Cookies!!!!!!

I mentioned last week that I was jumping into a new hobby.  I never dreamed I would find something I love as much as sewing, but cookie decorating might just be a close second!  I found a few cookie blogs a while back (maybe around November) when I was surfing the internet.  My first thought was that it was amazing that these women could do the amount of detail they do on a cookie.  My second thought was that it must be tedious...but maybe a little fun.  My third thought was that I wanted to try it.  It took me a little time to be brave enough to decide to actually try my hand at this...then I realized that I would actually need supplies to make a cookie like them which kinda stopped me in my tracks.  I didn't want to invest in something that I likely would just give up after realizing it was too difficult and not much fun.  I received some money as a gift for Christmas and after talking myself in and out of trying to actually make professional looking cookies, I took the plunge and bought about $50 worth of supplies and started (that was the bare minimum).  Let me say that my first cookies were kinda rough.  They looked cute for a first time attempt, but it was exhausting to say the least!  I only have a hand mixer and mixing up that royal icing was a pain.  Ugh!  I was pretty much over it before I started. 

Then I got a Kitchenaid stand mixer for Christmas (something I have always wanted!!!! Yay! Thanks to my inlaws!) and thought that I would be able to actually make the icing and all without wanting to break my arm off.  Guess what...I was right!  Fast forward a couple weeks, and some more money sunk into my new hobby (and a husband that shakes his head because I already am so engrossed in sewing and he doesn't understand a need for a second hobby, but he is none the less very supportive!)...there is hardly a day in my house that doesn't include either baking cookies, icing cookies, or at least some cookies sitting out drying.  To say I'm hooked is an understatement!  Take a look at a few pictures I have snapped on my iphone through these first few weeks.  I am definitely getting better every batch. 

 CREEPY looking angels!  I didn't have a food color marker so I experimented with piping a circle to make them sing...yeah, not so cute with those open eyes!  I was going to make hair too, but after the creepy eyes...I just stopped and said I would try again another day.  Not bad for the second time ever decorating though!

 My favorite!!!!!

 Yesterday I experimented with these!  I LOVE how they came out for the most part! I finally got my "flood", "20-second", and "piping" icing consistencies right! 

Don't mind the terrible icing overflow in the corner...I had a casualty due to over flooding it (learning mistake).  Some of my piping could be better, but I am getting the hang of it! 

I have had some questions about tutorials and although I could do one, why reinvent the wheel when there are so many great resources out there!  I will be adding some great links to by sidebar soon, and I will have a post up today with links to specific tutorials and where to start!  I hope maybe some of you will try your hand at this hobby!  It really isn't too hard and it's loads of fun (if you have a stand mixer or a strong arm or maybe you could think of it as an arm workout to get Michelle Obama arms?).