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Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas!


I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to all!  I hope your holidays are happy and full of family and the holiday spirit.

"'And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"

Friday, December 18, 2009

The Muppet Christmas Carol




The Muppets take on Charles Dickens' classic tale "A Christmas Carol" with their own special twist of course.  Starring Michael Caine as Ebeneezer Scrooge and the cast of the Muppets in various role, this is a fun take on the old story. It follows the Dickens story fairly faithfully and most of Scrooge's dialogue is straight on.  The addition of Charles Dickens (Gonzo) as the narrator is funny.

It is a musical as Muppet movies usually are, though the songs are less memorable.  I like particulary "It feels like Christmas," a jauntly little tune.  The special effects are well done for 1992 and the Muppets are so great.  Michael Caine makes an excellent Scrooge and I love Miss Piggy's Mrs. Cratchit.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Favorite Christmas Books

Christmas time is upon us and I've been doing some lovely holiday reading.  So in particular order, are some of my favorite Christmas reading.

1. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Barbara Robinson) - I loved the movie growing up.  We had it on tape and use to watch it all the time.  I read the book a few years back and now I try to read it at least once during the season.  It's about the Herdmans, a group of bad children, who take over a Christmas pageant and end up making everyone think about the true meaning of the Nativity and who learn themselves the meaning of Christmas.

2. Skipping Christmas (John Grisham) - My favorite holiday book, I listen to it every year for about 5 years now.  I love how the Kranks try to "skip Christmas" with hilarious results and how no one wants to let them and everyone acts very selfishly until the very end.

3.  A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens) - Of course, this is a perennial favorite.  There is much more to this little novella than any adaptation you will see (though my favorite is A Muppet Christmas Carol) and the redemption of Scrooge is so classic.

4. The Gift of the Magi (O. Henry) - Another lovely classic, it's the story of two people willing to sacrifice something they love for each other.  So much goes into the act of sacrificing something that it makes the realization at the end very poignant.

5.  A Christmas Story (Jean Shepherd) - The famous movie is actually based on four short stories by Shephered.  I love the extended version of what happens to Ralphie that this is a great book to listen to during the Christmas season.

So there are my favorite re-reads for Christmas.  What are some of yours?

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Quote - Grinch


And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Dr. Seuss

Friday, December 11, 2009

Adori Graphics Countdown to Christmas Giveway!

One of my favorite blogs is having a super great Countdown to Christmas Giveaway. Louise at Adori Graphics is giving away custom blog items everyday.  So if you are looking for something to add that extra special something to your blog, head on over there.  She does excellent work.  Check out my header at The Little Bookworm to see.

So far she's doing a giveway for the following:
Day 1 - win a premade template - CLOSED - winner is Crazy For Books
Day 2 - win a custom Christmas card design - CLOSED - winner is Peterson Family
Day 3 - win a Christmas or winter themed digital scrapbooking kit - closes 17th
Day 4 - win a grab box - closes 27th Dec
Day 5 - win a favicon (5 winners) - closes 27th
Day 6 - win a custom Twitter background - closes 27th Dec
Day 7 - win a custom or premade business card design - closes 27th Dec
Day 8 - Win a menu bar - closes 27th Dec
Day 9 - Win a £5 gift certificate for my store - closes 27th Dec
Day10 - Win a blog background - closes 27th Dec
Day 11 - Win a large blog button - closes 27th Dec
Day 12 - Win a signature graphic - closes 27th Dec
Day 13 - Win a post icon - closes 27th Dec
Day 14 - Win a custom decorative sidebar photo frame design - closes 27th Dec
Day 15 - Win a custom header - closes 27th Dec
Day 16 - Win a photo style rotating header - closes 27th Dec
Day 17 - Win a set of custom digital pin badge style buttons - closes 27th Dec
Day 18 - Win a logo design - closes 27th Dec
Day 19 - Win a watermark - closes 27th Dec
Day 20 - Win an owl themed premade template - closes 27th Dec
Day 21 - Win a custom mini makeover - closes 27th Dec
Day 22 - Win a header - closes 27th Dec
Day 23 - Win a background - closes 27th Dec
Day 24 - Win a £10 gift certificate - closes 27th Dec
Day 25 - Win a basic makeover - closes 27th Dec

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Quote It Saturday - Christmas

Ho, ho, but no matter. Christmas was on its way. Lovely, glorious, beautiful Christmas, upon which the entire kid year revolved.

A Christmas Story -1983

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Holiday Movies

It's Christmas time and now all of the best holiday movies are coming on TV and we are breaking out our DVDs.  Here's a list of some of the favorites around my house.


1. A Charlie Brown Christmas - We own it and my husband has to break it out at least 2 times a year.  And now the boy is loving Snoopy.  My favorite part is when Linus quotes the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 8 through 14 to emphasize what Christmas is really about: 
"'And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"

2. A Christmas Story - annual favorite and all time classic.  "I want an offical Red Ryder BB Gun with a compass in the scope and this thing that tells time."  I love it when the kid's tongue gets stuck to the pole.

3.  The Santa Clause - I just find it to be a very cute movie with great spirit.

4.  All the stop motion animated Christmas specials like Santa Claus is Coming to Town with the Burgermeister Meisterburger and Frosty the Snowman

5. A Muppet Christmas Carol - I just bought it because I love it so much.  The songs and the acting is really great and of course, Muppets! What could be better?

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Social Justice Challenge


Normally I don't do challenges here since they are mostly reading challenges and I have a book blog for that.  But this one seems a little different so I'm signing up for it here.  This is a very interesting challenge.  For the Social Justice Challenge, the organizers have chosen to focus each month on a different area of social injustice in the world. During that month, we are asking that you read something from the list of resources or watch something suggested by that month’s host.

There are different levels of participation and you can choose your level each month. The themes are:

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Quote It - Practical Magic

 Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Add pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender, for luck. Fall in love whenever you can."
— Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic)

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!




I just want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you have a great day. 
I hope everyone has something to be thankful for this time of year.


I'm thankful for my husband, my little boy, my family, for having people to love and being loved by them.  I'm thankful for my life.





cross posted with The Little Bookworm

Monday, November 23, 2009

A Tribute...

So yesterday was the 2nd anniversary of my favorite uncle's death.  It's hard to believe that it's been two years.  My uncle was married to my aunt (my father's sister) for 25 years, but he was my dad's best friend for almost 50 years.  I know that my dad still feels the loss of his friend as to the rest of us.  I still miss a lot and sometimes I find myself thinking about something I want to say to him or show him and then I remember.

My uncle died of pancreatic cancer on Thanksgiving two years ago.  He waited until we were all together as a family which was really just like him.  He had been sick for almost 6 months when he died, but he had been a wheelchair for a very long time.  A motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the waist down and he had a lot of health problems as a result so it might have been a relief to him, I don't know.  I don't say that meanly but when you've been as sick as he was, I imagine the loss of that pain to be a relief.

By Thanksgiving he wasn't lucid and was actually in a coma at the time.  But a few days before we visited him (he was at home) and talked for a little while.  He loved my little boy who loved him back and I know my uncle loved seeing him (the boy wasn't a year yet) so he got to hold him a little.  And as we were leaving he said told me to take care of that boy and I said I always would and then we said our I love yous and that was the last conversation I ever had with him.  But I keep it in my heart as I keep my uncle in my heart.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Quote It Saturday - On My Bones


What these years have brought me
What these years have taught me
Heartache and fame
A chance to change
A Hope to be stronger
That beauty can smolder
A stage and a curtain
That nothing's for certain
Oh these years have been hard on my bones

- Kendall Payne "On My Bones"

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

50 Things

A meme someone sent me long ago...

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No

2.WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? last night

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? It's okay, my calligraphy is pretty good

4.WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? roast beef, but only if it on the rare side

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? 1 crazy little man

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yeah, I'm nice and funny and try to be thoughtful

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM? ahahaha yes

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? no

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? yes

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Lucky Charms or Count Chocula, you know anything with marshmallows

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? no although I know I should

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Dippin Dots Banana Split

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? smile and hair

15. RED OR PINK? i want to say pink but really red

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? my temper

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? my friends from Iberia, it's quiet here

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST? it's up to them

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? blue jeans and brown boots

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Superior Saturday by Garth Nix

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? orange

23. FAVORITE SMELL? almond

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?  husband I think

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? But of course!

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? curling

27. HAIR COLOR? brown with blond streaks

28. EYE COLOR blue

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? yes I do.

30. FAVORITE FOOD? BT's spaghetti

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? happy endings

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? A Christmas Story last night

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? maroon

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? neither, spring

35. HUGS OR KISSES? depends on who you are

36. FAVORITE DESSERT? king cake

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Blue Moon by Alyson Noël

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Mr. Men and Little Miss

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Scrubs

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S)? Little man's laugh

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Rome, Italy

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? IDK, I have good aesthetics


49. IS THE CUP HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY? Depends of what's in the cup, but half full

50. IF YOU COULD SIT DOWN TO DINNER WITH FIVE PEOPLE WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE? Whoever is willing to come.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Quote It Saturday - Sing


Sing
Sing a song
Make it simple
To last your whole life long
Don't worry that it's not good enough
For anyone else to hear
Sing
Sing a song

Sesame Street "Sing a Song"

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

It's almost over (or "Finale Part I")

Last Heidi runway where they get $9,000 dollars to create their collection and like three months.  Tim Gunn and Heidi go and hip/bootie bump behind the screen which might be disturbing in real life, I don't know.  God this season is so boring.  I'm happy everyone was soooo talented but they don't make good television.  Also the judging was horrible.  Word is that next time Michael and Nina on back on every episode.  This is a very good thing.  All the mixed up judging didn't do anyone any favors.

Tim visits Carol Hannah in the suburbs of New York to view her work so far.  She was inspired by Duke University.  Her color scheme is purpley and dark mostly.  Carol Hannah's family is in and make him a dinner except he has to make biscuits.

Irina is in Upper East Side of Manhattan.  She has a small white poodle named Princess (of course, she does).  She is inspired by Coney Island.  She is making "special" t-shirts and big sweaters and some fur.  He gives her some food for thought.  They go to lunch with her parents and friends.  She and her sister look exactly alike and just like their mother.  Her parents expect her to win with no question which is nice but doesn't leave a lot of room for failure.  I see why she is so driven now.

Althea is in Dayton, Ohio.  She is inspired by science fiction movies and the strong women in them.  Tim is concerned that it is too costumey.  She needs to focus and edit.  They go visit her family and friends.  Apparently she has been sewing since the 5th grade.

Irina is apparently unfamiliar with copyright law and is apparaently also stupid because she tried to use copyrighted images on her t-shirts.  Bless.  Now she is stuck.  Althea is happy to be going to Fashion Week as is everyone else.  There is a lot of tension between the two, but not enough to be interesting.  They both do the mean girl fake nice very well.  I expect with the two of them being so pretty and catty they've had a lot of practice.  Carol Hannah is arriving late because she has a stomach virus that is contagious.

Tim goes around and questions everyone's collection.  Althea and Carol Hannah have consistency problems and Irina is having color issues and problems with her finale dress.  General cattiness between Althea and Irina abounds.  Anyway, choosing models, etc.  Nina and Micheal show up to give advice and add extra pressure.  Models, blah, blah.  Heidi come in with Tim and that never goes well.  One final suprise: they have to create one more look.  I'm so shocked (not really).  Why do they seem so shocked?  Have they never watched the show?  Honestly, I would expect this and have something in mind, at least.  Whatever.  They have help with Logan, Christopher, and Gordana.  Althea gets Logan, Irina takes Gordana, and Carol Hannah gets Christopher.  Carol Hannah looks jealous that Althea has Logan. Oh and the models get to choose the 13th model for this look.  So now I know what that episode will be about and I don't have to watch it.  I wasn't going to anyway because I'm really tired and don't care that much.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Quote It Saturday - Illusion




This is a weekly meme from the Chick that Reads in which you can quote from anything really. Favorite books, people, just anything that you like!



"Freedom is an illusion. It always comes at a price."
— Jonathan Stroud (The Amulet of Samarkand

Friday, November 6, 2009

The last challenge (or "The Art of Design")

So I missed most of last week, but Logan and Koji are out and Christopher is somehow still on. I don't know why either.

Last challenge before Bryant Park and everyone is super excited. Althea and Irina are fighting because Irina is a bitch and can't shut up. Gordana is still around. Huh, who would have thought? Anyway... what's up with Heidi's hair?

The designers go to the J. Paul Getty Museum where Tim and the Mayor welcome them which is a little late. The challenge is to "create a design using the Getty Center as inspiration." Althea is inspired by the building itself, Carol Hannah chooses a French bed with blue curtains and bedding, Irina chooses a painting called "Mischief and Repose" by John William Godward, Christopher is inspired by a foundation, and Gordana chooses a Monet painting. Everyone goes to Mood and gets their stuff. Irina gets a giant, giant Scandinavian rabbit fur. Haha Tim who basically tells them there can be only one.
Gordana makes fun of Heidi's literal sensibilities. Christopher is stunned he is still around. So are the rest of us, honey.

At the apartment the ladies bitch, blah blah. At the workroom, Tim comes around. Christopher needs an editing eye, Carol Hannah shouldn't lose the sophistication, Irina worries Tim with her roadkill jacket(?), Althea perplexes Tim and needs to bring a critical eye (Irina thinks this is funny), and Gordana has achieved her look.

God, I hope Irina loses so she will shut her face. (She is good, but humility is a little something she should think about.)

Judges: Heidi, Cynthia Rowley (who doesn't write anything down), Nina Garcia, Cindy Crawford (who hasn't ages quite as well as Heidi but is still beautiful)

Althea - short gold dress with low neckline and low sides
Judges - too ambitous, skirt overworked, top underworked

Carol Hannah - long gold dress shiny at the top with a slash from hip to thigh and then a more matte material and a one shoulder braided strap
Judges - dress doesn't reflect bed, playing it too safe, but lovely 

Christopher - long gray blue dress with a little ribbon belt at the waist and a higher neck
Judges - love the top, heavy on the bottom, (he cries when Heidi asks if he is confident in this dress, something about a rock)

Gordana - long flowy white, gray, mauve dress that really does reflect that painting
Judges -  beautiful, needs to take a bigger chance

Irina - knee length green flowy dress with a gold belt and long sleeves
Judges - like the back, length old lady, too much styling

Heidi calls on everyone to explain why they should go and who should go with them.  Althea surprisingly calls for Irina and vice versa. Huh.

So going to (last year's) Fashion Week is Irina, Carol Hannah, and Althea.

Christopher is out.  Gordana is out.  No real surprises here except how Christopher made it all the way through.  He is nice enough but damn.


Thursday, November 5, 2009

Halloween

I've been neglecting this blog.  Sadly I haven't watched last week's Project Runway yet, but I need to before tonight.  I don't know if there will be a post on it or not.  I know that will be a disappointment for my 4 readers.  Ah well.
Anyway,  we've been really busy with Halloween last week and I am running my library's book sale this week and the little boy is sick now with a cold so it's been a little stressful.  The in-laws came for Halloween which was nice and BT made chili and we all went trick or treating except for my parents who stayed and handed out candy, but we had very few (no) trick or treaters at our house.  I think our neighborhood is too new.

Here's a couple of pics from Halloween night.



BT's Blue Brothers pumpkin and my Swiper the Fox pumpkin



End of the night where Bub decided it would be a good idea to walk around with his bucket on his head.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween!





First let me say, Happy Halloween!!! It's one of my favorite holidays and we've got some good fun planned for the little boy (who is 2).  He's going to be a tiger (RAWR).  I'm planning on taking him to an authentic Cajun village nearby for a little trick-or-treating and some fun.  Then his grandparents are coming over and my husband is making chili and we will take him treat or treating in a nearby neighborhood.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Quote It Saturday - Maureen Johnson


This is a weekly meme from the Chick that Reads in which you can quote from anything really. Favorite books, people, just anything that you like!





"Claim whatever you want. Say you only want a happy family or a successful career or a big house. I say: no, that's not what you want. You'll settle for those things, but you really want a monkey that does your evil bidding. Pullman is a genius just for this."

Friday, October 23, 2009

All you need is love (and a sense of humor)

Today is my 5th anniversary of marriage to my wonderful husband.  We dated 6 years before we got married so we've been together for 11 years now!  In honor of this occasion, I present to you a bibliography of our life (in titles).

Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging - Louise Rennison
Practical Magic - Alice Hoffman
Kiss the Bride - Patrica (Meg) Cabot
The Kingdom Keepers - Ridley Pearson (We went to Disney World for our honeymoon)
Swift as Desire - Laura Esquivel
Great Expectations: Your All-in-One Resource for Pregnancy & Childbirth - Sandy Jones              
The Baby Owner's Manual - Joe Borgenicht
The Boy Book - E. Lockhart
A Crooked Kind of Perfect - Linda Urban
P.S. I Love You - Cecelia Ahern

cross posted with The Little Bookworm

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Location, location (or "Around the World in 2 Days")

Once again, this is written as I watch.
Blah blah blah, people gone, we are all good blah

The designers go to Rodeo Drive to meet Tim and Michael Kors who talks about locale inspiration.  Back at the workroom,  Tim lays out all the locations and the designers choose what they want.
Carol Hannah - Palm Beach
Nicolas - Greece
Althea - St. Tropez
Gordana - New York
Irina - Aspen
Christopher - Santa Fe
Logan - Hollywood

$150 - one day challenge. Usual stuff at Mood.  Logan is feeling okay, and Irina is planning a 3 piece outfit (and is bitchy).  Nicolas and Christopher worry about Michael Kors' reaction.
Tim Gunn comes in and makes his rounds.  Gordan is making a necklace and no dress.  Tim is worried.  Althea is doing a mock-up first so she can get the tailoring right on the actual dress.  Christopher has something going on.  Tim says make it fabulous.  Carol Hannah is making a print dress (it looks like a mumu) (Uli would rock Palm Beach).  Tim says cliche.  Nicholas is doing white with a pant.  Logan is making something young and "Hollywood."  Irina is making a lot.  Tim says to watch proportions.  Models come in.  Logan is struggling with fitting Celine.  Irina is very talented but crosses the patting self on the back line a lot.  Christopher is not doing well.  He cuts the dress short to try to make it better.

Runway

Judges: Heidi, Michael Kors, Nina Garcia, Milla Jovovich (who tries very hard to be nice)

Logan - Hollywood - white pants with a blue tank top and a black tank sweater vest/jacket (eh)
Althea - St. Tropez - gold shorts with a white layered top and an off white shear jacket (cute)
Nicolas - Greece - gray pant with a white crisscross long sleeve top (eh)
Carol Hannah - Palm Beach - long green printed dress with cross cross rolled straps (pretty)
Christopher - Santa Fe - brown shirt with white and blue sheer top and a large belt to separate (IDK)
Irina  - Aspen - brown pant, tan cowled shirt, faux fur sleeveless jacket (nice)
Gordana - New York - silver dress with a jeweled collar (IDK)

Top 3:

Althea - sexy, surprising
Carol Hannah - love braiding, "at home glamour"
Gordana - necklace is beautiful, very Park Avenue (poor thing immediately starts defending her dress, they have her so beat down)

Bottom 3:

Christopher - costumey, belt only interesting thing
Nicolas - wrong Greece (movie), no fantasy
Logan - styling bad, not outrageous enough

Best line from Milla Jovovich: "If this was called Project I Didn't Mind It, then [Logan] would win."

Winner:  Irina
Out:  Nicolas (WTH!? I thought for sure it would be Christopher.  Ah well, Nicolas had to go at some point.)  And Milla Jovovich is crying.  Sha.


Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Book Title Meme

What To Do: Using only books you have read this year (2009), answer these questions. Try not to repeat a book title. It’s a lot harder than you think!

Describe yourself: This Book Isn't Fat, It's Fabulous (Nina Beck)

How do you feel:  Something Wicked (Alan Gratz)

Describe where you currently live: Libyrinth (Pearl North)

If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Through the Looking Glass (Lewis Carroll)

Your favorite form of transportation: The Luxe (Anna Godbersen)

Your best friend is: Eternal (Cynthia Leitich Smith)

You and your friends are: Enthusiasm (Polly Shulman)

What’s the weather like: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Judi and Ron Barrett)

You fear: The Dead and the Gone (Susan Beth Pfeffer)

What is the best advice you have to give: Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover (Ally Carter)

Thought for the day: I SO Don't Do Mysteries (Barrie Summy)

How I would like to die: Wondrous Strange (Lesley Livingston)

My soul’s present condition: Evermore (Alyson Noel)

*cross posted with The Little Bookworm

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Giveaway at Adori Graphics

Louise at Adori Graphics is giving away a $15 gift certificate to her site.  She does amazing work (check out the header at The Little Bookworm) and is super nice. Click to the button to go to her giveaway.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Quote It Saturday - New Thing Now


This is a weekly meme from the Chick that Reads in which you can quote from anything really. Favorite books, people, just anything that you like!




"This is your new thing now
And it feels so good to doubt you
I could almost live without you
But not quite"
Shawn Colvin - New Thing Now

Friday, October 16, 2009

A Shiny Shiny Challenge (or "Sequins, Feathers and Fur, Oh My!)

Christopher is worried since he has been in the bottom a couple of times. Shirin is confident and Carol Hannah feels alright since she's been in the middle.
The designers go to the Museum of Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising to meet Tim Gunn and BOB MACKIE who everyone is excited to meet. Tim goes over how Bob Mackie makes shiny shiny costumes for very famous people ("Sultan of Sequins").

Challenge: Create an extravagant stage look in the manner of Bob Mackie for Christina Aguilera (2 day challenge)

Nicholas think he works like Bob Mackie apparently. Everyone runs around like crazy at Mood. They seem so excited for this one. Nicolas realized they only have 4 challenges left. This is a shiny shiny challenge. Gordana is struggling and starts over the next morning.  Tim comes around for hints and suggestions (and to crush dreams politely).  Shirin is making this huge "Hollywood glamour" dress. "Genevieve meets Vampira" is what Tim says and he doesn't like anything about it. Because Nicolas is working with all white, it is almost a redux of his Ice Queen. Irina just doesn't like Shirin. She has expressed this a lot. I have no idea what Shirin is making because it looks horrible on her model.
Logan and Carol Hannah have a little bom chicka wa wa going on.  Gordana is still losing her mind.
Nicolas says that Irina is a good designer.  Her only problem is that she is a bitch.  And she is acting like one right now about Carol Hannah, saying she is mediocre and doesn't have a great personality.  She says this to Celine who has zero personality.  Also Irina does come off very bitchy.

Judges:
Heidi, Bob Mackie, Nina Garcia (YAY) and Christina Aguilera who is tiny next to Heidi

Runway:
Althea - silver long dress with crisscrossed silver sequin pattern and a furry black jacket
Logan - short zebra print sequin dress with one shoulder and a bolero jacket
Shirin - long black dress with silver, white and black sequin ruffle things on the side of the dress and a dominatrix choker top
Christopher - short black dress (?) with bubbles on the side and a corset top and sparkly panties showing through (WHY) which turns out to be hot pants and a jacket with the corset underneath (Is that better?)
Nicolas - short strapless feathered white dress
Gordana - oh em gee, long white dress with sequins in the middle and it's a good thing she has immunity
Irina - short black with black/silver sequins on the front and a jacket
Carol Hannah - long black dress with sequins and feather, very Mortica Gomez

Top 3:
Carol Hannah - glamorous, promise to turn into something more revealing, a WOW dress
Althea - clever, looks beautiful

Nicolas - very pretty, very workable

Bottom 3:
Shirin - upscale witch outfit, Nina like the top half, the bottom is a no
Christopher - Lady Marmalade redux, aw, Christina gives E for effort, but it's still a no
Logan - Christina is getting cavewoman from the jacket, Nina is getting safe

Winner - Carol Hannah which is surprising

Out - Shirin! Thank God.  She's okay and all, but she was annoying.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Wedding Dress Throwdown (or "A Fashionable New Beginning")

So I'm a week late with this, but I'm going to live blog watching this.  I haven't read any spoilers or recaps or anything.
Everyone is sad. Blah blah blah
Irina is smug. Even Logan is tactfully like why.

New models. in wedding dresses. uh oh
Challenge: remake wedding dresses for divorced ladies

Shirin gets the dress with the least fabric or decoration.  Poor thing (not really).
One day challenge.  I'm getting tired of these.

Nicholas' client - cruelty free (sweet)

Irina's client wants a Cher costume ! and also ?

Can buy 2 yards of fabric and decorations

Gordana is divorced and is dying the dress black.  She calls her kids and is crying. :(

 Tim Gunn comes in to inspire and simultaneously be the harbinger of doom.  He is multi-talented.
Christopher is making a black and white dress.
Irina - short kimono dress
Epperson - black and white, lab coaty
Logan - tuxedo style feel, worries Tim, client doesn't like dresses
Gordana - Tim wants her to push the look, beautiful though
Shirin - looks defeated - Nicolas burst in laughter, listening to her description of her client's dress and she cries because it is ugly

Wedding dress at the core of the whole look
Epperson has to change it and so does Logan b/c they weren't using enough of the dress
Shirin decides to use thread for decoration

Runway day:
Chaos
Christopher's model doesn't want to be a fat grandma, but it seems cute.
Nicolas - one of the most hideous things he's ever made

Models have shown divorcees how to walk.
Judges: Heidi, Micheal Kors (YAY) Zanna Roberts (Senior Fashion Editor, Marie Claire) and Tamara Mellon (President of Jimmy Choo, Board Member of Halston)

Irina: knee length silvery dress with a gold tie belt and shear sleeves
Shirin - above the knee white dress with a green crisscross thread pattern and a empire waist with a green detail under the bust
Logan - wool hounds tooth pants with white ruffled top and sort of a bustier design
Carrol Hannah - above the knew gray dress with a feathery effect and a small black jacket (good model)
Althea - knee length blue dress with a gold belt at the waist and blue cups on the bust with a striped detail down the dress
Nicholas - pants outfit with a burgundy top and a small short sleeve jacket
Gordana - strapless blue gray dress with a cool pattern at a slant and some small ruffles, very rock-n-roll (fits model)
Christopher - bubble dress with a shear overlay and some sort of belt (looks weird though)
Epperson - white dress with a black crisscross pattern at the waist and a jacket that ties under the bust (cool)

Top 3:

Gordana - fits well, good job

Shirin - model not favorite, but judges like; Cher in  Half Bred moment

Irina - looks expensive, unbelievable

Bottom 3:

Christopher - too much volume, space bubble dress

Epperson - Heidi, Oktoberfest; Zanna, pirate dress

Logan - another Oktoberfest moment


Winner - Gordana!
Out -Epperson  NOOOOOOO!!!! I really thought he'd stay.  He is very gracious.


Monday, October 12, 2009

Small update

I've fallen way behind on my TV schedule.  I have 2 episodes of Dollhouse, 1 episode of Glee, and 1 episode of Project Runway to watch.  Mostly this weekend I cleaned so I didn't have a lot of time to watch anything. Ah well, maybe this week...
But I finally got my house as clean as I wanted it.  It's still messy in places like the kichen, but it's clean.  If I didn't have a two year old it would look perfect, but what can you do?

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Quote It Saturday - Alice



This is a weekly meme from the Chick that Reads in which you can quote from anything really. Favorite books, people, just anything that you like!


"One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. Which road do I take?" she asked. "Where do you want to go?" was his response. "I don't know," Alice answered. "Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter."

— Lewis Carroll (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)

Friday, October 9, 2009

Rapunzel's Revenge



Everyone knows the story of Rapunzel, the girl whose parents gave her away and was locked in a tower by an evil witch.  Well, what if instead of being rescued by a prince, Rapunzel gained some awesome fighting skills and saved herself.  And that's where this graphic novel gets good.  After growing her famous hair, Rapunzel rappels down the tower and almost immediately meets Jack, of the Beanstalk variety.  Determined to rescue her real mother, Rapunzel and Jack set off across the witch's land and meet a variety of people oppressed by her.  Through this adventures, they learn about the witch and decide that they must do something about her too.


I liked the art in this book.  It reminds me of line art a lot.  I liked that Rapunzel was a red head and the western theme going on in the book.  Some of the adventure stop-offs felt tacked on, but they are there for a purpose and add some expedition to the story.  The ending was quick but dramatic and the very end was sweet.  I've heard there is going to be a sequel and I look forward to that.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

This is not an all-devouring Dinosaur. It is a Wednesday morning.

 So I staggered out of bed this morning and did my usual thing.  Little man and I are prepared to leave, on time, and I go to open the door to the garage.  Nothing.  I locked and unlocked several times all the while turning the knob.  Nothing.  It won't turn.  I can get out of the house and all.  That's not the problem.  The problem comes from the fact that my effing car is in the garage and there is no way to get it out.  I called my husband thinking he might have a solution.  I called like 10 times.  I sent the following text message: HELP. Nothing.  I called his store.  Nothing.  Keep in my that I have a two year old all the while "helping" and saying things like "stuck."  But when I started crying out of panic and frustration he stroked my hair and asked if I was okay.  Awwww.   I took the door knob off but that didn't help.  Finally, I called my mom.  Yes, I apparently cannot handle any situation on my own without calling my mom.  She came over to try to take the hinges off the door since I didn't have a hammer inside.  Yes, we have like 5 hammers in the garage I couldn't get into to, but nothing inside.  The hinges are painted over so they are stuck.  God save me.
FINALLY BT calls back and I yell explain about the door and he comes and opens the garage for me.  We have a minor fight and leave for our respective works.
So I make it to campus with no incidence, only to find the (one way) street my parking lot is on is blocked off for some kind of emergency.  I drive around the block, same thing.   I park in pay parking.  By the time, I walk to my building, the emergency has cleared off.  I walk back to pay parking and pay $1 for 15 minutes.  (I pay $105 for parking a year, mind you.)  I make to my office where I scream my effin head off silently.  So despite the universe's attempts to stop me, I am at work.  FU universe and your little pony too.


blog title from a Neil Gaiman tweet this morning

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Book Nerd

The BBC believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here.

How do your reading habits stack up?

Instructions:
1) Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read.
2) Add a '+' to the ones you LOVE.
3) Star (*) those you plan on reading.
4) Tally your total at the bottom.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen X+
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien *
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte X
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling X+
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible X
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte *
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell X+
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman X+
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens X
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott X+
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller X+ (took me 3 tries but I did it)
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare *+
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien *
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell X+
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams X+
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll X+
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame X
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis X +
34 Emma - Jane Austen X+
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen X
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis X+
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hussein
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne X+
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell X+
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown X +
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude X+
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery *
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood X
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel X +
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen X+
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens X
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley X
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon X
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez *
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov X
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold X
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding X+
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens X
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker *
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett X +
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce X
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray *
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens X
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White X +
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle X
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad X
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery X+
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams *
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole *
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare X+
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl X+
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo


READ: 38
LOVE: 23
WANT TO READ: 9

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Sew blue (or "The Sky's the Limit")

The challenge is to create 2 looks using the color blue for the Inc brand at Macy's in teams of 2.  So you know what that means.  The winner gets to create a holiday dress for Macy's.  Everyone has 15 minutes to sketch and then they pitch their ideas to Marina Riardon from Macy's and the team leaders will be chosen after that.
Teams:
Irina - Gordana
Althea - Logan
Carol Hannah - Shirin
Christopher - Epperson
Louise - Nicolas

They all skip off to Mood and Louise misplaces her damn money and this is not a good start for her.  Also she is stuck with Nicolas who is going to bitch about her constantly.

So they get to work and Tim Gunn goes around being both hopeful and the harbinger of doom.  Nicolas states repeatedly that he hates ruffles.


Judges:
Heidi, Michael Kors (YAY), Zanna Roberts (from Marie Claire), Martina Riardon
You know the fact that the judges change so much is both a good and bad thing.  It's bad because they can't see what kind of talent the designers have beyond this one challenge.  It's good for the same reason.  They won't keep someone around based on a past design or personality.

Top 2:

Carol Hannah - Shirin: the color scheme is nice, both black and teal-ish blue dresses

Irinia - Gordana: business day look and a very cute striped day dress with v necks
For reasons unknown, Irina throws Gordana under and tells the judges that she doesn't know how to do anything with Irinia's direction.  It seems unnecessary. She also gives Gordana a hard time about the business wear  but the judges love it.

Bottom 2:

Christopher - Epperson:  First of all, Christopher cries a lot this time.  Of course, this is the first time they hated something he made.  The colors of the two dresses don't match to start.  They made a bubble dress and a shirt dress.  Both would have been cute except the fabric was all wrong especially the shiny material on the shirt dress.  Michael calls it a librarian shirt dress made in the 60's, LOL and also HEY.

Louise - Nicholas:  Both were fairly awful with these ruffles just stuck on them for no real reason.  Nicolas was right.  Heidi makes the point about 5 times that Nicolas is lucky to have immunity.

Irina - WINNER
Louise - OUT


Tuesday, September 29, 2009

My day (now in convenient podcast form)

        My first shot at a podcast which is mostly about my day today.



                       
   
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Dollhouse with BONUS Vampire Diaries!

So last Friday was the premiere of Dollhouse. Let me sum it up Twitter-style (includes actual Tweets!)

Opening of show, something with Ballard. Echo is getting married.

@ Echo's wedding dress reminds me of my own.

@ Unexpected development. What is Ballard's function now?

* Echo walks in & is actually Ballard's undercover partner. Still don't know what his function is.

* Ah, he is the client. ?
@ I love Amy Acker. And now Wesley.

@ Alexis Denisof, I mean!

* He is a member of Congress trying to take down the Dollhouse. Can't wait to see more.
@ I miss November. She was so pretty.

* Exposition on why Ballard released November and kept Echo. Adele implying a lot.
@ Can't wait for Summer Glau to join the cast

@ Ok, Claire is creeping me out.

* Claire is having a hard time with being a doll IRL and is trying to seduce Topher who is creeped out.

* They are crying and discussing the fact that she is real even if she doesn't think so.

* Echo remembers what happened and wants to find the people inside of her.

* Ballard agrees. He becomes her new handler.

* Claire drives away to discover herself or something.

@ Well, that was unexpected. Gearing up for a great season, I'm sure!


And then I watched the season premire of Vampire Diaries that I had saved.

@ I ended up watching Vampire Diaries first episode. Not sure. Does it get better?

@ Although the hotness of Ian Somerhalder might keep me around for a couple more episodes.

@ I will try one more episode just to see.

But I'm not going to try because it was boring and even Ian Somerhalder looks weird so whatever.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (movie)


So Sunday, we went to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.  It wasn't showing in 3D at our local theater but that was fine.  I liked it.  It was very cute and funny.  If you think it's going to be like the book, then think again.  Flint Lockwood is a failed inventor until he invents a machine that can change water into food.  When his invention is shot in the sky and it starts to rain food, everyone is excited until giant food starts to fall from the sky. The movie does include some of the iconic images from the book including the jello "sunset," pancakes on the school, and the roofless restaurant.  The animation was very curvy and fluid.
The little man seemed to like it especially the giant gummy bears.  And the little kids sitting next to me enjoyed it as well.  There were some very funny parts that made the whole audience laugh and I really liked Sam Sparks, the TV weatherperson sent to cover the phenomenon.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Wings (movie)

So I finished Wings (Pike) last night. And I was thinking about the upcoming movie that will star Miley Cyrus as Laurel, the girl who suddenly sprouts a flower about of her back and learns she is a fairy. I won't go into how inaccurate the title Wings is for that book now, but, sufficient to say, it is.
Anyway, I like Miley Cyrus and I think she is very pretty, but she is so not right for Laurel.  Laurel is suppose to be slight and ethereal looking, and Miley is not any of those things.  That's the thing about Disney girls, they are always very pretty but in a relateable way.  They have to be so the tween girls will love them and assume they are approachable and just like them.  But Laurel isn't pretty in that way.  She is fashion model pretty.  So I was thinking Taylor Momsen for Laurel, but she is too edgy.  And then last night before I went to sleep I thought that Taylor Swift would be perfect.  She is so beautiful that she has always kind of freak me out.  She just looks Laurel.  I know my opinion doesn't mean much and that Miley is confirmed for the movie.  But I doubt I'll go see the movie.  I mean, I doubt I would have gone anyway given my opinion that the book is eh so no real loss there.
So what do you think?


 (ETA)
Miley Cyrus, right/Taylor Swift, left

Friday, September 25, 2009

Celluloid Sewing (or "Lights, Camera, Sew!")

The designers are given a one day challenge.  Create a look based on a genre of film.  So the rest of the episode consists of various people trying to pronounce genre correctly.  Only Tim Gunn can actually do it.  Tim Gunn is made of win though. 
So here is the breakdown:
Nicolas - Science Fiction
Goradana - Period Piece
Irina - Film Noir
Epperson - Western
Logan - Action Adventure
Carroll Hannanh - Action Adventure
Ram'on - Science Fiction
Louise - Film Noir
Althea - Film Noir
Christopher - Period Piece
Shirin - Western

Ram'on is excited to get science fiction since he is a big sci-fi fan.  He decided to make his model look like some reptilian type thing.  I don't know.

Nicolas gives a version of the infamous "Not here to make friends" speech only he does it nicely for a change.  Tim Gunn comes to look around.  He is seduced by Epperson's ruffles, Ram'on's is either going to be good or a "big hot mess," Louise can take it up a notch, Nicolas needs to go bigger.  Ram'on decides to start over because no matter what it is going to be a big mess so why not make it worse?

Judging: why is Heidi dressed like a sparkly grunge person?  She continues to confuse me.
Judges: Heidi, Zoe Glassner (again), John Varvatos, Arianne Phillips (costume designer)

I'm skipping "descriptions" of the runway because frankly I really couldn't describe some of those things and it's too hard with 11 designers.

Top 3:
Nicolas - white evil Ice Queen from space gown. I have to say that with the hair and makeup, it really does look like a film costume.  The entire look is amazing.

Epperson -  Annie Get you Gun western dress made of denim with ruffles and a leather belt and gun holster, very cool

Christopher - Victorian vampire with a great bustle in the back and lots of layers, film worthy as they say

Bottom 3:

Ram'on - green reptile print dress thing, but at least he tried. Zoe (?) called it a "hot green mess" so that's not good

Louise - 20/40's flapper dress that is very confused and isn't really special

Gordana - flapper dress, very pretty, very well made but nothing over the top

Winner: Nicolas (good for him, although I liked Christopher's better but I would have been happy with any of the top three)

Out: Ram'on!!!! He was robbed because Louise's dress was not nearly as creative as he was trying to be and at least he had a story behind his dress.  And Ram'on has always been a stronger designer than Louise anyway.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Recent trip to Galveston, TX


So my sister was going on a cruise and they were leaving out of Galveston and she talked me and my parents into driving over there to see her.  We packed up and drove over on Saturday morning and got there about 4 and checked into the hotel.  It was nice.  I got a king sized bed for me and the little boy and we got an adjorning room to my parents so we could go in and out and I could Bub down to sleep and not have to stay in the room with him.  At about 2:30 am I was awoken to "Mommy" and he was in my face.  So I cuddled him up to me and we went back to sleep.  But I was too hot with him sleeping on me so I got up and went to the other side of the bed.  Then at 7:30 am I had a little boy in my face again, "Momma, momma, Momma.  Wake up" and he was shaking me.  We went and ate breakfast and went down to the beach and played for a little bit.  Then checked out of the hotel and came home.   It was a nice little trip.  I liked Galveston.  The downtown area was really cool.

Friday, September 18, 2009

All the Fashion that's Fit to Print (or "Fashion Headliners")

Heidi gave away the challenge in my opinion when she said it would be in black and white.  I knew it was going to be a newspaper challenge and shame on the designers who couldn't figure it out even when standing in the LA Times printing presses or whatever.  So the challenge is to make clothes from newspaper.  The designers grab up what they want and head back to the workspace and then everyone wanders around for a while because they are like whut? I signed up for this!  Yes, you are on Project Runway and long ago this is what the challenges were like, clever and fun to make you think outside the box.  Then Tim Gunn comes in and gives a little history of paper clothes which was interesting.

And he goes around spreading sunshine and destroying dreams.  I <3 Tim Gunn.  He is positive about Gordana, Christopher, and Irina.  He tells Johnny that, basically, his dress is awful and it looks like the (paper) birds attack the dress, not like they are carrying the dress as Johnny has so hoped.  So Johnny balls in up and starts anew all while constructing an elaborate poor me lie in his little head.  Yes!  Because later Johnny decides that the iron spit water all over his beautiful Dior-like (!?) dress and ruined it so he rushed to make an awful one instead and didn't sit around playing a crossword or anything. 
Judges: Heidi, Tommy Hilfiger (all the designers freak out a little), Zoe Glassner (Marie Claire), and Eva Longoria Parker.  Let me say now that I liked Tommy Hilfiger, but I miss Nina and Michael Kors.

Runway:

Logan - pretty bamboo looking dress
Nicholas - eh, "punk" dress that wasn't really much too look at
Christopher - pretty long ballgown type dress with a great corset and a long foory skirt
Ram'on - short, folded origami dress
Epperson - Kimono/20's dress, cool
Johnny - Short dress with squares of eyes
Gordana - Short, pretty dress that looks like a dress
Carol Hannah - long gown, eh
Shirina - ?
Irina - trench coat with a cool collar
Althea - shiny dress that reminds me of the Empire State building
Louise (whose name I can never remember) - cool high collared dress with some nice details

On the runway, Johnny is a lying liar who lies and lies that he had this amazing dress that got ruined and Nicholas starts laughing so Heidi wants the scoop.  Nicholas says it was not Dior at all and that Johnny threw it away when Tim Gunn didn't like it.

Top 3:
Christopher - comments from judges: looks like art, a WOW, too a risk and it paid off

Althea- genius

Irina- Coca Chanel 60/70s meets new, great alternative to fur

Bottom 3:

Gordana - but barely as it was too wearable and boring

Nicholas - looks like an insect, cockroaches

Johnny - Zoe was positive about it, but the rest said no

Irina is the winner!! I liked the coat, but I liked Christopher's dress better.
Johnny goes home.  Thank goodness.  Tim Gunn goes all Gossip Girl on us and is like that was a ridiculous piece of fiction.  I've never seen Tim Gunn do that before.  Johnny says that giving up a meth addiction was easier than Project Runway!  Johnny is clearly insane.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

I can't even write a synopsis for this and do it justice.  Here's the official description:
Subtitle: The Classic Regency Romance-Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton—& the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennett is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty & arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—& even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Can she vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism & thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you'd actually want to read.


Okay so this was a silly book and I don't mean that in the negative sense.  It was a very clever book as well.  The original text of Pride and Prejudice with some zombie additions and it sounds totally natural.  It was just so odd to read P&P and then there is a casual mention of a zombie herd or Elizabeth has to behead something on her way to Meryton.  It was so ... odd and quirky, very quirky.  I did lol a couple of times and I loved the Darcy proposal scene complete with roundhouse kicks.  I love that Lady Catherine is a master of the deadly arts and that she looks down on Elizabeth for training in China and not Japan.  In fact this was my favorite exchange in the book:

Lady Catherine: "Have your ninjas left you?"
Elizabeth: "We never had any ninjas."
"No ninjas! How was that possible? Five daughters brought up at home without any ninjas! I never heard of such a thing.  Your mother must have been quite a slave to your safety."
Elizabeth could hardly help smiling as she assured her that had not been the case.

These changes to the text are very clever and surprising to say the least.  And the fates of some of the characters are so different, but completely understandable given the nature of the book.  I have to say I wasn't too sure at first, but the more I read the more I got into it, zombies and all.

*cross posted with The Little Bookworm

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Fall TV

So nothing much has been going on.  Tonight is the new Glee which I am excited about even though I doubt I'll get to watch it since it is the night I go to my mom's house for dinner. But I'm recording it and will watch it about 12 hours after everyone else. Glee is such a great show and I love the music.

Gossip Girl premiered Monday, but I'm still getting caught up from last season so I haven't watched that either. Dollhouse starts the 25th and I can't wait for that. And Bones starts on Thursday and BT will watch that with me, but I'm recording Vampire Diaries too. I still haven't watch the premiere. I'm looking forward to V and FlashForward.  And that's about it.  I'm hooked on Project Runway, of course, but mostly the DVR records pre-school television at my house.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Alice in Wonderland (Disney 1951)

One of my favorite movies growing up, I was happy to revisit Alice in Wonderland for the challenge.  It has held up pretty well.  The songs are lively and it still makes me sad when Alice cries in the forest.  Not a true adaption of Alice in Wonderland, but a combination of elements from both Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass

Alice is bored with her tutor and decides that a world of nonsense would be fun.  When she sees the White Rabbit, she follows him and falls down a rabbit hole.  There she encounters the locked door, a cake labeled "Eat Me," and a big problem.  After drinking she grows to a large size and cannot fit through the door. So she cries huge tears and then spies a bottle labeled "Drink Me" and she shrinks right into the bottle!  Alice is carried away through the doorknob and meets many crazy creatures including Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Mad Hatter and March Hare, the Cheshire Cat (my favorite), and the Queen of Hearts.  After almost losing her head to the Queen of Hearts, Alice is awoken by her tutor and goes off to have tea.

Actually a good portion of the movie is from Through the Looking Glass, but Disney picked the parts that are least terrifying.  There's no Jabberwocky in this movie, though the Cheshire Cat sings the Jabberwocky poem.  My favorite parts are the flower garden and the Walrus and the Carpenter.  I always like the white rose since she is so beautiful and I felt sorry for the little oysters even though they are stupid.  So it was nice revisiting Disney's Alice in Wonderland.  I watched it with my little boy, but he was bored by most of it so it's not quite up to 2 year old standards. Maybe one day...

Saturday, September 12, 2009

From the Library 8/12




From the Library is my new Saturday feature of what I checked out from the library this week including books, audiobooks, and movies.  This week was DVD heavy.


Books: 

The Messenger (audio) - written by Lois Lowry, read by David Morse

For the past six years, Matty has lived in Village and flourished under the guidance of Seer, a blind man, known for his special sight. Village was a place that welcomed newcomers, but something sinister has seeped into Village and the people have voted to close it to outsiders. Matty has been invaluable as a messenger. Now he must make one last journey through the treacherous forest with his only weapon, a power he unexpectedly discovers within himself.



The Taming of the Shrew (audio) - written by William Shakespare, read by full cast

The main plot depicts the courtship of Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, and Katherina, the headstrong, obdurate, and eponymous shrew. Initially, Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship, but Petruchio tempers her with various psychological torments - the "taming" - until she is an obedient bride. The sub-plot features a competition between the suitors of Katherina's less intractable sister, Bianca.




Friday, September 11, 2009

Models in Charge! (or "What a Woman Wants" is not an ugly dress)

I miss the old way where the show would start with the model pick and we weren't subjected to 30 minutes of the models being bored.  The only good thing about the Models of the Runway is the beginning and the end.
Anyway, this week the models are in charge and the designers have to design something for them for an industry event (and there actually is one later).  I feel like they keep doing this challenge over and over, but whatever.  It's a one day challenge.  Everyone freaked out!
The models have some strange taste even though they know it is suppose to be for a work event, Shirin's model wants a royal blue jumpsuit. What!? Althea is making a "cigarette" jacket which confuses Tim until he figures out she means a smoking jacket. Oh, so clear now.
So they get their fabric from Mood and start work.  Tim comes around with criticisms/i.e. helping (and woe to the bitch that doesn't listen).  Epperson's dress is good, Logan has a smurf prom dress, Carol Hannah's is "robbing her model of her youth."  Tim can be hardcore.  Epperson is sad because he missses his family.
Judges: Heidi, Marc Bouwer, Zoe Glassner, and Jennifer Rade
Qrystal - black sheath with a ruffle thing on the strap - pretty but boring
Nicolas - white dress with a low back - very pretty
Irina - pretty print
Gordana - gold dress with a very cool woven detail on the front
Shirin - blue dress - can't really remember this one
Logan - blue dress with black lace - very 80's prom, would have looked great in Pretty in Pink or Teen Witch
Christopher - green and black dress - eh
Epperson - brown dress with cris-crossed layers on it - very cool
Johnny - purple dress with a flower detail on the waist - eh

Althea - 3 piece "suit" - very cool, model loves it
Louise - black dress with a ruffle collar - cool, nice detail (love that Fatima talks her up later)
Ram'on - blue dress with a big flower - eh
Carol Hannah - purple/black dress with a shiny pattern on the bottom - cool

So the top designers are Carol Hannah (edgy), Epperson (sexy, cool layering), Althea (everyone want to wear it and her model was one of the best walkers) and the bottom designers are Logan (prom dress), Johnny(bridesmaid), and Qrystal (boring).

Since boring is a mortal sin on Project Runway, Qrystal goes home. *sad*
Also there was a funny thing about Heidi and Epperson's model's boobs.  Heidi wanted them to be perky and they didn't look so in that dress.  She said she worked for Victoria's Secret too long and she is obsessed with boobs.  True since she always brings it up anytime the tops don't fit right on the chest.

Models of the Runway:

I wish they would show the model side of the challenge instead of afterward.  Anyway,  the models actually go to an industry event and act like normal people (not like the Top Model models would act) and most wear what the designers made for them with the exception of Valerie (Qrystal's model) and Koji (Logan's model) which is good.  Johnny's model is so cute and stays loyal and wears her little dress and it is fine.  Christian Audigier from Ed Hardy is there and talks to various models and books Valerie for a show so good for her. Later, the designers stick with their models and Valerie goes home (again).  And that's about it.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

In from Netflix

Lately we've been watching a lot of TV shows together, but I'm trying to get caught up before my shows start.  So I'm getting Gossip Girl season 2 and Dollhouse season 1.  I can't wait for the new seasons of these shows.  For the record, I had both of these shows on the DVR waiting to be watched and then I broke the DVR and lost all those shows. *sigh*




Gossip Girl - Season 2 (I love this season.  It's even better than the books and that's saying something)
Expect even more shocking secrets revealed in this hit drama's second season, which continues to trail the privileged life of rich young Manhattan teens. The players, seen through the eyes of a blogger known only as "Gossip Girl" (narrated by Kristen Bell), include Serena (Blake Lively), who left Manhattan for boarding school, her friend Blair (Leighton Meester), who took Serena's place as the "popular girl," and Nate (Chace Crawford), Blair's boyfriend.



Dollhouse - Season 1 (I'm very happy that they renewed this show.)
Eliza Dushku stars as Echo, a member of an elite underground organization that sends its operatives on dangerous missions, then brings them back to their top-secret Dollhouse to wipe out all memory of the assignment. But when Echo starts to recall troubling bits and flashes from her former missions, she begins to question who she is and just what this powerful organization is doing.