two men & a little lady

Posted on June 19, 2011 by babyKAMP

this father’s day started with a starbucks visit (of course) and making brunch for the number one man in my life.  yes…we are celebrating father’s day.  we are those obnoxious people that call our dogs our kids.  so the versace, coco, kirby & I made brunch for dave.

circa 2008

this afternoon we are going to my parents to swim & bbq.  i am probably the luckiest girl ever.  i have not one…but two awesome dads.  my parents divorced when i was only 4 – and my mom married my step dad when i was 7.  both my dads have been a huge part of my life and they actually get a long really well.  they even went to the same high school (with my mom)…crazy i know.

frank {1984} & kurt {1991}

my dad and i have a very special bond.  something i cannot describe.  i spent every summer of my life with him in iowa.  and those are times that i will never forget.

my step dad (who i have always called dad) has been an amazing support in my life.  i always value his opinions & advice.  he is amazing and i could not ask for a better dad.  i mean come on…how many men do you know that will dress up as aladdin for my dance recital and dick tracy for the father-daughter dance!  we even placed in the dance contest!

but nothing made me happier when the two men in my life came together to support me.  it was an absolutely amazing and unforgettable weekend.

on top of my amazing husband and my two dads – i have one more person who is such an important part to my life and that is my papa.  my dad’s (frank) dad.  we have a very special bond with each other.  i was his very first grandchild and the first girl in many generations.

and you want to know the REALLY weird part…all the men in my life are scorpios!  my husband dave, my dad frank, my step dad kurt and my papa george.

so i hope you all have an amazing father’s day filled with happy memories, love & laughter.

 

XOXO

 

 

 

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we {heart} bumble

Posted on June 16, 2011 by babyKAMP

just a quick little note…make sure you check out Meghann and her adorable little Carter from Bringing Up Bumble‘s blog post about babyKAMP – so sweet!  there’s also a coupon code for all her AWESOME fans – good until june 30th.  happy thursday!  xoxo

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{my week recap}-{week 1}

Posted on June 14, 2011 by babyKAMP

okay so this has been on my “to-do” list FOREVER!  and i finally did it…well sort of.  so i liked up with amy at a good life – if you haven’t checked her out yet…you need to!!  i did my week recap in iphone (only) pics – except i missed a few days and i’m like four days late posting it…but hey it wouldn’t be ME if i did the whole thing and did it on time – right?  so here ya go…enjoy!! 

monday – okay – so the pics are not super fascinating for monday (or any day for that matter) because i kept forgetting!  monday morning i had a hair appointment – went super blonde for summer!  then met up with my best girl friend christina at oregenos for lunch – ran some errands and made dinner with the husband.  we grilled t-bones and corn on the cob (the grill is his domain) and i made baked potatoes and salad – yum!

tuesday – so tuesday morning i worked on babyKAMP all morning – had a few orders to finish up.  one for baby george and big sis cate – more pics of that too come!  then (trying to find something to wear) dave and i went out for italian with our friend kent.  dave has wednesday & thursday off work – so tuesday is like our “friday” night.  the night ended with dave, kent and i drinkin’ some beers!!!  cheers!!  (go jayhawks!)

wednesday – honestly i have no recollection of what we did wednesday.  we went to coffee – like always – did some house stuff and bought new shelves for our family room (pics to come) and then made dinner together.  wednesday’s menu included grilled shrimp and grilled bacon-wrapped scaollops, grilled corn on the cob and salad.  love cooking together! 

thursday – so the morning started with coffee (of course) – dave was off today.  we went to coffee, relaxed and visited and then went out to breakfast.  dave ended up playing golf with kent & coach and i went to get my car washed and had to swing by school to get my work laptop.  my classroom is all packed up because i’m going to move rooms before school starts – it looked so weird and quiet!  then i met up with my girlfriend michelle for lunch at CPK.  i spent the rest of the day shopping and kent came over for a few drinks when the boys got done golfing. 

friday – i spent almost the entire day in babyKAMP working on some new products!!  the first pic is just a small area of my fabrics!  i am now making tanks, hoodies and pants for adults!!  more pics to come this week – they turned out so so so cute!!  friday night was the first “actual friday” in almost a year!  dave just got a promotion and will now have saturday & sunday off so we were both super excited!  we haven’t had a “real” friday night in so long…we almost didn’t know what to do with ourselves!  so we went out to dinner to one of our favorite restaurants to celebrate!  then we came home and watched a movie.  saw the dilemma with vince vaughn and kevin james – it was pretty funny – not the greatest but there is nothing out right now! 

saturday – ok i was really bad saturday and only took one pic!  in the morning we went to coffee as usual and then went to brookside (sports bar) to watch the preakness race with kent, pam & coach and i won $50 on a $2 bet!!  so i was excited!  then we went out to dinner and just stayed in. 

it was a great week – and i can’t believe how fast summer is going!  pretty soon i will be back to work!  yuk!  i was supposed to go to tucson this week for a work conference but it got canceled so i’m getting lots done around the house.  i am was determined to do my pics for the whole week but i am warning you now that i took zero pics on monday and it’s already 3:30 on tuesday and i haven’t taken any yet! yikes! but we’ll see how the rest of the week turns out!  i am SUPER backed up with babyKAMP pics so hopefully i can’t get caught up this week!  hope you’re all enjoying the summer sunshine!!! 

xoxo

maria

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babyBLOCK giveaway

Posted on June 10, 2011 by babyKAMP

we have a giveaway for the next two weeks!!! head over to the link-y below and enter! it’s super easy and you can win a babyBLOCK!! hope you are all having a great week!! new post comin’ at ya this weekend!!!! XOXO

Click Here For Your Chance To Win!!!

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tweet tweet

Posted on June 4, 2011 by babyKAMP

so for as long as I can remember I have HATED birds. HATE. I know that’s harsh but it’s just the facts. they are dirty and I hate their feathers. I hate the look of them and most of all the sound of them. ewww! it’s making me cringe just thinking about the feathers flapping and rubbing together.

I have been swooped on, pooped on and robbed by these little mongrels. robbed of not only my dignity but my lunch as well. my husband feels the same way…I don’t think quite as strongly but let’s just say we see eye-to-eye on this matter.

so when my bff megan was pregnant with her daughter lillie, she had something very important to tell me (I think you know where this is going). we had been talking about how lillie’s nursery would be decorated and what bedding she liked. her first words were: okay soooooo…I know you hate birds BUT I really like the penelope bedding at pottery barn. so reluctantly I looked and fell in love! it’s so adorable and pink & green!

I didn’t think I would ever like anything with birds on it but as I was swallowed into the baby world with babyKAMP I realized that all cute baby things have birds on them. so I slowly started coming around. I started to embrace all the cute bird fabrics and prints and (ready for this) I would even slow down or swerve out of the way for a bird in the street instead of hit the gas. let me just remind you that i am a HUGE animal LOVER!! but I don’t didn’t feel that birds belonged in the animal category.

so it turns out the birds are pretty damn cute! so i was super excited when my bestie meg said that she needed a gift for a co-worker and the theme would be birds. (see everyone likes birds). this was one of my absolute favorite gifts I’ve made to date.

so I think it’s safe to say that I’ve really come around to this whole bird – they really are cute…not so bad. UNTIL this morning! it’s like the birds felt my change of mood and they want to make my life miserable.

the absolute unthinkable happened…a bird flew into my house!!! needless to say i was FREAKING out. screaming. throwing things. cursing. running. flailing. you get the picture…a twenty-seven year old tantrum. and let me just say that this this isn’t my first rodeo. yes, this has happened to me more than once. but this time i was armed with my faithful stead kirby!

let me just give you a little background…she is petrified of EVERYTHING. noises, dogs, people, water, flies…you name it. she is a chihuahua inside the body of lab. except that my chihuahua is more fiesty than her! so I knew I was on my own.

but to my surprise the little bit of lab in her actually came out and she chased the bird all over the house and actually chased it out. it was a very proud moment for me. I just knew she had it in her. she even proceeded to try and chase it up the tree. so unlike her! i guess she hates birds as much as her mama. yes you read that right…all is right in the world again…i HATE birds. (and apparently so does kirby) like mother like daughter!

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ode to plaid

Posted on May 29, 2011 by babyKAMP

plaid (plad) -noun 1. any fabric woven of differently colored yarns in a crossbarred

so this post started as a babyKAMP post to show off my super cute plaid-esque baby gift for baby tyce. it was this gift that made me realize my obsession love for plaid.

when i think of plaids i think of my childhood. going to catholic school k-12 i’ve worn an excessive amount of plaid over the years. so naturally you would think that i hate it…but strangely enough i don’t.

as i started down memory lane i realized that it was really only in my childhood that i wore plaid…so i can only blame my mom for that…

plaid in pre-school…pre-uniform days…see what my mom started?

the daily plaid

plaid in elementary school…4th grade to be exact…if you’re looking for the plaid try to look beyond the foliage and the wicker chair…under the swatch watch…plaid skirt…limited too that’s right!

plaid on the weekends…7th grade

the high school days…in plaid

so let me remind you that this is a very small selection of photos because i didn’t want to bombard you.  but as i was writing this post and blaming my mom for all this plaid…i came across these photos…all 18 and over!

plaid at the bar…with my bestie kristen

plaid at target

plaid/checkers in vegas…at my bestie megan’s bachelorette party

plaid in my pj’s

plaid at my wedding! (well rehearsal dinner to be exact)

AND…plaid at the beach

ok so i think it’s safe to say that i need to take responsibility for my own plaid.  but i was bred for plaid at a young age, i think we can all agree with that.  so i think that i can officially say that plaid is my favorite color!  and i have evidence to prove it.

enjoy goodies for baby tyce…obviously one of my favorites.

large pail – patchwork burp cloth – patchwork blanket – initial onesie

happy saturday – have a safe and fun memorial weekend with lots of love!  XOXO

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home away from home

Posted on May 23, 2011 by babyKAMP

i have spent my morning at my own personal sanctuary. where is this you ask? well i can almost guarantee that you have one on every corner in your town…that place is starbucks. i have three within walking distance of my home. and i actually frequent all three. they all provide me with something different. let me explain…

one has a drive through – it’s actually the closest to my house. but that’s the one i go to when i am on the run. the second location is just right down the street and it is never busy. it has a collection of leather wearing, harley riding, hells angel types that take it over but it’s a quick in-n-out when i’m running late for work. and the third location…my personal favorite, we call it brookside (yes dave and i named it) because it’s right by this fun little sports bar called brookside – this location is the largest. it offers a large inside and outdoor patio area. unfortunately, we are approaching triple digits here in phoenix so i will be taking full advantage of the indoor area.

starbucks is probably in my top 3 of my favorite places to be. my best girlfriends (we call ourselves the funky bunch) and i have spent countless hours at starbucks over the years. i just feel at home here. it’s hard to explain but i have so many memories here at locations all over the country. every city i go to…it is imperative to find the closest starbucks. i’m pretty sure over the years i’ve spent a year’s salary in this place. but i refuse to let myself think of it that way. i’ve also converted my husband to a starbucks drinker as well. when we first moved in together he thought folgers (insert gag here) was the greatest thing. he is now an avid starbucks go-er too. (see proof below)

anyways, it’s been a long time since i’ve just been able to come to starbucks and just sit and enjoy myself. between my wifely duties, cheer everyday and weekend, school and babyKAMP – i don’t get a lot of time to just SIT. but this morning reminded me of how much i just enjoy my time here.

it’s actually really challenging to work from home. and i’m sure all my fellow etsy sellers, bloggers and shop owners will agree. it is so easy to get side tracked and i tend to start various projects at once. then i spend my time juggling all my projects and rarely make any progress because i’m going in so many different directions and i just give up! i’ve had so much maintenance to do to my website and this morning i gathered up my macbook, my headphones and headed to my “brookside” starbucks. i got so much done and actually enjoyed myself. and they have been playing lady gaga to boot! so it’s just win-win.

although i have a very strong bond to starbucks – i am an equal opportunity coffee drinker. i absolutely LOVE the coffee bean…actually more than starbucks but unfortunately coffee bean is a little farther away.

hope you all have a happy monday – make sure you get the lady gaga cd!! so awesome! XOXO

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sunday funday

Posted on May 22, 2011 by babyKAMP

happy sunday! well it’s been a busy morning in the workshop. I spent the morning working on orders before I had some errands to run. after my errands, dave was off work so we watched a movie and now I’m gonna head to the store. we decided to have a little bbq this evening – just the two of us!

I would say about 90% of the time we eat dinner together but sundays are especially important. we always have sunday dinner together and make something special. I am italian so sundays are a big deal and most importantly it was always a pasta sunday. anyone that is italian knows that sundays are reserved for pasta. well after eighteen years of pasta every sunday I now I have the freedom of making whatever I want! we probably have pasta about once a month but there’s always so much of it…so if it’s pasta on sunday…it means pasta left overs for the rest of the week!! and let me be clear that when I say pasta I do not mean a box of spaghetti noodles and jar of sauce. are you kidding me? I would excommunicated from my family if that were the case. we are talking sauce and meatballs made from scratch – it is usually an all day process. soooooo…not pasta today – too much to do in the workshop.

but anyways – thought I would share a picture with you. it’s just an iphone pic but I love the way it turned it out. this is laura ashley fabric and it’s to die for! turned out so cute! it consists of a medium pail, initial onesie, burp cloth and bean bag letters. there will be lots of pics on facebook too!!

so I hope you enjoy your sunday with love, family, friends and great food! XOXO

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first day of summer

Posted on May 21, 2011 by babyKAMP

well it’s official…i survived my second year of teaching. and i am SO ready for summer break! some of you may not know – but I am a sixth grade teacher and cheer coach. I don’t usually talk about teaching very much, although it is a HUGE part of my life. I am overly cautious about what I say about education. there are way too many teachers who lose their jobs or end up in law suits over their blogs, facebook, twitter, etc. which I think is so sad and uncalled for. we are people too, we have opinions, likes and dislikes – yet it is still socially unacceptable for us to voice our opinions. believe me…I would never mention a student’s name, parent’s name or the name of my boss because that would be unprofessional. but it would be nice to have an outlet for celebrations and frustrations. but anyways…I could go on and on but I’ll stop there!

so summer is officially here and I will definitely be busy. I have some travel plans and a TON of babyKAMP orders. I’m excited to spend the summer in my little shop, spend some time with my husband and working on some different projects on the house. I also have several giveaways planned this summer!!

today I spent the day with my usual morning starbucks run, worked on some orders and then we’re head out with some friends to watch the Preakness race today. not sure who I am going to put my money on yet – but hopefully it’s the winning horse!!!

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guilty pleasures

Posted on April 21, 2011 by babyKAMP

guilty pleasure…the teeny tiny things that make life seem a little bit better when they’re really not supposed to…

ok i think the title says it all…we all have them. but some of us are just a little more candid with our guilty pleasures than others. i however am not and i am here to say that…

my name is maria and i am a 16 & pregnant-aholic (and teen mom 1 & 2). no joke…i am seriously OBSESSED! there is more than just glee that gets me through every week…it’s the trials and tribulations of underage girls going through a pregnancy. i am not sure what exactly it is but i can’t get enough.

so i have decided to compile a (modified) list of my guilty pleasures…

1. ALL reality TV…some of my favs: 16 & pregnant, teen mom, real housewives (oc, bh, nj), survivor, pregnant in heels, apprentice, house hunters, jersey shore, kardashians (new fav: khloe & lamar)…i think it’s safe to say that i ONLY watch “reality” television…all on DVR of course

2. while were on the topic of television…DATELINE & 20/20…i can honestly say that there is not much else i would chose to do on a friday night then watch dateline and i get really disappointed when i have to miss it…because it isn’t the same on dvr. there are those disappointing occasions when our social life interfers with my friday night guilty pleasure…we’ll just call it gp (guilty pleasures) to avoid the continual feeling of guilt and shame to admitting this in writing.

3. ok…while one thing leads to another…i am secretly obsessed and fascinated with social disorders and serial killers. sick i know…but i am not the only one! one of my best friends is also captivated by these mystifying beings…i think this is where my love for dateline and 20/20 come in. one of the most heart wrenching stories was that of natalie halloway and i still follow the current status of joran van der sloot. please don’t missunderstand me…i think these people are sick and i have no compassion for them but when i use the word fascinated it refers to these killers psychological and mental state.

**ok now i think i can resume my normal list with a paragraph explanation for each one and without you thinking that i am pyscho who watches tv all day**

4. mint chocolate chip ice cream (in a cup with a little bit of milk…so weird i know)
5. chips & salsa
6. shopping for completely unnecessary make up (it’s only a gp if i really do NOT need it…which seems to be quite frequently)
7. target & walgreens…i can always find something i need want
8. starbucks
9. blue moon with a giant orange
10. stalking visiting one of my favorite sites: world of britney…while listening to britney…at high volumes…on repeat

11. and because i just could NOT condense it to a top 10…i have decided to save the best for last…LAW & ORDER…stabler…benson…need i say more? SVU, serial killers, psychos, investigations, mysteries and a challenge all in one…need i go on? NO. Enough. Said.

ok so all judgements aside…tell me yours…i told you mine!!

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