Home & Family

  • Legendary

    ByHeather Bailey

    Pinata

    What a party!  We must have had forty people there — mostly little kids, including a ninja, a pirate, a wizard, a knight, and several princesses.

    Pinata_Kill_Shot Isaac's pinata was a hit.  He spent two hours the night before making a "legendary" dragon out of a common dinosaur.  With an impromptu blindfold made out of tinfoil, we had to keep the turns quick as it was a warm, sunny day.  (January!?)

    Isaac let each kid decide if he was to fight a fierce dragon or a friendly one. Choose fierce and the dragon roars and moans as he swings around.  Choose friendly and he says things like, "Why are you hitting me?  I thought we were friends.  Ouch.  That wasn't very nice."  This kept all of the kids in giggles, and happy to wait in that long ol' batting line.

    Dragon Tag was a soup of at least twenty kids running in an arena, pulling tails.  It's a miracle we didn't have any major crashes.  We handed out 24 tails to the "dragons" and all remaining kids became the "knights."  The knights chased the dragons, and as each dragon's tail was pulled, he joined the knights on their hunt.  The last dragon standing was the winner.  It was hilarious.  I believe we wore them all out. 

    We definitely wore ourselves out.  Happy 6th Birthday, Charlotte!

    DragonTag

  • |

    Birthday Prep – Funfetti & Dragon Tag

    ByHeather Bailey

    FunfettiCakeMixT Today I'm wrapping up a Valentine's Day newsletter and a few lingering  projects, then I'm moving on to Charlotte's birthday cupcakes!  She's going for funfetti cake mix with vanilla pudding (Easy Gourmet Cupcakes recipe).  She wants the frosting to be "black and spooky," but tells me that a bat on top of each might do the trick.  I'll figure something out.  I can't go too goth.  The girl is only 6.

    Oh, and Dragon Tag.  I have some quick "tails" to put together.  I say this with quotes, as I may only have time to tear strips of fabric.  We'll see.  Busy day!

  • Merry Good Cheer & Happy Christmas!

    ByHeather Bailey

    There are kids and cousins buzzing all around and Chopsticks is clanking on the piano in one continuous, clackity loop.  I am determined, however, to harvest enough focus from my buzzy brain to post a Hello and a Merry Christmas.

    Hello!  Merry Christmas!

    60sSanta_HB

    Today I learned that Lindor Truffles are an entirely different texture in cold climates than they are in the Arizona heat.  Did you know this?  It's a different candy.  Better.

    …and that my SIL, Maureen, loves kid-made ornaments and decorations as much as I do.  Her kids' hand-tlered reindeer drawings and construction-paper santas are framed though, and hung throughout the house.  Isaac, be warned, I'm into it.  There will be frames.

    This is the first Christmas we have spent with the Bailey bunch in quite a while.  Our niece, Izzy, is getting married on Tuesday — the first wedding amongst the kiddos.  With folks flying in all weekend, It's one big prolonged party this year.  Serious feasting too.  I'm hoping a good walk each day is enough to combat the bacon, cookies, chocolate, and chips layed out for every meal.  If not, I may need a new dress for the wedding.  This is caloric craziness.

    Case in point: last night's hot cocoa.  It was made with — not water, not milk — but cream.  Have mercy!  Mercy Christmas.

  • I was a Bad-Ass, Droid-Mechanic, Slave-Chick Scientist.

    ByHeather Bailey

    StarWarsRPG_250Or was it a bizarre dream?  Elijah and my younger brother, Ryan, convinced me to play Star Wars RPG with them last night.  All it took was a thick schmear of flattery and a plea for the female perspective.  I packed my sketchbook security blanket and a couple of See's Scotchmallows, then left my smirk at home.  If this didn't win me points with my giant teenager, then I'm in for a World of Warcraft.  The manling is now 1/4" taller than me — as of just last week.  Whatever it takes at this point, right?

  • Conveyed, Potrayed, Hoorayed

    ByHeather Bailey

    I'm home! I've spent nine days travelling to, or through, five states: Texas, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.  It was a surreal to walk through a world painted autumn with my wool coat and ruffled scarf clutched shut. At home it's still flip-flop weather and it can be difficult to remember that the holidays are around the corner. 

    PeopleMover

    My trip was mostly business.  Dinners, meetings, research, hellos.  After I finished up in Houston, I headed to the east coast.  Isaac flew in to attend a couple of meetings with me and then stayed for an extra few days to photograph the cover for my sister-in-law, Wendy Lane Bailey's, upcoming album. I haven't seen the photos yet, but I hear she went for elegant-country-gothic: bustier and gown, gothic architecture, overgrown garden.  I can't wait to see the results — and to hear the album, my goodness.

    Wendy collects fabulous photographs of Old-Hollywood starlets and has a serious thing for fashion, especially shoes.  Beyond the regular good investment, she treats herself to an annual birthday-shoe-splurge – Prada, Blahnik, Vuitton.  I suggest she photograph each new pair to one-day tell her personal history in a book of shoes, chapter by chapter.  2006, The Year of the Coral D'Orsays.  2007, The Year of the Red Peep Toes.  2008, The Year of the Insanely-Awesome Black Strappy Boots.  And so on.  Pcshaa!

    If I'm ever a fiction writer, I might just borrow that idea right back.

    Wendy also collects Art Nouveau era advertising. She has an incredible collection of paper fan advertisements, as well as soap labels, posters, postcards, etc.  I'm on the lookout for the perfect hoo-hah present to send her way.  Any suggestions?

    Speaking of gifts.  My mom deserves serious thanking.  She trotted the kids to and fro and helped them get fed and to bed while we were away.  And my sister too.  Again, taking suggestions — any notable thank you gifts you've received?  Or given?  I've got some work to do.

    Glad to be back home.  I won't forget to post the dragon costume photos.  Miraculously, I finished that bugger up just before leaving town.  And it's a hoot.  Or a roar.

  • Rodent of Unusual Size

    ByHeather Bailey

    MouseSkirt
    Nothing like a giant-mouse maxi skirt to freshen up an otherwise dull
    wardrobe. This vintage get-up says something, but what exactly?

    "I am a professional."

    "Beware the Rodent of Unusual Size."

    Nail it & I'll send you a gift of some sort.  I'm in the thick of fabric design and can use a good laugh — clearly.

    I
    missed the end of the auction while I was out of town or I might have
    caved. I imagine wearing this number to the studio with a white shirt,
    drippy earrings, and an I'm-dead-serious business-bun. There would be a
    candy bar in store for whomever on my team snickered first. 

    Missed opportunity : (

  • The Creative Connection

    ByHeather Bailey

    I'm in Minneapolis, MN for The Creative Connection this week.  What
    an amazing crowd of bloggers and business women!  All brought together
    by Nancy Soriano, Jo Packham, and their fantastic friends and staff.

    1008_PortraitofMomIt
    is an honor to be invited as a speaker and panelist. They have put
    together a perfect schedule of business-fodder, food, and fun, along
    with an impressive Handmade Market.

    The event kicks off tomorrow
    morning with a variety of classes for the attendees. At lunchtime, The
    Pioneer Woman    , Ree Drummond, will join in for some Q & A. Then MaryJane Butters and Amy Butler will speak at the kick-off
    dinner.  I have an autograph party tomorrow night and two panels on
    Friday, centered on business development, with some meals and meetings
    in there as well. Saturday morning I'm listening in on another panel,
    then heading back home.  It's a full schedule. 

    I can't wait.

    (It looks like the bio and pig-tailed photo of me on the Creative Connection site
    are both several years out-of-date. Oops. (No, I'm not introducing my
    first line of fabric this year.) Here's a more up-to-date portrait courtesy of Charlotte.)

  • Fossil Creek Waterfall

    ByHeather Bailey


    HoldingHands2

    Fossil Creek Waterfall Map
    Wow, so it sounds like there's a bunch of you looking for directions to
    the Fossil Creek waterfall now.  I did a little search in order to
    provide a link, but I could only find maps of an 8 mile hike in the
    area, with no information on the waterfall or how to get to it. That
    won't do.

    Solved!  Here's a quicky-map of the 1-mile trail from the
    parking lot to the waterfall, with driving directions from Phoenix/
    Flagstaff or from Mesa/Gilbert. Click on the image of the map to download.

    Please bring a real road map too — and sunblock.  Be safe & have fun!

  • Whaa-Hoo!

    ByHeather Bailey


    FossilCreek
    FossilCreek250 Who:          The Baileys

    What:     Best idea ever

    When:    This week

    Where:   Fossil Creek

    Why:      'Cuz it's dang hot outside

    Isaac's
    sister Evie and her daughter Maggie came for a visit this week.  Beyond
    shopping, and taking Maggie's senior pictures, their must-do list
    included swimming in the Arizona heat. (Not enough warmth in Washington
    this summer.)

    We packed up the kids and headed to our favorite swimming hole, Fossil Creek, about 2 1/2 hours north. 

    What can I say?  I had a blast.

    On
    our way home, we stopped in Pine for pastries — a little ol' baker-man
    braids bread inside a funny little grocery store — another favorite
    stop.  We still don't know the name of the place; though it's right next
    to the Sidewinders Saloon if you're looking for it. We are
    always too distracted by the pastries, I guess.

  • |

    August in a Cupcake Wrapper

    ByHeather Bailey

    CupcakeBouquet470 Had a birthday. Yep. 

    It was great!  Isaac brought me chocolate cake, mom brought me chocolate cake, and Nica made me a bouquet of chocolate-rose cupcakes ala Carrie — delicious and entirely photo-worthy. (Thank you s'much!)LifeisaPinata  Add to that a great birthday party put on by my sisters, Julia & Merris, and a serious spread of mexican food.  I was far too busy eating chocolate and tacos to blog about it. 

    Other than eating cake round the clock, let's see, I've been busy batting at a variety of moving objects.  Life is a pinata.  One feisty, swingy pinata.

    One project I'm excited to announce is my partnership with Peking Handicraft to produce several housewares collections, including aprons, dishtowels, pillows, and more.  I'll post photos once samples are in hand.  Right now we are aiming for several January releases.

    On the pattern front, I'm introducing two new mini patterns this month.  LOVE them both.  One is the awesome lunch bag pattern I mentioned before and the other is a great little hat pattern — a sort of mixture between a 1920s cloche and a hippie beret.  Patterns & instructions are complete; I just need to wrap up the covers.

    CupcakeT
    I'm also toying with a blog theme idea; tell me your take on Sketchtember.

    Doodle-loo, scribble too — whoop-di-do.