“Sometimes,” I said, “I feel like a monkey in a zoo.”
“We all do,” John Riley assured me.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
This is my fourth year to kick off the summer with creativity thanks to 30 Days of Creativity. The first couple of years my creations were random, and I rarely consulted the 30 Days calendar prompts. Last year I used the calendar to have The Ram direct Monster High dolls in various movie scenes.
This year, I hope to use the calendar as I do simultaneous posts here and to my Flickr set, The Adventures of Katnip. In case you’re not aware, Katnip’s adventures began back in February. She couldn’t understand why she kept being tossed from one universe and time to another until she finally got herself a sidekick, John Riley. John Riley figured out that a verbal cue or reference from Katnip is the reason she’s ended up in the worlds of Middle Earth, Wonderland, Jaws, Mad Magazine, and Firefly, among others. She’s been told she’s on a quest: to find Lil Eddy. But she has no idea what or who Lil Eddy is.
Doing The Adventures of Katnip is a fun way to feature some of the books, movies, music, or TV shows that I’ve enjoyed through the years. I also get to photograph toys and other random things I find around The Compound. I hope you’ll enjoy them, too.
As the 30 Days site begins to post other contributors’ submissions, I’ll include links with my posts. Also, if you go to my Flickr set to see the first 20 photos, I’m sorry the site changed their format so that you can’t easily see the accompanying text unless you click on the photo and scroll down. I don’t like Flickr’s redesign at all.
If you want to participate in 30 Days of Creativity on your blog or other social media, click here for more info.
Grabbed a couple of buttons when Tim and I were out running errands the other day in honor of the new Star Trek movie being released this past week. Live long and prosper. =)
Also, if you haven’t seen the long version of the “Spock” Audi commercial, it’s been one of my favorite things. Thanks, Tim, for the link.
My mother was not a soap watcher. Even though she was a stay-at-home-mom before it was called such a thing, the TV just wasn’t turned on during the day except in the case of a significant world event. My sister, however, loved the soaps and through her, I pretty much knew the characters of shows whether or not I watched them. My mother didn’t stop us from turning on the TV when we were old enough, and she often knew many of the actors’ histories as more of them began showing up on daytime dramas. She could also nail which young actors would turn out to be stars–whether on their soaps or by moving on to other entertainment venues.
At one time or another, I think I watched all of the soaps that aired during my childhood and adolescence. Summers were great for getting to know the characters and the plots. After nine months of school, things generally wouldn’t have advanced so much that we couldn’t pick it right back up. Soaps not only moved at a glacial pace, but the writing has always been designed to give new viewers little history lessons (“I know that you and your sister Marie fell in love when you had amnesia and plastic surgery because of your war injuries, and after your family realized who you were, she joined a convent. Would you like another cup of coffee?” “Your sister Meredith is coming for dinner. Don’t tell her about her husband’s malpractice suit. She has to avoid stress because of her complicated pregnancy.” “Just because you’re the CEO of XYZ Corporation doesn’t give you the right to break the law, and even though you’re my illegitimate half-brother, I have to arrest you.”)
There was one soap that had its debut on my birthday–March 26–and though I didn’t see its first year, my sister quickly brought me up to speed on who was who and what was what, and one summer my friend Tanya and I became addicted to it, in no small part because of the relationship between the young and vulnerable Jill Foster and her employer and nemesis, the rich and lonely alcoholic Katherine Chancellor. In all the decades that followed, even when they recast Brenda Dickson’s Jill with Jess Walton, I managed to keep up with The Young and the Restless because I loved watching the relationship between these two characters. I watched Y&R during summers or asked anyone who did watch it what was going on (pre-VCR days). When I was in college, I spent that hour of the day in the student union building with other students watching first the Brooks, Foster, Chancellor, and Prentiss families, later the Abbott, Fenmore, Newman, Williams, and Winters families. Though I would at times watch Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, One Life to Live, and All My Children, and even visit The Edge of Night, Capitol, Search for Tomorrow, The Bold and the Beautiful, Another World, The Guiding Light, and As the World Turns, it was Y&R that kept my attention and heart.
One time I was driving back to Tuscaloosa from Florida on a day when a Major Event was happening (Lauren Fenmore Williams was being tormented by her stalker/manager/kidnapper), and I was able to find CBS on the radio, though Lauren’s cries for help didn’t exactly make sense until I could see the next episode and realize she was being BURIED ALIVE. As soon as I acquired my first VCR, I began taping the show while I was at work. By then Tom and I were married and he endured watching Y&R and Days with me every night. I didn’t give up on Days for years; I never gave up on Y&R. When Tim moved here from NYC, he, too, became a Y&R viewer. Even Lynne’s late husband Craig, who’d scoff whenever I turned on Y&R at their house during the day, ended up offering plenty of great comments about the crazy goings-on of the people in Genoa City.
For a long time one of my coworkers would tape the shows and write a recap of them at night. She’d then type it up at work with hilarious commentary and email it to those of us who wanted it–and some who didn’t, including one day by accident our boss. Fortunately she didn’t get into too much trouble. Although it’s been years since we worked together, from time to time she and I still exchange emails when we’re provoked by the implausible plots or a sudden U-turn in a character’s behavior because of new writers.
I keep my fingers crossed that Y&R will somehow survive the great purge that cost other networks almost all of their soaps. I think we’re down to only four daytime dramas now: two on CBS, one on NBC, and one on ABC.
Jeanne Cooper 1928 – 2013
And today, something I’ve dreaded for years finally happened. Jeanne Cooper, who transformed the character of Katherine Chancellor from the bitter, lonely woman who tormented Jill to a brilliant business executive, devoted mother and grandmother, mentor to young people, best friend to everyone from powerful moguls to miserable wives and daughters to her loyal maid Esther, has died.
By all accounts many of the qualities that made Katherine so endearing–her high spirits, no-nonsense approach to life, and indomitable ability to take on aging and alcoholism–came from Jeanne Cooper. Today the Y&R family that includes a legion of actors, writers, and crew, as well as millions of viewers, has lost one of our best. Condolences to her children Corbin Bernsen, Collin Bernsen, Caren Bernsen, and her grandchildren and other family members. Thank you for sharing your wonderful mother and grandmother with us all these years.
As promised, I’m presenting a final collection of twelve looks to meet Lifetime’s Project Runway challenge. But first, a look back at my designs for Season 11.
Now: the Summer Fun Fall Collection: Black and White and Red All Over, designed for Model Muse Summer’s fashion line. The designers were asked to include outerwear as part of their collections, so I’m beginning with Top Model Summer herself wearing a red vinyl modified trench coat. Enjoy!
Over a black knit dress with a cowl scarf.
DJ in a party dress.
Noelle in a jumpsuit.
Amelia in a 1920s inspired design.
Louise in a swing coat and textured vinyl dress.
Jillian in polka dots.
With a surprise: cutout sleeves and a chevron back.
Tabitha’s look has been finished since it was shown last week, with black ribbon around the trouser cuffs and the pleats put in the trousers.
Laurel models a red carpet look.
Juliet wears a dressy look for daytime.
Barbie is the hostess with the mostest.
Esperanza has a mod workday dress.
Fallon wears a look for evening: a silk dress with a cutout suede overdress.
One last look at the complete collection. I hope you’ve enjoyed it! Thanks to everyone who followed along this season and offered comments and encouragement.
Thanks to Lindsey, who asked for a trench coat and provided some of the fabric for Jillian’s look; Tim, who provided a camera when mine failed and donated the fabric for Barbie’s skirt; Tom, who helped with the staging; Pat, who provided the sequins on Fallon’s cuff bracelet (all other bracelets are from Mattel and the necklaces are all designed by me); Lynne, who provided the ribbon and tulle on Laurel’s dress. All shoes are by Mattel except Esperanza’s boots, which were a gift from Mark G. Harris. Esperanza’s and Noelle’s belts are my designs; DJ’s belt and Barbie’s belt and clamdiggers are from Mattel.
On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the remaining four designers were sent home with $10,000 each; they were to put together their final collections to show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and also would be hosting Tim Gunn when he visited their homes and workspaces to mentor them. Heidi directed them to create looks for fall that would anticipate trends and even include some outerwear. When they returned to New York, they were asked to show three of the twelve looks from their collections to determine which designers would compete at Fashion Week.
I love to create fall looks and this fell in line with an idea I was considering. Last week I was reading articles leading up to the airing of a documentary about The Washington Post, the Watergate break-in, and the movie (one of my favorites) All the President’s Men. For some reason, the old riddle “What’s black and white and red all over?” kept playing through my head, and I was wondering if the time would come when kids wouldn’t get the joke because they’d never seen a black and white newspaper (that would be read all over). And just like that, I finally had the inspiration I wanted for a final collection: black and white and red.
As Tom pointed out, that was pretty much designer Daniel’s collection, too. Whatever. SPOILER ALERT: He was eliminated and I’m still here. So my black, white, and red trumps his.
For my first three looks, I chose Basics muses Louise and Tabitha, as well as Top Model Barbie, to walk the runway.
Louise comes out wearing a swing coat in a bold print over a black textured vinyl dress.
Tabitha is also wearing a bold print jacket with three-quarter-length sleeves over houndstooth trousers.
For Barbie’s look, I wanted a Fifties hostess dress retro vibe. The sheer skirt covers black clamdiggers, and the belted vest of shiny red vinyl adds hard to soft.
Three of twelve:
See you next week with the rest of my looks. Unless you want to eliminate me now! You’d save me a lot of time and needle-tormented fingers.
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.
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!
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.
My mother was not a soap watcher. Even though she was a stay-at-home-mom before it was called such a thing, the TV just wasn’t turned on during the day except in the case of a significant world event. My sister, however, loved the soaps and through her, I pretty much knew the characters of shows whether or not I watched them. My mother didn’t stop us from turning on the TV when we were old enough, and she often knew many of the actors’ histories as more of them began showing up on daytime dramas. She could also nail which young actors would turn out to be stars–whether on their soaps or by moving on to other entertainment venues.
