HELLO my name is Heather

  • Auto Obnoxious!

    ByHeather Bailey

    I just added an automatic response to my inbox to alert folks that
    I’d be out of the studio through Christmas and it appears to have gone
    berserk!  From what I can tell, it sent an "I’ll be out of the
    studio…" message in response to every email I’ve received since
    somewhere around Oct 17th.  Sheesh!  So, I apologize if any
    of you are greeted with a dozen auto responses from my inbox today.
    I told it to only reply to emails that were less than one day old.  I
    don’t know what went wrong.  So sorry.

    I do expect to pop back in here before Christmas is through though.
    Happy Christmas Eve Eve — Sing lots of holiday songs today and make a big, floury mess or two in the kitchen with your loved ones.  I plan to.

  • |

    Whistle While You Work

    ByHeather Bailey

    Goldfish

    Okay, so the Trash Ties response was amazing!  And a bit
    overwhelming.  We’ve turned our house into a full-on workshop and I’m
    experiencing Christmas through the eyes of Santa’s elves.  Thank you
    for your orders.  We’re making and packaging them up round the clock.
    I’ve added a post to the Trash Ties blog to answer some questions about
    shipping, security, applying discounts, extended coupons! and such.  If you’ve placed an order or are about
    to, you should have a read through that post.  (There’s also a giveaway!)

    Other than the
    elvish nature of this week’s work, we haven’t yet had a chance to break
    into Christmas this year.  The Christmas decorations are stacked in
    boxes in the middle of our living room and have been for two weeks.
    This year will have to be condensed, with extra Christmas effort and
    activities packed into the end of next week.  We’ll make it particularly fun
    so the kids don’t notice they had to wait! 

    Oh gatz!  I’m
    getting weepy.  My friend’s two daughters are over to help and they’re
    watching Fiddler on the Roof while they work.  Sunrise, Sunset is
    bellowing from the other room and I can’t get through that song without
    tearing up, even if I’m in a distant room focussed on writing this
    post!  I’ve got to wrap it up before they get to the Chava Ballet song, the
    one that starts, "Little Bird, Little Chavala."  Oh forget it, I can’t
    even type it out.  I’ll move on.  One of my favorite movies, anyhow!

    The fish?  I’m
    looking forward to the fish.  I made him for our Christmas tree about 5
    years ago or so.  Beyond my funky junky collection, he’s one of my
    favorite ornaments.  I just love the idea of a goldfish swimming around
    in a pine tree.  A few more days to go…

  • Big, Big, Big!!!

    ByHeather Bailey

    We did it!  And I can’t believe we pulled this off in time for Christmas — It’s Trash Ties day!!! 

    Ttrevealcollagea_2

    My once-buttoned lips are now happily unfastened and I can freely talk Trash.

    This is a big day for Isaac & me.  We spent a good half of 2007 designing, photographing, planning, re-designing,
    sourcing, proofing, printing, and planning some more.  There have been
    a few rocks on the path and a couple of big boulders, but we forged
    ahead.  And now here they are, cute little pink boxes of Trash Ties,
    looking all innocent and easily-accomplished.

    Ttboxes_3 Isaac just finished the new Trash Ties website today and I’ve started a Trash Ties blog!!  So much of my personal history is wrapped up in my adventures with Trash Ties (movie sets, patent stuff, fancy stores, big magazines, tiny apartment, terribly-sick baby, incredibly-worried
    mommy, rapidly-growing business, and a big decision to hold off on Trash Ties till
    the patent came through, etc).  I wanted a place where I could recount some of those stories,
    hold contests and challenges, and we could have all sorts of madcap fun
    with hair.  I probably said it better over there;  I’m all googly-eyed
    and goofy at this point.

    Websitegrabsmall
    So stop by the new blog & website and see what I’ve been up to for
    a big part of the year.  I bet you can even track down the front view
    of this curious photo. 

    There are a crazy-ton of pictures and all of the info you need to finally see what I was wearing in my hair last Easter.  That
    was an accidental sneak by the way, not so much a sneaky sneak (though
    I like those).  And sorry about keeping quiet.  People go crazy over
    these and I didn’t want you wanting them until I could deliver.

    Tthappyholidays_2

    But yes, go read my first post over there and then have a look at The Basics pages in the sidebar and Isaac’s pink palace of a website.  He even programmed a video slideshow and lovingly turned these little pink boxes into a Winter Wonderland.  He cracks me up.

    Ttcoupon1_2

    And here’s a coupon for your holiday shopping pleasure, good through December 10th.  You don’t really need the coupon, just the code, but I couldn’t resist.
    Ttintl(BTW, and completely unrelated, if you haven’t learned the words to Sesame Street’s I Love Trash, then
    you’re not truly living.)  The above code will give you 15% off
    your entire order — just for you guys.  So many of you have written,
    wanting to buy Trash Ties without even knowing what they are – wow!
    And yes, the shopping cart is set up for international sales.  Follow
    the Globe symbol for details.

    So, go to the Trash Ties blog to see what these babies can do and put that cutie coupon to good use. 

    Yay for Trash Ties day!  We made it.  I’m excited to finally share these with you.  It’s a good day.

    ————–

    Update:  A few of you had difficulty paying through PayPal earlier today. I wanted to let you know that Isaac has since worked with GoDaddy to implement a solid and secure solution that allows you to pay directly in the store. Now everything is working smoothly!  I apologize for any inconvenience.

    ————–

    Another Update:  If you’ve placed an order or are about to, make sure to read through this bulleted list I just added at the Trash Ties blog covering shipping dates, coupon tips, site security and a giveaway! 

  • Pot Warmers & Leg Holders

    ByHeather Bailey

    Potholder_3
    I have had the hardest time falling asleep this week.  And I’m not
    talking about midnight or 1am.  I’ve been up till 4, 6, 7am before
    falling asleep.  Such a drag!  But, I’ve made some important half-alert
    discoveries. 

    For instance, last night I analyzed the implement of leg warmers.  I
    thought back to the dance classes of my childhood and had no
    recollection of cold ankles or even dancing outside in cold weather.
    And if a dancer were to dance outside in cold weather, wouldn’t her whole body need an extra layer, not just her lower legs? 

    I then flashed back to 5th grade and the vague recollection of a
    leg-warmers- over-jeans trend.  Now in that case, leg warmers were an
    accessory, an expression of personal style and good taste. Right? 
    Anyone?  So, is this what leg warmers are to dancers, just an
    accessory?  Hmmm, no, that couldn’t be, as they would surely have been
    named something other than "leg warmers."  They would have needed a
    snappier name like Kickies or something.  Or Lady Legs.  Ya, good one.

    No, no, there’s got to be something more to it.  Hmmm… legs, ankles.  Oh yes, ankles!  Skinny jeans! (Hang in there.)
    Skinny jeans only look okay on a small sampling of female forms.  I’ve
    got it!  Leg warmers balance out the figure.  Make a dancer’s hips look
    smaller.  Just like flared jeans do vs. skinny jeans.  Some smart lady
    from way-back-when just named them "leg warmers" so dancers of all
    shapes and sizes could save face.  "Oh, these old things, they just
    keep my legs warm."  Such a nice lady.  I wonder what her name was…

    And so my evenings have gone.  One important discovery after another. 

    It’s getting about time to pull out the potholders.  Every pretty, vintage potholder that makes its way home with me tends to end up on my funky junky Christmas tree (check these out).
    Makes me laugh to see them hanging there in the mix, "Hee, hee, there
    are potholders on my Christmas tree!"  I even like them there when I’m
    well-rested and sane.  It’s true. 

    Okay, I’m off for a Friday date.  Make sure you stop by on Monday — I’ve got something REALLY BIG planned.

  • Free Download!

    ByHeather Bailey

    Pincushionsverthb
    So, look what I found!, a download of the pincushion pattern I wrote for Better Homes & Gardens’ Quilts & More.
    I’ve probably had over four dozen requests for this pattern in my
    inbox, but am under contract to not release it for a few months.  I had
    no idea it was up on their site and available all of this time.

    I’m not sure how much longer they’ll have it posted, so go get a copy.

    Fun little stocking stuffer!

  • Twelve Days

    ByHeather Bailey

    12daysbadge2large
    It’s official.  The holidays are here, and so are the fattening foods and daily desserts.  To keep a handle on my health through all of the holiday fun, I’m committing to exercise at least 12 times before Christmas hits.  Nothing outrageous.  No weight-loss goals.  Just 20+ minutes of earnest exercise on 12 different occasions, hence the "Reasonably" part.  Why wait till January when the miserable guilties set in? 

    So that’s it.  If you’ve got a similar bee in your bonnet, join me!  Make it official with a badge so you’ll feel obligated : )  Sometimes that’s the best way to get off the couch (or computer).  Choose one of these sidebar badges and link it to this page for the explanation. 

    And add a comment below;  strength in numbers!12daysbadge2_2

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    12daysbadge1

  • One of Those Moments

    ByHeather Bailey

    How are you guys doing this?  Getting through the turkey comas,
    family get-togethers, late-night movie parties, early-morning shopping
    sprees, etc, etc, & so on, then fitting in a Happy Thanksgiving
    blog post? 

    I missed it.  No Thankgiving post.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving,
    but I have no photos and I’m a couple of days late in posting.  And of
    course, there are no luscious pies left to photograph!  So shall I move
    on or add my thankful chimes to the music? 

    I’ll chime a little.

    "Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment
    which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words."     — Martin Luther King, Jr.

    I am so deeply grateful for so many things this year.  A bulleted
    list could never cover it.  And my little niece was baptized today to
    add to an already moving week (Ocho is now an Adam!).  My mother gave a
    perfectly beautiful talk that had me fighting tears several times
    throughout.

    Then Charlotte decided to be a big girl this week.  Monday night she
    announced, "I need to go potty," and she hasn’t turned back.  I’m even moved by this!  What’s up?  She’s just been so responsible about the whole thing.  It’s her thing; she owns it.  My baby. 

    Pillows
    Oh, I really could go on.  Whole categories I’m not touching on.  I’ll say it’s been one of "those moments" (from that quote up there) all week.
    Good timing for a holiday called Thanksgiving.  Of course, I am eyeing the couch (still feeling my turkey). 

    Before I go though, I must express my gratitude to all of you!
    Taking time from your days and families to make me smile, bring me to
    thoughtful tears, send me rolling on the floor with laughter, provide
    me restorative distraction and share with me sweet sisterhood from
    around the world.  What a magical force you are for good.  Thank you
    dearly. 

    Happy late Thanksgiving!
    Love, Heather

  • Ocho

    ByHeather Bailey

    Selfshot

    What do you do when your sweet sister’s in the hospital giving birth
    and you’re anxiously awaiting the news?  Assuming you’ve already worn a
    hole in the floor from pacing, you can fiddle with your hair.  Then,
    when it’s finally time to go see the baby, your hair is all ready. 

    And that’s about how it went yesterday. 

    Ocho

    Introducing my newest little nephew, what’s-his-name, or as my dad
    likes to call him, Ocho (the eighth grandbaby).  He doesn’t have a name
    yet, but isn’t he darling and perfect? 

    AllfourHe
    looks a lot like my little Elijah did when he was born, but for the
    nose.  And his little head feels like the inside of a rose petal —
    velvety, velvety soft. 

    So, hooray and heaps of love for my sister Julia and her
    husband Brent — well done!  A perfect and sweet new baby boy to fight
    over at family get-togethers.

    I love him the most – me first!

  • Re-FRESH-ed

    ByHeather Bailey

    Freshcut
    Enough
    about TV and movies, right?  Can anyone tell I’ve had buttoned lips
    (for forever it seems)?  At last, here’s something I can show, my new
    Freshcut logo. 

    And you’ll notice, there’s the official HB logo up there too.  That
    was a long time in the works.  Or I should say that I was effectively
    putting off that task for a long time.  Defining yourself in type is
    surprisingly tricky. 

    Are you an all-caps kind of girl or scrolly & silly?  Modern? 
    Vintage?  Modern & vintage?  Romantic?  Floofy?  Straight-forward?
    And when you’ve answered these sorts of questions, then you have to
    figure out how to translate that personality into type.

    Kinda fun too.  Fun enough to do again.

    So, what’s the new Freshcut logo for?  Hmmm.  Well, that I’m hoping to announce next week.