Mendelopacious

mendelopacious (adj.) - indicative of great joy because of or relating to Mendacious and Penelope; to experience mendelopation (n.) or excessive happiness due to the presence of Mendacious and Penelope; of or relating to the act of mendelopating (v.) or spending quality time with Mendacious and Penelope. ex. A mendalopacious week was experienced recently, filled with mendelopation over mendelopating with both Mendacious and Penelope.

Mendelopacious outing with Mendacious
Huntington Beach, California

Mendacious and I met once before when Penelope married, but it was well before blogdom blossomed and we were fully aware of the nature of our soul connection. This time, however, I knew when I spied her through the glass - "This is Mendacious!"

We hugged the lovely sort of hug one shares with one's wayfaring soul upon meeting for the first time - a sort of strong, instant embrace filled with warmth and knowing and connection. And I climbed into her car and agreed to adventure and the promise of margaritas. We talked in this way that felt like we were picking up with a conversation begun many lifetimes ago, as though we both remembered the precise moment we left off, paused and began again.

There were in fact margaritas and a trip to the beach where we plopped down in the sand and made strange shapes from shell bits. We talked of the sand and how it is different from the East Coast. This Pacific sand is worn and natural and raw. It is integral sand. East Coast sand is admired and visited and enjoyed, but West Coast sand is habitual and used and incorporated. Mendacious, in all her tall vivacious glory, belonged here with this earthy, essential sand, and I heard the waves in the way that I hear all water - like a soothing lullaby. I spoke to a seagull and Mendacious understood and we talked of art and love and family and place and my still unattained passport and, of course, Penelope.

And we were mendelopated.

Mendelopacious outing with Penelope
Lake SinclairPenelope Pices met with a soon-to-be-31 Cancer at a lake in middle Georgia. Whereas Mendacious and me were known strangers among unknown strangers, Penelope and I were old friends among older friends. We sat in rocking chairs and watched the water sparkle hotly in the distance while the flush-cheeked Lo. Co. children climbed and gamboled around the porch. Back and forth, the chairs. Back and forth, the words. Back and forth, the stories. Back and forth, the snark.

And we picked up the thread just where we left off, knitting our tales, sewing our lives together; two vastly different patterns that most would never consider complimentary but somehow, upon closer inspection, matched in a lovely sort of mismatched way.

At dusk there were sparklers, and we drew our names in the air with fire - we two water signs - and laughed at the smoke and the crack and hiss and the familiar burning smell until the sticks went dark. And we laughed at the otherworldly fire-blurred pictures of ourselves.

And a mendelopacious time was had by all.

That 70s House

When it comes to house hunting, I have mastered internet research. I know how to control-click the multiple areas in which I'm searching, select the interior and exterior features crucial to my abode and sort the views by price. I know what sites will show the tax assessment on all the surrounding properties and which sites have pictures. Unfortunately, there's only so far you can surf in the pursuit of a domicile.

Nonetheless, I probably would've continued my e-hunt from here to eternity if The Barrister hadn't badgered me (just a little bit) to make an appointment to see the house. When I say "the house," it's the one I look at every time I search. Just to scroll through the 10 available photos again and see if any updates have been added to the listing criteria or (fingers crossed) the price has been dropped. I know when it was built (75) and its exact square footage (1798). But finally, on Sunday, I e-mailed the listing realtor and asked to see the inside.

On Monday at 6, The Barrister and I drove over to The House for my first showing appointment as a potential homebuyer. Here's a recap of the good, the bad and the ugly:

The Good
- A quiet, centrally located neighborhood where I think I would feel safe
- New bamboo hardwoods in the living room and kitchen
- All new cabinets in the kitchen and granite countertops
- Appliances -including the refrigerator, washer and dryer - are included in the purchase price
- The living room is a glorious sunny oasis bordered on two sides by windows
- Hilarious "Wild and Crazy Guy"-esque wet bar behind louvered doors in the living room
- A cavernous garage
- Not one but two (two!) walk-in closets in the master bedroom

The Bad
- In the backyard, it's a bit hard to distinguish between maintained and unmaintained landscaping
- The roof is 20 years old
- Windows in the bedrooms are crank-handled windows which my dad swears could be the bane of my existence
- A friend of mine at work warned me that squirrels will eat the cedar exterior
- As The Barrister noted, there's not a good location for the television or the litter box (both essentials)

The Ugly
- Beige carpet in the hallway, master bedroom and first guest room, which The Barrister found revolting
- Atrocious burnt orange-brown carpet in the second guest room that reminded me of a few unfortunate diaper changes
- The unspeakably hideous guest bathroom - a combination of pale lime green tiles, terra cotta paint and a (gasp!) palm tree wallpaper border. It was a Boca-gyptian look of sorts.

I definitely could see myself in this house. I was mentally plotting paint colors and furniture placement as we walked through the rooms. But I don't want to get overly excited and make an offer before I've seen something else. Which means - unfortunately for The Barrister - a return to the dubbya-dubbya-dubbya search for another house worthy of the hunt.

Cashthrax: A Metalgrass Band

I don't confess to be musical in any sort of way other than liking to listen to it. But I do know a little bit about bluegrass - how it generally sounds, the kind of instruments that are involved, the harmonies. Enough to know that the show I went to Friday night featured a band that was decidedly not bluegrass.

While we were subjected to the sounds of The Unknown Band, I made a few observations, puzzled together this mysterious musical performance and came up with this: the band came together with two sets of brothers - one in each pair devoted to classic bluegrass and their counterparts equally passionate about heavy metal. But rather than be brothers divided, they decided to meld their incongruous loves into a band of heretofore unknown composition: the metalgrass band.

The metalheads brought their pounding drums and their electric guitar riffs and the grassroots brought their upright bass and their banjo and then they found the missing ingredient: the pretty-boy frontman who could hunch over a mandolin but never quite make noise with it. And this motley crew became Cashthrax, an absolute abomination to both ends of the spectrum.

And poor Jason and me were stuck...for thirty minutes, listening to them bang and wail in a fashion that was a glaring insult to all things bluegrass and a wad of spit in the eye to all things metal. But they labored on, picking and plucking in their cowboy boots and their Converse and their long Amish beards and sang something that was neither identifiable nor enjoyable.

And then the headliner appeared with the proper instruments and harmonies and vocals and sounds and words. The world improved greatly for a brief moment...and then tilted on its axis in a haze of white-boy pain and mid-life clogging. A cluster of frat-boy redneck types moved into the middle of the open floor - one wearing a camoflauge cap, another a Member's Only jacket - and began what can only be characterized as a rhythmless white-boy shuffle. They were soon joined by a 40ish or so woman in a dress so ugly, it pained me. No. Seriously. This dress - this boxy black and camel dress - hurt me. And it hurt me even more when I noticed her hair was held in place by a small pink terrycloth scrunchie. She took to the floor in her thick suntan-colored pantyhose (shoes kicked to the side) and clogged the dickens out of that concrete floor. And when she wasn't clogging, she was to the side with her decidedly more stylish friend (although Jason insisted she didn't score that many extra points) who seemed to be the girlfriend of a hip Atown townie who was so stoic and immobile, I would've thought him dead. But it was his friend - the sometimes sax player (?) - who was the attraction for the clogger. And while stylish friend (whose name I decided was Willow) tried to motivate her catatonic beau to move things along, the sax player and the clogger had intermittent awkward conversations leaned across the impassive zombie while Willow stroked his neck. And on top of that, we were fascinated by the incredibly bad date that was happening stage left, cringing at the body language and counting the guy's trips to the bar for another beer. Drink til she's cute!

All that said, the band was rather enjoyable. That is until they descended from the stage into the mob of mutants and continued playing and the mutants started shouting incomprehensibly. That's I turned to Jason and said, "Let's go now." And we walked out into the cold and hoped that whatever fissure had opened up in the universe behind us had closed - and hopefully taken that hideous dress with it.

Coldplay: A History, Next Chapter

Fifty yards away from the stage, you can see Chris Martin life-sized...like when he runs out on stage during the first encore to pound on the keyboard, the jumbo-tron showing the piano hammers tripping against the strings, and he croons the opening line of "Politik." Or when he raises his arms during "Violet Hill," outlined against the backscreen, holding his guitar aloft over his head.

And then there is the acoustic version of "The Scientist" from this odd little side stage up in the first balcony. Or "Fix You" when the lights go down and the whole stage is blue. Or the piano version of "Hardest Part" that makes you hear the song for the very first time.

But oddly, the best part isn't when you can see Chris Martin. It's when he's obscured totally...when, during "Lovers in Japan," blowers in the overhead light racks shoot out thousands and thousands of little paper butterflies. In an instant, the air is filled with tiny fluttering wings. The band plays, Chris Martin jumps around and sings, and happiness rains down on whispering wings.

_____
Life In Technicolor
Violet Hill
Clocks
In My Place
Speed Of Sound
Cemeteries Of London
Chinese Sleep Chant
42
Fix You
Strawberry Swing
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (techno version)
Talk (techno version)
The Hardest Part (piano - Chris. dedicated to Jennifer Hudson)
Postcards From Far Away (piano instrumental)
Viva La Vida
Lost!
The Scientist (acoustic)
Death Will Never Conquer (acoustic - Will singing)
Viva La Vida (remix interlude)
------
Politik
Lovers In Japan
Death And All His Friends
-------
Yellow
The Escapist (outro)

On the Fringe

In case you missed the hour-forty-five premiere of J.J. Abram's Fringe on Fox tonight, there's an encore presentation on Sunday night. I found it...pretty riveting. Definitely kept me guessing, intrigued, questioning. And let's not forget about the eye candy. Here are some reasons you should watch:

1) Josh Jackson = hot, and I have a particularity to him since I once had my picture taken with him (true story)
2) Crazy mad scientists
3) There's science that you're pretty sure isn't real but then...you kind of wonder
4) Nobody ever has the right amount of clearance to get all the information
5) Josh Jackson = hot
6) For the few men who read this blog, there's a scene featuring the lead female in a rather scanty black bra & panty ensemble
7) The Pattern (the sinister puzzle we'll be puzzling out along the way)
8) Because it's J.J. Abrams and you know people are going to be talking about it around the water cooler
9) Josh Jackson = hot
10) For the love of God, haven't I killed enough TV shows? Help me boost the ratings, people.

The Mysterious Allure of a Good Read

On Friday afternoon, when I left the office for a blissful three day weekend, I had three things on my mind: 1) football game traffic 2) sleep and 3) a good book. I was meeting Mom at the optical shop to pick up some new glasses. God bless her, she said she wanted me there to advise on her choice of frames so that she didn't walk out looking like a granny. Afterward, she wanted to stop by the library just down the street and pick up another title by the mystery author she's been reading, so I followed along behind her.

The week before, when roaming St. Louis, Jenn and I stopped into Left Bank, an independent bookstore. There, among the young adult staff picks was The Mysterious Benedict Society. The cover was intriguing and so I read over the dust jacket. I wrote down the title and author on a slip of paper in my purse so I wouldn't forget it.

So standing in the A-town library taking in that familiar smell that hadn't washed over me in more than a decade, I started digging through my bag for that errant scrap of paper. I looked it up, tracked it down and took home the almost-500-page tome.

And I just finished it. It reminded me a bit of Harry Potter - the way unlikely friendships are rendered, the inherent battle between good and evil and the position that children are far more clever and reliable than what they seem. (Now, Potter fans, I'm in no way indicating that the boy wizard has been equaled, but without any more trips to Hogwarts, I have to read something...). The great thing about The Mysterious Benedict Society is that it's got that same quality of an unlikely reality rendered in the real world - it's not a mystical fairy land. It also plays into - as I've discussed before - that secret hope we all harbor that we are more than we seem.

While some of the books themes read benignly enough in a children's book, they're positively ominous to me. A machine called the Whisperer that can control your thoughts? The Waiting Room, whose indescribable horror is never fully described. And the thought that - in order to be happy - we could ignore the world's problems, let go of hope, and embrace ambivalence. It's enough to make you think.

I thought it was a "stand-alone" but I just found out the sequel came out in May, so I'll be seeking that out in short order. Plus, Susan - whose book judgment I trust implicitly, since she also desperately loves Potter and hearts a good trashy romance - has gone so head over heels for Twilight that I'm going to pick it up, too - nothing like a good teenage girl falls in love with a vampire story to warm your heart.

Berlin Babes

Now this is a little more like it:


The ladies looked even more fashionable at the big screen debut in Berlin. Kristin Davis rocks the shamrock frock, and I absolutely adore SJP's dress. It reminds me of the Big dress. (The first time?) And her hair looks really elegant, although this shot doesn't really do it. Plus I love her shoes. Cynthia Nixon is still showing that clavicle, but the V cut accentuates her features better and gives the illusion at least that the girls are a bit more perky. And though this shot makes it look like there might be some fit issues, Kim Cattrall's tangerine is a much more daring and interesting choice than the red. Overall, a step fashion forward.

Flower Power

So I'm at work, eating my lunch at my desk (lest you think I'm blogging on company time - I am a good girl) and checking out the latest posts on Perez. The Sex & the City movie premiere was last night in London town (sighs), and the ladies showed up dressed thusly:


Everyone is taking potshots at Sarah Jessica Parker for her over-the-top headgear. But, really? I kind of love it. Isn't that what we all thought was awesome about Carrie Bradshaw? That she wore hot pants, white heels and a gold lame belt pack and somehow made it cool? There are a lot of fashions throughout the six seasons that I personally couldn't pull off, but they dared, and that was what made it wonderful. And honestly? Kristin Davis' dress is a snoozefest, and Kim Cattrall looks like she's wearing a red slinky. I'll give Cynthia Nixon props for her clavicle-bearing black dress, but I'm not sure that it accentuates her best features.

All in all, even though I might not rock a giant green flower tower on my head, I give SJP credit where credit is due - she takes the risks and she works the carpet. You don't get to be a fashion icon by playing it safe in basic black.

I Have Seen You Lately

When I heard the news that the Counting Crows were dropping a new album this spring, I was hesitantly hopeful that I would find some classic Crows melodies on the new disc. With all that's been going on, I'd almost forgotten it. Then I heard Adam Duritz talking about the new album on VH1 one morning while I was getting ready for work. I dashed into the other room to see the new video for "You Can't Count on Me." And Duritz looked good - no longer sporting the bizarre long dreads in a topknot and having slimmed down from an alarmingly bloated version of himself. Then I read several interviews about the new album in which Duritz talked about his spiral into despair as he struggled with mental illness, finally getting diagnosed with dissociative disorder. Being that I so recently went through a bout with my own mental health, I decided that for old time's sake and to support the newly-recovered Duritz, I'd pick up the new album.

I'm delighted to report that the boys are back. Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings is their most cohesive, most well-concepted and richest album since This Desert Life - possibly even since their sophomore smash, Recovering the Satellites. Recorded in two different sessions, the first half, dubbed Saturday Nights, was recorded in New York and is filled with lyrics of gritty dissolution and sharp-edged sound. Sunday Mornings, the disc's latter half, was recorded in Berkley and explores the restorative nature of piecing life back together.

Throughout the album, the songs are like wonderful, poignant echoes of the Crows' previous work. In the lyrics and sometimes the melodies, threads of former themes slide through the new songs. It feels like they were very intentional about brining back their own work in thoughtful ways. "Insignificant" sounds like a sister song to "Have You Seen Me Lately?" - one of my all time favorite Crows' songs. The opening lines "Can you see me/up on the building/from down on the pavement/or out in the crowd?" hearken back to that idea of invisibility in a crowd. "Cowboys" has an intro reminiscent of "Rain King" and "When I Dream of Michaelangelo" clearly connects to "Angels of the Silences" with an acoustic call-back. Something about "Washington Square" is reminiscent of "Omaha" - maybe in its wandering lyrics.

And "On a Tuesday in Amsterdam Long Ago" is close to edging out "Colorblind" as the prettiest song the Crows have ever recorded. "Hanging Tree" is a really great song, too, with a 70s rock drive and great harmonies. "Come Around" appropriately closes the disc on a high note, apropos of "St. Robinson and His Cadillac Dream".

The disc is balanced between ballad and rock anthems, blending the alt-country and guitar-driven rock that marked August & Everything After and Recovering the Satellites. Duritz shows more control of his voice, keeping his trademark plaintive wailing (which I happen to love) to a few well-placed whines. And Charlie's piano and Dan's guitars sound better than ever. It feels like Counting Crows at their best - their voices mixing beautiful, their playing ripe with energy. And it's just complex and layered and yet effortless. The album feels good.

I'm a big fan - and somehow, this album makes me feel weirdly hopeful, like in recovering the Counting Crows, I'm recovering a little piece of myself.

Saturday Nights &...
1. 1492
2. Hanging Tree
3. Los Angeles
4. Sundays
5. Insignificant
6. Cowboys

Sunday Mornings
7. Washington Square
8. On Almost Any Sunday Morning
9. When I Dream of Michaelangelo
10. Anyone But You
11. You Can't Count on Me
12. Le Ballet d'Or
13. On a Tuesday in Amsterdam Long Ago
14. Come Around

O-love It!

Every once in awhile, I find a product that I feel is worthy of endorsement. So it is with St. Ives' new Olive Scrub. In general, I like St. Ives products - especially their lotions. I'd been looking for a facial cleanser (for the record, Biore's Warming Pore Cleanser is yuck-o), and I saw this advertised in a magazine. They say those in advertising are the most susceptible to it - I picked some up.

Here are the things I enjoy about this cleanser:
1) It smells lovely and fresh and sort of citrus-y.
2) It gently scrubs my face without removing the first layer of skin.
3) It takes off my eye makeup without me having to rub a lot.
4) It's actually helped my rosacea.
5) At a time when I expected my skin to be an absolute mess, it's quite clear.

And for roughly $5 or $6, that's pretty good stuff. Please cleanse responsibly.

Fierce!: Part Two

May I ask you to gather round?

I was concerned last week over Tim Gunn's concern over Christian's collection. And when Christian himself became concerned about his work, my heart sank a little. How could my fierce little sprite be lagging in confidence? But, I think it was all about the Bravo editing room having a bit of fun with us, getting us all worked up and fretting over the cohesiveness of Christian's collection.

But he did not disappoint. In fact, none of them disappointed. This finale was by far the strongest of any season. All three of the designers presented amazing work. I didn't feel like there was faltering point in any of the collections - not really a moment when I went, "Ugh! How could they put that on the runway?"

Jillian's collection was very powerful to me. I find the juxtaposition of Jillian's quietness alongside her subtle determination and her masculine/feminine point of view very intriguing. I loved the military inspired coats and pants paired with the more romantic knits. The black knit top with the gold-edged ruffled front was to die for. I actually faltered a bit in my undying love for Christian and sort of loved Jillian's collection. I know Rami's had more detail in a lot of ways, but her attention to fit and femininity and strength outstrip Rami's need to make us all Greek statues.

Rami surprised me because he didn't drape the hell out of everything. I expected a barrage of flowy Grecian-inspired gowns. But he showed restraint and elegance. I agree with Nina Garcia that his taste in color is really off - the pinks and the teals together reminded me of Maurice's and Paris Sport Club and wearing two pairs of socks at one time. Not good. But the dress made out of the antique lace - gasp! Perfection. Sheer perfection! The Violinist at work only wears black - and sometimes red - but she said even she would consider wearing its creamy deliciousness.

And Christian...wee darling Christian did not disappoint me. I know Nina and Tim thought it was overworked and overdesigned, but I loved, loved, loved the ruff collar with the giant black hat. In fact, I thought Christian's hats were fabulous. The fedora/cloche hat the first model had on? I totally want that! And I have to say, the dress with the feathered bodice that melted into the swirls of chiffon...the creams and whites that blended into caramel and sable...was exquisite. I think they purposefully avoided showing that full dress until it came down the runway, and the effect was dramatic. I'm not much for feathers, but I would swear I would wear that dress. So much gorgeousness.

For a moment in the end, I thought they were going to pick Rami. Christian thought so, too, with his wobbling chin and effort to hold back tears. But they picked - and they picked well. Throughout the season, Christian has had the strongest point of view presented in the most consistent - and diverse - work. I think that's the key for me. Although Rami's final collection was more varied in its offerings of separates and evening and Christian's honed in more on the dramatic presentations, I think that's what the collection is supposed to do. Christian has shown throughout the season that he can produce elegant, wearable and salable clothing. But all of that is boiled down from his big, beautiful innovative designs. And of course, his great har.

So, so, so fierce. And yes. I channeled Ricki and cried in delight. Way to make it work!

*****
And just for fun...I'm posting my original predictions from after the first episode (in black) and commentary on those (in green):

Carmen - I like her, but she also has that sort of aggressive Laura-vibe about her. I thought her design last night was interesting even if I didn't love it. Prediction: A strong contender to make it through to the late stages unless overconfidence or bizarre design get in her way.
Carmen was definitely aggressive, and I think she would've made it but she let the menswear challenge totally take her down. I'm not sure she would've made it to the final three.

Chris - A wild card. I liked his dress last night - I thought the purple fabric was gorgeous. He could also teeter toward one of those whose designs never have the wow factor. Prediction: Must wait and see.
Chris was a surprise to me - even in the end. I loved a lot of his work, and I loved him, but I was astounded how he always seemed to gamble in the right direction. I think some of the other designers - like Kit Pistol - had more potential but let challenges get the best of them.

Christian - The New Austin Scarlett. Love him. Love his wacky haircut. Love his sass. Love all of his interviews. And liked his design - didn't love the fabric, but I thought the design was interesting. Prediction: Strong contender for the final three.
Way better than Austin Scarlett. He's fierce. Still love him. Bought the t-shirt.

Elisa - Totally bizarre and over the top. I think she's the new Vincent. And not in a good way. Prediction: Auffed over extreme creative differences with the judges (but great television while she's still around).
Right on, spit mark.

Jack - Beautiful dress. I thought was lovely and wearable. Which may get him into trouble for not establishing a stronger point of view. Prediction: A strong contender, although from the previews, it looks like something horrible will be revealed by him at some point.
Jack would've totally been up in the top three vying against Rami and Jillian if he hadn't gotten ill. But I'm glad he did what he needed to do - and he hasn't ruled out a return for season five!

Jillian - I think Jillian has potential, but for some reason, I can see her being one that has a challenge where she totally flips out and doesn't get it done. Prediction: Auffed in the later part
Jillian definitely flipped out. And she definitely struggled to get things done. I grew to love her understated commentary. And I hope she continues - I loved her clothes and think she has something to contribute to the fashion world.

Kevin - He's trying to be the new Jeffrey/Santino with his elegance-with-an-edge. Didn't love his work last night, but I reserve judgment here. Prediction: Another wait and see.
Right on. I think Kevin way overplayed his punk elegance card.

Kit Pistol - I like Kit Pistol (just because I think that's an awesome name) and I think she has a strong and different POV. I could see her hanging in there into the late game. Prediction: Contender.
I actually liked the dress she made with Ricki, and I thought Ricki got a real steal on that challenge because he purposefully sat back and let Kit take charge - and take the fall. I'm not sure she could've stood up against Jillian and Rami in the late rounds, though.

Marion - I noticed last night that Marion was largely ignored in the storyline, which made me wonder how important he'll be. I felt totally blase about his garment a la Robert last season. Prediction: (Yawn) Auffed early
Right on!

Rami - Fabulous. Beautiful garment. I hope he doesn't get drape-obsessed like Uli did with the billowy dresses. Could be my one sticking point with him. Prediction: Definite contender for top three.
Right on the top three and SO right on the drape obsession. I thought if I saw one more goddess dress, I was going to vomit. His final collection was divine, though. We'll see him again.

Ricky - Three words: What happened to Andre? Prediction: Auffed, but not before a spectacular meltdown
So true, so true! The montage of him crying in the reunion special was hilarious.

Simone - Boring. Auffed. Reminded me of the first one to go in Season 2, who, sadly, was from Georgia.

Steven - Steven, Steven, Steven. Could be fabulous. Or take a total turn for the worst. I think, if Steven keeps his head together, that he could be a contender. Prediction: Possible maniac, possible fashionista.
I missed Steven's dry humor after his departure, but I can't say that I remember a single one of his designs.

Sweet P - Hmmm. I get a bad feeling about Sweet P - like she's going to annoy me to no end and produce clothes that she really likes and believes in and will justify til she's blue in the face even though we can all tell they're ugly. Like Angela last season? Prediction: Auffed at the halfway.
Sweet P...does the "p" stand for "panic"? She wasn't Angela - she was actually quite lovable but SO indecisive. Oy. Did she ever go with her initial design on something? I did find her elimination quite touching. And, as STGD pointed out, Tim Gunn's intonation on "Sweet P" is a phenomenon unto itself.

Victorya - She definitely got the Kara Saun/Chloe Dao vibe about her. She's very together, less eccentric than the other designers. I'm expecting elegant, chic work from her that I totally love. Prediction: Judges will coo over her consistency. Final three contender.
I was pretty close in my estimation of Victorya. What I did not scene is her tendancy to be the Ice Queen. Wasn't sorry to see her and her arch eyebrow get auffed.

And now that's it's over, carry on, friends.

Tickety Tack

"Some of the designers were excited...but I think prom is horrible. And tacky. And gross." --Christian

Tonight's prom dress challenge brought the designers to that place - the one where they're lost. Where the challenge is so far out of their point of view that they don't know how to reconcile what they usually do with what they've been asked to do. And with the more-than-usual involvement of the models (a.k.a. 17-year-old giggleboxes with very definitive ideas about prom dresses), the intensity of the challenge - and the volume of the workroom - were ratcheted up several notches.

Usually, I agree with a lot of the judges' assessments. But this week? I don't know. I was at sixes and sevens with the judges' decisions, including:

* The censure that Christian got from Nina about his comments regarding his client. Perhaps there was further commentary edited out, but I thought Christian was merely stating that his client was difficult. And she was! Nina's fury about it seemed out of proportion. Maybe I tend to side with the designer's too much though. Remember Angela's mom?

* Auffed Kevin? In light of that atrocity Ricky sent down the runway? Don't get me wrong - I love Ricky for his Andre-esque waterworks, but that dress was drab, dowdy and dismal. The color was a wash and the bunchy fit on the top only made her look broad and lumpy. I agree that Kevin's dress was not the best, but the worst? Ricky's pale insinuation of a dress was much worse. Molly Ringwald could've come up with something better.

* Chris...I know they can't talk about all the dresses, but I thought Chris's dress was pretty promtastic. And I wanted them to talk to his model about how much she liked the dress. Because as much as the other designers imposed themselves on their clients, I thought Chris worked to give her a dress she felt lovely wearing.

* Victorya for the win against Sweet P. I thought Victorya's dress was okay. And I get that Sweet P's dress was a little bit more sophisticated than most 17-year-olds. But it was tasteful and elegant and draped beautifully. You could tell that the girl felt absolutely glamorous wearing it. I didn't think they gave Sweet P. enough credit because that fabric is the kind that shows every flaw, but she fitted it in such a way that it looked stunning. And I couldn't quite see what Victorya's bedazzled bubble-skirted frock trumped that.

I was sorry to see Christian not feeling fierce - he really did suffer terrible on this challenge. I held my breath during the auf moment in desperate hope of one more week of snark and sass. Looks like I get my way.

SNEAK PREVIEW: Who fears from the previews that they'll be making wedding dresses in groups next week???

Sweetness!

When I realized the nature of the challenge on tonight's ep of Project Runway, I had to concur with Christian: "Oh, great. We're going to make sh*t out of candy." I'm always leery of the challenges that involve edibles or flowers or garbage (remember that?). The designers tend to get frustrated about the poor materials and it shows on the runway.

But tonight, the designers totally surprised me. With just five minutes to gather materials from the Hershey's store in Times Square, the designers came up with some pretty scrumptious garments. How brills was that skirt and corset top Jillian made out of Twizzlers? I was so impressed. And Rami's dress looked delicious - that shiny plastic with the paper skirt. So well made. And I concur with the judges that it fit the model impeccably. I give Michael Kors credit for recognizing the restraint that Chris showed - and I give Chris credit for not going totally Macy's Thanksgiving Day with this challenge.

And then there was Elisa...I kind of want to root for her in all her airy-fairyness, but, well, as Christian said, "And the sleeves? They looked like swimmies that you would go swimming with. That dress was a hot mess." I believe Kors referred to the sleeves as silver shower caps. And Heidi Klum called it a sad brown dress. (See how sad her model looks wearing it??) Truly, she wanted to send a deconstructed Gretel down the runway and out walked bad bridesmaid circa 1998.

Sweet Pea? Oh, dear, Sweet Pea. She's always running around in desperation. Flustered and down-to-the-wire. What was she thinking gluing pottery to that dress. Yelch. I'm glad she didn't get auffed, though. I love her soundbytes.

Victorya's ruffled mess, which she deemed an Ice Princess gown...well, I'm not even sure that Tonya Harding would be caught with the lead pipe on the ice in that dress. And the weird walk? How great was Zac Posen's face when the model turned the corner? It was stiff and distracting and didn't help the ruffled dress one bit. What did help was Michael Kors euphoric shout, "She works at Dairy Queen!"

And while I agree that Rami's garment and Jillian's were the front runners, I confess I truly loved Christian's. I love his snark, his sass, his hair and his style.

Also, Ricky didn't cry this week. But don't worry, kids. It appears that his runway meltdown is a-comin'. As predicted.

Auf wiedersehen. I'm out.

Project Runway: My Two Fashion Cents

It's back. It's time to gather round, people, and make it work. And last night's premier of Project Runway promised all the drama, cattiness and fashion that make it so magically delicious. So here's how the competition stacks up.

Carmen - I like her, but she also has that sort of aggressive Laura-vibe about her. I thought her design last night was interesting even if I didn't love it. Prediction: A strong contender to make it through to the late stages unless overconfidence or bizarre design get in her way.

Chris - A wild card. I liked his dress last night - I thought the purple fabric was gorgeous. He could also teeter toward one of those whose designs never have the wow factor. Prediction: Must wait and see.

Christian - The New Austin Scarlett. Love him. Love his wacky haircut. Love his sass. Love all of his interviews. And liked his design - didn't love the fabric, but I thought the design was interesting. Prediction: Strong contender for the final three.

Elisa - Totally bizarre and over the top. I think she's the new Vincent. And not in a good way. Prediction: Auffed over extreme creative differences with the judges (but great television while she's still around).

Jack - Beautiful dress. I thought was lovely and wearable. Which may get him into trouble for not establishing a stronger point of view. Prediction: A strong contender, although from the previews, it looks like something horrible will be revealed by him at some point.

Jillian - I think Jillian has potential, but for some reason, I can see her being one that has a challenge where she totally flips out and doesn't get it done. Prediction: Auffed in the later part

Kevin - He's trying to be the new Jeffrey/Santino with his elegance-with-an-edge. Didn't love his work last night, but I reserve judgment here. Prediction: Another wait and see.

Kit Pistol - I like Kit Pistol (just because I think that's an awesome name) and I think she has a strong and different POV. I could see her hanging in there into the late game. Prediction: Contender.

Marion - I noticed last night that Marion was largely ignored in the storyline, which made me wonder how important he'll be. I felt totally blase about his garment a la Robert last season. Prediction: (Yawn) Auffed early

Rami - Fabulous. Beautiful garment. I hope he doesn't get drape-obsessed like Uli did with the billowy dresses. Could be my one sticking point with him. Prediction: Definite contender for top three.

Ricky - Three words: What happened to Andre? Prediction: Auffed, but not before a spectacular meltdown

Simone - Boring. Auffed. Reminded me of the first one to go in Season 2, who, sadly, was from Georgia.

Steven - Steven, Steven, Steven. Could be fabulous. Or take a total turn for the worst. I think, if Steven keeps his head together, that he could be a contender. Prediction: Possible maniac, possible fashionista.

Sweet P - Hmmm. I get a bad feeling about Sweet P - like she's going to annoy me to no end and produce clothes that she really likes and believes in and will justify til she's blue in the face even though we can all tell they're ugly. Like Angela last season? Prediction: Auffed at the halfway.

Victorya - She definitely got the Kara Saun/Chloe Dao vibe about her. She's very together, less eccentric than the other designers. I'm expecting elegant, chic work from her that I totally love. Prediction: Judges will coo over her consistency. Final three contender.

Thoughts, fellow ProRun aficionados?

"I Do" Review

"I Do" Good
* The weather was perfectly beautiful with bright blue skies and golden autumn light.

* Kim looked magnificent. I've never seen her quite so radiant - and when we first got her dress on, and I took it all in, I couldn't help but cry to see her looking that regal.

* I did not lose Kim's engagement ring while wearing it for the duration of the ceremony, nor drop Ben's wedding band into the nearby lake on accident.

* The dinner music included selections from William Shatner, Ethel Merman and The Beatles - only Kim Shable (Oja!).

* Kim's mom put us all to shame on the dance floor during "Gold Digger." And that, my friends, is to be applauded.

* Kim handled snafus - like the accidental dumping of a cup of a coffee on her veil at the salon - with unbelievable aplomb.

* Managed to arrange an all Wilmywood photo - sans Penelope, HAT, and Daren. We missed you!

* I had the best up-do ever - Samantha, you rock.

"I Do" Not-So-Good
* I discovered at the rehearsal dinner that my best friend is also left-handed. How in the name of heaven did I miss this fact all these years? I am admittedly obsessed with other left handers, and I didn't know Kim is one? I cannot believe this. I demand a recount.

* After the rehearsal dinner, we all went back to the Shables for a campfire. I, after my 4 a.m. wake up call, fell asleep by the fire in a lawn chair. Like a bum.

* I was attacked by a bee during the ceremony. No, really. It approached, and I tried gently to wave it away. But it pursued me relentlessly until I was flailing arms and doing a little hop from foot to foot to get away from it. I imagine, for the crowd, it was mildly entertaining.

* I did not have time for even one "nerve-softening" drink before offering my toast - behind a very poignant and touching tribute from the best man. Out-toasted, I was.

* The woman in charge at the event site scared the bejeezes out of all of us - both with her demeanor and her aggressive blush.

* I was forced to do the Chicken Dance against my better judgment and the preservation of my dignity. Many, many thanks to Jenn, who was friend enough to not allow me to suffer alone.

"I Do" Tears
* First moment in wedding dress

* Exchange of vows

* First dance

* Goodbye

I Heart John Mayer

In the dark arena, John Mayer walked to the microphone and said, "My name is John Mayer. I was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut. My music was born in Atlanta, Georgia." The lights went up, and the band launched into "Why Georgia." This moment launched my love for John Mayer into full-blown euphoria.

He really built a lot of great guitar solos into the new songs, like "Vultures" and "Belief." The jumbo-tron shots of his fingers moving over the frets were astounding, and it seemed that he was trying to see who among his fan base would get a thrill out of his well-developed guitar chops. He purposefully (I think) stayed away from "Your Body is a Wonderland" and other softer hits. "Belief" was actually my surprise of the night - I like the song, but the performance made it come alive. And when he closed with "Gravity," man, he rocked it. He and the band jammed, really working the song over.

I thought his voice sounded better last night than the last time I saw him live. He made some of his bizarre faces, but I thought he'd cut down on some of the mouth contortion that overly affected his singing. Particularly "Heart of Life," he sang cleanly and simply. And for a moment, I remembered when this album came out, and I couldn't stop listening to it, and I blogged about listening to this CD on the drive home, and my heart ached for Wilmywood and all that I'd left behind. So much so that I was transported for a moment back to the fall, back to MLK, and I watered up a little bit before returning to my body in Philips Arena.

The entire concert had me amped, but the encore for the show was what made the price of the ticket all worth it for me. "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" acoustic with three-part harmony. Absolutely gorgeous. And then, the moment where me and Johnny went one on one. Where he looked into my soul and knew the song I most wanted to hear. Sitting alone on a stool under a white spotlight he simply said, "This is the first song I ever wrote." And started playing "Comfortable." From his EP Inside Wants Out. I never thought I'd hear him play it, and certainly not acoustic. It was haunting and wonderful and the only moment that I totally girled out on my brother and squealed.

As if that wasn't enough, he started playing "Georgia on My Mind" while the band reassembled, joined him, and then somehow turned it into "I'm Gonna Find Another You." And as I said to Justin, "Now that's an encore."

Set List
Why Georgia
No Such Thing
I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)
Vultures
Covered in Rain
Bigger Than My Body
Belief
Dreaming With A Broken Heart
I Don't Need No Doctor
The Heart of Life
Waiting on the World to Change
Gravity

-- encore --
Slow Dancing (acoustic)
Comfortable (acoustic)
I'm Gonna Find Another You

Favorite Parts

Best Parts

Meg required a "best parts" thread. I will update this post later with my own thoughts. Until then, have at it.

UPDATE:
Okay, so I didn't read the comments so that I could be unbiased about my favorite parts.

I truly loved the part where Ron came back. It was such a friendship moment for him and Harry, and I loved how Harry said that Dumbledore would know Ron would come back.

And then there was the sign in Godric's Hollow, which I found so touching.

Ron and Hermione holding hands while falling asleep in Grimauld Place.

Bellatrix Lestrange getting her come-uppance from MOLLY WEASLEY!

The Ron/Hermione kiss we've all been waiting for.

The snitch and "I am about to die." Heart-wrenching. That might actually have been my favorite moment...followed by the appearances of James, Lily, Sirius and Lupin.

Harry repairing his wand...I don't know why that moment was so important to me, but it somehow set everything right after all that had happened.

There are so many more...but my first thoughts...

9 comments:

Andria said...

Personally, I loved the solidarity behind Harry and all of his supporters. The radio show with a familiar cast of hosts; those that showed up for him when he needed - Alberforth, the doe, Dobby; the movie-ready scene in the Great Hall where Pansy Parkinson calls out to seize Harry and all of the tables stand up to protect him (still get goose-bumps!); all of the DA and OOTP and everyone that shows up in the ROR to fight and the great battle at Hogwarts, etc.

Also, I thought Hermoine was especially brilliant in her quick thinking: packing the purse; the escape from Lovegood's; transforming Harry's face before being captured AND managing to get the purse of all of their belongings?!; maintaining a good story despite being tortured; quick-thinking when she was Bellatrix, etc.

July 24, 2007 9:49 AM

Megan said...

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"

The Prince's Tale chapter was my favorite. Now I love Snape for his love for Lily. Ahhh...

Nothing seems more movie ready than Harry waking up in King's Cross... NEKKID. Is that a mere coincidence, ladies?!

Dobby and Kreacher being so supportive and Kreacher leading the charge into the Great Hall.

Neville's Gran showing up to fight and being supportive of him "naturally".

July 24, 2007 10:16 AM

Andria said...

PS Did I mention the part where HARRY got to Live?! definitely thankful for that part. :)

July 24, 2007 10:24 AM

Megs said...

When McGonagall calls the suits of armor to animate and protect the school. I cry every single time I think of it.

Harry comforting Ron after Ron has killed the locket-horcrux.

Agreed on both the radio show and the 3 houses' support of Harry before the Battle of Hogwarts.

The entirety of the King's Cross scene, but mostly Dumbledore's quote at the end of it: "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean it isn't real?" I think that's a lovely meta-moment, which consoles my grieving heart.

All of Snape's memories. Didn't think it was possible to ever convince me to love Severus Snape, no matter how "good" he turned out to be, but she did it, and I love him completely. So completely.

(Still a little confused about the unbreakable vow aspect of book 6--should we have a "still confused" thread?)

Molly Weasley showing her stuff.

I felt manipulated by the whole turnaround-of-Kreacher thing, but still loved seeing him lead the house-elves.

Glad for the humanization of Dumbledore.

Shall we have a least favorite part thread?

July 24, 2007 3:26 PM

Megs said...

How could I forget Sir Cadogan?

July 24, 2007 3:44 PM

daisy said...

I totally agree Megs that Dumbledore's meta moment consoled me. And simultaneously made me weep even harder.

July 24, 2007 4:40 PM

penelope said...

Dumbledore's meta-moment, and how it recalled Xeno Lovegood's philosophy of opening your mind. Also, Dumbledore's thoughts on greeting death, to pity the living and the unloved.

This would also be in my "weepy moments" list, but Ron killing the horcrux locket, Rowling going deep on his truest pain.

McGonagall animating the desks, as well as the armor, and also Sprout and Neville rushing by with all their herbology defenses.

That she left us to imagine Ginny and Harry's reunion.

Also a weepy moment, but so brilliant: Voldemort's complete memory of killing the Potters, and baby Harry's perspective mixed in.

Neville retrieving Harry and company from Aberforth's, recounting tales of the new Hogwarts... and also yeah, all moments with Gran.

After Dobby's death, Harry's changing moment, when he realizes he has a choice, when he really kind of becomes an adult, emotionally.

When Harry opens the snitch, is surrounded by his parental figures, that it was his parents but also Lupin and Sirius, and that he asked his mother to stay by him (tear).

The radio show, absolutely, and Hermione's bag.

Going to the Ministry to get Umbridge's necklace.

July 24, 2007 6:28 PM

ashley said...

I loved Hermione's bag! She's so brills.

July 24, 2007 11:57 PM

Andria said...

I realized how much came from the 2nd half/end of the book and wanted to try to come up with something from earlier on. I got to the part where Stingmonger(?) was giving the trio their items from Dumbledore's will. I can't remember specifics now of what was said, but I know they were each sassy in a way and loved how it ended with Harry nose ot nose with him.

Also, I loved it when Harry came out from under the cloak and said, "You shouldn't have done that" to Carrow before stunning him in McGonagall's honor/protection. That was a great scene. From the end, but worth mentioning.

The End?

The End?

One of the little problems I had with the book was the epilogue. I know JKR had written the epilogue many, many years ago as her promise to herself that she would make it to the end. Unfortunately, I think the books outgrew the epilogue. Perhaps out of sentimentality, she couldn't quite let the existing epilogue go after all these years, but its narrow scope belied the sprawling emotional territory of the books. It didn't tell us anything that we would have deduced (the Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione pairings) with the exception of Neville's herbology appointment which had been so widely speculated among the fandom that it was hardly a surprise to me. I wanted something with a little more weight to it, or at least more information on various characters. Like Luna. And George. It wasn't possible for her to give a wrap up on the entire cast of characters, but to only show the trio plus Ginny and Draco Malfoy felt so limited, as though the world that had exploded throughout the series was right back down to the pinhole of Sorcerer's Stone in a way that, unlike the feeling of coming full circle, felt immensely flat. Thoughts?

12 comments:

Megs said...

I completely agree with this. Completely. When I finished the book, I said to Thomas, the only thing I would have changed was that I would have left out the epilogue.
1. I don't think it told us anything we didn't already know in our hearts, and I hate feeling underestimated, like I have to be shown every little thing.
2. It read like fan-fiction. It was too easy.
3. It cheapened the cost of the struggle. If we could go from the end of the battle, piles of our dead, the destruction of the castle, the horrifying cost of triumph, to some happy time in which all the right people are married and their kids are named for the dead, la la la....I believe that they could get their, but the struggle should be honored.
4. I was bothered by the absence of Luna.
5. I think, in the end, it's there because she wanted a way to let us know that Harry did come to honor Snape. And I think that's important, but I'm sure she could have found a better way to do it.

July 24, 2007 6:12 AM

Megs said...

sorry for poor grammar/spelling. I was impassioned. And crying. :)

July 24, 2007 6:13 AM

penelope said...

I disagree... Not wholeheartedly. I feel like we were left hanging on the matter of characters like George, Luna, etc, as well as the struggle of the aftermath, but on the note of knowing things in our hearts, I think it was okay not to go there and cover all bases, leaving more to our imagination. Otherwise it might have been even more fan-fictiony, with a rundown of "where are they now." It resolved a few other questions, like that parentless Teddy Tonks is doing fine, coming to family dinners 4x a week. It told us that Bill and Fleur have at least one kid, Victoire. Hagrid's still gamekeeper. I don't know. The epilogue provided quite a bit of solace for me.

July 24, 2007 8:04 AM

ashley said...

I guess part of me just wanted to know that after all that, that Harry was still a leader. I mean, I know he's done enough, what with the dying and all, but I wanted to know if he became an auror. Or a ministry worker. Or whatever. Did he work at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes? I felt like she pointed to occupations so much in the book (like Mr. Weasley's less-than-honored job in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts) that the occupational choices of the trio being absent in the epilogue felt a bit conspicuous.

I guess the epilogue just felt too late in the wake of the rest of the book.

July 24, 2007 8:47 AM

Jennifer said...

The epilogue was my only real complaint and disappointment. I agree that it fell totally flat, and it didn't tell us much we couldn't already deduce. And if she WAS going to give us the future, I wanted more, including what they were all doing career-wise. I think she might have implied that Ron has picked up some of his dad's love for Muggles and may be engaged in that kind of work, but I wanted to know if Harry was an auror, and I definitely have been curious since the beginning to know what Hermione would be when she grew up.

I would have much preferred a quieter, more subtle ending. . . perhaps they all come back together at the Burrow, they have a memorial for Fred, Tonks, and Lupin (I never really had a chance for those deaths to sink in), Harry gets to meet his godson Ted, etc. I still would have liked some sort of resolution, but a more implicit one, and for me, it wasn't necessary to fast forward into the future. In fact, I found it difficult to make the leap from teenagers to married people with kids.

July 24, 2007 9:34 AM

Megan said...

I thought that the epilogue could have been different. I almost got confused between all of the names of the kids! David and I both wanted to know what Harry's profession was. Albus Severus was most excellent, though!

I think I was most disappointed by the epilogue because it left the door open for more books (which wouldn't be all that bad, but Rowling said that she didn't want any others picking up the story).

July 24, 2007 10:09 AM

Andria said...

I agree to a certain extent that the epilogue was a little too surface and came off as cheesy to me and just much too neatly wrapped up. For all of the turmoil and struggle and depth of the novels, it just didn't have any real sustenance. However, I can't say I still wasn't happy for it. I had said, I didn't want it just to end with the final battle - I wanted to know more about how things turned out afterwards, so I was glad to have even the few superficial glimpses. It still left me feeling somewhat sated. I would have loved to know the career choices - I had even thought Harry might end up Headmaster at Hogwarts after all of his ties there. And what did the others choose for their paths? And I wanted mention of Luna, too. Perhaps even a mention of the Dursleys? I found it odd they didn't have more appearances.
I think there could have been more emotion if we'd been shown Harry's introduction to his God son, too rather than just the surface comment of he swings by for dinner -- who's looking after him then?

Ash -- I think we could have a Snape post to discuss our feelings about him now. I have one question about how he knew the actual date they were moving Harry from Privet Drive. He couldn't possibly still be privy to OOTP information, but I guess the portrait Dumbledore gave it to him? Or was he getting the information from Mundungus when he confunded him to suggest the decoys? And it showed how he unintentionally injured George, but wasn't he still the one that killed MadEye or am I confused? Ok, well, I'll wait for the post on Snape before delving anymore.

July 24, 2007 10:17 AM

Megs said...

I second a Snape discussion, if only for a forum where I can vent out my guilt for believing the worst of him.

I'm sorry, Snape!!!

July 24, 2007 3:33 PM

daisy said...

I'm honestly torn about the epilogue. I know in my heart that it fell flat and left out all the things mentioned here, that it was too simple etc. But at the same time, I also felt that it provide some sort of closure. I found myself doing the math of when Harry and Ginny started having babies etc. That being said, I also really felt like the epilogue opened the door for a series about the kids. And while I want to like that idea, I don't think it would work because of the fact that Harry was BORN to be this character. Not sure if that makes sense... But it didn't seem as though any of the children had any unique attributes that would allow them to be the protagonist... More like they were supporting characters. ALTHOUGH, it would be interesting if Albus Severus were put in Slytherin and flirted with the darker side of things... I don't know. Basically, I agree. Epilogue needed work. But I'm still glad it was there.

July 24, 2007 4:34 PM

penelope said...

A Snape thread would be great, and also maybe a thread of "weepy moments." Oh, and an "unanswered questions" thread.

July 24, 2007 6:17 PM

mendacious said...

i totally agree- it was so romantized to see ginny and harry together even though all he loved was this idealized version of her and him making out all the time- no sense of a mature relationship- i agree it read like fan fic absolutely. And that even hermoine didn't work at hogwarts and all was well- like evil just vanishes for 19 years? nutzo. as much as i liked that she attempted to wrap things up it was way too easy-

July 25, 2007 2:51 AM

Somebody's Mom said...

You all have such good comments. It is so much fun to read them.

The whole and they lived happily ever aspect of the epilogue is too simple, like so much cotton candy. Clearly, Harry should still have trust and intimacy issues what with his years of abandonment in the Dursley's family. It was too pat a result for him to marry Ginny. She fell in love with the great H P and does he pick up his socks and remember to tell her if he'll be home late from work, does he have backflashes (But maybe he and Ginny have gone to marriage counseling and worked out those details.) When I heard the list of all the kids, my first thought was that there would be a sequel, or maybe a silly tv series. I hope I am wrong.