Checking in

I'm traveling a lot (for me) in May and June and I want to post about all of it, soon (I swear - check back tomorrow). I haven't been taking my actual camera anywhere, since I feel like snapping quick cell phone photos is so much easier and keeps me more in the moment but I'm always a little sad when I get home and realize I don't have any high quality photos. I know, cry me a river.

BUT in the meantime I can't resist a super quick check in.

Watching: The Handmaid's Tale is my new favorite thing every week. I have read the book a million times but not in years, and no, I didn't re-read it before jumping into the series. I know the show departs from the book, but I think they made good choices and I love, love, love seeing it brought to life. There are some scenes that are just so deeply creepy and apparently my imagination is not as good as beautiful camerawork. I find Margaret Atwood's books fascinating (Bodily Harm was part of my thesis project in college - read it if you like being majorly bummed out) and she's involved with writing and producing the show which makes me happy. Bonus - I liked this essay she wrote about the book/show back in March.

We watched the second season of Master of None while we were in NYC (bingeing on TV shows on vacation is a long standing tradition with my crew and I absolutely do not think it is a waste of our time together). I hate to say this but I was SO frustrated with most of the second half of the season. Ugh, love and poor life choices. We were basically heckling the TV by the end. Bonus - NPR interview with Aziz Ansari. I have always suspected that his mom doesn't love acting. Ha.

Reading: Um, still not much action here worth mentioning. I've re-read about 20 Elizabeth Peter's books, eagerly awaiting the release of her posthumous novel in July. It's taken so long for them to get it out that I'm very concerned it will be terrible.

Listening: We listened to the entire first season of My Dad Wrote a Porno while we were driving around the east coast last week and were in hysterics the entire time. Like, it should probably be illegal to listen to it while operating a moving vehicle. I think it goes without saying, based on the title, but it is most definitely not safe for work (or public, or anywhere that children might stumble in unexpectedly).

Right now

:: Researching dog walkers and feeling a little heart sick over the expense. For this much money I could have a house cleaner come every week (a luxury I have long denied us, citing budget constraints). But Circe > than a clean house. D has been taking her to work since we adopted her, but he's changing jobs and that won't be an option anymore. We're already experiencing major guilt. Also, it's kind of hard to find dog walkers. How do people in apartments with full time jobs have pets?

:: Thinking I should write a post called "things I planned to make for Christmas that I'm obviously not going to have time to get around to" - homemade bitters and needlepoint embroidery would top the list. Next year.

:: Related - wishing that December didn't already feel like it was speeding away from me. I would like to lobby to make Thanksgiving a week earlier. I already feel so behind that I'm not sure it's worth putting up our tree. And I don't even do any Christmas shopping anymore! But I'd like more time for the decorating and the baking and the crafting. You know, the good parts.

:: Getting excited for all the new babies coming our way! I'm helping with three different baby showers over the next month so that's where all my crafting energy is going. I love little party details and want them all to be surprises, so I can't share anything just yet.

:: Feeling extremely uncertain about some of the plot developments in Nashville. Enjoying the love-child drama on Grey's Anatomy (deeply bored by the Callie-Arizona situation). Getting pretty into the current season of Top Chef.

Project Runway finale - no spoilers!

I don't know if it was a judgment of season 5 as a whole, or just the result of an unexpected 11 hour work day, but I slept through the entire finale last night. Okay, almost the entire thing. I managed to pry my eyes open occasionally to make small comments. This is my usual strategy for convincing D that I am not asleep when in fact, I am - it fails miserably, because I am usually too tired to come up with comments that make sense. Personally, I think I did better than usual last night, and a brief glance through the picture gallery confirms my suspicions. My half asleep words are about the same as my thoughts this morning.

My thoughts: I still love this dress, even though it is so short. Add another few inches, and I would wear this in an instant.

My words: Mmmmmm....

My thoughts: Wait, why do I feel strangely drawn to this? It's a crazy ruffle explosion. The ruffles are eating her head. It's like an Elizabethan collar. And yet, I love the deep, deep v of the neck line. I like the puffy sleeves. I really like the shape of the skirt. Scale the ruffles down a few notches, and I would buy this.

My words: Ruffles? Are those ruffles?


My thoughts: That's a lot of puffed sleeve going on there.

My words: That's a lot of puffed sleeve going on there.

My thoughts: Oh, Leanne, I love you. Mostly because you are the only one who doesn't drive me absolutely crazy. But why in the world did you take "color palette" so literally? Everything you made is the same exact color. And honestly, it's not even as though you picked a kick ass color. For a wall, yes. For clothing, I'm still not sold. Nevertheless, I love you and I think your wave idea was cool and I hope that you beat Kenley.

My words: Actually, I was so asleep at this point that I didn't even see the collection. Oh well. I have it recorded.

Who doesn't love Tim Gunn?

Kenley, apparently. If you haven't watched last night's episode of Project Runway, get ready for some bitterness and a little showdown with Tim Gunn. You might as well tune in for the drama, because most of the outfits were bo-ring, in my opinion.

It is going to be a busy TV night for me because Ugly Betty and The Office are both starting up again. Okay, fine, I'll probably watch Grey's Anatomy as well, despite the fact that it is completely embarrassing. At least I haven't degenerated to the point where I tune in to Private Practice, right? I have some standards.

I'm going to try to get some pre-sewing done while I indulge myself. All I'm doing right now is cutting, but I'll have more details to share soon. It involves a delicious variety of the sweet little 1930s prints with which I am so enamored.

Make over night!

Last night was a veritable orgy of make overs. ANTM did their makeover session, with a satisfying number of over the top weaves. Side note: I want my long hair back, immediately!

Then Project Runway did recent college grad makeovers. I looooved Jarelle's look, and let's just say I was extremely pleased with who went home. (Insert evil cackle here). Is anyone else tired of Kenley's cry baby thing? I used to love her, but now she's killing me.

I guess Top Design bucked the trend, because they didn't do a make over. Also, I fell asleep yet again, so I'm not sure how it ended. Note to TV producers - I apparently go out like a light at 10:35 pm, so please stop scheduling shows in the 10 - 11 time slot during the week.

I heart technology

How much do I love having a DVR? It's just so smart. Last night, it was the first to let me know that there is a new season (sorry, cycle) of America's Next Top Model starting. I thought it was a mistake because I haven't seen a single billboard. I guess they just aren't feeling the advertising. I love Tyra and her crazy antics. I haven't watched the whole thing yet, but the part I saw was pretty cheese-tastic, aka utterly delightful.

It also thoughtfully recorded the Top Design premiere. I will never understand why a show that has Todd Oldham, Kelly Wearstler and Jonathan Adler as regulars can't get it together with everything else. I won't lie - I watched the entire last season, complaining about the low production quality the entire time. I can't tell you how the 2nd season premiere was because I fell asleep about five minutes in. But that's not a judgment of the show, I swear. I had a really long day and I was just barely able to keep my eyes open for Project Runway (totally think they should have gotten rid of the other person in the bottom two, by the way).

What can I say? I'm a sucker for a Bravo reality show, despite the fact that HGTV's version, Design Star, is pretty much the same thing. And it's a sad day when Bravo can't beat out HGTV.

Project Runway !

Is it just me, or is anyone else really relieved that Project Runway is finally in the 9 pm time slot? I guess I'm getting old, but the staying up until 11 pm just to finish the show was starting to get to me last season and I would end up watching it the next day.

I'm still a little uncommitted to the current cast of characters, but sometimes it takes me a while to get a feeling for how the season is going to pan out. I have to admit I was in love with a couple of the outfits last night. When I saw Kenley pull her fabrics out I almost gagged, but her dress came out awesome. So perfectly tailored. And it totally could have looked like a sofa, so I have to be extra impressed.

image source

I am a little more pumped for the season after last night. There are some people that I am just dying to see booted off, and I'm still a little perplexed by some of the uber boring casting choices, but at least we're seeing some solid work (and an awful lot of Heidi's legs - I spent quite a bit of time last night wondering how she was going to manage to sit down for the judging wearing that skirt).

P.S. Listening to Tim Gunn getting coached in how to say "Holla atcha boy" was so embarrassing that I curled up in a ball on the couch and averted my eyes. Tim Gunn does not need to indulge in those sorts of gimicky things.