August 30, 2010

Four Days 'Till the Big Move

Okay... so it's not really a BIG move. We are just moving to the next town over. Less than ten miles even! But, it feels like a big move because this is the first time we are moving somewhere we love.

While spending the entire weekend packing, I realized that 80% of all the boxes were labeled "Camster's room". Is this what it comes down to as a parent? Nothing you own is actually for you? Weird how that changes so quickly... I didn't even notice until now.

Husband and I have this great deal where I will do all the sorting, packing, and unpacking (he did an awful job last time we moved); and he will do all of the lifting, driving, and cleaning. I thought I had gotten the better end of the deal until I actually started to sort and pack. Arg! I hate packing! We are also trying to downsize by getting rid of clutter an unnecessary furniture that collects clutter. I think that may be the hardest part. Putting all your beautiful knicks-knacks and trinkets in the "donate" pile. Arg!

Hopefully I can finish up my packing duties by Friday so I can pick-up the keys to our new place with good conscience. We will be moving in over Labor Day weekend by happy coincidence... that should be nothing short of interesting.

Have a good week all! I hope to post again this week with something halfway interesting, but moving with a six-month old may hinder my blogging career for the week.

August 25, 2010

Ta Da!

Yesterday the Camsters and I finished our agave painting. Ta da! Well, I painted and Camsters mostly tried grabbing the painting which resulted in green and turquoise nails. I was actually surprised that I got this all done in one day with Camsters in her front pack. It did include an hour-long nap which helped out a bit.

I plan to put my painting above the fireplace so you see it when you first walk in the door. BAM! Color!

August 22, 2010

Etsy Picks of the Week IV

The Camsters current favorite color is yellow. So here are my Camalicious picks for this week:

For Sweetpea...
an adorably chic dress. For those of you with little girls, don't you just get sick of pink after awhile? Try out this cure. Here is kid*a*collective's shop.



and for Me...
a resin coated rose bloom hair pin! How cool is that? It's a real flower in a bloomed state forever that you can wear day after day. Here is Island Girl Designs' shop.



Oopsies!

Wow! The last week has completely passed me by! Not that I've really been doing anything, just living I guess. When the Camsters and I got back from our adventure weekend in the Bay Area, Camster's other cousin was up visiting for a few days. It was just one into the next it seems. 

THEN, the elementary school I volunteer at started up and we went over to help out a few days. THEN on Thursday it was my little brother's birthday, so Camster and I went over and grilled him up some chicken sandwiches on chibata bread with tomato and avocado, AND an angel food cake with ripe blackberries (sorry to disappoint... not from scratch because I'm lazy).

THEN!!! On Saturday we took our boring wood dining table and chairs over to my parent's house and spray painted them. When I say we on this one, I really mean that Husband transported and I painted. I sanded and spray painted the table chartreuse, two chairs tangerine (not to be confused with neon orange), one chair raspberry red, and one chair a fuchsia that turned out more purple. Pops was spray painting his ATV trailer camo so it turned out to be quite the "Spray Painting Saturday". 

Sunday I kicked back with Husband and Camster.... until I started packing up the house. Husband and I have an agreement: I will single-handedly pack up the whole house if he moves and cleans it. I thought I had the upper hand until I continued to tackle the job today. Phew! It is seriously hard work packing up a baby! Forget Husband and I... This kid has SO. MANY. CLOTHES. I won't even get started on accessories and equipment. Let's just say it's a good thing she will have her own room!

So now it's Monday, which means tomorrow I will help out at the school again, pack some more for the big move across town, and work on my fabulous 18" x 24" agave plant painting. I'll show you when its finished.

Our Adventure Story

Last weekend, our Saturday morning started out with my mom and all my nieces picking us up in their giant SUV like it was a bus stop. Camsters immediately fell asleep for the three hour trip to my nieces' house in the Bay Area. Sleeping babies and long car rides are a very convenient combination. I had had all sorts of toys and bells and whistles to woo her -just incase- that I didn't even get to use!

We all hopped out, got dressed in chilly San Francisco appropriate clothing, and hopped back in for the last hour-long leg of the trip... which Camster slept through as well. Chuck-ching! (Does that sound/motion translate through text?) We all arrived at the baby shower safe from the sound of screaming babies (who would do that?!) and had a pretty good time.

Axis Cafe was in a really weird part of town... almost industrial... and looked out of place from the outside. But when we went in it was a very sleek, artsy, even comforting location. They even had an enclosed play area for kids on the back patio. The girls approved. The decorations for the party really only consisted of blue and orange balloons. That was it. On the table were plates of fruit and cupcakes... and I must note that SOMEONE ate my cupcake... so I didn't get a chance to sample and report back on that one. But, that's what I get for sitting next to three kids under the age of twelve. It was a brunch menu and I ordered the eggs Benedict which were delish. Everyone else reported great food as well.

After the baby shower, my grandma took us over to her house for the remainder of the weekend before we headed home on Monday. It was great just to relax for a day and a half, just me and Cami and Grammy. Since we don't have T.V. at home, the Camsters and I really had to catch up on mega cake makin' (beware that I don't know the titles of these shows), Diners -somethings- and Dives, and some sort of home designer competition show. I love how you can just pick a channel and watch home designer shows all day or drool over food all day. That was really all I was concerned with watching. I'm SO over CSI shows!

Camsters didn't put up any fuss and actually loved hangin' with her great-Grammy for the weekend. Monday around noon, my mom, sleepy Camsters, and I made the long drive home to the mountains only making a brief stop for a Wendy's root beer float.



August 15, 2010

Our Day Has Come

We have finally found a beautiful, quiet, friendly, well maintained, clean place to live! Yay for us! Not that our current apartment is dirty, but it does have a perpetual yard sale out front. Nuff said.

Our new dream apartment... a little on the small side, but a dream apartment still. Our new place is Spanish-style both in architecture and landscaping and includes an arch doorway with tile around it, tile floors inside, and a fenced-in shady patio for the Camsters to play on once she really gets moving (which will be pretty soon). We can't wait to move in next month!

Since it is so Spanish looking, I thought I could incorporate my great love of the artist Frida Kahlo into the decor. This is also my opportunity to take all my "hand me down"/ mix-match furniture and create a more coordinated look. It's going to look like a grown-up apartment instead of a poor college student's dorm room.

My first task this weekend is to sand and paint my dining table and chairs with bright colors like: chartreuse, fuchsia, persimmon, and cobalt. Very Frida don't you think? I am also very proud of anyone who can envision those specific colors... kudos. My furniture is just the start!

(Weekend adventure post tomorrow)

Etsy Picks of the Week III

I am in a Parisian mood today. Here are my picks for this week:

For Sweetpea...
a pleated French messenger bag. Technically not for Sweetpea, but to haul around her stuff. Justified right? It was too cute to pass up this week and it comes in other colors and designs! Here is Ikabags' shop.



and for Me...
a pair of Eiffel Tower earrings! Simply adorable. Here is HippieJoe's shop.



August 13, 2010

Road-trip to the Big City

Well well well, the Camster and I are taking our first big trip -road trip even- without Husband. This should be interesting. The longest Camster has been in the car is a 2-ish hour drive to the mall to buy my beloved iPad (more on that later). We're looking at a much longer trip for tomorrow.

Starting at 7-ish in the morning, we will be carpooling with my Mom and my three nieces in their behemoth of a SUV down to the Bay Area to pick up my Grammy. Easily a three hour drive. Then we are all heading over to San Francisco (another hour) for my cousin's baby shower, which is the whole reason for this trip. She better love me after traveling so long and far with a 6-month old.

Camster and I are staying over at my Grammy's house for recovery Saturday and Sunday night. Phew! I wouldn't want to make that drive twice in one day. This will also be our first sleep-over away from home since the wee one was born. Eek! Like my comic-like exclamations? And all my hyphenated-words?

I am finishing up the trip by taking a quick morning class on how to use my serger Monday before my mom, Camster, and I head back to the mountains. That should be quite interesting as well. Husband and I were talking yesterday about how Camster will have odd phrases like I do: 'as it happens', 'quite interesting indeed', 'by the by', 'ya haw'. Don't ask on that last one.

Anywho- I promise to take pictures of the party, because if you are anything like me, you love to see party decor. Also, I will magically post my Etsy picks on Sunday even though I will be away from electronics for the weekend.

Enjoy yourselves and your weekend!

August 12, 2010

12 of 12 | August

I am now attempting to participate in 12 of 12, which is 12 pictures taken on the 12th of every month.... August- check!
More about this blogging phenomenon here. Play along!

1. Enjoying swinging together in the brisk morning air at Grammy & Grandpy's.
2. Camster watching her cousins riding horses in the arena.
3. Camster takin' a test drive.
4. What a natural... Grabbed right onto the horn!
5. Hold on kiddo!
6. What fun Mama!
7. Sampling her first otter pop... bad, I know.
8. Don't take it away Mama!
9. Chickens at Columbia State Park.
10. Camster's cousin showing her how "miner's bowling" is done.
11. Asleep, yet still has a firm grasp on her toys.
12. Columbia Candy Kitchen! Candy Mama! I AM old enough... I swear!



August 8, 2010

Camster's Cousins: Round One

Whenever my nieces come up to visit, the days are filled with projects and activities galore. ThIs visit is no exception.

Yesterday included the big reveal on our tie dye projects from Friday.





Camster loved her shirt.




Cutting out and sewing a Halloween costume for the Camsters. I used my new birthday serger for the first time. A little gnome dress gave me the chance to use multiple settings.




Voilà!




We also stopped by the fabric store to grab some supplies and found this. Baby sign language fabric! Being that I took sign language as my foreign language in high school and we are now teaching Camster sign... this purchase was a MUST!




And then we watched a play written and performed by the girls titled "The Princess Academy". Very entertaining.






Etsy Picks of the Week II

Here are my picks for this week:

For Sweetpea...
An Eric Carle inspired toddler blanket! Who doesn't love Eric Carle? Here is Cottage on the Coast's shop.




and for Me...
a leather bound journal. Isn't the color great?! I'll slow down on the rhetorical questions. Here is Kreativlink's shop.

August 6, 2010

Happy Six-Month Birthday Sweetpea!

So today is Camster/ Sweetpea/ Kitten/ Cuteness/ Poopypants/ Sweetie Pie's six-month birthday! Yippie! I've... I mean Camster has survived to the halfway mark. We all wait for it, but hate when it has come so soon.

By day, we tie-dyed shirts with the cousins and ate "special sandwiches", which is just a nice way of saying unhealthy whipped butter sandwiches and drank radioactive looking apple kool-ade. Then as a girlie collaborative we cut out some different sized felt flowers and attached them with a button to a headband. Adorable success. We finished up the afternoon by getting the Camster's ears pierced. She was such a good sport and only cried for a second, I assume because of the abrupt noise and shocking pinch. So freaking cute! Babies are so cute with little baby sized earrings!

By night, Husband took Camster and I out to Baskin Robbins for a late night ice cream. Bananas, scoop of strawberry, scoop of chocolate, and the best part... hot fudge. And Camster played with a spoon. A good time had by all!




August 3, 2010

Random Thoughts

- Horatio from CSI Miami has the same mannerisms as McGarrett from Hawaii Five-O... it's uncanny
- At my age I probably shouldn't know who McGarrett is
- I have a weird mother who subjected me to old t.v. shows like Perry Mason
- The Camster will also be subjected to such nonsense
- I got a serger as an early birthday gift
- Once I learn to thread it I will be a serging whirlwind!
- I am planning on sewing Camster a civil war era dress... not period of course, because that would be insane
- Walmart is full of weirdos... mostly employees
- Are all Walmarts like that?
- Someone should invent a baby version of those audio translators for dogs
- If you've never seen those that last thought really is random
- Too bad eating a handful of truffles every night is bad for you
- Why can't vitamins be made in truffle form?
- Cell phones are overrated

August 1, 2010

Etsy Picks of the Week

I am a huge fan of Etsy.com and often gawk at all the wonderful handmade items for adults and children. Here are my picks for this week:

For Sweetpea...
faux guinea pigs! Can you believe these are plushies? Here is Marumoto's shop.



and for Me...
a retro T.V. felt phone case! I also loved the iPad case. Here is L'atelier de Luluu's shop.