass of champagne. Love the bubbles. (above)

Custom made "Tickled Pink" inscribed hot pink cocktail napkins. (above)

Congrats to MM (new mom) and ML (new dad) on your new addition! I can't wait to meet her.

CB thank you for another wonderful party!

xo
Coco

All photos in this post by Coco of Nbaynadamas

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AN baby, baby shower, entertaining/tableware, floral, flower, food, Nbaynadamas, parties, tabletop

A HOLIDAY GARDEN PARTY!

All photos in this post by Coco of Nbaynadamas
An evening holiday party in the garden of a cottage in Venice Beach, CA. (above)

Thought I should do this post before the holidays finish off and this theme becomes obsolete for another year.

A few weeks back, I went to a fab party at friend Charlotte Broussard's Venice Beach home. The party was absolutely gorgeous...impeccably done. Charlotte thought of every detail to make this party chic, elegant and fun!

The occasion was simply "Holiday Cocktails"...that was enough information entice the 30 or more guests to celebrate the holidays along with Charlotte at her wonderfully cozy home!

Before the guest arrived (and a little after), I managed to snap a few photos here and there! Hope you enjoy.


Adirondack chairs with pillows upholstered in a fab pink, orange and yellow Trina Turk fabric called "Pisces"...and a few faux bamboo folding chairs surround the outdoor firepit...the perfect place to warm up while being social. (above)


A custom made pink ruffled outdoor umbrella makes a pretty picture over the bar area. (above and below)




A silver ball tree ornament adds a dash of holiday fun to the gorgeous floral arrangement made of simple pink and orange roses. (above)

The food was beautifully arranged on several tables throughout the party. In this area, the party's hostess had a little help as it was catered by posh local area caterer Joan's on Third - a caterer my sister and I have used a million times for parties of the last 1o years...we love Joan's...and I always recommend it as the solution to making a party perfect. (above and below)




The party in full swing! (above and below)


P.S. That is Charlotte, the hostess, with her back to the camera wearing the festive silver jacket! (above)

Happy Christmas Eve...!

All photos in this post by Coco of Nbaynadamas

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AN entertaining/tableware, food, holiday, Nbaynadamas, outdoor living, parties

SOME RANDOM THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR ON THANKSGIVING MORNING!

All photos in this post by Coco of Nbaynadamas

1. My new apple peeler corer slicer from William Sonoma - cut down on apple prep time for apple pie making by a million times. Love it!

Besides being truly thankful for my amazing family and great friends, here are 5 very random things I am thankful for on Thanksgiving morning 2009. Photos all taken during my baking marathon today.


2. Apple pie is done!


3. My new mixer by Cuisinart also from William Sonoma - Before I bought this mixer yesterday, I was mixing everything by hand; I would spend hours stirring and mixing and mashing things as if I was cooking in the 19th century. This made Thanksgiving pie prep so much easier!




4. Sweet potato pie is done - Thanks Auntie J. for filling me in on some baking tips this morning over the phone!



5. How clueless my dog is at times - makes me laugh. I saw this going on outside my kitchen window this morning. Notice the neighbor's cat right above him - he certainly didn't!

Now am off to my sister's house for a lovely Thanksgiving filled with family and cheer. Hope you are having a great day!

All photos in this post by Coco of Nbaynadamas

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AN food, holiday, kitchen, Nbaynadamas