Hey it's a Birthday!

So I was mistaken my second post for the week will not be toy related. It's my little Basset Hound Squee's Birthday today. Catching up to our larger Basset, Squee is turning seven today. We are the type of people that will bake them a little plain cake and give them a slice (no worries it will not have any chocolate in it) and we do wrap them presents, because the Bassets love to rip open presents. Christmas time is pretty hectic around here we have to keep the presents put up until the big day or they would both unwrap them all... found that out the hard way one year.

This year they are getting matching collars. I say they because the Birthday girl (all our puppies are ladies) will get a present as well as all their "sisters", that way they are all covered, no favorites.

Here's a picture of Squee the morning before her big day. She must be day dreaming of travel and exotic foods. She could be watching the squirrels playing in the front yard too.



Oh, she caught me!



Not to leave you hanging on the toy front. My recent purge unearthed these two gems. I actually have a small collection of carded Batman the Animated Series figures and I also have a small collection of loose Batman the Animated Series figures. I knew I had each of these carded and I had actually been on the prowl on eBay for some cheap loose versions. Well as I was going through some totes for that care package the other day I turned up an extra carded set. My only guess is I must have acquired them in a lot and did not think I had them carded at the time so they got stored away. It was like a little good toy karma. I now have them setting on the shelves watching over the sort and keeping an eye out for more finds.



Actually sort of embarrassed that I didn't know I had these, I usually am pretty good at keeping track of this sort of thing. Oh well two more for me to detail on the ole' Batman the Animated Toy blog. Enjoy your day.

The Gert Days of Summer

I know the official start of Summer is about five days away, but we are having a really unseasonable June this year. This week alone the highs are already hitting 100º Fahrenheit by noon, which is not weird for Texas... in July and August that is. The last good rain we had was in January, so far for this year our rainfall has been about 4.02" and 2.66" of that was in January.

Even with the water restrictions going into Stage 2, you cannot have an overheated bulldog and the Gert has her own pool for when we are outside, sometimes on weekends we throw a bag of ice in it which she tries to eat, she loves her pool!

The Bassets on the other hand love the A/C...

All Vintagy and Stuff.

I finally got around to downloading the Hipstamatic app for my Gen One iPhone, that's right baby still rocking my Gen One, getting my moneys worth! Anyway, I have been wanting this app for quite some time, it's not expensive it's just I never got around to downloading it, I'm pretty choosey on the apps I download too. This one was well worth the price as I am having a blast shooting pics with it. Here's some of my first attempts, this makes me miss the days of of actually using film and hanging out at the photo lab with my pals.

The Bassets, Lulu in the back and Squee, the blurry one, howling at the door.

Some home made Whoopie Pies cooling on the rack.

A Extra Large, "Big Head" Han Solo roaming the living room.

Lulu sitting in her favorite spot, gazing out the window.

It's LuLu's Birthday!

LuLu is seven years old today!
Happy Birthday to Lu
Happy Birthday to Lu
Happy Birthday dear LuLu
Happy Birthday to Lu

She looks really excited doesn't she? I think this is the most excitement I have seen from her all week!

Look who turned 6 today!

That's right it's Squee! Happy Birthday Squee!

Relaxing before the big party tonight.

Squee on the left with her "Sister" Lulu on the right, almost as big as Lulu in this picture, must be the angle.

Today's LuLu's Birthday!

LuLu turns six years old today! You go Lu!

We cannot be the only people that celebrate our puppies birthdays? LuLu loves her birthday, she (and the other puppies) get a special cake then she gets presents, and she loves opening presents. They all do actually. LuLu has taught them all how to do it. So they all get a present no matter who's birthday it is.

This picture is one of my favorites of all three, and it shows how much LuLu is the matriarch of the puppies.

Happy Birthday LuLu!

Happy Birthday Squee!

She's 5 today! Here's a picture from when she was a little Basset...



And one of her today!


That's my Princess!

This would explain the levitating chew toys

Seems Squee is a Jedi in training


"Do, or Do not, there is no try."

Lazy Weekend

It was a slow and extremely hot weekend. The temps here have averaged about 100 for two weeks now, no rain, everything is dry. So I just laid around on the back porch under the fan Saturday morning with my new Phantom figure from Cast Away Toys and Lu Lu the Basset.

This photo actually won us some Mego Museum cards from one of the members. See the Mego Museum trading cards are meant to be traded or given away and every once in a while a member will run a fun little contest on the forums. Well all they wanted to see was a Cast Away Toys toy posed and if you were the first three you won a few cards.

So since Lu Lu was on Squirrel watch the Phantom thought he would assist, I snapped the pic and should have some random Mego Museum cards coming my way. I'll post some more images of the Phantom later in the week, and maybe when the cards hit the mail box I'll post our winnings, ours because Lu Lu has a modeling fee.

Well, like I said Lazy Weekend...

How not to shoot pictures of your toys

I thought it was a nice day out side, the yard was looking rather nice, the hounds were nowhere to be seen, so why not take my wife's little point and click camera, my new favorite Storm Shadow (from the latest Cobra Box Set) and shoot some pictures ala Toyriffic in the nature!

FAIL! Fence looks too weird in the background, waaaay outta scale!

Not bad, still some clutter in the background...

...wait, what's that licking on me???

Noooo, come on Squee, not now...

Move, move, move... please

Not what I meant.

Oh all right I wouldn't want to stand in the way of some sun bathing...


In other GI Joe News:



GI Joe Resolute is airing this weekend, I've been checking out the individual webisodes that make up the movie they will air this weekend and so far I like it, I think I like it better than what I think the movie will turn out to be. It's not for the faint of heart, this version has blood and gore and bullets, you know, just the thing kids need to see nowadays. I'm really torn because I don't think this is something for kids, but that makes me sad because kids need cartoons and comics and toys made for them. The geek in me really enjoys it though. Why did they have to kill of Bazooka though, poor Bazooka. Check out the rest at AdultSwim.com or on Cartoon Network this weekend.

Doc Finally Arrived:



In another GI Joe related story, after about eight freaking months, I finally received the one freaking Doc figure I mailed away for. I mean come on one figure, it's not like I'm hoarding these things. Did I forget to mention the three emails I sent Hasbro, and the canceled check to prove I ordered it, I only had to send that twice. Anyway Doc is safe and sound, now to pop this sucka open and put with the rest of my Joes! Finally the team has a doctor, I can stop sending them to the morgue... lets see.

G.I. JOE: 16
COBRA: 12

Happy Birthday!

It's the "big one's" fifth birthday today! Boy how time flies.



Here she is enjoying her second favorite hobby, napping. Happy Birthday Lu!

Halloween 2008

Okay a little late, but here are a few pics from the first ever Eclectorama Halloween Party!


The Bone Yard, took up the corner of the back yard.


We had a Pumpkin Contest, but we only had three entries.


The witch busy casting spells, one of the cutouts we had around the yard, the rest were spooky trees.


Where are your buccaneers? He didn't get it either.


Lulu, or should I say a flying Monkey, was the life of the party. Her sister had a matching costume, but spent most of the party hiding.


Speaking of sisters, mine's a crazy cat lady.


A couple from the local checkers club? I didn't get it either... parents, what are you going to do?


Satan dropped by to eat some food and use the toilet, which reminds me does anyone no how to get red off a toilet seat?


The grave yard with fog.


The boy said he was a modern vampire, but the teeth wouldn't work so he settled for a zombie.


Captain Kirk, always popular with the ladies! Actually the second time in my life I dressed up as a crew member from the U.S.S. Enterprise... the first time I was about 7 years old, costume still fits!

Kyrpto!

Well, I received a request to feature more from the style guides, in particular this one with mention of Krypto. Not wanting to let anyone down I thought the least I could do would be to throw some of the images from the disk up in a Krypto post while I scan some of the guide pages! Enjoy.











... and my favorite of the Krypto images.


"The Girls" get in on the action... I give you Ace the Bathound and Krypto the Superdog!







... and a little bonus, a peek at something we are working on here at the factory!

It's the Little One's day!

Squee's turning four today! I can't believe it's been four years since she came home with us. She is the littlest of our two Basset Hounds, but she's big on spirit!



Here she is, looking all but thrilled about having her picture snapped. Happy Birthday Little One!