Truths for Mature Humans

Good morning! Although this is funny, and I would love to take credit for it, I cannot. My friend, known in my posts as The Devil or even The Clown Wrangler sent this link and I just had to share:


Truths for Mature Humans


And that race report from Green Bay? It's coming, I swear.

The Greatest Show On Earth

I'm not talking about the circus (which I saw with The Devil this weekend in the Windy City), but rather the spectacle of plain ol' people, doing what they do in the streets of Chicago. I love people watching. I love trying to imagine what's going through their heads as they walk down the street, or ride the subway, or eat their sushi.

I have a point, but I will have to make it in a seperate post later today or tomorrow as I need to return to work right now. Enjoy that photo above of the finale from circus, and have a great Monday!

A Couple of Pieces

So, every year our local arts center, the William Bonifas Fine Arts Center, hosts a juried exhibit of Upper Peninsula artists. I entered three pieces this year, and well, we'll see what happens. The first piece (above) is from late 2006/early 2007 and is felted wool. It's title is Glance (David).

Next up is a piece I titled Roots or Wings. Its a collection of smaller pieces that I intend for viewers to "read" from the top left to the bottom right, like a person would text. I know its hard to see all of the individual frames, so I've also included a detail shot. The medium used for this piece is a mix of some watercolor pencil, acrylics, embossed stamps, and machine stitching.


The last piece I entered for consideration is titled Happy Little. It is hand embroidery at its most detailed and labor intensive (for me, anyway).


As I mentioned before in a previous post, I'm working on two new pieces. I'm also trying out a new handbag pattern, with the potential for a craft show with my pseudo sister, Hanukkah (she makes fabulous jewelry , and in her spare time, teaches junior high art in the Chicago area), and my actual sister, Katie (yes, she of the "dragging my feet to the finish line" school of marathon training). It's tempting to commit, even though I'm busy as all get out. For one, they are two fantastic ladies, and we have a blast doing this show; two, I'd get in a visit to the fam before the holidays; and three, I'd get to meet Baby Grace. I'm 80% there...

In a bit of spousal bragging, I'm also posting pics of the three paintings Mr. Fix submitted to the same juried exhibit. For your viewing pleasure, please to enjoy (top to bottom): Media Generated Viruscape, Avocado CP3PO, and SOTA.001. All three are acrylic on panel, and are pretty big compared to my baby fiber pieces.




And lastly, I'm not forgetting, but I am still thinking about Project Runway and how the final three panned out. I guess I knew the judges/producers kept Bipolar Stupid Kenley around for a reason, but boy oh boy did I wanna see Jerrel's designs walk the runway! Did you see those gowns? So much bling! So much shiny shiny to attract a magpie Sagittarius like myself!

Well anyways, my money is still on Leanne. That wedding gown was just gorgeous. Makes me almost want to get married again. Almost. Check it out below.


The photo doesn't even begin to do it justice- it was striking. The other designer to make it to Bryant Park was Korto. And as I have been in the past, I was a bit underwhelmed. Didn't like the wedding dress, but loved the bodice of the bridesmaid's dress. Lastly, Leanne has an Etsy account/store! The Devil forwarded me the address, and I'm more than happy to share it with y'all. Go here .

Now, I'm off to find some nourishment for myself and Daughter #2. Have a great weekend.

AHHHHHH!!!

That's the sound of me, relaxing. So Ms. Johnnda and I drove to Plymouth, MI to visit My Favorite Redhead last weekend. We had so much fun. Such a lovely, relaxed, no-hassle time being girls (even if Miles and The Mouth Doctah were around). We even got a sneak peek at Red's wedding dress! Beautiful, sexy, delicate, feminine, appropriately luxe. I'd love to post a picture of Red in the dress, but I'm afraid the Mouth Doctah would look, too, and we just can't have that.

So I'll post a pic of my latest shopping score: diamonds!

I know they're small and you can't really see them (its hard to take a photo of something like that when you've got smiles in your eyes!), but trust me honey, thems diamonds in that band! And with the band of my Timex sports watch, it looks tres klass-ay, no? I'm very happy with my purchase, and hope that this is just the first spot of sparkle in a long and happy relationship with my local jeweler.

And now for talk about some other kinda bling: Project Runway and the drag queens!

How fantastically bitchy were those "girls?!"Could there have been anymore sequins and body shapers? Oy, honey, this was so fantastic, I could hardly contain myself. So let's dish about the designs: my favorite was not the winner (Joe's Sequin Spangled Sailor), even though it was tops for the judges. My fave was Donna Summers' design (Teri)- it had drama, art history references, fantastic styling. It oh-so-subtly brought up the comparison of today's drag queens to performers of kabuki, fer chrissake! Check it out:


I also like Korto's Flaming Booty. And ya know, I actually kinda liked Utah Gay Keith's Stevie Nicks-meets-Freddy Kruger dress. The queen who wore it had no expression whatsoever, but I liked its punk aesthetic.

The losers: THANK THE LORD BABY JESUS THAT STUPID DANIEL IS GONE.

That's all I'm going to say on that. What did everyone think of the "text your answer" question re: who would you rather see in drag, Michael Kors or Tim Gunn? Good gravy, Michael Kors probably dresses in drag when he's home. He probably models his own clothes for himself. Master Guru Gunn is totally the one to see in drag. What kind of get-up do you think he'd wear? And what would his stage name be? Ohhh, we'll have to let that stew a bit before we shout it out loud.

Okay, so tomorrow I'm off to a local 5K (benefiting a local high school's cross county team). I'll be wearing a bridesmaid's dress. I'm not kidding. I'll post photos before I head out for a shopping trip to Appleton with Daughter #1, two of her friends, and Daughter #2. Have a great weekend!

Week In Review

Photo above originally posted by photo.envy on the mend on flickr. Go here .
After last weekend's activities, it was back to the grind Monday morning.
And Tuesday morning.
And Wednesday morning.
But come Wednesday afternoon, the excitement began. What could be more exciting than having one of your staff members call you and tell you that the school bus she's on- along with 30 1st and 2nd graders- is broken down? Nothing, I tell you- nothing is more exhilarating than the rush of adrenaline you get calling parents and telling them that their children are stuck on a broken-down bus in Trenary.

Thank goodness for Project Runway! Kind of a cool challenge this week. I liked the idea of designing an outfit that represents America, even if that meant way too much red, white, and blue. My biggest fear would be making something that looked like a stewardess' uniform. Oy!

But to discuss the show: I knew that the skort wouldn't win. It was too kitschy, too "uniform-y," especially with the huge "USA" down the right side of the skort- almost super hero-ish (which, I know Michael Kors pointed out that the Olympic athletes are super heroes to an extent, but its too much). So the bronze goes to the Spice Girls outfit from Joe.

Silver medalist was the stripes-and-jacket get up from our friend Donna Summer (Terri). Totally chic get up. I love how she mixed up all the stripes on top, wasn't crazy about the tuxedo stripe on the trousers, but loved the casual refinement of the look. As The Doctah said, "It reminds me of those Charlie perfume commercials from the 70's, but more modern." Agreed, Doctah, agreed! Just for funsies, refresh your memory here .

Gold medal to Korto. No argument here, and I'll break it down for ya: think about the typical female athletic form. Got it? Broad shoulders, flat boobies, small waist, no hips, muscular legs. A good tan. Korto made all of these things work well together in an outfit that was clean, contemporary, and feminine. That vest takes an athlete's broad shoulders and balances them out with the flare of the trouser leg (nicely accentuated by the red inset at the shoulder- my friends Stacey & Clinton would be pleased); the belt at the waist totally plays up the narrow waist most of the athletes have; the linen and feather-weight leather keeps them cool in the blazing hot pollution of Beijing, and the white shows off their burnished skin. Step up and get your flowers, Korto- the National Anthem is starting.

What about the losers? Jennifer totally had to go. BO-RING! Uninspired. When I saw that skirt, I thought: "awning." And did Jerell bring the crazy art school this week, or what? Little Bo Peep on acid meets Carol Burnett's Scarlett O'Hara dress.

Special mention to Keith (the one who says he's gay, but I don't get that vibe. The Devil tells me "He's Utah gay.") for an adorable and fresh outfit. Loves it.

Okay friends, I've completed my tempo run with The Devil, and now I've told my mother-in-law I'd help her pick out new frames for her glasses. We're trying to get her some hotness for the men on e-Harmony. Wish us luck, and have a great weekend!

And the Addiction Has Kicked In...

Oh friends, it has started. Sweaty palms, ignoring phone calls and email, hell- ignoring family members! Wednesdays at 9:00 pm EST, I'm a goner. The Doctah comes over (and hopefully My Favorite Local Celebrity will, too, now that she's been invited) and we watch- enraptured- and then discuss.

Its Season 5 of Project Runway , bitches!

Okay, so Episode One: I think the judges missed the mark. I liked the winning design, but do you remember Master Guru Gunn's comment during the work time? He warned the designers that they were all using "fabric substitutes" and were not very creative. So the winner has those awful coffee filters on the poor model's breasts and vacuum cleaner bags for the skirt, and those aren't fabric subs?

Easily the most innovative and chic design was Daniel's va-va-voom blue party cup dress. I'll never remember kegger parties the same way again. He was robbed.

Episode Two: Couldn't you just feel for the designers when Master Guru Gunn said the models were going shopping? Oy, I could already see that even with what, a dozen models?, there wasn't enough brain power to get what was needed for one dress, much less all twelve.

I also think that the "green" emphasis was an afterthought. I thought for sure that the judges were going to tear into Stella for her golden monstrosity (below), especially after Nina said "Short and shiny equals trashy." I've put a favorite design of mine from the episode below it for a comparison so you can see which dress should have been in the Top Three. And yes, my opinion means EVERYTHING!!!



That's all on PR for now. Other news? Mr. Fix has returned from a beer-soaked weekend in Minneapolis, soundtrack courtesy of Ween , and another birthday is done. Back to Renovation '08- and now comes The Cabinetry. This, dear ones so concerned with my mental health, will be a separate post.

As for me, I'm in full-on training mode for my fall marathon , even going so far as to make a pact with The Devil to do either tempo runs or speed work once each week. By the way, The Devil is female, blonde, and in the public relations field. She may come across as friendly and fun and a great conversationalist, but those charms are just part of her masquerade. Do not be fooled.

Tomorrow is another local 5K, and Mr. Fix swears he's going blueberry picking. Have a great weekend.

New Rules

Rule #1: Do not allow guests to talk you into doing shots before you've finished your supper.
Rule #2: Do not consume shots that look and smell like cheap strawberry-flavored soda (aka "Red Pop"), even though you LOVE said soda.
Rule #3: Remember Rule #2 after your guests tell you the name of the shot is the "Cherry Bomb" and it "tastes just like cheap red soda."
Rule #4: Do not sit in the corner chair on the veranda when drinking with said guests; this makes it difficult to escape.
Rule #5: Do not think for a second that the delicious apple spice cake with cream cheese frosting you made for said guests will be appreciated; you have probably already ignored Rules 1-4.
Rule #6: Do not litter the veranda table with six or even seven bottles of wine, too many airplane bottles of liquor, beer cans and Red Bull cans, and cocktail glasses; it's just a big mess you'll curse about under your breath the next morning.
Rule #7: Just because you went to bed at midnight doesn't mean it was an early night. You forgot to take two aspirin before bed.
Rule #8: Remember that the neighbors might not enjoy your vintage Rolling Stones on vinyl.
Rule #9: Do not attempt to continue walking/wearing the cute shoes you started out with at the beginning of the night; since you've ignored all of these rules, you are too drunk to wear shoes, much less walk around unassisted.
Rule #10: Resist the urge to "Drunk Dial" anyone, including your siblings who have called to share their fun times with you many many nights.
Rule #11: Remember that strong, hot coffee is a great remedy to a hangover. If that doesn't work, just go back to bed for an hour.

Remember these rules, friends. I've lived through NOT following them, so please, trust me on this one.

Women's Weekend

So, this past weekend I went to St. Charles, IL for my 2nd Annual Sisters Weekend. Last year we hung out at Sissy's house in Oswego & did the spa day thing plus a psychic (Yes or no? Do you know what I'm saying?). This year we decided a hotel was worth booking, as it kept us to the "no men, no kids, no pets" rules. Well, most of us kept the men away (cough cough *Abbie* cough).

On the agenda was a late dinner on Friday, followed by a very fun game of Pop 5 (if you don't know this game, try it). Saturday morning we went on the hunt for garage sales (no, I'm not kidding) before heading back to the hotel for... Jorianne, The Coffee Psychic ! This fantastic-ness was followed by a bit of Crate & Barrel shopping, deliciousness at Gino's East, and then 80's music and ice cold pitchers of Blue Moon at St. Charles Bowl . It was even that fun galaxy bowling with the black lights and neon! Sunday we hit up a bit more shopping, then headed our separate ways (in the middle of severe thunder storms, complete with tornado warnings) until next time.

So, I've told many people about the psychic and how excited I was to be seeing her. And many of you have asked me what she said, have I gone to a psychic before?, how does she compare? Well let me tell you. If you go to Jorianne's website, she's dyed her hair platinum blonde since those pics were taken. Anyhoo, she had us shuffle and cut the deck of tarot cards and she poured coffee into our own coffee cups (that we brought with us), added cream, and "read" the coffee as the steam, bubble, and our auras all blended together. It was pretty interesting. What did she tell me?...

Jorianne said I had angels all around me (and for those of you who don't know, angels are not dead people, they have always been angels) and that I was very spiritual and in touch with the spirit world. She saw my kids. She said my husband and I were good for each other- we balance each other out. She is the second (or maybe even the third?) psychic to tell me that I'd be successful in my own business. No idea what the business was, though, or even who I'd go into business with. Hmmm. There's more, but I need to listen to the tape she made of our meeting before I can write about it. I don't want to get the details wrong and have the psychic get pissy with me for messing up her reading. It would probably throw my chakras all out of whack.

Katie and I are all ready to go to the Dunkin' Donuts Marathon in Cape Cod, MA this fall. Strike that- I'm registered. Katie has yet to confirm her registration with me. Ahem.

Alrighty then! Have a great week.

Sex and the City!!!

Have you seen it yet? I have, and OH MY GOODNESS! I loved it, and will see it again with anyone who hasn't seen it yet but wants to. Call me. :o)

So, I knew SOME things were going to happen (yes, I read spoilers. I am the type of person who reads the last few pages of a book "just in case."), others threw me for a loop, but overall I was entertained and loved this movie, or as I like to call it, "The Second Series Finale."

I will not reveal plot points or spoil anything here, but let me ask the ladies (and any men who watched the television show): Have you ever thought about which "girl" you are? I know that during the show's heyday, there were many writings about how every woman can relate to these characters, and that women will identify with one of the characters more than the others. For instance, I think Sister #3 is a Miranda, and not just because of her red hair.

I'm taking it a step further here. I think that the reason the series (and now the movie) is so successful is NOT because women want to see what their alter egos are up to; they watch because they identify with ALL of the women, whether they admit to it or not. Yes, the four main characters are stereotypes, and yes, the majority of women identify strongly with one of those. But in reality, women are too complex to be whittled down to a stereotype (albeit a stereotype in fantastic clothing and *sigh* those shoes!), and so I posit that we are all Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda mixed up together. You can add some Anthony (wedding planner) into my mix, too. And...discuss.

Shall we move on to the man aspect of the show/movie? I always rooted for Big- I think Chris Noth is sexy as all get out. What can I say? Crankypants likes crankypants. What do you think of Steve? I think that he and Miranda's relationship is the most relatable, the most realistic. And Samantha and Smith? Charlotte and Harry?

I will save comments about the FASHION for another post. Here's my plug: GO SEE THIS MOVIE and you'll be able to end your weekend with a smile.