Cookie Overload!

We were on cookie overload for Valentine's Day! After batches and batches of sugar cookies, and hours of fun creating our own Valentine's, we loved sharing our treats with pre-school friends and sweethearts this year!

We created a 'Sweet Treats', a 'Love Bugs' and a 'Happy Valentine's Day' Valentine. The cookies packages were wrapped with twine, and the kids even had a place to sign their own cards!

 For the cookies, we used the classic Williams-Sonoma Recipe, and it was a hit!

Williams-Sonoma Sugar Cookies

• 2 1/2 cups (390g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks/185g) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup (250g) sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Over a small bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on high speed for 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, slowly add the sugar and beat for 2 minutes, stopping the mixture occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for 1 minute, stopping the mixer once to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stop the mixer and add half of the flour mixture. Beat on low speed until most of the flour has been absorbed. Add the remaining flour and continue beating until all of the flour has been absorbed and the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not over mix.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 2 equal balls, Shape each into a disk and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 2 days. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 3/16 to 1/4 inch (4.5 to 6mm).
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
Dip cookie cutters into flour just before using and cut out shapes. Place on the baking sheet. Gather up the scraps, reroll them and cut out additional cookies.
Refrigerate the cookies until firm 20 to 30 minutes. (I did not do this, and my cookies held their shape perfectly.)
Bake the cookies until golden brown around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. If baking more than one sheet at a time, switch the sheets between the racks and rotate them 180 degrees halfway through baking.
Transfer the parchment sheets with cookies onto wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies directly onto the racks and let cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Makes 12 to 15 cookies

The icing is a standard Buttercream Vanilla Icing that hardens after the cookie is iced.

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons cream

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, over medium heat, heat cream and butter until butter is melted. Stir in the vanilla and confectioners' sugar. Remove from heat, and beat with an electric mixer until thick and smooth.



The Animals Go On Parade

We are so excited to share with you some pictures of our new Zoo Parade Baby Shower or Birthday Party line. It's been a big hit with baby showers this year, and we've had so much fun with it!



{Feature} It's Monkey Love

In honor of celebrating Valentine's Day without bombarding you with too much red and an abundance of hearts, today we're celebrating a different kind of love. I've been admiring this Monkey Love party that was featured over at the Party Dress for awhile, and I'm so excited to bring it to you today!

I love the the grass mats, and the way they embelished the wall behind the table with a personalized monogram - so cute! Pop on over to the Party Dress to check out the rest of the party and read about all of the details and designers that contributed. They did a fabulous job!



{Feature} Too Cute for Words

Head on over to Love the Day to check out this Little Man party. It is a perfect party for a growing baby boy!

{Feature} Love, Love, LOVE this idea!

Cupcake toppers are a great way to add a little sparkle to your party. I love that party designers are starting to add a little extra flare to their toppers. Lately we've seen more variations in shapes, colors and sizes, and the creativity that people are putting into their parties is so inspiring and fun! I thought I would share my latest inspiration that I am so in LOVE with! (Have I said that already, because I think this is adorable!)

Through the Birthday Girl, I found this fantastic tutorial on how to spice up your cupcakes with a fabric flower topper.  Head on over to Paiges of Style for fantastic pictures and step by step instruction on how to put together flowers for your next party!

Photo Courtesey of Paige of Style and Sprout Photography

Valentine Treats

A few weeks ago we came across these adorable valentine goodie bags that were featured over at Jones Design Company. We were so inspired that we are now working at creating some of our own!

We can't wait to share them with all of our little friends for Valentines Day! What's great is they can be so easily adapted and personalized for birthday parties too! Stay tuned for upcoming posts about the yummy cookies that are inside our little bags.