I kid you not, it feels a little frivolous to be promoting stencils right now. But, on the other hand, if they're cheery and bring people joy, especially at this uncertain time, then perhaps it's just fine. The truth is...
I knew the year 2020 would be one of change and challenge for me personally, but I think I speak for all of us when I say that no one could have predicted where we all would be just three months into the new year. Y'all, I can't deny that my heart is heavy...
As you may know from my recent forum post , I was as surprised as you all by yesterday's site upgrade. (Somehow the advance notices about it never made it to my inbox, or I would have warned you.) Anywho . . . since the upgrade, I've been running around, testing the various changes and figuring out which ones most impact you, so I could give you this update. In short, lots of small (and a few big) things changed, but essentially only two changes really impact you. They are: 1. Reactions...
Hi, all! Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic and associated health worries, event cancellations, and general world chaos have thrown a number of our lives out of whack. My March, April, and May went from...
Easter has been one of my favorite holidays since I was a child. I remember how my sisters and I would spend hours drawing designs on cooked eggs with crayons before carefully dipping them into little cups of dye. Once we had amassed dozens of brightly colored eggs, the treasure hunts would begin. We’d...
Continuing in my tradition of years past, I am about to share, all in one place, ALL of the CookieCon 2020 Sugar Show winners! How fab is that?! First, a huge thanks to Karen and Mike Summers, CookieCon founders and organizers extraordinaire, for helping to make this post happen. Each year, like clockwork, while they're still reeling in the aftermath of the show, they...
This cookie swing project has been sitting in my mind for a long time, mostly because I was looking for a way to make it completely food-safe, if not edible. I imagined it as a centerpiece or a cake topper. But I couldn't come up with an easy way to make an edible crossbar and swing chains, so I ultimately resorted to...
My husband and I planted nearly 400 tulip and daffodil bulbs last fall, and, with temperatures in the fifties for the last few days, the first of them are beginning to emerge! (Proof below.) I'm so excited for spring to arrive, I could almost sing about it! On second thought...
Wow, what fickle people we cookiers are! A couple of days ago, even before Valentine's Day had passed, chicks and spring flowers were beginning to lure us away from hearts, Cupids, and other love-themed sets. Or maybe it was just the sudden cold snap that turned us on to warmer, springier motifs? (It was 6°F here yesterday! Yikes!)...
I’ve always had a love of blue and white china. The patterns are classically beautiful but with a striking contrast that makes me want to look closer. Recently, I came across this blue and white dinner plate. With its large-scale flowers, it felt like a...
Hi, all! I'm fresh off a flight from Maine, where I was checking on my two-plus-year-long home renovation (yikes!), so I will keep this Spotlight very brief out of necessity for sleep...
Cookie Connection old-timers may recall that, back in April 2016, I announced the founding of Cookie Connection's Milestone Awards program, designed to honor the incredible volunteers who have stood the test of time by serving this community with outstanding content for more than one year. Since that time, I've awarded only a handful of such awards - all to...
The idea for this project was sparked by an ad on Instagram promoting stamps to make real wax seals. I initially wanted to make an entire wax seal cookie, but I instead ended up using royal icing to make seal transfers to go on larger envelope cookies. For the envelope design, I...
With the frenzied prep for my next video shoot (next weekend) coming to a close, it's nice to finally be able to relax for more than a sec and to really savor what's on this week's hot list. And savor I have - this week's roundup is...
Hi, all! I wanted to take a moment to specially thank our Gold Sponsors who stepped up to the highest of levels to support Julia M. Usher's Cookie Art Competition™ at That Takes the Cake Show in Austin, February 22-23, 2020...
