Running High (April 2014)

So, I've been participating in this training program through a local running store, Runners High 'N Tri, twice a week with a great group of ladies for the past 5-6 weeks or so, each with a goal of completing our first ever 5K or 10K race.  We've really been troopers, I must say...venturing out in as low as 10 degree weather with our extra-warm thermal leggings on just for the sake of training for race day.  Well, the day has come and gone as of yesterday.  

I am so very proud to proclaim that I completed my very first 10K at about a 10-10 1/2 minute mile pace (and still walking around today without much of a limp!).  It was a run to benefit our town's performing arts center, so costumes were encouraged at this "Red Carpet Run."  I had on a little black cotton dress over my running gear along with sunglasses and a string of pearls, Breakfast at Tiffany's style.  To keep me going for the last leg of the race, my family got dressed up and cheered for me on the sidelines too.  My daughter even spontaneously joined in to run the last 0.25 miles with me at the last second...what a way to finish the race!  Lots of cheers, loud music, and my little girl and me all dressed up and running together!

In order to thank the store, my new running buddies, and importantly, our great coach, Michelle, I thought a tray of cookies might be nice.

Good carbs, right?

I only had men's loafer cookie cutters (and I can't even believe I owned those), but after seeing Bake at 350's running shoe design, I just tweaked the loafer to try and look a little more athletic.  I think it still looks a bit like a golf shoe or cleat, but it would have to work.

Partially due to some laziness, I didn't outline and flood these cookies, but rather used 20-second icing for each section.  It made the project go faster, but after the cookie had dried, the icing didn't look as even and clean.  Ah well.

I had some fun with the store's logo.  I printed off the "R" from their website on a piece of paper, and put some wax paper on top of the copy.  I then piped the red icing on the wax paper to match the font as closely as possible.  Then, once it had dried, it easily transferred onto the wet white-icing cookies.

I'd like to say we all "paced" ourselves, but I think some of us ate 3.1, well, maybe 6.2 of these cookies all in one night.  :)  

I won't call anyone out on that, right Michelle?

 

 What a great store I've discovered with a very friendly staff and coaches/trainers who really care for the runners.  I did sort of get that "high" after running the race and even after some training runs.  They're trying to convince me to train for the half-marathon...I just don't know that my body is made for that.  We'll see...maybe this won't be the "finish line" for me just yet.

One is Silver and the Other's Gold...(April 2014)

Do you remember that old Girl Scout song?  "Make new friends, but keep the old...One is silver and the other's gold."  I don't know how that random bit of music history came into my head, but I'll weave it into this blog post somehow.

Through preschool and park district classes, I'm meeting so many moms and parents with kids the same age as mine.  Although it can be tricky to find parents I enjoy who have kids my kids also enjoy, that is no longer the case with my great group of dance moms.
(Yes, I guess that's what I am now.)

There's a group of at least 5 of us who seem to have so much in common, and the girls have become fast friends.  Well, as a favor to one of them and her sister, I made these cookies.  They are planning a wedding shower for a couple whose colors are, well, silver and gold.

(See, my title makes sense after all.)

 These hearts were for the bride and groom, using some inspiration from an older post of mine, but with grey instead of black tuxes to match the color scheme.

The real fun came when it came to designing the full gown variations.

I knew I wanted to incorporate brush embroidery for details, especially since my color palette was fairly limited.

I also used some gold and silver luster dust to brush on a bit of a shimmer, but it didn't turn out quite as shiny as I was hoping for.  I might need to revisit this technique in the future and/or look into disco dust.  (Doesn't that just sound like fun?)

Still, I was pretty happy with how the ruffles turned out.

Their plan is to place each gown in a favor bag with a gold/silver ribbon as a favor for each guest at the shower.  So pretty!  

But, I couldn't resist a photo with them all together on a platter.

A fun project that I gladly completed for a (new) friend.  

Hope the shower is beautiful!