Hi, all! I'm finally back with a Saturday Spotlight. I apologize for the many gaps in them, but I still haven't regained control of my life since my mom's move here in November. It's almost as if I have another entire life to manage. Having never had kids, I was definitely not...

Hello, everyone! It's time for a new Julia's Kitchen Club kit - or I should say, "new kits" (plural) since there are essentially three of them this month. Though they were initially designed with Valentine's Day in mind...

As the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Such has been my judging team-mantra for the last couple of years. In fact, the team of judges for Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™ has been such a well-oiled machine that the last thing I wanted to do this year was to...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Boo! I'm back with a spooktacular Halloween-and-fall-centric Spotlight, with a few nods to Thanksgiving and other occasions tossed in! If you're looking for last-minute Halloween cookie inspiration, this post is...

Hi, competitors! As you know, the 2022 virtual edition of Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™ closed for entries yesterday, October 15. First and foremost, congrats to all of the registrants who successfully delivered entries to the virtual judging “table”! Seeing an idea through to fruition is 90% of any competition! I am pleased to report that...

My second kit is out, and well in advance of the holiday for which it's intended, so you'll have plenty of time to play with it! Yay! (For a reminder of how my new Kitchen Club came about, please refer to my club debut post from September.) This kit is particularly enchanting because it allows you to...