WOW! Our Amazing Photographer is now a Celebrity!

Marcy Working Some Magic

Marcy Maloy, the very talented photographer that takes the amazing photos of our clothing, is now a true celebrity!  Marcy and her partner Ron are one of the couples selected for this season’s Amazing Race on CBS!  This is the 15^th season of The Amazing Race, with a huge audience and fan base. 

Marcy has been photographing le•top for over 10 years – our offices are filled with her fabulous photos!  It would be impossible to describe how Marcy works – her energy and connection to all the children is truly legendary!  Marcy is a very well known fashion photographer; she has national ad campaigns in her portfolio.  When we met Marcy we knew we were very lucky to have someone with her talent to capture the essence of the “le•top look!”  Every time we have a photo shoot I look forward to hearing about Marcy’s new adventures (trapeze lessons, hula-hoop lessons, traveling to exciting locales!)  Wow!  The next photo shoot should be enjoyable …just hearing about her ultimate adventure!

We are really excited that one of the le•top ‘team’ will be featured on this very entertaining and exciting show.  Knowing Marcy we are POSITIVE she will add enthusiasm and her own special vibe to the show! The Amazing Race season 15 premieres Sunday, September 27th 8/7c.

Marcy – we can’t wait to watch you – hope you do great!

Marcy Generating Excitement

Marcy with Three Little Cuties!

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Dragon Boat Races???

If someone had told me five months ago that I would be racing dragon boats in China, I would have said they were crazy! It’s hard to imagine that only a short time ago I didn’t have a clue about this incredible sport.  Dragon boat racing started thousands of years ago in China. It’s a team paddling sport where a canoe-style boat is used.  Now, not only can I hold my own paddling the boat, but I can proudly say that I was a member of the only American team to compete in the 2009 Dragon Boat races in China!

Dragon Boating Competitors

The interest in this exciting sport is catching – at least in our design department! Surprisingly, I wasn’t the only le•top designer racing in China. Gail – our extraordinary graphic designer – was the person who first introduced me to the sport. Thanks to her, I am not only part of the team, but I’ve become part of a fun and adventurous “family”.

We competed in races in a couple of different cities, one of which was Milu, the birthplace of dragon boating. It was amazing to be able to participate in the sport that originated there over 2000 years ago! The fun part is, as in any sport that each team has a name – we call ourselves the Absolute Dragons!  We are a mixed crew, meaning that we are made up of women and men. In China there is no such thing as a “mixed” team, which meant we had to race against all men’s teams. Even though we didn’t place in the standings, we did manage to beat nine teams! Wow, were they mad when they got beat by a boat full of women!

Beautiful Sights

China was such an unbelievable experience. One thing I will always remember is how popular my platinum blonde hair was with the locals. I was chased down at every corner by people asking for my picture! I now know what it must feel like to be famous. Man, do I feel bad for Brad Pitt!

Whether it was holding up peace signs for pictures with the locals, racing in the dragon boat, hiking the Great Wall, or just celebrating the Chinese culture – China was the trip of a lifetime, one I will never forget!

…this post was written by Sarah, le•top designer

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Rowing the Atlantic in Memory of Mom

Paul Ridley, age 25, is 79 days into his solo, unsupported, trans-Atlantic journey in a yellow, 19′, 400lb row boat named ‘Liv’ – in memory of his mother, Katherine Ridley, who died of skin cancer in 2001. Inspired by his mom’s adventurous nature and with his newfound passion for cancer research fund-raising, Paul’s goals are to become only the 3rd and youngest person to ever row across an ocean, and in doing so, raise $500,000 for cancer research at the Yale Cancer Center. He set off  in early January in the Canary Islands (off Morocco) and has been putting in 8 to 13+ hours a day at the oars. The entire journey will require him to row more than 3000 nautical miles. He’s closing in on his goal and, weather permitting, is scheduled to pull into Antigua (in the Caribbean) at the end of March.

After seeing a few pictures of Paul, you might ask yourself why a person with a fair complexion and his mother’s battle with skin cancer would undertake such a long, grueling trip and – among all the other inherent risks – expose himself to so much sun? Well, Paul’s got plenty of sunblock, and for you apparel lovers out there – special ‘threads’ that block UV rays. Yup, science and technology is at work in apparel, too!

Did I mention Paul is undertaking this physical and mental challenge completely unsupported? That blows my mind! No sail, no motor, no support crew to bail him out if things turn ugly (which, hopefully, they won’t). This really hits me when I think about what it must be like out there, day after day – with no signs of human life – except for the 2 passenger planes Paul spotted up around 40,000′, the ocean liner that ‘brushed by’ (2 miles away), and yesterday, a bug landed on his deck (a sign that land is near)! He gets all giddy about such sightings.
Paul’s daily posts often focus on the interesting marine life he encounters, the physical and mental challenges he faces, his emotional ups and downs, his progress, what motivates him, and the ever-changing weather conditions. One of my favorite posts (from day 59) includes a description of how dramatic and dominating the constellations appear when viewed from a tiny row boat in the middle of the ocean.

As a tech-nut, I’m also amazed at Paul’s ability to stay in daily communication (via a solar powered satellite phone) with his support organization, Row for Hope, back in Connecticut. The information he relays immediately makes its way to the Web, into his blog, and even into his new Twitter page. Very cool. Here’s a guy out in the middle of the ocean – completely on his own – whose daily thoughts and reports are readily available to anyone around the world connected by computer (or even mobile phone!) to the Internet. Internet marketers/le•top e-tailers – are you listening? More on easily using some of these powerful technologies (to reach your target audience) is coming in future tech posts, so stay tuned!

Meanwhile, check out Paul’s Website and monitor his progress – it’s a fun, educational and inspiring thing to do with your kids. Also, please consider making a donation if you can. Due to the economic downturn impacting us all, Paul is falling short of his fund-raising goals – he could really use our assistance.

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