I started planning Easter cookies right after Valentine’s Day and couldn’t resist this small rabbit cookie cutter and his carrot-shaped companion. They simply had to be part of this year’s Easter Parade of Sugar-y Sweets. As real bunnies are known to do, the cookie version quickly procreated and became more than 100 decorated critters, each holding its own small DOT carrot. Before long, a bunch of little bunny-size carrots joined the parade. Happy Easter!

Several years ago I visited a Butterfly Garden near Charlotte, SC. It was the most amazing experience. When you enter into the garden, which is an enclosed space, you can actually feel the silence. The butterflies glide through the air gracefully and if you’re very still they will land on you as if you’re a natural part of their world. There are no words to describe the peace and wonder that surrounded me as these magnificent and beautiful creatures went about their business.

Every winter, I’m obsessed with staying warm so adding sweaters to my cookies was a natural complement to the layers I was wearing myself when I made these Christmas goodies. Sweaters, hats, scarves...every cookie (even the alpaca) had to have at least one cozy item of apparel. The cats were the least successful but I refuse to take the blame for that. Like real cats, the cookie cats refused to cooperate.