I work with some fucking fantastic people. For reals. They're snarky, and supportive and so, so smart. Recently, I was approached and asked to help throw a little appreciation bash. And as I am wont to do, I turned a little thing into a legit big deal.

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A book-themed bash. Like literally.

As writers, our love for the written word runs as deep as our appreciation for each other. So I focused on a few literary themed cocktails and an array of cupcakes sure to please any librarian's sweet tooth.

The idea began with this bar guide, Tequila Mockingbird. I KNOW!

It's an inspired masterpiece of all things book and boozy. And it helped me create these colorful little beauties, sporting a little rum, a little gin, and a whole lotta literature references.

Once we got tipsy, it was time to bite into something sweet. Because we have a team whose taste and dietary restrictions are as weird and wonderful as they are, I baked up some versatile cupcakes that ran the gamet.

Can you believe these cheeky cupcakes are vegan and gluten free? Yep.

Fudgy and dense, topped with a coconut cream frosting and sprinkled with dark chocolate shavings, these will have you saying thank you with a cherry on top. The recipe hails from the Wallflower Kitchen, a source I implicitly trust for all things vegan.

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These beauties are actually carrot cake cupcakes, slathered in brown sugar frosting and bursting with chopped pecans. Brown sugar frosting is something of an art as the consistency requires a deft hand. But I've never needed help consuming an entire bowlful of this buttercream.

Not even once.

Our last featured cupcake should look familiar. It's the dainty teatime recipe I concocted last week for Earl Grey Cupcakes with Boysenberry Buttercream. Speckled with tea, these cupcakes are moist pillows topped with a rich, fruity buttercream that'll transport you straight back to childhood.

Earl Grey & Boysenberry Cupcakes

And last but not least, let's just pause a minute and admire the decor details. I kept it minimal since I had to cart all this stuff with me to work, but you'll find the table crowded with old books, an ancient typewriter that I once used to pound out an entire book, and library cards stamped with details of each offering in our literary feast.

Thanks to the lovely folks I work with for the chance to dive into this literary masterpiece of cupcakes and cocktails. There's nothing I adore more than channeling my inner librarian. Except perhaps all of you.