Previously On Project Runway: Season 11, Episode 5

Thursday, February 28, 2013
aka. Honky Tonk Fashion

This week on Project Runway, Heidi decided to mix up the teams by dividing up the contestants into pairs. This was a welcome change because this gave an opportunity for the designers to show off more of their individualized skills. This week the  pairs were asked to design 2 looks for country singer, Miranda Lambert- a performance look and a red carpet look.

Top

Amanda/ Benjamin both needed to get top scores this week to stay in the game and succeeded greatly. I thought Amanda's look had great movement with the jersey and although Benjamin's dress was simply designed, it was beautiful (even though I didn't get the fringe on the boob thing). I thought these were sure to be Miranda's picks and was shocked to see them both just safe.
Amanda
Benjamin
Richard/ Stanley also created top looks. Richard's dress looked like it was going to be a risque see-through dress in the workroom, but luckily Richard chose to cut up his Mood t-shirt to line his outfit at the last minute so Miranda wouldn't fall out of it. Stanley's dress also looked good on the runway, but ultimately Miranda was worried that the full skirt might make her seem bigger than she is. Miranda chose Richard's performance look for the win.
Richard
Stanley
Safe

Tu/ Kate were eager to have the chance to work together since they were previously on opposing teams. Tu initially wanted to make Miranda Lambert into Lady Gaga by exaggerating her hips, but luckily he took Tim Gunn's advice and reduced it. I quite liked Kate's red leather gown with spike accents and might have put them in the top spot.
Tu
Kate
Layana/ Patricia stayed safe this week. Layana's gown was pretty, but didn't stand out amongst the others. Patricia got crafty again this week by creating an impressive fringed leather bullet holster, but placed it over some not so chic brown floral fabric.
Layana
Patricia
Bottom

Samantha/ Daniel took a stumble with this challenge. Samantha had immunity for this challenge, but wanted to show off a looped fabric technique with her performance outfit, which ultimately made the outfit look cheap. Daniel chose expensive fabrics and also tried some new techniques by creating a ruffle textured bodice from shiny leather and by fraying his hemline. Both looks were very disappointing and I was surprised Daniel didn't get the "Auf Wiedersehen".
Samantha
Daniel
Michelle/ Matthew did not meet the judges expectations this week. The judges could not get passed Michelle's fringe necklace and they felt that Matthew's look didn't stand out enough to be a performance outfit. Of the two designers, the judges decided that Matthew would be out.
Michelle
Matthew
What did you think of this week's challenge? Did you think that Richard deserved the top spot and Matthew deserved to be out? Let me know in the comments below.
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eShaketi Promo Code

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I have not been compensated in any way for this post.
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Oscar Outfits 2013

Wednesday, February 27, 2013
The awards show that we've all been waiting for has come and gone, and despite what some people might think, they DO play the Oscar's in the UK- it just airs a little later than it does in The States. The actual show didn't air until Monday, February 25th, at 1am, but they repeated it during the day for those of us who need their beauty sleep. So, I was able to watch the Oscar's after all and determine my best and worst dressed picks for 2013.

This year, we saw a wide variety of colored dressed on the red carpet and the only trend this year was that strapless dresses rule! Here are my picks for best and worst dressed this year.

The Good

I thought Jessica Chastain nailed it this year with this beaded gown by Giorgio Armani and old Hollywood-esq hair. Even though she wasn't a winner at the Oscars, she won it in the fashion department.
Jessica Chastain
I liked Jennifer Lawrence's look on the red carpet by Dior Couture despite the unfortunate tripping incident that she had when she went to collect her Oscar.
Jennifer Lawrence
I liked that Reese Witherspoon chose a dark bold blue Louis Vuitton dress for the red carpet which made her stand out from the pack.
Reese Witherspoon

The Bad

Anne Hathaway's Prada gown wasn't necessarily bad. In fact, her gown had a gorgeous back to it. But, I put Anne Hathaway's dress in the bad category since her gown also revealed her boobage.

Anne Hathaway
Now, I know Helena Bohnam Carter doesn't really aspire to be on the best dressed list, and I should be glad to at least see her in a gown (by Jessica McCormack). But, I'd really like to see Helena Bohanam Carter in something more polished for a change. Maybe she could get the number for Kelly Osbourne's stylist or something.
Helena Bohnam Carter
I felt like Zoe Saldana's  Alexis Mabille Couture dress just had too many things going on with it. The dress had a ruffly top, a shiny belt and an interesting hem line, but when put all together my eyes didn't know where to look. I think the gown would have been much better if it would have stuck to just one simple flurrish.
Zoe Saldana
Did you watch the 2013 Oscars? Who did you think were the best and worst dressed this year? Let me know in the comments below.
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What's Makeing Me Laugh: Don Cheadle as Captain Planet

Saturday, February 23, 2013


Were you born in the 1980s? Were you a fan of the Captain Planet cartoons? Are you a fan of Don Cheadle? If any of this applies, than this is the video for you. Check out Don Cheadle as Captain Planet from Funny or Die and if you like it, check out all 4 episodes.
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Cha Cha Ruffle Scarf

Thursday, February 21, 2013
Way back in 2010 I traveled across Kansas for the Central Kansas Yarn Shop Hop with my family (see here) and everywhere I looked I kept seeing fun ruffle scarves made with a new specialty yarn from Trendsetters, so I decided to pick up a skein. Flash forward to 2013 when I decided that I needed a fun and easy knitting project to keep my hands busy and decided to knit up this yarn. The yarn packaging itself comes with directions on how to knit the yarn and there are several YouTube videos available to show how to properly knit the yarn through the loops. Once you get the hang of how to knit the yarn, the scarf easily knits up in a day (if you knit non-stop. I spent a week on this one) in a simple knit stitch. I completed this just in time for Valentine's Day.




Are you on Ravelry? If so, check out my Ravelry profile. I'm chicknittingface.
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Previously on Project Runway: Season 11, Episode 4

Wednesday, February 20, 2013
A.k.a. Hardware and Hydrangeas 

Previously on Project Runway the designers were asked to revisit not one but two unconventional challenges, the flower challenge and the hardware challenge, in a challenge inspired by Glade 2-in-1. Before the challenge got started, Heidi finally allowed the teams to level the playing field by allowing loosing team, The Dream Team, to select 2 Team Keeping it Real members to convert (they surprisingly chose Stanley and Layana) and allowing Team Keeping it Real to select 1 Dream Teamer to convert (they chose Michelle).  The designers were given 2 days and $2,500 to create their looks and the designs would be judged by The Man Repeller and Bette Midler. Let's take a look at their designs.

The Dream Team- Who knew that adding Stanley and Layana to the team would give the Dream Team the boost they need to score their first win!? This week the Dream Team actually started with a plan to use soft colors and take inspiration from Dior. Their strategy worked and they managed to create a more cohesive looking collection this week.

Stanley created a very sophisticated and flattering dress out of roses and leaves. I loved this look and felt it worthy of a top 3 spot. 
Stanley
Benjamin had me worried that he wasn't going to finish when he decided to create his own fabric out of string after making his own loom. Ben obviously has time management issues, but this week his idea paid off. His woven fabric added interest to his look even though his color pallet reminded me of candy corn.
Benjamin
Matthew's outfit wasn't bad, but it was probably my least favorite look on the team. I thought the mop string halter top was nice, but the yellow moss skirt just looked like a ball of fluff.
Matthew
Tu's outfit was also amongst my favorites and definitely seemed like a contender for the win. His look looked like actual, wearable clothes that would look as good on the street as it did on the runway.
Tu
Layana's look was straight out of Fantasy Land. Even though she recently had a win, I thought the judges would surely give her the win. Perhaps the judges wanted to see more hardware on the outfit, so this week Layana was just safe.
Layana
Samantha appeared to be struggling with time in the workroom as she spent a whole day cutting out inserts from a lattice print mat. Fortunately, she was able to finish her look and the judges felt it was the perfect combination of hard and soft. I've been admiring her looks in the previous challenges and I'm glad she finally got a win.
Samantha

Team Keeping it Real- This week, the team forgot to come up with a cohesive link before heading to the store and had to scramble to think of a cohesive link after the looks were completed. Michelle kept complaining that their looks appeared to come from separate planets, but Tim Gunn helped the team decide to conclude that their cohesive link was 'fashion through the decades'. The judges decided that each of the teams did well this week and Heidi said that Team Keeping it Real was the 'almost winning team' rather than the loosing team.

Kate embraced the fantasy aspect of the challenge and created an ultra poofy, cupcake like outfit from calla lilies and carnations that was undoubtedly the best look from the team.
Kate
Patricia created a Mother Nature meets Swamp Thing meets Frida Kahlo inspired look that was neither good nor bad this week.
Patricia
I liked the base construction of Daniel's metal mesh net, PVC pipe and lamb's ear flower dress (fun fact:  Daniel has felt an actual lamb's ear before), but when it walked down the runway I thought it looked as if his model had swallowed a dumbbell. Luckily, the judges disagreed and we'll be able to see Daniel next week.
Daniel
This week Michelle and Richard decided to pair up to create a Madonna-esque out of blinds, leaves and flowers. In the workroom I worried that the outfit my look a little too bondage (which got Matthew in trouble last week), but the flowers between the blinds saved the look.
Michelle and Richard
Amanda apparently forgot about Andrae Gonzalo's Season 2 send-off where he was sent home for creating a dress out of green moss, as she went for the green moss at the flower shop because she doesn't like flowers. Her dress started off as a green dress with embellished hardware at the neckline, but she started adding flowers to cover up the patchy moss bits, causing me to yell "keep it simple, bitch" at the screen. When the designers were asked to identify the weakest link of the team, the designers all through Amanda under the bus, but the judges disagreed and Amanda remained safe.
Amanda
Joseph Aaron picked the wrong time to set out to create an unflattering sweater dress in an effort to challenge conventional ideas of beauty. Not only was his dress unflattering (his model looked like she had a big bum), but it also doubled as a torture device because he forgot to put a zipper in his look. This week Joseph Aaron was sent packing and rightfully so.
Joseph Aaron
Did you catch this week's episode of Project Runway? What was your favorite look? Who created your least favorite look? Let me know in the comments below.
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Art House Co-op Submission: Scenarios Of...

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Last week I participated in the Art House Co-op's Scenario's Of Project.

The scenario of this project is: You wake up to find that everything in your home is gone. Your books, furniture, pictures - even the nails they were hanging on, have all mysteriously vanished. You wander room to room before encountering one object - you're surprised it's the one thing remaining because it's not of great value, but it has a special significance only you would know about.

To participate in the project, I had to submit an image of myself and my object of special significance. I chose the framed collage I created of my (now) husband and I from the trip we took to Chicago together in 2006. The picture reminds me of my husband and how much fun we have together.
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Prabal Gurung for Target Review

Monday, February 18, 2013

As if you fashionista's didn't already know, the Prabal Gurung collection for Target was released on February 10 and if you're like me, you instantly started browsing the collection online as soon as the ad hit your television. Initially after seeing the ad, I was ready to buy up the whole damn collection, but after seeing some of Target's past collections in person, I fear that sometimes the collection's sacrifice quality in lieu of having a big name on their shelves. So this week, I visited my local target store and tried on a few of my favorite items in person.

First I tried on the sleeveless blouse in First Date Print and I'm glad I did. This was the piece that had me most excited after viewing the collection online and it had high reviews. However, after trying on the Medium I found that the top ran big and the polyester material was rather thin, so I passed on this one.

Next, I tried on the Lace Front Blouse in black. This piece got me most enthused in the store since it was the piece that fit in most with my style and I liked the faux leather collar. But, the top was also made out of that thin polyester fabric and I noticed that the blouse already had noticeable runs and a hole in the front from previous try-ons, so I also left this behind.



Finally, I picked up the skirt in Meet the Parent's Print to try on for shits and giggles. I don't typically wear a lot of skirts because they're rather hit or miss on me. They're either super flattering or they make me look huge. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this skirt was fully lined and made of thicker material than the blouses. The skirt had a circular skirt shape that was very flattering and was long enough to cover my bum and things I'm not too keen on showing. I ended up taking home the skirt.

There were many more pieces available at my local Target store that I did not try on such as the drop waist dress in First Date print that appeared to be made of good quality jersey, the short sleeved dress in First Date Print, and the dress with full skirt in Apple Red simply because I don't wear a lot of dresses. And there were several pieced that weren't at my store that I would have loved to try on such as the sweatshirt in First Date Print, the peplum top in Floral Crush Print and the lace overlay top in white/black and I didn't even look at the accessories or shoes. Overall, I felt like there were more good quality pieces in the collection than there were in the collections with Neiman Marcus and Jason Wu. So if you have a Target near by and cash to spare, check out the Prabal Gurung collection and then tell me what you think.
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This week on Instagram: February 4- February 16

Sunday, February 17, 2013
Boddington's Pub Ale. My preparation for my move to the UK.
Trader Joe's Vintage Ale. Good stuff!
Valentine's Day J Rae's bakery cookies
Valentine's Day cupcakes from J Rae's
Valentine's Day weekend champers

Showing off my new GAP tea cup shirt
My early Valentine's Day present- a vintage sterling silver rose ring from pre-1922

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Art House Co-op: In Five Minutes Project

Friday, February 15, 2013
This week I participated in the Art House Co-op's In Five Minutes Project. The idea was to only spend 5 minutes creating a drawing of the largest building in my city and Wikipedia confirmed that the largest building in my current city is The Epic Center.
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2013 Grammy Fashions

Thursday, February 14, 2013
Another awards show aired this weekend which showed off more fashion trends. The week the celebrities continued to show off their preference for black and white, but we also saw some celebrities walk the red carpet in pants and green. Lets take a look at the fashions.

Trends 
Pants
Beyonce
Janelle Monae
Green
Florence Welch

Katy Perry
Best 
I thought Taylor Swift picked the perfect dress for her body. The dress has a Greek goddess feel that's both sweet and sexy- just like she is.

Taylor Swift
Have I mentioned how much I love Kelly Osbourne's purple hair? I loved Kelly Osbourne's black cut out dress. It's a little bit rocker but it also shows off her new smaller shape nicely.
Kelly Osbourne
I thought Rihanna looked ravishing in red! I much preferred her red dress to her previous Ronald McDonald red hair.
Rihanna
I've been in love with Adele's Valentino dress since I saw it on the runway, but I'm not sure if Adele pulled it off. I agree with the critics who said that it would have worked better with a belt. Then again, I think it would have worked better on me!
Adele in Valentino
Worst
I feel like I have seen this look on JLo before. The shape doesn't flatter JLo's fabulous curves and instead covers them up like a trash bag with a really high slit.
J Lo
I'm not sure what's going on with this dress. It reminds me of a beached mermaid. Not good!
D'Manti
Esperanza arrived in an orange printed outfit which would be hard for anyone to pull off. This dress was wearing her more than she was wearing it.

Esperanza Spalding

Kimbra apparently was trying to get the wackiest outfit award. Her dress looked like a Vegas showgirl outfit with tissue attached. I would have liked to have seen her in a retro inspired emerald gown or a black and white dress instead.
Kimbra
John Mayer decided to announce his douche-bagginess to the Grammys by wearing a purple suit and bow tie. Enough said.
John Mayer
Did you watch the Grammy awards this year? Honestly, I had to catch the highlights after the show because it competed with the premiere of Walking Dead, a 2 hour Downton Abbey and a new episode of Girls. What do you think of the pants and green dress trends? Who did you think were the best/worst dressed? Let me know in the comments below.
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