i have cupcakes in the oven even as i type this

i hope the alarm on the stove is loud enough to reach downstairs.

sewing with tulle is a bitch. sewing with netting, also a bitch. waiting until the last moment to finish my halloween costume? the biggest bitch of all! but in a fun way. you'll know all about my costume-y goodness tomorrow, when i wear the damn thing out and take a million photos of it. now that it's done, the outfit part is kind of boring, but the make-up part is going to be fun. i'm probably more excited about boy roommate's costume, which i finished tonight. he's going to be dog the bounty hunter! i found an awesome mullet wig, and made some of those leather and feather hair thingies for it. he's a big guy with a blonde beard to start with, all he needs are the shades, a black shirt, and he's already done. boys are so lucky.

i got my first birthday present yesterday and i opened it right away. i know, it's not my birthday, but in my own defense it was already half open when i got it. the post office in my neighborhood sucks ass! i opened it the rest of the way and found the new book by amy sedaris, i like you; hospitality under the influence. i would tell you it's great, but it's better than great. it's amazing, and funny and smart and i could hardly put it down once i had it in my hot little hands. what i love best about amy sedaris is that she's unashamed of her love of cooking and entertaining, and doing "happy homemaker" stuff; she's still exactly her own woman, who just happens to love cupcakes more than i do.

this afternoon i went to the post office to pick up the package my mom sent me for my birthday. i tried to not open it, but then i did. one of the women i work with actually said, "but it's not your birthday!" to which i replied, "i know, but i'm a grown-up and i want to open it now." what's the point in being this old if i have to wait? inside the box were treats to eat, a ridiculously cute bracelet that's an inside joke between mom and me, and two (two!) pairs of hand-knit socks. the socks are amazing, they fit my fat little feet perfect; one pair is a lovely purple, and one is a dark turquoise. plus, some squid-related goodies. you have to love that my mom encourages my love of squid. technically the package was also from my pop, but it had "mom" written all ove it. i have to say, the one thing that has never gotten old during this year in colorado is the great packages from my people. i don't know that anything else in the whole world makes me that happy.