Rita's Retirement

If my sister, Rita, was alive during World War II, this famous icon might have been "Rita the Riveter" instead of "Rosie."  Both personally and professionally, she has lived her life with passion, commitment and courage.

We Can Do it?  RITA CAN!         

- Can a young Mom plan a budget for her family so that 3 children can attend private school from kindergarten through college and not have any  student loans when they graduate?  She did it!

-Can you spend six months recovering from a stroke, then return to work full time?  She did it!

-Can you organize your community and raise enough money to keep your local parochial school open when the Archdiocese of Chicago announces that it will be closed?  She did it!

-Can you change careers when many people are facing a mid-life crisis?  She did it!

Now, after twenty-one years of dedication to her job as the Chief of Staff for the 38th Ward of Chicago, Rita is retiring.

Knowing my sister, it will only be a few days before she re-directs her energy into new causes.  Therefore,  I have created a  "retirement to do" list for her.

1.  Take pride in your career and cherish the memories.

2.   Relax at a spa as a gift from Matt and Diane.

3.  Clean out your closest to make room for casual clothes.

4.  Slow down!  Learn how to stop and smell the roses.

 

   

 

To my wonderful sister,  

you are 

Retired & Admired.

Congratulations!

A Versatile Cookie Cutter

Last summer I found this cutter on sale and although it is much larger than the cookies I usually make, "cookie cutter" + "70% off" was too good to pass up.   As it turns out, I am discovering that it is quite versatile.

I am "cookie cutter challenged" when I look at a cutter, I usually only see one use for it.

It made a nice ice cream sundae for my niece's birthday party last summer.









Then, Ali B inspired me to make it into a Vampire.

This week, I made Spa cookies for the first time, and with a few quick cuts, this was the perfect cutter.

Elliot's 4th Birthday

While creating Lightening McQueen cookies for great-nephew Elliot's 4th birthday, I kept hearing Bette Midler singing, "You Got to Have Friends," because the designs for these cookies were totally inspired by my "cookie friends."

Last summer, I used LilaLoa's tutorial to create vintage car cookies for anniversaries and a wedding rehearsal.  Then, Donna, my "Sugar Sister," used Lila's tutorial to create Lightening for her grandson's 3rd birthday.

Thus, when Elliot asked for this design for his birthday, I did not have to do any brainstorming to create this set.  This is the fourth year in a row that character cookies have been requested for his birthday, and I am no longer intimidated by the idea!

After a week of multiple birthday celebrations, Elliot's Mom posted this comment on his CarePage:


Chuck E Cheese parties, barbecues, bowling, and ice cream cake are just some of the festivities this lucky boy gets in his honor. And a lucky boy he is. We looked at his Care Page pictures on his birthday eve. He looked right past the IVs , CPAPs, and jaundice and recognized the faces of the people who came to see him in the hospital and continue to be there for him today. The IVs, CPAPs, jaundice and then some were not lost on me. Our boy is so blessed to have made it through all of that to become the kid he is today.

Elliot with Mom

Elliot(r) with cousin, MaryGrace, and Great-Uncle Mat

t

Happy Birthday to 

my little buddy!

New Home

 

Sending cookies and good wishes to family members who are moving into a new home.  I included a card that said:

May the flowers and birds 

in your beautiful garden bring you joy,

 and may your new home on Maple Street 

always be filled with love.

Thanks to Mike at SemiSweetDesigns for the adirondack chair design.  Since I do not have a Kopycake projector, I traced the template to complete the design.

Summer Kick-Off

Since my new philosophy is, "it's just a cookie," whenever possible I am trying to keep it simple.

Bright colors, a flower, and a bow are all that's needed for some summer fun.