HELLOmynameisHeather

Blimey!

Happy Halloween!  Any guess who Elijah was last year?

Touch & Go (the original, airplane-related definition, as I just got back from Disneyland and I'm heading back out again -- not the sad, someone's-dying-in-the-hospital version)

Off to Houston for Market.  I'm counting on some good fun and a couple of teary, giggly late night chats.  And some business stuff in there too.

I'm just about done with the costume (reveal to come)-- and thank heaven, as I have one more to make once I get back... a Jedi. Jedis are a bit more quick to put together.  And, I'm very familiar with Jedis. 

My older brother, Matthew, had me sew up Jedi costumes for him and two of his business buddies a number of years ago.  There was an Amidala in that crew as well, for a change of pace.  It was for a business presentation. (How cool is that?)  And it paid well. 

Then my other brother, Ryan, had to have a Jedi costume too.  He even scored a cloak to go with it, as I found the most amazing cloak fabric that year -- all sand-beaten and worn-looking.  It even wafts in the wind. 

So, can you guess what Elijah wanted to be for Halloween that same year?  Yep, a Jedi.  He was about 4.  Now he's 10 and he's feeling the Jedi vibe again.  And there's no chance the older costume will fit.

So that's the Tuesday/Wednesday that awaits me next week.  That, and a full report on my weekend away!

(Nope, photo does not relate to post.  But she's cool, don't you think?)

Magic of One Kind and Another

We're back from Disneyland and it was amazing!  Our first time on an official vacation as a foursome. Charlotte, though 2 and admitted for free, had as much fun as any full-fare filly.  And Elijah enjoyed himself even more than last time (with Isaac in May, I think) - improved by the company of cousins to hang on fences with and generally poke and pester.  I'll track down the camera cards from our trip and find some photos to share. 

We came home to a backlog of business, a visit from Isaac's mother and Halloween magic to make.  Wait till you see this one.  Charlotte is hovering.   

Unplanned Plans

Impromptu trip to Disneyland! Cashing in the coins to spend a couple of days out-and-about with our children.  My brother and his family will be there as well.  Should be big fun!

I think I've been only once before.  I faintly remember climbing around in a big tree- house of sorts.

Anyhow, time to hang the hypothetical Closed sign for a couple of days.  Be back online come Thursday. 

The Bulge & Pop of Things

Philadelphia in fish eye.  Isaac's weekend.  More bulgy, beautiful photos here.

Living Room in boxes.  Heather's weekend.  Shipment of secret product X.  Not secret for long :) 

The DIY workload is out of control.  We'll be hiring soon.  Most likely an assistant for Isaac at first, so Isaac can assist me:  websites, timelines, business systems, etc.  I'll need an assistant as well soon after.  We are laying a careful foundation so our family can happily handle the juggle.

Many may not realize how long the lead-time is in preparing goodies for the market.  Most product designer don't blog about the next year's collection as they put it together.  Hush, hush.  Shh, shh.  I know for a fact however, that we're all biting our knuckles to share, aching to tell all, but don't want to frustrate anyone in having to wait 3, 6, 9 or even 12 months to get her hands on said goodies.  In short, I can't wait to start letting things Pop!  Getting much closer on a number of things.

Two things I can share here today from my calendar:

1.  I've been invited to be a panelist at Country Living's Women Entrepreneurs event in Chicago the weekend of March 15th, 2008. They'll be releasing ticket & event details come October 15th. Pop! 

2.  I've also accepted an invitation to appear at the Inspired artist workshop (paper-craft) in North Carolina on April 10-12th, 2008. Registration is already in progress.  Pop!

Loving that hand-painted "Closed" sign up there.  We should all have one on hand for occasional use on the computer, oven, washing machine, brain, etc.

What Is It With Muskrats?

I'm not sure what all I can say here that the title of this book doesn't already achieve.  Read the title once, then twice, and your puzzled expression will inevitably bloom into a curly smirk. 

Come again?  His Muskrat Lady Housekeeper?  Uncle What?

I can't say how this floats my boat.  Really.  And I'm not sure it would be wise to try.  Let's just say that a quick glance at this book has diffused many stressful moments for me.  I can't help smiling.  So, there it sits, on the shelf above my ribbons, ready to cheer me up on demand.  It just wouldn't be right to keep such a thing to myself.

Of course, muskrat anything takes me back about six years to the night Isaac came home from work, spun me around in the kitchen and proceeded to sing, "Muskrat Suzy and Muskrat Sam do the jitterbug out in Muskrat Land..." with all the passion he could muster. Oh to have a record of the look on my face!  It was a classic expression of "You have got to be kidding me, right?  You're joking, right?"  He just kept on singing.  Me, "Oh my gosh!  Is this a real song?  No, you're making this up.  What are the real words?  What is going on?" 

Isaac, of course, knew all of the words.  He spent a good five or ten minutes trying to convince me that yes, there was indeed a very popular song in the 70s called Muskrat Love (it hit #4 in '76), before digging up the CD and proving it.  Poor guy, I totally spoiled his muskrat mood.  But, what the?  I can't be the only one to not feel the romance of Muskrat Love, can I?  "Honey, are you sure it was a popular song?  I was only a baby, you know." 

That was a funny, funny night.  Big, healthy laughs. 

I still don't get it.  Though I do wonder...  That picnic Uncle Wiggily's skipping to looks awfully romantic to me.  What is it with muskrats?

(And, no, Isaac wasn't serious.)

Boom Tin Tin

Pokin' back in for a HELLO.  Isaac's in Philadelphia photographing a wedding this weekend.  I convinced him to stay an extra few days to explore (in proxy perhaps -- would have liked to stay longer last June).  His rental car was creamed by a small truck minutes after leaving the airport though.  Completely not his fault.  He's not hurt at all & the other guy's got the tab for the damage.  But, as all other rental cars were spoken for, he's now in for an adventure with PA mass transit perhaps.  Let's hope he leaves the hotel -- or at least returns well-rested, right?

Took myself out to see The Kingdom on Friday night, babysitting already in place.  A large part of that movie was filmed about a mile or so from my house, on an old out-of-action military base.  The baseball-game bomb-scene and big-ol'-shoot-out at the end were two of the sets you could see from the road.   Man, some of those buildings sure looked shabby and pathetic in the movie -- nasty stucco stains, filthy stairs, roofs teeming with satellite dishes.  They were just facades, all plywood and braces from the back. 

My friend Sheeba was an extra on the set.  And thank heaven for the inside scoop, as we were awakened one night by a fearsome boom.  The house shook and grumbled and I sprung out of bed with a comical, "What...was... that!"  It was 3am or so.  Turned out they blew up the set that night.  For realistic tattering, I'm sure. Whoa!  Would have been nice to get a notice on that one.  I bet it was a busy night for the local 911 dispatchers. 

Anyhow, no!, my neighborhood looks nothing like Saudi Arabia.  Just a fun bit of this & that.

New tins above.

Hello Neighbor, Might I Borrow a Cup of Whales?

Oh my, Isaac erased my inbox on accident and it took a couple of days for him to restore what he could.  Still missing much of September and that last part of August.  So... if you're waiting to hear from me on something or other, I might just be in the dark a bit on your request or inquiry.  Please resend? 

Haven't been on the computer much this week, hence the lack of posts.  I have a big deadline to meet on Thursday.  We have been watching the first season of Heroes on dvd though while we work.  Wow! good show.  But, you have to watch it from the beginning as there are a gazillion characters and I'm not sure you could pop in and pick up on the story line very easily.  Easy to follow if you watch from the beginning though. 

Let's see, what's my tricky, one-line review...  A pound of Unbreakable, two cups of Superman, one teaspoon of 24, and a dash of The Matrix, creamed together and spread on a healthy slice of humor.

Food on my mind.  So hungry waiting for Isaac to finish up dinner. I keep popping in the kitchen and nibbling.  Told Charlotte I could eat a whale.  Her response -- "But we don't have any whales!"