Kelsey

I am shooting this beautiful brides wedding in less then 10 days! Isn't she absolutely stunning! Every detail is perfect. From the dress, to the shoes, to the earrings, to the hair... it's PERFECTION!

can't wait till the big day!

Ellie

Ellie is such a beautiful baby! She is so small that I was scared to move her around because it felt like i was going to break her. I love the way the images turned out. To me they smell pink and fresh, just like little baby girls do. Congratulations Michelle on your beautiful baby! Thanks for letting me photograph her!

and the big announcement is....

I have a website (it still needs some work...but for the most part it is done!)

so check it out!

www.alyssacookphotography.com

sorry to make you all wait so long!

Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Sneak Peak

I have been a horrible blogger lately, and i apologize for that. Things have been a little crazy lately. Everything from a broken car to a broken foot (husbands). No worries though, both are fixed now.

But I couldn't help but show off this adorable baby boy. One of my best friends came into town with her new baby, and I was so excited to be the one to take the pictures! Look at him! He made me want to have a baby of my own for like a whole week (which is a record, it is usually a day) You guys were a blast! I'll photograph you two beauties any day!

COMING SOON

a big announcement!

so stay tuned.

this is a long time coming.... i can't wait to share!

ps- i am not pregnant so don't ask, it i will just reaffirm all my insecurities from not working out for the past year. Yes, i know i need to go back to the gym, i will one day soon.

featured

so guess what... my wedding was featured on this amazing blog! Check it out here.

please note: the one picture that shows me....i look 14... funny. maybe i am not a "old married gal" after all.

photograph by: kate benson photography

needed

for a future shoot i need around 6 twin mattress's. So if you have a mattress that you wouldn't mind letting me borrow for a day let me know!

merci- aly

teen vogue

so for my photoshop class we had do to a magazine cover... here is mine.

more pictures on the way!

Kelsey & AJ

This couple is so cute! I am shooting their wedding this November and I am beyond excited! They are so great together! Just look at them!

Bride & Groom

I finally got the pictures developed from when Justin & I went to disneyland!

for more: see here

form of flattering

My mom always taught me that when someone copy's you it is a form of flattery... Well I am going to copy this girl! Perfect Perfect Fall Outfit! I love this!

my new baby!

look at my new baby! she is beautiful and I LOVE her!

THANK THANK THANK you Justin!

take me here

I love the this pretty feminine room! I think I am going to make my place more girly...

Miss Ella is 1

Justin and I at the party.

The cute family!

What a fabulous cake! and it tasted great!

We celebrated Miss Ella's 1st birthday yesterday and it was quite the bash! Ella is so cute and I love, love, love her! It was such a fun, very well put together party (which i loved because I got to take the pictures!)

A. Vogue

I think this is such a cute and unique sweater, and i can kinda crochet, so i kind of what to attempt this... i just need to find some time now.

picture via: Australia Vogue

someday

i am going to be this creative and talented as this woman. plus, what a great thing to do with old clothes!

problemo

So i recently went grocery shopping and was very prepared. I had planned out all my meals in advance and purchased all of the ingredients i would need (you know, because that is what you typically do at a grocery store). So you see i have all these ingredients, lists of what ingredients are needed for each meal, and then for the recipe i was just going to go back online and look it up where i found it. This is where the problem occurs.... ALL of the recipes are different (they have been the same for months, and now in the two weeks i planed on cooking them it all changed!)

So the hope I once had on my possible ability to cook is gone- out the window. And i am now stuck with a lot of random ingredients and now idea how to cook any of them.

and that is the problemo.

p.s. it was this fantastic website that changed all the recipes... sad. i am sure the new ones are good, but i don't have the ingredients for those recipes + they look more difficult.

photo by me

more wedding

i have gotten back my wedding photos and i love them! i don't know how i am going to pick my top 25 for the wedding book.

thought i would share a few :)

photos taken by kate benson photography

Alexa Chunga

the girl has got style!

and legs the length of my entire body!

i am really into the striped shirt! i am officially on the look out.

also a fan of the loafers

and of course the classic trench. always a good look!

pictures found via google

sneak peak

SNEAK PEAK: of my wedding photos here

alas. we are home again

We just got back from our Mexican cruise/ honeymoon #2 and it was a fiesta!

i LOVED Cabo! i want to go and stay longer for sure!

so we are back just trying to get back into the groove of things. Life is good!

gap

dear GAP, i love you right now. i could buy your whole store right now. unfortunately i don't have the money, nor the room. for now i will covet.

isn't it all fantastic! and most of it is pretty classic i would say.

good eat

made this last night, and it was delish!

recipe found here

mexico goal

i think these fotitos are great! plus- aren't those shorts fantastic! all i wish for is to look half this cool while on the beach in mexico next week!

alyssa cook photography

i finally did it! i started my own/separate from this blog... photo blog! so you should check it out!

ALYSSA COOK PHOTOGRAPHY

and now that my neck is mostly better, i can now pick up a camera again and start shooting! so keep checking back for updates!

illustration thanks to this lovely lady

Email Address needed

So we (Just & I) started a married blog! So if i know you and you want to know all about my personal life go ahead and leave me your email address so that i can invite you to read our new blog.

mucho love!

ps- this blog will still be all cool and you are still going to want to keep checking it :)

today

today i am going here

and in 6 days i am going to be here!

pictures via google

glorious

i have come to the conclusion that i love looking at kitchen stuff! i love all of these bowls! 

which were found here

and aren't these so cool! they are magnetic- so you don't have to deal with that loop thing, and you can still clean them (unlike the slider ones) just fantastic.

found these glorious babies here

for free

remember this.... well i guess justin wants a super big TV. so if you want it, it is yours! just let me know.

to do:

i have a huge to do list these days!

but what i really need to do is:

finish registering here, here, and here!

yikes- we are bad at getting all these wedding things done. but good news... my announcements are finally being printed ( i think once those get out i will feel a lot better!) 

25 days! :)

quilts

ok, so the lady that is sewing all of my bridesmaid dresses (10 to be exact) is a big time quilter, and has totally inspired me! i want to quilt! 

i forgot where i found these, but aren't they beautiful! i think once i am done planning a wedding i am going to try to sew my own quilt

covet

i love this rug for my kitchen! i have been looking for a rug now for quite some time and haven't been able to find any. (speaking of if you know of any good places to find kitchen rugs let me know!) because i am still looking due to the price tag on this baby. 

i want color- and i need the light blue color in it, because that is the color of my  dining room chairs.

justin's birthday

so i got justin's birthday present....because his birthday is in less then a week (July 5th)

1) i got him this game as an early gift which has already been put into very good use! we have probably played it well over 20x in the past month.

2) then for his actual birthday i was planning on giving him this (hoping to mix things up in the game we play so often....) but you see we were going to be playing again... and i NEEDED change, so he got another early birthday gift!
so then came the dilemma,  i needed a gift for his actual birthday... and i really wanted him to like it. ( i am taking my chances here by posting this, because i am pretty positive justin does not read my blog.... but just in case i am going to leave some space. if your name is justin and you are soon to be wed to a girl name aly, exit now, or ruin your surprise.)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

:)

so this is what i got! he told me on sunday that he wanted one, but they were way to pricey (which they are, but i got mine 60% off- talk about a good deal!) i can't wait to give it to him!

future diaper bag

okay, so i know i am not even married yet, but i have known what diaper bag i have wanted for a year now.... isn't she a beauty! and good thing i know this far in advance because the price tag is a bit hefty.

but this bag is perfect for a boy and girl, which is why i choose the way i did. (and if i use it for all my future kids it is totally worth it!)

thumbs up

i'm liking the look rachel b.'s got going on here.

again

i've said it before, and i'll say it again... this girl has got style! 

sure its a little flamboyant (like most magazine spreads), but i still like it!

fierce

images found from the august 09 teen vouge. 

great street style too!

anyone else as excited as i am for the next film?! 

kitch colors

i saw this super cute recipe box and it automatically ='d love. and because i am just starting out, i am pretty sure i should just start out the right way and make mine super cute like this. and the paper is perfect (pretty much what i want for my own kitchen- very colorful, but just plain white dishes... but my chairs are that light blue... anyways that was a tangent.)

to see more click here

food = happiness

this would be perfect for my kitchen! 

power of words

you know those days where you really just need to hear something good said about you... well today is one of those days. lucky enough i got on my facebook and had an honesty comment (where everything said is all anonymous.) anyways i came  across one that i received a while ago but never really got and it totally made my day! 

"I think Aly is incredibly unique, I have known her forever not really well but gone through school and all that and she has always been really nice to me and i have remembered and appreciated it, thank you Aly you deserve every happiness that life has to offer" 

So to the nice young man that said this, thank you! you made my day! I very much so appreciate your kind words and am thankful to you for letting me know. It feels great to know the things you have said. 

now may we all be a little kinder, a little sweeter, a little nicer today! ;)

curious?

sneak peak... CLICK HERE

hungry

i am going to go home right now and make this for lunch! i am so hungry and this just looks so good! i'll let you know how it turns out!

not so mellow yellow

i love this dress! i want it, even though i have no idea where i would wear it... oh the downfalls of being normal.... 

economic times..

I love this idea!  great cheap wall decor

found here

wedding photographers

i've got my photographer picked! this talented lady is the one with the job! i can't wait to see how they turn out! 

as for engagements (which i need to do asap, and have been stressing over) this also equally talented photographer is doing them! 

-side note: problem with having family photographers: they need to be in the pictures! which explains everything. 

this was a hard decision and i am glad it is over, and am very happy with my decision. (but how could i not be, look at their work- they are fantastic!) 

brittany andersen photography & kate benson photography

sequins girls 2nd best friend

i think this skirt is so cool! and perfect for the fancy cruise night.... just saying :)

just wear a basic black shirt... and sky high heels of course! 

the rock on the left hand.

there you have it, the perfect honeymoon outfit. 

sorel

i want these i saw them on the bachelorette last night and it was pure lust! i live in a cold climate (well hot right now), but they will get excellent use come winter!

only problem you can only get them in canada.... now what to do?!  

premarital exam

so i had my premarital exam yesterday..... let's just say i am so happy my dr. is hilarious because "oh my" is all i can say for the entire experience! 

why don't boys have to deal with any of this crap?! 

i guess they do have to provide....

i still think this is worse.

oh well it's done! 

picture found via google

style rut

i am currently in a style rut... which also causes my room to become very messy really quick! i found these looks to be inspiring

the only reason i would want to be a celebrity is so i could wear something crazy like this, and no one would think anything of it. now that would be cool! plus you have the events to go to where you could wear this stuff and not look crazy!

where ?

does anyone know of a company in utah that scans your old pictures so that you can have them digitally? because i am going to scan all of justin's mission photos and make him a book for his birthday..... and i don't want allens because there is no way i am going to pay $1.50 for each picture! please help!

summer reading

with all this rainy weather i think that we should all just quit the busyness and curl up with a good book. so with no more further ado... i just read this book, and it was great! talk about the perfect girly read! 

i also read this book about a year ago, and also really enjoyed it.

cookie monster

this blog is entitled the cookie monster, and for good reason! that is all i am eating lately!  justin and i have been making cookies non stop! which is not a good pre- wedding diet (which is why i am going to start posting my daily diet + exercise.... i know, could the blog get any more boring! just don't read it! but hopefully it will give me the motivation i need, and i will stop eating all of these cookies!)

but these are the cookies from the other night and boy were they good!  (they are molten lava cookies!)

  find the recipe here

SYTYCD

this show has made me regret not becoming a dancer! I WANT TO DANCE BABY! i mean: 

1. awesome bod.
2. cool costumes 
3. enough said 

so next life watch out- DANCE here i come!

my view

 mandy moore went on the view yesterday and revealed how she doesn't want to be seen as a "good girl" anymore because it is limiting to her...

since when is being good limiting, and have you not been blessed with the career you have. she didn't sound very grateful in my opinion....

plus i mean it is mandy moore..... your voice is too sweet to be a "bad woman" 

 & girl- your smokey eyes and black gladiator heels didn't work, it just made you look like a cliche wanna be.

ideal

isn't this image so cool- and the back of her dress is awesome! 

found here

love her

full of wisdom, and EXCELLENT advice, which is why i love her blog!

check it out here

cenerpieces

aren't these center pieces so cool and creative! i love them all. it makes me want to have a dinner party! yup that is what i now want to do! i guess a wedding is like a giant dinner party right?!

found here [there are a ton more also, these are just the ones i preferred]

brownie peanut butter cups

so that STBSN diet is really not that motivating for me yet... which you can see by the dessert i made tonight! i surprised justin with dinner (celestial salad, watermelon, homemade french bread, and these bad boys!)

it was fun being all domestic for the night!

but the brownies were a hit (families opinion also, not just justin [after all he is a little more biased] ) they were rich and filling but oh so good!

recipe and photos found here (great blog by the way!)

candy to the ears!

this was fan-freakin-tastic!

the real scar

so i realized that the last picture wasn't a true depiction of my battle wounds due to trick photography and posing, so here is what it really looks like so far, and hopefully will fade more by july 31st (yes that is the BIG DAY!)

p.s- yes you are correct i am still supposed to be in a neck brace, and i am pretty much all the time except for showers, and the occasional picture.... soon i will be free! but until then i take it off occasionally to try and build up all the muscles in my neck that i lost! going cold is going to be one adventure!

pretty much a month....

so i had neck surgery a month ago tomorrow.... and i was very concerned about the scar (vain i know) but here is the progress, it looks very promising i would say!

sew inspiration

look how talented this mama is!

she sews her kids clothes! i should learn now so i can do the same!

cakes

which style of cake would you choose? i want to know!

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

i am not a huge cake person... so deciding things like this are hard, but i do know which ones i am leaning towards, but i want to hear your input! oh and does anyone know a good cake person? i knew the best, but she is expecting and will be due in a couple weeks by the time my wedding roles around.... so i am on the look out, so let me know!

what do you think?

hypothetically of course :) if you were getting married in a little bit, would you wear your hair down or up? or both- and if so what one would you do for the ceremony and what one for the reception, or what would you do for bridals.... give me your input- i need it! 

photo by: liz banfield 

club 33

last time i went to disneyland i ran into someone who had the lucky privilege of getting into Disneyland's highly exclusive club (club 33).... which at the time i knew nothing of. 

but now i know, and i want in! 

too bad the waiting list is like 14 years, and costs booku bucks to become a member! BUT sometime i will go, just you see! (and then i will definitely blog about it so that you can see!)

to read up on club 33 see here

the hunt continues

so i've been on the hunt for "THE DRESS" and so far not too much luck, if only i could find something like this, because this is beautiful, unique, classy silhouette, pretty much awesome! 

found here

edward said he didn't bite...

yeah right!

garage sale

first piece of furniture to go into my new pad with justin. it is just the beginning of many garage sales to come (because that is what poor newly weds do)  i bought it without justin and he later informed me that a t.v will not fit in that- so we will see what happens... but i like it! but what color to paint it.....

i've been looking at photographers lately, and came across Dustin Izatt.  i like what i see. and i love these bridals! 

and these are my favorite wedding sites/blogs so far:

utah bride blog

snippet & ink

style me pretty

more to come- i'm sure of that! :)

back to the bib

  i like this, possibly love this.... and now that i am engaged and have to save my pennies, i am thinking that if i want anything (like this necklace) i am just going to incorporate it into the wedding some how.... good idea? 

injured cheerleader survivor.

back in the day i used to cheer.  i was the flier and i got dropped more then once which caused many issues. such as mucho pain, and my left side going numb. it took a while to figure it out, but they did, and they fixed my ruptured disk. that equals a neck fusion which equals neck surgery. 

justin has been great! he brought be flowers, and stayed in the hospital with me.... helped me take pills, go to the restroom, walk, hold my hair back while i puke, given me blessings.... you name it, he's definitely done it!  i couldn't have asked for anyone better! he definitely loves me! 

pre surgery before my neck was sliced open.... haven't been much in the picture mood after the surgery. 

but thanks to everyone for all the service they are giving me! everyone has been great! 

so i am just sitting around, so i might blog.... but if they make no since don't blame me because i am on a lot of pain killers 24/7

so a boy came along

so do you remember justin? well guess what he popped the question while we were down in arizona meeting the family.....

and i said YES!

i love him :) and he loves me too! 

he is the greatest! he is better then i ever could have asked for. i am so happy! so my guess is that this blog is going to be very wedding oriented now...

yay i'm getting married! 

(ps. sorry for the photo quality- it was from a cell phone...)

to come

sorry i have been neglecting you my dear blog and followers (which i believe total 5 according to my counter..... haha!) but don't leave me yet..... i return home soon, and some good posts lie ahead! :)

apology

and i would like to officially apologize for being such a bad blogger lately (i feel like this is what all of my posts lately are- and sorry for that too!) 

but i have a good excuse.

it's finals (in fact i have one in 4 hours & 40 min)

but the end is in sight. and soon i will have lot's and LOT'S of time. so don't abandon me yet! 

with love

aly

rachel mcAdams

tonight i watched this classic, which made me remember how much i like rachel mcAdams. i think she is beautiful and oh so very talented! AND the girl's got style! 

ps- cool side note: ryan gosling (aka. noah) i guess growing up always wanted to date my boyfriends sister in law... small world.

darkroom- cause shoots

so we had to do a current issue shoot so i choose to photograph prom night (against it) this is how it turned out...

and i also photographed anorexia

(my teacher read this one just as a dancer's back.... i have never seen such a sad, down on herself dancer before.... just saying)

i'd love to hear what you think! 

disclaimer: these are scans so the quality is not very good . 

brothers

for some reason, i seem to always photograph girls, so for a change i thought i would get out and snap a few of my little (well not so little anymore) twin brothers.

if i were a single and not a related girl, i'd date em! ha :)

list of loves:

i love that my car broke down forcing me to be stuck in st. george to vacation that much longer.

- well that pretty much sums it up. forget finals! that is the attitude J & I currently have :)

--life is good!

photo thanks to her

remeber the trend with duck tape a few years back.... well i never understood it. who cares i would say- it's just tape.... well i was wrong to accuse because after looking at this website i have concluded that tape is in fact AWSOME! 

check out their blog also.

eggs

i think these could possibly be the best easter eggs i have ever seen! Martha sure knows her stuff!

more info see here.

kim parker

i used to say i always wanted a white room, but after seeing this i am thinking i would like just a touch of color! because this is beautiful.

found here

GIVE

1. Be one of the first FIVE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?! (you can make a request, but we'll have to see what happens!)

2. Winners must post this challenge on their blog, meaning that they will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first FIVE bloggers who leave a comment on their post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate pictures and comments! If you are not one of the Top Five Commenters on this post, you can still play along.Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! SO, REMEMBER…Pay it forward!

looked back and what did i see.....

so a while back i went to stake conference for my church and i turned to say something to Justin who was next to me and low and behold guess who was behind me..... DONNY!!! it was hopeless after that, there was no way i would be able to focus (trust me i tried!)... puppy love, joseph and the coat, he has a show currently in vegas... i MUST go......  ( just a few of my thoughts at the time)

O how i wish that i wasn't trying to be miss proper and polite. i should have done what i wanted to... which would have been:

DONNY I HEART YOU!!!! YOU ARE AMAZING! CAN I HAVE A PICTURE, TICKETS TO THE SHOW, YOU = LOVE....... 

but no, i was polite and respected his at home with the family time.... oh if i had a time machine.... and not with my boyfriend... 

i want to be french

watch this movie, and you will understand.... or maybe you won't and it is just me....

meet...

JUSTIN.

 we are dating...

 that means he is my boyfriend & i am his girlfriend! 

(trying to study like good little school children, but obviously getting a little bit distracted...)

(he doesn't know that i am so sneaky and take pictures....)

(70's FHE activity. As you can see, he went all out, and i just had to put on my real clothes-- weird i would have never said i was a 70's chick!) 

so my friends, that is justin! so now you know why i have been so distant lately.... ;) 

class picture

so i had a block class (intro to photo) anyways our teacher just sent us some of our "class photos"-- polaroid style) anyways it very much so made me miss all my peeps that i met/reunited with in this class! 

ps. my teacher is cool check out his stuff!

pps. i do miss it, BUT i still really like my extra hours in the week! 

inspiration

i love this image.... i feel a photo booth trip coming on :)

found here

katy

i had the privilege of taking pictures of this lovely lady the other day. As i am uploading the pictures i have come to the conclusion that i don't think i have ever met anyone so photogenic! can't wait to look through the rest of the photos!

pale

i think this photo is great! i love the soft classy colors! i love the overall "paleness". it makes  me feel little again. oh -- this is just great! 

oh i want warm weather

so i can wear  these!

my easter dress for this year! but i am going to need a slip....

and i just got this swimsuit for the summer,  but i am thinking it might need some modifications because it is lower then i thought.... but i just love it! i don't want to send it back! 

ballet part II

i think ballet is beautiful! OH how i wish i were a ballerina! for now, i will just photograph them :)

ballet part I

we tried to capture a leap over and over, but let's just say my skills are not quite good enough yet- but kylie was a trooper and kept leaping away! (don't worry we are going to try again, and we WILL get it)

dark room

these are some of my prints from the dark room so far...

high key prints

4th dimension time/scene

double exposure

another high key

harmony

first shoot/exposure practice

 one of my classes just ended, so hopefully i will be able to spend mucho more time in the dark room- because i still have a long way to go! but thankfully my next assignment is portraits! yay my favorite!

*p.s. i edited them some on my computer like for example changing them to  black and white  so that they actually look black and white. because for some reason when i scan them they look sepia tone. 

jlo knows

when i first saw these photos years ago my first thought was "ridiculous! this is not what parenthood is really like....." but now that i see them again i think they are great! i think being a parent can be like this at times- and even if not, they are still beautiful! i love how well they are coordinated and planned out, yet also seem like a "real" moment. one day i hope to have fake moment photos like these! 

ella laugh

 

ella has the most hilarious laugh, and luckily i finally caught it on video (thanks to technology and having my cell near by) anyways i thought i would share it!---and because brittany asked me to post it.... :)

hearts desire

i have never been in love, but recently i think i have come much closer.... i have been lucky enough to hold one of these babies, and let me tell you--- IT WAS LOVE! 

this is what my heart currently desires- yes you heard me correctly. my heart is in no need for a man, chocolate, sleep, a vacation.... but wants a hasselblad camera. 

so camera-- i have learned the secret  and i will now start envisioning you in my life :)

joy about

today was warm (60 degrees) and beautiful! it made me very happy!

-school wasn't even that bad- even though i forgot about a final and didn't have a final portfolio to turn in.... the weather and the happiness all about made everything ok. 

now i want (need)  spring to come sooner!

pretty

pink is beautiful

reading list

so right now i am wishing school wasn't so time consuming, that way i would have time to read these books! here is the to do reading list:

this book

this book

i am currently reading this book (thanks mamma and pappa for the b-day gift!) so far i'm liking it- it is very interesting! 

happy birthday mom

so what my mom wanted for her birthday, was for me to pass this note to NT boy. at first i was like "oh no big deal, great cheap gift (plus it's a total selfish gift because I wanted it, and my mom just wanted me to make it happen)... if he said no then it would have still been flattering for him at least... but when it came down to it, i thought i was going to die! i did not want to  be this bold. 

but i did it.

and he checked yes! 

it was incredibly awkward, but he handled it well- soft chuckle... it could be pity, but hey! i've got moxie!