The Really Great AbbyShot Blog!

OK, for Jamie and the Highlanders, the “Big Kilt” was wonderful. It provided warmth, coverage, flexibility in movement, and curiosity, unlike pants but……there was one problem. What was this problem? Well, it was not what was under the “Big Kilt,” it was where to put your change (coins) since this type of Highland wear did not contain pockets.

2017 was one eventful year, wasn't it? Of course it had it's ups and downs, but how else would we grow? We wanted to share with you some stories from our year here at AbbyShot. It's amazing how often things change in this industry we love so much, and the opportunities that come with those changes are what makes it so fun!

I was born and raised in Calgary where I started working in the film industry in 1996, at age 22, as a production assistant on the TV Series Viper. That was the start of a, now, 21-year career on both sides of the camera.

I worked as an Assistant Director for the better part of a decade, and in 2005 sought the greener pastures of Vancouver. About a year and a half after moving here, I decided to leave ADing behind and focus on being an actor.

On September 17, 1976, NASA rolled out a new spaceship. At the time, it was the first of its kind and unlike any other rocket including Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. This new craft would launch into space in the traditional way, but – unlike others – it was engineered to come back to Earth and land like an airplane upon the completion of its mission. The prototype for this new rocket design was called the Space Shuttle and was set to be christened Constitution in honor of the nation's bicentennial.

However, when hundreds of thousands of Star Trek fans wrote letters to NASA and the White House requesting that the shuttle be named Enterprise instead, the administration relented. When Space Shuttle Enterprise was officially unveiled, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and cast members from his hit sci-fi series were on hand for the dedication ceremony.

I don’t know about you, but my favourite words are any that describe the feeling of being COZY! Words like comfy, snugly, warmth and homey just make me want to light a fire and cuddle in a soft blanket with a steaming cup of tea! It’s by far, one of my favourite feelings! I also love this time of year, sipping on a warm, frothy latte while walking city streets and window gazing wearing my favourite knitted scarves, mittens or arm warmers (and yes, I’ll even finish it off with my knitted leg warmers!). A little bit of a knit fanatic over here! Who’s with me? I’m ecstatic for our newbie knits to arrive! I’ve been having fun wearing the samples around the office (Sorry, I’m not trying to rub it in that I get to be the first to try these beauties on! Ha!).

The kilt has once again become a popular clothing item thanks to the STARZ show and Outlander book series. What a lot of people do not realize is the fact that there is an interesting history behind this Scottish clothing staple.

Its Autumn, which means the very welcome return of “Outlander” to my TV screen and a sudden preponderance of warming knitwear, tweeds, and tartans in shop windows. A happy coincidence I’m sure. Just as the temperature starts to drop and I’m thinking about layering up and nestling in over-sized cardigans there’s an abundance of woolens, shawls, cardigans, and jumpers available for purchase – hurrah!

Would I go? Would I intentionally step through the stones? And if I did, among other major considerations, what would I wear?

Admittedly Claire Randall’s first time-traveling portal jump back to the 18th Century was a total accident so she had no time for introspection or suitcase packing. Having fallen through time wearing a knee length dress and brogues Claire was spectacularly under-dressed and under-prepared for everything about the strange world she found herself in.

With the beginning of a new decade but, as yet, blissfully unaware that Tom Baker would soon be hanging up his scarf for good, I looked at my collection of Target novels so far and it did feel that perhaps my ambition to buy every novelisation so far released might be beyond me.

Previously I worked in the yachting industry for many years sailing around in some of the most picturesque and exclusive parts of the world. It’s when you find yourself thousands of miles away, in these far-flung corners that you think of home. I had always wanted to come home to Scotland however yachting jobs are hard to come by on the Clyde compared to the Cote d’Azure. Sadly, work is always going to be a factor when it comes to moving anywhere. I was resigned to the fact that my yachting days were over, however my bus driving days were about to begin! I had scratched my head for years about what I would do after yachting. It was a career that let me travel and meet new people. I found myself on watch with my captain somewhere between New Zealand and Tahiti telling him all about Scottish history to fill in the 4 hours of darkness on deck. He turned to me and said ‘you should be a tour guide’. Light bulb moment!  I researched the best tour company and applied online. I returned home and soon found myself working for Rabbies.

From 1975 until 1980, the growth of my library was slow, but steady, and by the end of the 1970’s I had managed to amass twenty Target novels. Considering the collection ended up being some 180 or so Target books, I had a way to go, but at that point there were around 104 books published so far, so I was making progress!

The long awaited Season 3 of Outlander is finally here, and the opening episode did not disappoint!