How to use cocoppa & change iPhone icons (because it's so cute!)

I can't quite remember how I came across it, but last night I downloaded the CocoPPa app and spent an enjoyable Sunday night making my phone look pointlessly cute! I thought this might interest a few of you so decided to break it down in a 'How To' of the app.

Ok first things first - these steps show you how to change downloaded app icons such as facebook, Twitter etc. Your new, super cute icon for say, Facebook is a SHORTCUT. You will still need to keep the original app but you can put all of these icons in a folder out the way. If you want to go back to using your original icon, just delete the cute shortcut icon. 

Step 1: Download cocoppa for free from the app store. When you run the app it will ask you to make a quick profile. Once you've done this, you're ready to go!

Step 2: When you first open the app, it will look like this. 

Step 3: Browse around the site for icons you like. As this app was more for the Asian market, the search doesn't always show up the best things due to a lot of the icon descriptions being in Japanese etc.  But the categories/colour sections are great and browsing is fun anyway! When you see an icon you fancy, click like! and it will save it in a list for you that can be found on the Mypage section.

If you're ready to set the icon then click on the 'set up link' button.

Step 4: You'll be given a set of choices for your icon shortcut. As i'm showing you how to set an app icon, select the app search. 

Step 5: A lot of the popular apps are show in a list but if not, just search it and it should come up. 

Step 6: Decide if you want to add gloss to your icon and set the icon name. 

Step 7: Press OK and then then YES to add icon to your Homescreen.

Step 8: The app will open up this page in Safari, press the arrow button.

Step 9: Once your image displays, click it to add to Homescreen. 

Step 10: Change the name of the app if you need to. 

Step 11: Admire your new icon app and repeat the process!

To change standard Apple app icons is a little bit harder (these are any icons you can't actually delete like mail, photos and music.

Step 1: Repeat steps 1-4. When you chose your shortcut link type, select URL.

Step 2: Rather than adding in a URL you can use the following:

To open music = Music:

To open photos = Photos-redirect://

To open calculator: showcal://

To open messages: SMS:

Top open maps: Maps:

To open mail: Mailto:

It's also worth noting that there isn't always an option for the app you use in the search, for instance, I couldn't change my camera icon so I downloaded Line Camera (which is free AND amazing!) so sometimes it's worth downloading one of the suggested apps instead. Hopefully everything else is pretty straight forward but if you do have any questions, let me know and maybe we can figure it out! 

My wallpaper is by rabaniiito

DIY Confetti Bow

A while back I got slightly carried away in Hobbycraft and ended up buying a bag of confetti scraps only to be stuck racking my brains with what to do with it all. At the time I knew I *really* needed it, one of those situations. 

I downloaded a gift wrapping guide by Hello Sandwich some time ago and saw that she she made a sequin bow so, I thought i'd give it a try using the confetti. Needless to say I still have a load of confetti left so if you have any other ideas on what I can use it for, do leave me a comment!

To make the bow you'll need:

Scissors

Washi Tape or a Twist Tie

Sticky Back Plastic

Confetti (circles of coloured paper cut out with a hole punch would look awesome too!)

Cut a square of the sticky back plastic 18cm x 18cm and fold in half to make a crease.

Peel back one half of the sticky back plastic and sprinkle with confetti pieces.

Peel off the backing of the sticky back plastic and fold over your sprinkled side to sandwich the confetti between the 2 layers. This step is a bit tricky as everything wants to stick to places you don't want it to!

Fold your sheet of confetti plastic into an accordion and secure with washi tape in the middle to create your bow. Using a hot glue gun, stick your bow onto a freshly wrapped gift!  

Ta-da!

Guilt free chocolate goodness

A couple of years ago I started to follow the Paleo Diet. Now, while I actually quite liked it, as someone who wanted to train as a pastry chef, the two things just don't go together, but there are still elements of it that I follow and have added into my normal way of life. 

So the story goes - one night I was craving (which is nothing new) and feeling a bit irritable because I wanted something sweet (was more than likely a toffee crisp... usually is) and I started googling for paleo friendly cakes, sweets and desserts. I found Chocolate Covered Katie and her recipe for fudge babies. 

My best friend Zach, who was also following it at the same time, got a phone call from me along the lines of "Are these paleo? Am I allowed them? How many of them can I eat?" and his reply was something along the lines of "Fudge babies? What sort of name is that? They have dates in them? I hate dates!". The End. 

So anyway, I decided to make them and i've loved them ever since! I would describe them as soft and chewy balls of chocolaty goodness. I'm not gonna lie... the word balls makes me smirk. Such a child. 

Now, here's 2 keys points; If you think you don't like dates, remember that they are the basis of sticky toffee pudding. If you have a friend *cough cough* Zach *cough* who keeps insisting that they don't like dates and refuse to try one, be the good and caring friend that you are and force them to eat it. What happens, Lisa is right, Zach loves them, Zach revisits my fridge and eats a load. 

Secondly, and this is the difference between them tasting nice or tasting AWESOME - PUT THEM IN THE FRIDGE! My GOD it makes so much difference and intensifies the chocolate taste and gives the more fudge like texture. Make that the golden rule and you'll thank me!

*Warning - highly addictive*

You'll need:

Food Processor

1tsp vanilla extract

2tbsp cocoa powder 

100g walnuts

250g soft pitted dates

Small paper cases

Small handful of tripple chocolate curls (optional)

Measure out all your ingredients and throw into a food processor. Blitz until everything starts sticking together, you'll know when it's done as it'll start coming away from the side of the bowl.

Roll into small balls and pop into a mini cake cases. My ball rolling skills started out a bit rubbish. Who can't roll a round ball?!

Top with a chocolate curl just because it makes them look prettier.

Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and enjoy! Easy! Worth noting that Zach also just described them as tasting like a cold brownie. I make him right on that one.