As you may or may not know, I’ve been designing cookie stencils for about a year and a half now with the help of my design and manufacturing partner, Confection Couture Stencils, formerly Stencil Ease. In addition to my Prettier Plaques stencil series, which was my first line at launch, I’ve now got a second line called Dynamic Duos. Both lines involve multi-stencil sets that allow cookiers to create luscious layered looks, but they’re different in some key ways. Each Prettier Plaques set consists of five elements (stencils and masking pieces) that basically allow you to create one layered - and gorgeous - message cookie design. By contrast, each Duos monthly release consists of two coordinated multi-stencil sets (one with background stencils and the other with messages and frames) that, taken together, allow you to create myriad layered designs with multiple messages and backgrounds. My goal with this new line was to give my customers as much design flexibility as possible, all in two small packages each month! And, I dare say, I think I’ve done that!

Anywho, I’ve been releasing lots of Duos sets lately, and wanted to share those designs with you, just in case you missed them when first announced. What follows is a quick pictorial overview of recent releases, all of which have a definite spring-y flair . . .

» More

Alfresco is one of my favorite ways to entertain. And late September into early October, after the summer swelter has passed, is the best time to do it here in Missouri. This farm-to-table dinner party took place at precisely this transition of seasons a few years ago, at Winding Brook Estate, a 16-acre lavender farm tilled into tidy, fragrant rows by my friends Deborah and Steve Nathe. The occasion: a simple respite from the rigors of tending 7,000 lavender plants!

I was honored that Deborah asked me to plan and style her event (one that would be featured in a local magazine, no less). But I also recognized the challenge of adapting my “more-is-more” approach to her minimalist aesthetic. She wanted to keep the party down-to-earth, yet still give guests that ah-ha experience they’d never forget. Hmmmm . . . simple, yet over-the-top? Subtle, but showy? What had I gotten myself into, and was it even possible?

» More