Cookie Party!

So many celebrations, so many cookies....so here's a peek at what I've been up to!  The first is a graduation/engagement!  How fun is that?!  I love that Furman's colors are purple and white.  I hope Joseph and Perrin have a bright future.

Then there was the volleyball party.  This is the same club Christina played for.  We still have lots of friends coaching and playing there.  Mary's team wanted to celebrate the end of the season, and one coach is preggers and the other getting hitched.  Lots to celebrate there, and we all know I love making those volleyballs!  I totally stole the onesie from Julie Costello from Lacie and Macie Cookie Designs!  She is my buddy from CookieCon, a trusted member of the Mexican Hookah Dance Club Cookie Decorators.  It's a secret organization.

And finally, an Alabama grad!  Paige and Nic took piano lessons for about 7 years when they were little.  They don't remember eachother, but us moms have been friends ever since.  If it ever warms up were are hitting the bike trail!  Congrats Paige!  Hopefully Nic isn't far behind.

And finally, with my kiddies heading home for even a short time, I am excited to get back in the kitchen and cook!  Something other than sugar cookies to post!  So, what are you waiting for?  Get in there and cook!

Cookies For My Childhood Friend

My friend Barb, that I made these cookies for, lived on a farm.  An honest to God, all American farm, and spending the night there, when we were in grade school, was the bomb.  We got to feed the baby calves with these giant baby bottles filled with formula, we would play for hours in the hayloft.  There were tractors, and gardens, chicken coops,  and the meals were shared around a huge table in the kitchen.  Like most farmers, everyone was up early, and the main meal was midday. Barb's grandparents also lived on the farm in their own house, and there was always a lot of people around.  Plus, she had the cutest cousins!  Once a year our entire class would get to go to the farm and have a hayride.  Another right of passage growing up in Iowa.  One of my favorite cookie recipes is from her kitchen. I promise to make and post on a non-humid day.  Chocolate Dotted Peppermint Kisses, who would have thought the meringue cookie market would be what it is!  That is the second "big thing" I have been making my whole life that has gone mainstream.  The other?  Biscotti!  Oh well.   

 How serendipitous that this dear friend from childhood, who shared that day with me, asked me to make cookies for her daughter's First Communion.  I am honored.  I brought cookies to a grade school reunion we had last summer, so Karmyn (her daughter) got a taste of a Sweetie Petitti, and I am thrilled to be a small part of this special day. 

We made our First Communion in the spring of 1971 at St. Boniface church in Clinton, Iowa.  I remember the dotted Swiss dress my mom made me, and I still have my veil. As a matter of fact, I wore it to the Royal Wedding Party my book club had.   This is where I would have inserted the picture from that day,  if I could get my hands on it!  It is packed...somewhere!  A photo of my life long friends, no matter how many miles may separate us.  I love these girls so much.

Karmyn

Cole

Her son is also graduating from middle school, so he gets cookies too.  Off to high school.  Wow, such a huge milestone.  I think those are the fastest 4 years of childhood!

Barb and I graduated from 8th grade together as well.  I had moved away 2 months earlier, but they were happy to let me be a part of graduation after all the years my family spent in that parish.  With just under 20 kids in our class, we were all very good friends.  We all lived in proximity of the school and church, our parents were friends and our siblings were all friends.  To this day, I can go to Clinton, IA and someone knows my family.  With 5 kids, we were one of the smaller Catholic families in town, but we sure left a mark there!  So,  What are you waiting for?  Get in there and bake!

Graduation Galore!

So a few more graduations.  First Katie and Nathan are cousins having a party together, so I wanted the trays to sort of mirror each other with the appropriate colors.  Nathan graduated from Arkansas and Katie is headed to college at Memphis.

And then Christie is heading to Vanderbilt.  This child we have known since perhaps kindergarten.  My, time does indeed fly!  Good luck graduates!

Nothing Says Happy Graduation Like A Shotgun!

There's the shotgun, more about these below!

Here are the first of the graduation cookies.  These below, are for my nephews in Iowa, and I wanted to post them so they could see how great they look on a platter, since they will be carefully wrapped when they get there!  I am missing their parties this weekend for a wedding, but I know it will be a great celebration!  So Congrats to Frank and Tom!

Heading to Des Moines in the fall.

Another Hawkeye in the family.

Next up is a young girl whose favorite color is purple...but is going to Ole Miss.  And since I am not about to ice Col. Reb on a cookie, we went with the favorite color theme!  Congrats Blakely!

Ole Miss bound.

And finally, a young man graduated from my son's alma mater.  These were a little more fun because I have a lot of experience at this school.  It's all boys, and they wear a tie every day, so the tie was a natural part of the platter, as was his college choice UT.  I like to put in a ball or banner if there was something that really stood out in their high school career.  As it turns out, Chris was on the trap shooting team, so I made shotguns!  My sweet husband even offered to bring me a shotgun to sit as my model!  I think they turned out pretty good, and really added some personality to the old mortar boards!

UT Knoxville