Things are heating up around me. Literally. Like most of the United States, we're in the midst of a rather impressive heat wave. It makes outdoor activities unbearable. As a result, I am focusing my energy on indoor pursuits while trying to resist the desire to do nothing but sip cold beverages in front of the air conditioner! I am hoping that the appeal of piping practice will keep me from being a complete sloth. Fortunately, there are a couple of Cookie Connection activities to give me incentive to break out my piping bags, namely Watch-Learn-Create Challenge #57 (with an entry due date extended to August 4) and Julia's annual cookie art competition (with another week to finish entries).
We also have a delightful hot list* filled with inspiration. Let's take a look!
#1: Bella Birthday by Bakerloo Station (@Bakerloo Station's clean lines and perfect piping really make this set stand out.)
#2: Green Embossed Shimmer Snake by TAMMY HOLMES (@TAMMY HOLMES has given us the most elegant snake I have ever seen!)
#3: Mermaids! by Di Art Sweets (These cuties made Julia and me smile so much that we decided to feature them as this week's cover art. Plus, they sing "summer" loud and clear! Congratulations, @Di Art Sweets!)
#4: Roses by Gloriabakes (Incorporating the recipient's name into the stem is such a clever idea! Well done, @Gloriabakes.)
#5: New in Summer! by Di Art Sweets (This cheery summertime set is @Di Art Sweets second appearance this week. Brava!)
#6: Gold Wedding by Lola Willard (@Lola Willard's wedding collection is a shimmering display of texture and technique.)
#7: Paris Couture Cookies by Lorena Rodríguez (Magnifique and très chic, @Lorena Rodríguez!)
#8: Baby Nicole's Cookies by Silviya Mihailova (Such incredible details on @Silviya Mihailova's sweet set!)
#9: Bunnies in Blue by Teri Pringle Wood (First posted in 2016 for Easter no less, these blast-from-the-past cookies clearly have universal summertime appeal too. So charming, @Teri Pringle Wood!)
#10: Monarcas by Yazz Ross (This lovely set was the first submission in the current challenge; its creative use of royal icing transfers earned it a Spotlight position when it first appeared, and, not surprisingly, it's trending once again. Great work, @Yazz Ross!)
How's that for some summertime inspiration?! This week's hot list certainly has increased my motivation to put my indoor time to good use! Let's hope it lasts (and my lazier side doesn't win out 😂)! Wishing everyone a safe and joyful week!
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.
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Lisa Foss is a hobbyist cookie decorator. After careers in corporate communications and freelance writing, she focused her attention on the nonprofit sector. She spent more than a decade at various soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and prison reentry programs throughout New York City. Lisa’s cookie journey began in 2011 when she started making gingerbread houses. Though she enjoys making cookies for family and friends, Lisa’s main focus is cookies for charity.
For more information about Lisa and her work, please check out her Facebook and Instagram pages.
Byline photo credit: Shutterstock
Note: Saturday Spotlight is a weekly Cookie Connection blog feature written alternately by Lisa Foss and Julia M. Usher. Its primary intent is to cast a spotlight on the week's top-trending cookie posts, as determined automatically by the site algorithms described above. This article expresses the views of the author, and not necessarily those of this site, its owners, its administrators, or its employees. To see all of Cookie Connection's past Saturday Spotlights, click here.
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