This Moment- A Friday ritual. A single photo- no words- capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember. If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.

Thanks to my brother-in-law (and recently stoked out surfer) for passing along this amazing video. Mainstream coverage of surfing tends to lack the heart and soul of what us surfers enjoy most about the sport but this short film really captures the spirit that beckons us back to the sea. The combination of picturesque scenery, rolling waves and heartfelt commentary has been a light for me during a trying week of illness and I hope it brings some peace your way as well.

DARK SIDE OF THE LENS from Astray Films on Vimeo.

I’m having a hard time writing this post and trying to wipe the drool from my mouth all at the same time — we’re talking cookies this week with our “Handmade Holiday” feature and y’all know how much I love me some sweets!

Mama: How did crafted cookies begin?

Michelle: I wanted to hand out something personalized at my girls birthday parties as favors. I was tired of just handing out little toys and trinkets that kids would probably just play with for a second and toss away. I read up on how to make hand decorated sugar cookies and started making them as favors for my kids birthday parties. Friends and family wanted to get the same favors for their parties, and so I started making cookies for them and the business grew just by word of mouth….The parents especially love getting the cookies as party favors because its not something they have to clean up after. They say the cookies disappear quick.

Mama: Is there a certain type of music we can find you rocking out and baking to while you work? (Mine is the Ray Charles station on Pandora)

Michelle: I listen to 80′s -90′s music. Music I grew up listening to as a teenager like the Cure, New Order, REM, Beastie Boys, Pavement. I also like to listen to some hip hop like The Fugees & Wyclef Jean…and some more soothing music Esthero and Erykah Badduh. I’m into listening to the band Pheonix right now. Its about the only time when I don’t have to listen to Kids Bop, Miley Cyrus, and nursery songs thats always blaring in my (of course) mini van.

Mama: What is the most enjoyable part of your baking business?

Michelle: Being creative and artistic and putting all of that into creating something that you know people will enjoy. I love that what I create is something enjoyed both with the eyes and stomach.

Mama: How do you balance running a busy household of three little ones and your baking business?

Michelle: It’s hard, especially when my 3 yr. old still stays at home with me most of the time (she’s in preschool twice a week for 3 hrs. each day), but I’ve got to say that having a supportive husband and living close to my parents and grandma help out a lot (great for free babysitting). When I get bombarded by cookies orders, my husband steps in as the cook and gives our little ones a bath. He’s very good at keeping the girls busy and out of Mommy’s kitchen when I have orders that I have to finish. Believe it or not it can take about 10 minutes (depending on how intricate the design) to decorate just one cookie. So even when I get a small 3 dozen cookie order, I am busy in my kitchen for about 2-3 days concentrating on that order. Its those times when I really appreciate my husband. I always say “I’m a lucky gal!”.

Mama: How has motherhood changed you and your priorities in life? Does your business reflect these new “insights”?

Michelle: I know that my family comes first and their needs. I never really knew I wanted to be a mother, until we had Zoe. After we had her, I knew I wanted to have more kids and that they will always come first. Fortunately, my husband’s job has afforded me to stay at home with the kids. When I first started my business I knew that I didn’t want it to grow into a cookie “factory” making business where I’m cranking out hundreds of cookie orders each week and neglecting my kids. I wanted to get cookie orders that were manageable and still allowed me to take care of the kids and the household, that’s why I didn’t dedicate too much time into marketing my business and just have it grow slowly by word of mouth. Now as the kids are getting older and more independent, I am finding that I am getting more time to dedicate to my business. So finding Etsy, creating my own website and a Facebook fan page are all ideal business tools especially for stay at home moms like me. With all these tools, juggling motherhhood and a business has made it all a lot easier. In the next year or so when my youngest is in Kindergarten, I’ll probably start looking to open up my own bakeshop and find investors.

Mama: Describe your cookies for us, they look amazing, but what do they taste like? Special ingredients you like to bake with?

Michelle: The ingredients for my sugar cookies are pretty simple: flour, sugar, butter, salt, eggs, baking powder and vanilla or almond extract. Sifting all the ingredients I think is the key and using Premium Madagascar Vanilla Extract. I put a lot of detail in my cookies and I think that is why I have a lot of repeat customers. As much time as I put into designing & decorating each cookie, I also take a lot of care in baking the cookies. I bake it just right so its not over baked and dry. I get compliments about not only having beautifully decorated sugar cookies, but they are flavorful and moist as well.

Mama: Your favorite type of cookie?

Michelle: I like to keep it simple, nothing beats chocolate chip cookies especially with a tall glass of milk. Yum!

Mama: Favorite project/design that you’ve worked on?

Michelle: I love my martini cookies. Maybe that’s because I love martinis! They’re graphic and a simple rectangular shape.

Mama: Where do you see Crafted Cookies headed in the future?

Michelle: I am working out of my home right now, but when my little one starts kindergarten in 2 years and I get to have a little more time to concentrate on Crafted Cookies, I’d like to open up my own bakeshop to include cakes and other pastries, and then eventually try to get the business franchised throughout the country like Cookies by Design.

Mama: How does living near the beach play into your family lifestyle?

Michelle: We live 15 minutes from the beach and the girls looove going there, especially during the summer. My little one just yesterday asked me if we could go to the beach when it was a freezing 50 degrees out.

Mama: Favorite memory from the sea?

Michelle: My husband actually proposed to me on the beach on Mother’s Day. I had just given birth to our oldest daughter Zoe, it was freezing cold during the Spring and I was wondering why he wanted to go to the beach. Our new family took a stroll on the beach with my husband carrying Zoe in a snugglie. We stopped to look at the waves and all of a sudden he knealt down on his knees with Zoe in tow and proposed to me. I never expected it since we never really talked about marriage even after the baby. It was the most perfect and unforgettable memory…our new baby in a snugglie on my husband’s chest, the beautiful sea…it was just perfect…

Thanks so much to Michelle of Crafted Cookies for providing such beautiful treats this holiday season. Crafted Cookies currently has a contest going on so pop on over to their facebook page, become a fan and enter to win 2 dozen customized cookies!! Deadline for the contest entry is December 18th.
You can also check out and place orders for Crafted Cookies on Etsy or at www.craftedcookies.com

Although I live far from my family I carry with me all the traditions, love, joy and excitement of the holiday season that I learned from my parents and grew up looking forward to. One of those traditions was decorating the house on the Sunday following Thanksgiving. My dad would put on Disney’s Christmas Album, my mom would be baking some sort of holiday treat or mixing up hot chocolate and we would spend the evening together putting up the tree. Each year we would take turns putting the angel or star up on top and my dad would snap a photo. I have pictures from way back when I was just a baby all the way up to meeting my husband and putting the angel up together!

Since moving to Hawaii, hubby and I have kept this tradition alive. In fact, I’ve been talking about this day in great anticipation since we sat down for Thanksgiving dinner! I love breaking out the holiday boxes and looking over the ornaments we have collected. It’s so much fun mixing the traditional Christmas decor with a bit of Hawaiian/beach style and we always laugh as we look outside and see the sun shining, 85 degree weather!

It takes a bit of imagination to get in the spirit but soon we begin humming to classic holiday tunes, breathing in the sweet scent of holiday potpouri and candles and filling our holiday mugs with warm hot cocoa and marshmallows on top! I absolutely LOVE this time of year and it really doesn’t matter where you live as long as you can carry the memory and spirit of what this season is really all about. Family, blessings, giving thanks, celebrating and looking forward to another year…

It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas around these parts!

This Moment- A Friday ritual. A single photo- no words- capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember. If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.

We’re counting down the WEEKS, yes WEEKs until we meet our little boy and that means mama is slowing things down a bit. After a bit of a scary doctor’s visit last week mama has been ordered to put on the brakes and keep her feet up.

Concerns over my blood pressure and possible pre-eclampsia sent hubs and I to the store where we bought a blood pressure monitor to keep an eye on things at home. It seems that both mama and baby are doing well and we suspect the high readings are a combination of hating the doctors office/getting nervous and rushing to my appointments straight from work.

If you’ve noticed the lack of “adventure” and surf posts lately, this is why…mama has been put on restriction until further notice Rest assured we are all enjoying this slow pace and gearing up for the marathon of parenthood ahead of us.

This week our “Handmade Holiday” feature is all about putting pen to paper and sending out some holiday joy with the help of beautiful handmade cards by Pikake Press. A word from Leslie, the talented artist behind Pikake Press:

“I love handwritten letters and cards because they are unique. They allow us to tell a story and in the process, create cherished memories that can be held in our hands. Writing allows us to slow down, turn off the computer and share something personal with someone in a way email simply cannot. So I hope you find something in my shop that will help inspire you to dust off that pen and start writing!”

Mama: Your handmade cards are truly pieces of art. Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

Leslie: I’ve been making cards for years. I’m continuously inspired by the beautiful Hawaiian Islands, our rich island traditions and the many cultures and designs that surround us – in the middle of the Pacific — 2,500 miles away from the U.S. mainland.

Mama: How did Pikake Press first take flight?

Leslie: A few years ago I started making handmade cards for “Cards for Heroes” – a wonderful organization that sends blank handmade cards to deployed service men and women who in turn use them to send messages home to friends and family. In early 2010, while working with Cards for Heroes, I heard about Etsy and have never looked back – I love this place and the amazing artists who inspire me every day.

Mama: What do you enjoy most about your work?

Leslie: It seems I’ve been making cards forever, but it’s been just this past year that I’ve been selling on Etsy. I find great inspiration from the many creative artists on Etsy and I love finding the spark of an idea for a new card or greeting tag. Living in Hawaii, we have such a rich variety of papers. I especially enjoy working with Japanese washi paper. Its fabric-like quality makes lovely envelopes.

Mama: Besides creating, what do you do to unwind and relax?

Leslie: This one is easy! We are an avid hiking family. We started taking our two sons hiking as soon as they could walk. We love the many hikes on Oahu and the neighbor islands. Haleakala and the Maunawili trail from the hairpin turn to Waimanalo are favorites. This fall we did a mainland road trip and hiked the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion! That was an unforgettable adventure. But as always, nothing beats getting off the plane and coming home to Hawaii’s beauty.

Mama: I absolutely LOVE your holiday cards and gift tags. Is there a special tradition that makes the holidays special for you and your family?

Leslie: Growing up in a military family, we traveled all over the country, so Christmas was spent in new places almost every year. One of our favorite traditions was filling handmade Christmas stockings with little surprises. My Mom would knit the most incredibly intricate stockings for everyone in the family, so these have been true keepsakes over the years.

Pikake Press is the place to find stylish cards, gift tags, envelopes, bookmarks, calendars and so much more. Each item is handcrafted and made with beautiful paper and designs from around the world. Be sure to check out Pikake Press on Etsy and add a special touch to your gift giving this season.