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WoW!!!  That's what sums up the First Annual Ty Collectibles Convention.   I arrived in Baltimore on Wednesday evening with my daughter, Marisa in tow.   We were met by Mary Catherine along with her husband, Jay and her daughters, Callie and Cara.  She was very polite considering the number of bags we had with us.  I'm sure she thought we were moving in.  Thursday was a preparation and play day for us.  We met Sandi Cassidy from Forever Country and two of her daughters in Baltimore and had dinner with them. Friday was when things started hopping.  We were supposed to pick up Ruth Fraser at the airport at 10:40, but fortunately we called the airport on our way to the parking terminal and found out that Ruth's plane was still on the ground in Toronto.  So we killed some time by going over to the Marriott to drop off some boxes we were carting around that Ruth had pre-shipped and then went back to the airport to pick up the artist, herself.  We were worried that we wouldn't recognize her since our only contact had been on the phone, but we studied her picture in the new Beaniemania magazine.  Mary Catherine recognized her at once before she even got into the terminal!  I don't know what I was expecting, but it was not this little petite dynamo in a flowing purple rain jacket loaded down with her carry-on and an armful of posters. 

We collected her luggage which I'm please to report was JUST as daunting as my own :-)  although as Mary Catherine would likely explain, mine were full of crap while Ruth's were filled with treasure.  We took off for the hotel, but the room wasn't ready so we went to have lunch in the restaurant at the hotel.  Ruth and I had crab bisque which was outstanding, but halfway through it, I got dizzy and nauseous, and felt like I was going to pass out.  Fortunately, I didn't embarrass myself and after awhile it passed.  Mary Catherine told me later that I turned chalk white.  After lunch, we took Ruth's luggage up to her room which we were temporarily locked out of and caught up with the boxes we had brought over earlier.  Mary Catherine wanted to leave to give time for Ruth to unpack, but I wasn't quite so polite.  Heck, I was DYING to see what was in the boxes and fortunately, Ms. Fraser was most happy to comply.  As she opened her suitcases and lovingly introduced us to each creation, we were awestruck by both the quality of each bear as well as the tenderness with which she spoke about each one.  Each bear had it's own story which was told as he was pulled from the suitcase and gently placed on the bed. 

I fell in love right away with Heather, but alas, Mary Catherine also had her sights set on her.  We told Ruth to NOT sell her as one of us was definitely going to take her home.  Second choice was one of the miniature bears that Becky Phillips eventually purchased, but Heather was screaming out to me.  We decided to settle in a mature manner, and since we had already ruled out the sumo wresting and beer chugging, we flipped a coin.  I lost, but because I have the most wonderful friend, Heather is living at my house.  She will soon appear as the official spokesbear for Maison D'Ours. 

Ruth then told us about how the Ty line got started and how she and Nola got the first 25 Nolas, Frasers, Henrys, Digby's and Tylers out of production and then she just BLEW us away when she told us that she talked Nola into signing the Nolas and then 25 Cassies which she proceeded to pull out of a box and show us.  If we had KNOWN that that's who she had in the box......there's no telling if all would have made it there :-)  We let her rest for a couple of hours while we went back to Mary Catherine's house to change before the convention officially opened.  Interestingly, Mary Catherine experienced the same brief dizziness  that I had experienced earlier.  Glad it wasn't catchy ;-) 

After refreshing ourselves to the best of our limited abilities, we joined Ruth for dinner prior to the seminar and the opening of the festivities.  Mary Beth and Michelle welcomed the over 75 people at the seminar and Mary Catherine introduced Ruth Fraser.  The next hour passed by quickly as Ruth held the crowd spellbound with her tales of the development of Fraser and Henry as well as Nola's creations.  People, including myself, were absolutely STUNNED when she allowed everyone to pass around the prototypes and we got to actually touch them and study them.  She showed us Lil' Carlin, the bear she was working on when Ty Warner came into her store that fateful day in the early 90's and how he evolved into Fraser.  Then she told us how the design was altered slightly and as a result, we have among others...Chelsea, Mason, Christopher, Eve, Gem, Grover, Grover Gold, Skylar, Bluebeary, Grant, Mackenzie, Jack...most of these, Ruth had never seen in person. 

Morgan started out as bits of fluff that Ruth picked out of the trash one night in her shop.  She presented him to Nola as a gift.  When Ty asked Nola to design a monkey, she asked her mother if she could use that design.  Squeaky started life out as more bunny than mouse.  And how about Nola?  It was hard to recognize that this was an early prototype for her.  Proof that the big footed Nola was an original Nola Hart design and not a "stolen" design from another leading bear manufacturer.  Ruth expressed much regret that Nola and Emily had to give up their big feet.  Grandma Teddybears, as she is known in her circle in Canada keeps a little special secret in her pocket at all times.  Here, she shares her creation.  I forget his name as it was a LONG one, but he is adorable and if I had one, I'd keep him with me at all times too.

Ruth stated that she was surprised when she received a shipment of Henry's and they were BROWN and not GOLD as she had designed them.  She theorized that perhaps Ty felt that there were already enough gold guys with Woolie, Reggie, and Clifford.  I bet you didn't know that Reggie was originally WHITE???  Here, Ruth holds up the white Reggie prototype.   After her talk, Ruth was swamped with people bring their attics up to her to be signed and of course, we had to do the obligatory publicity pics, so here's Ruth with Becky Phillips and Becky Estensorro from Beaniemania. 

After the seminar, we all went up to Ruth's room to help her get ready for room hopping.  She was already set up!  Here, is Becky with the miniature bear I fell in love with and one of the signed Nolas.  When it got passed 10, Mary Catherine and I had to say our farewells and head back to her house to reintroduce ourselves to the children whom we hadn't seen all day and to put the final touches on things for the Maison D'Ours table the next day.  At midnight, I couldn't do any more and went upstairs, leaving Mary Catherine with the seminar posters to do and the Maison D'Ours shirts to iron. 

Saturday...............

I couldn't wait to sleep in.  NOT!  That taskmaster made me get up at 5:30 so we could get out of the house early enough to get set up before the crowd.  It was COLD!!!  Really cold if you're from the South!!!  We got all of our stuff in eventually and of course, like any good businesswomen, we forgot receipts, a calculator... and other somewhat important things, but we put our hats on our heads (be sure to order one for yourself- a hat, not a head...) and prepared to face the crowds.  This was definitely the calm before the storm.  Once the crowds were let in, there was a mob at the table.  We were unprepared to say the least.  Thank goodness for Scott (my wonderful husband) who played human calculator and banker for us.  I had to keep going over to Ruth's table across the way to see what other goodies I could bankrupt myself with.  I ended up getting a Nola, a Gollywog, (which is a good luck little guy from English literature), and three of the posters that Ruth had signed and used in her seminar the night before.  Henrys, Frasers, and the baskets of Woolies, Henry Golds, Reggies, and Cliffords.  The day passed by quickly and I never once got to go into the vendor room.  Jay ( Mary Catherine's husband) came with their kids and my kid and we went into the hotel bar...such a nice environment for children...and waited for Mary Catherine to finish helping out with the silent auction. 

Ruth joined us for dinner along with Manny and his lovely wife, my husband Scott, and his air traffic controller friend Keith. (he's soon to be single ladies)  We went out to a lovely restaurant in downtown Ellicott City where the food was extraordinary and spicy, and the company was magnificent...well, as long as we kept Keith and Scott at another end of the table....We ambled down the street for dessert and then took everyone back to the hotel and headed ourselves back to Mary Catherine's house.  Once again, we missed seeing those children!

Sunday...............

We got up early once more, although by this time, I didn't care too much how my hair looked.  We met Ruth and joined Lori and Maralou for breakfast at the restaurant where they tried to charge me $14 for a piece of bacon and a half of a sausage link.  It was snowing rapidly by this time and the crowd was considerably smaller, which was actually nice for going around meeting people.  I finally got to go into the vendor area where I got to meet Woolie Brown and his proud owners.  There was lots of time for picture taking, so before we left, we got shots of Beckys and us, Sandra Cassidy of Forever Country and us, Scott and Ruth,  and Beckys with Mary Beth and Michelle.  Got my terrific convention souvenirs thanks to Maralou and Lori.  My Nicholas and the same numbered Nicholas refrigerator magnet will hold a special place in my memories.  And can't forget that convention T-shirt that was in the most clever packaging!  As we packed up to leave and said our final goodbyes...Ruth presented Mary Catherine and myself with the sweetest little miniature bear in a film canister which will go with me wherever I take my purse.  All in all, I think the convention committee did a miraculous job in pulling off a first ever Ty Collectibles Convention and Maralou will have her work cut out for her to even attempt to outdo what Michelle and Mary Beth have accomplished.   Pat yourselves on the back ladies.  You did a fantastic job!!!