Pumpkin Cupcakes sans marzipan

Okay, so we cheated.

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.

The List

Italicized = In progress

Bold = Completed (20/101)

1. Make 175 different types of homemade cupcakes. (6/175)

2. Wear every article of clothing.

3. Nicole: Wear every piece of jewelry.

4. Libby: Wear every pair of shoes.

5. Walk the dogs together at least three times a week for a year. (0/52)

6. Stay in Breckenridge for a weekend.

7. Nicole: Learn to speak German.

8. Libby: Learn to speak Spanish (again).

9. Make a new dish every Sunday.

10. Read ten books the other recommends. (0/10)

11. Not go to Starbucks for an entire month. (0/30)

12. Eat every meal at home for an entire week. (7/7)

13. Go to the movies once a month together. (2/12)

14. Grow vegetables.

15. Buy new couches.

16. Get massages once a month for a year.

17. Go to Mt. Rushmore.

18. Go to Coeurdalene, Idaho.

19. See at least five live music performances. (1/5)

20. Go to Rockefeller Center at Christmas time to see the tree.

21. Host a holiday dinner party.

22. Buy something for the other person once a month.

23. Have our parents over for dinner.

24. Visit Taos, New Mexico.

25. Visit Tiny Town (Colorado).

26. Have Krissy over for a sleepover.

27. Make smores.

28. Feed the homeless.

29. Knit a blanket together.

30. Take Nicole’s Mom to San Diego for her 60th birthday.

31. Remain smoke free for all 1001 days.

32. Go an entire month without buying anything except groceries.

33. Catch up on Lost.

34. Get real houseplants.

35. Get pedicures together once a month.

36. Sit outside under the stars and talk.

37. Donate blood together.

38. Visit our grandparents’ graves.

39. Ride bikes together.

40. Roller blade together.

41. Eat vegetarian for a month. (30/30)

42. Eat vegan for a month. (30/30)

43. Have game night once a month (host or attend).

44. Nicole will show Libby around Seattle. And Forks.

45. Buy a house.

46. Buy a new car.

47. Libby: Drive a stick shift comfortably.

48. Clean out the garage.

49. Manage our checking accounts.

50. Use all of Nicole’s perfume without buying any new ones.

51. Host a Halloween party.

52. Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.

53. Find a church.

54. Go snowshoeing.

55. Buy a new Christmas tree.

56. Take a trip to the Grand Canyon.

57. Take a trip to Las Vegas.

58. Nicole: Go back to school.

59. Libby: Apply to graduate school and/or law school.

60. Libby: Learn to knit.

61. Nicole: See five foreign films.

62. Learn to make salt scrubs.

63. Buy a pink Kitchenaid stand mixer.

64. For one month, no chain restaurants – local and ethnic foods are acceptable.

65. Go bowling together.

66. Go miniature golfing together.

67. Stay up one night talking.

68. Read thirty poems to each other. (0/30)

69. Write a children’s book together.

70. Send out Christmas cards.

71. Go one week without soda.

72. Run a half marathon.

73. Participate in the Moonlight Classic.

74. Visit the Denver Art Museum.

75. Drive across the country.

76. See a concert at Red Rocks.

77. Go to a comedy show.

78. Make fondue for friends.

79. Use only cash for a month.

80. Attend a Denver Broncos game.

81. Stay in bed for an entire day.

82. Watch a sunrise together.

83. Go camping!

84. Join a bible study.

85. Keep our phones off for forty-eight hours.

86. Jetski!

87. Have a spa day.

88. Go to a drive in movie.

89. Write ten love notes to each other.

90. Listen to a book on tape.

91. Create soundtracks for each other.

92. Clean out our cars.

93. Go to the opera.

94. Go to the ballet.

95. Have a picnic.

96. Teach Nicole how to play chess.

97. Go on three romantic weekend getaways. (1/3)

98. After finding a church, tithe regularly.

99. Play a game of tennis.

100. Participate in Soldiers’ Angels.

101. Get married.

Welcome!

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.