Posts

Fancy Greaseproof Baking Cups Giveaway {CLOSED}

  Have you guys been over to The Cookie Cutter Company ? I kind of love that place. Like, a lot. And Matt. He's the guy that makes everything right. He's also the guy that adds fun new things to their site. And since January, he's been adding not just cutters, but also more decorating and baking items. Like these gorgeous baking cups! He first asked about them on Facebook. People were excited, but wary of being duped. No way were they going to buy the most adorable greaseproof baking cups on the market if that whole "greaseproof" part was just a scam. So I took one for the team and let Matt know that I would be willing to make the sacrifice to try some of them out. So Matt sent me some. And I decided to do an experiment. (This doesn't really come as a surprise anymore, does it?) I pitted those greaseproof liners above with these sweet little baking cups that I bought in South Korea and have never used because I just *know* they will be ruined on

Icing Consistency and Temperature -- Quick Tip Tuesday

If you keep your icing in the fridge for any length of time, make sure you let it come to room temperature before you stir it and check the consistency. Icing is much thicker when it is cold than it is when it is warm. The top icing and the bottom icing are the exact same icing, with the same size tip. You can see that the bottom icing looks like it is piping consistency icing while the top looks closer to flood icing. 15minutes after this picture was taken, the bottom icing looked exactly like the top icing. If you check your consistency before the icing warms up, you will end up with much thinner icing in your bag or bottle than you intended. And you will be frustrated. And probably cry. And end up eating your cookies. So, really, this is a handy pre-swim-suit-diet-season tip for you as well. Two for one. Want another one? Don't worry about that swimsuit anyway. You're fantastic the way you are.

Vintage Baking Cookies and Cupcake Tutorial

So, there's this thing called CookieCon . It's pretty much the coolest thing that ever happened to my cookie world. It's an international Cookie Decorating Convention. And it's right HERE. In MY TOWN!! Can you believe it? AND... I get to go! AND... I get to meet a jillion other cookie decorating type people!! AND... I get to be an instructor! AND.... there is an unbelievably incredible sugar show that ANYONE and EVERYONE can go see! Over 450 decorators are at this convention. And they were all invited to bring a showpiece cookie for display and competition. I've been making cookies for kind of a while now and even *I* can't believe my eyes! I'll show you some pictures later. But first.... I wanted to tell you that I also got the opportunity to be on a local news show about CookieCon . I made some cookies to take with me on the segment. These cookies to be exact. And then I got a tiny bit obsessed with the cupcakes. And I was thinking that maybe you

Cookie Inspiration -- Guest Post -- The Cookie Architect

I think I might have been in love with the cookies coming out of The Cookie Architect's kitchen from the very first second I saw them. I love her colors and her unusual patterns and designs. And then, I discovered that Rebecca is just as fantastic as her cookies. I love the way she thinks  and creates both in real life and in cookie life. And you know what is even better? She TOTALLY gave in to peer pressure ( can one person be peer pressure? ) and agreed to let you in on her brain secrets today! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ First of all, how great is this? I find myself in one of the coolest places in the blogosphere!   This blog is amazing, and Georganne is so pivotal in my cookie art experience that I could not be more honored to be here on Lilaloa. What I want to talk with you guys about today is Inspiration and Design .   What can I say? As an architect, I am a designer first and foremost.   I love the process of cookie design, and enough people have

Quick Tip Clip Winners

Let's do this quick, shall we? Two packages of clips. Two winners. And those winners are: Erin --   and Rachel -- Congratulations you two! Thanks to everyone who entered! I now have a list of vacation spots to last me until I am 89 years old, unless of course, I go to Hawaii only once instead of the 47 times it was suggested.

Quick Tip Tuesday -- Icing Bag Clips

I recently discovered the most genius idea for keeping the icing in your icing bag and not squeezed out all over the counter. Even when very small and very much not careful children are the ones holding the piping bags. It also has the added benefit of increasing the amount of pressure on the piping bag so you don't have to squeeze very hard at all for the icing to come out. ALSO fantastic when being used by very small children. Or by me when I've had a bad day and kind of just want to lazy decorate. (Am I the only one who lazy decorates?) I was SO excited when I learned of this gem. I thought about it every day. I wanted to tell you every second. I searched everywhere for more clips and more clips and more clips!! And I told people in very hushed but enthusiastic whispers about this big cookie decorating SECRET! And then I realized that it was only a secret to me. Pretty much everyone in the entire world and maybe on other planets as well had already heard about this. So

How to Make Green Apple Colored Icing

Remember that one time that I saved up a big huge secret like being pregnant for months and months and then I finally told you? As it turns out, I have months and months of stuff I want to share with you. And the bottle as been unstopped. There's no turning back now. Like how obsessed I am with this nursery I randomly stumbled across online. And the damask. And that gorgeous apple green color. And also, green is a weird word. If you say it more than three times, it kind of turns into poison in your mouth and then even regular words get all strange. Is that even how you spell it? GREEN? And then I saw these swaddlers and I fell in love. And apple green is now the color for this little darling's room. (PS -- If you are even considering having a child in the next 10 years... you should get at least one of these swaddlers. And if you're NOT planning to have a tiny little baby come live in your home any time soon, you should still buy some of these and give them t