Sweet Treats for a Villanova Grad!

This weekend our wonderfully smart, brilliantly funny, incredibly caring, quick witted cousin Michelle ("shell" to the boys) graduated from Villanova. Around here everyone is part of the "Nova Nation." So even though I didn't attend I sometimes feel like I one of those wildcats!
Back to Michelle, well this purdy little lady accepted her diploma on Saturday and she worked her little tail off right! Shell is not only our cousin but she baby-sits all the time for the boys. I probably do not have to tell you how much they love her. Whenever I see this chick she makes me laugh out loud. She is quick for a punch line and has an infectious smile.
This story is classic Shell: In the beginning of the spring I ordered the twins some new clothes and Buddy kept choosing orange-- I mean orange mesh, orange shirts, orange pants--- well Shell was here when the package arrived and as I opened it she instantly said, "I guess orange is the new black" hahahahaha I mean  seriously that is funny. She lives with 8 equally amazing girls and when it came time for the graduation party I told her the Manzi's would cover the sweet treats! (plus wine).
Here is what we did: Push pop containers filled with mini cupcakes
and white royal iced cookies--on the cookies I picked up some edible markers and wrote some fun hashtags

 The push pop tubes I found on amazon and I can not recommend this dessert portal enough. If I were as quick as Shell I would have made jello shots in the tubes for everyone! I really messed up on that one! I actually didn't even think about it until I had already finished the cupcakes but next time, next time! Below are step by step pictures of what I did.

 Bag of tubes above...link to what I ordered

I bought the canned icing to make my life a little easier and I squirted some on the bottom first. 

I added a mini fun -fetti cup cake

squirted another layer of icing

topped with another mini cupcake 

Blue icing on top! 

                                     
I have some extra  Styrofoam from our new chandelier so I figured that was the best way to transport the cupcakes. I actually pushed all the tubes into the foam first then I added all the cupcakes and icing. Otherwise I found it more difficult to push them in because I didn't want the cake to pop out.

This is Jack enjoying a left over....

In the above photos I am wearing three gold rings with the first initial of each of my amazing boys. I found them on Etsy so I thought I would share the link...love them so much, just a little something different then a necklace. Gold Initial Rings

Now onto the sugar cookies with royal icing. Okay let me start with---- I won't do this again! You know how people always tell you to tip your bartender---well I am telling you to tip your cookie makers and cake decorators! This stuff is tricky...tricky tricky tricky...  I purchased a LOVE cookie cutter, I had seen someone make this cookie and decorate the V in Villanova blue and white so I thought, "wow that is super cute!" Well, no. No. No. My cookie didn't hold form at ALL! I was so annoyed! I thought FORGET IT! I am just going to make round cookies and decorate them...well then I had to make the royal icing...again, NO, NO, NO. This is not something I am good at and it makes me so mad! SO here is what I found: EDIBLE MARKERS.... AMAZING!

These are what I ordered

I made round cookies and gave it my best attempt to royal ice them in white icing, then I colored hashtags and V's on them. Thank goodness for cellophane bags and cute grosgrain ribbon. I hope they held up because when we got the apt, they girls did not have AC so I'm afraid they all melted....wha wha wha....