Happy New Year, Everyone!

Ah, this blog will lie dormant a few more days, as I'm on vacation. Have a safe and happy New Year's Celebration, everyone! And choose a designated driver if you are going out! Ms. Place

On the First Day of Christmas

No true love gave to thee ...

... this Partridge in a Pear Tree!!

Christmas Museum: Amsterdam

Go on a bad Christmas Tour with Cash Peters from the Savvy Traveler at the Christmas Museum in Amsterdam. What's funny about this tour is that it's in audio. You can't see a single one of the bad items that are described, such as a nativity scene with the fattest Mary on record. In fact, the place is not a museum at all, since 'nothing in it is over 3 weeks old.' Hah!

Click here to 'hear' the tour and have a Happy Holiday, y'all.

Photo of a seriously ugly decoration in Montreal from: Midnight Routine

Mute Little Bloggie

I'm remaining quiet until next weekend, maybe longer. There's too much to do, and too little time, though I suspect I'm probably not as busy as the soldiers in this photo. They are my role models at present. Every time life gets a little tough, all I have to do is think of them.


Meanwhile, in celebration of the holidays, here's a link to John Lennon's And So This is Christmas. If I don't get back to y'all before then, have a merry, happy time.

Project Runway: The Revolving Door

What a great, fun, loopy, upredictable/sad/happy Project Runway episode.

First, due to a serious staph infection, Jack's lip swelled up to twice its size and he opted to leave the show to take care of his health. Jack was such a sweet, generous and collaborative guy, and not bad on the eye either. We'll all miss him.

But then we were treated to a happy surprise. Chris returned to complete Jack's challenge, and sadness turned into joy. Chris worked through the night, only to complete a pretty bizarre costume. Once again he stood in the bottom three in front of the judges. Dayum!

Creating an outfit that I liked for once, the always self-assured, self-anointed, snippy, and snipy Christian managed to squeak ahead of Kevin for first place. As the judges proclaimed Christian the winner, you could almost hear him say, "I deserved this above all the other Bitches."

Meet Sister Mary Margaret Ave Maria in an outfit that Steven slapped together with glue and a prayer. The moment Steven saw the wedding dress that he was supposed to redesign, he rebelled, hating the dress, the fabric, the lace, and the seed pearls. For his lack of vision, and for making a young woman who lost an enormous amount of weight look old-fashioned and dowdy, he was aufed.

Even though this week's challenge was fierce, as Christian would say, we lost two wonderful designers in the process. Bye Jack and Steven, we'll miss you.

Thank God Chris returned to save the day!

Sweet Submission

Was there any doubt I would submit dog pictures? Happy Mute Monday y'all.

4th Episode of Project Runway 4 Could Have Been Worse

Bravo could have asked the designers in last week's challenge to create an outfit in the style of clothing designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada.

Here she is decked out in one of her clown outfits. Wait, didn't Ricky et. al. use these colors for inspiration? Click here for all my Project Runway posts.

Dishin' Project Runway: Ugly is as Ugly Does

We have come to this pass: A completely forgettable PR episode.

Except for Chris's aufing, there was very little to remember about Episode Four. Ms. Place thrives on dissing kitsch, but when Bravo creates a challenge that forces designers to create ugly designs using ugly trends from the past, well, she has to set her well-heeled foot down and vigorously protest. I winced when I watched the runway show. Let me go on record as saying that none of this week's designs won my heart. None.

There are no comments around the water cooler this week. Branch H2O and I were on the road, barreling down I-81 to the nether regions of Virginia to attend a training when we dissed PR4. Here are our observations.

Ms.Place: What did you think of this week's epi, Branch?

Branch H2O: I can't remember from all that black and white and bland beigeness. You know, there isn't anyone who's funny on the show this year. Christian has a biting wit that I can appreciate, but at times he just comes across as a straight up freak, and that's not really funny. I couldn't stand that tall guy from Season 2, you know, the one who made the finals. . .

Ms. Place: Santino?

Branch H2O: Yeah, him. But at least he was funny. He was memorable.

Chris

Ms. Place: I'm going to say it: This was not the losing design. Chris was aufed because of his team's poor color choices and because he was the leader of a bland collection. But there were other worse concepts and executions. Read Daniel V's blog for an insightful comment about these shoulder pads. Yeah, the jacket could have been fitted better at the shoulders, and the material is too dark and heavy, but I love the sleeves.

Branch H20: I agree. The jacket was bad, but the dress was modern and kinda cool. It was sewn well.

Victorya

Ms. Place: Aside from the fact that Victorya behaved like a major passive-aggressive Bitch, I thought this outfit was the weakest of the lot. Why did she add a stomacher to a simple ballerina dress? It is stiff, poorly made and puckers at the bottom. Besides, that stiff panel makes no sense as a design element. Ricky salvaged what he could by helping with the fit up top, but I think this dress looks even worse in the photo than on the runway.

Branch H2O: I can't stand people like her. If she wanted to lead, then she should have stepped up to the plate. She wanted all the glory but none of the responsibility. As for the dress, I can barely remember seeing it. I thought the colors were ok, but those were the team's choices.

Jillian, Kevin, Rami

Ms. Place: This is definitely the winning collection. It has the most cohesive look, though I would not be caught dead wearing any of these clothes. That's the problem with this week's outfits. When designers are instructed to create clothes inspired by past ugly fads, they'll have a difficult time coming up with anything beautiful or flattering. That poodle skirt swallows up Rami's model; Kevin's model looks like she borrowed my dog's Elizabethan collar (the one he wore after his hip operation), and Jillian's model resembles Rebecca from Sunnybrook Farm or Grace Kelly in The Country Girl. I did like the blouse, which saved the outfit.

Branch H2O: I think Kevin is showing some design muscle, but Rami and Gillian are in danger of canceling each other out. I can't imagine that both will be chosen to compete in the finals. This is the strongest team, though, and I think all three designers will go far this season.

Ms. Place: I thought the same about Chris.

Branch H2O: Yeah, I could be wrong.

Christian

Branch H2O: A Victorian Goth Secretary. His point of view has nothing to do with reality. In fact, the three pieces in this collection remind me of something out of a Tim Burton movie.

Ms. Place: That length of that skirt hits the "dowdy" zone on her legs. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing that length. And what's with that ill fitting neckline?

Steven

Branch H2O: If a woman bends over and you can see all of her pants, then the design is no good. Would you wear this?

Ms. Place: Lengthen it by three feet, add some sleeves, and it would make a nice little travel robe. Strike that. There's nothing about this design that twirls my cookies.

Ricky

Branch H2O: I was waiting for that little Bitch to cry, but he handled himself well this week.

Ms. Place: And diplomatically. I would have decked Victorya every time she opened her bossy mouth.

Branch H2O: Passive-aggressives are a slippery slope. He should have concentrated more on his outfit. Considering the punch out requirement, he created a pretty sophisticated version of underwear on the outside. I could see a young girl wear this.

Ms. Place: The judges kept complaining about the fabric and fit. It was no worse than Victorya's and Elisa's. Frankly, I think they jumped on him because he was team leader. Looking at the photo, I like this outfit more and more.

Elisa, Jack, Kit, Sweet P

Ms. Place: Meh

Branch H2O: Feh

Ms. Place: Ok, twist my arm. They are not all that bad. I like Sweet P's design, and Elisa and Jack acquitted themselves well. They did not pull their teams down. I did not like Kit's dress. It's nothing I can really place my finger on, since my dislike is based on a combination of factors: pattern, skirt length, and long scarvy thing dangling from the model's neck.

Branch H2O: I couldn't distinguish what was happening in Kit's outfit from all that black and white pattern. And I hated the beige color of Sweet P's dress.

Ms. Place: You gonna watch PR next week?

Branch H2O: Not if it interferes with my beauty sleep.

Click here to read all my Project Runway posts.

December 5th is Sinterklaas Day

And as you can see from these Dutch bloopers, not everything goes smoothly when Sinterklaas and Swarte Piet arrive from Spain to distribute treats to Dutch children.

Well, DAYUM, they've taken this video off YouTube. Ah, well. Must have been lifted.



Happy St. Nick Day!

Tim's Finale and Top Chef Holiday Fun

This week we'll be saying goodbye to Tim Gunn's Guide to Style. Here's a clip from the finale on Thursday at 10 PM. I watched the preview clip and ... didn't we see this epi in the pre-show that aired before the first show?

I believe Tim and Veronica agree with me. Just saying.

Here's another reason for tuning in on Bravo on Thursday evening. Former Top Chefs will be competing in a holiday special at 9 PM EST. To look at the judges' expressions, the food must have tasted like, er, well, something prepared for a pagan feast or for my canine beast.

Here is a preview clip. Click on this link and enjoy: Holiday Gifts

Watch Bravo on Thursday night to see Tim and the Top Chefs back to back starting at 9 EST.

On Wednesday night, flick to Bravo to watch Project Runway. (Be still my beating heart - it's another team challenge!)

Before this latest PR episode airs, join the Blogging Project Runway team for their live party. The conversation amongst PR fanatics is a hoot, and the chat enhances the fun of watching the show. See ya'll there! If not, I'll catch you later.

Color

I created these images last year for Top Design Blogger and have resurrected them for Monday's theme: Color. The flickr link is fun to play with. Just make sure to scroll over the different colors of the wheel and click on them, then move the toggle in the side bar up or down.

Interactive Color Pickr: Click Here & Have Fun!!

Around the Water Cooler: Dishin' Project Runway

Our water cooler crowd at the office was so disappointed in this week's PR episode that all they could discuss was the boring results. We did not fault the designers, since they were given barely enough time to complete a daunting task: to create a 3-piece outfit for Tiki Barber to wear on The Today Show.

First, Tiki's body is 5'9" of rock hard solid muscle. And he has no neck. Well, he does, but it has a 5'9" circumference. The outfit would need meticulous tailoring. However, our designers were given less than two days to complete the challenge. Whaa? Right away we knew the tight timing would skew the results.

So, here's our take on the outfits. Only four of us had the wherewithal to snark these less than sterling menswear designs: Ms. Place, Branch H2O, Major Bitchin', and Land Mine (who makes her last appearance this week, as she moves on to greener pastures.)

Victorya

Miss Thing: I have no opinion about any of these outfits. They're all too bland. So, taa!
Land Mine: This looks like a waiter's jacket.
Branch H2O: "Ah, yes, boy, you may take my order now."
Major Bitchin': That black collar is Audrey Hepburnesque

Sweet P

Land Mine: Horrendous!
Ms. Place: This is how an air traffic comptroller must look after a plane has crashed.
Branch H2O: It looks like he tried to hang himself for wearing that shitty shirt - and then fell off the gallows.

Steven

Land Mine: Loved this. This was my favorite. B'sides, Steven is cool.
Branch H2O: I loved it. It's classic, well fitted, and that thing around his neck gives it some edge.
Ms. Place: Prep school 1936 or Brideshead Revisited. All this outfit needs is a teddy bear.
Major Bitchin': Loved Steven's spandex and football comment.

Ricky

Bitchin' Major: That poor man - That boring suit's way too large. He's swimming in it.
Land Mine: Russian KGB man during the Cold War.
Ms. Place: A yummy man disguised as an accountant.
Branch H2O: He has more pins in him than a porcupine. As for Ricky, I wish the Bitch would just stop crying.

Rami

Ms. Place: Eeww. GM factory worker circa 1955.
Branch H2O: Bland, like toast. I don't have much to say about this.
Land Mine: I think THIS looks like a members only jacket. It's too casual for The Today Show.

Kit

Land Mine: This look is way too preppy.
Branch H2O: Yeah, too preppy. The fleece is interesting, but the rest is ordinary - khakis paired with an ordinary shirt.
Major Bitchin': Yawn
Ms. Place: I couldn't understand why the judges were so enamored with this. Perhaps it was sewn well.

Kevin

Ms. Place: In that outfit, the model looks like a young Tony Soprano.
Branch H2O: Or a gay gangster. Actually, this would be a great look with a different shirt.
Major Bitchin': The proportions are off. The shirt's skin tight in the wrong places.
Land Mine: Yeah, you're right. The proportions are off. The sleeves are way too tight. And did he mean to leave the shirt untucked? It's too short.

Jillian

Ms. Place: Chris Daughtry could wear this.
Branch H2O: I like it. It's plain and simple, yet the shirt's stylish and adds a bit of funk.
Major Bitchin': The shoes are awful.
Land Mine: It's like 70's rocker. At least it was something.

Elisa

Branch H2O: This is a great look for a tall lean guy, but not for Tiki.
Ms. Place: The Vampire Lestat in the 21st Century. Actually, the model looked better in his skivvies. Boyfriend or not, I would have touched him.
Land Mine: He looks like an elf. All he needs is shoes that turn up at the toe.

Chris

Ms. Place: This is a bitchin Euro macho look. Love it.
Branch H2O: This would look good on a tall German, but not on 5'9" Tiki.
Major Bitchin: I love the look, but Branch is right.
Land Mine: Too metrosexual for my tastes.

Christian

Branch H2O: Overall this was different. I liked it. Well, ok. The little pocket thing and the shirt - too feminine. 80's fem.
Major Bitchin': I liked the colors. Bronzes. It would have helped if it was finished.
Land Mine: I kinda liked it, but I kinda don't.
Ms. Place: Oh, puhlease. Hideous. No self respecting man would wear this.

Carmen: Auf'd

Miss Thing: Oh My God.
Branch H2O (shaking his head): What a hot shitty mess. Oliver Twist morphed into a mad golfer.
Ms. Place: Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof disguised as the Pied Piper. And look at those shoes!
Land Mine: What was she thinking?
Major Bitchin': She didn't have a clue.

Jack, Winner

Ms. Place: Meh.
Land Mine: I don't like beltless pants. I think they look cheap.
Branch H2O: This should have won. It's American, it has edge, and it's well made.
Major Bitchin': At least he used a shirt fabric with a pattern. It adds some excitement.

Ms. Place: Aren't these men cute? I'll admit, the outfit looked great on Tiki and it was perfect for The Today Show.

Next week the designers will work in teams. The claws are out already! Let the fun begin.

Slogan Generator

Want to come up with slogans like these? Try the slogan generator below. I toyed around with Project Runway terminology:

Make someone happy with a Gunn.
Discover the Heidi Ho difference.
Whenever there's a snack gap, fashion fits.
Makes you feel runway again.

Two other slogans I generated: "Give the dog a beer" and "Feel the raw, naked entrail of the road." Ha!

Have You Had Your Elisa Today?

Enter a word for your own slogan:

Generated by the Advertising Slogan Generator, for all your slogan needs. Get more elisa slogans.

London to Brussels via the Chunnel

Well, I've done it. I just booked a one-way ticket in early February from London to Brussels. It will take 6 1/2 hours to get to Amsterdam (my final destination) from start to finish and it isn't cheap ($350 one way), but so what? My brother and his wife will be leaving from Heathrow at the same time, taking the plane to Schiphol Airport. I am willing to bet that they'll only beat me to the hotel near The Dam by an hour or so, and that I'll arrive feeling less ruffled and having seen more interesting stuff along the way.

Has anyone taken the Euro Star underneath the English Channel? Want to tell me what it was like? I know, I know. Dark.

Rebels

Oscar Schindler (with those he rescued)

Martin Luther King

1964 Alabama Freedom Riders

Mahatma Ghandi

Rosa Parks

Billie Jean King

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Student, Tianenmen Square

Buddhist monk in protest of Vietnamese War, 1963

Burmese Monks, 2007