Attic Access and Funfetti Cupcakes

I am so sorry I've been MIA all week, but our WiFi at home has been down! I was trying to write posts in breaks at work all week but the whole working thing really takes away from having fun sometimes, you know?

This week I've been catching up on The Pioneer Woman, doing lots of research for the first ever Must-Know Monday (tomorrow!) and giving Bill tons of props for being super husband.

Yesterday he and his dad worked all afternoon to build attic access in our hallway, since our new closet design snagged the tiny access we had.

He was weezing, coughing, sniffing (and at some times choking) on insulation and dust all day, but accomplished the task with lightning speed. On top of that, he also did ALL of the cleanup for the project. Between building and cleaning, he utilized two of his favorite Christmas gifts – a shop vac and an air compressor! GO BILL! 

I had a dear friend over for lunch while the attic construction was underway, then enjoyed the rest of the afternoon by baking cupcakes for a girls craft night.

I only had the frosting for funfetti cupcakes, and since my heart was set on funfetti, I had to bake them from scratch (because going to the grocery store for a mix is an absurd idea when I'm in the mood to bake).

I thought, "Oh I'm sure someone on Pinterest has that recipe." GASP. No internet.

After a few brief moments of panic I realized we have shelves full of cookbooks – and probably some of them contain recipes for cupcakes. I settled on The Joy of Cooking since it has classic, timeless recipes that always turn out well.

By adding funfetti sprinkles to a Buttermilk Layer Cake recipe and tweaking the bake time slightly I was able to achieve tasty little buttermilk funfetti cupcakes. And, what kind of baker would I be if I didn't quality control my end product?

I was planning on beginning my stash of thank you cards for future baby gifts, but craft night turned into just a bunch of girls hanging around, chatting and eating unhealthy amounts of sweets and snacks. Who couldn't love a night like that?

What do you do when you're baking plans have to shift along the way? Stop and run to the store or improvise?

(Don't worry - Bill got plenty of cupcakes as a reward for his hard work)