Is it okay to use someone else's cookie designs? What's the best way to credit your inspiration? Nine cookie decorating experts weigh in on best practices for using inspiration in your own cookie designs. I've been decorating cookies for what seems like a lifetime. I've been blogging about decorating cookies for almost as long. I have learned A LOT of things along the way. I've learned that icing consistency REALLY REALLY matters. That natural light is the best kind of light. That adding salt to royal icing just tastes awful. That using a dehydrator to speed dry icing is AWESOME. That coral and mint...just aren't in my skill set. But most important, I've learned that there is rarely ever just ONE RIGHT WAY to do anything. Sometimes people ask me a question and I actually feel like I am doing them a disservice by answering...because I want them to see all their options before deciding what will work best for them. So I decided to put together a Super...

Use this cookie decorating tutorial to learn how to make decorated horseshoe sugar cookies - with cutters you probably already own. Oh you guys. You've heard of Phoenix, right? The Valley of the Sun? It's hot there. And full of ...well...the sun. I went there last week to decorate cookies with new friends. And then I came home to 4 sick kids, 2 feet of snow and a 3 day weekend that turned into a 6 day weekend. My kids are always really good about keeping me in check like that. " Oh, you thought you were some kind of trendy grown-up that can exist as more than a mother and go have a consequence-free mid-week vacation in the sun for a few days? We don't agree. "

Last week knocked me off my rhythm! I think we had germs from both flus, the cold, and maybe the plague rolling around my house. My kids laid around for days, sharing couches and blankets without even fighting. It was like the whole world had turned upside down. But because of that...the newsletter just isn't going to happen this morning. Sorry guys. But I don't want you to miss out on all the great cookie decorating tutorials!! How to Decorate a Sparkling Shamrock -- Flour Box Bakery Leprechaun Cookies -- Clough'D 9 Cookies Watercolor Elephants -- Haniela's Flannel Plaid Shirts -- CookieCrazie Wood Tree Slice -- CookieCrazie Beautiful Easter Cookie Card -- My Little Bakery Bridesmaid Dress Cookies -- Emma's Sweets Mother's Day Basket -- Kozuli

Remember these? I made them just...ages ago. Just kidding. I posted them yesterday. Did you already forget? I'd be disappointed...but the whole "making Valentine's Day cookies until all hours of the day and night and day and night again" thing kind of gets you a free pass for the next 3 months in my book. These two cookies in particular were just something I've been playing around with for a little while. But since so many of you asked how I made that heart...I thought I would just show you really quick how I did it. And then ask you a favor. You know...because I'm all about "fairness" like that.

My son went on a field trip downtown today. I also had some things to do downtown today. In a random turn of events, I found myself driving behind his school bus. So naturally, I did what any mother would have done and drove the exact same speed as the bus...creeping up window by window until I found my son and his friends. Definitely NOT in a stalker-y way. In a fun, totally trendy and cool mom kind of way. Because you know...I'm awesome like that. And I'm *sure* my 10 year old that weirdly started hiding under his seat felt the exact same way as me. I mean... he probably was reading some graffiti on the back of the seat in front of him and it probably went all the way down so he kind of needed to duck down and maybe hide his head a little bit so he could read it all. You know...because it was probably like particle physics or something and he just really wants to get a jump on that before college. I'm so proud of him.

Today is my birthday. I'm just putting it out there. Just letting you know. I am JUST SAYING that if there was ever a day where you were sitting on your couch thinking, "Self - today is just the kind of day that makes me feel like giving that LilaLoa girl a pony. And maybe sharing an afternoon of Netflix bingeing with her while sorting laundry and eating chocolate." THIS WOULD BE THAT DAY. Also... I'm 37 years old. You know, in case you were wondering.

  Tell me if I'm wrong, but I thought that at some point...children were supposed to SLEEP. Isn't there some kind of law of physics that says - What wakes up, must sleep at some point in their little life?!   People allllllllways tell new moms to "sleep when they sleep." But what happens if they DON'T EVER sleep? What then? I mean, besides the obvious zombie-like movements as I move through life putting my soda on top of the fridge, but not discovering it until weeks later and suddenly getting VERY nervous about where I put the scissors if the soda is in the scissors spot. And you guys... I can't even REACH the top of the fridge. Forget trying to wear clothing out of the house that *doesn't* have icing on it. Or remembering my own phone number when the new neighbor asks. (I PROMISE I'm not trying to avoid being friends!)

The most important part of any decorated cookie is the COOKIE. If you are just starting out on your cookie decorating journey of joy and happiness -- START HERE. No amount of cookie decorating magic can save a bad tasting or over baked cookie . You will end up with a cookie decorating journey of sadness and tears in the closet while eating the last of the cookie dough ice cream and crying even more because your kids already picked out all the cookie dough bits so all you really have is tears and vanilla flavored iced milk that was once cookie dough ice cream. Let's not start your cookie decorating journey by crying in the closet. You'll want to save that for icing consistency.

Last popcorn post on this blog - I promise! (Probably.) I just found out that my publisher will get copies of my book NEXT WEEK . Just think about it -- next week at this time YOU could be eating every one of these delicious recipes of popcorn goodness. Well...if you want a signed copy that is. :) Most retailers will be getting their copies closer to the release date...but since I live randomly close to my publishers... I'm going to go pick up some copies this weekend for you! For a LIMITED TIME ONLY you can order a SIGNED COPY of Gourmet Popcorn !! ( Once the copies I pick up this weekend are gone....you will no longer be able to order autographed copies of my book. ) So click the button below if you want a SIGNED COPY of my Gourmet Popcorn book to hold in your hot little hands!! UPDATE -- ALL COPIES HAVE BEEN PURCHASED!!  THANK YOU!!

I've always known that I'm basically a 10 year old. I mean... I NAMED MY BLOG LILALOA. Have you heard this story? I was fairly well sleep deprived one very early morning after a night of not sleeping while traveling across the country because of some delayed and cancelled flights. I was expecting my first child and aimlessly considering possible names for a girl as I stared out the window. I liked names like Avalyn and Lilly and Layla and Lila and eventually my sleep deprivation turned each of the names into the sum of their sounds. I found myself saying things like "Lee-Lee-La-Loh-La". I somehow landed on the sounds of  "Lie-Luh-Low-Uh" and determined in my extremely rational 4am brain that those sounds would be the name of my first child if it was a girl. Luckily, it was a boy and he dodged that bullet. So I gave the name to my newly born blog instead.