As you probably know, Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™ returns to its usual in-person format at That Takes the Cake Show (TTTC) in Round Rock, Texas on March 31, 2023. I am super excited to finally see sponsors and competitors in the flesh! If you read this sponsor shout-out from me last year, what follows will feel a lot like...
I am celebrating winter with a 3-D winter wonderland tree cookie, and I hope you'll come celebrate with me! This 3-D project doesn’t require any icing "glue" to stand, so it's more like a 3-D cookie platter. The concept behind its construction is similar to that of mug-hugger cookies, which are . . .
Like so many others, I’m smitten with the golden and crimson hues of autumn leaves. But they shouldn’t get all the love. On close inspection, the leaves of each season have their own unique beauty...
If you're like me and sad to see Christmas come and go so swiftly, then take a moment to relive it with this belated Saturday Spotlight! This hot list features the...
Wow! I know, my 2022 competition was just put to bed, but we’re already on to the next one! Because my competition returns to an in-person format at That Takes the Cake Show at the end of March, planning your entries can’t start soon enough...
Yes, you read that right - I'm running two days late on the Spotlight. I am so sorry, but one thing has led to another lately. Painters were here a week ago, which triggered a break in our old roof. The roofers came and replaced our roof, but messed up the...
It’s the end of November, which means that it's time to share a Christmas tree-themed tutorial! [EDITOR'S NOTE: Apologies to Manu for my delayed posting - it's now early December! However, there's still plenty of time to enjoy this tutorial, and even make this fabulous project! ~ JMU] To kick off, I am posting pictures of the Christmas cookie tutorials that I have shared over the past several years here on Cookie Connection...
At long last, it's the time so many of you have been waiting for - the grand winner reveal in the second virtual edition of Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™! But, wait! What happened to the finalist announcement, you ask?! Good question. A few weeks ago, I posted a notice to this site that answered this question quite fully. If you missed it, it said..
Hi, all! I know many of you are eagerly awaiting the winner announcement for Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™ that was tentatively slated for today, November 30. I am writing to let you know that the announcement will likely come in a few days, possibly into early next week...
The holidays are right around the corner, and I’m feeling mixed emotions. On the one hand, I have all of the joyful anticipation of family gatherings and delicious food. On the other hand, there’s the shopping. In real life, I haven’t even started. But in my cookie fantasies, everyone wants a...
Hi, everyone! First, I apologize for the skipped Spotlight (last week) and the delayed one (this week). It was the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US and so I decided to take off from work to be with family, to recover from my mother's move to St. Louis the week prior, and to do some things (besides cookie decorating) that I like to do. I hope that all of you who celebrate...
Hi, all! If you've been keeping an eye on the schedule for the 2022 virtual edition of Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™, you've probably been waiting with bated breath for the finalist reveal originally slated for today, November 18. If so, read on, as I have an important update for you related to the determination and announcement of winners...
Scandinavian-style Christmas trees! I’m back with another early Christmas gift – my third stencil-cutter-video kit in my new Kitchen Club Collection, designed in partnership with Confection Couture Stencils! I dare say that this kit might just be my favorite so far. It’s super easy to stencil; the stencils look great with a minimum of colors; and...
I've had weeks and weeks of change and uncertainty, which show limited signs of abating. On Thursday, after months of preparation, my mom moved out of our family home of 50-plus years and across the country to live closer to me. While she was readying her 1790s house for sale on her end (read: correcting lots of deferred maintenance), I was...
When I was younger, my sister and I used to scramble to grab the newspaper to read our horoscopes. I’m a Virgo. My horoscope was always predictably mundane - “Today you will clean the house . . .” or something equally boring. The symbol for my zodiac sign is a...
