I ♥ Faces: Beach Fun

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Butterfly Cookie Lollies + Bridal Shower

My friend May, of 10 years, has gotten married! The wonderful ceremony and reception took place last week, on August 7, 2010. She had informed me of her engagement approximately three months before the date and asked me to be her bridesmaid. I was thrilled! I had never been a bridesmaid and I almost feel like it's every girl's right of passage into womanhood - to be there to support the bride and to make sure she's happy. I was honored to be considered for that kind of responsibility, let alone actually chosen.
I wasn't sure what a bridesmaid's responsibilities were, apart from the maid of honor. Once I asked former bridesmaids, I decided to throw May a bridal shower. I imagined the shower to be elegant for the future bride and simple to create for me. When choosing a venue I wanted the space to already have everything - beautiful linens, decorations, silverware, china, food, gift table, lighting, location - so all I had to create were the favors and the photographs.
I ended up choosing Chado Tea Room in Old Town Pasadena. I had dined there a few times before and I adored it every single time. It's a great "girl's day out" location and you get to enjoy a variety of finger sandwiches, scones, cakes, and of course, tea!
Did I ever mention that May is obsessed with butterflies? For the 10+ years that I've known her, she has always been obsessed with them. Consequently, almost every gift I have ever given her has had the butterfly theme. You would think the girl would get tired of them, but no. Even her wedding had the butterfly theme (in addition to pastel colors theme).
Naturally, I needed to somehow incorporate butterflies into the shower. I hand made her invitation to the shower and closed it with a butterfly. I decided on something simple - cookies - for the favors. I remembered reading a tutorial from Cake Journal on making cookie lollies and decided that it would be perfect. I had butterfly cookie cutters from an Easter set and just needed to pick up some lollipop sticks. Michael's actually has cookie lolly sticks, which are longer and thicker than candy lollipop sticks, but I imagine that regular lolly sticks would work fine as well.
The cookies came out perfectly! The cookie recipe held itself well on the stick and was delicious. I wanted to keep the decoration simple yet planned, so I made a lavender icing outline to complement her pastel theme. As luck would have it, I found sprinkles with butterfly cutouts at Michael's as well. Score!
My gift to May was one I have used before - a homemade cookie mix that creates perfect cookies every time. The cookies aren't too crispy or too soft. They also don't spread very much so you can place them closer together (1-inch apart rather than 2).
All in all, I think the shower was a success. I got compliments on the venue, and all the details. I would definitely enjoy being a bridesmaid again (in fact, I was just asked to be one from another friend...so excited!).

Vanilla Sugar Cookie adapted from Cake Journal

200 grams of sugar OR 100 grams sugar and 100 grams of confectioners sugar (I used the latter)
2 large egg
1 tsp of vanilla
450 grams of all-purpose flour, sifted
200 grams of unsalted butter, diced
Extra flour for kneading and rolling

1. In a bowl or in the kitchen mixer with paddle attachment, mix the two types of sugar, vanilla and the egg. Add the flour and the butter and keep mixing just until the dough comes together.

2. Knead the dough lightly by hand on your flour dusted kitchen counter and wrap it well in cling film and put it in a plastic bag. Chill the dough for 2 hours.

3. Bake in a 325F preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.

To make the cookie lollies, follow the step-by-step instructions from Cake Journal

Template for the invitation can be found here