All-Star Baby Shower Cookies!

(fyi....this post was originally titled "How to give a cookie lady a heart attack")

(part one...)

My niece Katie recently co-hosted a baby shower for one of her best girlfriends.

They knew the Mommy-to-Be was having a boy and loves sports so the 

party theme was really easy to choose.

Katie said the parents love the Michael Jordan logo,  so I did my best to incorporate that without making it too obvious.

I used a projector and a teeny-tiny little liner brush  to paint the logo on using black food coloring mixed with a little clear alcohol.

Of course, it's not a shower without party favors...

I love those pretzel bags for tying up mini cookies!

A few days before I needed to ship these,  I gave Katie a call to get a final head count for the favors and hear how the planning was going.
This is when things got a bit......interesting.
"Hi Katie!  How are you??"
"Hi Aunt Elizabeth, I'm good!  Just busy with work and the party planning."
"Well, I won't keep you...I'm just calling to double check the head count and confirm the details...."
(then there was a lot of back and forth....45 people...baby's name is Elijah....Mom is Robbie...etc.)
"I just saw the balloons my friend ordered for the party.   They're really cute and match the plates and napkins..."
"How fun! Are they giant sports balls or did she find a Michael Jordan balloon?"
"No....they're like a jungle safari type print....."
**silence**
"They're...so it's...wait...what about...um...WHAT!!!!"
(to be continued)

Cookies for the Team Mom!

If your kids have ever played a team sport,

you know there is only one job harder than being the coach.

That's being the Team Parent.

Some seasons....its even harder.

Jack's team had the BEST Team Mom Ever!!!

Yup, its true.

You know how I know this?

Because it's on the cookie.

And everyone knows.....

...cookies don't lie.

Thanks again Deana!!

You were awesome!

Of course, you'd love to do this again next year....right?

Thanks for stopping by,

Lizy B

Baseball Player Cookies!

Jack has officially finished his first season of Little League!

Although all the kids are sad there won't be any more games or practices until next year,

there's still one more event to look forward to.....

The Team Party!!!!!

Would you like to meet our team?

You would?

(I knew it, you guys are just the best)

I would like to introduce the 

LFLL 2012 Colorado Rockies

Teeball Division!

#1 Max!!  #2 Lydo!!  #3 Ryan!!  

#4 Carter!!  #5 Bryce!!  #6 Flynn!!

#7 Kyle!  #8 Philip!!  #9 Christopher!!

#10 Joseph!!  #11 Nathaniel!!  #13 Jack!!

My husband was their fearless leader.

By the end of the season they were catching balls, 

making outs and even running the right direction around the bases!!

(that's not always easy...especially for the lefties!)

 Sorry....had to.

There's just nothing cuter than a munchkin in catcher's gear.....


I made something extra special for the Team Mom....

but I can't show you yet!

The party isn't until tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by,

Lizy B

Baseball Cookies!

It's that time of year again for our family!

The Little League baseball season has officially begun!

This is an extra special year though.

After many, many seasons of watching Ethan's games,

cheering from the sidelines,

and getting to wear the 'mascot' jersey...

Jack gets to play Tee-ball.

He's pleased as punch!

So, this weekend was opening day, and of course...

there was a bake sale!

I've made baseball cookies before.

They were okay, nothing spectacular.

I needed to come up with a few new designs.

Baseball Fields!!!

These were fun...and sparkly!

(I do love sparkles!)

I used a party hat cutter that I opened wide,

then cut down the larger side into a semi-circle.

I piped, flooded and sugared the grass first, then filled in the dirt.

The baselines were added after they dried.

Jack noticed something after I bagged these up.

"Mom, where's the little line on the pitcher's circle where he puts his

toes when he throws the ball?"

Whoops.

Next came the ballplayers.

This was a great occasion to finally try some silhouettes!

I googled 'baseball silhouette clip art' to find some images that I liked.

I outlined with a PME #1 tip.

(I used my new Kopykake for the first time!!!)

All of these images has some skinny little parts.

I filled them in with thicker piping icing to try to prevent cratering,

then filled in the rest with flood icing.

I've had a few people ask about the different fonts I've used.

I love Keven & Amanda's site.  Lots of free fonts!

I like to print out the sayings I'll be using in a few different fonts and sizes.

(I leave lots of blank space on the page for 'practice space')

Then I just practice a few times.

Not much to it really.

Some of the fonts work out well.

Some...not so much.  They just end up looking messy.

But you never know until you try, 

and I'd much rather try on the paper than the cookie!

When I find one I like, I try to gauge the size and where it will fit.

I like the 'Home Run' writing and placement the best...

but I liked the silhouette the least.

Too much cratering in the middle.

So he was cut from the team....sorry man.

The other two were added to the line up and I cranked out a few dozen!

Do you like the edges!!

I saw these on The Sugar Tree Bakery's facebook page!

She made some beautiful nautical cookies that had this detail along the sides!

Click HERE to go see them!

I knew that would be perfect for baseball cookies!

It looks just like stitching!

So there's my new baseball team set!

Oh wait!

Can't play baseball with out the balls!!!

Have a great season everyone!

I'll let you know when Jack hits his first homerun!

Thanks for stopping by,

Lizy B

Our great big Little Leaguer

Yes I drive a minivan, but no, I am NOT a soccer mom.

I am a very proud Little League Mom!!!

Ethan just finished spring season and we have a few months off until Winter Ball starts.
(Why they call it winter ball, I will never know.  Games start in September when the temp is in the 90's)

Uh, just look at him....I could kiss every freckle....but he'd die of embarrassment....

He was an Oklahoma State University Cowboy....#44, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, sometimes catcher, sometimes center field, pitcher a few times....big man does it all.

...and I got to finally open my orange americolor food gel!!!!

Cookies for everyone, as always!




Ethan started playing when he was 5, which still seems like yesterday.



Because, how could this little boy....

Be this young man?

This pile of cuteness....

Be this determined?

Thanks Cowboys for a great season.

Huge thanks to our manager and coaches, Kyle, Casey and Rich.

They were fabulous teachers and role models for our boys.

Love ya Big Easy....

Lizy B

(Mom)

Linked up at:

Tatertots & Jello

Bunnyprints!!!

How do you know when your friends stop being just friends and become your family?
There definitely comes a day when you realize they are a part of all your most important memories.

In our house, it also seems to have something to do with everyday vocabulary and conversation.

• We don't eat crispy tacos, we eat 'Christy Tacos'.  (flour tortillas, hot oil, all kinds of good things going on inside)
• You need a super-deluxe, squisheroo, pick-the-munchkin-up-off-their-feet kinda hug?   That's a 'Christy hug'
• What does Jack say when he's looking at the ceiling during a thunderstorm?  "Mommy, we should call Mr. Brian and thank him for making the rain stop in the living room!" (long story for another day-and yes, he says this every time it rains).
• If something needs fixing in the house, and Daddy is thinking about it a little too long without actually picking up any tools, the boys say "let's call Mr. Brian, he'll know what to do!".   Ethan will even bring the phone.

Really, I could go on and on all day....but its Easter time, so I'm thinking about this...

Ethan was 20 months old at the time, and it was Easter morning.

I was inside making breakfast and Joe and Ethan went out to get the newspaper....and then I heard the giggles.

The doorbell rang furiously and I saw...

Bunnyprints!!!

Absolutely the cutest thing I had ever seen.

So I said (quietly), "Joe, when did you do this?"

He shook his head and said, "wasn't me, I thought it was you."

Ethan LOVED it...(so did I)

After a few moments of thinking there really was a giant man-sized bunny running around town, we started thinking about who could have done this.  

We checked with the most obvious people first, our neighbors...nope not them.

You might be thinking 'didn't they know it was Christy and Brian right away?'

We didn't.  You know why?  

They live a half an hour away!  They drove all the way over in the middle of the night just so our munchkin would have a surprise in the morning....

And....the tradition stuck.

The bunny that visits our house seems to have shrunk a bit and has moved to the backyard (this works out better when mom remembers at 10 p.m. and is already wearing pajamas-no need to scare the neighbors).

He comes through the back fence, hops along the cement to our back door, then disappears under the side fence to our neighbors yard.  

I giggle hysterically while I'm doing this...its absolutely my favorite holiday tradition.

Thank you Christy and Brian (and Reece and Paige)!  This is just another way you've brightened our lives!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lizy B

Play Ball!

A few days ago I asked for cookie ideas.

Decisions, decisions.....help!

My cousin Cyndi suggested Baseball Cookies!

When I started this blog I promised myself I'd post all my cookie pictures, whether I liked them or not.
These are not my favorites. But, in the spirit of teamwork (I realize that's completely irrelevant to baking cookies by yourself...) and 'you win some, you lose some'...

Here they are!

Jack-Jack is my little guy's nickname.  Last season Ethan's baseball team gave him his own jersey with his nickname and '00' for the number.

He was so very proud and was convinced the team couldn't play if he wasn't there...

Ethan is Big Easy...

One of his coaches (and our good friend)  gave him that nickname a few years ago and it stuck...

It pretty much sums up Ethan's outlook on life...'its all good'.

Have a great day,

Thanks for stopping by!

Lizy B