December 2, 2011

Incredible Christmas Cookies

I’ve been searching the internet for the past week, looking for inspiration. Inspiration for gingerbread cookie decorating. It’s been a year since I’ve done ANY cookie decorating (has it been that long?) so, I want a little help in the idea department.

First stop…Pinterest. Gotta be careful hanging around Pinterest for too long though, as you can easily get sucked from a simple gingerbread search into gorgeous natural spring pools on an Italian hillside, or a sewing craft that looks so awesome, but you don’t sew, and your mom is way too busy to take on another one of your great ideas.

Or so I imagine.

I was pretty amazed at the cookies I saw on Pinterest…

These are from Oh, Sugar…and are they not AMAZING? Holy nuts. That’s some time consuming cookie deco, I tell you. Awesome job! My husband LOVES A Christmas Story, so of course, these cookies are a favorite…but Elf is also a movie he loves. Didn’t she do incredible work?

The two below are from the incredible Marian at Sweetopia. Anything you ever wanted to know about cookie decorating, you will find on her site. From the perfect icing, to video techniques, to recipes…you can find it there. She’s phenomenal!

Consider me officially inspired.

I start baking on Friday, and I guess I’ll decorate most of the weekend. I like to decorate while the house is dark and quiet, with something random on TV that doesn’t keep my attention. Hours pass while I outline and flood, add details like dragees, sprinkles, and other goodies.

I am also thinking I will try to document part of the design and decorating process this year, and I’ve found a cool way to do it. it’s called Intersect. I love new things, as you are aware, and I love sharing them with YOU.

You already know I am a huge lover of Instagram and Facebook. There is a new site, called Intersect, that you can use link your accounts to, and create little vignettes. So, it’s like I can make a scrapbook, but online… And then I can share it with whomever I choose.

Sure, it’s fun to just take pictures on Instagram and share each one individually, but how cool is it that you can group certain ones together, making a story? Intersect even maps where you are at, and posts it along with the pics you take. It’s so fascinating, and a great way to document your life. I can’t remember where I even am, half the time, so having a way to remember where I was when I took that amazing rainbow picture? Yes, please, sign me up. Even better – there’s an App, so you can post on the fly. (And you are talking to an app LOVER.) Some people are even using it as a mini-blog of sorts, posting quick clips of their lives, and I, the voyeur, can’t seem to stay away! This one, by a lady named Joanna, for instance, is full of great photos, inspirations, and life. Pretty cool! Then there is this gal, Deb. I think she’s as obsessed with food and photos as I am – poor girl. Hehe.

Spend a little time over at Intersect, signing up (that’s QUICK), and feeling the site out. it has some really nice features! Hopefully I can keep myself in focus while baking and decorating so that I can share my story over there with you!

I’m going to leave you with a few of my Christmas Cookies Past. Just click the pics to go back and see more if you are so inclined!