Dino Birthday

I will say, I am in LOVE with these cutters.  I now have two awesome cutters, and these little guys were a hit at the birthday party they were ordered for:

Happy Monday!

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Hello Summer!

It has been way too long, but the good news is we survived the crazy-busy spring!! And as luck would have it, I made a decision that has already improved my life greatly. I bought a cookie projector!!!! I am SO EXCITED and I feel SO HIGH TECH!! The fact that we mounted it using a poster tube, shish-kabob skewer, and a clamp thanks to inspiration from Sweet Hope Cookies, is SO NOT high-tech, but it worked!! I cannot get over how cool and tiny this little projector is!

I had a request for some Texas A&M/Animal Science themed cookies, so I used my super awesome projector to get them done. I know that I will get better with practice, and I hope to use the projector to pipe actual words at some point, but for now, I think these are a good first attempt.


I took several pictures, but the lighting in this one is the best:


I feel so fancy with my little set-up:




I really love my new toy :)

Easter 2016

A late post is better than late cookies, at least that is what I keep telling myself. Do you ever get that feeling in life (at home, at work, or any other aspect) that you are on speeding bus? And the wheels aren't just coming off, two of them have perished in flames, and you are skidding sideways...and the bus just. won't. slow. down. No? No one? 

Well it's spring and work is nuts, travel is ludicrous, I have a new back injury I'm trying to figure out how to manage without going insane, and well, It feels like the runaway bus is on fire. Engulfed. But, spring becomes summer, and we all get our life back, just in time for the pretty weather to also turn to flames....okay that's enough, things are getting depressing.

Happy cookies = happy thoughts. Although these started and ended like our bus, I only took pictures of the ones that turned out right.....maybe if I EVER try the other design again, I'll share. Maybe. The upside is, some good cookies happened despite all things chaos, right?!

I hope your bus is slower than mine, enjoy spring while we have it. 😁

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St. Patrick's Day 2016 ☘

Well. Life has been off of the rails, I don't even know where to start, so I won't. You can just trust me. Anyway, there was a challenge of sorts to find a way to squeeze some cookies in. And since I ordered special stencils for both St. Patty's and Easter, well, I had to make it happen.

Disclosure. I had two stencils I bought and a freebie that came with my order for SPD, I tried two and only one was a success. Maybe user error, maybe not, jury is out.

I also bought scrapbook paper on sale for 14¢ at Michaels in an attempt to look more professional. So here we go:

My normal photo job:

My new and improved photos:

Happy Spring!

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A Peanuts Christmas

The post may be late, but cookie project 3 of 3 actually got done, and on time.  Sadly, I didn't get any decent shots of them on platters, so these will have to do.

Happy New Year!

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PYO Christmas Cookies

You don't know what PYO means? Ha. All the cool kids do. Sorry, that was rude. 

PYO = Paint Your Own

Around Thanksgiving I saw a post from the Bearfoot Baker on PYO Turkey Cookies.  So, like everything else, I decided I could/should do that too. Which turned into, "Hey, wouldn't all of the children in my life love those instead of toys? Yes. Let's make 9 million."

So the research began. I found stencils, and went to town. Between these and the Birthday Deer cookies, I have learned that stencils and I should have become friends a long, long time ago. So easy, and SO CUTE.

The hardest part was mastering the paint palette cookies, which, so we are clear, are made with food coloring so all of these are edible.  I did have a stencil for the "paints" but I just made a bigger mess than necessary. In exchange for plan A, I decided to hand-dab the colors on with tiny little sponges from Michael's.  

I would also like to mention that because I live in a humid climate, color bleed is always a viable concern here. And to be honest, I usually avoid cookies that require any kind of dark on light because they always bleed. Enter, the fan.  I now have a little fan on the table where drying cookies sit, and what do you know, no bleed.  I also painted a couple of these as a test, and they worked pretty well.

Deer Birthday

Do you know what I would really love? The ability to take decent pictures. Here is the thing, this blog is totally my fault, although it wasn't really my idea, it serves as a great place for me to catalog the cookies I have made. You know, for reflection, or sentimental value, or something...I guess.

Anyway, when I was teaching myself how to make cookies, the fabulous bloggers that have taught me everything I know about cookies, have also taught me something else. To have an attractive blog, you need to be a photographer. With lights and plates, and cake stands, and props, and backdrops.....it is exhausting. I mean, I assume it is since it looks awesome and I don't do it, or have any of those things.

What do you all get? Skewed colors, views of my kitchen/dining room, bad lighting, all captured on my trusty iPhone.  Now. Could I build a little lighting unit? Yes. Could I buy a Nikon 40862435XFS, or whatever? Yes. I could also buy backdrops and who knows what else.  I consider it a win when I take pictures of cookies on a white plate when the sun is up. And we are just going to have to stick to that.

Now. Two things have happened, but I can post them separately. First. Travis turned 4. The party themed with all things deer, and I wish I had more photos because Cyndy always has the best props.  But the cookies, while starting their life in a horrible fashion due to an icing color malfunction, ended their life looking pretty good.  The wood grain effect is not as visible as I had hoped, but all things considered, I am pleased (and in love with that shade of blue).