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.

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.

Yay!

The image kinda says it all: Girls Rock!

I am, of course, referring to the newest girl member of my family: Grace Elizabeth, born October 4th and weighing in at a not-too-traumatizing 8 lb. 7 oz. (considering her older brothers came in at 10+ lbs. each) and a respectable 18 1/2" long. Mother is my sister, Sissy and she and hubby Jack have two sons, Jake and Connor. Finally, some estrogen! Congrats! Now I need to start on that cashmere sweater for Grace!...

What else is up? Well, I'm all done with shiva for Paul Newman. He was so fantastic. I am now recovering from a 16 mile run I skipped last week because I was still sick. I'm better now, and I was talking to my friend, Fast Jessica, and thought out loud that training and running for a marathon is a lot like child birth; months of work and preparation, and right at the tail end of things, you ask yourself "Why am I doing this?" and hobble your way through 16-18-20+ mile runs. The reward is, of course, in the final product (baby or finisher's medal...which do you prefer?). And, inevitably you have that bout of selective amnesia and forget all about the pain you went through just moments ago and begin planning your next race. Or child. Whatever.

Project Runway had such a shitastic ending this week. I could just feel the judges wanting so very badly to punch Kenley in the mouth. And honestly, if I had that reach-through television I've been dreaming about, I'd have offered up my ubiquitous Bucket of Bricks to the judges so they could throw them at Kenley, too. Now we just have to wait and see the finale...are we taking bets on winners? I'm gonna go with...Leanne. Just a hunch, and plus, I like her stuff. Honestly, I'll be happy with anyone except Bipolar Kenley (The Doctah pointed out some very interesting similarities between Kenley and people who suffer from bipolar disorder).

Okay peeps, I'm outta here. Have a great week!

Its Time to Sit Shiva

I haven't been this sad about a celebrity passing on since Harry Caray died. I've known this was coming for a long time, but I was disheartened this morning. There I was, reading my new issue of In Style when I heard the announcement on NPR that my longtime boyfriend (of sorts) had died. Behold (above) the beauty of Paul Newman in his prime state, and go buy some salad dressing.

*sniff sniff*

The Home Stretch

WOW! So not only are we down to the last five designers on Project Runway , but we are counting down the games until my beloved Cubbies win their division title and make it one step closer to a (hold your breath and cross your fingers) World Series! Cue that cheesy song...

And now let's strut back to the runway. Interesting challenge, I think. Some people might think it was boring, and may have asked, "What's so hard about designing an outfit for these college grads?" Well, from the judges' comments Wednesday night, there were some designers who just did not get it! Let's dish:

The Losers: We'll start with Leanne and her dreary teacher's dress. I agree with the judges that it looked better with OUT the jacket. I don't understand why on Earth Leanne decided to go with- and the girl agreed with- a dress. Everyone knows that elementary teachers need to be five thousand places at once (metaphorically speaking), and that sheath just doesn't cut it. A smart, chic outfit with knit on top and trousers on the bottom would have been much better, even if is a cliche to dress teachers in dowdy double knit. Let's move on to...Suede. Ms. Fix thinks that Suede has questionable taste. Ms. Fix says that Suede would have to totally answer to Ms. Fix if he designed that 1989 jacket and Forever 21 dress for her daughter! Ms. Fix doesn't like Suede too much this week. And now the big loser, Joe. Nina Garcia was so right: he hit every cliche. But boy, did I wish I had that reach-through television again when stupid Kenley started laughing. She is just so annoyingly wrong wrong wrong.

The Winners: While we're on the subject of Kenley...I hated it. Obviously a cop-out for her, as she just made something for herself and decided for her client it was perfect. It was well made, though, and a great style for the grad's line of work. Next up is Korto: I loved the jacket. I liked the dress. I hated how short the dress was. The girl didn't have the legs to pull off something that short, and those closed round-toe pumps made her legs look even schlumpier. Our big winner- second week in a row!- is our Sagittarius friend, Jerrel. It was absolutely spot on. I'm so glad he didn't mess with the girl's hair (other than to get rid of that skunk stripe), since it totally played into her personality. The outfit was divine- great classic pencil skirt, shiny and feminine blouse (with a bit of sex kitten peek-a-boo fabric on top), and then that knit cardigan that screamed "I watched Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood and loved it!"
Behold the winning design (below).



My predictions for the Final Three designers (who, at this point in the real world, have already shown at New York's Fashion Week) are Jerrel, Korto, and Leanne. Are we wagering bets???

Other news? Well, today was National Native American Day, so I didn't have to work...but I did anyway. I'm pretty bad at the whole "time off" thing. What else? Dunno. I'm supposed to go clean up a local ski hill that has for the past dozen years or so been used as a garbage dump (illegally, of course). My mother-in-law spearheaded the clean-up campaign, so I kinda feel obligated, but we'll see. I may have other things to do besides help the environment.

Scheduled to do a 16 mile run on Sunday, and let me tell you, it'll be S-L-O-W. I'm battling this hellacious head cold right now and can't seem to go three minutes without needing to grab a Vicks-infused Kleenex. The Devil is still out of town, so my runs have been solo. Only six more weeks until the "Sweetest Sponsored Race This Fall!" I may find time to post again this weekend, should anything amazing happen. Have a great weekend!

The Sagittarians are on FIRE!

Read carefully the "good" and "bad" of my astrological sign, and file away for future reference. It will help you understand the mysteries of the Sagittarian mind...

Okay, that was complete bullshit. :o)

Kind of a cool challenge this week on Project Runway . I'm not sure that I like when the producers bring back the designers who have already been eliminated from competition, but it sure caused a bit of someone's diva behavior to come on out! (Uh, yeah, that would be Donna Summer and Utah Gay Keith.)

Let's get down to business, shall we?

The Losers: Blayne-licious and his "pooping fabric" design were awful from conception. Stupid Stella certainly didn't help by having such shiteous taste, either. Icky. Kenley's mish-mash monstrosity was so much costume, so not avant garde, I wanted very badly for "reach-through television" to be a reality so I could pound her in the head and call her that word My Favorite Redhead and I are not supposed to say (but we said anyway at Maple Beach!). And gee, her ousted partner, Wesley, was such a lively personality- I wanted to reach through and smack some life into him. (All that ugliness makes me a wee bit aggressive.) Suede and Jerry's Aquarius mess was so boring. That outfit is like the outfits you see on the Butterick 99 cent patterns: Sewing 101. And then Donna Summer (Terri) and Utah Gay Keith's Leo design- strike that, it was all Terri. That was one of those designs that looks great only from very very far away and out of focus. Otherwise you could feel the cheapness of the materials through the television waves. Again, reach-through tv would have come in handy to smack the diva right out of Ms. Summer. Auf to Blayne and Terri.

The Winners: I got that Korto and Kelly used Aquarius for their inspiration, but what were those crepe paper streamer thingies across the bodice? Confusing. Joe and Daniel's dress was very pretty; I loved the fabric that looked like some sort of horse's hide print- and I mean that even though I hate the animals- so "natural" yet so glam. Leanne and Emily's Scorpio was great. I, too (just like Master Guru Gunn), was sold on the exoskeleton idea. And I thought that the way the black came up and over and around the one side to totally cocoon the model's head was right on. And so that leaves us with the big winners: Jerell and Jennifer's super sassy Sagittarius creation. Where do we start? Well, during the work time part of the show, My Favorite Local Celebrity and The Doctah and me all went "Ohhhhhh!" when we saw the shiny fabric with the men's wear skirt. That jacket was to die for. And (always important to me) the finished product/styling/presentation was flawless. He used a twisted arrow as a headpiece! Brilliant (below)!



Hmmmkay...what else is there to write about? Well, Nona Bologna is reportedly visiting tomorrow night, and I think that The Doctah and me will be bringing her to see Daughter #1 play in the marching band. Hey- don't you think that its kinda an obligation for a high school marching band to play "Gonna Fly Now (the theme from "Rocky")?" I DO! I've been lobbying Daughter #1 to get it on the playlist, to no avail. They do, however, play some Cirque du Soleil stuff that only _______ (insert word Red and I are not supposed to say) really like. Sorry, Katie, but its true.

And remember the other day when I posted that the temperature was only 48 degrees? Well, another sure sign of cold weather came to me via US Postal Service: I got my rates guide from Ski Brule . I'm thinking that a long weekend for New Year's Eve would be fun, and am trying to get Brother Peaches and family to get on board.

The Devil is out of town on business, so I'm on my own for running tomorrow. Here's hoping that your weekend starts off as energetically as my own!

Can You Believe No One Made A Wrap Dress?

Above: From Diane Von Furstenberg's Fall 2008 collection.

Time for my weekly Project Runway rant!

Seriously now, Diane VonFurstenberg is known for her wrap dresses, and not a single designer chose to create one for this challenge? Did they think that they'd be chastised for taking an easy route or something? I think a wrap dress would have been a welcome sight, especially after seeing what they DID come up with!

The Losers: Blayne's bloomers were terrible! Most women are curvy and to place the band of those pants right under the knee creates such a definite line- who wants their legs cut off there? His top half was great, though, as was his styling. Jerell's get-up was too much and not enough for me. Too much when put together like he did, and not enough on their own (boring!) to really make a positive impression. Joe took the "Shanghai-ness" a bit too far. Maybe he was still channeling his inner drag queen? Costume-y, poor construction (really, at this point you still can't get your seams to line up? Go back to home ec. class!), and incongruous design elements- blech! And the biggest "lose-ah," Stella: All that fantastic fabric in DVF's studio and all she used was a boring tweed and shiny black leathah stuff? Aside from the fact I'm over her attitude and shizz, the design was not there. Boring trousers, "magician's cape," (HA! That was an awesome comment by the judges!) and that crazy bloused top, which to me looked like a sleeveless polo shirt gone terribly, terribly wrong. As one judge said, "Stella wasn't stellar tonight."

The Winners: Kenley's dress was pretty, and Michael Kors nailed it when he said that she got the "Shanghai" just right. But it was a simple dress, nothing exciting. I think she lost touch of her own style in favor of- her words!- creating something "for sale!" I think she needs to remember that she's the designer, and if her designs are worthy, people will buy them. If she only wants to make clothes "for sale," maybe she can get a job designing for Wal-Mart. Korto's dress and jacket were fantastic. I loved the shock of yellow from under the skirt, but I think it should have been a longer hem. It seemed to me that she ran out of fabric, or forgot that the model was going to be wearing heels. And for my favorite- and the judges, too- Leanne. Two weeks in a row! You go, girl! That dress was magnificent! The color was deep and rich, the draping of the neckline and the sensuous ruffle down the back of the skirt- oh, my! And then to juxtapose the nubby grey jacket with that collar with the gown? W-O-W! See for yourself (below).



So I was left wondering what the next challenge will be? Who were those shadowy figures coming out onto the runway during the previews? My curiosity is piqued!

And now on to other news...The Devil had work to do, and I have an eye appointment, so my tempo run is waiting until 11 am or so. Maybe it'll warm up by then (current temperature? 48 degrees).

Also, Mr. Fix was not one of the 120 or so people arrested in St. Paul Wednesday night; he arrived safe and sound just in time to make dinner for the family. He did, however, spend a considerable amount of time with the bottle of Febreze in the car (oh, those smokers!). 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.

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.

Weekend Happenings

So this past week was about a 4 on a scale of 1-10, 10 being best. The 8" of snow we got on Friday didn't exactly make me happy, but it ceratinly was a spectacular way to cap off a crappy week.

This week started off yesterday morning with delicious coffee, although no sunny spot on the back porch to sit in, and a date with My Favorite Redhead and My Favorite Local Celebrity (plus our arm candy, Tag-Along Tallboy- love the new haircut!) to see "The Other Boleyn Girl." Its hard to beat a $5 matinee.

The Redhead and I read this as a book club selection almost three years ago (when we were in a book club that served more wine than literary discourse), and the Celebrity borrowed my copy a few months ago in anticipation of this film. First thoughts were (of course) about how gorgeous the clothes were- sumptuous, even- and how good Scarlett was as Mary. Next we swooned OUT LOUD over Eric Bana (whoddathunkit?) as Henry, took pity on Mary's poor husband, William Carey, and then pretty much all agreed that Natalie Portman was...perhaps not the best fit as Anne.

Redhead even called me later as she was walking her dogs to discuss this further, how Anne's character wasn't fully developed enough. Granted, the movie couldn't catch every nuance of the book given the time frame of a film (and really, the book was SOOOO much better), but there was something "off" about Anne's character.

Have you read the book? Seen the movie? Thoughts? We've been wracking our brains trying to come up with a different actor to play Anne. Any ideas? Let me know, and have a great week.