Contests, Cookies & China, Oh My!

Well it has been one heck of a week for Surreal Confections and the family in general. I honestly do not know where to begin. Guess I will start off with the first part of said posts title - Contests. Yup, I have recently started entering various images of Surreal Confections Treats to contests on the artists community site Deviant Art and man am I glad! Not only did the St. Patrick's Day Cupcake take runner up in the Ireland Art contest but the Boondock Saints Cookie took 1st place in the BSFC's Favorite Scene Contest. Needless to say that is making this all the more awesome. Don't get me wrong, I adore doing what I do but it is really nice to see others enjoying it as well. ^_^

Now, onto cookies! And a ton of them. You see for weeks I have been racking my brain on just what to do for Easter cookies and I have made batch after batch of cookies only to shake my head afterwards and toss the idea. Yet I could not bring myself to just toss my cookies as it were, nor the icing I made for them. So I decided to put them to good use! What better use than decorating them myself? Letting my kids do it!

So I gave them their first class in cookie decorating. Now, it wasn't a technique class as you can tell, lol. But it was a planning class. They got out my cookie cutters and matched them up with the cookies I had made. Picked the ones they wanted, traced the cutters and then went and spent an afternoon coloring and designing just what they wanted to do on their cookies. Granted I did not make up all the colors they wanted to use but thankfully I had some food coloring markers laying around I wasn't using anymore and they were able to use them.


Then came the decorating and I just have to say I think I had more fun watching them decorating their own cookies than I have ever have making my own. There is just something about watching them do something I enjoy and seeing that spark in their own eyes. It was wonderful and even though a lot came out like a big mess I don't think you could have seen more pride in my eyes than if they all took home the Noble Peace Prize. LOL

They had a blast together and one of them had so much fun in fact as I have continued to decorate cookies he has to get in on it now! About broke my heart today to tell him he couldn't decorate what I was currently working on. Little pouty lips going "pweese...." about broke me today. Thankfully once I got done this evening I have some extras and icing as well. I think that made up for it.

And now onto the China. Remember the new China pattern I posted about not too long ago? Well how could I not commemorate the occasion in cookie? Now, before I show you I need to say this...The cutters I used were mini's!!! Omg, I had no idea when I ordered them that the teapot was going to be about the size of a 50 cent piece! LOL So needless to say they were tiny and I couldn't do the detail I thought I was going to do but hey, I like them! LOL

I will say this, I think I am ready to basket weave the world after creating the lace center piece and napkin (which was the size of a nickle!). Cannot wait to see what I can do with that technique later on when I finish up another project I have going. Granted it will have to wait until after Easter. I have 2 cakes to do for Easter and at least 1 more set of cookies, hehe.

So there we are - Contests, Cookies and China! Oh My!!! (And you know you read that in Sulu's voice!) So now I will bombard you with just a ton of pictures since I don't feel like organizing them tonight. LOL

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An Anam Cara Shortbread Anniversary

Happy Duck

Years ago on this day I decided to do something that most people would frown upon, went to meet someone I had met online. This was before all the dating sites really took off and I had NOT met this person via one of those sites. I met them by chance on a 3d chat site because I had mistaken them for someone else. I drove across the state to meet this person in a parking lot. O.o Yeah, probably not one of the smartest things I have ever done but sometimes in life you go with your gut and usually your gut is right.

Who was this person? Well you know that Chefman I am constantly bragging about being the "Worlds Best Chef"? Yeah, it was him, my husband Chef Jason Gibson. Driving out there to meet him in person was the best "Oh god you aren't doing that?!?!" moment of my life. I didn't meet my Anam Cara (Soul Mate in Gaelic), I found him again that day.

You see, sometimes in life when you find that one, you don't meet them. You feel as you are picking back up with them after being separated for a life time.  Just getting a chance to start another life time together. March 25th was that day for us.  For most couples the wedding anniversary is the most important, for us this is. Without it, there would be no us, no Anam Cara found again. None of that whimsical kooky romance, no stereotypical Irish Love.  No true life fairy tale.

So today is "Our" anniversary. One of a couple we do celebrate each year but for us the biggest one. Sadly, we were not looking to celebrate it in any big way this year due to financial reasons. Not exactly wise to shell out for a huge anniversary party, dinner or night out when you are between jobs.  Harder still when you are prepping for your son to have surgery the next morning. Yet, that is where we are.

But as they say, things just have a way of working out. Just as a proposal of marriage came about so did me finding a gift for the hubby. You see, he proposed in the middle of a fight. (Yeah, romantic isn't it? But not as bad as one may think. Come on, if in the middle of a couple being at their worst they can still stop and know they want, they should, they need to be together for the rest of their life: Then yeah, they will be. You see these big romantic proposals all the time and then reality sets in and things change, end. Many times because the couple did not know just how they would feel when they were at their worst. We got that out of the way early, LOL) But yeah, fighting for us sometimes brings out the best in us.

Duck, Duck, Duck

A simple fight lead me to storming out the door and start wandering the Square. Stepping into a little consignment shop and finding the perfect anniversary present for the hubby - A Duck. LOL Yeah, sounds silly but Ducks do play a big part in our relationship. (To sum up, dinner one night, the creation of Angry Duck, a dinner at the restaurant he was working at featuring the dish and so much more.) A romantic part of our relationship. LOL But anywho, I found some inexpensive hand carved antique wooden ducks and got them for him. (Given to him a bit early but hey!)

So yeah, things have a way of working out. In the middle of no where, with almost nothing, in the middle of a fight, knowing our son is going in for surgery the next week - I was still able to get my hubby a wonderful, even if silly and corny, anniversary present.

All his ducks in a row

What did he get me? I'll tell you what! He freaking topped me in the gift giving category for the first time in our relationship! And you know what? (Even though everything is a competition with me) I'm okay with that! He got me Vintage Noritake China!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMFG!!!!!!! Apparently he found it, by chance, in the same consignment shop I got the ducks in, before everything with his job went to hell, got it and hid it away until now!!! OMFG!!!!!

My Noritake Ravel

Noritake China!!!! I cannot believe it!!!!! I have the full 5 piece place setting, enough for 12 people!!!! Not to mention the gravy boat, salt & pepper shakers, serving platters, creamer & sugar bowl w/lid, vegetable serving bowls and  more!!! All in perfect condition! And to make it even more amazing, it is in the Ravel Pattern - Which is a Glacier Blue(my favorite color) Floral Pattern than includes the 3 flowers tied to our relationship - Amaranths, Buttercups and Roses.  I about died!!!!

Isn't it pretty!!!!

So, call it what you will - Things working out, God working in mysterious ways, Karma paying it forward. I don't care. My Celtic Barbarian showed he was also my Knight In Shinning Armor and against all odds pulled out the best gift to me. ^_^  (And honey, now I need a China Cabinet to show these off in. They are getting locked up and not even being taken out for the Pope!) LOL

They are now safely tucked away, wrapped up nice and tight in several crates. I did manage to "allow" myself to use them to display our morning "Anniversary Tea." Should have seen me setting this up and taking the pictures. I was shaking so bad many of the pictures were just too blurry to even know what was on them. -_- I can't help it, first China set just for me and it's vintage at that. Every time a child drew a breath my heart skipped a beat.

Irish Breakfast Tea & Shortbreads

So what did we have in this house of foodies/chef/baker with picky children? Shortbread jam cookies! Even after everything with Cookie Mario World yesterday I broke out the Irish Butter and whipped up some Irish Shortbread. A little chillin', some cookie cutters, a dollop of jam and a sprinkle of powder sugar later we had a delicate morning treat that was just perfect to show off on my Noritake Ravel. ^_~ We have Peach Ducks, Blackberry Amaranth Flowers, Strawberry Buttercups and more.

Shortbread Jam Sandwiches

And there you have it, in the midst off fighting, job hunting, running around like a chicken with your head cut off, worrying about how your child will do in surgery the next day and so much more you can still stop in wonderment of the good life brings and look forward to all the trials and tribulations of the coming years as long as you have your Anam Cara by your side.

Happy Anniversary My Black Diamond, I cannot wait to see what the years hold for us. (I still think you are the biggest ass to walk the face of the earth but I still love ya. :P)

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