Still open for business!

As the title infers, I haven't closed down the shop yet since I might have an extra week to prep for the movers. Inspired by Caitlin's post from last week, I managed to stuff 8 trash bags with clothes I no longer wear. The upside is that they have now moved on to a better home. The downside is that I have so few clothes left, I am now forced to go naked 3 days a week. You've been forewarned.

We're still waiting on confirmation of our official move date, which is driving me absolutely nuts. I'm a planner, and without knowing when the movers are coming, I can't accurately create my lists upon lists 0f important things to make lists for. Not surprisingly, this move is causing my OCD to flare up a bit. Let's just hope the date falls on a day that I have clothing available to me. I couldn't afford the tip I'd have to give the movers otherwise!

Animal Disguise of the Day

Oddly colored cows, or gigantic Oreo cookies?

Photo taken along US-75 North on our drive up to Tulsa, OK yesterday afternoon.

Phone Call of the Day

If I don't answer when you call, it probably means I'm on the other line with Hill.

The Big Ta-Da! of the Day

Without further adieu, I bring you my enormously big, absurdly important news:

We're moving back to New Jersey!

Whew! You have no idea how good it feels to get that off my chest. I was made to swear absolute secrecy (on my massive headband collection, nonetheless!) back in December and couldn't tell a soul. In truth, we took the idea off the table twice during the decision making process, but in the end Mr. Cupcake's was made an offer he couldn't refuse. At the end of the day, while we love the calm, quiet (read: boring!) life we live here in Texas, we know there are a lot of opportunities waiting for us back East.

Oh yeah, we're moving in less than 2 weeks! Not that we have any say in that what-so-ever. For those of you just joining us, Mr. Cupcake and I moved to Dallas about a year and a half ago under similar circumstances. This time we will be heading up to NJ into temporary housing for a few weeks until we can find an apartment/house to rent sometime before April 1. April Fool, indeed.

For all of my Jersey girls, I'll be back on the show circuit in full swing this Fall and Holiday season. Once I have concrete dates and locations worked out, I'll be sure to post them.

Last time I was able to keep The Creative Cupcake open during most of the move, but this time is going to be a little different. I'll be taking orders until 2/25 (next Monday) and then re-opening on/around 4/15 with the launch of our Spring 2008 lines. I'll be keeping up the Basics Sale until we close, because I'm nice like that. Get your orders in ASAP!

With that said... I'm off to freak out about the 6,742 things I have to do before the movers show up!

Vital information: Starbucks Edition

Did you all hear about this:

Starbucks will close 7,100 stores nationwide for three hours on the evening of Feb. 26 to retrain about 135,000 in-store employees and people who oversee the stores.

"We will have all new standards for how we create the drinks," said spokeswoman Valerie O'Neil. "They will be trained in creating the perfect shot, steaming the milk and all the pieces that come together in a drink."

Some people have speculated Starbucks will return to manual espresso machines, but O'Neil said the espresso-making equipment will be the same. "It's really about ensuring that the customer experience that we provide is the best that it can be."

Starbucks began informing workers over the past couple of days. It will close company-operated stores from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. local time Feb. 26.

It's not as if I go to there every day, or even usually at in the early evening. I can't help but wonder: Will the simultaneous closing of every Starbucks cause a national catastrophic caffeine-deprivation-related event?

San Francisco: In Pictures

1. Dungeness Crab at the Wharf (just before being devoured with a loaf of freshly baked Boudoin)
2. The sea lions hanging out at Pier 39
3. Mr. Cupcake's inability to lay off the Crackberry
4. The sea lions nearest the tourists, modestly (thankfully!) hiding their naughty bits for a split second

Coming soon...

Enormously big things are brewing for The Creative Cupcake and us personally that I am --> [this ]<-- close to being able to blog about. Sure, I've been teasing you and alluding to it for a few weeks, but it'll be worth the wait, I can assure you. Huge, people. HUGE!

Tomorrow/today (since it's already 3am) I'm going to force myself to do a little work outside of our apartment, which usually leads to an inspired blog post or two. And don't think that I forgot that I still owe you a San Francisco recap!

My terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Conventional wisdom suggests that one should not be capable of having a bad day while on vacation. I am living proof that those people don't know a damn thing.

I woke up this morning feeling like someone had pummeled my lady parts. Nice, huh? Truthfully, it is an ongoing issue that I am aware of and need to deal with, but my vacation is not the time to remind me. Being out of commission certainly put a damper in my plans, not to mention my mood. It was not shaping up to be a very good day.

Especially after I realized that I left my comfy and fabulously warm pashmina (the mint green one I wore at my wedding) at the Admiral's Club lounge in Dallas. Not to mention my annoyance of having to cancel my spa appointment since I now need that money to replace said pashmina.

It is Chinese New Year's Eve and I am staying right on the edge of Chinatown. The promise of yummy dim sum is practically taunting me from outside my window and I was starving by 3:00. I thought of just ordering room service but who wants to pay $28 for a salad with rubbery chicken - when you can walk downstairs for the exact same rubbery chicken and save a few dollars. Ever the thrifty traveler, I get dressed and trek downstairs. Of course, the hotel has no food service from 3-4p so I wait it out in the lounge/bar area and work out today's crossword puzzle. Finally, at 4 I order a cobb salad and diet coke. What shows up along with the bill is, well, hotel food. And who charges $3.50 for a glass if Diet Coke these days? Ahh, yes. Hotels do. Then it hits me that I just paid $28 for a salad with rubbery chicken. The same rubbery chicken I could have eaten in my room, under the covers, watching Seinfeld reruns on TBS.

Blasted...

Here's hoping that tomorrow is a better day!

Edited to add: This was today's Happiness Project blog. Rather fitting!

Comforting Thought of the Day

There are very few things in life that a $3 bottle of fruity wine can't fix.

Observation of the Day

No matter how cute he is, whenever your husband asks you, "How much do you love me?", good news never follows. Ever.