FeaturedSaturday Spotlight - This Week's Hot List!

Saturday Spotlight: Top 10 Cookies

Julia M. Usher 5/24/2411:23 PM

Hi, all! I am up in Maine for a few days at my home-away-from-home, trying to get some much-needed R&R. My springtime class schedule and contract renegotiation with my stencil partner (which spanned from December until now!) were utterly exhausting, and all I've wanted to do lately is curl up in a ball and sleep for a long while. Fortunately, being here has proved to be just what the doctor ordered. There's nothing more invigorating than witnessing the emergence of spring for a second time (my tulips are long gone in Missouri, but just coming into their prime here)! How wonderful too that my 300 newly planted tulips, which run the full length of one side of the house, were spared by the neighborhood deer!

I'm hoping my own professional reinvention and rebirth will be as fruitful as the renewal taking place in my Maine garden. While my stencil line is on pause for the foreseeable future, I am already nurturing the seeds of some new opportunities, so I am optimistic . . .

As it so happens, I'm not the only one here on Cookie Connection focused on new beginnings. If there is a theme to this week's Spotlight, it is just that. Our hot list* features what must be record-number of baby shower sets, some gorgeous springtime flowers, and a set that marks an emotional transition for one of our members.

Congrats to all of this week's honorees. I thank you for contributing so beautifully to the site this week. And, to those of you who honor Memorial Day, please have a lovely holiday weekend with your family and friends!

#1: Axos and Dinos by Treatfairy

#2: Mother's Day Cookie Card by Cláudia Dmytriw Pichek

#3: What's the Scoop? by Sweet Sophia's

#4: Monarcas by Yazz Ross [EDITOR'S NOTE: A special shout-out to Yazz for being the first entrant in Manu's stenciled royal icing transfer challenge! I love the whole set, but especially her butterfly interpretation of Manu's techniques. @Manu biscotti decorati and I can't wait to see the rest of your challenge entries, so check out the rules behind the previous pink link! Nudge, nudge! 😀 ~JMU]

#5: Spring Wreath! by Di Art Sweets [EDITOR'S NOTE: @Di Art Sweets' stunning photo captured my heart, earning this splendid springtime set our coveted cover spot. Extra congrats, Di Art Sweets! ~JMU]

#6: Cute Baby Shower Cookies by Alison Friedli

#7: My Dental Journey! by Lola Willard

#8: Peruvian Cookies by lulubakes

#9: Piano Recital 2024 by Cookies Fantastique [EDITOR'S NOTE: Kudos to Carol of @Cookies Fantastique for having this set featured two weeks in a row! ~JMU]

#10: Mother's Day by Lola Willard [EDITOR'S NOTE: And congrats to @Lola Willard for two mentions this week! Way to go, Lola! ~JMU]

Again, have a great weekend, everyone! I'm off to bed now (my body is still craving more ZZZZ's) so I'll get badges out to everyone tomorrow (Saturday). Stay tuned for the associated social media postings then too.

* As a reminder, a word about how the rankings are determined: The rankings are not at all subjective. In fact, they are determined essentially by you, our members, and the activity (number of views, likes, and comments) you've bestowed on each photo. The site uses a top-secret algorithm that weighs these various factors to determine which photos are trending most quickly (i.e., are the "hottest") over specified periods of time. As such, the hot list at the time of this announcement may look a little different a few hours or a day from now as more photos are added to the site.

So that no one has an unfair advantage in making it onto a hot list, the algorithm is secret even to site administrators. Only our platform developers know the code, which has been exhaustively tested by those developers and Cookie Connection staff.

All photos shown here are the courtesy (and copyright) of the designers listed.

To check out our other hot lists, at any time of day, visit our Hot Spot, also found in the site's main navigation line.