So many cookies, so little time

Has it only been one week or two since I've been on here??  I don't even know, honest...it feels like a looong time friends!!!  Three weeks ago I played around with the idea of offering sugar cookies for sale.  We make them for our family at the holidays and have offered them for fundraising needs.  They are usually a big hit!!  I was asked to make them for an engagement party in December and so I guess I'm making a name for myself and my cookies!!! 

I no sooner got the thought out of my mind and off of my lips and there was a message requesting 3 dozen valentine's day cookies for the following week!!  So, I figured what the heck??!!  Well 24 dozen cookies later, I think I am comatose!!!  I've been sitting on a stool in the corner of my kitchen, nestled againts the counter and cabinets making delicate little heart shaped cookies for the past five days!!!  It pretty much took over my life!!!  It was crazy!  It was exhausting!  It was time consuming and it was so. much. FUN!!!!

I am glad that I decided to keep the ugly 1970's credenza in my kitchen!!  It has served me well in this monster baking endeavor!!!!  Thanks Jessica for the idea of clearing it off and lining them up!!  It was perfect!!

 

I was able to bring over a dozen at a time to the counter to decorate them.  I only had one decorator bag, so this took more time than it should have!  I had made 4 different colors to decorate with and had to either empty and clean the bag multiple times or have the forsight to know what I wanted to do on dozens of cookies so that I could use it up before starting over!

 

 

I am so thankful for Pinterest for all of the great ideas!!  Some I copied exactly and some I came up with on my own!  I definitely had a blast being creative, it felt like I was doodling, which I love to do!!

 

I could drown this post with pictures of cookies!!!  Different styles, stages, locations, packaging, etc.  I really want to, but I'll spare you!!! I need to look into packaging ideas that are cost effective.  I have typically used aluminum pans that can be thrown away.  The dollar store had these great tupperware-ish containers that I decided to use for the bulk of the orders.  They worked really well, but looked impractical!!

 

Here is the first batch of cookies, packaged and ready to go!!  This was my staging area for completed orders!!  See the containers on the left?  Those are the dollar store ones, they're great!!

Just when I thought I was finished and had cleaned up, I got a few more orders!!!  LOL, I joke about not wanting to go back into the kitchen, but I am truly am thankful for each and every order! 

 

I decided to use these cute paper punches to keep track of my orders!!  Hey, if it can be done in a cute way, I'm alllll about it!!!!!

 

After completing all of the orders (I have one dozen that needs to be delivered today), I had to go back to the kitchen and make a birthday cake for my lil Valentine!!!!  My Joe turned 13 yesterday!!!  It truly feels like yesterday that he came into this world!!  He's such a great kid, thoughtful, quiet, creative.....its been amazing watching him grow over the years and we're excited to see what the next few years bring for him!!!

 

 

 

I also threw together a little Valentine's Day fun for my love bugs!!!  I seriously mean "threw"!!!  I don't typically pull off Valentine's Day anything because of the birthday, but I've been feeling really inspired to take that day back and do "something" fun and special!! With the fact that I've literally been in the kitchen from morning til night for five days straight, I knew I couldn't do a whole lot and I didn't have any money to spend towards it, so I had to work with what I had.....not a whole lot!!

 

 

Luckily, you don't need a whole lot to be inspired and move forward!!!  So I gathered what ideas I came up with and just asked God to help me make it happen.  Typically when I get something in my head, I don't give up until I make it happen....I was sure that this was going to kick in for my surprise!!  A friend from church had given me a bag of wooden painted hearts, they've been in the garage for a few months.  I decided to have the kids paint them for me (heh heh heh) in chalkboard paint...they'd be the perfect little charger!!! 

 

Next, I knew I had some old Starbucks bottles on hand and thought it'd be cute to fill them with chocolate and strawberry milk.  I had just picked up some new red mugs from the dollar store and decided to make cake in a cup for them!!  I also had some small heart cookies left over, picked up the traditional "SweetHearts" for them and threw a few strawberry wafer cookies in the mix!!

 

I could have done so much more, and I'm not lying when I say that I am still fighting the urge to be discontent!  Some things die slowly.  The funny thing is, no one likes strawberry wafer cookies!!  The buttercream icing on the cakes was too sweet and gave them tummy aches, so they barely touched them.....they did drink their milk though!!!  That was a score.  I was highly disappointed in the response to this little shin dig.....the enemy knows my weak spots.  It's not pin worthy, it's barely blog worthy, but ya know what?  I don't care!!  I don't.  I could have done nothing at all, I could have used the excuse that I didn't have the time (I barely had the time) or that it wasn't important in the first place. 

But God gave me the desire, He gave me the means and He helped me make it happen.  I know that they enjoyed the treat, even if it didn't look like it.  I have to remember that what I do, I do for the Lord and not for man (or children) anyway.  I want to be obedient and pleasing to my Heavenly Father, and so I'm content.

I know that He delights in me, that I make Him smile when I am serving Him.  He is my sunshine and I am His <3  And that's all I need!!  I love the chalkboard hearts, I don't know where I'll use them after this, but I can't wait to see what we come up with!!! 

We moved on with our day, had french toast and bacon for dinner as per the birthday boys request!  He loved his little Creeper cake!!  He loved his gifts and he was surrounded with the people who love him the most!!  Isn't that what it's all about?  Knowing that you're loved, being surrounded with people who love you and falling into bed at the end of the day knowing you did a job well done!!

So I actually have to get back to the kitchen :/  I need to make some brownies.  Joe is have a friend or two over to hang out tonight and he's requested baked goods!!!  So back I go....to the one place that I typically spend very little time!!!!  If you need me you know where to find me!!!! 

Happy Friday friends!!  I pray you have a blessed weekend!!  Ours is packed with activity, as usual, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!!!!!

God Bless <3 Lorraine

 

 

 



 





NOT another Manic Monday

I am finding myself really anticipating my Monday!  So strange!  Especially after the past few Mondays.....you can read about them here and here if you dare....put your Wellies on, we got a little deep!!

So my children just woke up and they haven't presented me with a parenting delemma to blog about yet and hopefully there isn't one in the near future.  Ther are a few things that I want to share, and as much as I'd like to combine them, I think I'll just stick with one.  Are you ready for pictures??  Hope so!

Saturday, April 28th we celebrated the end of our Purity Study with our youth group girls!!  It was a really sweet way to end the journey, which really isn't the end, but just the beginning.  We had a "PuriTEA" (thanks to my friend Angie for that name)

Who can have a tea party without beautiful tea cups?

We challenged the girls to ask themselves this question:  Do you present yourself like a precious tea cup, a common ceramic mug or a value-less styrofoam cup?  Who wouldn't want to be a tea cup - they're gorgeous, delicate, valuable and treasured <3

We did the best we could to transform this meeting room.  I'd say we did a spectacular job!!  The challenge:  to allow God to transform us and our path from what the world says we are and should do to the perfect plans that God has set out for us.

I feared that we wouldn't have enough food.  Did I need to fear?  The challenge:  to not fear what the Lord has for us, even though it may require hard lines to be drawn and hard decisions to be made....He always prepares more than enough for us, if we wait <3

Who doesn't love beautiful, sweet smelling flowers?  I was so thrilled that I had some flowers available in my own garden in addition to the ones that I purchased.  God not only gives us what we need, He goes above and beyond.  He wants to spoil us in His love, giving more than we can ever hope, dream or imagine <3

Oh the gifts, not just for one, but for all!!!  The challenge: let go of the fake gifts (pearls) and receive the True Gift, the one with the greatest price <3 God is so good, He loves us tenderly and yet He loves fiercely...fiercely enough to send His Son to die on the cross for us.  He doesn't want to hit us with all of these rules and regulations.  He Gives Good Gifts to those who call His Name and Wait for His plans to unfold before them. 

From top left to right

Kelli, Emily, Me, Tanya Martie

Bottom row

Angie and Briana

Missing: Erika



Living a life of purity is not just about remaining sexually pure until marriage. (although that was a very strong point that ran through the study)  It is something that needs to encompass our entire life.  The lesson isn't just for teenagers, it's for all of us, from the youngest of young to the oldest of old.  Purity in thought, speech and deed.  When Christ is our filter, everything comes out Pure.  What areas could you use a pure cleansing in?  Do you harbor ill thoughts towards certain situations or people?  Do you have a "dirty mouth"?  What words roll across your lips, are they words that curse or bless?  Do you take the things that God intends to be perfect and pure and muddy them up with ideals that world offers?  All of these things and more can be given over to Him, He will cleanse you from the inside out.  Don't wait any longer.....run to Him and recieve the gifts that He has prepared for you <3

<3Lorraine

Mid-week Marvels

Hey friends, we're halfway there!!  To the weekend that is.  I don't usually countdown through my week to the weekend but this weekend I have something really big going on and I'm kinda worked up in a nervous and excited way!  Some of you already know what that is, but what about the rest of you?  Wanna know??

Okay, here it is........a tea party!!!!  But not just any tea party - this is a really special one!  Our youth group just completed a 10 week study on Purity!!!!  We had over 20 guys and 20 girls come out for 10 weeks straight to learn how to pursue a life of purity (they met in seperate locations and the boys used a different book)!!!  What a blessing it was!!!!  We used the book by Dannah Gresh called "and the Bride Wore White".  It was really amazing!!  So, as a way to officially end the book study we are treating the girls and their mothers to a really special tea party!

You may not know this about me, but I LOVE TO PLAN PARTIES!!!  I don't do it often enough, but when I get the chance I have trouble controlling my ideas, they start our very grand and then over time they water down to fairly grand but do-able!!!  I'm semi-freaking out as the week hits mid-point because we don't have a headcount, I'm hoping that we have enough food planned, will the decorations work out, will it all gel together??  I could make myself insane worrying about all of this.  But there's a still small voice whispering in my ear, telling me that it will all be fine, amazing, perfect, etc.  I don't need to worry, I need to rest!  Rest in His ever-loving arms and do this all for His glory, not mine. 

So here are some of the mid-week marvels....I probably shouldn't share them before the party, but we'll call it a sneak peek!!!!  I'm so excited!!!! 

First up are these:

I made these with items from the Dollar Store!!!!!  So super easy!!! When I came across these trays the other day I fell in love with them!!!  I didn't buy them on the spot though.  I wasn't sure they would work with my overall scheme!!  But I worked it out in my head and realized we couldn't go  on with out them and had to go back for them!!  I know, I'm being somewhat dramatic here, but if you've ever planned a party, you certainly understand <3 

They really are as easy as 

ONE

TWO

THREE!!!!!!!!

  

Next up are these little cuties, they may or may not be filled with wonderful treats!!! hee hee hee

And then, these, which are, I think, my favorite!!!!

I have to thank Pinterest for all of their amazing inspiration!!!!   There are so many other elements to this tea party that are going to be spectacular- I cannot wait until Saturday and until I can share it all with you!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today, I hope that, maybe you found some inspiration for your next event or even for your day to day life.  Wouldn't life be sweeter if everything we did had a little element of doilies and paper flowers?

Have a blessed day and rest of the week!!!  Tune in tomorrow for Jessica's I <3 you post and then Friday for our Favorite Five!!!!!!  I'll apologize now for things that you may see that are repeats : )  I am loving the stuff that I'm working on this week and they just may end up back here again on Friday!!!

And a special thank you to all of you who are helping to support Jessica on her quest for Compassion-Honduras.  Our house is smelling like a sweet, sweet bakery and due to your efforts of sharing and posting, it will continue to smell this way for weeks to come!!  God bless you all!!!

With love, tissue paper, cookies and affection <3 Lorraine