Dec 03 2008
Wasatch Woman of The Year
How perfect! The day after I posted about Marcus, I got a call saying that I had not only been nominated, but won Wasatch Woman Magazine’s - Wasatch Woman of the Year Award for 2009!
How cool is that? I was nominated (by a fabulous Signing Time fan, Tammy T., who will receive all sorts of cool Signing Time swag!) under the business category, but I won the overall award!!!
That also meant I had a photo shoot coming up and would be on the cover of the magazine. I figured what a perfect chance to take you all along!
Now remember, Thursday I found out there would be a shoot on Tuesday. I quickly made the necessary calls.
First, I called Michael, who does my hair. My roots had grown out about 2 inches. His schedule is pretty tight and to get in before Tuesday when salons are closed on Mondays??? You get my dilemma, I know you do. The call went like this, “Hi Michael, It’s Rachel - hey I have a shoot Tuesday and HAVE to get into see you. Please call me ASAP!”
The next call was to Marcus and I left him a message like this, “Hi Marcus, it’s Rachel. I have a shoot on Tuesday any great ideas? It’s a magazine cover and I am supposed to bring 3 changes of clothes. I am thinking bold and bright. I also have my dirty Signing Time clothes in my trunk. Heh, sorry about that. Call me.”
Then I made an appointment to get my nails filled, because they were about as bad as my roots.
*Little Secret* I am not a girly girl. I only get my hair and nails done when I have a shoot or an appearance or a performance. It makes me crazy to spend an hour in a nail salon or three hours in a hair salon. I NEVER wore make-up or used a hair dryer in my real life prior to Signing Time. I learned everything I know about hair and make-up from our crew. In high school, Emilie did my hair and make-up for important occasions, like dances.
Now, when I get ready in the morning, if I have a meeting or something, Aaron says, “Let me get this straight… are you going to do your hair and make-up EVERY morning for the rest of our lives?” The other day I went to work with a baseball cap on a ponytail. I think he was relieved. When I have a shoot and come home with all that make-up on, he asks, politely, if I plan on washing it off or just hanging out that way for the rest of the day. He thinks make-up is pretty gross and I think he misses his “granola” wife!
1996
1998
2008 crunch
Michael called me back and scheduled me for Saturday. Marcus called me back and said we could shop after my hair appointment. Saturday was also the University of Utah vs BYU football game and Aaron had tickets. This meant Leah and Lucy would be with me for three fun filled hours of salon and then a long shopping trip.
Saturday I loaded up the girls and got to the salon. They took my iPhone and stayed pretty busy, taking pictures of me and of each other.
Bye-bye roots
Not bored yet
Then the esthetician took pity on them and offered to paint their nails for free.
We loaded back in the car and called Marcus. We met Marcus for dinner and then dove into Anthropologie. Leah and Lucy ran/rolled around, trying on hats and giving me the “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” as I tried on countless outfits.
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Finally we had narrowed it down to 2 outfits and I told Marcus I would bring some other options from home on the day of the shoot.
Fast forward to Tuesday morning. I got up at 7, loaded my car with clothes, shoes and jewelry and got to my hair and make-up appointment at 8 at Tranquility. I arrived at Cafe Niche for the shoot at 9:30.
Cafe Niche
The art director took a look at my clothing options and we decided to go with 3 different looks, since the plan was to have me on the cover and photos inside with my story. Look #1 was some stuff I just brought from home, the art director said my collar had a personality all its own, so Marcus took that as a cue to use his toupee tape and mold that collar, forcing it to follow his artistic whims.
Hair and wardrobe
Final touch-ups
More make-up
The photographer, Michael Calanan was great. As I am SURE you can imagine, I am a pretty demanding subject, especially because I RARELY smile. 
Look #2… I can’t even remember, I guess we will see when the magazine comes out. Maybe the red/orange top and jeans.
While I waited I figured I could probably talk Marcus into taking a picture with me so you can all meet him officially! I even put it up on Twitter that very day. (NOTICE the toupee tape stuck to the top of his hand!! In case of emergency, ya know!)
Toupee Tape - don't leave home without it
They were shooting all the winners for each category. I wasn’t in a hurry, so I called Aaron and asked him to meet me there. That way we could have lunch after the shoot.
Look #3 was a dress we found at Anthro. They wanted to shoot it on a white wall, but the only white wall had someone sitting at a table eating in front of it. We finally shot it outside against a white shed.
We wrapped around 3pm. Aaron and I ate lunch.
Marcus loaded out… still sporting toupee tape on his hand and that fanny pack is filled with all the secrets I shared before. So- he is allowed to wear a fanny pack.
If Marcus is happy, I'm happy
The end!
Oh, sort of the end. I will be featured in the January/February issue. I am even supposed to be on the cover!
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
awww… Congratulations Rachel. You deserve it. You’ve done so much for so many people that it’s wonderful to see that you are receiving recognition for everything you do. Love the pictures and cannot wait to see the magazine!
I was so tickled to see Michael~ I just had to show Robert.
SUPER BIG CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! I can’t think of a more deserving person. I will have to get a copy of the mag and hang it, framed of corse, on my wall
Hopefully this will spread the word about ST and all the wonderful things you do. Of corse we can’t forget your staff too. I have 4 more little ones w/ Ds in town hooked on ST. Even the little girl who’s mom works at my bank is now in love w/ ST. I think it’s awesome!!!
You SO deserve this Rachel. Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. You need a button for your blog so all of us ST fans can link back to you. Just a thought
Love ya, Jennifer and Brook
Could you be any prettier? I don’t think so!
I can’t think of anyone more deserving. I’m thrilled for you to get such great local recognition here and to see the ST message spread further and further.
Can’t wait to see the cover!
And Lucy’s smile……awww melts my heart.
I am so proud to say I know the Woman of the YEAR! That is awesome! Nobody deserves it more than you…for all you’ve done to make life easier for our little ones. Do they know about your random acts of awareness? ( I COULD be forced to make a few calls…)
Congrats… you should sell signed copies of your cover? Who wouldn’t want one? You’re TOTALLY Famous! xoxoxox
Congratulations! And I agree, you are beautiful–made up, granola, outside and more importantly INSIDE. I am stunned by how young you are by the way. So young and so much life experience. God knows what he’s doing, huh?
Rachel,
You look absolutely beautiful! I am so glad they chose you for Woman of the Year! Yay, Yay, Yay! I don’t know what else to say—I’m just so excited for you!
Hooray, congrats! Though you look beautiful make-up-free, you look H-O-T in the shoot.
Congrats Rachel. I’ll look for you in the magazine. You really deserve it! And, you look awesome in the pictures!
Congratulations, Rachel!! Well done and well deserved!
Congratulations, Rachel and thanks for the kind words. You weren’t demanding in the least - and you smiled beautifully! - it was a real pleasure photographing you and the honorees. See you at the award luncheon! http://www.wasatchwoman.com/article.php?id=69
- mike
Congratulations! You look so beautiful. You truly deserve to be Woman of the Year!
what an honor! you definately deserve it! your woman of the year in a lot more places than wasatch! thank you for all you do!
Congrats. I can’t think of anyone more deserving.
Congrats Rachel! A well-deserved award!
Congrats Rachel! Hopefully more people will learn about ST from the article. I have written Oprah twice now and she hasn’t written back yet. I’m still waiting
Will Marcus come follow me around and fix my clothes and hair/makeup all day so I can look half as good? Or will he atleast share his taupe tape?
Congratulations!
congrats Rachel! how the heck are you so tan for winter time? we all need a marcus to come to our rescue! You look georgous!
Rachel,
Can your or someone do a post (on this blog or on one of the other blogs that two little hands productions has) on good resources for parents who want to learn more than what the signing time videos have to offer?
I’ve really enjoyed signing with my kids but feel that in order to keep them signing, I’m going to have to always know more than they do to keep them using it. I love it and so do they. I want to learn this language………
I’ve looked up what textbooks they use at BYU for their beginning courses but am still not sure if those are the best books to learn without the guide of an instructor.
Alpha Teach Yourself American Sign Language in 24 Hours
Signing Naturally Student Workbook: Level 1, Expanded Edition
Any suggestions?
You are coming to visit my family on the 26th of December in Utah. We are all so excited for our kids to meet you (in your orange sweater I presume else how will the know you!) ! My little Penny is going to squeal with excitement when she sees you! My 6 year old son is excited too, though he’s kinda silly sometimes and will probably just smile and say hello rather sheepishly. We can’t wait! Thank you for being amazing and reaching out to everyone who loves you and your work.
Dear Rachel,
Signing Time has made my daughters life so much better, though she is not deaf, she watches it every day! Thank you so much for your story and Congrats! Signing Time has made my husbands and my life so much easier! I just wanted to let you know how you have touched our life… well, you have a lot! Again, THANK YOU! I recommend Signing Time to everyone I meet, but of course they already know and have been watching it themselves! You are an amazing person, and the world is better with you and your family in it!! THANKS!!!!
Congratulations, Rachel! I met you at the Utah Birth Defect Network conference almost a year ago, and I am convinced that you are deserving of this award. I can’t say enough about what Signing Time has done for my son, and about what your story has done for me as the mother of a non-verbal child.
Oh, and dressed up or granola, you look great either way.
Kei: Thanks Kei, I know you are one of my biggest fans! Michael says, “Hi!”
Googsmom: You crack me up:) Like you’d really hang me on your wall. I like the button idea though. I will get on that.
jana francis: Thanks, for everything - you know Lucy digs you too!
heathersebi: It’s a regional Woman of the Year, but let’s pretend it’s global. I don’t
I don’t think they’d be interested in BigAC’s pedicures (wink wink)
JacksMommy: Hey, I get older every year. I am 34 now, though Lucy is convinced I am 24. Let’s let Lucy win that one.
tamthompson74: Well it was YOUR nomination my dear, so THANK YOU! I’ll be sending you a little something.
simply_lori: Thanks I get stressed when MY make-up gal is not the one making me up, but they did a good job - I look so bronzed LOL
melwk: well you won’t have to look hard. I am on the cover and in the table of contents and then some more through my article
tardis_mom: Thanks!
Michael Calanan: Thanks Mike and thanks for the little “gift” - love following you on Twitter. I’ll see you at lunch January 30!
Stacey: Ah thanks!
michele123: You mean I am the Woman of the Year on TVs across the country? WOOT!
rookie131: Thank you~
Karen Putz / DeafMom: Thanks so much!
mistinchad: She hasn’t written me back either… yet
Katie: You DON’T want him doing your make-up… I promise
Tiffany: I had just come back from Mexico, but it was mostly rainy there. I think it is bronzer - I was worried it was too much, but I think they have to compensate for lighting
Katie (again): There are a lot of local resources, usually, no matter where you live. Community College level classes, community education classes, university, check to see if there is a Deaf Center near you. Signing Naturally is a good one.
Brandee Leafty: Thank you Brandee! I am glad you found us and that we have made a difference for you. Stick around long enough and you will see I am a pretty regular mom, who is often a multi-tasking mess - but it’s fun to watch LOL. I do appreciate you telling others about Signing Time. THANKS!
Wynona: Thanks - I spent the last 3 days in my pj’s just so I stay in touch with my crunchiness LOL
Looking good, looking good! Love you as you; Glam, granola, girlbomb, whatever—I was telling a friend about Cougar Hot Springs the other day. She was peeing in her pants. Me, just smiling in mine:)