My ness...

It's pick up the dog poop day!  Or as most refer to it, Wednesday.  Since moving in to this townhome, my Wednesdays will never be the same.  Not only is it trash/recycle day but it's also landscaping day.  And out of courtesy for the landscapers, I pick up dog poop before 7:00 a.m. Wednesday mornings.  Yes, that dashes all of those glamorous thoughts you had of me.  Ahhhhhh, that's life. 

Kinley felt the need to get me up at 11:00 last night because for the life of her, she could not find that pacifier (we sooo need to wean her from that stupid thing) and then at 4:00 a.m. she just thought it seemed like a great time to be awake.  So we nursed, and rocked.  I got her back to bed right after Richie left for work at 4:30 (they have a contract in the city and they have to be there extra early, ugh.).  At 7:00 I was awakened rather abruptly by Kinley screaming.  She obviously had been at it for some time and I didn't hear it until that moment.  So through blurred eyes I found clothes to throw on and ran down the hall to rescue her.  Her little eyelashes were wet with tears and I totally felt the big FAIL on my forehead.  That is the second time that I have slept through her cries.  Bad mom!

Yesterday we went to Hobby Lobby and I scored.  For some reason I was so super creative and the juices were flowin' (that phrase totally grosses me out).  I was reminded (when reading "My Little Miracle") that not only am I trying to plan the cutest little party but that my original life goal was to save money.  So, like she blogs about, I need to try and be more frugal at the same time.  So while scouring the aisles of Hobby Lobby, I was thinking of all of the DIY that I could do for her party.

The result of that trip?  I bought super thick cardboard letters and green and pink paint to make the props for her invitation photos.  And this is how that turned out: 

I also got her a pink boa for her to pose with.  I tried to do a practice shot last night with my phone and she was so not cooperating.  This could be a bust. 

Super cute, huh?  Told you that I was being creative!  Geez....did you not believe me? Just kidding.

So then I saw on another blog where she made this banner thing for her son's first birthday, and I had to try it.  And here is that:

It will hang on the cake table.  And I'm in love with it.  It's probably my favorite thing that I've made.  So far.  I'm so not even close to being done with my creative-ness.  In my "former life" I did a ton of graphics work and even had a "business" (I use that term extremely loosely--as if that makes sense) where I made birth announcements, invitations and wedding programs and invites.  But that was then...I left that part of me when I left butthead.  It's great to see that even all of these years later, I've still got it.  Maybe I see a second chance with it?  Maybe. 

After our Hobby Lobby trip, we ran into the Dollar Tree to get some envelopes and Kinley spotted an Elmo book and went nuts for it.  So we bought it.  She has not put it down since we bought it.  I guess I have an Elmo fan.  She would probably prefer an Elmo party....but I didn't want to do a theme like that.  I've noticed that she'll love something and then not care for it at all two days later.  I sure would hate to plan a theme that she's "in" to one week and then forget about by the big day...you know?  And how could you not love polka dots.  Like Richie said, the first birthday is about the parents. Right?

And speaking of Richie, I love love love that he reads my blogs....but man did I get it last night!  He was reading the blog and I thought nothing of it.....until he said "how much was her birthday dress?"  Gulp.  What?  Huh?  It wasn't much.  He said how much is "entirely too much?"  Crap.  Then he laughed and just gave me that "Joy, you need to stop over spending on that baby" look.  He knows my weaknesses, and he accepts them.  Right, honey?  I love you.  :)