What's Making Me Laugh: Sh*t Liz Lemon Says and Craig Ferguson

Saturday, January 28, 2012


I'm sure you've seen several YouTube videos for the latest internet meme "Sh*t ____(fill in the blank)____ Says". Well this week I stumbled across a video for one of my favorite TV characters, Liz Lemon of 30 Rock, which reminded me of why I'm a fan of the show. Check it out!


Also, on Friday night I had the opportunity to see Craig Ferguson live on stage. All I can say is that I will never look at a hen's egg the same way again. The show was hilarious and well worth the ticket price!
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Previously on Project Runway All Stars: Episode 3

Wednesday, January 25, 2012
This week on Project Runway the designers were asked to design a red carpet worthy cocktail dress for a major celebrity- Miss Piggy. Now, to some viewers this challenge may seem a bit outdated as Miss Piggy's Muppet Movie was released in theaters around the Christmas holiday. But, if you can  recall, Project Runway All Stars was scheduled to air last fall (in 2011), but was pushed back to 2012. 

Anyway, the spirit of the challenge was to create a fun yet fashionable dress. I was really surprised to see that so many designers seemed to gravitate towards black fabric instead of embracing bright, bold and funky colors and a few designers elected to focus their dresses on meeting the designers aesthetic rather than focus their efforts on a dress worthy of Miss P. 

Safe

Kara
Before the runway, Kara fought with Mondo and Austin over accessories (namely the gloves) and for good reason. I thought that the cutout made the dress interesting, although I can't image this look on Miss P. In fact, the only part of the outfit that I can picture on Miss P are the gloves.

Mondo
Mondo's dress had a retro vibe with it's short, mod-mini dress shape and big buttons, yet the origami- like fabric treatment at the bottom made the dress appear fresh and modern. I thought that Mondo's dress was better than some of the looks that made it into the top 3 and I could totally see this look on Miss Piggy if she were making an appearance on Mad Men.

Anthony
I thought that Anthony created a very beautiful and fashion forward look. Heck, I would wear his dress! However, I believe that Anthony's use of black fabric and dark colored fabrics may have come across as too serious for the judges and Miss Piggy.

April
April is an example of a designer who decided to cling to their design aesthetic over creating a look that their client would like. April stuck to her predominant use of dark, gothy color (black) and created a look worthy of Miss Piggy, if Miss Piggy were attending a funeral.
Jerell
Jerell's dress had way too much going on- it's had ruffles, sequins, lace, feathers and jewels. Plus, this outfit fit his model poorly, giving  his model the appearance of saggy boobs and a wide waist. And the look was forgettable to boot! In my opinion, Jerell's look should have landed him in the bottom 3. I'd even go as far as say that I think Jerell's look should have sent him home.

Top

Kenley
I was totally surprised when Kenley's dress landed in the top 3, because I thought she was surely headed to mediocrity at best with her simple skirt design, awkward fitting top, and giant pile of tulle on her model's head. Even Miss Piggy said that she thought the hat could double as a pot scrubber. I kind of think the only reason this ended up in the top is because it was a) predominantly pink b) so the judges to talk about the dress some more.
Rami
Rami's dress definitely screamed fun with it's giant ruffles and pink and orange polka dots. It also reminded me of a flamenco dancer dress, and some of my Barbie doll's outfits from the 1990s. Even Miss Piggy said "This is the most Garish Outlandish Ridiculous thing I've ever seen. I love it. It looks like a candy store exploded." I suppose if the criteria was to make the most fun, whimsical and cartoon like dress- Rami's dress was worthy of the top 3...if only he could get the polka dots on the seams to match up.
Michael C.

I thought that Michael C. created a pretty dress that made his model look like a Christmas present and a hat worthy of the Royal Wedding; however, I had a difficult time imagining Miss Piggy in the look. Apparently, I'm not in tune with Miss Piggy's tastes, because Michael's look was selected for the win. 

Bottom
Mila is
Austin


I liked the initial idea and description of Austin's dress; however I wasn't thrilled about Austin's choice of lipstick pink fabric or the 2 giant pink bows on  each hip (they made me want to reach into the TV and cut the bows off). I believe Austin really could have pulled this outfit into the safe zone with a little tweaking and I was glad that the judges decided to keep him around for another week.




Mila
Mila was another designer who totally disregarded the client's tastes, and created a look to meet the designer's own aesthetic. Mila's look wasn't bad, in fact it was kind of cool with it's 60s mod vibe, but the dress was too serious and severe for Miss Piggy and did not appear fresh or fun. This week, the judges kept Mila safe.
Gordana
Gordana was sent home this week. Gordana's dress wasn't bad, but it was also not very original and looked more like a Miss Piggy night gown than a cocktail/ red carpet dress.

What did you think of the challenge, judges decisions, and dresses? Let me know in the comments below.
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34th World Wide SketchCrawl

Monday, January 23, 2012
This weekend I participated in the 34th World Wide SketchCrawl. Now, you may be asking yourself, what is a SketchCrawl? Have you ever heard of a "PubCrawl?" Well, a SketchCrawl is kind of like a Pub Crawl except instead of visiting as many drinking establishment as you can, the idea is to engage in a marathon sketching session and sketch as many things as you can inside of your sketchbook. And the World Wide SketchCrawl is a SketchCrawl event in which people from around the world are asked to spend a day sketching and then post their results on the SketchCrawl forum.

So, this Saturday I met a group of local sketchers (and The Boy's mother) at my local independent art supply store to do some SketchCrawling. Initially we thought that we would all meet at the art supply store and maybe draw items at the store and then venture outside drawing items and buildings in the neighborhood, but temperatures ranged from 14 to 35 degrees so most of us opted to stay inside of the store and sketch items in the store or out the window. Here are my drawings:



If you're interested in learning more about the SketchCrawl or want to check out more sketches from my fellow sketchers click here and here. And as always, feel free to leave some comments below.

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What's Making Me Laugh: Craft Talk

Saturday, January 21, 2012


Need some motivation to get your craft on? Well check out Leslie Hall in Craft Talk to get your crafting on!
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Put A Bird On It

Wednesday, January 18, 2012
dress: c/o eShakti 
shoes: Old Navy

I recently discovered Portlandia on Netflix "Watch It Now" and am obsessed with it. It's hilarious (and it secretly makes me want to visit Portland). Anyways, a few weeks ago I was contacted by a representative from eShakti who asked me if I would like to do a review of one of their customized clothing items. I was already familiar with their products and had already seen several product reviews online, so I jumped at the opportunity.

eShakti offers real fashion for real people with sizes ranging from 0-24W. eShakti also offers customization, so if you love an item but aren't thrilled with the neckline, sleeves, or hemline you can change it (your first customization is free, and additional changes are $7.50). I had a tough time choosing which dress I wanted to order (between the contrast trim cotton dress, the contrast collar sheeth dress, the falling leaves trench dress, the feathered skirt, and the circle in a square peg skirt) but ultimately I decided to go with the birds who gossip dress in black/white. I customized the dress by entering my measurements on the eShakti website and having cap sleeves instead of short, ruched and buttoned sleeves. When the dress arrived in the mail, it fit like it was made for me, because it was made for me and the fabric is buttery soft.

 eShakti is also featured in Glamour magazine.

So, if you haven't checked out eShakti, what are you waiting for? Go and get yourself some cute clothes.

print close up

outtakes

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Previously On Project Runway All Star: Episode 1 and 2

Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Episode 1 

For the premiere of Project Runway All Stars there were some major let-downs right from the get go as we saw that there would be no Heidi Klum, and instead this season will be hosted by model Angela Lindvall. Also, instead of Tim Gunn, we have Marie Claire editor Joanna Coles, and instead of Nina Garcia, Michael Kors and a guest judge, we have Georgina Chapman, designer Issac Mizrahi and a guest judge.

 At the beginning of the episode, the cast was asked to show 3 looks from their own collections, but only one look from each collection was shown on TV. The first challenge was an unconventional challenge, as the designers were asked to create a look inspired by a look from their own collection using items from a 99 cent store. Lets take a look at their designs:


Safe

Anthony
Anthony used purple streamers and gold safety pins to make a dress that was totally Anthony. I would have liked to see a more Southern, "bell of the ball" touch, but it was a good effort by Anthony.
Austin
I had high expectations for Austin, as he came in second in season 1 and had a show with Santino a year ago. I expected to see a more elegant and sophisticated look from him, and thought his outfit was a bit mermaid-y.
Michael
April
April and Michael both went with the mop heads to make dresses worthy of Lea Michele (see here). I preferred the patterning on April's mop dress to Michael's, but the patterning and draping was hard to see on either look with the black/white mop head patterning.
Kenley
I didn't get the relation of Kenley's dress to her original collection piece, and I thought her model looked like a princess...of someones shower.


Kara
Kara's outfit didn't make an impression on me, but after giving it a second glance, I think it's a hip and cool look. The top and skirt are fashionable, but not fashion forward, but I'm not thrilled with the belt.
Mila
Mila managed to find a bold graphic pattern in the 99 cent store. I thought her look was very futuristic, but I'm worried about the shortness of the dress/tunic thingie and potential crotch/bum exposure.

Top






Jerell
Jerell created a pretty dress with scarves from the 99 cent store. But, although it was pretty and wearable his materials weren't really all that unconventional, so ultimately he was just safe.
Mondo

I loved Mondo's look as he completely transformed the garbage bags, electrical tape and cowboy hats into a stylish, fashionable look. I thought Mondo should have been the winner, but he was only safe.
Rami
Rami created a voluminous look out of gift bags and took home the win for this challenge.

Bottom
Sweet Pea
Sweat Pea declared that she is all about color, and created this Latino inspired dress with brightly colored rags and belts. I wasn't in love with this outfit, but I didn't hate it either, but I also didn't notice some of the unfinished ends like the judges did.
Gordana
I remembered that Gordana was a quick sewer and she stated that she wanted to make something flowing, but about halfway through the episode I wanted to yank the sequins out of Gordana's head and tell her that her outfit looked like a pom-pom. Well, the judges agreed and Gordana was in the bottom, but she was saved in the end.
Elisa
This week, the crazy, fabric spitting, hippie Elisa was out. Frankly, I was surprised that Project Runway All Star's brought her back at all and was not surprised to see her go. I think maybe Elisa would do better as a performance artist or metaphysical interpreter in Sedona, rather than a fashion designer.

After episode 1, I was pretty happy with the top 3 and bottom 3 picks (although I thought Mondo got robbed for the win). My top picks to watch after season 1 were:
  • Mondo
  • Austin

Episode 2

This week on Project Runway, the designers were challenged by Bagdley and Mischka to create a couture-esq look worthy of attending the opera for $350 in just 24-hours. Let's take a look at the looks:

Safe
Jerell
Jerell actually made my least favorite look. In fact, I thought it was bottom worthy. On TV, the dress looked like a moo-moo and his model looked like she had pubic hair on her chest.

Kenley
Kenley's dressed looked more suited for a Barbie doll, rather than the opera (unless Barbie is going to the opera).
Mila
Bagdley and Mischka told the designers that they weren't really into black, so if the designers wanted to use black they would have to really wow the judges and sell them on the color. Well, Mila chose black anyway, and while her dress was nice, it was not a show stopper.

Mondo
Mondo's dress took on a space aged theme which would work if you're attending an opera set in a 1950s B-movie.
Gordana
I thought Gordana's dress was new, fashion forward, and different and I could totally picture it on the likes of Charlize Theron. I think with more time to work on the finishing, Gordana could have made top 3.
Rami
I liked Rami's bright pink color choice, but I wasn't a fan of his seams and points on the outside of his dress, which to me made the dress look unfinished.

Top
Anthony
I thought each of the top 3 designers did a wonderful job this week. I loved Anthony's dress with the leather gloves and thought it was pretty and sexy and red carpet worthy. I could defiantly picture it on the likes of Angelina Jolie and I love the pairing with that belt. Perhaps the judges didn't see this dress as opera appropriate, and Anthony was just safe.
Michael
I thought Michael's look was pure perfection and appeared to be the clear winner. When picking out fabric, Michael was pissed at April because he had wanted to make a gown in red, but opted for black when he saw that April had grabbed some red fabric first. I think Michael should be kissing April's butt, because this dress would not have been as stunning and Kim Kardashian worthy if it had been done in red. I believe the only strike the judges could have had against this dress is that the silhouette is reminiscent of other gowns you can find at a fancy dress store, so this week Michael was just safe.
Austin
At the beginning of this challenge, Joanna and the challengers all said that they expected great things from Austin this week. No pressure, Austin! Well, Austin delivered a pretty and modest old Hollywood gown which wowed the judges enough to give him the win.

Bottom
Kara
I thought Kara's gown was pretty and I liked the print, but I agreed with the judges when they said that the silhouette was too simple and the dress was a bit "junior prom". I'd even venture out to say that this dress could appear maternity. But, I was glad that Kara was safe this week.
April
April wanted to create a look that was inspired by Tim Burton's red queen from Alice in Wonderland. Now, when I think opera, I do not think of the red queen, and when I saw April attempting to ombre dye her dress during this 24-hour challenge, I knew she was headed for the bottom. The judges appreciated her interesting collar design, but commented that her dress looked tortured and was filled with amateurish mistakes. After this week's challenge, I'm worried about how long April will stick around, but this week she is safe.

Sweet Pea

Sweet Pea's dress could have been chopped off at the knee in order to make a cute and fun summery dress, but as an opera gown it looked like a long floral skirt attached to a bathing suit. Although I appreciate Sweet Pea's attitude and style, her opera gown did not meet the challenge expectations and she was sent home.

What do you think of Project Runway All Star thus far? Do you agree with the judges top and bottom picks? Are you excited for next week's episode with Miss Piggy? Let me know in the comments below.
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Awards Season Fashions- People's Choice Awards and Golden Globes

Monday, January 16, 2012
People's Choice Awards

Best
Jennifer Lawrence
I thought this dress was both fashionably unique and artistic. Love it!

Emma Stone
I love Emma's style and color choice. Very flattering.

Stana Katic
I thought Stana Katic looked stunning in this dress. Then again, with her body, Stana Katic would look stunning in any dress.

Worst
Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs
It looks like the stars of 2 Broke Girls were too broke to buy fancy dresses for the awards.

Lea Michele
Looks like Lea Michele borrowed one of the 2 mop dressed from the Project Runway All Star Dollar Store challenge.

Ashley Greene
Hey Ashley Greene! Britney Spears circa 2001 wants her Slave 4 U dress back.

Golden Globes

Best
Julie Bowen
Why hello there Betty Draper!

Rooney Mara

I'm kind of digging how Rooney Mara has really embraced the whole Girl with the Dragon Tattoo look.

Angelina Jolie
At first, I wasn't sure if I was into Angelina's "pop of red" dress, but now I love it.

Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek would look good in anything, and this dress is no exception.

Emma Stone
Emma Stone did it again! I love the color, cut and styling of this dress. I especially want to just rip that belt off of that dress and wear it with my jeans and t-shirt tomorrow.

Worst
Lea Michele
It appears that when the celebs all decided to go old Hollywood glam, Lea Michele interpreted that as 1980s Cher, Liza Minnelli and '80s Liz Taylor...not in a good way. I love Lea Michele on Glee but I think it's time that Lea hire a better stylist.

Connie Britton
Connie must have missed the Old Hollywood memo all together and appeared a bit too casual for the Globes.

Ewan McGregor, right, and Eve Mavrakis
Ewan McGregor looked handsome as always, but I don't know what's going on with his wife's outfit!? It appears that she came to the Globes wearing a fringed skirt suit and way too many accessories. Here's a tip for Mrs. McGregor for the Oscars- TONE IT DOWN!

Have you been keeping up with awards season? Who are your picks for best/worst dressed? What flicks are you going to rush out a see before the Oscars? Let me know in the comments below.
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