Project Runway: "Oh My Lord and Taylor"

This week was the sponsor challenge. This time it means Lord & Taylor furnished the challenge for the designers. Lord & Taylor had about nine past Project Runway designers each design a cocktail or evening dress for a collection that Lord & Taylor is producing. So the current designers' challenge was to make a cocktail or evening dress that fits into the existing collection while staying true to their own point of view. They also had to keep a retail price point of $200-300 in mind, but in the end there wasn't much importance attached to that aspect.

 I am going to subtitle this episode "Channel Your Inner Winner," courtesy of the lovely Tim Gunn, because that's what the women designers needed to get through this challenge. All the ladies had emotional breakdowns except Alicia. Yipes. It's got to be so physically and emotionally draining to be on the show. Additionally, I don't know what was going on, but I think the judges were smoking crack in the green room. Some of their comments and opinions were way off as far as I'm concerned, so let's break it down.

The worst design for me came from Alicia. It was truly awful, and it looked like 90s student work, but the judges did not hate it. The fabric looked overworked and under pressed, the silhouette was boring, the neckline was in ill proportion with the dress, and that collar was crumpled and odd. The construction overall was obscene. I just don't know why the judges were all okay with it.

Gunnar's dress was a yawn fest. The judges had this right saying that it's been seen and done. 

Only Gunnar and Alicia were in the bottom, but I most certainly would've put Elena in the bottom as well. Much to my dismay the judges put her in the top! When her dress turned the corner, my first reaction was "black garbage bag." The fabric choice for the silhouette was bad, and it looked man-handled and poorly finished. I will admit that the  idea of the harness in the back could be rad, but the front didn't work at all. Maybe if it was wasn't floating over the bodice it would be okay, because it wouldn't look like a reverse bra meant to expose rather than support. 

For me the top were Christopher, Dmitry, and Sonjia; the judges choices were Christopher, Fabio, Melissa, and Elena. 

I didn't put Fabio in the top because I thought his dress was a little boring and I was nonplussed with the proportions of the back halter. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't special.

Melissa didn't make it my top three for three reasons: 1) the asymmetrical bottom of her dress was a hot mess; 2) the dress was incredibly tight; and 3) there's no way that top would stay up for more than a couple of wearings, because the fabric would loosen up and that structure would collapse. That being said, it was a great concept, which I appreciate, but it needed a lot of refining in the detials.

Although Sonjia's dress was not perfect in the finishing area, the rest was great. That peplum detail was an entirely delightful surprise. She got the fullness of the peplum just right so that it added interest, but it didn't overwhelm the dress or add fullness to the figure. The seaming details were also fantastic. 

Once again, Dmitry proves himself to be a thoroughly thoughtful designer. It was just too bad that the facet regarding the cost of production was downplayed, because I think that would've made him more of a contender. I don't think Dmitry's dress was perfect, either, but it had some great ideas. The fabric choice didn't lend itself particularly well to the kind of detailing that Dmitry incorporated, and it looked a little tight, but the silhouette and details were great.

But there was no question in my mind or in the judge's minds who the winner should be: my personal front-runner Christopher. I know that he's done that shredding detail before, but the winner of the challenge gets their look produced, and that's his trademark, so he kind of had to go for it. Luckily the dress was gorgeous, so his risk yielded a huge reward. From the color choice, to the silhouette, to the proportions, to the drape of this skirt, I loved this dress. It certainly evoked 40s Hollywood, but in a modern and fresh-looking way. I would buy it.

That leaves Ven out in the cold. He was very nearly in my bottom three, his dress looked matronly and a bit frumpy.

The judges thought there wer "no real implosions" this week, so there were no eliminations. I would have been more than happy to see Alicia or Gunnar go. Maybe double eliminations next week?

SYTYCD for 29 August 2012

Oh boy, oh boy, what a night! Lots of goings going on and dances being danced and jokes being joked with guest judge Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family). I mean, you watched it, you get what I'm saying.

I must mention a couple random things. First, Cat looked fabulous in her lace, knee-length dress and loose tresses; second, even though I didn't much care for the group opener, Chehon and his hair looked an awful lot like Bernardo from West Side Story.

Solos first. I thought most of the solos were good, but nothing special. Tiffany, Will, Lindsay, Whitney, Cole, and Chehon all fell into this category. Chehon's solo got the judges to their feet, but because the camera work/angles/weirdness were so low and far away, I'm guessing it was hard for the television audience to see the true nature of what was going on. But it was also adorable and endearing how he cried for the joy of his mother finally seeing him dance.

Dear SYTYCD producers,
Forget the "arty" angles; just make sure we see the dances at their best.
Sincerely,
Martha O.

The best solos belonged to Eliana, who I think is practically flawless, and Cyrus, who is always absolutely incredible in his own style.

As far as All Star dances go, let's break it down.

Whitney & AS Twitch (oh yes, he will be mine!) danced an East Coast hiphop. It is very difficult for me to say this, but this is the first time Whitney impressed me. She actually did an incredible job keeping up with Twitch. Plus I got to learn a new meaning for the word ratchet. As far as I can tell, it means to be down and dirty with positive connotations? Please feel free to correct me since Street is my second language.

Cole & AS Allison danced a Sonya contemporary number that was probably the darkest piece in SYTYCD history. In fact it was so intense and dark that it gave me the heebie-jeebies. It was so good. As we saw last week, Allison is so physically strong that it's almost unfair for her to be an All Star, because the guy dancers struggle to match her physicality and intensity. Cole did a fair job of keeping up, and this dance was probably my favorite of the night. (What? A Sonya piece my favorite? Shocker.)

Eliana &AS Ryan danced the dreaded quickstep, and guess what? She was great, as usual. She's so effortless in her movements, and her personality (and her fabulous hair) really made this number pop. That whole flipping under legs and flipping back thingy at the end looked like second nature to her. She has to win it for the girls, or I just might spit or swear or something.

Lindsay & AS Alex pulled a Sonja jazz routine. It was great that Lindsay's hair wasn't in her face, but it didn't do much to help the lack of chemistry between her and Alex. The number was fun enough, but the memory is already fading.

Will & AS Lauren also danced hiphop. I think this was my favorite from Will this season. As the judges commented, Will was so much more precise and sharp with his movements that I felt he looked more like a mature dancer than a kid with too much energy.

Cyrus & AS MELANIE MOORE! danced a Mandy Moore (no relation) jazz number. I will fully admit that I watched Melanie the whole time, because not only is she so skilled, but she's also magnetic. I didn't even try to watch it again because I knew I would just watch Melanie again, I love her so. And during the rehearsal tape when Melanie came into frame and whispered, "It's jazz...": priceless.

Chehon & AS Anya pulled the Argentine tango. I was nervous, but Chehon looked so strong and he actually performed instead of only dancing well technically. That's really the only thing that's lacking from him in general, so I thought he was great in this piece. And I don't think I've ever said this here before, but Chehon is a beautiful man.

Tiffany & AS Ade danced a contemporary number that was lift-centric! He's so strong and she's so tiny, so why not? That one lift where they're both lying on the ground then Ade picks her up and slowly lifts her over his body and to his other side was incredible! The strength and control it takes to do that is bananas. In the end, I don't know why, but I always forget about Tiffany even though I seem to enjoy her dances when they're happening. Maybe if she had hips I would remember her...

Lindsay and Will went home tonight, and I thought it was time for them to go, so I didn't feel any particular heavy regret.

Trailer Tuesday: Pitch Perfect & Samsara

It seems as though we are now in the film transitional stage of the year where we've seen the end of the summer blockbusters, but the fall release of Oscar contenders has yet to arrive. In times like these a lot of horror and mid-level comedies are pushed our way. Pitch Perfect is just such a comedy. ("Get pitch slapped"? Really?) It is obviously riding on the coattails of television's Glee, but adding a little more adult and gross humor. I'm not likely to see this movie, but I'm posting the trailer here because Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids) has some great one liners. (The last one is my favorite.) It's just a little light entertainment for your day. (I'm sure that the trailer includes the funniest bits in the movie.)

To temper that monstrosity I just posted, I'm also including Samsara, a film that promises to be visually stunning. It's a documentary about the (spiritual?) connection between nature and man. Apparently it's a visual and music driven experience that includes no dialoge or text. It's also filmed entirely on 70mm film over a span of 5 years. I had a couple of sharp intakes of breath when I watched the trailer. For a film with no dialoge, it looks intense.

Project Runway: "Fix My Friend"

First, I think the title of this episode is terrible. I know they were going for alliteration, but it's a little bit insulting as a makeover theme. I don't think the participants had to be "fixed," they just wanted and needed help and direction with their personal aesthetics. Mini, not-all-that-angry rant done.

There was a lot of great fashion off the runway in this episode. Tim's opening outfit was to die for. Blue gingham, blue pinstripe suit, and a red tie with a matching pocket square. He's always so classy. I also thought Heidi's striped dress that she wore to the runway was an easy, modern nautical look. I don't always love what she wears, but that dress was great. And lastly I thought the guest judge, designer Alice Temperly, wore an amazing dress. The embroidery coupled with the structured style lines of the bodice is a tough combo, but this dress was impeccably balanced.

Now to the main event!

The challenge this week was to design for a non-model body within the parameters of a makeover. The non-model challenge always has one or two whiner-babies that talk about how their client's body is "the worst." Cue Ven. He not only complained about his model, he made many of his complaints in front of his model and made her feel like garbage. Doesn't he know any women? I mean, he must have had a mother or a sister or knew women in school or something. During the first part of the season I thought Ven was just quiet and doing his own thing, now I realize he was quiet because he wanted to keep the fact that he's a huge jerk hidden as long as possible. Just based on his basic lack of decency I wanted him to go home. No such luck. His look was justifiably in the bottom three. He didn't care about his model and it shows. Just look at it and you tell me if you would ever wear that to the office.

The judges put Sonjia in the bottom three, and while her dress was far too short and not quite right for her model, I thought Alicia's dress was certainly worse. How do I put this...Alicia's pink dress looked like it belonged to a sweet-tempered hooker. You know I'm right.

Nathan rounded out the bottom with an over wrought, over designed, and poorly executed dress that involved no taste level. It's really too bad that he didn't design within his aesthetic for his client, because I think Nathan had/has potential. On the plus side, I loved his black shirt with the white rounded collar and wee white suspenders he wore for runway day. Plus what a tender heart, right?

I understand why the judges put Gunnar's dress in the top three; the design was completely appropriate for the client's age, personality, and body type. However the execution was absolutely terrible. I had little conniptions every time they showed a close up of that bodice. It squished his client's boobs, it puckered in some places, and there was too much fabric in the hollow between the shoulder and the boobs.

I might be falling in love with Dmitry a little bit. He's so wry. He's also a spectacularly thoughtful and smart designer. That coupled with his incredible construction skills should make him unstoppable. In theory. That being said, I didn't love his dress. It was nice and well executed, but there just wasn't much that was special about it. I thought his client could have benefited with some shape wear and a little extra length in the skirt. Also I didn't like his client's hair.

But the winner, oh the winner! Fabio's dress was pretty much my dream come true. As soon as I saw it during the fitting on his client, I knew in my bones that it would be fantastic and that it would win. Then when it turned the corner, I emitted squeals of absolute delight. I would buy this. I would wear this. I would try not to wear this every day. I love the pieced graphic he created, the color choice, and the silhouette. I even adored his model's hair enough to contemplate growing out my hipster boy cut. Och. It's the most excited I've been about a design from Project Runway in a long time.

SYTYCD for 22 August 2012

Hooray for the all stars! I love it when the all stars are on SYTYCD, however there were so many that I didn't recognize this go around! I'm not sad about that (mostly because Twitch was on), it was just odd since I've been watching from Season 2. Some contestants just stick in your mind better than others. Like Twitch. Oh, did I mention that Twitch was one of the All Stars, because he was.

Fine, I won't torture you with my abiding love for Twitch anymore. Stop rolling your eyes and yelling at me through your computer.

First of all, the guest judge, choreographer Benjamin Millepied, gave the best criticisms I've ever heard on the show. He was honest, kind, and helpful. Bonus: I also enjoyed his French inflected English.

There was no dance that was awful this time around, which I attribute to the all stars, but let's break it down.

Tiffany & All Atar (AS) Brandon pulled disco. It was okay for me--nothing terrible, nothing noteworthy. Her Audrey's costume was terrible with all those cut-outs and the short bellbottoms, except  in that one section of the dance where the lighting was reflecting of those sequins like crazy.

Whitney & AS Nick pulled jazz? Maybe? It was choreographed for Whitney to be "very sexy," but I thought she was stiff and often had her shoulder up around her ears. We all ready know that I have a low opinion of her which my criticism of her is harsh, so take my comments on Whitney with a grain of salt.

Cole & AS Anya did some sort of ballroom shenanigans. It was okay, except for that ending with Anya twisting on the floor. Also Anya's costume was absolutely terrible. It was ill fitting and looked like it was an old girdle from the 50s and was dyed blue.

Lindsey & AS Jacob did a fun number to the song "Me and My Shadow." After last weeks Addiction number, Lindsey turned a corner for me and I'm liking her much more. I don't think she'll improve enough to win, but somehow blonds seem to have a longevity in competitions, even when they're not the most competent.

Nick & AS Kathryn pulled Bollywood, which was perfect for Nick. He's got to much energy and charisma that he just bounced everywhere that he was supposed to and looked like he was having a riot to boot;

Cyrus & AS Jamie danced a Travis Wall contemporary number, and it was one of my favorites. The way it began with the light behind them, and the way it ended with Jamie clinging to Cyrus as he walked forward was beautiful. Of course it was easy to tell the Cyrus didn't have the enough extension or the right quality of movement, but, as I've said all along, his efforts and total commitment without fear make him interesting and fun to watch.

Chehon & AS Lauren danced hip-hop. Oh man, Chehon tried so hard to get loose and down, but his ballet training just couldn't leave his body. His core was always so straight and...lifted. Or high, or something. He got a couple of good grooves in there, but one week of practice isn't going to cut it for him in this area.

George & AS Allison danced something. I don't even really remember even though I took notes. What I do remember is that Allison looked much physically stronger and in control than George did. I still think he's a beautiful dancer, but he just doesn't have enough oomph to get the votes, which is why he went home this week.

Eliana & AS Alex danced my favorite number of the night. From the music to the lighting to the choreography to the performance, it was beautiful to behold. The dancers gave so much attention to the minutia of their movement. We watched it twice. I still believe that Eliana will be the winner on the girls side. She's so fantastic.

Audrey & AS Twitch (!) aslo danced hip-hop, and I thought this number was really fun and entertaining. Twitch is really good at what he does, and I thought Audrey did really well. Just when I was really starting to love her she gets booted.

Movie Review: Beasts of the Southern Wild

Wallis as Hushpuppy and Henry as Wink.

Whist in the Land de Ports I saw Beasts of the Southern Wild. After seeing the trailer and reading a basic exposition, I was excited for what this movie could be, yet I had some apprehensions about how gritty it might become. To my delight, what I found was a movie filled with competing hard and soft themes that pulled back and forth to make an absolutely beautiful film.

Beasts is the story of a six-year-old girl named Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis) and how she sees herself fitting into her real and imagined universe. Hushpuppy and her father, Wink (Dwight Henry), live in the bayou in a squatter's community. Although the community itself is tight knit, it is immediately and starkly clear that Wink expects his small daughter to be nearly completely independent. In fact Wink and Hushpuppy even live in separate "houses" that are several yards apart. But almost as immediately, within a tense fire scene, you also understand that Wink loves Hushpuppy dearly.

At first it's difficult to understand Wink's treatment of his daughter. My worldview shouted at me that Wink wasn't protecting and loving Hushpuppy and he was condemning her to a life of poverty. Without giving anything away, as the movie unfolds, you slowly understand that Wink is doing no such thing, and that his seeming harshness is born out of tenderness towards his daughter.

In another hard and soft juxtaposition, director Benh Zeitlin makes it very clear that Hushpuppy's living conditions are far from what average Americans see as appropriate, but at the same time he does not focus or dwell on the squalor. Instead he shows us remarkable innovation born of necessity, and he helps the audience to find the beauty in the seemingly bleak. The film never becomes so dark or gritty that it detracts from the heart of the story, which is a testament to Zeitlin's craft.

I came out of a Beasts with a feeling of wholeness and peace in a story well-told, which is difficult to come by in film today. Not only was I engaged and entertained, but I learned something about a walk of life that was previously foreign to me without a "point" or propaganda being thrust into my face. If you couldn't tell by now, I highly recommend this movie.

Hushpuppy proving she's strong at the tender age of six.

Trailer Tuesday: The Impossible & The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best

Och, so I bawled through this first trailer, which I think was the point. Well, that and I cry at the drop of a hat. The Impossible stars Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts and tells the true story of a family that survived that terrible tsunami in 2004 in Thailand. I'm trying to be okay crying in public, but this will definitely be one that I will watch alone in my room so as not to scare people with my inconsolable sobs.

And to lighten the mood, hows about a buddy pic with music and flannel shirts and scruff and funnies? Done in the quirky indy film The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best. I'll let the trailer speak for itself, but I will tell you something that you don't see in the trailer: Andrew McCarthy is in it. I think he got better looking with age, especially if you compare him to his peer, James Spader. (For those of you ingrates people who don't know, they starred in Pretty in Pink together in 1986.)

The Soundtrack of Your Life

Via http://peopletoo.ru/index.html

I think about music almost as much as I listen to it. I concoct top ten lists in my head, I create themed playlists based on the tone of songs, moods, and lyrics, and I even think about how I can best describe my tastes in detail.

Along these lines, NPR recently posted a story about a project and story from The Guardian (a UK publication) called "Six Songs of Me." This project asks readers to pick six songs based on six criteria with the idea that the lists may somehow collectively begin to reveal why people feel strongly tethered to music. You can fill out the questionnaire here (I never finished because I couldn't find one of the songs and I can't decide about another yet), but the questions are as follows:

1. What was the first song you ever bought?
2. What song always gets you dancing?
3. What song takes you back to your childhood?
4. What is your perfect love song?
5. What song would you want at your funeral?
6. What is a song that makes you you?

I will spend more time thinking about my responses, and some of my responses may change, but here's what I came up with.

1. "Martha My Dear" by The Beatles
I have a very specific memory of going out to purchase my first CD around the age of 12. I was stressed out about it because I, of course, had very limited funds, so I wanted to get he most bang for my buck. I also remember thinking that I wanted to own all of The Beatles' albums, so I started with the White Album because it had the song with my name in it. (What? I was 12.) This wasn't the first music I ever owned (I had Care Bears record and a Michael Jackson cassette for sure), but it is the first music I purchased for myself. Funnily enough, I still don't own all of The Beatles' albums.

2. "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder
As soon as the twangy, funky guitar comes in at about the 10 second mark, I've gots to move.

3. "The Washington Post" by John Philip Sousa
My dad had a Boston Pops record of Sousa marches that he would often crank up on Saturday mornings to blast us out of our beds. Somehow I don't ever remember feeling grumpy about this, instead I associate it with fun dad time.

4. "The Story" by Brandi Carlile
I don't know if this is my "perfect" love song, but I surely love it, and sometimes it gives me chills.

5. "Home" by Bonnie Raitt
This probably isn't my final decision. In fact I've started a playlist dedicated to this question. Since I will be dead at my funeral and won't care what happens there, picking a funeral song feels unimportant in many ways, but at the same time it's a nice contemplative exercise. There's lots of directions you can go for a funeral song: funny, sad, life descriptive, spiritual, hopeful, or simply something beautiful. Other songs in the running at the moment are "Red River Valley" by Riders in the Sky, "I Am Weary" by The Cox Family, "Duettino-Sull’aria" from The Marriage of Figaro (it's about zephyrs and anticipated joy), and the hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing."

6. I have no clue. My first inclination was "Spooky" by Classics IV (or Dusty Springfield), but it's hard to commit when one song is supposed to basically represent you. It's a tongue in cheek choice, which certainly suits me, but I'm still not sure. I almost feel as though someone else should pick a song that represents me. Suggestions are welcome, but may be rejected without impunity. (I've already rejected the joke of "Super Freak" by Rick James, so don't even bother.)

Even though I still can't respond to comments, I would LOVE to see what's on part or all of your lists. Are there any questions you would add to this list?

Project Runway: There Is No "I" in Project Runway

This episode stressed me out. A lot. Elena is so abrasive and loud and abusive. I mean, Raul and Gunnar were also terrible, but they looked like wee cherubs compared to Elena. (Well except at the end when Raul told everyone to basically sabotage Elena off the show.) I just want to talk about that fashions and the skills. Is that okay with everyone? Yes? Good. Done.

This week was the two team challenge. The teams were designing capsule (very small) collections for the newest spinoff of Marie Claire called Marie Clair at Work. The clothes had to both work editorially and in the real world. This challenge felt similar to last week's challenge, actually, except that the designers had to attempt to make aesthetics (and personalities) mesh into something cohesive. 

Since two people left the show last week, the number of designers was uneven, so one team had six designers and created six looks, and the other had five designers and created five looks.

Team Five

Team Five included Christopher, Ven, Nathan, Fabio, and Gunnar. In their approach they each designed and created one entire look, yet they consulted and advised each other (kind of) in order to make the collection cohesive. They originally chose an awesome palette of jewel pinks, purples, and turquoises, but they ended up with an odd, matronly version of a pink/purple floral print, black, and white. 

My favorite in Team Five was Fabio's dress. It is perfect in it's simplicity (you can just throw it on and go), yet it makes a lasting impression. It's clean and modern and could be worn my many different types and ages of people. At first I wanted the hips to be a titch looser, but then I realized that it would change the entire silhouette. I want to burn that mini turban and straw-like hair. 

Christopher aslo created a solid outfit. The skirt looked amazing, but it was totally impractical for real wear. That fabric he slashed was fraying all over creation.

Ven's (left) and Nathan's (right) pieces felt more appropriate for 50+ aged professionals, but hey, the oldies need clothes too. I wasn't crazy about either outfit, but I thought the draping across the front of the pant and the skirt was interesting. Maybe needed a little more experimentation or a different fabric.

 

It was an interesting and inevitable correlation that Gunnar was the least willing to cooperate in his group and he got reamed by the judges for his dress. I felt bad for him even though he deserved it. I didn't actually think the top was as terrible as the judges were saying, it just needed less volume, but the rest of the dress was awful in its ill proportions and messy lines. I said it before and I'll say it again, Gunnar's confidence is far greater than his actual talent, and it will catch up with him sooner rather than later.

Team Six

Team six won the challenge overall, and both the individual winner and the auf wiedersehen-er were from this group. Team six included Raul, Alicia, Dmitry, Elena, Melissa, and Sonjia. Their approach to the challenge was to have everyone focus on their best skills. So Elena made jackets, Sonjia made skirts, Alicia made pants, etc. 

Melissa won the challenge with her electric blue dress. I really like this, in fact I designed something very similar when I was in school, but I don't see many people wearing this to the office who aren't in the fashion industry. But I tend to be simplistic and conservative (yet modern) about business wear, because I want it to be easy and unquestionable in appropriateness. You gots enough things to worry about at work.

My favorite, favorite thing in this collection was Sonjia's blue pencil skirt. The style lines, the fit, the color are all perfection. I would buy one in a heartbeat. It was too bad that it was paired with Raul's awkward, ill-proportioned ruffle top. 

I also very much liked Dmitry's color block dress. Again his construction skills are impeccable, especially his finishing skills. Everything looks finished and purposeful and fits like a dream. He's got a sharp eye. I'm also loving him more as a person. He's not mean in any way (yet), but he certainly doesn't pull any punches. He really became endeared to me when he said that Ven was a "one way monkey" instead of "one trick pony." It was delightful. 

Elena's big shoulder jacket was a total mess. I just don't get why a woman would want big or boxy shoulder. And Joanna said she could see an attorney wearing that?! Please. Even though Elena's cardigan-like leather shoulder jacket was great, it looked as though it were designed by Melissa and Elena just tailored it. Alicia made the pants for both these outfits. She just keeps trucking along with her okay designs that aren't special, yet they're not offensive enough for the bottom three. Once the worst people are gone, she will go too unless she starts taking more risks and pushing herself.

 

Raul went home (no argument here) with his two tops: one was awkward, the other was a dud, but they didn't detract from either of Sonjia's great skirts.

P.S. The jacket that Tim was wearing during the critiques was gorgeous. I couldn't find a picture of it, but here's a video of his Team Six critique so you can see it. http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/video/tim-gunns-workroom

SYTYCD for 15 August 2012

Well, I was thoroughly disappointed in last night's episode. Part of the reason that SYTYCD is so fun is that you get to experience new and surprising ideas, music, and dance, but I've already seen all this stuff, man. These numbers were all ready endeared to me with other dancers, so of course I would like the original dancers better. The once exception being the Addiction number. That was hands-down the best number of the night, and completely stood up to and perhaps surpassed the original incarnation. It was so eerie and spooky and creepy and good. Cole was so intense and cold. I like Cole more and more, and this was certainly Lindsay's best performance. All the other numbers were pedestrian. And that's all I really have to say about the dance content.

We said goodbye to Janelle and Amelia. I think those were good decisions. Amelia wasn't really growing and I don't think Janelle should've been in the top 20 in the first place. We also said goodbye to Matthew and my beloved, bad-feet Dareian. I will miss his face and his tender heart so much. As far as wishful thinking goes, I think I would have rather seen Cyrus go. As you know, I love Cyrus' personality and energy, but he's really not improving enough. But, que sera sera, here we are with our top ten dancers.

I just wanted to add another picture of Dareian.

Predictions for the winners: For the gals I'm really rooting for Eliana, and I really hope that Whitney doesn't win. Is that mean? So be it. The guys are a little tougher. The judges seem to like George the best, but even though he's a strong dancer, I think he's too vanilla in the performance area. I think Cole is getting better and better, and if Chehon can convey any sort of emotion when he dances, he will be the man to beat, because his technical skills are stunning.

Lastly, I am absolutely thrilled for the all-stars to come back! It tends to up everyone's performances, and I get to enjoy some of my favorites from the past. I hope Twitch makes an appearance. I mean, look at him. LOOK! He's in the running for the man I choose to have my babies. What? I'm so grounded in reality.

Portland!

I had a great time in Portland. My friend Lexy and her family were gracious and kind hosts. If we're Facebook friends you probably defriended or unsubscribed from me due to my copious check-ins. They got a little bananas, but I'm not even a little bit sorry.

I made a list of everything we did, and as is my habit, it ended up kind of being a food tour. For instance, when my sister Sara and I went to Paris, she brought this lovely book and we basically toured Paris by patisserie. We had no regrets, and our hair was so glossy after eating all that butter.

I made a list of everything we did in Portland for my own satisfaction, but here's some highlights in no particular order.

1. Voodoo Donuts was, like, the number one place people demanded I visit in Portland. It's pretty much a landmark. I had a Zesty Mango and two French crullers (I do what I want) and they were all delicious! Also it was 97 degrees that day. Not cool, Portland. Not cool.

2. The Portland Japanese Garden was so quiet, cool, and serene. They even ask you to turn off your cell phone while visiting the garden. We didn't plan very well, so we were too late/early for a tour, but it was lovely just walking around on our own. And right below the gardens is The City of Roses. Hundreds of them.

Giant, gnarled Japanese maple.

Small falls and pool.

3. We did a random search for a teahouse in Portland, and we lucked out with a real winner in Jade Bistro. Not only do they serve the best tea I've had to date, but they also served delicious Vietnamese food and French pastries that I feel emboldened to say rivaled many of the pastries I had in France.

This cream puff means business.

4. I could have spent days in Powell's bookstore, but then I would've spent hundreds of dollars. I'm a sucker for the smell and feel of books, and Powell's is 5 floors and covers a whole city block. I can't believe I didn't take even one picture while I was there. I suppose I was too busy falling in love.

5. The Montage is a restaurant located under a slightly sketchy bridge. Unfortunately I was feeling a bit ill when we visited, so I didn't try the proffered alligator, yet I still managed to enjoy my vegetable linguini with pesto. Fun bonus, leftovers are wrapped in an array of tinfoil animals. We got a giraffe, a squirrel, and a cat! (I named my giraffe Frankincense, "'cause he smelled so sweet." [Name the movie!])

Lexy with our foil animals.

6. Salt & Straw. Their blue cheese and pear ice cream was the best ice cream I've ever had. (I mean, we went there three times.) They had all sorts of unique flavors like horchata sorbet, chevre with marionberry and habenero jam, honey lavender, and sea salt ice cream with caramel ribbons. The genius of Salt is Straw (besides the 17% butter fat) is that their flavor balance is just right. The blue cheese ice cream wasn't in-your-face blue cheese, it was subtle enough that I ate a whole scoop and could've eaten two. They will also let you sample all the flavors before you commit.

I try all the ginger sodas and ginger beers that I can find.

7. Just the nature parts of Oregon in general are so beautiful, and this is coming from a girl who feels pretty much "meh" about nature. If you want to stay close to Portland, just go mosey around Reed College. They have this ravine river thingy with a trail around it that's just lovely. But we also took a few hours one day and drove out to Brial Veil Falls and Multnomah Falls. You don't actually have to hike to see either--Bridal Veil was more like a 15 minute walk, and you can see Multnomah from the road--but both were delicious to the eye.

The runoff at Bridal Veil

The lower pool at Multnomah, or Rivendell. Whichever.

The upper pool at Multnomah.

Trailer Tuesday: Goats and Beauty is Embarrassing

Fact: Thanks to The X Files, David Duchovny will always have a place in my heart. Fact: Ty Burrell (Phil from Modern Family) is one of my new favorite actors. Fact: They are in a new movie together called Goats. Sad maybe fact: This preview is charming and funny, but I'm afraid that we saw all the funny bits in the preview. Fact: Even if that's the case, at least you'll be entertained by the preview, because David Duchovny bleats like a goat.

I watched the preview for the documentary Beauty is Embarrassing, and my inner kid squealed with delight while my outer adult dropped jaw. The film follows creative person extraordinaire, Wayne White. Yeah, I'd never heard of him either, but I have certainly have enjoyed and been influenced by his work since I was a small. He was the main puppet maker (among other things) for Pee Wee's Playhouse. Yeah, that guy. But he's done and is so much more. Just the preview feels so inspiring to my creative person. It makes me want to create with abandon instead of in my normal fussy, careful way. I worry too much about wasting time and materials and having a "polished" outcome instead of learning and discovering within the process. I hope it inspires you too. (Bonus! Todd Olham in a full hill-person beard!)

Project Runway: Women On the Go

Update: 1) I'm back from Portland, and it was awesome. More on that later. 2) I can get into my blog now, but I still can't reply to comments. I feel like a heel about it, but I don't know what to do. 3) Onto my belated Project Runway thoughts, and I know my thoughts about anything and everything are your favorite thoughts ever.

I don't like to dedicate too much space to the drama, but everything got jostled around a bit so I probably should. Both Andrea and Kooan left the competition voluntarily. It makes me mad that they just didn't stick it out and see what they could learn and do, but as Nathan said, they had to do what's best for them. Because two contestants left voluntarily, Raul got to return and continue in the competition. 

This week the contestants got to design for their preferred customer within the paramaters of creating an extremely versatile outfit for a busy woman. This means that the outfit must easily go from day to night, or from work to a night out.

My three favorites were also the judges favorites: Christopher, Sonjia, and Dmitry. I was a little bummed that the three garments were all very similar, but at the same time I understand why. They all chose jersey, which is comfortable and doesn't generally hold wrinkles; the palettes were all dark neutrals, which makes the garments more versatile and easy to add colorful accessories; and they all had either draping or tucking, which helps hide any bulgier body parts a woman may want to disguise. 

Sonjia won the challenge, but I personally liked Christopher's better with Sonjia in a very close second. Sonjia's dress was a wee bit off in proportions (I wish the skirt was a kiss longer), and there's something not quite right with the shape or the volume in the drape at the side. 

On the other hand, I loved Christopher's proportions even though his side drape was far too long. He even did my favorite thing of mixing hard and soft elements in his outfit.

I loved the padded shoulder detail on Dmitry's dress, but I think, as did the judges, that he didn't push his overall design far enough to make a lasting impression. His construction, however, was exquisite. It's hard to make jersey look as sharp as he made it look in the front detail, the hem, and finishing the back. He even put a zipper in beautifully. I'm feeling a little jealous of his skills.

The judges bottom three were also mine: Buffi, Fabio, and the man with the second chance, Raul. I knew Fabio wasn't going home. His outfit wasn't great, and his dress was far too short for all-day comfort, but it wasn't abysmal like Raul's and Buffi's. 

I probably would have booted Raul again. I mean, if that's what he created to redeem himself, he doesn't deserve to continue. Harsh but true. The pants alone were the truly embarrassing and tragic in fit and construction. It's one big messy blah.

And then there's Buffi. I mean, this outfit is truly awful in palette, construction, and silhouette, but I'm going to miss that little kook. I really think her aesthetic can be really fun, but she could never quite make anything come together in the given timeframes. I have a feeling that she's a designer that needs ample time to flesh out her ideas before they begin to click, so of course she wouldn't shine in this time-sensitive competition.

I don't feel the need to mention any of the other designs. They were all solid pieces, but none of them incited any strong like or dislike within my bosom. Oh wait, except for Elena. Her jacket looked like what people in the 80s thought the future would look, and it wasn't pretty. Would any of your or anyone you know wear it? I may have put her in the bottom three instead of Fabio.