Minnie Mouse

Oh Minnie Mouse...hands down my favorite of the classic Disney characters. I have photos of my first meeting with her at three in Disney World and then again many years later when although of course while it was not nearly as magical, she was still my favorite.


Based on my eight and under friends' interests these days, the Disney princesses seem to be giving Miss Minnie a run for her money. (Maybe her costume change to pink will assist in getting back that fan base?!) Anyway, when a friend asked me to make Minnie-themed cookies for her daughter's birthday party recently, I was happy to hear that MM is still popular. Since I already had done a Mickey collection, I was looking forward to making some for his leading lady.


You should have seen the matching cake the birthday girl's mom made - it was impressive! I don't think I will try to tackle that until I am hosting my own Minnie Mouse party some day.

Thank you Niki!

TUTORIAL: How to Make a No Sew Applique Shirt

My friends certainly were inspired this weekend! I received texts proudly showing off a custom iPhone case, DIY cork and chalk boards from old frames and adorable no sew applique shirts. (So impressed ladies!) Luckily all three are OPC readers and happily accepted when I asked if they would be interested in putting together a tutorial of sorts to show us how they accomplished these gems.

First up is my good friend Krissy of "In My Life." Even with twin toddler boys and a full schedule to manage, Krissy always is texting me photos of creations she has made and/or baked. We have gone back and forth with recipes and projects for years - it would be dangerous if we lived in the same city!

I will let her do the talking and show us how to make these CUTE shirts. Thank you so much Krissy for taking the time to write this us!


This is nothing new and certainly you can find fancier versions on many other websites and blogs. But the fact that I was able to make it at all (and cheap too!) is what excites me AND that my boys will be sporting their shirts made by yours truly is even better.

I've had in my head that I'd find some cute birthday shirts for the boys to wear on their upcoming special day, so I started searching Etsy and talking to a friend who makes her own personalized items. Then a couple weeks ago I attended a baby shower and the creative hosts had a 'bib and onesie decorating station.' Super clever, user friendly, personal, and cute! And it hit me...once I'd made an outfit for the guest of honor: bun in the oven, I realized this is what I'd been looking for. Thanks to Erin (who happens to do some fabulous design work, which can be seen here) I went home with some spare prepped fabric scraps and her specific instructions (below). That night I dug out some plain shirts in the boys' drawers and got to work. Ten minutes later mission accomplished: superstar two year old birthday shirts!!! Thank you, Amy, for the decorative stitching (optional).

Supplies:
Fabric - Hancock Fabric sells "Design by the Piece" singles for $1.99 each. They're cotton and measure 18" by 21".
Iron-on Adhesive - I bought "Heat and Bond" for $2.99/yard. After reading some more though, I've heard "Stitch Witchery" and "Wonder Under" may be even better for someone planning to go around the applique with a sewing machine.
Template/Stencil
Bib/Onesie/T-shirt
Scissors
Iron
Cardboard

Directions:
-Wash and dry all the fabric and bib/onesie/t-shirt so nothing shrinks up after applying the appliques.
-Cut the Heat and Bond just smaller than the fabric sheets and iron the "glue" side down onto the wrong side of the fabric, leaving the paper up
-Trace shape on the backside of the fabric...a pen will move more smoothly over the Heat and Bond. Remember that if you're doing a letter to trace it backwards because when you flip it over to iron on you'll want it facing the right direction!
-Cut out shape.
-Remove the paper backing and place shape 'tacky' side down onto fabric.
-Place cardboard piece inside the onesie/t-shirt or underneath the bib.
-Iron (cotton setting) shape onto bib/onesie/t-shirt.

The possibilities are endless...children's gifts here I come!

Bachelorette Par-tay!

Yesterday my new cousin Sarah sent me an email about how to "calculate the number of Kardashians you've been married." (You can try it here.) Lucky for me I've been married 22.65! Anyway it made me think that I never shared the treats that I made for her Bachelorette Party back in September. As you know Sarah is a big fan of this endeavor so I certainly wasn't willing to go to her big weekend empty-handed.

I chose to bake my sugar cookies but change things up with the icing. Instead of my royal icing designs, I decided to pipe buttercream roses on top of each cookie. I loved the look and think it would be pretty for any shower/party.


The real winner of the weekend though? The chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes I brought. We ate these for dessert and again with our coffee for breakfast. People were still asking me about them at the wedding two months later. Loved that!


For me it goes back to my thoughts on making it personal when celebrating special events. I knew my sweets-loving future cousin would enjoy these things so it was more than worth the effort invested in making them.

Happy Friday everyone! Wishing you all a very happy weekend.

Little Ladybug

Ladybugs are the only "bug" I can think of that I actually welcome when I see. They are considered lucky after all! I love all of the children's clothing and party decor inspired by these pretty bugs so I happily accepted when a friend asked me to make ladybug cookie favors for her daughter's first birthday party. (I feel the same way about bumble bee decor, but certainly cannot say the same nice words about an in-person encounter!) I decided to work in a few designs and stick to the traditional colors.


Thank you very much Erin - I hope your little ladybug loved these!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

Last Friday night I had my good friend over for dinner. She made her famous margaritas and I made a recipe we had both been admiring. I had almost convinced myself that we did not need a dessert but of course made one at the last minute. I have made this recipe as cookies several times but this time baked them in an individual bar pan so we could each have our own treat and I would not have to go back and forth to the oven. Thankfully she loved this recipe as much as I already did so I thought I would share it with you. (Maybe some day I will share her margarita recipe too!)



Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
Yields: 18 cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients, beating until the flour is absorbed. Gently mix in the coconut,then oats and finally chocolate chips.

If making cookies, roll the dough into generous sized balls (about 2 inches) and place onto greased baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart.

Bake one sheet at a time, rotating the sheet about two-thirds of the way through the baking time, until the cookies are set and browned on the edges but still very soft in the center, 15 to 18 minutes. (Same timing worked for the individual bar pan.) Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the rack and let cool completely

Source: The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook via A Chica Bakes

A Sad Day in Happy Valley

I first went to Penn State in the fall of 2004. My boyfriend at the time (now husband) was so proud to take me to his school and I must say that I was instantly enamored. The focus of our weekend was my first football game in Beaver Stadium. I remember being excited to see JoePa - a true coaching legend - in person and proudly reporting back to my dad once I had.


Since then, I have been to more Penn State games than I can count, both in Happy Valley and across the country really. Some of my happiest memories with friends in my post-college years have been tailgating outside Beaver Stadium and enjoying all that PSU has to offer. I have made life-long wonderful Nittany Lion friends and over seven years later, I personally feel a big sense of loyalty toward and pride for the PSU community.


This post is about celebrating a life and not debating the issues. I don’t expect everyone to understand a Penn Stater’s love for Joe Paterno. I know I can speak on their behalf and say that it is about much more than just football.


No one has been more prideful of and giving to Penn State than JoePa. As one friend put it, "He is the honorary grandfather of every Penn Stater" and will truly be missed. I hope his family is able to find peace with their loss.


And to end on a lighter note…check out Joe in his embroidered whale pants circa 1982. Perhaps he was a bit of a preppy cookie himself?!


“Believe deep down in your heart that you’re destined to do great things.” –Joe Paterno

Girly Thirty

Turning the big 3-0 is a birthday many people struggle with. I remember when I turned 30 (thankfully it was not THAT long ago!) On one hand it was a strange feeling to no longer be in my twenties. I had conflicted feelings about that. On the other hand though, I didn't really mind. I was comfortable with who I was, had accomplished many things and of course had a lot to look forward to. Thirty one? For some reason that was a little bit harder for me. ;) (I know I will be laughing at myself down that road when I am celebrating more significant birthdays but I hope I still have that same feeling of contentment.)

I love that the cookie requests I have been receiving for birthday are always focused on the recipient's favorite things. (Not many "Over the Hill" and cane requests!) This collection is no different. A friend asked me to make cookies to celebrate her friend's 30th, focusing on a few girly items like Tory Burch shoes, makeup, cupcakes, shoes and martinis. (Is she sure these weren't for me??)

"Favorite things" are one of my favorite things to do in cookies - I love to hear of people's reactions over them. Hopefully the birthday girl liked these as much as I did.


Thank you once again Esther!