Ready Made Products Available!

Looking for something for right now? We've got some ready made products in stock, left over from the table at the Kathleen Fearon Feis -- two messenger bags, pictured above, and two pairs of ghillie slippers in Medium and Extra Small (an example pair is shown below).

More pictures of the bags and their linings can be seen on our Flickr! If you're interested, just send us an email -- bags are $40 each plus tax and shipping, slippers are $30 a pair (plus tax and shipping).

Thanks so much for looking!

Testing, Testing!

Hey Dancers -- would you like some free stuff? Of course you would :)


We are currently recruiting Irish and Highland dancers for a testing panel -- if you're chosen we send you three or four packages about every month starting in July. You try out the product, let us know what you like and dislike and that's that! It's totally free (even the shipping) -- there's no catch (just homework! -- we send out a detailed questionnaire with every package that you fill out once you try it).


How to apply?
Just send us an email at thegirls@iheartthatdance.com or visiting the website. We'll send you a list of questions that must be answered and returned to us by June 24th (two weeks from today). The chosen panelists will be notified June 27th and the first packages will go out later the next week.


Who gets chosen?
Out of all the dancers who entered we'll choose 10-12 from across different countries, age groups and competition levels. So this is NOT first-come, first-served! As long as you get your answers to the questionnaire in by June 24th you're eligible to be considered!


Any rules?
Well, just a few :) You knew that was going to happen right? LOL


1) Anyone under the age of 18 must obtain permission from your parents. There are more details on how we'll be verifying this permission in our application.
2) You must be a dancer. If you are younger, you can have your Mom or Dad help out answering the questions though! We'd really like our projects to be dancer-entourage friendly too :)
3) You must be prepared to return answers to our questions on your packages within the week (this will all be done by email). So if you're off on summer vacation for all of July and August this probably isn't right for you -- but don't worry! We'll be recruiting a new panel early next year!

Thanks for reading through all that! Again, just send us an email by clicking on the name link above and visit our website to learn more about our current product (or check out the posts here!)

http://www.iheartthatdance.com

or our Facebook fan page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Heart-That-Dance/9887371055

Can't wait to hear from you!

Nic and Ally

NEW Sword Carry Case!

Introducing a brand-new much-requested product for our fabulous Highland customers -- a durable carry case for your practice swords embroidered in any one of our signature designs.

The one shown here was made for the lovely Miss Rachel of North Carolina in her Dress MacBeth tartan (she has good taste obviously, that's my tartan too! LOL). She chose the Sword Dance design, but any one of our designs could be used, as well as the applique monograms we use on the pillows.


The base of the bag is very fine wale heavy-weight black corduroy (other colours and textures available). The end is reinforced with black vinyl and the top opens with a heavy duty zipper. The bag is gusseted so there's PLENTY of room for even obnoxiously big hilts :) The carrying strap is adjustable.


Here's a close-up of the embroidery design!


If you'd like one of these bags just send us an email! Total cost is $35 + shipping (and PST for Ontario residents).

Kathleen Fearon Memorial Feis Fun!

Well, here we are! Our very first feis table, held at the Kathleen Fearon Memorial Feis (that's Brampton feis to you ECR dancers :) )


We had a great time! -- a little busier than the two tables we had done at Highland competitions, LOTS of dancers came by to see our shiny stuff and we had a bunch of great vendors as "neighbours". It was hard not to go shopping ourselves! On one side we had the lovely family from Faery Reel and on the other the fabulous ladies from the Canadian division of Camellia Rose -- both of them super nice to the newbies, thanks you guys!

Thought you all might also get a kick out of seeing some works-in-progress -- here's a couple of pictures of what Nicole's kitchen table looked like the week before the feis, and the final result:


In case anyone's interested, we have two pairs of the ghillie slippers left over (in Medium and Extra Small) and loads of hair ties -- email us if you'd like to order!

NEW! IHTD *hearts* Essential Goodies!

The girls at I Heart That! Dance are very happy to announce a fabulous new partnership! The lovely Sonia of Essential Goodies makes luxurious bath and body products, and has blended 3 signature scents just for us! We've got yummy orange Creamsicle, delectable Caramel Apple, and refreshing chocolatey Peppermint Patty ---- mmmmmmm!

These delicious scents are available right now in vegan Sugar Scrubs and Whipped Body Frostings -- and we're offering them in a special Foot Care package! Get one travel sized jar each of the scrub and frosting in your choice of scent, plus a reusable heart-shaped zipper pouch (great for hairpins, earrings, lipstick and all the rest of the stuff that gets lost in the bottom of your dance bag)

We love our Essential Goodies products, so please go and check out Sonia's website www.essentialgoodies.com for even more great stuff! All of the Essential Goodies products are made in small batches and use only the best essential or fragrance oils and the freshest ingredients. There are no harsh ingredients, a minimum amount of preservatives, and of course nothing has been tested on animals.

Moms R Us!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY EVERYONE!

I just want to say, it's been really nice knowing all of you! I won't be around much anymore, because Nic will be killing me dead immediately after she sees this:


Honestly, the risks I take to keep you people entertained. I found this on her Facebook while I was looking for pictures of her Mom to feature in today's blog post -- this was taken at her wedding (duh) and Ivan is making that face because apparently the organist started to play the wedding march AT THIS EXACT SECOND. Oh yes. Hence the face. And who can blame him, really? Nic's Mom, on the other hand, is cool as a cucumber! And laughing a little, from the looks of things. Way to go, Mrs. S! Gotta hold it together for the kids, right? I had to put this picture in too, so you can all get a better look at the mother-of-the-bride's fabulous purple dress:


Also in the hopes that a picture of Nic looking radiant will stop her from opening that can of whoop-ass on me ;) And of course here's my Mom (otherwise known as The Only Reader Of This Blog)-- this is actually one of the few pictures I have of her on her own!

Most of the time there's another wee person in the frame -- The Peanut, or my nephew and niece (who are really not so wee any more :) ). She's sitting on the quilt I promised her for Mother's Day 2002 -- I'm a little hesitant to tell you all that this picture was taken immediately after she received it, on, ummmm, well, Christmas Day 2003.

Hey, you can't rush art. :P

I'm not going to try and explain fully here what motherhood means to me. Either as a daughter or as a mom myself. I think it's one of those things that is profoundly in the present tense, if that doesn't sound too crazy. I know I tend to concentrate on the future (and I know I'm not the only one who does). Motherhood and my own relationship with my mother tends to ground me in the present -- it's a foundation when you're feeling shaky, a platform when you're feeling brave and when you're ready for some life renovation motherhood helps you with both the demolition and the rebuilding. It's a stairway where the top is always in the clouds, so every single step has to be taken on faith.

So, thanks Mom. Both official IHTD Moms :) For showing us how to climb the stairs.

Put Your Sunglasses On

So, as it turns out, I've been thinking a bit about my middle school/junior high days, which for me was the mid to late 80s -- anyway, here's an iconic image so we can all share in the nostalgic fun:
You know what else was fun about the 80s? Actually pretty much the only thing that was fun? The COLOURS! After the first Highland Games of the season at Loch Norman a week or so ago, plus with the first feis of the season round these part coming up next weekend, we've been surrounded by the colours we love most. Tartans in all sets and colours, and sparkley solo dresses in every shade of the rainbow. So fun :) And I bought new glittery makeup to match my new solo, wheeee! Even The Peanut is rocking the colour these days, here she is showing off her latest creations, all decked out for the beach:


Naturally all of this is coming out in our crafting --- here's a couple of our newest products, premiered at Loch Norman: First an iPod cozy made of felted knitting and embellished with a felt and tartan flower (Dress Teal McRae), complete with crystals.


And these are the three remaining hair ties, also with felt flowers (the tartan one is Dress Royal McKellar) -- the rest of them flew off the table. One wee lass bought three, and insisted on wearing one in her hair and one on each wrist as bracelets :D


Now that I've finally taken pictures, all of this should be up in the Etsy shop soon. Plus stay tuned for some VERY exciting news about more of our new products!