No PR Dishing This Week

I've had an awful time with my internet connection this week. And PR was kind of blah -- the only real dishing I can do is to say that Kenley's "skinny jeans" should have been wide-leg 40's trousers. The designers (only 4 left at this point) were given a musical genre and told to dress each other in outfits that reflected said respective genre. In a word, yech. You can find photos and more info at their website.

On Top Design, they decorated bachelor pads and Shazia is out. I wasn't impressed with any of it. Maybe I've been having an off week! Same thing here -- you can find more info at their website.

The Marco Polos are descending upon us tonight for pizza and a movie. I doubt much movie-watching will get done -- these kids are so ADD that they end up doing about 500 other things while the movie is on. But Bruce Wayne has apparently been asking for my pizza for a few weeks now.

There is no finer compliment to one's cooking than to have a teenage friend of your teenager asking for it.

So I'll be making lots of pizza tonight. I've been cleaning up the kitchen to spare Rose lately; she's had tennis and projects and all sorts of stuff going on. It's felt good to me, actually. As much as I hate routine, I rather like getting in there and cleaning up and feeling both a sense of control and accomplishment.

And yesterday, amid my regular daily stuff, I got to switch out a mac keyboard on Babydoll's laptop. Whoever said that being a mom was monotonous and required no skill?

xox

P.S. I made cookies yesterday, and ate least 20 of them myself (why say it was only 10 when we all know I was grabbing 3 at a time at least 5 or 6 times?). I sabotaged myself knowing full well that having a "down" day today (and not eating) would not change anything. And this bingeing after a visit to a new primary doc, where the labs revealed that my triclycerides are over 300! Good grief! How did that happen? I am ordered back to the pool for exercise -- and I am hanging my head in shame. It is a PAIN getting older!

It was an Inspiring Evening of PR Dish.

Well, Barbie and I watched PR last night, and dished and ate popcorn and dished and then we watched Top Design. I swear, if I had been drinking something, it would have come flying out my nose. That Barbie Doll of mine is flat hilarious. I nearly fell off the bed laughing.

So, Project Runway.

Joe is out. Pity. Nice straight guy with a great eye. What is with all the straight guys being Italians?

Maybe there is something to the idea that all great fashion comes out of Milan.

Joe made this, for a girl who just graduated college and will be looking for a job as a graphic designer. And her mother was involved:

Pretty girl -- but the outfit speaks for itself.

Jerrell won with this, for a girl who loves being in a t-shirt and jeans --

What a transformation. This guy really is talented after all!

LeAnn made a very cute jacket and dress for a very short, very young elementary school teacher. But she was in the bottom 3, and that wasn't good. It really was a cute dress.

And Kenley stole my heart with this outfit for another girl working as a fashion buyer:

Kenley is a great fan of 40's vintage, and creates everything to reflect that. I happen to love that as well; it's very feminine, and very pretty. And flattering to most every body.

Plus she has a cool name. Kenley. Wish I'd thought of that one.

Honestly, all these designers really are incredibly talented. I know they've all been to design school and all, but come on! I've been sewing for 30 years, and I still need a pattern most of the time. These folks come up with this stuff out of their imaginations and a fabric store. THAT is talent.

We also watched Top Design, the Project Runway of home decorating.

First off, I have to say that Kelly Wearstler is the oddest, strangest looking person I have ever seen in my life. Barbie and I decided that she must just wash her very long hair in hairspray, dry it upside down, and then go out in the humidity. And then she puts on a hat.

And what is up with her SOCKS?

All I can say is this: You know you're getting old when you fail to be able to distinguish between "cutting edge" and "just plain ridiculous."

Margaret Russell, on the other hand, is the absolute Martha Stewart of fashion in terms of the way she looks on the show. Always impeccable -- beautiful clothing, beautiful and basic hair. Wow.

As for the contestants this season, my favourites are these --

Wisit, a strange, odd little person who can sing fabulous opera --

And Kerry, who is officially out of the competition as of last night, but who proved himself a man of good design and wonderful integrity:

These two were teamed together to create a window display for previous PR winner Jeffrey (whom I insist to this day cheated and shouldn't have won). Jeffrey is looking like an unkempt biker dude lately, complete with handlebar mustache. Apparently winning PR means you never have to shave or cut your hair.

But I digress. He made this outfit that he said was inspired by the movie Bladerunner. Cool movie, but you have to be old enough to remember it. Interestingly, neither Kerry or Wisit, above, had heard of it. And that's a pity, because it's a great movie. I spent quite a bit of time explaining the look of it to Barbie.

It basically looks like urban Japanese streets in the pouring rain.

So they should have made the window look like Bladerunner, but didn't, and now Kerry is out because he was the project leader. I am sad. He was so talented, and funny! Last week Barbie and I nearly died laughing, repeating him saying in his deep, slow, southern drawl, "You got to have ya a work ethick. And you got to bu-leeve in yerself.

You can have your American Idol and America's Got Talent and America's Got Entirely Too Many People Lining Up to Have Some Celebrity Say You're Good Enough. I like these design shows. Hunk O Man hates that they're so subjective; he also hates gymnastics and ice skating for the same reason. He says to give him a good track race anyday. You can't argue with the clock. True enough, but I like the subjectivity. And the brilliance of these people really comes through, whether or not you agree with those who are chosen to be the best.

This type of brilliance is less rare than you'd think. One look through the things on Etsy will tell you that. The way communication has connected the world is really a good thing for the arts communities.

Beauty abounds. I am inspired yet again to look at God and just marvel.

Wow.