Candid Keepers #455

Introducing:

Kelly Costa of Canonsburg, PA

 

Q:  Please tell us a bit about yourself.  Where are you from and where are you now?

A: I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA (go Steelers)!!!  My husband (then boyfriend) and I moved to Baltimore after attending college at Penn State.  Like most Pittsburghers, we found our way back home and started our family!

Q:  How did you meet and fall in love with your husband?

A: My husband and I first met in middle school—immediate crush for me, but it took a few years for him to warm upJ  We’ve been together for 16 years, ½ my life—WOW—don’t think I realized THAT before!

Q:  My favorite thing to talk about is my kids.  Tell us about YOURS.

A: We have 2 beautiful children—My son Grayson is 5.  He is tender-hearted, caring, compassionate, inquisitive, but at the same time 100% boy!!!  He loves sports—baseball, skiing, hockey, you name it, he loves it! His newest obsession is his new dirt bike!  My daughter Reese is 3 going on 13—she is strong-willed, independent, and confident… She is the one who will earn me my way into heaven!!!  It is truly amazing how 2 kiddos from the same family can be total opposites yet be the very best of friends!!!

Q:  What did you do in your previous life?  Pre-Matilda Jane?

A: Up until now I was a first grade teacher.  After 9 years in the classroom I was ready for a break and dedicate myself to my family!

Q:  How did Matilda Jane find YOU?

A:  I sell my children’s clothes at a local resale event—as I was hanging their clothes on the rack I noticed that brown tag sticking out, I had to see what it was!  I pulled it out and I fell in love with the tutu!  I went home and researched, fell in love, and started with a trunk show!  The opportunity for becoming a Trunk Keeper came about at a perfect time, I had just taken some time off from teaching and had some spare time in my schedule!

Q:  Who on this earth has been the number one influence in your life?

A:  My husband, he just knows me!  He keeps me grounded, sane, happy.  He knows what to say and when to say it.  I can say with 100% certainty that I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for him!

Q:  What are 5 words your friends would use to describe you?

A:  Passionate, competitive, caring, dependable, humble

Q:  Besides your family, what are you most passionate about?

A:  My husband would say shopping!  I would have to say my job and right now my job revolves around shopping…maybe he’s right!!!

Q:  Chocolate or Vanilla?

A: Yes please!!!  I like any and ALL sweets!

Q:  Are you  a dreamer or a realist?

A:  I’m a bit of both, I dream about what I want for myself, where I want to go, what I want for my children.  However, I am enough of a realist to know where to draw the line.

Q:  Crazy or not, what is one dream that you would most like to make come true?

A:  A cabin in the woods—somewhere we can get away for awhile, totally unplugged!

Q:  If you were gifted $1 million to donate to any charity or organization, which one would you choose?  Why?

A:  St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital—I remember being little and watching the infomercial with my father, he is a cancer survivor and long time contributor to St. Jude.  I remember thinking how lucky I was that I was healthy. Now, as a parent, I think how lucky I am to have healthy children.  I donate when I can, for my baby shower I donated money to them in each guests’ name as a favor… I find ways to donate when I can. 

Q:  If you could crawl into the pages of any book, what would it be and why?

A: Honestly, I can’t tell you the last time I was able to sit and read a REAL book—I’ll take an US Weekly any day!!!

Q:  Good Hart is a special place for Denise.  What place do you hold dear to your heart?

A:  Growing up we had a small camp just North of the city.  We would spend our summers there swimming, fishing, hiking, boating.  I haven’t been back there in years but would love to create memories like that for my children!