Never Again*

Everything has been put aside for the last few weeks so that I could make things for a baby shower that I was hosting.  In the last week, this shower went from 16 people to 35.   Who does that?  Who invites that many people to a damn shower without asking the hostess if she can handle/afford that?  Thanks to this shower, I can barely afford to have a small party for Lily’s 1st birthday.  My sister offered to buy decorations for Lily’s party.  If she hadn’t, there wouldn’t be any.  I wanted to get Lily one of those push and ride truck things, but that’s not happening now, either.

I was beyond pissed.  I spent all of Friday night with Mandi making 35 jars of sugar scrub for favors.  An idea I had back when I thought the shower would have 16 guests.  Last week was spent hand making 35 bibs/burp cloths because I decided we should do a DIY onsie thing at the shower.  The onsies turned into bibs once I discovered I’d have to buy a zillion onsies because Nicole invited everyone she’d ever known in her life.  So Mandi and I (and thank God for Mandi, y’all) hand made 35 bibs.  

Then I had to feed 35 people, so the menu changed dramatically.  instead of lots of yummies, I bought two bowls of mixed fruit, some chips, some cheese and crackers, cupcakes and a cake.  Oh, but then her father-in-law brought a fucking sheet cake.  I paid $35 for a cake and cupcakes and that mother fucker just decides to bring another fucking cake.  Guess who went home with her entire cake?  Me.  Now I have to eat a whole cake.  Oh, and it was 2 layers when I ordered a 1 layer, so I had to pay $8 more than I’d planned.  Her in-laws at least brought some beef sandwich things from a local restaurant and she and her hubby actually made pulled pork, so it worked out with the food I guess.

The shower itself was okay.  It was like pulling teeth to get some of those snobby ass people to play the games.  Easy games – like What’s In Your Bag.  All they had to do was find whatever I called out in their purses and bring it to me.  But apparently, that was too hard.  At least they were more willing to participate in Last Man Standing.

They couldn’t be bothered to sign the guest blanket or make a bib in most cases.  One of Nicole’s aunts and her son ended up decorating most of the bibs themselves after the party was over.

And then there was when Krystal (Nicole’s sister) came to pick up her daughter.  Most of Nicole’s in-laws got up and left.  Why?  Because Krystal was kicked out of their church.  They’re Jehovah’s Witnesses, so they can’t associate with people who got kicked out of the church.  Seriously?  You have to leave because she came for 5 minutes to pick up her daughter?  Hell, Nicole’s brother in law wouldn’t even come into the damn house until Krystal left.

So, I will never host a shower again as long as I live.  And if I do, I am in charge of ALL of the invitations.  I got totally fucked on this one.

Edit: First, I should say that I offered to throw Nicole the shower.  Secondly, I did tell her she couldn’t invite whomever she wanted after she said that she wouldn’t be inviting "that many" guests.

I really appreciate those of you that asked if you could send Lily something, but I’m going to have to decline.  I didn’t mean for this post to sound like I couldn’t get her anything for her birthday.  I just couldn’t get her the push/ride car I wanted to get her.  However….I found it at a local thrift store today for $3 (or 4, can’t remember) along with some other things.  All told, I spent $16 and got her several fun things.