I’m excited to share with you some of the projects I’ve been working on over the last year. I’m especially excited to share this one with you because not only is this first birthday announcement pretty cute, It features my greatest creation of all time – my little Baby Man.

I created this first birthday announcement to send to all our family and friends who couldn’t be there to celebrate Aldo’s big day with us. Facebook and Instagram (and all those other apps I’m too old for) are great for helping me feel my loved ones are a part of Aldo growing up, but nothing beats a real life memento showing up in the mailbox.

Especially when it comes with a cheesy mug like this one.

I was short on time so I got a little lazy and purchased a graphics pack from Hustle Supply Co. on Creative Market to create the image emblem. The cool font is called Longshore and is also from Hustle Supply Co. The triangle pattern in the background helps add a little Southwest/tribal feeling. And of course I had to put a little buffalo in the corner because I’ve decided it is Aldo’s spirit animal. Strong, stoic, smart and stubborn, just like my little guy. Oh, and huge – yeah, 26 pounds at one year old…

It’s been over a year since I posted anything. I know.

See, the plan was: 1. Have baby  2. Realistically struggle with trials of  being a new parent 3. By month three baby sleeps through the night, and conveniently naps for greater than or equal to 3 hours a day. Time for blogging and business.  Oh, and trade in stretchy pants for the cute pair of AG Stevie’s waiting in the closet. 4. HAVE IT ALL.

So – in real life my baby turned out to be more of a cat napper and has only just started sleeping a 9 hour stretch at night. And stretchy pants are the best. Naturally, lack of sleep and lack of productive daylight hours led me to the decision to put the blog/business on the shelf indefinitely. I still worked on a few projects for clients and friends here and there, but I was always nervous about committing to new projects knowing my entire schedule now depended on a very demanding, very stubborn, very little person.

But lately my heart has been longing to be creative again – in more ways than “how to entertain a toddler when it’s 107 degrees outside”. After a year of motherhood I still feel generally clueless, but one thing I have learned is you have to make time to make things happen. So here I am, rededicating myself to making things happen…by making things.

I considered taking a new direction with this blog – I mean those mommy bloggers always seem to have their act together, and I do have the requisite child…but lets be real. I can barely get my kid to wear pants – there’s no way I could make my life appear as fabulous and perpetually well lit as those mama blogging pros. So I’m sticking to what I know and love – invitations, logos, and special details for special events.  I’ll be documenting the projects I take on while sharing what inspires me.

Oh, and I want to talk more about my enchanting desert home. Las Vegas, I love you. I’m right where I belong. West is best.

It’s good to be back

natalie.