Birthday Extravaganza Finale...or, I Should Never Have Picked Up That Piping Bag

As promised, there are pictures aplenty below outlining my baking fiesta that occurred last week.  Little Monkey turned ONE last week (along with #1 Godson turning 5 and #1 Little Man turning 8). Seeing as how I was only contracted, I mean volunteered, to make cookies for Little Monkey, that's the bulk of this post.

Step One: Make cookie dough while simultaneously turning the kitchen into a federal disaster zone.

Who needs a "Garbage Bowl"?

Will somebody please do those dishes? Thanks. 

Step Two: Let cookies cool while staring at them in trepidation and a decent amount of fear. And building up my strength via a fancy steak salad.

Step Three: Make royal icing. Outline and flood cookies with the base icing, praying fervently that the icing stays on the cookies and hardens into something between liquid and rock.

Step Three A: Wag those tail feathers! All my ducks in a row...

Please note the duck rightmost in the middle row...he appears to either be channeling Patton or attempting to leave the drying rack. I ate him first...he looked like trouble.

Step Three B: Attempt piping Happy Birthday onto cookies, as well as a very modern monogram, and have it be legible to those who can read at this shin-dig.

Step Four: Box up baked delicacies in boxes purchased from Hobby Lobby which lends an distinct air of professionalism to this whole endeavor.

Step Five A: Almost drop cookies attempting to get out apartment door.  Feel free to skip this step.

Step Six: Arrive at destination without further catastrophe and  set up these beauties on a fabulous tray provided by the hostess.

I don't know if you can see her from here, but check out Vampy McQuackerson in the upper left corner of the tray.  She's making eyes at the other ducks.

The party for Little Monkey was fantastic! There were balloons aplenty, small children galore, cookies abounded and kiddie pools overflowed.

I'd love to do it all over again...in 364 days.