Every now and then when I look through our boxes of photos, something becomes quite apparent … I am clearly a matching-outfit-lovin’ kind of mom. In fact, every single Christmas Eve since I can remember, our girls were allowed to open just one present each …

Girls: “This one?”
Mom: “No, not that one … THIS one.”
Girls: “Mom, we know what that is … matching pajamas.”

(Some people might say that I was displaying my inner control-freak to art direct the outfits which would be worn for the upcoming Christmas morning videos, and, well … some people might be a tiny bit correct.)

So this is my letter to my children … “Girls, you have been very good sports all these years … especially Ellen, who, being 10 years older than the littlest Hecklette, put up with matching a lot longer than she probably would have liked. Thank you for allowing me to mix ‘n match you year after year. And, finally, now that my little toddlers are 5’9” and taller, I promise to refrain from forced matching on Christmas Eve … NOT! Surprise!! Merry Christmas Eve pajamas … again! Love, Mom.”

I just couldn’t resist. We had just received samples of our no-kidding-super-soft Jumpin’ Monkeys flannel, and they just begged to be made into matching jammies. Our dear friend, Nancy Keirns, put on her elf cap, and whipped these out as though she lived in the North Pole, and they were waiting under the tree on Christmas Eve. “Okay,” I said, “everyone can open just one present!” I think the collective thought was “You‘re kidding, right mom?” But, alas, I was not, and I proudly presented everyone with … yep, matching-paper-wrapped boxes. Even our goddaughters, who have been matching with us all these years, were troopers and allowed me to take the picture (above) of our big girls in their new matching monkey jammies.

Then, on Christmas morning, like always, all three girls were picture perfect! (You will be glad to know that I did use some restraint and did not make matching pajamas for Ellen’s husband … this year, anyway!) The tail that is interrupting the photo below belongs to our dog, Neville, who was dying to be in the photo, but I wouldn’t let him … because, of course, he did not have on matching jammies … although, hmm, my creative juices are flowing … I see some puppy pajamas in your future Nevs.

Are any of you matching-outfit-lovin’ moms like me? (please say yes) … if so, we would love for you to send a picture of your favorite matching moments to us here and we can post them to our flickr site and all feel content with the order of the world.

And, as winter weather continues, if you are needing some warm pajamas, which are incredibly soft, and fast and easy to make … you can buy Jumpin’ Monkeys flannels here. Nancy used a Butterick pattern, but I couldn’t find a link, so here is a pattern which seems very similar … she made each pair in about an hour, but, of course, she is a magic elf!

Lately, when I run into friends, they ask me (with a bit of caution), “So, how is the empty nesting going?” I thought my answer would be, “It’s so very sad. I sob every time I hear Miley Cirus singing Butterfly Fly Away.” I had imagined that our lives without our precious children all around might look something like this:

Since we began our new empty nesting phase, these are the new sentences we have actually found popping into our conversations:

Earlier this week, our last little gal, who is now in college, (the one who made the nest officially empty) sent us a link to this video in an email that read, “Here are you and Dad as empty nesters.” Well, most of you have probably seen this video, as I read that it has been viewed by 7.3 million viewers, so far. But I just have to share it again, because this adorable couple will bring a smile to your day. If this is where empty nesting takes you, then we are very excited to be on our way!

While the California studio was working on Tuesday, the Austin studio was having a brief brush with fame. Our house, which is a casual, kid-and-dog-friendly abode, became a hip, mid-century home for a scene in an upcoming ABC Family TV show, The Lying Game. Everyone was all a-twitter, especially Neville, our beloved mutt, who, as many of you know, is a talented fella. (Here is a taste of his crooning when he was but a pup!) When he heard that a film crew would be here, he immediately started practicing his talent, in hopes that a part could be written into the script just for him. He imagined his scene might go something like this:

Camera pulls back. Handsome dog (from uncertain background much like the mysterious past of the twin-girl characters in The Lying Game) begins to look imploringly at Sutton, the rich twin high-school girl who is reading a magazine in the kitchen.

Neville: (thinking to himself) Can this really be Sutton? (He sniffs her Gucci scarf.) What? This is not Sutton. This is an imposter! (Just to be sure, he begins to display his crooning talent, knowing that the real Sutton would praise him, hug him and feed him steak bites.) But, this girl, this so-called Sutton, is not impressed.

Sutton: Be quiet, dog.

Neville (shocked by her disinterest) lowers his head with remorse and whispers softly: Woof.

Sutton’s father enters: Hm. I’ve never seen Neville act this way. What’s going on Sutton?

(The plot thickens.) Neville gives Sutton a heart-broken glance as he exits camera right.

Cut. Print.

Of course, that was just Neville’s dream. In real life, he was actually sent to doggy day care, to avoid the possibility of a stray bark in the midst of a cliff-hanging scene. But, we did take a few pictures, so Nevs could see what he missed while he was at the “spa.”

The most impressive aspect about our day was observing the large number of talented technicians, directors, producers and actors that it took to put together about 2.5 minutes of television-watching pleasure. Here are a few glimpses. (We were trying to stay out from under all these feet, so I just have a few peeks into our afternoon in Hollywood, Texas.

Above top left clockwise: 1.The first to come in were the lighting technicians. 2. Our entry became a “video village” when it wasn’t being used as an entry. 3. A cameraman in the study, where we will watch the first episode. (We might even have to have a Lying Game party … I wonder what to serve? Liar’s lemonade, fib figs with prosciutto, deceptive donuts … you know how I love a theme.) 4. This giant tube is called ‘the worm’ and it is probably one of the most important pieces of equipment of all … it supplies quiet air conditioning, which is much needed when the lights are on and the loud air conditioning is off. 5. Another video village is hurriedly set up in our kitchen before the sun sets.

Above top left clockwise: 1. I love this shot of our gal watching, while trying to blend in with the woodwork. 2. Here are two of the actors taking direction. Mads was played by Alice Greczyn and Eduardo was Rick Malambri. All of the actors, by the way, were not only pretty and handsome, but polite and friendly. (I am inspired to teach Neville the importance of manners if he becomes the famous crooning dog he hopes to be.) 3. The actor who was the pretend-owner of our house, Alec Rybak, was played by Adrian Pasdar. Here he is in costume looking over his lines. 4. This was a remote video set-up in a back bedroom. It was odd to see the high-tech equipment sitting in front of our bookcase full of children’s books, topped with Winnie-the-Pooh bookends. Hey, wait a minute, Baby Bot, what are you doing there? Oh, I forgot you had your eye on the world of video. 5. Going over a scene with Rick, this is the director, Elodie Keene, who calmly directed all involved in the midst of the controlled chaos.

So, that’s a little peek into a few minutes of television fun. The good news is that our house was returned to its former kid-and-dog-friendly self within about 20 minutes of the last shot. Everything is back to normal … well, almost everything … Neville is still a little upset that he didn’t get the part of Sutton’s faithful dog. I told him that with a crooning gift like his, he might be better suited for a part on Glee. (Don’t you think Kurt needs a crooning dog, and Nevs could even save him from a life-threatening accident like Lassie. Grab a writer. Let’s do lunch.)

Be sure to watch the first episode of The Lying Game on August 15 at 8pm CST, on the ABC Family channel, so you know what’s going on by the time our house shows up about four episodes later! (Cathy puts moviestar sunglasses back on and exits blog, camera left.)

Reading Ellen’s previous post about Bacon Caves made me a little bit hungry, and here is the reason: I ABSOLUTELY LOVE BACON … not in rock formation, but in crispy, crunchy, glorious-cut-of-pork formation. In fact, my little bacon addiction might be part of the reason I finally joined my local Weight Watchers group. However, before I was willing to join, I had to find out the answer to this question: “Will I have to give up bacon?” Happily, the answer was, “No, but you will have to count it.” Okay, then I’m in. So, now I still eat bacon, but in moderation. Have you heard the quote, “Moderation in all things?” I am thinking about creating a little embroidered panel that says “Moderation in all things, darn it.”

The good news is that Weight Watchers worked, bacon and all. I am pretty sure that I will reach my goal this week, after six months of bacon-moderated breakfasts! So, if you have ever wondered if you can be successful with Weight Watchers and still eat bacon, the answer is, “Hallelujah, yes.” (Although, I’m pretty sure my weekly meeting advisor will have a word with me about my bacon blog post. Admittedly, I haven’t been to a meeting yet, during which we shared bacon recipes.)

But, back to bacon love. Above is a picture I found of one of our weekend breakfasts after a football game. Note the bowl brimming with bacon. (And, yes, I think those are chocolate chip cookies right behind it. What can I say, I think I was in some kind of temporary mind-control grip from one of my teenagers. But to my credit, I did try to sneak a little fruit onto the table.)

I digress. Back to the pork. As a full-fledged bacon specialist, I would like to share three things with you: (1) a list of our favorite brands of bacon, in case you haven’t had the chance to compare and contrast. (2) Some tips gleaned from many years of bacon preparation. (3) Some tricks I have used to control my bacon addiction while fully embracing the Weight Watchers healthy eating style.

Favorite Bacon Brands from a Bacon Connoisseur

I think our favorite bacon is Applegate’s Sunday Bacon. It is nitrite-free, which always makes me feel as though I am serving up a big platter of “healthy” bacon, which is perfectly delicious at the same time. It’s not as thick as our favorite thick-sliced bacon, but it’s not too thin, either. If it had been served in The Three Bears’ house, it would have been ‘just right.’ Another favorite is Wright‘s Applewood Bacon. Sometimes, we have even bought the pepper-covered version, but usually the kids have complained that we were buying grown-up bacon, so, we are saving that for our empty-nesting years. And, finally, our daily bacon is actually our local HEB Microwave Bacon, which I have mastered to perfection. The secret is to always use the wax papers included in the package … this keeps the bacon from getting too dry. I used to be a bacon snob and turn up my nose to microwave bacon, but I had to succumb during our carpool years, when I insisted on a full farmhand breakfast into all tummies before the carpool arrived.

Bacon Tips for Families Who Love Bacon

1) For full-fledged cooked-in-the-frying-pan bacon, cook one or two whole packages at once on the weekends, so you only have to clean the greasy stovetop one time. Then, save it in the refrigerator for breakfasts all week long. During the week, take out one or two pieces and pop in the microwave for a very short time, like 5 seconds. Voila! Fresh fried bacon on a Tuesday.

2) Cook a pile o’ bacon in a pan on your grill on a weekend morning. This keeps the smoky fried smell outside of your house, which although heavenly at the moment, may not be as desired later in the day. This method also creates a memorable early-morning bacon-on-the-campfire scent that reminds one of childhood camp-outs, or for our chidren, Saturday morning bacon fry-outs. I believe that there is nothing better than waking up to the scent of cooking bacon. Nothing! In fact, someday, when I hopefully approach those pearly gates, I just wonder if there will be a pan full of bacon sizzling on the celestial stove!

Tricks for Bacon Lovers On Weight Watchers

1) Record all incidents of bacon consumption. This alone will help cut back the ‘just one more piece’ syndrome.
2) If you use the ‘two packages on the weekend’ program mentioned above, try to hide your weekly stipend from yourself. This is harder than putting candy out of sight, as it does need to remain refrigerated. My tricks include: 1) dividing it into individual portions and pulling out only the number of portions needed, and 2) freezing most of it and tucking it under a bag of frozen spinach.
3) Try substituting Canadian bacon. My favorite is Nueske’s Canadian Bacon. I can eat two slices for a total of 2 points! That’s inexpensive in Weight Watcher terms. Not as free as fruit, but doesn’t break the point bank, either.

So that’s the skinny on my love of bacon. If you, too, love bacon, you might enjoy a site I found called the Royal Bacon Society. You can find everything bacon-centric there. I found recipes like The Perfect BLT and Bacon Caramels. At the Bacon Store link, you can find Bacon Socks, Bacon Bandaids, Bacon Watches and more. Who knew there were so many bacon aficionados in the world? I feel like I have found my people! Some of the cookbooks included on the site are Seduced by Bacon, Bacon Freak and one that I recently gave a friend, called I Love Bacon by Jayne Rockmill. I made sure that I hinted to my family that I didn’t actually own this cookbook, and that it would be a GREAT Christmas present. Just saying.

So, to start your week, I’ll leave you with a few choice items you, too, can purchase from the Royal Bacon Society website. Hope your week is sizzling in a good bacon kind of way.
(Full disclosure: Bacon is not included on the Weight Watcher’s Power Foods list, just so you know.)

Sometimes we are not sure if we work in our home or live in our studio.  Today on the kitchen counter can be found piles of flowers for our photo shoot and piles of grapes for the girls’ lacrosse game tonight.  Ah, the Home/Office Conundrum. Con: You really never leave your workplace.  Pro: Easy multi-tasking on Snack Mom days.

Do you have a home/office?  And, if you do, what are your pros and cons?  … well, besides the fact that you can go to work in your soft clothes.

Here is what we learned on Snow Day:  Neville loves the snow.  We think it might have something to do with the fact that he is part (albeit a tiny part) Siberian Husky.  The minute he went out today, he ran to his high rock and barked and barked, as if to say to everyone in the neighborhood (who thought they might get to sleep in today), “Hey everybody, there is a bunch of white stuff out here and it is fluffy and wet and fun. Come play with me.”

Below is a photo of Neville discovering his first snow.  He’s not quite ready for the Iditarod, but he’s thinking about going into training.  It looks like he might need a little set of snow boots.

I wasn’t able to capture a photo of Neville when he made his first snow angel, but here is a quick sketch, just so you can appreciate another one of his amazing talents.  Happy Snow Day everyone and we hope you have as much fun as Neville is having!

Recently, I was asked to speak about the career of graphic design and illustration.  While looking for some early work to show my path, I came across one of the first illustrations created when I became a free-lance illustrator in New York. This fine fat turkey came with a coupon so that cooks across America could make many-a gelatin mold to woo the Thanksgiving guests.  As I examined this friendly fellow, I began to remember a favorite Jell-O recipe that a family friend used to make for holiday dinners.  It was lovingly known as “Green Stuff.” But alas, over the years, as our gelatin recipes began to be replaced with more natural farm-to-table offerings, I realized that my own children had missed out on the joy of plopping a big pile of pastel lime-green goodness on their holiday plates.

It was a low moment during our August deadline when I found myself, closer to 30 than 20, licking a square of blue ink off of the surface of a red fruit roll up, only to reveal yet another layer of ink embedded in sugar with the “Double Dare” suggestion that I wear a chicken suit to school.

But there is a point during some deadlines when sensible life-choices fall by the wayside and indulgences become the fuel of late nights.  I have always had a soft spot for fruit roll-ups.  In grade school, if it was possible to negotiate one away from a classmate in exchange for a healthier (and lovingly sliced, I am sure, by my fellow blog-mate) lunch item, it would be a good day.  There is just something about that artificial, plasticy-smooth, finger-staining film that I cannot resist until the box is empty and my entire intestinal tract is stained blue.

So, when I discovered Simply fruit roll-ups at Target after one of these weakness-induced binges, it was probably – literally – a life-saver.  They actually have fruit in them, for one thing.  They’re also good.  They taste like, well, dried fruit mainly.  And they don’t stain you, which is always comforting.

That said, while searching for a photo to attach to this post, all the Simply fruit roll-up images were pretty boring, but I did come across this gem: a western shirt made entirely of original flavor fruit roll-ups.  I am already trying to think of a reason why I would need to make something like this.  Can’t you imagine how satisfying it would feel to punch those rhinestone snaps up the center strawberry placket.  *sigh*  Upon some reflection, I wonder if it is possible that fruit roll-ups have just been misclassified for generations – that they have always been more craft material than food item…

Several of our favorite blogs have recently posted odes to summer 2010, making me nostalgic for lingering afternoons, lemonade slushies, and cherry-vanilla L’Oréal Kids shampoo.  Here are two of my photo-crushes on other people’s summers: a hotel pool scene from Hyena in Petticoats, and a child with balloons walking into the sunset from Valori Wells.  (I guess you can’t really go wrong with a child, balloons, and sunset!)

The balloons actually reminded me of some cute illustrations that will be part of our newest collections coming out in January (another huge part of this summer), so I can’t wait until we are allowed to reveal more of what’s to come in the new product department.

Inspired by this theme, here are seven snapshots that capture the best of this summer at Cathy Heck Studio West.  From top to bottom, left to right they are: the Oregon coastline, my sweet husband after his 27th time around the sun, a colleague drying her prints in the light of a west-facing window, etching inks and transparent base in the process of being mixed, more ink, a very proud papa seal, and the festive Santa Cruz shoreline.  Hmm, I’m noticing now that the overall coloring here is not giving off a very sunny-summer vibe with all the sea and fog…  Welcome to the Bay Area!

You might have heard of The Chic Gardener, the Savvy Gardener, the Confident Gardener and even the Skinny Gardener … but if I were to write a gardening book, I think I might have to name mine, The Bewildered Gardener.  My philosophy to gardening is to buy a plant with a tag that tells me that I am to place it in the sun or the shade and plant it thus.  Then I forget about it and a few weeks later I am either surprised with delight or struck with the resignation that my experiment didn’t work.  I either think, “Wow, Cathy, you have one green thumb.” or I think, “Gee, Cathy, it’s probably better that you use your thumb (along with other fingers) to draw.”

About 6 weeks ago, I bought two little squash plants.  (I was inspired by the great squash success of my friend and designer, Leslie Lewis Siegler, who now lives in sunny California.  You can find a great squash recipes from Leslie’s blog here.  Of course, she is planting in lush verdant California, while I am planting on top of a limestone hill, but still.)  So, I applied my gardening method to the two little squash babies by planting them in the sun, as instructed, and, then promptly forgetting them. Today, when I went outside to pat the dog, I looked down and, SURPRISE,  there under the huge fat prickly leaves were two yellow squash blossoms.  Then I looked closer and realized that there were eight!  I am a squash growing ninja!  Now, I will go back into my state of horticulture speculation and wonder whether the flowers will actually turn into squashes  that can be eaten by humans before the bugs or birds.  I’ll keep you posted.

In the meantime, happy summer from The Bewildered Gardener.

P.S. Below, I am dreaming of my possible new squashettes.  I’m not sure if I planted yellow squash or zucchini, so I am dreaming of both.