When is dirt better than dirt?

When it is a beach, of course! Paradise- to my husband- is a fishing village and a cigar. Even better when the family can join the fun. So, it is no surprise that our weekend in Grand Isle was a dream come true for him.

Louisiana may not boast the picturesque white-sand-beaches of Florida, but the dark-dense-dirt-sand makes our children happier than its prettier counterpart ever has. I mean- what could be better than miles & miles of potential mud pie at your fingertips? Follow it up with a serious bubble bath & bedtime story and you've got the stuff that memories are made of...

The Great Outdoors!

Although my husband is a soldier, fisherman and hunter- I am the more indoor type. The great outdoors to me is a good old-fashioned barbecue. Leaves? check...Grass? check... Kids? check... Open fire? check (well- if a gas grill counts)...

We had one such lovely barbecue this past weekend. It was one of those days when the weather was just right- and those days are hard to come by in Louisiana! We left the doors open and watched all of the cousins play & play until they wore themselves out! I took lots of pictures so we can look back and remember the magic that happens in the simplest of times.

And- though I may be a bit biased- those are some cute looking kids, eh?

Mardi Gras Fun

Whew! What a week! Mardi Gras in Louisiana- enough said. I still remember the days (not too long ago, I might add) when I would partake in the wild, week-long-party known as Mardi Gras. We used to spend the 5 days in New Orleans, taking in the sights- becoming one of the sights...


Now, the event is a much tamer one for my family. We even bring the kids (gasp!). They love to catch beads, listen to the bands and watch the dancers strut their stuff at the local parades. Hard to believe that just outside the fenced in area we keep our children- the same old stuff goes on...

Here are some of the highlights!

Valentine Photo Shoot

My poor, little children! I have become determined to better document their lives than I have thus far. Neither one has a baby book yet. Is that pathetic? L's first word? MA-MA (of course)- atleast that is the way I remember it! Jack's started crawling at- what- 2 months? Oops...

So, in an effort to utilize the shiny, new digital SLR my in-laws gave us for Christmas- and to create a lasting memory for my 19-month old and his 3-year-old big sis, we are having a Valentine photo shoot tomorrow! And the lovely photos will be the star in their very own valentines from Mommy's collection! How sweet!

To make the event more special (aka. prettier to look at), I collected a few props this afternoon:

1. Construction paper (to make pretty, red hearts),
2. Hemp (to string said pretty, red hearts),
3. Glittery XOXO garland (in case pretty red heart strands don't turn out as expected),
4. Big heart-shaped lollipops (to bribe children with -ahem- I mean, to add valentine charm)
5. Red shirts & heart-covered sweater (to bring it all together).

Now, of course I'll let you know how it turns out. And perhaps even share some of the better photos.

Have a great night! Wish me luck!

Sarah

UPDATE! Here are the photos... atleast I had fun!

CocoBlu Studio is COOL!

Well, in case you didn't hear or read the great news yet, CocoBlu Studio was featured on Cool Mom Picks this month! How thrilling to be acknowledged by such a well-respected and informative site!

We have seen a large increase in business since the review, so I extend a special thanks to Kristen at Cool Mom Picks for taking the time to check us out!

The lucky winner of a PARTY PACK is a sweet gal named Jen Altman. We can't wait to get started on birthday invitations, favor stickers and thank you notes for her son!

Thanks for all of your continued support. Now head on over to Cool Mom Picks to see what awesome products you should be looking for!

Sarah

And the winner is...

A special congrats to Trishia Gallardo- the bloggygiveaways.com winner of a $75 gift certificate to CocoBlu Studio! Trishia, we look forward to creating something very beautiful for you!

And to Shannon, at rocksinmydryer.typepad.com, thank you for the opportunity to take part in your Bloggy Giveaway! What a wonderful experience!

Have a great day. Go write someone a letter!


Sarah

Bloggers Rock!

I must admit- I am very new to the blogging world. But in my short time here, I have discovered a few things about bloggers:

1.) They spread the word! New ideas, new designs, new contests, new products... bloggers are quick to tell other bloggers about the great discoveries they make online.

2.) They are friendly. For the longest time, I was afraid to post on someone else's blog. What would they think of my silly comment? So, I lurked- reading and reading, but never saying hello. One day, I decided to drop a line... and no one bit me! On the contrary- someone "seconded" my opinion. I was in!

3.) They are loyal. My shop has been featured on relatively few blogs- designmom.com, monogrammomma.blogspot.com and bloggygiveaways.com ... but the sheer volume of hits resulting from their recommendation speaks volumes about reader loyalty!

4.) They are all connected! Blogging seems to take on a life of its own. One blogger finds someting interesting and shares it with the next- in two days time- you are all over the net!

So- a special thanks to all of you bloggers out there who have mentioned CocoBlu, visited my shop, purchased a greeting card, or hope to someday. You are helping make my business a success & that is powerful!

Sarah

Military Discount

Hello, everyone! Ever want to make a difference- but you don't know exactly how? I'd love to use my shop to make a small difference for people who mean a lot to me: the hardworking, brave, proud and dedicated families of the United States military.

I know it is not much, but from here on, there will be a permanent 15% discount to all military members and their immediate families on anything on our website.

My own husband will be heading to Iraq in the near future, so I understand the sacrifices military families make on a whole new level. No matter how you feel about this war- always remember to thank and support our troops. Without them, where would we be?

So- thank you, my sweet (and rather hot) husband! And thanks to the rest of you out there. God Bless America!

EXCITING UPDATES for 2008

Hello everyone! Happy New Year!!! I have not been very diligent with blogging, but rest assured that means I have been very busy designing new items for you to enjoy!

With Valentine's Day on the horizon, I have already added 4 new designs under the "HOLIDAY GREETINGS" section of the website! I am so excited about these little valentines and I think you will be, too. Smaller than our regular greetings, most of the Valentine designs are 4x6 or 2x3.5 (business card size). The 2x3.5 cards will arrive in a boxed paper purse. Each has its own translucent envelope sleeve. These cards feature your little valentine's photo and information, with space to write the name of the recipient. Talk about "too cool for school!"

Check back daily, as more designs are constantly being added. In a few days, I'll upload our first ever GIFT box! What a cutie. Called "Love Notes" and perfect for your real-life Valentine.

These cards are 2x3.5 and customized on one side with a photo of you and your sweetie if you are a romantic- or your kids / dog / goldfish if you are not the oohey- gooey type. The other side has a faint pattern in the background but is basically blank for real-life-love-notes! Much cuter than a sticky note on the fridge. Leave a note on his pillow, next to the coffee pot, in his lunch bag, by his toothbrush- you get the idea. Maybe he'll even return the favor! These cards come packaged in a tin hinged box for cute and functional storage.

These days, I really do have stationery on the brain! Something about the personal touch and extra effort of a real-life-pen-and-ink-letter is so charming and old-fashioned. So check out the new stationery designs being uploaded daily. I created the FLIRT for myself the other day and I can't wait to get them from the printer so I can begin the process of Christmas THANKS!!! My stationery sets all come packaged in adorable long term storage. Some are delivered in metal tins, some in topless boxes. I know you'll just love them!

I am happy to announce that we'll be featured on bloggygiveaways.com on January 14. Please be sure to check out the website and post a comment to be considered for a $75 gift certifiate to cocoblustudio.com- good for anthing on our site! Also, check out designmom.com, where we'll be featured in her MARKETPLACE.

I'll check back soon! Have a great day & wonderful new year!

Sarah