And Nicole said it's okay, and since she is the boss, I defer to her on this one. So Martha Stewart, in all of her glory and baking goodness, expected us to make marzipan pumpkin candies, which would be placed on top of the pumpkin cupcakes.
Nicole and I looked at the recipe and she said, simply: "No."
So we cheated. We didn't make the marzipan pumpkin candies.
We used, ahem, store-bought candies.
Gasp!
But allow me to tell you, readers, that the pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are, in fact, delicious. And since we're becoming regular cupcake-makers, we had many ingredients on hand. All we had to buy was butter, cream cheese, pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling, which is what we had in the pantry), and, you know, the cheating candies.
The process of making the cupcakes gets smoother every time. Nicole, however, is not keen on using the mixer anymore. Apparently, and this has gone unnoticed by me, she mixes every time. And it's tiring. And not as fun as sifting? I can only imagine. So next time, it's all me on the mixer.
And don't tell Nicole, but I have a little plan to buy a standing mixer in the near future. Not because I don't want to be Ms. Mix-a-lot, but because the one I've been eying is pink and adorable. And perfect for us.
We've reached the end of our night, we shared one cupcake (hey, we ran today -- why sabotage ourselves within twelve hours?), Nicole is cleaning up, and I'm writing this. It's been a good day.
I'm starting the Couch to 5K program, which I downloaded on iTunes as a podcast. Essentially, it's a 9-week program designed for couch potatoes...like myself.
I'm starting it today at the gym; I went to the gym three times last week, and felt great about it. I hopped on the elliptical for 10-15 minutes each time, and then the treadmill for 10-25 minutes, briskly walking, with sporadic running for one minute at a time. It's not much, admittedly -- but it's more than I have done.
On our list, number 72 is to run a half marathon. I have a long way to go before that's possible, so I need to start now. Maybe we'll run a full marathon after a while.
All I know is that I've been craving working out. So now I wait for Nicole to get home so that we can go to the gym and get started on the nine week program. I hope it works!
A quick update to say that in an effort to wear all of my clothes before 2012, I have started to go to the gym again. Frankly, I can't fit into 75% of the clothes in the closet anymore, and I do want to accomplish that goal...especially since I have some killer suits to wear.
Those who wanted to wound me wounded you. and the dose of secret poison meant for me like a net passes through my work-but leaves its smear of rust and sleeplessness on you.
I don't want the hate that sabotaged me, Love, to shadow your forehead's flowering moon; I don't want some stupid random rancor to drop its crown of knives onto your dream.
Bitter footsteps follow me; a hideous grimace mocks my smile; envy spits a curse, gaffaws, gnashes its teeth where I sing.
And that, Love, is the shadow life has given me: an empty suit of clothes that chases me, limping like a scarecrow with a bloody grin.
The true test will be on Monday when Nicole sends me to work in her car.
But last night, I drove from our house to her mother's house (about ten-ish minutes away, if not more) in Nicole's car -- a stick shift.
I realize that I'm turning twenty-seven on Saturday, and that I shouldn't be so excited about driving...but the idea that I've never learned how to be fully comfortable driving a stick shift -- and that I did it last night -- is amazing to me. I shifted gears, I am learning to "feel" the engine, I didn't stall the car.
Okay, I stalled once. BUT! It stalled when I was pulling into OUR driveway after the whole trip. Nicole called it a fluke. It's no wonder I love her.
I never learned because my parents never had a manual car when I had my license. I remember way -- WAY -- back in the day, my dad drove a little white Subaru, and I remembered him shifting and all of that when he would drive. But my mother NEVER drove the car. Actually, I believe that my mom was supposed to take the car for inspection, and she had to call Aunt Jeanne to drive. My mom never learned how to drive a stick shift, and therefore, neither did we. My brother and I feel a little cheated by it.
A while ago, Sean started teaching me how to drive. Sean may in fact be the best driving instructor one can imagine. He let me stall that darn truck a thousand times, and he was patient through the whole process. Great times. I drove around parking lots, I drove by elementary schools (when school was NOT in session), I stalled on a hill, all because he just let me. And explained how to do it in language that made complete sense. Now, with Nicole's help, I'm getting the basics and more under my belt.
Monday, however, is the true test. There is QUITE the hill leading up to my school. If something happens there, I am -- not to put too fine a point on it -- doomed. We're going to take a test drive this weekend to practice. But Monday, alone, me and the Eclipse...that's when we'll see just how comfortable I am driving a stick shift.
We had my mom, and our friend Catherine over for dinner last night. Liz cooked eggplant parmigiana, pasta and a yummy salad. Mom brought garlic knots from my favorite pizza place, Big Bill's, as well as homemade pecan pie. I love that she still makes me some sort of dessert for my birthday. Catherine brought a super delicious strawberry shortcake. We had wine, told stories and jokes and just had a very nice, relaxing time. We ended the night with a little "Say Yes To The Dress" and a walk around the old hood with the dogs.
Liz also fell down the stairs, which was the funniest thing I have seen in a long time. It felt good to laugh like that, even if it was at her expense.
Today was a really good day. We met with Arlene, who as usual, had amazing things to say. We prayed at the end of our session, which I find so cathartic. The dogs were groomed while we had ribs at Chili's, we watched a movie, in bed with the window open while it rained outside, I made banana bread and now we are in our usual spots in front of the t.v. while the dogs sleep next to us.
If we don't start managing our bank accounts IMMEDIATELY, we'll never save money for a house or a new car. We're chronic spenders; I wish one of us was a saver, but we're really REALLY not.
I checked my bank account this morning: $36. Yes, that's right. $36. Well, it's not right, but it's accurate. The thing is, though, I only get paid once a month -- so my next paycheck is twenty days away.
Where does the money go? I almost put two question marks there because I'm so desperate to understand why I have a spending problem.
So, I dusted off the old finances spreadsheet I made when we were trying to buy a house a few months ago -- I haven't touched it in two months -- and updated it. My new goal? Check every day to make sure my spending is marked on the spreadsheet.
I’m not sure how often I’ll write about this – we’re only on day four, really, of our 1,001 days to go. But number 31 is really for me, not for us (Nicole has never smoked before, and never plans on it, either): to remain smoke free for 1,001 days.
I have been smoke free for 28 days. A full four weeks, that is. When this is all over, I will (at best) be smoke free for 1,025 days. Imagine that – no smoking for all of that time.
Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I will quit for a few months, weeks, days, and then the urge will strike. Sometimes, it will be in the middle of a faculty meeting at school, usually when someone is yelling or arguing or just talking and talking and talking – oftentimes when I’m driving home afterwards, I'll pull over to a gas station and buy a pack (or two) of Parliament Lights. Then I'll tell myself that I'll quit after that pack, and five packs later (and usually with some sort of throat illness) I'll try to quit again. Right in time for the next faculty meeting.
I never try to quit with patches or gum or anything of that sort. I just don’t find myself “addicted” – I don’t know why. I’m sure I am. But I lasted many months by quitting cold turkey, and it’s how I’m doing it again.
28 days.
Nicole is celebrating my full month of not smoking this weekend in Boulder as we go on the Celestial Seasonings tour, up to Estes Park for a walk, and just general moseying around the mountains. Nothing like clean, mountain air to remind me why quitting is so important.
We started the evening out by making Caprese pizzas. Garlic, olive oil, mozzarella cheese, basil, tomatoes, you just can't go wrong. A little white wine, a little pepsi, some green roses on the table, and my best friend sitting across from me. Although she informed me last night, that when you are thirty, you no longer need nor have best friends, she still is mine. We ate, we talked, we laughed, it was a seemingly normal evening, however it is setting in motion our goal to fall completely and totally back in love, while doing things we both love, goals we have, and things we want the other to experience. We ended the night by baking our first batch of Martha Stewart's cupcakes. Chocolate chip, with dark chocolate icing. They are heavenly, and I invite anyone who would like to try one to stop by! My favorite part of the experience was whipping the egg whites to form a "stiff peak". We decided to be ambitious and use a whisk for this. It took ten minutes, and vigourous stirring by both of us. It was comical.
Welcome to Pink and Imperfect! My name is Libby, and my partner, Nicole, is sitting over at the other laptop downloading music to her iPod.
This is our blog. We have a mission -- crazy, but true -- to bake, bond, and fall in love through 101 "things" for the next 1,001 days. We believe this is possible.
We chose 101 activities that reflect who we are as a couple. You will see that some items are just for one of us (Nicole has to wear every item of jewelry, for example); but the list as a whole is supposed to help us work together, continue to live happily together, and eventually -- with number 101 -- get married. Perhaps even legally.
We hope you'll partake in this adventure with us; perhaps you'll even decide to join your significant other in a similar way. Thanks for stopping by.
And, in case you're wondering where this idea came from...go to the Day Zero Project.
