You are my Sunshine Cookies for a Special Girl!

A dear friend at the office asked if I might be interested in creating happy

sunshine cookies for her daughter's first birthday... Of course, I said Yes!

After all, this wasn't just any first birthday... This was a miracle

first birthday for a precious baby girl who came into the world

twelve weeks early - Weighing only one tiny pound, plus 9 ounces!

In the beginning, there were too many anxious moments to count!

But today, our little Sunshine couldn't be more perfect

and, all of us that know her, couldn't be any more thankful!

As the mother of a preemie born at thirty-three

weeks who went on to become all of this...

I always believed we would be celebrating this first birthday!

And, how lucky am I to be able to share in this joy?

Pretty darn lucky, for sure!

Normally, I'd use my Sweet Dani B squeeze bottles but decorating

one hundred and two sunshine cookies calls for larger squeeze bottles;

and, these eight-ounce bottles from CopperGifts.com are perfect!

I matched the color of my icing with the colors on the party invitation!

Electric Pink and Lemon Yellow AmeriColor gel

paste food coloring spells happy sunshine all day long!

When birthday girl's mom first showed me the inspiration photo

for these cookies I panicked a little because I wasn't sure where I'd

find a ten-point flower cookie cutter. However, all I had to do was

take a peek into my baking pantry because I already owned one!

These cutters aren't as easy to find as they used to be. But if

you'd like one you can still find a couple here. After those sell

out, you can contact my friends at CopperGifts.com because

they'll happily create a custom sunflower cutter just for you!

I enjoyed creating these cookies... Not only because they were going

to be part of a very special birthday celebration, but I got to sing too!

Because there was no way to decorate these happy cookies

without getting the song, You are my Sunshine stuck in my head!

By the way... the best way... No, the only way to draw on iced cookies

is with AmeriColor's edible ink food writers! I bought a couple

of packages a few years ago but always chickened out of using them...

Rather, I spent lots of extra time piping faces on my cookies, fearing that

writing on my cookies would either damage the icing or the ink would

bleed into my icing colors. But after chatting with Dani about how

she fearlessly doodles on her cookies all the time, I was inspired...

To give it a try - And, it worked perfectly. All 102 times! The

most important thing to remember is to allow your royal

icing to dry completely. For me, that was overnight!

Packaged in a box with color-coordinating crinkle and a tag I designed

especially for the sweet birthday girl... My cookies were ready to party!

It was fun to see them placed at each seat for guests to take home!

The party was planned by the incomparable, Tammy Mutter of

Meghily's Party In Style. To see more photos of the sunny décor

Tammy created or to coordinate your own party with her, click here!

The party was attended by so many friends, her family and many

members of the incredible hospital staff that cared for Olivia and

her parents for the months before she finally got to come home!

Happy Birthday Olivia Grace... You are my Sunshine!