Remembering and honoring

What I'm about to write might seem out of place in this blog, but I hope readers will indulge me and read on. Today is September 11, 2011. In just over 8 hours, many Americans will observe a moment of silence, as we remember the day 10 years ago that changed our lives and our nation's landscape forever.

For me, September 11, 2001 started out as just another day. I was on my way to work in my office on the perimeter of the Scottsdale Airport. I had the radio on in my car, and usual, I was frustrated with morning commute traffic. Instead of stopping at the local Starbucks, which I did nearly every morning on my way to work, for some unknown reason, I pulled into a neighborhood sandwich & coffee shop. As I walked in, the girl behind the counter commented that a plane had just flown into the World Trade Center in New York City. I remember thinking, and I believe I even said; "it's probably foggy in New York, and some guy in a little plane got lost". The shop had no tv, and I honestly didn't think any more of it. I just figured some private pilot got lost or confused, and hit the skyscraper. No big deal, right?

Less than 5 minutes later I walked into my office. The hallway was still dark, but I could hear voices. Loud voices sounding worried and rushed. Instead of going into my own office, I turned the corner into the call center area in time to watch the second airplane hit the WTC, almost as if in slow motion. Could I be seeing what I thought I'd just seen? Could a jet really hit the World Trade Center? And why? The sky looked clear. I didn't see any fog. How does a jet hit a skyscraper on a clear and cloudless morning?

And suddenly our phones went crazy. In September 2001 I worked as the director of training and development for a software company that designed, implemented and maintained crew lodging and transportation software for airline crews. Our largest customer was a US based freight company, for whom we assisted hundreds of crewmembers each day. Because we held hotel rooms world wide, and because aviation in the US came to a complete standstill, it seemed that everyone was calling us looking for help accommodating their crewmembers who'd been stranded. The callers were polite but obviously anxious and they needed help quickly.

I don't know how many calls we took that day. I don't remember who we called to come in and help us field the calls. I don't remember what time I left my office late that night. I don't remember who I spoke with that day, or even that week. I do remember someone ordering pizza's to be delivered for lunch. I also remember feeling ice cold that day and for many days after. And living in Phoenix Arizona, September's aren't cold. But I was. From the inside out, I just felt cold.

The following Summer I met a commercial airline pilot that I would eventually fall in love with and marry. He's a great pilot, a professional, someone whose skill and judgement I trust implicitly. I've often told him that he somehow becomes part of his airplane when he's in the cockpit. I can't explain that, it's just a feeling I get when I see him flying, whether it's the Boeing 777 he fly's for Continental or our little Cessna 150.

I can't say that I never worry about Keith on his trips. In our early years, when I'd drop him off at the airport for a trip to Tel Aviv Israel, I'd have to stop to get through a panic attack brought about by my fears for his safety there. Even now, whether it's a hurricane on the east coast or a frigid winter in Beijing, I worry about my husband. But weather and city safety are small potatos compared with the worries I and other pilots' wives have about the possibility of a repeat of the events of September 11, 2001.

Today my husband is in Hong Kong. He'll leave there late tonight, returning home tomorrow evening. And from the time he boards his plane, until I hear his voice shortly after landing in Newark, New Jersey - I will track his flight online and hope and pray for his safety, just as I do for every single flight he takes.

I pray that we never again experience the sort of violation our nation experienced that September day 10 years ago. I pray that no spouse, parent, child or sibling has to again lose a loved one at the hands of religious fanatics. I hope that we as a nation never take our safety and security so lightly that we become complacent and again fall victim to madmen.

More than anything, I pray that time somehow eases the pain of that September day and that we as a nation can someday watch September 11th pass as just another date on the calendar. But today won't be that day. Today we will remember, and mourn again the loss of so many innocent lives, and perhaps, our greater innocence in general.

God Bless America

55 days and counting

A little birdy told me that it's 55 days till Christmas and time for me to get serious about gift shopping. If your time's limited (and whose isn't?) why not consider mail order gift shopping?

This year one of my favorite online shopping destinations is http://www.wisteria.com/, and one of my absolute must-give-gifts is sure to be their Angel Wings Mug (www.wisteria.com/Angel-Wings-Mug-New/productinfo/W2811/) along with my favorite cocoa mix or tea bags.

I'm also totally loving the Groovy Gooseneck USB Light over at http://www.delight.com/ (www.delight.com/Groovy-Gooseneck-USB-light) that's small enough to pack into a laptop case but big enough to get the job done ... and all for well under $20.

Some of the other online emporiums I turn to for my Christmas gift giving include;

http://www.fredflare.com/ (Bacon dental floss anyone?)
http://www.redenvelope.com/ (love, love love their "100 Good Wishes" candle set)
http://www.restorationhardware.com/ (the Matchbox Musicbox is an adorable find)

Got someone on your list that always seems too tough to shop for? Check out what the brilliant mind behind http://www.giftgenius.com/ has to offer. Simply choose the holiday and the recipient and the gift genius makes suggestions running the gamut from the ridiculous to the sublime.

And if all else fails ... you can't possibly go wrong with a handmade one-of-a-kind T-shirt from La Petite Pilot. Whether the gift recipient is a Vegan with a wicked sense of humor or your great aunt Grace, I can offer you dozens of design choices sure to fit the personality of even the pickiest gift recipient. Give me a call at 623-330-0301 and lets talk T-shirts today!

55 Days and counting ...

Lori

So far ... so good

Tom Rubin over at AeroPhoenix, the marketing whiz who's responsible for my baby bodysuits being available to pilot shops nationwide, sent me an email late last week saying the line is selling well. "Well" to Tom means his customers are taking notice and ordering a few to see how they move in their particular pilot shop. But when is "well" - well enough?

Personally, now that I'm in the game, I'll feel like La Petite Pilot is a success when I walk into a major airport such as Phoenix Sky Harbor or Newark's Liberty International, and see my baby bodysuits on display. That said, the fact that a national distributor has picked up my babywear certainly isn't small beans, and I'm duly grateful that Mr. Rubin has given me a chance. But now that I've had a bite of the apple ... I want more. I want Tom's next call to say my babywear is "flying (pun intended) off the shelves".

I had a lovely luncheon this past Sunday with two members of the Pilot Wives Club (http://www.pilotwivesclub.com/) during which both ladies said they'd looked for a website for La Petite Pilot. So far, this blog is my only outing on the internet, though I know that the best bet for getting my babywear seen (and bought) is a website. Until I get there, and I'm not quite ready, this blog will continue to be the only web presence for La Petite Pilot. So far ... so good.

Below are a few of my other designs. These are just 3 of the t's I've designed for the Deer Valley Airport's pilot shop. - Lori

(double click on the picture above, and arrow right for a full page view)

Where does inspiration come from?

It's a question I've asked myself hundreds of times. And I think I might, just might, have an answer.

Inspriation is everywhere. It's in nature; a flower, a bird, a sunset, the ocean waves crashing on the shore and your footprints in the wet sand. It's in the wise face of an old person sitting on a park bench. Inspiration can be found in your local garden center, on the golf course, while waiting for a bus, out walking your dog, or petting the cat curled in your lap.

The truth is, our world is full of inspiration that we "see" but don't really notice. So how DO you take notice and find your inspiration?

Here's a project I was challenged to do this month, and that I want to pass on to you - it's called "Thirty Days of Pictures" and here's how it works; for the next 30 days, I want you to keep your camera handy and take at least one impromptu picture every single day. If you can take more photos ... do! And don't skip a day just because you took extra pictures the day before. Take pictures everywhere! Inside and outside your home, on your commute (not while driving however ... safety comes first!!!), while you're waiting for your pedicure to dry, while you're waiting for the children to finish their Little League game, while you're waiting for your airline pilot husband's commute flight to arrive. Even from your hotel room window. SNAP PICTURES!

I carry a very small, very light weight Fuji Finepix Z digital camera with me at all times. Some days I'll take numerous pictures of the same exact thing at various times of the day and evening. For example, right now I'm in Houston Texas waiting for Keith (my husband) to finish up his check-ride. I'm in the Marriott Hotel at Intercontinental Airport overlooking some of the Continental Airlines gates. Yesterday I was fascinated by the ballet of planes as they were moved into and out of the gate area. From my hotel window I took several photos around two in the afternoon, and shot more photos at sunset and shortly after the sun had set.

The point of this exercise is to teach us that there's a big, beautiful world moving past us at break-neck speed and we really aren't capturing it all. By shooting pictures for the next 30 days you'll train yourself to really take in your own wonderful world. It's my understanding that this same exercise is often used to teach people to become better photographers. But my own goal is just to help me expand my personal idea of "inspiration". I hope it does the same for you!

Because my blog is new, and to encourage more of you to give this exercise a shot (pun intended) I'm going to sweeten the deal. Here's how;

Starting today (August 5th 2009) and running for the next 30 days I challenge you to shoot at least one picture every single day and at the end of 30 days (that's the 4th of Sept), to email me one photo that has personally inspired you. It might be a photo that inspired you to plant a garden, or help the homeless, or adopt a shelter animal. It could be a picture that inspired you to take up a hobby, renew an interest in a craft you used to enjoy, or simply be a happier person. Whatever it is, send me your most inspiring photo. All entries must be received by me not later than 11:59pm Pacific time on the 4th of September. Email me at lola.az@gmail.com

On September 11, 2009 I will post the picture I believe is the MOST INSPIRING PHOTO I've received and the person who submitted that photo will receive a prize. I promise the prize will be something "inspirational" and fun from La Petite Pilot.

Are you ready? START YOUR CAMERA'S!!

Welcome!

Welcome to La Petite Pilot, the home of aviation themed decorated apparel including baby bodysuits (think onesies) and t-shirts (adult/children/infant).

La Petite Pilot began as a kitchen-table hobby with the single intention of making t-shirts for my airline pilot husband. Well you know how it goes, first a friend sees as wants one, then another friend sees and wants one, then the nice man who owned the pilot shop at Deer Valley Airport (DVT) here in Phoenix saw them and thought they might sell in his shop. That lead to me making a couple dozen t's for adults plus a few kid-friendly ones and a half dozen onesies (Gerber's) all with aviation-themed verbiage and graphics.

I admit it was a shock to learn Mike Hosa over at DVT even wanted to see my designs, after all, it wasn't meant to be a business ... just a time filler for a sometimes lonely pilots wife. Now here I was agonizing over designs and colors and wondering if anyone would really buy them.

A year later, here I sit, having been picked up by a leading national distributor of aviation-related goods; AeroPhoenix, who supplies pilot shops at more than 200 airports across the United States. Yesterday, I delivered my first order for AeroPhoenix; a gross of baby bodysuits (think onesies) under my label; La Petite Pilot.

This blog is my lead in to what I hope will eventually become my website. Check back often for photos of my work, news on where my baby bodysuits are available for purchase, and news in general.

I hope you enjoy my work as much as I've enjoyed producing it! - Lori