Shipping Out Presents

Well, finally Monday is here and I get to head out to the Post Office in just a bit to ship out all these boxes of cookies for the family down in Albany. A lot of cookies that I hope arrive safe and sound. Bad thing about shipping cookies - you basically have to pray every time you ship them out and hope for a small miracle.

Thankfully the Christmas ones all arrives safe and sound and were not powder by the time they arrived. I can only hope that I will have as good of fortune with this set. They are all packed in sealed plastic bags, tucked in paper bags, then nestled with packing material in a gift box for each. The gift boxes are all tucked tightly into a larger box with even more packing material. I really hope it is enough. If things were more financially stable right now I would probably tuck them in another box with even more padding and do it overnight Fed Ex. Oh well, next time. You know, when I am a big cookie star! LOL

Anywho, one set was left out the other day when I was posting up a storm. Dad's Birthday Set. Now, I didn't do the edible image thing with his. His I did something a tad differently. Stacked Scrapbook inspired cookies. Hope he enjoys them. ^_^ I think he will, hehe.

Okay, kids to school and then the post office. After which is a trip to the store and get working on the next set of cookies. Cinco De Mayo!!!!

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Mother's Day

Mother's Day is quickly approaching and I could not send a care package down to Albany for all the April/May birthdays without sending one for Mother's Day to Ma.

Now, I had already posted one set of cookies that I did for Mother's Day. Those didn't go to any mother. In fact my kids devoured them not too long after I had finished taking pictures.

Thankfully I took pictures of these and then boxed them up quick to make sure the kiddos didn't get their grubby little paws on them. (I swear they are like locusts when they smell cookies in the house.)

Anywho, here we go. Vintage Rose Mother's Day Cookies.

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Wedding Cookies

Sadly, about a year ago, I missed out on a very important date, my baby sister getting married. We had just moved out to Washington and the wedding was in south Georgia. Needless to say there was slim chance to make it out there.

Well, I wanted to be able to give her the wedding gift I couldn't before and it turns out I couldn't have before the wedding anyways. You see, it all goes back to the cookie and this time I went a step further. I decided to give her a wedding album of cookies.

Each cookie is a Dark Chocolate and covered in Vanilla Almond Royal Icing. The images of the couple are edible and can be enjoyed both visually and by your tastebuds. Happy Late Anniversary Sis! I hope you like!

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Southern Gentleman

And here we are, at number 3 for today. I know, but hey, there are a lot and I honestly don't want the niftyness of one to get lost in a mass publication on one post. So this is better. This is one geared towards the Southern Gentleman, my step dad.

You see, he actually lives on one of those story book plantations, takes care of it. Had raised pointer dogs for probably a life time. So, what better way to say Happy Birthday (Belated as it might be) than to include him on the shipment down to Albany (Al-Bany) with some nifty vintage style cookies of his own?

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Mommy, I want a Pony!

Every girl at one point in her life, or so I am told, asks for a pony. It is an on going joke in most movies and TV shows when you have that little girl. "Mommy! I want a pony!!!" Well, it isn't too far from the truth.

You see one of my sisters is into horses. In fact most of the pictures I see of her is when she is out riding. So, trying to figure out what to do for her birthday, and you know I must do cookies, I figured - WTH - Horse Cookies!

Granted I didn't want to ship cross country horse shaped cookies. Those would be destroyed by the time I got them there. So I opted for Vintage Style Edible Image Horse Cookies. I hope she enjoys them.

(If not, tough cookies! :P)

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Deer Season

Well, not exactly but hey! Got your attention didn't I? :P Anywho, as you will see there are going to be a rash of quick posts today and all because I want to showcase various themes of cookies I am doing to send down to my family in Albany this month. Mothers Day is coming up, so have to ship some down to Ma. And you see April/May is the big birthday months for us. Mine, The Hubbies, Baby Jack, one of my sisters - Mags, my step pappy & daddy.

 As well as my Brother in Law Jon Boy (He is going to kill me for that most likely. Doesn't help my sister recently bought him a gun for their anniversary.) He hunts, it's the south, so what better cookies to send down too him than some that will make him look even more forward to Deer Season?

So, here we are - The Deer Season Cookies

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It's My Birthday

And I hate it! It is no small secrete that I hate birthdays. Well I hate mine, I love everyone else's. And it doesn't have to do with aging. Speaking frankly I like growing older and am looking forward to days of wrinkles, snow white hair and senility. My dream is to grow up to be Dorthy Spornack, that or Sophia Petrillo. Either way. I will be a Golden Girl and embrace it. I just hate birthdays because they usually turn out bad. Dinner goes wrong, something gets ruined. It is just usually one big mess.

This year didn't start any different. Not 5 minutes into the day and I was already over the washer scrubbing out a stain from a shirt. So, already preparing myself for another humdinger of the worst day of the year. Hey, if you know the hurricane is coming, you get the hell out of dodge, you don't sit by and wait for it to take you.




So, when it was before 7 AM on a Saturday and people from the East Coast were waking me up with Happy Birthday Texts, I just grumbled and rolled out of bed. lol Thankfully I was greeted with a fresh cup of coffee and Eggs Benedict, compliments of the hubby. (A serious perk of being married to a chef - Food, lol)

Then after a couple of hours of dealing with 2 temperamental boys I got greeted with cards. And I must say some of the most kick ass cards a mother could hope to get.  Granted I think my daughter won hands down with her special "coupons" to me. I know I will be cashing these in very soon. LOL

And then there is the card from the hubby...Which makes me wonder. Not that it is wrong in what it states but considering the fact that he is a Taurus as well, I wonder if it speaks more about him or me. LOL

And I got cake and I didn't have to make it! LOL Hubby make me a Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese icing. Ended up making in a bread pan, sliced it like bread and then did the icing like it was pats of butter. Too cute! I loved it!

So, all in all not the worst birthday. ^_~ Times they are a changing! 

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Surprising Finds

Coca Cola Glass

Whether they are big time business like Hallmark or your local Goodwill, you would be amazed what you can find in them! And then there are the local shops owned by your own neighbors - Craft stores and consignment shops. Where ever you look you are sure to find something amazing in them and at a price that is just as amazing.

Cupcake Dish

The combination of starting a new business and the hubby between gigs makes things tight around here. Having three kids makes them suffocating at times. lol But you have to keep trudging on and astonishingly it really brings out your creativeness as well as your resourcefulness. (Like this old card box I got in clearance at Hallmark I am using as packaging for cookies!)

Snow Flake Potter

There is just something about a woman, and some men, to get that steal of a deal. When you combine it with an amazing idea that pops into your head it makes it even better. Now, couple that with knowing you just helped a local friend and/or family with their own business and it is really a triple play of awesomeness in the sport of shopping.

Now A Cookie Stand

I know, what does this have to do with cookies? Well everything. I need packaging, I need displays for cookies and cakes and cupcakes. With wallet that has more mothballs in it than money all the above comes into play.

Now, I usually will stroll down to the local Hallmark from time to time and see what I can find on their clearance racks. I tend to find just the cutest little plates there. As a matter of fact I found my favorite dish there. ^_^ Isn't it cute!!!!

Beautiful Mini Dishes

Then basically right next to it is the Art Garden Pottery shop, owned by the sweetest woman Laura Mayer. Now, they don't have a lot of dishes as it were but sometimes you will find something that will just make you go, "hey! I can use that for this!" Like this snowflake as a cookie display. ^_^ (Also, she does classes and I hope to be in there this summer being taught how to make a sign for Surreal Confections! Wouldn't that be neat?)

Cake Stands

Now, down a couple more doors is this shop - Red Door. You peak in through the glass and see so many older things. Anything from when our parents were growing up to pre 1900's and all of it just amazing. Many would skip right over figuring with the age of the products comes a high price tag. Well you would be wrong.

Red Door carries everything from vintage to new and all at beyond reasonable prices. (When was the last time you picked up an entire China Dinner setting for under $175? They have one right now and if I didn't already have my Noritake, which the hubby bought there, I would so pick this one up as well!)

China Tea Cup

And finally there is my favorite place to find stuff in town...Goodwill!!!! OMG!!!! I just adore our local shop. The girls up there are very sweet, all the money you spend there goes to a good cause and you would be amazed by what all you can find there if you look.

China Tea Cup

I have found everything from packaging to old collectible VHS Disney tapes in the original hard cover packaging. What I really love to look for is dishes for display there. I find so much and what surprises me is all the tea cups I find. Just stunning china tea cups with gold trim, platters, crystal platters and more.

For once I love pink!

And funny, these are not rare finds. I find something there every week that just makes me go "YAY!!!" I love it. I love shopping local and adore everything you can find. So, keep your eyes out and always try to look at something in a new light. You never know what you could find and even more so who you are helping with each tiny purchase. It all adds up. And what better than to help build up another persons dream while you are creating your own. ^_~

Too cute! Had to get!

If you are in the Moses Lake are, please stop by the following stores and see what gems they have to offer! Tell them Jenn of Surreal Confections sent ya!

ArtGarden Pottery - 104 West Third, Moses Lake
Red Door - 116 West Third, Moses Lake

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Quick Update

Well, thanks to a few things coming through I am now dabbling in the edible images department. I started out by ordering a few and now am printing my own. YAY! I love it!

For many it would be a quick and easy way to add zest, and for me it is as well, but more than that. Now I can take all those digital art works I create and make them even better by making them sweet!!!! Oh I cannot wait!

Birthdays are huge in the months of April and May for my family down in Albany, and not to mention mothers day. So I will be diving head deep into some fun stuff this week and shipping is down to them!

So, be on the look out! "Cherish" is just the first of many!

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I "<3" Mom. That is what we all say come Mother's Day. The one day of the year where people are pretty much forced to stop everything they are doing and do everything mom does every day, or at least that is what I think it should be. LOL You know, Mom's Day Off. (What ever that is.)


What usually ends up happening is Dad yells at the kids the last minute to go make mom a card on paper real fast or prayers that the teachers had the kids make a macaroni heart in art class. Then everyone piles in the car and heads out to dinner, which always tends to be a more crowded night than Prom and V-Day Combined. That or you hit the Brunch and well that is a disaster.

Why not this year do something else. Mom likes cookies! Yes she does! Mom loves cookies. You think she makes all those treats for you all year long? Oh forget that, she makes them so she can "taste" them to make sure they are "okay" for her family. In other words, she makes them because she wants them and then plays it off like she is making them for you. (You know, like those old Rice Krispy Treat commercials.)

Heck, I do it to! (You think a single one of these projects gets out the door without my rigorous taste test? Yup, I am guilty too!) But hey, that's okay. As long as everyone gets some, everyone wins. But boil it down, mom did the work. Why not make her, and clean it up!, some cookies for Mothers Day. They don't have to be fabulous like they just walked out of a ProBakery. Remember, mom loves macaroni hearts. Just do something cute!

I made these really fast the other night while in the middle of the Lorax cake and cookie pops with some of the left over dough and icing I had. You can get the cookie cutters I used at Wal-Mart in the Wilton Section. They are up and only like $3.00. So grab a set and make some cookies for Mommy!

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Unless....

And all that the Lorax left here in this mess was s small pile of rocks, with one word...."Unless."  - Dr. Seuss


Words that have been etched in the minds of so many over the years. How many of us sat in class as children and had The Lorax read to us? How many times did we catch the cartoon special on Saturday Mornings? And you know you teared up every last time that the Lorax lifted himself by the seat of his pants.

Well Earth Day is here and what better Mascot for a group of 1st graders than the Lorax himself? Another one couldn't be found. So, taking the spirit of the Lorax with me, along with happy thoughts of Barbaloots, Humming-Fish & Swomee-Swans and decided to create a cake for them.

Don't worry, I didn't forget our villain, The Once-Ler, but as you read the book or think back to the story, was he a villain? Or was he just like so many of us that just don't listen to reason until it is too late. Now, he sits up in his home where the grickle-grass grows and he lets other knows of the Lorax.

So, come with me, down the Street Of The Lifted Lorax and let us make some changes this Earth Day. Because "unless" someone like us cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's Not. And it is true. We all can do our part. The smallest things combined by everyone doing them can make a huge impact.

Get together with your family, your friends and classmates and get something going. And if we all do our part and things get better maybe one day we will be lucky enough to have a Truffula Tree of our very own!

P.S. We as a family support mustaches, all types. Don't discriminate! LOL

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