I am very pleased and proud to say that I'm a finalist in Zagg.com's 'What Would You Do?' contest! I've already won an iPad 2, thanks to Zagg & the many wonderful people who voted for my project - 'Sweet Zagg Dreams for Wounded Soldiers' - during the contest's public voting stage. Now I'm lucky enough to be part of the top ten projects that received the most votes! The ten of us are now competing in a video contest to win an iMac in addition to the iPad 2!
To win, I had to create a video showing the process of carrying out my project - making hundreds of colorful pillowcases for wounded soldiers in Afghanistan! I already finished the first phase of my project, making enough pillowcases to represent each and every employee at Zagg! I just finished my video and I'm very happy to show it to you! Take a look, and please let me know what you think!
As mentioned in the video, each of the pillowcases will include a certificate, to let the soldiers know that we're thinking of them and appreciate their service and sacrifice. If you'd like to take a look at the certificate, click here! Are you an employee at Zagg.com or their newly-acquired sister-company iFrogz? If so, click here to find out how you can get your name on a certificate!
I'm in the process of arranging for the pillowcases to be delivered to Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan. It's quite a process to get something like this arranged and approved, believe me! Please keep an eye on this site - I promise as soon as things have been arranged, I'll post details! And once the pillowcases land in Afghanistan and are handed out, I'll have lots of photographs to share with you all!
But of course, the fun is only just beginning! My goal is to actually exceed my original project proposal - before the year is out, I hope to make not just hundreds of pillowcases... but thousands!
It might take me a while, given the fact that my health isn't always reliable, and I am a tad bit exhausted after making several hundred already and making a video about it! But that's my goal and I'm gonna see what I can do to make it happen!
So that's my project! Wish me luck! I really hope I win! Having an iMac would certainly make things a lot easier to keep documenting my project as I continue working to make more and more pillowcases. (I edited this video on my poor old Mac Mini from 2005. I'm shocked it even survived to make this video - after all, it got rained on a couple years ago!! Such a trooper!) :)
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I thought you all might want to see the full, original, unedited version of the 'Zig Me Baby With a Gentle Zagg', the 'Soundie' I featured during the Zagg Dance Break part of my video! So here it is in all its glory - from way back in 1941, featuring Gai Moran and Danny Hocktor! Put on your dancin' shoes and get ready for a full-length Zagg Dance Break!
According to the rules of the contest, my video couldn't exceed two minutes in length. That meant I had to cut out more than two thirds of my original script! (Don't ask me why I thought I could fit so much into two minutes... I'm silly, I guess.) Now that my video is done, though, why not make like a DVD and put up some special features? Huzzah!
One thing I was especially sad to cut from the video was the rest of the time lapse footage from drawing on the blue pillowcase. There was a whole second segment there that you didn't see! Also, there were two other super cute fabric prints I wrote "Zagg" on that I wanted to show you.
And now I can! (Sorry the quality isn't so great, by the way - my Mac Mini is on its last dying breath!) Enjoy!
If you work for Zagg.com, or their newly acquired sister-company iFrogz, I'd love to put your name on a certificate to be sent with one of the pillowcases to a wounded soldier in Afghanistan!
All you need to do is send me an email - preferably from your work email account, so I know you're really an employee - and let me know that it's alright to use your name. You can specify whether you want me to use only your first name or your full name.
Please feel free to also include a message to the soldier! I'm sure they would love to hear from you!
It seems that there are also a great many veterans who work for Zagg, so if you'd like to include which branch of the military you served in, I'm sure they'd be happy to know that too! To all the veterans at Zagg & iFrogz, thank you for your service!
My email address is HLawver AT gmail DOT com (Please replace the "AT" and "DOT" with the appropriate symbol and punctuation - thanks, that helps me avoid a deluge of spam!)
Thanks very much to all the fantastic Zagg employees who have already written in! It has been truly touching & humbling to hear from all of you!
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Although I'm not accepting donations for the pillowcase project, there's so much you can do to offer your gratitude and support to our wounded soldiers! Please consider donating to two of my favorite charities - the Wounded Warrior Project and TAPS.org. Both of these wonderful organizations offer support and assistance not only for the wounded soldiers themselves, but to their families as well. Military families are the first line of support for our soldiers, sacrificing so much in their own way to protect our freedoms too. If you'd like to learn more, please visit their respective websites. Both organizations are well-respected and have a proven track record of honesty, integrity, efficiency, and heart. Thank you!
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Because I was a bit pressed for time in the video, trying to make it in under two minutes, I sadly was unable to fully thank everyone who helped in so many extraordinary ways to make this project possible! I need to rectify that, so I'd like to take a minute to thank a few special people.
First off, the biggest thank you has to go to my Mom and Dad, Anne & Larry. My Mom donated all of the fabric and thread used to make the pillowcases - I wasn't joking when I said it was enough fabric to cover a football field and literally over 9,000 yards of thread! My Mom and I tried to estimate the total value of all the materials and it was truly mind-bogglingly. But as if that wasn't enough to give, she gave of her time and talents to help make all of these wonderful pillowcases. Thank you, Mom, I really couldn't have done this alone!
My Dad was, as always, a wonderful support throughout yet another crazy project of mine. Always there to lend a hand, move stuff around, and yes, even clean up messes! (Although, don't worry, I didn't really leave him to deal with the mess alone!)
Next, to my nephews Max & Brian, who were here visiting for Spring Break during the first part of the project. They were SO cooperative and helpful! They helped to measure and cut all of the fabric and even let me record them doing all of that. Sadly, given the time limit on the video, I didn't end up using the film! Sorry, boys! I love you dearly and will always be grateful for your help, your sweet hearts, and your selfless attitudes. And to Brian, thank you for immediately reacting so positively to the news that I'd won an iPad. It was great seeing you jump around and dance, but it was all the sweeter when afterward you gently asked, "Aunt Heather, what's an iPad?" :)
Thank you to all of my wonderful, supportive, awesome friends for voting and helping to spread the word! You're AWESOME!
Yet again, I can't believe this actually happened, but... thank you to all the celebrities who helped encourage people to vote by tweeting the link to the contest! Thank you to the host of VH1's 'That Metal Show', Eddie Trunk! A big giant thank you to TV's Andy Levy from Fox News' Red Eye! Immense gratitude to Reason.com Editor in Chief, Nick Gillespie and his awesome mustache. This one still blows me away - thank you to the anchor of Fox News' Special Report, the remarkable Bret Baier! And to the Twitter followers of each of these awesome people, THANK YOU for your kind words, encouragement, tweets, retweets, and votes! You're all fantastic and I'll love you forever and ever!
Thank you to my friend and neighbor, Colonel Hatch, for letting me borrow his uniform for the original photograph that helped launch this project and make it all possible!
Thanks to my friends Josh Koury & Gerald Lewis, who oh so kindly let me use the footage they filmed of me for their fantastic documentary film, 'We Are Wizards'!
A big thank you to Rick Prelinger, whose archive of vintage film is one of my absolute favorite Internet haunts. Your support and kindness mean the world to me. :)
Thank you to my Father, my Grandfathers, and my brother Tim, all of whom served our country in various branches of the military. Please, pray for my brother Tim, who will be deploying this summer. It was, in fact, him who inspired this project in the first place. As a Doctor, he'll be taking care of the very wounded soldiers who will receive all of the pillowcases made for this Zagg project.
Of course, a giant THANK YOU to all the wonderful people at Zagg for the inspiration and motivation that made all of this possible. Thank you for the amazing opportunity, my most awesome iPad 2, and for the chance to win an iMac! This has been a truly wonderful, life-changing experience that I'll never forget.
Last, but certainly not least, thank you, thank you, thank you to all the men and women who are serving and have served in the United States military. Words can never express how truly grateful I am for everything you have done to protect me, my family, and our country. It has been an absolute honor to do something in some small way to repay you for your endless sacrifice. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
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All of the footage & music I used in this video is, to the best of my knowledge, in the public domain. I did an extensive amount of research to verify that it was safe, legal, and ethical for me to use it. If I made a mistake, however, please do let me know and I'll correct it as soon as possible!
The footage of the US military was provided courtesy of the US Department of Defense. The videos were posted on official websites for free download and use by the public.
The vintage clips used in this film were provided by the Rick Prelinger Archives at Archive.org. If you haven't checked out that site, you really, really should! It's a treasure trove of kitschy wonderfulness! And of course, it's all verified public domain material.
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Keep Checking This Site!
Please be sure to check back in the future for updates on the continuing progress of this project! I've had so much fun making these pillowcases that I can't imagine not continuing.
And best of all, check back within the next few weeks for photographs of the pillowcases being delivered to Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan!!! Return to menu
