SYTYCD Finale 2012

I always enjoy and loathe the finale's of SYTYCD. I enjoy seeing favorite numbers and whatever new they throw our way, but I loathe how they stretch it out into a two hour program for a 5 second announcement. C'est la vie.

The new numbers were all fantastic, and for me they got better as the night progressed. The first number with all top twenty dancers had a definite Firefly sound and feel, so I was predisposed to like it. I was even more entertained by the hip hop/animators poker number. I love it when the choreographers dance; it's incongruous and awesome at the same time. My mom had the winner comment of the night when she said that choreographer Christopher Scott "keeps up, but he's just terribly white." Congrats, mom! But the final Lion King number was the best of the new. It was strong and crazy, but it also had a touch of the cheesy. The weird cheetah/leapfrog jump over 3 dancers that happened towards the end was b-a-n-a-n-a-s. Lastly, I'm not sure that codpieces were necessary, but if anyone should wear one out of that group then it's Twitch.

Speaking of Twitch, I think he was in 5 or 6 dances, which I believe makes him the most featured dancer of the night. Drool.

Additionally I was so glad that the show featured Dragon House. I loved all those boys in the auditions,  they simply bowled me over, and I loved their number.

As to the results, I thought for sure Cyrus would win even though Chehon is the better dancer, so I was over the moon that my two ballet dancers won! Congratulations to Eliana and Chehon, they are both incredible and well-deserving. And congratulations America for making me happy with these winners.

P.S. I thought it was super awkward how they announced the winners. They should have announced them at the same time. Also what in the world was Eliana wearing for the announcement? Odd choice, indeed.

Three Seconds to Life Derailment

I suggested that I was busy in a post yesterday, but the busy was compounded by a certain frightening event on Saturday. Note: This is not a pity-party, it's just a story of what happened to me.

I was housesitting/dog sitting through last weekend at a house was 5 minute drive from my home. Saturday morning I wove through sleepy residential streets to go home and make a chocolate cream pie for Sunday dinner. I wasn't in a hurry as I hovered around the 25 MPH speedlimit, thought about chocolate cream, and listened to KRCL playing 60s folk at me, then BOOM! I'm turning and screeching and blurring and adrenaling. 

I took me several beats to comprehend what happened, and my breathing became a little labored as I realized I had been in what appeared to be a pretty bad car wreck. I shoved away everything that had flown from my front seat into my lap (like my giant lap top), put my head in my hands, and asked my brain if I was hurt (a little tingling on the right cheek, a little pain in the left foot). Then I began to shake. 

After that first rush of adrenaline, my eyes were able to focus again as I saw two guys running to the front of my car, but hesitant to get too close. I got out of my car, and the very first thing I did was check to see if I had missed a stop sign. I checked four times. I was driving south to north, the other driver (an 18 year old girl) was driving east to west, when she ran a yield and T-boned my car right good. There was no signage on my south to north part of the intersection, so at least I didn't have the guilt of being at fault to deal with.

At this point there are about 15 other people there (who all oddly disappeared before the police got there), but the first thing I did was call my dad since he was only two blocks away. I then called non-emergency police, because neither of us were injured, and as I talked to dispatch my dad turned the corner. It was then that I began to sob. Isn't it weird how you can often be so stoic and practical in a crisis until someone you love shows up then you fall to pieces? 

Hilariously the two guys that had run to my car gathered up my hubcap and put it in my back seat, then one asked me if it was okay if he turned off my car, then they had a footrace back to their house.

Later an officer told me that it looked like the other driver was going at least 25 MPH, and there were no skid marks or indications that she was slowing or breaking. The only two things she said to me were, "I didn't see you," and "They should put up stop signs here." A yield is a stop for you when someone is coming, girlie. She was also coming from her grandma's house, so she was certainly familiar with the street. My personal conclusion was that she was texting, but I can never prove that, and she certainly didn't admit it. 

The crazy-lucky thing about the accident was that I didn't see her coming, not even in my peripheral, so I didn't tense up or have any fear before impact. I think that really saved me from having worse injuries and extreme soreness. I have three visible bruises: One big one all over my left shoulder and arm (probably from my seatbelt), one the size of a dime on my right calf, and one the size of an orange on my right thigh. I'm also slightly muscle-sore all over, and a bunch of skin somehow got scraped off the top of my left foot; it didn't even bleed but it still stings like nobody's business. I'm going to the doctor today to get a "just in case" assessment, but my body feels oddly fine. Because I had no terrible injuries, the worst part was the adrenaline. I don't know how people can be adrenaline junkies, because it was awful. At one point I thought I might even barf. After about an hour of the shakes, I was absolutely freezing for 3 hours, and completely exhausted for two days and I'm still running a little tired now.

As to my car, they will likely total it. Once that mid beam (?) gets bent, you can't fix it, and the car loses it's structural integrity. You bet your bottom dollar I will post any new-to-me cars I may acquire in this process. In the meantime, here are some pics of my car of 11 years after the accident.

As she pushed my car sideways, all the rubber ripped of my tire.
As my brother Dave said, "Tires don't like to go sideways."

Front view of the crash. 

Back view. Both doors popped out of their frames.

You can see the back of the yield she ran, and you can see just how far she pushed me.
I'm almost in the gutter on the  opposite side of the street.

The damage after her car was pulled away. Glad I didn't have a passenger. 

Trailer Tuesday: Lincoln

Fooled you! Turns out I got to Trailer Tuesday on tuesday. But it's a bit of a copout, because a lot of you follow my updates on Facebook, and I already posted this trailer there last week. But you know what? It's that good, so why not overshare it?

I've been seeing amazing images of Daniel Day Lewis as Abraham Lincoln for a couple of months now. The transformation is amazing, and I hope whoever did the make up gets an Oscar. The only thing that was odd for me in this preview was Mr. Lewis' voice. For some reason I've always imagined Lincoln having a larger than life, booming voice. I'll just have to get over it, because Mr. Lewis is an incredible actor that always completely loses himself in a character. Other than my personal issues with Lincoln's voice, this movie looks fantastic, plus I feel like everyone is in it: Daniel Day Lewis, Sally Field, Lee Pace, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn, and of all people James Spader, to name a few.

So Much Life

Well, turns out I'm even too busy to Trailer Tuesday it. (Yes I just used Trailer Tuesday as a verb phrase.)  I haven't even done the rundown of last week's Project Runway. Just so you know that I haven't fallen off the earth (almost, but not quite), here's what's brewing for posts, because apparently a whole month of my life happened in one week.

• How my car got totaled (I'm fine)
• Project Runway post for last week and of course this week
• SYTYCD finale results
• Trailer Tuesday, but not on Tuesday (obviously)
• The story of seeing a long lost friend
• How I'm working 2-4 kinds of jobs while trying to apply for another

Harmony the Store

Last night I was invited to attend the VIP (that's me!) preview night at a new store opening in Utah Valley called Harmony. The store is owned by my good friend Laura Harmon, and she's selling unique fabrics, yarns, notions, quirky knick-knacks, funky craft supplies, and much more. This is the kind of stuff you would never in a million years see at Joann's, Michael's or the like.

Wardrobe of wool yarn. (Sorry about the bad  pics.)

It was like a dream walking in and seeing types of fabrics that I forgot existed because of the homogeny of chain stores. Laura has ordered bolts and bolts of batiks and other fabrics from Ghana, Missoni surplus from New York, designer cotton prints that are soft and luxurious to the touch, and French linens, to name a few. She is even planning on stocking bridal fabrics and laces and some woolens. (There's a small selection of each in-store now.)

 

Bridal lace and eyelet trims.

There are buttons that I didn't know even know existed made of painted or embroidered wood or plastics molded into retro designs or flowers in bloom.

The store is also in collaboration with her four daughters who will teach classes (among others) and use Harmony as a brick and mortar for their online businesses. One of her daughters has a small clothing line called Pronk, and another has a sweet store called Darlybird. She sells gobs of jewelry, accessories, housewares, and other sundries, including the triceratops bank below.

The other aspect of the store is that they are offering all sorts of classes. So far there are classes in bookbinding, basket weaving, knitting, crocheting, cooking, dying, and more. The grand opening is happening September 14-15, and there will be lots of giveaways and music and good times, so if you happen to be in Utah Valley, stop by and partake in the visual feast!

SYTYCD for 11 September 2012: Finale Performance

Well, well, well, here we is at the SYTYCD performance finale, and what a finale it was! It's tricky to break it down because all the contestants danced five times, or in other words, everyone danced with everyone plus more. I'll try to make it quick, yet chalk-full.

Quartet
I'll start with the worst first. Remember that quartet that was smack in the middle of the show that Tyce choreographed? I've been trying to forget it. It was messy and confusing, and once again the music was terribly off-putting and distracting.

Solos
Everyone had fantastic solos this time out. Eliana was graceful and elegant as always; Tiffany had a myriad of amazing turns; Chehon had so much effortless control, especially in his turns; and we all are fully aware of the insanity that is Cyrus in is own style.

All Star Partners
Tiffany & AS Will had a Sonja number, but Sonja was off for me again with this dance. Or maybe this time it was the fact that AS Will didn't do a great job. How did he struggle so much with that last lift?

Chehon & AS Allison danced an incredible Stacy Tookey number. It was like someone turned a switch on in Chehon two weeks ago, and the performance aspect of his dances went through the roof! He's an unstoppable train now.

Eliana & AS Alex pulled the glorious Travis Wall. I really can't get enough of how dance both oozes and explodes from Eliana. The power and control over just her feet in this dance were a sight to behold, not to mention the rest of her performance. She totally out danced Alex, which is as it should be in the finale.

Cyrus & AS Twitch. Need I say more? Yes, yes, I do. First, the fact that these two beautiful men dancing together was a little fever-inducing. Then they broke those "glass" panes and dance the bejeezus out of that number. In my notes: "Muscles McGees. Yipes!"

Partnered Contestants
Cyrus & Eliana pasodoble. Yawn. He didn't even really dance. She just danced amazingly around him.

Chehon & Eliana ballet! I was hoping and hoping and hoping for this, and I was not disappointed. Despite the fact that her tutu was...not great, they both looked ridiculously beautiful in this dance.

Cyrus & Tiffany hip hop. I frankly don't remember it, and my notes are subpar this time around. However, it was here that I realized that Cyrus is Twitch Jr. as far as my love of their faces go. I just want them both to smile at me all day long.

Tiffany & Eliana pole dance? Are you kidding me?! I was so scared that this was going to a place that I didn't want to be, but frankly it was entirely entertaining and impressive. I thought Eliana out-danced Tiffany, but not by much. It was probably that mind-boggling ending with Eliana turning around that pole with one leg forward, one leg back, and a wicked smile on her face.

Cyrus & Chehon danced a (finally) great Sonja piece. Well, overall it was great, but every time my eyes left Chehon, I was thoroughly disappointed in Cyrus's quality of movement. It's almost comical to see Cyrus dance next to the technically magnificent Chehon, so I just watched Chehon.

I'm sorry to end on ballroom, but Chehon & Tiffany danced a rumba. It was fine. That's it. Also Tiffany is a hedgehog; every time the judges say something good to her, she tucks her head down and her body arches like she's about to roll into a ball and hide. I realized that this behavior actually makes her forgettable, because instead of it being a humle and endearing action, it makes her seem unconfident and kind of...weak.

I'm wishing and wishing that Chehon and Eliana win, it is obvious that they are the superior dancers. But let's not forget what Simon said tonight: neither Tiffany nor Cyrus were ever in the bottom three, so their fan base may overtake the talent and skills of Chehon and Eliana.

Trailer Tuesday: Wuthering Heights & Cloud Atlas

I was hopping to find a nice, mediocre RomCom to share today, because at the moment I'm the crabbiest crab that ever crabbed, and I only wanted to watch mindless, fluffy trailers. Tis not the season, I'm afraid. So instead I'll just say some crabby things about a story I've never really liked, yet I'm a bit interested in this retelling of Wuthering Heights. It's been so long since I've read it that I can't tell you what I don't like about it specifically, but I still get a bad taste in my mouth when I think about it. On top of that, and based on the trailer, the acting looks like it might be subpar, and there were no good shots of costumes to intrigue me. Yet I have a feeling that I will eventually see this movie. Whatevs. (Said crabbily.) Happy note: I believe that's Mumford and Sons playing in the last half of the trailer. Swoon.

The trailer for Cloud Atlas made me feel a little better, even though my pessimism (via crabbiness) thinks that there's only a small chance that it will be be kind of amazing, and it more likely will be kind of a hot mess, but I still have hope for the amazing. I like a lot of the premise too, which is filled with reincarnation and sci-fi/fantasy and universal human connection and Jim Broadbent. So here you go. (Said curtly.) And if you stuck with reading this crabby post, thanks. And I'm sorry. Almost.

Project Runway: "Starving Artist"

This week's episode of Project Runway was another episode dedicated to reenacting the nightmares of an introvert (me). Meaning the designers had to decorate T-shirts and aggressively sell them or otherwise beg for money on the streets of New York in order to get their Mood spending money for the challenge. If you remember during All Stars, the designers had to ask strangers for the clothes off their backs, which is infinitely worse. At least this time around the designers worked in groups of three and they actually had something to offer in exchange for money.

Here's how the teams and cash stacked up:

Team 1
Christopher
Sonjia
Gunnar
$684

Team 2
Dmitry
Elena
Alicia
$500

Team 3
Ven
Melissa
Fabio
$800.48

The actual challenge (which had nothing to do with the title) was for each team of three to design two fall looks, and at least one look had to include outerwear. Fall is my favorite time of year, season and clothes-wise, so I was excited to see what the designers came up with.

I was also scared of the drama that would inevitably happen around Elena and the potential bearing of fangs between Gunnar and Christopher. Of course Elena was her usual hot mess of roller coaster emotions, but surprisingly Gunnar and Christopher were not only civil, but there was zero drama, and maybe even a little kindness. I was rather proud of Christopher for acknowledging on the runway the great dresses Gunnar made. It's not an easy thing to swallow your pride or your dislike of someone and genuinely compliment and appreciate their work.

It was as clear to me as it was to the judges that Team 1 did the best work in the challenge. Gunnar's dresses were both surprisingly fantastic, excepting that the hem on the longer one was stretched out, poorly finished, and should have been about two inches shorter, hitting at mid-calf.

I thought I would hate Christopher's modified trench, but it turned out good enough. I especially enjoyed the asymmetrical collar, but I would never buy a coat without sleeves no matter how interesting it is on the runway.

The pièce de résistance of the whole evening was Sonjia's green jacket. I loved it and I would buy it in a heartbeat (but only if it had long sleeves, not three-quarter). It was interesting and unique, yet there was nothing impractical about it. I also love asymmetry, so it was an all around win for me, and for Sonjia since she won the challenge!

The judges put both of the other teams on notice for doing a poor job, but since there was the most discord in Team 2, I knew that they would have the worst collection. That's always the way it is, because discord in a team is inevitably reflected in the designs. And as guest judge Anna Sui said, "It's always a team that makes a collection." A designer never does it alone. Ever. I didn't love anything in their collection, but Dmitry's dress was the best piece, if nothing else because it was the most well-made.

Elena's coat was so terribly man-handled. It needed either more or less structure, but instead it sagged in some awful between space. Additionally it could have used a very thorough press. Seriously y'all, pressing is arguably the most important thing when you sew. Press as you go, press and press when you finish. It makes a huge amount of difference in the sharpness and quality of a finished product.

Alicia finally went home for creating yet more snooze-fest garments. It was inevitable, because she never once took any risks or did anything beyond basic. (I do wish Elena would've gone home, but she'll be there soon.) I thought Michael Kors had a rare deep moment when he told Alicia that the detailing she added on her shirt was "intellectual with no purpose." That's a pretty good line for a lot of situations.

Team 3 made a mostly forgettable collection that looked the cheapest even though they raised the most money. I actually liked a lot about the first look. I didn't think the skirt was as matronly or frumpy as the judges suggested. I think the only problem of the skirt was that it was too long for the amount of fullness, so it visually weighed down the outfit. But cut four inches off that bad boy to just below the knee, and it's a fun retro-inspired skirt with a lot of great movement. The skirt also needed to be paired with a shirt and tucked in so that you can see the detail at the top. Melissa's jacket was the best piece in the collection, even if the collar was a little too high for my taste. I also liked the matching socks. I don't know why, but I do.

The knit tees that Fabio made were terrible. It had a lot to do with the fact that the knit fabric choice was terrible. Not only that, but his coat was so poorly made. Who makes a stand collar or front facing with a fall-weight fabric without putting in any sort of interfacing? Answer: No one in their right mind. He didn't necessarily need a stiff interfacing, but he needed something to provide stability and sharpness in the finishing touches. And the buttons were extremely pedestrian and boring. Some big funky buttons or colored buttons could've really worked on that jacket. Maybe in the pink color of the T-shirts? Fabio certainly dodged a bullet this week.

I'm so excited to see Mondo next week! He will always be one of my favorite Project Runway contestants.

SYTYCD for 5 September 2012

Full disclosure: I was so tired when I watched this episode and when I wrote the post, and I wasn't really in the mood to do either. I acknowledge that this probably affected my opinions of the dances as well as the quality of this post.

No dilly-dallying today.

The contestants each danced with another contestant, with an All Star, and by themselves.

Mostly the solos were fine to great. Chehon and Cyrus are both simply unbelievable in their styles, and Cole and Eliana were both very strong. For me Tiffany's was fine, but nothing extraordinary. Witney's solo was boring. There was way too much skirt popping and sexy posing and not enough dancing.

The All Star dances were a little all over the place this week. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I did not love Sonja's work tonight. I didn't particularly like the opening number, and even though the judges liked it, I didn't like Cole & AS Melanie Moore's dance all that much either. C'est la vie.

I'm also disappointed to say that Eliana & AS Twitch's hip hop was awkward and kind of terrible. First of all, that remix of "Please Mr. Postman" was awful and distracting, but in reality I don't think my darling Eliana was made for hippin' and hoppin' (just like me!). It simply didn't work.

The middle ground of fair to good was held by Tiffany & AS Benji's highly energetic and fun jive that I can't really remember, and Witney & AS Marco's jazz piece that I noted was "pretty good," but I don't remember it either.

Cyrus and AS Comfort did an amazing dubstep dance. The choreography was complicated and intricate, but this pair danced with power and precision.

The top dance in the All Star section 100% belongs to Chehon & AS Kathryn. I'm oddly so proud of Chehon for finally being able to show emotion and passion in his dance. Thank you, Chehon.

Just as Eliana is not meant for hip hop, Chehon was not meant for ballroom. The chacha he did with Witney was boring and technically subpar. I was happy that he was able to recover from the lift mistake and move on, because that's a sign of a confident and professional dancer.

Speaking of recovery, Cyrus also had an amazing recovery when he couldn't quite get his jacket off in time during is broadway number with Tiffany. He just kept dancing and supporting Tiffany, then shucked that sucker when he could. The number itself was very good.

But Cole & Eliana danced my favorite number of the night! First Mia Michaels choreographs a piece about anger inspired by rams ramming into each other, but then she pairs it with "Adagio for Strings." That juxtaposition of hard and soft alone was fantastic, but to have Eliana and Cole dance it with such emotion and strength and skill was a rare treat, indeed.

Drumroll for the final four: Chehon, Cyrus, Eliana, and Tiffany.

That means Witney and Cole are out. As you may know, I'm 100% fine with Witney and her dead eyes leaving, but I think it's a crying shame that Cole was sent packing. I wanted him in the top so badly! I mean, I get it, Cole's clearly a better technical dancer than Cyrus, but Cole doesn't have the same personal magnetism as Cyrus. And as Simon reminds us weekly, the prize is America's favorite dancer, not America's best dancer.

A Little Housekeeping & David Johnson

As you know, I have been posting about Project Runway and So You Think You Can Dance. If you ever read comments (which I can now respond to), you may have noticed a new trend of people (namely Gridlock Manifesto, Chelsea Green, and Taylor Lourdes) talking about the Dish Network and their DVR product called a Hopper. I know these comments are basically ads, but I don't know if the comments are made by people who are just doing their job or if they're computer generated comments, because sometimes the comments seem to reflect that they've actually read the post and/or seen whichever show I'm speaking about. If it's just people doing their job, I don't think I mind leaving it up. I mean, we're all trying to make a buck, right? On the other hand, why should I let Dish have free advertising in the space I have created? So what do you guys think? Should I just leave them up unless they become...worser?

Next, remember this post I did about "The Soundtrack of Your Life"? Well I decided on an answer to number six, "What is a song that makes you you?" The winner is "You Make My Dreams Come True" by Hall and Oates. It's a tongue in cheek choice (because of course they're singing about me), it's a little cheesy, and it's a little awesome, and all these descriptors describe me. Plus I went through a significant revisiting of music of the 80s in my late teens and early 20s that has shaped much of my current music tastes. Enough of that.

Lastly, yesterday on Tumblr I found some fantastic photos from a Canadian novice photographer named David Johnson, aka DaveyJ. A lot of his stuff is pedestrian, but he fully admits that photography is a passionate hobby that he is still learning about. However, he has these fantastic long-exposure shots of fireworks. I've never seen this done before, so I was highly pleased at their loveliness. Extra bonus for me, some of them look like weird glass Christmas ornaments or lights, and since Christmas and the 4th of July are my favorite holidays, it's like he took these photos just for me! Take a gander as some of the photos below and see the rest here. He also sells some prints here.

Trailer Tuesday: The Untouchable Girls & The Sapphires

Inexplicably today is all about sassy sisters in New Zealand and Australia.

On Sunday I was cruising around the internet, as is my wont, when I stumbled upon a video that Flight of the Conchords did for Red Nose Day in New Zealand. In the video there were a couple of grizzly bearded guys that I was curious about, so I tried to find out who they were. I never did finish my search, because I stumbled upon The Topp Twins. From what I understand they're an immensely popular comedy duo in New Zealand, and last year a documentary called The Untouchable Girls was released about them. I will let the trailer flesh out their story, but just know that I was completely charmed by The Topp Twins. You can also see some of their regular comedy sketches and characters here.

Now to Australia for a film based on a true story. The Sapphires is about four aboriginal sisters in 1968 who are trying to make it in the music business singing country western when a talent scout (the lovely Chris O'Dowd) discovers them, molds them into "Australia's answer to The Supremes," and secures them a gig in Vietnam singing for the US troops. Bonus: It was an Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival (one of twenty in competition for the Palme d'Or award), so it should be more than decent.