I’m going to BAKE. It’s cold and it’s nasty and I have my period. All I want is some warm, baked, sweet goodness. A cake. With sprinkles. Bliss.

I know that it’s the “American Dream” to move out of the city and into the desired blandness that is the Suburbs, however, I find myself picking up my tin can and running it along the rungs of the County Line. GET ME OUT OF HERE! The Suburbs of Philadelphia may be different from the suburbs that you know. The suburbs that I know are filled with snobbery, pretentiousness, self-entitlement, self-righteousness and elitism. Aside from that warm and welcoming depiction, housing is outrageously expensive.

I wrestle with the notion of moving back into the city. The school district out in the mashed potato world of Suburbia is far superior to that of the city, but God knows, I hate this place! I hate you, $1200+ a month rent, and I hate your inhabitants who are doctors, lawyers and dear God, ANYTHING but Indian chiefs. Indian chiefs, after all, sound so blue collar!! THE HORROR!!!!

So, while David is laid off, we are going to gather information about getting Alexa into a Charter School in the city. We could own our own home for what we pay in rent up here. But anyway….

It’s cold and I feel the need to bake something.

There are few things in this world that I find more enjoyable than baking. I’m not big on holiday cookies or baking cookies in general for that matter, but I do love to bake cakes, namely cupcakes. They are the most perfect of confections with their ability to require no utensils. Admittedly not the world’s best cake cutter, cupcakes eliminate the need for icky things like knives or forks. They are the perfect size; most people will indulge in a piece of cake far too large to be sensible. Cupcakes eliminate the need for self-control by allowing a bit of indulgence without the guilt (well, almost…).

I’ve had a wild hair up my ass to make a cupcake cake. I wanted to give Alexa’s classmates a little treat that could be eaten at snack or lunch or sent home with the kids at the teacher’s discretion. I pondered what to make when it came to me! A CUPCAKE CAKE IN THE SHAPE OF A TREE!

You may call me pathetic, but I’m so into this idea. I even drew a prototype. David said to do something fun and relaxing today…

So, instead of doing something useful like clearing off the dining room table or mopping the kitchen floor, I’m rewarding myself for a week of running around with some therapeutic baking. Pictures to come!