Challah, Heather, and My John Hancock

Heather Thomson and The Bravo Bitch

What started out as a joke about “Holla” hollering, “Jewish by injection” RHONY star Heather Thomson, turned into an invitation to Heather’s midtown Yummie Tummie offices. Several weeks ago I was live tweeting when she made the J by I statement on the show. My quick snarky humor quipped, “Maybe Heather is really saying, ‘Challah’, ” in reference to her self proclaimed “shout out to all the girls” that some find cute and others,well, don’t. (For those that don’t know, Challah is a somewhat sweet braided egg bread that’s commonly eaten on Shabbat and at Bar Mitzvahs). A few back and forth tweets with the little joke made me think about the delicious Challah at The Rockland Bakery, a large warehouse type establishment that is a staple in my county and right up the street from my home. The breads here are made fresh daily and you can go in and pull them right off the conveyor belts yourself. So I tweeted Heather that I would be in the city soon and would drop off a “CHALLAH” just for her.

When I was ready to plan a date to take a trip into the city I tweeted Heather to find out what day would be good to drop off my token of sarcasm. I really expected to just leave it with a doorman, or, if I was lucky, a receptionist, so when Heather said, “Come Wednesday, so I can say ‘Hi'” I nearly “plotzed.” (I think that’s yiddish for fainted or exploded, whatever, it fits.)  We set the time for afternoon which gave me a chance to have lunch with Victoria, my fab intern, and Patrice, my fab friend.

I was a bit nervous, I admit,so my sidekicks forced me to have a glass of wine with lunch. Fearing I’d become Ramotional I only drank half of it. When it was time for me to go to Heather’s office I took deep breaths, bid my ladies adieu (or should I say Shalom) and went next door. Taking calming breaths in the elevator I rode up thinking of how sweaty and unfresh I was now feeling from the heat. NYC is a great place, but summertime isn’t my fave, it feels 20 degrees hotter than the suburbs and the garbage smell is intensified by 1000! Fortunately Yummie Tummie‘s offices are nice and cool, and I carry a small deodorant stick in my purse.

The atmosphere at YT is quite relaxing. It’s quaint, and quiet, sans for the click clack of high heels and even higher wedges and a couple of happy staffers discussing the OC Reunion in the stock room. Heather’s staff is calm, and friendly. As I waited and took notes no one walked by without smiling or waving. Her receptionist gloated that she loves her job there, that Heather is a wonderful boss and they all feel very lucky to be part of YT. She also loves the products and says she wears the brand all the time. Contrary to what some think, Heather’s company is not just about foundation pieces, she has an entire RTW line, including jeans.

The style of the office is what I would call minimalist feminine, and the look has been achieved without being too stark nor too frilly. Sans her mission statement painted in black and pink on the entry wall, the walls are white and bare except for the occasional rack or shelf to house samples. Behind the front desk is a laid back version of a board room, that is decorated with large whimsical bunches of pink tissue paper flowers adorning the corners. This is where I was able to sit with Heather and chat for a few minutes out of her very busy day.

Heather is tall and slender. She was wearing a white T-shirt, a grey skirt, and black heels. She is bubbly and energetic, the kind of girl who is free with hugs and high fives. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and it is no wonder her staff is so chipper!

We talked quickly about my background and her doing an interview (which she will) and getting together in the future. Then I asked her a favor. You all know that Heather’s young son had a liver transplant at birth and one of her life’s missions is to spread the word about organ donation. What you may not know is that my son is also a recipient of donor tissue as well. Ever since my son had a corneal transplant in February, that blank space on the back of my license has haunted me. Knowing that I had received, through my child, someone’s unbelievable gift,I felt like a big phony for never signing it. In the back of my superstitious mind I feared signing it would jinx me. I grew up fearing death, and to this day am still terribly uncomfortable with the topic. So I asked Heather if she would help me get over this by watching me sign my license. She could not have been more excited to witness this and even told the group gathered in her office awaiting a meeting. Before I left Heather gave me some YT shapers of my very own and we agreed we would meet again. Ask me now who my favorite housewife is.

For information on how to become an organ donor in NY State please visit http://heatherthomson.net/Philanthropy/