Leann's First Communion

After months of planning and preparation Great-niece, Leann, made her First Holy Communion today.

She wore a dress adorned with flowers and her Godmother/Aunt Heather's veil.

Sisters .  .  .  Mary Grace, Megan and Leann .  .  .

Leann Rose, requested rose cookies for her party. . .

. . . doves, hearts and edible butterflies were added to the collection for this special day.

 Leann with her Godparents, Great-Uncle Matt and Aunt Heather.

Leann, Dad and Mom  .  .  .

It doesn't matter if she's all dressed up or wearing her casual clothes, Leann is one special girl!  Uncle Matt and I are so proud of you.

Love, Hugs and Cookies

for 

a very, special girl!

100 Years Young

Did you ever meet someone and know from that very first conversation that you were going to be great friends?  That's what happened when I met Ray. . .  my co-worker, my mentor, my friend.  Ray's life was brief but he touched the hearts of many.

Since Ray's passing,  I have tried to keep in touch with his family and his Dad and I have been "pen pals."  Mr C's hearing is not very good, so I write rather than call and send cookies when I can.

 This weekend, Matt and I traveled to Ohio to attend his 100th birthday celebration.

Many friends and family gathered for this special event and we were treated to a wonderful memoir of his life.  Mr. C told many tales, daughter Sarah took notes, and Grand-Daughter, Katie, designed the book. Here are just a few of the memorable photos that illustrated the story of his life.

Want to live to be 100?  Here is Mr. C's advice,  "I credit my big breakfast and my exercise bike for my still being here.  I now time myself and I go on the bike for 15 minutes, three times a day."

Congratulations on this amazing milestone.  May your special day be filled with sunshine, smiles, laughter and love.

Easter 2016

My Easter cookies this year were a bit of a departure from my usual "cute" designs, not a chubby bunny or carrot in sight!

Last year, when I hand cut some Stargazer Lily cookies, I really liked them but the shapes were a bit strange.  I opted to purchase a lily cutter and design "pretty" cookies for the family this year.

A few pastel bunnies and water color eggs with pearls and gold lustre dust completed the platter for our family dinner.

Of course, I couldn't completely abandon my preference for "cute" cookies, so I made some chick puzzles for the younger children.

The cookies were bagged and tagged with a verse to inspire their creativity.

Finally, I couldn't resist making a few of these adorable little lambs inspired by Mike at Semi-Sweet Designs.  Mike has a template available, however, since I do not have a Kopykake, I did them free hand.

Happy Easter!  Happy Spring! 

Meg's in the Spotlight

Let's shine the spotlight on my Great-niece, Meg--not to be confused with her cousin, Megan.

Meg is a musician, lover of books, Harry Potter fan and  . . .

Student of the Month!

Congratulations Meg,

You are a Star!

 

Willy Wonka

This weekend the "Friends of Thorp Scholastic Academy" will host their annual dinner and silent auction to benefit the school.  My niece, Jody, is an active volunteer and asked for my help to create a display to highlight the prize that was donated by a very generous teacher--dinner and laser tag for 4.  I just love the generosity of our teachers and parents!!!!!!

It has been a long time since I have seen the Willy Wonka movie, so I had to do some research to remember the characters.  Jody created the clever golden ticket which lists the prize and we eventually decided  a tower of cookies and candy would be a nice back drop for the special ticket.

Jody always creates amazing birthday parties for her children, and now  her skills are being used to create great celebrations for the school.  I keep telling her she could start a new career as a party planner.

  

Ready to Party!

No Buyer's Remorse For This One

Since so many cookie cutters in my collection have NEVER been used,  I always hesitate to buy new ones.  However, I am so happy I didn't pass up this bargain in the sale bin!  A cutter that I thought I might never use, has turned out to be one of my favorites.  With just a few simple cuts of the knife, it can be quite versatile.

I purchased it in 2013 and used it for Mary Grace's ice-cream themed birthday party. . . a vampire just for fun. . . a gal at the spa as part of a retirement collection. . .and now a mermaid.

 This one is definitely a keeper.



References:
Mermaid:   Flour Box Bakery
Vampire:    AliBee's Bake Shop

Let's Make A Splash for Leann's 8th Birthday

Great-niece, Leann, celebrated her eighth birthday with an indoor pool party and requested mermaid cookies for her friends.

Maybe I am sentimental, but I thought it was sweet that I was able to use the same cookie cutter that I used for big sister Mary Grace's eighth birthday party in 2013.

Love, hugs, and cookies 

to

the birthday girl, Leann,

and

her family!