Or, What I do after spending two hours shopping for a new swimsuit.
I took Veruca with me on that shopping excursion, because she needed to return a pair of wedge sandals she’d worn once and the strap broke. She brought another $100 bill to spend (seriously, this kid is wealthier than me) and proceeded to shop for herself for forty minutes while I reminded her that we had come for me. I won’t rehash the shopping-for-a-swimsuit experience, except to say that having her along for this excursion – laughing at me in the fitting room – did nothing for my self-esteem. But at least I was able to laugh at myself.

Veruca is constantly coming up with ideas. Yesterday’s was recreating cupcakes from this cupcake book my mom gave her. Against my better judgment, and after the trauma of seeing cellulite in places that never existed before and 3-mile run to “fix” it, we had at it.

Pages and pages of great cupcake decorating ideas to rival my friend Pinterest. We decided on “TV Dinner.” Each cupcake was decorated to look like a different part of it – peas and carrots, mashed potatoes, a drumstick, and a brownie.

The brownie was easiest, even though after reading the instructions more closely I learned that it was actually supposed to be chocolate pudding. “Peas and carrots” was easy too, though I wouldn’t recommend eating it. The drumstick was tough to do. The kitchen was hotter than a New York subway, in spite of central air, so the frosting was a little too soft, and the whole thing just slid. Refrigeration might have helped, but at this point I was toast and just wanted to be done. Someone asked what the thing with the bone was supposed to be. Don’t judge. I never said I was crafty. I didn’t buy an aluminum pan to place them in, which might have looked cooler, but I improvised.

I think the mashed potatoes turned out the best, but you be the judge.

I’m thinking we might try to make “Spaghetti and meatball” today.