Amanda Rose Zampelli | the blog

then + now // 4 years later

Alejandro
June 11th 2010 (6 weeks old) // June 11th 2014 (4 years old)

Carmen Sandiego
June 12th 2010 (6 weeks old) // June 12th 2014 (4 years old)

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When you adopt, I imagine the 'GOTCHA' Day or the 'FOUND' Day is just as monumental and reason enough to celebrate as the adoptee's birthday. It's the day that marks your two lives blending together. How fantastic! Yesterday and today were my two kitty boops' 'FOUND' Day, and I couldn't be happier that they were brought into my life and that I get to experience their cuddly kitty-love on a daily basis. #crazycatlady Read their full 'FOUND' stories here.

that time I biked 15 miles in a dress

Sundays are slowly and surely becoming my favorite.  This past Sunday, I took it upon myself to ride my bike 7.5 miles (and back) to Forest Hills (Tomas's old neighborhood) where a street fair the town has twice a year was taking place on their central street. It was about 85 degrees, so I wanted to wear something light, cool, and flowy.  

Turns out I wore one of my $4 sundresses (also worn here).  My light blue Biria Citibike makes it possible to wear a dress and ride because the spokes (chains?) are covered, and will not grease up or snag the bottom of the skirt at all. It was a relativity easy ride, and I stayed much cooler than I would have in spandex and sneakers. ;) 

I use one of those key chain clips to secure the strap of my purse to the basket in case we hit a bump and the bouncing of loose objects occurs.  I also put two bungees in an 'X' formation across the basket for added security. 

With the exception of 2 or 3 uphill spots, I pedalled and constantly shifted gears the whole 15 miles (gears are God-sends).  That hill above was the big one I knew I was going to have to walk up. 

In case of any sort of wardrobe malfunction, I had a pair of bike shorts underneath. I didn't wear a helmet and should have (all about bicycle safety), but I had my hair up in a high Carrie bun for comfort and cuteness, and the helmet just wouldn't fit or stay on. Style won out over safety this time.

**Also NOTE: only took photos when on my trail.  My iPhone is not in my hand when I'm biking near or on the street, as my focus is strictly on my surroundings.

Have you ever biked a long distance in a dress?

Here is a list some of my favorite lady-bicyclists who do it all too well: Dottie & Trisha, Sheryl 'Bitchcakes' Yvette, Julie P. Hardee, and Miss Sarah Chan.

...and here is my bicycleLOVE pinterest board for more inspiration to travel through life on two wheels.

wishlist | june 2014

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8?

This month's wishlist is a bit of a window into my Summer heart. ♥ With all the jog/running I've been doing lately, a new amphipod and hat have been creeping up to the top of my wishlist.  A fresh pair of Saltwater sandals - white for summer - would be nice too.  I have a tan pair, and they are probably my most comfortable sandals. A hanging planter? What could be better? TWO hanging planters. ;)  A 'SUNSHINE DAYDREAMS' t-shirt in honor of little Ryan Saldana Cruz who touched my heart in such a special way last month. OMG OMG OMG! #6 on this month's wishlist is pretty fab.  Roller Skates that fit right over your sneakers! Dying for them, actually.  It will add a twist to my normal jog/running and probably steal my outdoor exercise-loving heart.  A cool denim sundress is never a bad idea, and the last thing on my wishlist...a one-way ticket to Texas. Hmmm...if it's meant to be, there'll be more to come on that little sneak...

What's on your wishlist this month? ♥ Scroll through past wishlists here.

tracking my workouts in my life planner

Happy start to a brand new week, all.  Hope you had a relaxing and happy weekend. 

Today I'm posting about how I started tracking my workouts last month in my Erin Condren Life Planner. There's a "goals & notes" column on the far left hand side of each weekly spread where I started tracking my workouts each week.

I label Monday through Sunday on the side.  Bright green is my workout marker color, so any day that I completed an intentional workout, I highlight the day in green, and write in green the workout and duration.

This neon green makes it easy to spot and tally how many days I worked out.  In May, I worked out a total of 15/31 days. In June, I'll goal for a lot more.

I've been enojying using my Erin Condren Life Planner since I got it over a year ago. I usually print photos of the week and stick them in my planner, write down what blog posts are coming on what days, and track major events in my life planner. See that process here. ♥

scaling the incline

Here I am scaling the incline at Alley Pond Park.

What does this mean to me?
It means that the weather had finally warmed.
It means I'm getting my body happily moving again.
It means I'm allowing myself to get out my head.
It means I'm feeling better. Ah, to feel better. 
I have a long way to go,
    but I am wide, ascending strides from the sad state I was in a couple of months ago. 

Here's to it keeping up. Cheers! ♥ Happy Sunday.

life album 2014 |weeks 21 & 22|

Hi, readers and peepers from the We R blog and beyond! 

Thanks for stopping by and happy Friday! I'm Amanda Rose Zampelli, and I was recently hired by We R Memory Keepers as a product designer and as a bonus: I get to blog a bit for them too!

Here are weeks |21 & 22| in my life album and to sum it up: I had a fabulous, relaxing much needed Memorial Day Weekend and Tomas was in town for a week.

These past few months in my life album have been very photo-heavy.  This happens every Spring and Summer since the lighting is better and I take so many more photos.

That "blessing/curse" print from here.  That grey "THIS HAPPENED" insert coming soon in my October kit for We R. ;)

When a spread  is photo-heavy, I tend to do my journalling digitally right on top of the photos.  

However, I did use my new Week in Review design in between both |week 21| and |week 22|'s pages, and hand journalled about my week on those:

Oh, that sweet sweet Memorial Day Weekend BBQ...

Next up, was |week 22|...

...so what do you think, all my memory keepers and pocket scrapbookers out there?

Is this a product that - if put into a kit and sold at your nearest craft store - you could see yourself buying and using throughout your album?  

It was fun to use in these two spreads, and took out the work of making a title card and marking what days of the year you were documenting about.  Other awesome things about this potential We R product is that it gives you a designated place to journal the week's happenings and from week-to-week, you'll have a cohesive design style. 

I'm a bit excited about bringing up this product in our New Product Meeting next week, but I'd love to hear your feedback.  Anything you would change? Let me know in the comments! Fun!

In the meantime, you can find me on instagram | twitter | pinterest | bloglovin', or pop in every Friday to see my crafts and fun things in collaboration with my new work family at We R Memory Keepers.

*For more of my past life album spreads and crafts, go HERE. 
*For more on how to build an album yourself, go HERE.

his week back in NY + a bit on my perfectionism

Tomas's week back in New York, last Saturday to Saturday in May, was filled with love, family, food, friends, cake, sunshine, shenanigans, laughter, and good quality time.  It was filled with so much more than my past four months without him...and that seems to be the theme everytime we see each other since he moved to Texas. ...so what am I doing?  Yeah, that's been a resounding question lately.

I recently came across this notion: EVERTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON. It struck me in such a way, and explains a lot of how I felt the week he was back in NY.  You see, I'm in the process of recovering from my perfectionism -  a damaging, all-encompassing personality trait that I didn't even realize I had until recently.  My perfectionism manifests itself in many ways, but most notably in always searching for what I can learn from things to make myself better. {deeeep sigh} Yeah. I'm in constant pursuit of the reason why things happen that I'm not enjoying them as they happen. With Tomas here last week, things were happening...and those things involved all you see above. Great things: Playing with your food! Wearing a dress and silly glasses and posing for picture with friends! Throwing frisbees! Getting dessert mid-afternoon! Drinking red wine on a Thursday! ...things life is supposed to be made of.  Not pondering all the time. Not making sure you do life 'right'.  Everything happens. Period. Not 'for a reason' - because then your life becomes about fulfilling some reason's prophecy, and that's plain exhausting.

I think that's all I want to say about that. ...and that I miss him.

I suppose we'll see where the rest of 2014 takes us. ♥ I suppose we all will. ♥ Have a good day! 

june goals.

Happy third day of June, everyone.  We are at the start of my three favorite months: June, July, and August, so I'm looking forward to feeling more like myself, in my element, in the season of warmth and sun where I belong.  With that in mind, here is how I'm focusing my one little word this month:  

...two things only:

Firstly, I'm going to start a morning positivity journal.  I want to start each morning with a positive thought, intention, statement, quote...something...and refer back to it during the day.  You see, with anxiety (that I've been battling the past few months) comes these negative and mean stories we tell ourselves. The goal of this journal is to take five minutes every morning and write a positive message to myself. I want this positive message to be the story I tell myself over and over that day, like a mantra, in an effort to replace some of the negative stories my mind seems to default to. You can expect future updates on how this practice is going.

My second focus this month, and it's something May allowed me to start doing, is to foster my relationships. I looked up the word 'foster' in the dictionary (although I already had an idea) and it means "to promote the growth or development of; further; encourage; to care for or cherish."  That is exactly what I want to start doing again with the people I love.  I know I say this weirdo bought of anxiety I've been going through hit me in March, but actually, this funk probably started somewhere around my 29th birthday back in November.  I hadn't made much of an effort to call friends.  I was a bit of a hermit, focusing on getting through design school and finding a job; the winter majorly sucked and cause everyone to be a bit depressed, frustrated, trapped inside, and just plain cold. Now I'm ready to start reconnecting again, and get out of my house and my head, and eat and laugh with people I know and love. What's that Mark Twain quote? "The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer someone else up."  Yeah. I'm all about it.

Hey June, don't make it bad // Take a sad song and make it better

Yesterday, on the first day of June, my sister and I made a day trip to Williamsburg, Brooklyn to attend Smorgasburg.  I was able to wear only a sundress, as the sun was incessantly shining and the weather was upward of 80 degrees.  We ate Blue Marble Salted Caramel Ice Cream, and I think I've found a new favorite.

It was a lovely afternoon, and since June is the first month of my favorite three of the year (...July & August, too) I look forward to feeling more relaxed and less anxious; feeling more in the moment.  I'm looking forward to Hey June -- taking a sad song and making it better. ♥ Happy Monday!