Thursday, August 22, 2013

You Gotta Have Friends


When I was a little girl, my parents enrolled my sisters and me in swimming lessons.  I wanted to learn and I really, really tried.  However,  when I took my glasses off, my poor vision made the pool a scary place and I never mastered the skill.

Now many, many, many years later, thanks to Lasik surgery and goggles, I was willing to give swimming another try.  My friend, Kathy, and I signed up for an adult swim class at the community college, aptly titled, "Face Your Fears, Learn to Swim." 

In honor of our recent adventure,  I made this collection of cookies for her birthday.

I included a card that said: 

We're certainly beyond the bikini stage of our lives . . .









 

and we may never be able to swim like a fish. . .










                             . . .  or be as graceful as a duck,







 . . .  or dive like a dolphin,






       . . . and we will NEVER survive a shark attack,





                                            
 but as long as we wear our goggles,




 
and keep our flotation devices nearby, at least we're no longer afraid to jump in the pool!
















Happy birthday my friend, I always have a "whale" of a good time with you!




                            P.S.  Don't forget the sunscreen!



Thanks to the following bloggers for design inspiration:

Shark:         SweetSugarBelle
Whale:        SweetSugarBelle
Swim Fin:   Sweet Creations By Debbie

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Special Thoughts at a Difficult Time



Some people wonder why I spend hours making cookies when I could do so many other things with my time.  I can not explain it any better than this blog post written by a dear friend in response to a package that I sent to her last summer:

Cookies cannot cure cancer, but that package from Diane reminded me why we make cookies.  Those cute little shapes, the cheerful colors, the soft bite into the cookie, and the dissolving of icing let me escape from life-changing challenges and remember the peace and joy which has blessed our lives.
http://carrollscookies.blogspot.com/2012_08_01_archive.html 


If my time and effort brought a little comfort to Donna last summer, I am hoping that this collection will do the same for another family facing the serious illnss of a loved one.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Sometimes Simple Says It Best

Donna, my friend and former co-worker, started decorating sugar cookies in 2009 and became my first "cookie friend."  She staged great photos of her cookies and introduced me to the networking of cookie decorators via FLICKR and Facebook. Recently, Donna has been on a sabbatical from the cookie world.  She is enjoying golf more and time in the kitchen less.  I suspect as the weather grows colder she will return to baking for her family and friends, but until then I'm sending some cookies to my "cookie friend." 

During the last year simple star cookies took on a special meaning for us, but sometimes simple says it best.  So, simple but SPECIAL stars and hearts for a very special friend.


http://mycookiefriend.blogspot.com/2012/09/special-stars-for-special-friend.html

http://carrollscookies.blogspot.com/2012/12/star-light-star-bright.html

Monday, August 5, 2013

Welcome to the USA


 Twenty years ago, I participated in a two year, cohort, graduate school program and developed a strong friendship with another member of the group.  Jodi was a young teacher in the process of finishing graduate school, planning a wedding and preparing to move to Cyprus with her new husband.  After nineteen years of living and working abroad, they are returning to the USA with their three teenagers and a dog.

I made an eclectic collection of cookies as a welcome gift, took pictures of them and created a card that said:





As you leave the beautiful 
beaches of island life behind,




keep Cyprus in your heart,





 



as you embrace the journey 
of your new life in the
United States.
Welcome to your new home,




and GO GRENS!



You can learn more about the Gren(adiers) here.

The Grenadier--An Unusual School Mascot

 The Grenadier, a brave, French soldier, is the mascot of the high school where I worked for 25 years.  Yes, there are Elks in the village, but the animal is the mascot of Grove Junior High which  opened prior to the high school.  As a result, an unusual mascot for the secondary school.

Three years ago when I retired from Elk Grove High School, I packaged dozens of cookies as farewell gifts to my co-workers.  My first design idea was to make the school mascot, however, it was a busy time so I opted for an easier design.

This summer I finally had the opportunity to create the Grenadier in cookie form. I have given them to:

-a former colleague who retired,

-a former colleague who recently became the Principal of the school,

and

-some children that will be new students at the school.

Turns out this guy really wasn't that hard to make once I realized what cutter to use--candy corn did the trick!

To see another version of the Gren check out my cookie friend and former colleague, Donna's photos.  She made her version of the Grenadier for her class reunion and she is a very creative photographer.



Go Grens!

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Happy 65th Anniversary to Mom and Dad



Simple hearts and flowers, a few cakes on a stand and vintage cars that were fun to make thanks to Lila Loa's fantastic tutorial.

Happy 65th Anniversary to my wonderful parents, I am truly blessed to have you in my life.