Brave

These cookies have a back story. I was roaming Target the Friday before Easter. I was trying to find the perfect gifts to put in an Easter basket for Joe. After loading up on some candy and a basket I thought maybe I should get him a little something extra. I found myself wondering among the DVD's when I saw a bunch of Disney movies on sale for the Easter weekend. I knew right away what I was going to get Joe... Lion King on blu-ray. Just happened to be the diamond edition... no biggie... I'm an awesome girlfriend. Besides that, however, there were so many other movies I saw that I wanted. I don't care how old you are, you still have GOT to love Disney. I held Tangled and Brave in my hands for at least 10 minutes contemplating on whether it was worth it to buy them in blu-ray or not. Then, I did what only I would do... and I just put them down because I couldn't decide. That's right, I'm the type of person that just gives up if I'm at a crossroads and don't know what to pick.

I regretted that decision for two weeks.....

Then I found myself at Target once more buying a few groceries before going home and I decided to check the DVD's just in case the movies were still decently priced. They were! Only $2 more than they had been on Easter weekend. This time I didn't think twice, I plucked them off the shelf and brought those suckers home.

Now, it's been a long time since I've been inspired enough by something to make cookies... but this time I knew it was time! I spent hours researching pictures online to come up with the perfect combination. I have never seen Brave cookies done before, so I had no preconceived notions of what they should look like (it was kind of a blessing). After all that work... these are what came about.

I was super thankful for my foot markers. After today I decided I'm going to try to utilize them more often to make less work out of cookies that can still look fantastic. It's SO much easier to do tiny details like facial features with a marker. I tried piping on the details and, well, lets just say Joe got to eat that cookie.

Tractor Cookies

My cousin, Daren, was always my P.I.C. when I was young (Mom, that means "Partner In Crime".) It's been a long time since he has taken me "pig fishing" with corn stalks until my aunt caught us and made us stop or since we swam in his pool that always had brown water...but I never cared. Hey, that's what happens when you have a pool on a farm! We have both grown up a lot. I'm living in New Mexico with Joe and he is doing his very successful farming thing back home. Daren has probably had to grow up more than I have though. That's what happens when you have a sweet baby like Addyson! Daren and his girlfriend Kali celebrated their daughter, Addyson's, first birthday this month. Kali asked me to do a farming themed cookie bunch with pink tractors and cream colored ponies. I was pretty thrilled about it. Anything pink and I'm in. Coincidentally enough, Joe's grandma had also asked me to do horse themed cookies for her daughter's birthday so I had plenty of ideas flowing already and a very cute pony already picked out!
 

Addyson's Cookies

 Barb's Cookies (Joe's Aunt)

 I have been pretty busy since the start of the year with cookie orders! It's been great, but it leaves little time for blogging. I also started personal training at a gym that I just joined... and this high altitude makes a HUGE difference on a girl's workout! Between work, working out, and actually making the cookies... I hardly have enough time to even take pictures of them before shipping them off. Not that I'm complaining.... I still have nights where I can just relax and enjoy "me" time. Like tonight. Here are a couple other cookies that I did this month that are new that I just didn't have the time or energy to put up!

Avenger's themed T-Shirts

 Golf Cookies for Joe's dad, Mike!

Piggy Cookies

I got this great idea ... once again... from Sugarbelle. She is so creative and can see cookies in a way I hope to eventually be able to. Just guess what cutter this pig came from?! Hint... it's another animal (or to be more specific amphibean).

The nose and skin came from the same gel color, one just has more added. 

Africa Adoption Cookies

In my "teacher" days (which hopefully aren't officially over) I had the pleasure of working with and for the MOST wonderful families you could think of. I know every teacher says this about their students and their parents, but they still hold a very special place in my heart. When I go to bed at night I sometimes dream about being a teacher again and seeing all my students. I miss so many of them, and even many of their parents. It can be a stressful job, but now that I'm not doing it anymore I understand what they say when teachers express the "fulfillment" they get out of it. Considering my new military "wifey" lifestyle, I don't know if teaching is a reasonable goal for me anymore. Only time will tell.

But this is what I am really getting at... two of my students have absolutely wonderful families that are so full of love, they are spreading the love worldwide. They are each in the process of adopting from Africa. I have made cookies for their fundraiser to help raise money for the very pricey process. If you would like to donate please go to the blogs below. One is for the Veach family and one is for the Kiley family. Knowing them personally and being around each of their little boys daily for two years... I can say without a doubt that their new family members are going to be so blessed.

 

kileyfamilyadoption.blogspot.com

myloveinuganda.blogspot.com

Golden Girls Cookies

February 24th is my very good friend, Lauren's, birthday. Lauren and Marin have been my friends since the 8th grade.... about 14 years and counting. These ladies know everything about me and at times know me better than I think I know myself. Because of this they belong to a small, elite group of those who I consider to be the most important and influential people in my life. I had the time the time this month to get creative and I though.."perfect opportunity to do something for Lauren's birthday!" so I put my thinking cap on and thought... and thought... and thought. It took me a couple of days of trying to find inspiration and brainstorming what would represent her the most. Then, it hit me.

THE GOLDEN GIRLS.

Lauren and I share a rare but deep love for the show The Golden Girls. We used to sit in my bed and eat junk food, gossip, and laugh hysterically at those old birds.  We even came to the conclusion that if any of the girls represented us then she would be Sophia and I would be.... Dorothy. I wasn't exactly thrilled at that conclusion. We also decided Marin would be Blanche.

I fired up my PC and started searching for Golden Girls images. I finally stumbled upon a real gem of a caricature of the four ladies. With a little imagination and a little help of my copy kake projector.. this is what emerged....

 

The lady is obviously Sophia (Lauren's alter ego) and the purse represents the little woven purse she ALWAYS carries around on the show. The palm tree to represent Florida where they live and "Stay Golden" because no matter how many birthdays Lauren has... she will always be golden in my eyes... and there you have it. 

I already have ideas for Marin's birthday, but I don't think I can wait until November to make them, so she may be getting 1/2 birthday cookies :)

Calvin and Hobbes Cookies (Well Just Calvin)

My older brother, Jason, is a huge Calvin and Hobbes fan. He is not one to collect things, so I guess my mom and I have taken it upon ourselves to start collections for him. He's also not in to decorating... or buying his own clothes. Deb and I take care of that stuff for him. Because of this over the past couple years he has accumulated a few Calvin and Hobbes items because we know it's something he is sure to like. For Christmas mom made him a great display with a snowman swimming away from sharks. If you are in to Calvin and Hobbes you already know that their "thing" is building grotesque snowmen. I knew once I was inspired on Pinterest by some Calvin and Hobbes themed cookies that I had to make them for him. He's not really in to cookies.. sugar cookies anyway.. so I figured he could just use them as a means to get more popular at work.

Valentine Conversational Heart Cookies

I couldn't wait to make some fancy Valentine cookies this year. However, when it came down to work and orders I decided to keep it simple. CUTE and simple, of course. So I decided to mass produce conversational heart cookies for Valentine's day. I ended up making 6 dozen. For those of you who aren't math wizards, that's 72 cookies! These cookies went to Iowa, Florida, D.C., and Virginia. My cookies get around..... :) I had done these cookies once before as a trial but I hated them because my lettering wasn't centered or sized correctly... not to mention it was a little crooked. *sigh* I love my KopyKake Projector. I made 6 colors for hearts and piped them all with red icing using a #2 tip.