Totally Random Tuesday: Beads and Beets

We have a monthly birthday celebration here at work, wherein all the birthday-ified gather for cake and coffee and chitchat for half an hour. We're all chicks here in the office (there was a guy once but I think we scared him away... must have been that discussion about ovaries), so you would think that the snacks would tend toward the low-fat, sugar-free variety.

Not so.

Last time, for example, we had a coconut-covered white cake confection that was just about the best coconut-type food I've had since Melissa's guacamole. (Trust me, it's good.) While there were a few "oh, just a small slice" type comments, most just accepted they'd probably never have cake like that again and went for it. Everything in moderation, right?

Well this time it was my turn to bring the goodies, and though I would have loved to go all out with something worthy of a Challenge, cupcakes was what was in the budget (and on a Monday night I can only get so involved), so cupcakes is what we got! Carrot cake and Devils Food... I don't think they'll mind that they're a little low-tech.

Anyway, given that there are only about 10 of us, I wasn't going to make full batches of each kind, but that left me with a lot of leftover batter. Being the frugal girl that I am, I decided to make a cake out of each batter's leavings... and The Kid decorated, since that's her favorite thing.



Cool, right? That was the carrot cake, which we gave to the neighbors to thank them for lending us eggs, since we were short.

Hopefully the Office Crew will like the cupcakes... I'm fairly confident, though. I mean, they're cupcakes! What's not to like?

As promised, here are photos of the suncatchers that don't involve my car; the first is a design that The Kid did for use as a computer charm of sorts, and the second is the first one I made, so it's not as cool as the subsequent ones, due to learning curves. (You can see these better by clicking on the photos, if you're so inclined.) Thanks to my hand model, Ms. Thing.





Finally, tonight I plan on watching The Big Lebowski, a movie I have never seen but have heard more than once is fabulous and mood-altering. I get the impression that this movie is akin to a Tom Robbins novel - weird but profound, and bound to leave you with a new view on the world around you.

Speaking of which, book recommendation of the day... Jitterbug Perfume, one of my favorite books ever. The Wikipedia summary says:

Jitterbug Perfume is Tom Robbins' fourth novel, published in 1984. The major themes of the book include the striving for immortality, the meaning behind the sense of smell, individual expression, self-reliance, sex, love, and religion. Beets and the god Pan figure prominently. The novel is a self-described epic, with four distinct storylines, one set in 8th century Bohemia and three others in modern day New Orleans, Seattle, and Paris.

That's a mighty fine description. Go read it!