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Fabric Inspired Cookies

Posted by melissa on Jun 29, 2012 in Blog, Cookies | 11 comments

Fabric Inspired Cookies

Simply Sweets by Honeybee and Ellie’s Bites Decorated Cookies threw out a challenge for the month of June to create fabric inspired cookies. Today is June 29th and I am making it in by the skin of teeth. Wait, hold on. Can someone explain that to me? Skin of your teeth. My teeth don’t have any skin. Anyways, back to what you are really interested in: cookies! This challenge was so timely for me. Sometimes as a decorator you run out of gas creatively. The month of June was that for me. Maybe it is the dreadful tempertures in Arizona but I hit the wall.  Throughout the month of June, I scouted out different fabrics but it wasn’t until Saturday when I happened upon a sale at Sur La Table, and the CUTEST apron was on sale. I included the link if you want one too. This apron had my mind spinning on how to transform this fabric into a cookie.

I am sucker for all things vintage. I love the look, the textures, and the layers that come with old looking things.  When I decorate cookies I always like to take my inspirations and make them my own. It reminds me of my favorite movie, Finding Forrester, with Sean Connery. Besides getting to listen to that awesome Scottish accent for 2 hours it is such a rich movie. Sean Connery, plays a famous writer who becomes a mentor to a gifted young man. Sean Connery, helps the young writer find his own voice by starting with a few of his words.

Sometimes that is just the push you need. That is what so many people have done for me. A little inspiration, inspired by someone else, to help you create something of your own.

I love damask prints. They have such a rich look to them.

The mustard yellow and grey compliment each other.

The bottom part of the apron with mustard stitching I decided to turn grey.

Wonder what that missing icing look is up in the right hand corner of the picture? Have you ever seen an old building in Europe and the paint is missing? I love doing that when creating damask stencil cookies. I like to give it that rustic, old, look even though I can assure the cookie is 100% fresh.

Don’t you just love those pockets? I have to tell you it just makes you feel pretty cooking with this apron on!

I got to this fabric inspired cookie last night, and paused. The border of the apron seems so random.

Red and grey flowers with green branches? It didn’t seem to go. Sort of out of place.

Last but not least of my fabric inspired cookies. A damask ruffled cake cookie.

I decided to take the ivory ruffles and switch it around. Ivory for the back drop of the cookie

and mustard yellow for the ruffles.

At first I love it.

Then I hated it.

I thought about tossing it and starting over again.

But then I thought, why?

Thank you to Melissa, Simply Sweets by Honeybee and Stephanie from Ellie’s Bites for the fabric inspired cookie challenge. Last night was the first time I have just sat down and made some cookies for FUN!

Do you have a fabric inspired cookie? Go post it over at the linky party.

Summer Vacation Cookies

Posted by melissa on Jun 25, 2012 in Blog, Cookies, Uncategorized | 4 comments

Who doesn’t love summer vacation? I love summer vacation but there is something a little sweeter about summer vacation cookies. Awhile back, Brandy, from Sparkling Sugar Sweets, asked me to create some cookies based on my favorite summer vacation. Finally, a topic that is a no brainer for me. When I create cookies, I often over think. The amount of time I spend planning cookie sets may be like some wedding planning. Well, maybe not that time consuming.

In the summer for a week or two, my family would escape to Solana Beach, California. Solana Beach is located on the cliffs of San Diego. Our friend’s condo was right on the beach and from the balcony you could sit and watch the waves the roll in and the dolphins out in the distance. Perfect, right? It would be perfect except for that 80′s hair.

The best part about our family vacation’s was the memories we made. From packing the Buick Regal to the gills with all our boogie boards to game nights playing pounce til the wee hours of the morning. Pounce is a fun, fast, furious, and LOUD card game if you are playing with my family. Summer vacation was a time for our family to relax. The school year was always packed for me since I played volleyball year round travelling to tournaments and games.

There is something about the ocean. I was not one of the girls you would find stuck on her towel for hours flipping at just the right time. I kid you not, there are girls that would set a timer to know the perfect time to flip. Not me. You would either find me in the water or out playing volleyball. I may have not had a perfectly even tan, but I sure did have fun.

 My parents often times would let my brother and I bring a friend with us to the beach. I brought my volleyball buddy with me. We would pepper for hours. Peppering is when two players bump, set and spike with one another. Now, I must admit playing in the ocean and volleyball was not my only delight. At that age, I was a little boy crazy and San Diego beaches are filled with surfers. There is just something about blonde, sandy boys in a wetsuit.

What is your favorite summer vacation memory? If you were going to make summer vacation cookies, what would you make? Hop over to some of my friend’s sites and see their favorite summer vacation cookies. You will get to travel so many different place. From beaches on opposite coasts, a cottage and of course how could you leave out Mickey Mouse. Enjoy!

• Sparkling Sugar Sweets
• Trilogy Edibles
• Sweet C’s Bakeshop
• Sweet Williams Cookies
• Created By Diane
• Nat’s Sweets

Father’s Day Cookies

Posted by melissa on Jun 15, 2012 in Blog, Cookies, Uncategorized | 19 comments

Father’s Day Cookies

Today on the blog I have invited a guest to do a special post for Father’s Day. It is none other than my son, Jude. During the summer we work on different projects. This summer Jude is working on his writing skills. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity by having him develop a post for Father’s Day. I mean, it’s not husband’s day, right? I think the best gifts are the one’s that kids get involved with. So, without further ado, I am handing over  the keyboard to Jude.

Every year when Father’s Day comes around my Dad and I always do something fun together. Last year I took my dad to the movies and this year I designed a set of cookies based on his favorite things. Making cookies is fun and can be pretty easy if you keep things simple. Getting my mom to relinquish control over the cookies was a hard task, but I prevailed. Now maybe she will let me push the cart at the grocery store.

My Dad’s favorite things:  basketball, butterscotch chips and running.

 I love to spray paint stuff, or as you baker’s call it “airbrushing”.

It is my favorite baking tool that my mom owns. Except for her baking ninja knives. (AKA offset spatulas)

Airbrushing makes decorating cookies much easier for me. I don’t think I could flood and fill as my mom does.

 After the airbrush color dries then I used Americolor Edible Markers to draw in the lines.

If you don’t have an airbrush you can always color a plain cookie orange.

 Next up my butterscotch chip cookie. I decided to draw a large chip in orange to resemble a butterscotch chip.

Then I outlined the cookie with real butterscotch chips and attached them with sugar glue.

My dad loves butterscotch chips. If you listen carefully during the evening you will hear him rummaging

through our pantry for chips. Now of course he does not steal chips before washing his hands first.

My mother tires of us in her chips, so now we have our own separate bin.

The butterscotch cookie was my favorite to make because I got to enjoy eating chips while mom wasn’t looking!

 Last but not least my dad loves to run. Love would be an understatement.

I think my dad could give Usain Bolt a run for his money.

Now, my dad wears special shoes. For the last 14 years he will only wear one type of running shoe.

 All I can say is I wish I had a KopyKake projector in my art class this year.

I stink at drawing but it’s amazing what this little machine can help you do!

 Thanks for letting me share my Father’s Day cookies with you!

Don’t be afraid to let your kids get dirty and decorate some cookies.

There are so many fun things you can do with edible markers.

 I also learned it’s fun to play tricks on the “food” photographer.

Okay, okay. I will stop messing around and smile appropriately for the food paparazzi.

We hope you enjoy your Father’s Day with your family!