Tag: entertainment

April Photo A Day: On Your Mind

After a few days of over-saturating my brain with news media, sporadically pausing for escapes to nature, today I’m continuing to read and be absorbed by Cyndi Lauper’s memoir that Tim loaned me. I remember how mesmerized I was the first time I saw the video for “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Along with her unique appeal and catchy song, when Steve Forbert, a singer/songwriter who I loved, suddenly showed up as the boy with flowers among an entire cast of wacky characters, I was hooked.

It’s inspiring to read how hard she worked to hold on to her creative vision through her lean years, and I continue to admire her willingness to express herself. She calls it having a big fat mouth. I call it brave and honest.

Prompt from FMS Photo A Day.

Runway Monday: Europe Here We Come (PR 11:12)


On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, four of the designers and their sewing assistants (previously eliminated designers) were sent to different European cities: Paris, Berlin, London, and Barcelona, where they were to be inspired in some way by the city and buy their textiles there before returning to the States to create their looks.

One designer had almost been eliminated the previous week but was getting a second chance. If you watch the show but haven’t seen the last couple of episodes, SPOILERS AHEAD. I thought the fifth designer was ridiculous for being whiny because she didn’t get to go to Europe. First, she was lucky not to be eliminated. Second, she had a good assistant to do the challenge with her. Third, she was in one of the GREATEST CITIES IN THE WORLD: New York. As Tim Gunn pointed out, it’s a fashion capital and there’s no way it can’t be inspiring in a million ways. And fourth, she could be me. I didn’t even have the opportunity to venture outside The Compound grounds.

And I’m NOT complaining. I took my inspiration from the ferns and flowers that grow around my house. I used fabrics I bought locally from Jo-Ann and High Fashion. And I have a great Model Muse, Raven, to model my look.

I designed a double column dress for Raven: an underdress of glittered green satin and an overdress of embroidered net.

Detail of the hemline. You can see her little green slipper peeking out.

This gives a little better sense of how the green fabric glitters.


One last glance at my homage to the natural beauty around me every day.

Hope you’ve enjoyed the look. See you next time on the runway!

To see previous designs from this season:

Episode 11: Finally On My Own
Episode 10: The Art of Fashion
Episode 9: He Said, She Said
Episode 8: Take It All Off
Episode 7: A Sticky Situation
Episode 6: Senior Fling
Episode 5: A Little Bit Country (A Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll)
Episode 4: The Ultimate Hard and Soft
Episode 3: Surprise Me
Episode 2: Spin Out
Episode 1: There Is No I In Team

April Photo A Day: View From Your Bed

Whatever way I’m facing when I wake up, I see art. I was going to try to capture that in a photo, but as soon as I sat on the bed, the Nap Committee called an emergency meeting.


Tim’s dogs Penny and Pixie and our dog Guinness. Margot was of course under the bed listening to Morrissey through her earbuds.

Prompt from FMS Photo A Day.

Runway Monday: Finally On My Own (PR 11:11)


On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were invited to go to the Hearst Corporation building in NYC to hear about their challenge from Tim Gunn and Marie Claire editor Nina Garcia. Nina asked them to create a look for actress and guest judge Jordana Brewster to wear in a celebrity fashion story in the May issue of the magazine. Nina gave them specific guidelines including: no red carpet looks, no gowns, no T-shirts and pants. The look should be editorial, fashion forward, and bold in color, silhouette, shape, or print–something that editors would want to photograph. The designers were encouraged to sketch in the Hearst building and be inspired by the architecture.

I enjoy Jordana Brewster on Dallas, and I chose a model with dark hair and a complexion close to hers for this challenge, Model Muse Rachel.

First, I made Rachel a white leather shrug as part of the look.

I chose a turquoise color palette–a paler fabric with a springlike pattern for the dress, with bolder colors for the tights and accessories.

Detail of the front hemline.

Bag and boots from Mattel.

Here’s Rachel on her editorial page, walking with the Hearst building in the background. I hope you can see how the building inspired my look.

I also hope you enjoyed this touch of spring. See you next time on the runway!

To see previous designs from this season:

Episode 10: The Art of Fashion
Episode 9: He Said, She Said
Episode 8: Take It All Off
Episode 7: A Sticky Situation
Episode 6: Senior Fling
Episode 5: A Little Bit Country (A Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll)
Episode 4: The Ultimate Hard and Soft
Episode 3: Surprise Me
Episode 2: Spin Out
Episode 1: There Is No I In Team

What comes after twilight?

Smart people will answer dawn or dusk. But people who know me will assure me that there must be SOMETHING. All I know is that for now, no more books and movies for people to mock, and reportedly these are the last dolls planned. Tom gave them to me for my birthday.


The Twilight Saga’s Emmett, Esme, and Carlisle. I’m sure before long I’ll be finding ways to feature them with their other vampire friends. And Jacob, the lone wolf. Heh.

I’m not sure if future birthdays will involve any more Twilight foolishness, but at least Marika helped it end with big laughter at The Compound. Along with the gift of a new journal, she sent more of her cross-stitched brilliance.


I don’t know what cracked me up more: Edward’s hair, Bella’s frownie face, or Jacob’s shirtlessness. THANK YOU, Marika. So, so funny and appreciated.

Runway Monday: The Art of Fashion (PR 11:10)


On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers went to the Guggenheim Museum. Using the museum and its art for inspiration, each team of two designers was responsible for creating two wearable art looks: one avant-garde and one ready to wear. They also created their own textile this week with the help of HP pattern making software.

No HP goodies for me, but this is one of my favorite challenges every season. I painted my own fabric in stages and designed my looks as inspired by the abstract and cubist paintings of Kandinsky, Braque, and Picasso hanging at the Guggenheim.

My models for this challenge are Faizah and Grace. First, Faizah wears my cubist-inspired avant-garde look.


Detail of avant-garde look.


Yes, if she were human, she could walk in this look.

And a photo taken early in the design process (pre-hemmed) shows that underneath her cubes, Faizah has an entirely wearable look.

Grace models my retro ready to wear shift dress.


Just a pause to say that these are two of my favorite Model Muse faces.

Art or fashion or both? You be the judge.

See you next time on the runway!

Thanks to Lindsey, Tom, and Tim for their creative and editing input.

To see previous designs from this season:

Episode 9: He Said, She Said
Episode 8: Take It All Off
Episode 7: A Sticky Situation
Episode 6: Senior Fling
Episode 5: A Little Bit Country (A Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll)
Episode 4: The Ultimate Hard and Soft
Episode 3: Surprise Me
Episode 2: Spin Out
Episode 1: There Is No I In Team

Runway Monday: He Said, She Said (PR 11:9)

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were asked to create spring looks worthy to grace the windows of Lord & Taylor. They were also to incorporate Lord & Taylor’s signature rose somehow in their look.

For this challenge, I chose Rusty because I liked the way she looks in the color I wanted to use. It’s not quite the Pepto pink that one of the PR designers picked, but I think a bold pink is a great color for spring. The layering of the fabric is my nod to the petals of the Lord & Taylor rose.


Hope you think Rusty’s pretty in pink! See you next time on the runway.

Thanks to Aunt Gwen for the perfect thread and to Tom and Tim for helping choose Rusty’s shoes.

To see previous designs from this season:

Episode 8: Take It All Off
Episode 7: A Sticky Situation
Episode 6: Senior Fling
Episode 5: A Little Bit Country (A Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll)
Episode 4: The Ultimate Hard and Soft
Episode 3: Surprise Me
Episode 2: Spin Out
Episode 1: There Is No I In Team

Draw Something Looks at the Movies

I have all kinds of ways of tormenting my friends besides forcing them to watch Twilight saga movies (though I DID NOT in any way, shape, or form make Rhonda watch the last movie, no matter what you heard; she was READING before I brought out the movie at Lindsey’s request and upon Tim’s willingness to watch it, and she continued to read throughout the movie, so I am GUILT FREE on that one).

One of my favorite torments is making them play Draw Something on our phones (or their iPads) with me. I don’t think anyone really loves this as much as I do, no matter how awful my drawings are. And trust me, this is not humble bragging–if you could see ‘Nathan’s drawings, you’d know just how pitiful mine are. He’s like the freaking Rembrandt of Draw Something.

Since I still have a headache, sharing screen caps of a few drawings is a pain-free way (for me!) to blog.

Poor Fay Wray.

I’m pretty sure this is one of my worst pictures of all time. If someone had drawn it for me, no way would I have known that was the Titanic hitting an iceberg. But she did, if I recall correctly.

This one’s inaccurate because seeing Bella smile is about as likely as seeing a vampire in real life.

Speaking of inaccurate, Jacob is not technically a werewolf. I did get closer to Bella’s unsmiling face, though.

Finally! Sad Bella. But now Edward’s practically smiling.

I never saw this movie, but I think I got the gist of it.

This is more like Darth Scream.

Worst disco floor ever.

It’s like she has a hotdog around her neck.

Scarlett is such a ho.

This one is my favorite.

Runway Monday: Take It All Off (PR 11:8)


On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were instructed to create outfits for the world famous male revue Thunder from Down Under. These (ridiculously handsome and buff) male dancers wanted a new costume for their opening number. The tearaway feature was given as the most important facet of the clothes. Since the designers were working in teams creating three looks each, at least one of the designs had to be a suit.


Since there’s only me, probably I should have designed a suit, but I didn’t want to, though I did intend to go with a businessman look. As for my model for this challenge, all the members of Thunder From Down Under are, as their leader said, one hundred percent Australian. I just happen to employ a model from Middle Earth, and rumor has it that New Zealand, Australia’s neighbor, is the closest setting to Middle Earth there is. There didn’t seem to be any restrictions against elves, and Legolas was nearby because of another project I’m working on.

Enjoy objectifying my model. He doesn’t mind.

Because I know what you most want to see are his Mattel shoes:

No? Okay, then on with it. First of all, his shirt is easily torn off, because only the tie held it together and there are snaps on the cuffs. The shirt slips from under the elastic of the tie–which is the way many of my old Mattel ties were constructed, though I made this one. I thought leaving the tie on without the shirt would be a nice touch.

The back seam of the slacks was held together with a snap; once it was pulled open, the back part of the pants wouldn’t interfere with the front tearaway. Since Legolas arrived at the workroom commando under his costume, I also had to make his jersey boxers (the Thunder guys were all wearing boxers, as well).

The tearaway from the front was easy because the inseams were fastened with Velcro®.

Legolas is ready to dance!

If you didn’t watch this episode of PR, spoiler alert! If you did watch, you know that the judges were so disappointed that not only did they refuse to name a winner, but Heidi said she felt like they should end the season right there. They didn’t; it’ll be on next week. So what did Heidi think of my design?


She believes, to paraphrase Coco Chanel, that you should remove one accessory before you leave the runway. And you should put it around her neck and stand very close to her for a photo.

See you next time on the runway!

Shirt fabric was repurposed from a dress shirt of Tom’s. The Velcro® was in my mother’s sewing supplies.

To see previous designs from this season:

Episode 7: A Sticky Situation
Episode 6: Senior Fling
Episode 5: A Little Bit Country (A Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll)
Episode 4: The Ultimate Hard and Soft
Episode 3: Surprise Me
Episode 2: Spin Out
Episode 1: There Is No I In Team