Sometimes I dream in cookies. You guys, this is not a joke. I can not tell you how many times I walk past something or take a screenshot on my phone while thinking, “That would look so good on a cookie.” I had been dreaming (literally) about making some form of cactus cookies for SO long. The problem is, I can’t just make cookies for fun. I have to be able to bring them to some kind of event or I will eat them all (literally). Have I mentioned how these cookies don’t just LOOK good, but also TASTE good? They are hard-core addictive. People call them crack cookies (literally).

So when my friend Sara casually asked if I might want to put together some cactus cookies for a “Prickly Party” she was putting together for her blog, I decided to neglect all of my other responsibilities in life and make some. One of the best things about having creative friends is having a reason to get some of the ideas out of my head and put them on paper. Or cookies, in this case.

She sent me a photo of these adorable bright-colored pots she had made, I drew up some sketches, and these darling cactus cookies were born. Once again, I was feeling pretty pleased with my handiwork and then when I saw the rest of the party I couldn’t handle it! Every detail of this party was beyond perfect. Someone needs to throw a real cactus party and invite me ASAP. K? K. I’ll bring the cookies!

Photos by: Sara of Tell Love and Party

Party decor: Sara of Tell Love and Party

Prickly Party Sign: Rad and Happy

Confession: I am a TERRIBLE gift giver. I honestly don’t even know when the last time I got my husband a physical gift on his birthday. Don’t get me wrong, I love getting gifts. And I love giving gifts to people when I think of something I know they would really love and appreciate. But gift-giving just isn’t my thing. I wish it was! Maybe in my next life?

Lately, when one of my friends is having a baby or a birthday party, I will bring cookies in lieu of a gift. Because who needs a gift that will last longer than a few minutes when they can have something edible, right?

My friend Sara recently had her THIRD baby boy, so a group of friends wanted to put together a casual shower for her. She didn’t want or need a big event, but I think moms should get some kind of celebration every time they have a baby, because having a baby is HARD WORK and you deserve a party. Sara went to high school in the 90s and has a soft spot in her heart for the decade, so our friends decided to throw her the first ever 90s themed baby shower. We all came decked out in 90s clothes, hair, and make-up, and the venue was decorated like a teenage girl’s 90s bedroom!

Instead of making traditional baby shower cookies, I decided to keep my designs on-theme with the 90s party. I was 11-years-old when the 90s ended, so I maybe had to google “90s graphic designs” and then I chose my favorite designs to replicate on the cookies. Bold colors on cookies aren’t usually my favorite–I tend to go a little more subtle–BUT I was beyond thrilled with how these turned out. And considering these cookies received the most likes EVER of anything I’ve posted on Instagram, I would say they were pretty well received. Also, the guy working the Taco Bell drive-thru window saw these on my front seat on my way to the party and was REAL impressed. So there you go.

If you don’t live under a rock, chances are you follow the amazing Brittany Jepsen of the House That Lars Built blog. I absolutely LOVED following her flower-drawing-tutorial-series she did recently. She filmed tutorials on how to (simply) draw 30 different types of flowers, and posted a video each day during the month of May.

Most often, when I make cookies for a party or event, I end up with extra cookies and/or extra icing. Better to be safe than sorry! A lot of time my extras end up going to waste! Either I get caught up wrestling my two babies and can’t find the time to finish them, or I toss them in the garbage before I eat a dozen all by myself. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything…

Anyway! I had some extra circle cookies and plain white icing laying around, and I decided that they would be the perfect canvas to try out some of Brittany’s drawing tutorials.

These may be some of my favorite cookies I’ve EVER made. I say that often. Like, every time I make cookies. But I really mean it!

First, I decorated each cookie with white royal icing. Once the icing was completely dry, I “painted” a little color onto each cookie with a fine paint brush using gel food coloring diluted with almond extract. Once the color was completely dry, I drew the outline of the different types of flowers onto each cookie with a edible food coloring marker.

Brittany’s tutorials and my cookies are MFEO. Obviously.

Sometimes, I feel like my cookies are kind of like my babies. Alright, so I get that’s a little bit of a stretch, but stick with me for a second. These sugar cookies can be kind of a process and definitely a labor of love. After putting so much thought and energy into each batch of cookies I make, I just want to send them to a good home where they will be loved and appreciated as much as they should be! Ok, that is definitely ridiculous now that I write it out, but it is true nonetheless!

Any time I make cookies for a collaboration with my friend Sara, I feel like my cookie babies are going to the very best home. Not only because they are totally loved and appreciated, but because it usually they means they are going to be a part of some kind of mind-blowingly beautiful party or event before they are happily devoured.

Sara asked me if I would be able to make some cookies for a bridal shower she was throwing for a close high-school friend. She told me she was using a lot of gem + geometric shapes and showed me this beautiful Minted invitation that embodied the party’s color-scheme.

I decided to make these (semi) simple gem-shaped cookies, thinking they would go well with the geometric theme and obviously be a perfect choice for a bridal shower. I thought the ombré coloring of the Minted invitation was so beautiful that I knew I had to carry that through the cookies. [Fun fact: I used to work at a jewelry store that specialized in engagement rings. When I was looking for cookie cutters for this project, it was driving me CRAZY that so many of the options were nowhere close to what the actual dimensions of real gemstones are. I ended up making my own template for two of the designs and hand-cutting them with a pizza cutter. I also looked up actual drawings of real gems to make sure my decorative piping was as realistic as a cookie could possibly be. Ridiculous? Probably.]

I thought I was in love with how they turned out, and I was so happy to deliver them to my friend to take to the bridal shower. BUT THEN, I saw these photos of how the whole shower came together and I was literally blown away! I could say it a million times–Sara is a party genius! Can I just get married again (to Spencer, obviously) so she can throw me a bridal shower too?! I felt so honored to have my cookies be a part of such a beautiful tablescape. I mean, can you even deal with how gorgeous this all is?

Photos by: Sara of Tell Love and Party

Whenever I am asked (or offer) to make cookies, I try to stick to the general color scheme and party vibe when I’m designing how I’m going to decorate them. These graphic and modern invitations from Minted totally inspired me and gave me the perfect jumping off point!

I loved the colors and geometric elements of the invitation and wanted to carry those over to the cookies. But I knew that I needed to add a little something, like a spider, to bring in some element of Halloween. And I absolutely LOVE how they turned out! I felt like they were perfectly spooky and on trend for the party, without getting too traditional (or even tacky).

But enough chit-chat. Here are some more snaps of the cookies, as well as the rest of the darling dessert table that Sara put together. Isn’t she a party genius?!

Invitations: Minted

Party decor: Sara of Tell Love and Party

Photos:Tell Love and Party and Rad and Happy

Because I love you all so much, I thought I would share one of my all-time favorite recipes. Anytime I volunteer (or am volunteered) to bring a dessert somewhere, this is my go-to. It makes a great cake or cupcakes, and it always gets rave reviews. So, you’re welcome. Really. You can make it and thank me later.

CAKE INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 c. bananas, mashed, ripe
2 t. lemon juice
3 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
3/4 c. butter, softened
2 1/8 c. sugar
3 large eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. buttermilk

FROSTING
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1 t. vanilla
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 275.

2. In a small bowl, mash 3-4 bananas and add lemon juice. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt.

4. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy

5. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Then, stir in vanilla.

6. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk (milk, flour, milk, flour, milk, flour). If you don’t have buttermilk, simply add 1 t. of lemon juice to regular milk.

7. Add banana mixture.

8. For a 9×13 pan: butter pan and pour in cake batter. Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

For 3 9-inch pans, line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. (The cake sticks REALLY bad to the pans, which makes stacking a 3-layer cake difficult). Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

This recipe also makes amazing cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Remove pans from oven and place directly in the freezer for 20-45 minutes. 20 minutes for cupcakes, 30 minutes for 9-inch round pans, and 45 minutes for 9×13 pan.

FROSTING:
1. Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth.

2. Add vanilla.

3. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat on a low speed until combined. Mix on high speed until combined.

4. Spread frosting on cooled cake.

**When I make a 3-layer cake or “fancy” cupcakes (where I use a piping bag to frost them) I will either double or make 1.5x the frosting recipe.

a few months ago, i got started on a serious glitter kick. i even thought that it might have been a good idea that i wasn’t engaged, or i would probably try to cover our entire wedding in glitter.

if you saw my wedding inspiration board, you probably noticed that the glitter obsession is still in full force. and you better believe that glitter will probably make its way onto some nails for the wedding. only probably not mine because my fiance thinks it looks weird. maybe my toes?

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
a colored nail polish
a corresponding shade of ultra fine glitter [i used smoky quartz by martha stewart]
a clear top coat
a small paintbrush

1. paint one nail with the desired shade of nail polish.

2. while the nail polish is still wet, generously apply glitter.

3. use a small paintbrush to carefully dust off excess glitter.

4. repeat steps 1-3 on all nails.

5. when the first coat of nail polish is dry, apply a clear top coat. [i sometimes apply a few coats throughout the day to give my nails a smoother texture].

ps. my the first photo and the two above were taken by my little sister. seriously. she is awesome.

it has been a while since i have posted a recipe, and ever since my mom visited in december i have been craving her lemon bars.

lucky for you guys, my mom doesn’t believe in secret family recipes – so enjoy!

JUDY’S LEMON BARS

crust:
1 c. butter
½ c. powdered sugar
2 c. flour

cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add flour. press into a 9×13 pan and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden. [do not overcook].

filling:
3 eggs
2 c. sugar
8 T. lemon juice
Zest from 1 lemon
4 T. flour
1 t. baking powder

beat eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest completely, making sure not to over beat.  gradually add in flour and baking powder. pour filling over crust. bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until edges are golden brown. cooking time will vary depending on your oven, altitude, etc. let sit for about 5 minutes, then sprinkle powdered sugar [using a sifter] on top. cut once cool.

i thought i would give you a break from all of my wordy posts and share some photos i have been hoarding since august. if you are ever in northern california in the summer, you should definitely pay the boardwalk a visit.
i love this place.

ps. in case you were wondering, my little sister makes the silly faces on purpose. such a stinker.

<<< PHOTO PRINTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE HERE! >>>

<<< PHOTO PRINTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE HERE! >>>

<<< PHOTO PRINTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE HERE! >>>

now, before i continue, i have a disclaimer: i am no goal-making and keeping expert. ask anyone that knows me. but, with that being said, i have come up with a system that i feel really good about. in fact, it is already yielding results. and since it would be pretty selfish of me to keep all of my goal-accomplishing secrets to myself, i am going to share them all with you. ready?

1. grab a spare piece of scratch paper and start writing down your goals for the year. all of them. just rattle them off – however big or small they may be. just get an idea of what it is that you are hoping to accomplish. this is your rough draft.

2. in a more permanent place – a handy notebook, your journal, planner, whatever it may be, make a more solid list. maybe buying 15 new pairs of shoes isn’t a very worthy goal. and since you haven’t gone for a run since high school, maybe you should start with a 5k instead of the marathon you put down earlier. there isn’t a limit to the number of goals you can accomplish in a year, just make sure you are being reasonable with yourself. i decided to write all of my resolutions for the year on the front page of a new journal – since journaling is something i want to do every day. just make sure your final draft of goals is somewhere where you can see it. often.

3. start getting specific. are the any specific dates or deadlines for your goals? for example, you want to run a 5k. maybe do a little research and pick out a race. then write the date next to your goal. trust me, you are about 20 times more likely to accomplish something if you give yourself a finish date. there have been studies. go through your list and see how many of your goals you can set a reasonable date for [it doesn’t have to be ALL of them].

4. break it down. what can you do every month to accomplish your goal? what about every week and every day? take each of your goals, or as many goals as you would like to focus on, and start finding things you can do on a monthy, weekly, and daily basis to accomplish them. start writing everything down. because i like to write in pen and hate scratching things out, i like to brainstorm on scratch paper, then transfer the final draft somewhere more permanent. in case you want an example of the break down, here you go: one of my big goals for the year is to really nurture my creativity. each month, i plan on completing a sewing project – whether it’s sewing a skirt from scratch or adding ruffles to a plain t-shirt. every week, i want to make sure i want to make time [at least one day] to paint. and every day [at least during the week] i want to put up a new blog post – it’s amazing how that really gets my creative juices going.

sound simple enough? that’s because it is! the hard part is getting it done. so how do we keep on track? to be honest, this is where i usually get lost. until now [at least hopefully].

i am a very visual person. that being the case, i thought it may be helpful to me to have a constant visual reminder of these daily, weekly and monthly goals. here is what i came up with.

pretty AND functional, right?

this is where i record all of my repetitive goals: things i should be doing EVERY day, like waking up by 7 and exercising. or things i should be doing EVERY week, like trying a new recipe and painting. it works great for me – everything is in one place and it is the perfect way for me to literally check in on my goals on a daily basis. it could also work as an awesome to-do list, if that’s the route you wanted to go. at the end of the week, i plan to tape it into my journal so i can track my progress from week to week.

i know my methods may not work for everyone, but i hope there is something here that you can use to get you motivated and to keep  that motivation going strong even after january.

and, as a little gift, i would be more than happy to share my goal chart with you. if you are on a teal kick, like me, you can simply drag the above version onto your desktop and print away [i print 2 per page].

UPDATE: because of the increasing requests i have had for a number of different colors, i decided to update the design of my goal chart and offer it in 6 fun color varieties. these goal charts are pdf files that can be customized to fit your needs. to view the new design and featured colors: click here.

happy goal making [and keeping]!

xoxo.
jana