Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Babies, babies, babies!  Is it me, or is there a sudden abundance of baby bumps these days?!  It's such an exciting time for me - my daughter's friends are having babies, and starting the most exciting times of their lives.  And they don't even realize it!   How could they?  Oh I know - they can imagine what it's like to see their baby for the first time.  To witness baby's first steps.  To hear baby call out "Mama."

  

But what about the things they haven't even imagined yet?  Like when their toddler sees them get dressed up for work, out of their 'mommy clothes' for the first time, and exclaims "You're pretty, Mommy" . . . yes - they will melt.   They don't know the relief that will overcome them when their baby's first high fever breaks.   Or how lonnnng that very first day of school will be for MOMMY ! 

A few words to these young moms and moms-to-be:   Go slowly.   Appreciate every single moment - even the bad ones will teach you more about life and more about yourself than you ever could have imagined. . . When your child was nothing more than a baby bump! 

Congratulations to all our friends having babies.  We can't wait to meet them!

This mom wanted to coordinate her cookie favors with the decorations of her baby shower.  The result - moons and stars and everything magical for this baby girl.  

Congratulations to Kara and Rob from XOXO Cookies!

Yippee Ki Yay Cookies!

One thing you can count on ~ there is always a birthday to be celebrated somewhere!  This extra special birthday party was in honor of my dear friend's cousin.  He turns seventy years young this month, and I'm betting that's no exaggeration.  We've known members of his extended family for many years, and their enthusiasm for life, their devotion to family, and their dedication to their work, is unsurpassed.  I was honored to contribute to this celebration, and it made this project so much fun to work on!

One member of the family owns a ranch with a very cool barn, but the only animals inside this barn are the party-goers.  (I can say that cuz I've been one!)  So the plan for the family is to provide an evening of food, libation, music and celebration in this lovely barn-made-party-place for this birthday boy!  Hence, the western-themed cookies.

Best wishes go out to you, Jerry, for another wonderful year ahead ~ full of fun and happy surprises, and of course, more family parties at the Ranch!  We trust your party was a HUGE success! 

Happy Birthday from XOXO Cookies!

Please Mr. Postman. . .

What a surprise to learn that our cousin had just announced her plans for a wedding within a couple of months!  Heidi is the little sister of our May bride, for whom we created the cupcake tower!   What an exciting/expensive/craze-filled year for the Mom and Dad of these two beautiful girls!  And they couldn't be happier.  Which made it that much more exciting when bride-to-be Heidi asked us to make her some photo cookies for her reception.   The challenge here (and with EVERY batch of cookies, there has to be a challenge...) was that due to scheduling conflicts and work schedules, we weren't going to be able to attend this wedding in Nevada.  That meant we had to ship our hand-decorated cookies.  In boxes made of cardboard.  Through the August summer heat to Fallon, Nevada.  A challenge we were willing to accept.

After several email exchanges of photos, we finally found one with enough resolution and contrast to make a cute photo cookie, worthy of this bride and groom.   Some technical difficulties with our equipment kept me awake a few nights as I realized we had a few more challenges than we anticipated.  Thankfully, the internet is an endless source of information, and a few google searches led us to the solution for our mechanical frustrations.    

The production was now in full gear, but somewhere between cookies number 76 and 142, I lost my cool and just took a big toothy bite!   I couldn't help myself.  Each batch of white chocolate fondant was getting more tempting and the aroma of the almond sugar cookie was intensifying in the warm summer kitchen.  Okay, I suppose I was getting delirious with row after row of smiling faces staring up at me.  Sorry, Heidi.  I lost my head.  Or was it yours?  :-)

Once the cookies were bagged, they were painstakingly packed in layers of bubble wrap and barrels of good wishes, and deposited with the able folks at our trusty post office.   And I learned again how much I really do appreciate a good night's sleep.

Congratulations Heidi and David!  

We were sorry we couldn't join your friends and family to see you on your big day, but we were so happy to learn that the cookies made it without mishap.  

May you and your future family be blessed with years of happy memories together!

from your cousins at XOXO Cookies

Study in White

We received a request for some more wedding shower cookies.   I always love hearing about the plans for the various celebrations.   No two parties are the same, and no two cookie orders are the same either!  The party is scheduled to be a tea party - an afternoon with guests dressed in white, enjoying the coastal sun.  Finger sandwiches, salads and ice tea are on the menu, so these little white chocolate frosted cookies in the shapes of dresses seem like the perfect choice!

I wasn't sure if I could meet the challenge of giving different looks to all white dresses, especially with my partner across the country enjoying some family time with hubby!   But once I got started, I felt like I was on an episode of one of those design shows!   Add a strand of pearls and you instantly have a more formal look.  Maybe some top-stitching here, or maybe here?    And how about a 'patterned fabric'?  Yes, a summer tea party needs patterned fabric.  

Once the cookies were finished, I transported myself back a few (ok, a few dozen!) years and considered how fun these would have been to use as props for my own Barbie doll parties.   And I imagine it would be easier to stay focused during endless hours of wedding planning if you have a dress made of sugar and white chocolate to keep your energy levels from dipping!  Yes - those pre-printed "don't forget" lists for brides should include an endless supply of cookies.    :-)  

These were all packaged up and ready for delivery.   I must admit, this order turned out to be one of my favorites so far.    But I've said that many times before, so I will reserve the option to change my mind.  ~S

Happy Wedding Planning to Heather

from XOXO Cookies !

Shoring Up for a Party!

You can't go wrong with a wedding in Cabo! The cookies for this wedding shower are sure to get everyone excited about the big day in Mexico.  I was so happy to be able to hand deliver this order to my friend Bree and her young boys, whom I have not seen in way too long.  I hope they all have a great trip and have some fun in the Mexico sun!  ~ K

The hostess reports that the event was a success. . . and what a beautiful presentation of the cookie favors, with a framed thank you for attending!   This bride-to-be must be feeling so loved to have this kind of attention to detail. 

Photographs of the big event were provided by Linda Jordan Photography.    Thank you, Linda, for allowing us to share your artwork!   I do find the 'joy in the beauty' when I see your work! 

xoxo, S

Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-Cake . . .

It's Rylee's Birthday!    She lives in the beautifully green State of Oregon (a particularly favorite color of XOXO Cookies), and we don't see her nearly enough.   But according to pictures we see, she's every bit as cute as we would imagine.  Her Grandma and Grandpa were traveling to visit the family and celebrate her birthday this weekend, and these cupcake cookies were ready in time to hitch a ride.  

Happy Birthday, Rylee!  We hope to see you and your big brother sometime soon!!

xoxo

Southern Charm

You gotta love that southern charm! After you meet this bride, it is plain to see the southern charm everyone talks about and that fun accent just adds to her sweetness.    She is planning a wedding for the fall and wanted to let her bridesmaids and close family know that she was thankful for their love and support through life and especially now, while planning for her wedding.   As a surprise treat, she decided on some of her favorite cookie designs to have sent to these special people in her life.

Her mother came out from North Carolina to help with some wedding planning and I was lucky enough to meet her. We had such a nice time discussing the bride's plans.   It made it that much more exciting knowing we were going to create these cookies and send them across the country to such wonderful people. 

The bridesmaids dresses for the wedding will be green and these little dresses were perfect to send to the attendants.  The Mothers of the bride and groom received the pink dresses, Dad got the tuxedo heart, and Grandma got the "XO."  The bride was so thoughtful and wrote them each a nice personalized note which we dressed up in a cute card and enclosed in the packages.   How special is that?!  We look forward to making more treats for the wedding in October!  ~K

Happy Planning ! 

XOXO

One Fish, Two Fish. . .

Another BABY is expected, and soon-to-be Auntie Meegan ordered some custom decorated cookies for her little sis's baby shower.   The theme was Dr. Seuss!  We immediately knew the colors had to be bright primary colors, and it wasn't long before we settled on our strategy.  We decided to expand on one of the Doc's most popular books - - Who wouldn't get the connection when they saw red and blue fish?!

The faces on these li'l guys cracked me up.  Such silly fish, and such a tall and crazy striped hat!  We were truthfully stumped when it came to finding a cutter for the cat's hat, but where are you if you don't have a Cat's Hat when you are saluting Dr. Seuss!?    

We decided we needed to think outside the box once again, so Kimi took another critical look at our drawers of assorted cookie cutters (that's when it gets fun).   She pulled each one out, turned it over a couple of times and squinted real hard as she tried imagining one of them revealing itself as a cat's hat!  

I was asking my handy hubs if he could design a hat worthy of Dr. Seuss, when Kimi's eyes lit up and she produced a graduation scroll cutter.  Hmmm.... not what I had in mind. . .  but wait!   I see it!  We turn it vertically, cut it off here, tweak it there, and voila' ~  a hat fit for the most distinguished Cat of all.  Brilliant!

We used the cover of One Fish, Two Fish as inspiration for another cookie, and when they were finished, we couldn't resist posing the fishies for their photo shoot.    Congratulations to the soon-to-be Mom and Pop.   Happy thoughts for a speedy delivery and a healthy future reader!   

And of course, Best wishes from the Fishes!

xoxo

Go Fourth and Celebrate!

One of the best days in the year!  Relaxed, non-hurried, picnic-filled Fourth of July!  The day holds special significance for our family, as Daughter Number Two joined our family late one summer night, 27 years ago.  She waited just long enough for us to enjoy some backyard fireworks (some of us 'enjoyed' the show more than others), then made her entrance ten minutes to midnight.  Things haven't changed much over the years.   She still delights us all when she enters the room, and her sassy sense of humor punctuates family conversations like the fireworks do the night skies.   

Since she missed out on the 'bee pops' her big sis and I created a few weeks ago, we decided to make some cake pops for our Day-Before-4th-of-July BBQ/birthday party in the park.  Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, covered with a layer of chocolate and festive sprinkles - yummy.  

We toted them into the evening's baseball game (Rattlers vs. Another Team) and even had enough to share with members of the dug out.   The pops are just big enough for a few polite bites, but we found most of the guys happy to pop the whole thing in their mouth at once!  

Happy Birthday, Lindsay!  We love you in all your silliness!

XOXO, Big Sis and Mom

The Sweet Taste of Summer

After enjoying a Mediterranean lunch in town with my husband and sister, we headed off to the Avila Valley Barn in search of fresh berries!   We thought a weekday would provide a less busy atmosphere in the Central Coast orchards.    Were we surprised when we found the parking lot FULL of carloads of families.  The ice cream shop was surrounded with ice-cream covered kids waiting for their turn to go pick berries.   Not the quiet walk through the country that we expected, but we had fun just the same.

With baskets in hand, the little kids scurried to the tractor as it rounded the bend. Everyone jumped on as it slowly pulled away from the barn and headed for the orchards and berry patch.  The ripest peaches were atop the tree on the highest branches.   With no ladders in sight, we had to get creative with what we had!    My husband was the first to volunteer!

Freshly picked Olallieberries and Amber Glow Peaches signaling the beginning of summer.   I must admit, some of the berries never even made it to the baskets.   So, so sweet!   ~K

Don't Worry, BEE Happy!

These fun little cake pops will be perfect to take to the concert tomorrow for father's day! Carrot cake has always been a favorite and now dressed like a BEE, it can't get much better than that. 

Everyone gets to enjoy their own bite size BEE. 

Wrapped up for his big debut!

"If food is the body of good living, wine is its soul"

Quote by Clifton Fadiman

We are lucky to not only live on the coast by the ocean, but we also have beautiful wine country at our finger tips.  Many people love taking wine tours by bus, limo or even bikes.  These cookies were made for a wine tasting bachelorette party.

Each bag had a little dress and a wine glass. The lucky bride to be got a wedding dress cookie and a wine glass.

Triple Chocolate Fat Pants Cake

With a name like " Triple-Chocolate Fat Pants Cake" how can you go wrong?  Sarah had given me a book called Babycakes,  which is a bakery in New York that specializes in vegan, gluten-free and (mostly) sugar-free recipes.  She had pointed out this particular recipe in the book as a possibility for her wedding cake, and I decided that this would be the best way to try our hand in vegan cooking.  I have eaten vegan before but never baked anything so when I looked at the ingredients I just laughed.  I had never heard of most of the ingredients before!

Sarah and Greg own a great health food store on the central coast and as I stared blankly down the aisle looking for arrowroot and garbanzo-fava bean flour, Greg was right there to point me in the right direction.  Check out their store:

Sunshine Health Foods - Shine Cafe

The cake turned out great.  Even my meat-eating dad loved it!   It was decorated with blackberries and mint leaves to match the cupcakes below.  (Amy Bakes Cupcakes baked the vegan cupcakes and they were polished off within minutes.)  Sarah and Greg dug right into the cake but forgot that they were supposed to feed each other.  After everyone started saying, "feed each other!" they figured it out.  :-)  

This was one of the most beautiful, touching weddings I have ever attended and I was so happy to have celebrated with such amazing people.  ~K  

Congratulations!! 

xoxo

Rehearsal Dinner Favors

Congratulations to my good friends Sarah and Greg who just tied the knot! The mother of the groom ordered these cookies for the favors to be handed out at the rehearsal dinner. She wanted red and white to go with the Texas theme of the dinner and we went from there.

After finishing up the cookies, putting them in bags, and delivering them the next morining, it was time to finish up the cake. Our first crack at a vegan cake at that!!