Golden Friends Celebrating a Golden Anniversary

Our very good friends and neighbors are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.  Well, actually their children are surprising them with an anniversary party.  (It's a secret, so be careful not to say anything.)

I knew I wanted to make the heart shaped bridal gown and tuxedo cookies that I have always admired.  I am not fond of black cookies, so this was a "golden" opportunity to create the tux in another color.  While I like the gold tux for a cookie, I certainly hope that Ron did not actually wear one of these back in 1962 (but it is a definite possibility)!

Since I was creating platters of cookies for their guests to enjoy, I wanted more than just heart cookies.

I added the wedding cake, diamond ring, and "joy."   I know this is really a Christmas cutter, but it fits so many special occasions and can be used year round.

I have a confession to make. . .  the Cookie Fairy helped me with this collection. 

While I iced them, I was not happy with the colors or the designs.  Nothing seemed right.  I worked late into the night in order to finish them and went to bed feeling slightly defeated. 

My Cookie Fairy, however, spun her magic during the night as I slept, because the collection in morning's light was much nicer than I had remembered!

This is how the tray was arranged, but I had a slight problem.  I had more cookies than one tray could hold.

Easy solution!  I arranged another tray and REALLY stacked the cookies.

Ron and JoAnn's family and friends will have lots of cookies to enjoy during the celebration, but I also wanted them to have their own special selection.  (After 50 years, they DESERVE their own cookies!)

Thanks to BRP of Clinton, Iowa, http://www.brpboxshop.com/, I had the perfect box for this personal gift.

Happy Golden Anniversary, Ron and JoAnn!  Cookie Cheers for even sweeter years!

Wedding Shower Cupcakes

The bride-to-be loves cupcakes, so the favor for her wedding shower is cupcakes in the wedding colors of black and white with a hot pink heart topping the cookie.

Rather than lots of black frosting, I decided to create a polka dot liner and then pipe in black.  My next decision wasn't quite as easy.  I couldn't decide how I wanted to create the heart.  I have never used fondant, but my sift-sister, "Cookie Friend", had great results when she used fondant to create her "Cute as a Button" cookies.  Since these cupcake cookies are larger than ones I usually make, I decided a uniform heart in a larger size would have more presence.  So, out came the fondant and heart cutter.  You decide which is better . . . The middle photo has a heart piped in Royal Icing, which I usually do.  The last photo has the fondant heart.  Despite the method, these cookies look cute and romantic tied with a ribbon and heart tag for the wedding shower.

P.S.  I was so happy to receive an email from the bride's mother after the shower.  She told me that everyone loved the cookies, especially the bride!  It is so nice to get feedback and know that the cookies added to the occasion.

She Said, "Yes!"

This was an order for 6 dozen wedding gown cookies to be used as favors for a wedding shower.

The friend also requested a bouquet of hearts. I thought that would be too simple and decided to include cookies that represented Laura's big day.

Her mom suggested the "Live, Laugh, Love". Rather than putting that saying on one cookie, I decided to put each wish on a heart by itself. Her bridesmaid's dresses are Sangria. As much as I tried to mix colors to match the ribbon sample, I could not replicate Sangria. Thus, the words on the cookies and all detailing were done in white, which really has an elegant effect. By mixing just a touch of pink/red tissue in with the white, the bouquet didn't look bland.

The dresses were created by using a new copper cutter from Ecrandal. The people there are very accommodating and come highly recommended by other "cookiers."

The "mother-of-the-bride-to-be" was kind enough to send me a picture of Laura with her bouquet at the shower.  Special blessings and warm wishes to Laura and Bob as their big day approaches!