i'd rather be baking

1. Yesterday I dropped my iPhone for the zillionth time…I’ve dropped it so many times that the possibility of it breaking no longer occurs to me. Until yesterday, when the screen shattered.

2. Today was my little sister’s 20th birthday. I’m getting old. And Mary, let’s celebrate your next birthday on the west coast. Deal?

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This time last year, I was spending many hours a week decorating cupcakes. I miss the frosting! I’ve had a hankering for cupcakes for awhile now, and at this point piping frosting is such a familiar task that it’s kind of therapeutic. So yesterday I put on my apron and made some cupcakes.

Foodbuzz recently provided me with some cake mix coupons and I finally put one of them to good use. Although I usually bake from scratch, a good cake mix is always handy and comes together so quickly. And this one looked so fancy — I was excited to try it!

They basically had me at caramel. I decided to add some fresh apple and cream cheese frosting because, well, it just seemed like a good idea. I stirred up the cupcakes, unloaded the dishwasher while they baked, and went for a quick run while they cooled. There’s nothing quite so fun as coming home from a run to fresh cupcakes. I’m just saying.

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Does it still feel like summer where you are? Last week our weather felt like fall; this week, not so much. The fact that strawberries are still cheaper than grapes says something about the season, I think.

These cupcakes are pushing for those last few days of bare feet and freckled shoulders! They’re totally wearing white after Labor Day and they’re looking good doing it. No big deal.

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There’s a cute little street in our neighborhood with an eclectic assortment of shops, restaurants, and other businesses. We frequently visit the coffee shop there and have often noticed a whimsical bakery called Pastrygirl (with a pink sign!), but always seemed to be there at odd hours when they were closed. I stopped by said coffee shop one afternoon last week and noticed that Pastrygirl was open, so obviously I had to go in.

I picked up a couple of super cute little cupcakes, but Pastrygirl also carries a nice variety of, well, pastries like shortbreads and eclairs, as well as custom cakes. They were all gorgeous, but alas, moderation.

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I started a new job a little over a month ago — a real-life writing job and I’m still pinching myself over it. I’m really enjoying it, but am struggling a little to write at home when I write all day at work. My brain seems to run out of words. I’ve learned that I need to read more.

The only good thing about your husband working late is that he doesn’t notice when the house is dirty. Silver lining, people. When your to-do list includes making frosting and cleaning the kitchen floor, for the love of all that is holy, make the frosting first. If at all possible, employ two medium-sized dogs to take care of the powdered sugar on the floor.

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