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A Table By the Window - The Playlist

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I listened to a lot of great music while I was working A Table by the Window, and now that A Table by the Window (hereafter referred to as simply "Table" because life is short and my title is not) is out, I wanted to share a soundtrack to go with it.

So here it is - some tracks evoke Juliette's French and Italian heritage, while others celebrate the eclectic indie music tastes found in Portland. There are a few more tracks below the widget cut-off, so be sure to click through to find the entire list.

Enjoy!



As you read the book, what songs did you feel belonged in the background? Share in the comments below! Still looking to purchase a copy? Click here.

Fun on a Thursday! What kind of Foodie are You?

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Because it's Thursday, because they're fun - here's a foodie quiz to go with A Table by the Window!





What results did you get? Share on Facebook or Twitter, or sound off in the comments below!


Around the Web and Back Again

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Sorry the blog's been a bit quiet lately - I'm writing, just everywhere else. 

I'm working on wrapping up book two in the series, Reservations for Two, which is still finding ways to surprise me. I've also gotten to stop by a few blogs, and when I haven't, A Table by the Windowhas.

I got to stop by Suzanne Woods Fisher's blog column Dreams Comes True, where I get to chat about the origins of the project and realities of a writer's life.

Serena Chase featured A Table by the Window in her Happily Ever Afterblog on USAToday.com. 

I stopped by Novel Crossing to chat about how I got my start as a foodie.

Laurie Tomlinson and I got to chat on Inspy Romance about what's coming up in book two and what I would make if I had a chef coming over for dinner.

The Recipe Club featured the Moroccan Oranges recipe. 


Lastly, at A Girl Who is a Geek you'll find a list (which coincidentally includes, yes, A Table by the Window) of foodie fiction from a delightful mix of authors. 


Also, don't forget to check out the recipe for Bavarian Sugar Cookies, as well as the Pinterest board for A Table by the Window. And if you go browsing on my boards, you'll find one for Reservations for Two as well, which may include a few hints (and potentially a few red herrings, since sometimes things change). 

Until later! 


Fun on a Thursday - Which Character from A Table by the Window are You?

Kitchen Confessional

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How's your kitchen? Mine's a mess.

And not just because I haven't wiped the counters down lately (we'll play along with the illusion that all that's messy is some crumbs). We've been in the townhouse for six months now, which - yay for not moving for six months, that's cool - but it's also long enough to figure out what elements of my slap-dash organization are not working.

Like...most of it.

Redoing the whole thing top to bottom the way I want because of the whole finishing-a-book-about-someone-with-a-more-organized-kitchen thing.


Here are the things I know I need to do:

1. Make sure everything earns its place.

I'm not a minimalist. It's not inherently a bad thing - and often very useful - but it does mean there's a lot of stuff to find homes for. This kitchen is about 2/3 the size of our last one, so it takes a bit of doing.

Wedding china? Not using it much, and it's in some prime real estate.

And in my specialty baking supplies that I don't use most nights? In my one deep drawer. Considering that the dishtowels, the clean ones, live in a Nordstrom Rack back on my dining room floor, I'm thinking there's some shifting to be done.

2. Make sure we can see the stuff that needs to be seen. 

My flour and sugar canisters live on the kitchen island. Nothing good would come from the sugar being put away (see: Danny's sweetened coffee habit), so they stay - but the canisters could use some paint. Also, butter. Butter is good. Butter is life. Butter needs to be out.

3. Reclaim vertical space.

You know, when you're tall and you have nine-foot ceilings, there's no reason not to. So maybe the dishtowels will live in a wall-mounted basket. I'd be good with that.

4. Create a landing place for things that tend to float.

Salt. Pepper. Teapots. Juicers. I did create a breakfast drawer, with my oatmeal toppings, so that's kept my sundry oatmeal supplies from taking up residence on the island.

5. Make it pretty. I really like our place, but my biggest issue is that the kitchen is in the direct sight-line from the door - it's a straight line from the entryway to the kitchen sink. And making a functional kitchen sink area pretty is...not easy. So soon, there will be a curtain. And maybe something pretty and non-functional on the windowsill.

And, like I mentioned, there's going to be some painting of the glass flour and sugar canisters. I planned to etch them, originally, but now I'm thinking of giving them a brightly colored dose of paint.

Those are my plans for my kitchen - what are yours? And if your kitchen is well-settled, how did it get there?

Wildflowers in the Desert: Honoring the Empty Womb

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The Mother’s Day anxiety first hits in early March, when it dawns on me that spring is coming.

At first I’m excited for the longer days, the signs of life. I crave the color and sunlight. But then my mind considers the calendar and I remember that Mother’s Day waits in May. Suddenly, my chest tightens and my brain begins to flail, trying to stave off the spiral of depression and hopelessness.

I’ve written about infertility before; it’s one of those sorrows that changes and shifts over time. After four years I can feel the damage it’s done to my heart. I’ve guarded myself against bitterness, but every month I feel the calluses around my heart become deeper, harder. I ache at their presence but don’t know how to function in polite society without them.

For the infertile woman, the church culture can present a unique difficulty. Churches boast of how family-centric they are; programming includes groups for mothers, parenting classes, children’s programs.

Don’t get me wrong, I want churches to celebrate and support their families. But I carry so much pain in my heart that the church seldom soothes and too often exacerbates. The usual obstacles I can handle if I’ve prepared myself – old acquaintances and new faces asking if we have children, us answering that no, we don’t, even though our peers in age are parenting five-year-olds. The encouragement to be involved in children’s ministries. The exhortation from the pulpit to just pray more, to have more faith, to be less broken.

The worst, though, can be the dismissive attitude towards miscarriage. No matter if this child existed for the blink of an eye, unable to implant properly, or long enough to make its presence known, it’s a loss felt deeply to the core.
And yet in circles of faith I repeatedly hear similar responses. “It was God’s will.” “There was probably something wrong with the baby.” “You’ll get pregnant again, don’t worry.”

My dear loved ones, this should not be. If we as a faith culture become saddened and aggrieved at the loss of life through intentionally aborted pregnancy, if we believe in life at conception, then loss of life through miscarriage should likewise be a cause of sadness and grief. When did the church decide to embrace joy as a community but leave the poor in spirit to grieve alone?

It takes enormous courage to live with infertility, to be brave. The women I know who have walked that road are beautiful and tough. No matter if they conceived and delivered a healthy children, adopted, or chose to remain childless - they’re women of valor, women to be admired.

I hope one day to be able to join their ranks – I’m still a mess, y’all. Seriously. But even still, we’ve been able to minister in ways we wouldn’t have been able to if we hadn’t walked this road. I don’t ascribe to the theology that our infertility exists so that we could have had those opportunities. Instead, I hold to the belief that rare wildflowers can grow in the desert.

So as we approach Mother’s Day, I ask for grace. As we honor the mothers, honor too the empty wombs, the ones who have lost, the ones who wait. Honor the women – married and single – who have walked unusual roads and discovered unique riches.

Show mercy to the poor in spirit, offer kindness to the travelers of lonely roads. Use your faith to buoy, rather than shame, those who struggle.

Most importantly, pray for the wildflowers to reveal themselves.



A Table by the Window Recipe Contest!

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You guys, I am super excited about this.....


A Couple Notes...

1. The winning recipe will appear in Reservations for Two, which takes place largely in Portland, during the months of June, July, and August.

2. You may submit up to two recipes per entry.

3. You may submit an adapted recipe that you've made your own, but do include the original source (i.e. if the original recipe came from La Tartine Gourmand, let us know).

4. Don't forget - the winner also receives a $50 gift card to Sur La Table, one of my very favorite gourmet shops. If you don't have a store near you, the card can also be redeemed online. I am particularly enamored with their spatulas - they have a wide variety of colors and designs. Personally, I'm eyeing the one with the bumblebees, but there's also one with ladybugs that's seriously adorable.

Good luck and have fun!






A little light housekeeping...

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...is what I'm doing now that I've finished Reservations for Two. In fact, after the massive amount of relief of having it off my plate for a short time, the next reality set in really fast: I had a lot of other things to catch up on.




Heidi Toth's Strawberry Ice Cream
First: the recipe contest! Delighted to announce that Heidi Toth and her recipe for Strawberry Ice Cream will be featured in Reservations for Two (in case you're curious, the ice cream-making sequence will be added during the revision stage, along with several other sequences, I'm sure).

I highly recommend stopping by her blog for the recipe for yourself, which is both delicious and wholly charming.

It was SUPER, SUPER hard to choose, because I was blown away with the number of very good recipes. Hats off, you guys!


Second: by the time I came out of my writing hobbit hole, it was summer. And truly, it was surreal. All of a sudden I was walking through the grocery store (a big deal in and of itself), looking at fresh produce, and slowly realizing that yes, we were in the midst of Good Produce Season, because it was now summer.

Nectarines! They're here!

Which...isn't a bad way to go. If you're going to have a Rip Van Winkle awakening, do it when the weather is good and the fruit is tasty.

Wildflower near our townhouse

Third: I've been back to work settling into our townhouse, a process started when we moved in last fall, which has continued in fits and starts as my schedule has allowed.

I've moved things around in my kitchen, which means I can now access my mixing bowls without drama, and there's a space for my liquid measuring cups.

Bookcase!


We are also now the proud owners of a bookcase in the dining room, so now ther's a place for my cookbooks that's not behind a locked china cabinet door (which sounds like it shouldn't be an issue, but was actually a pain in the hiney).

And yes, I did organize my cookbooks by color. There was some soul-searching involved there, because usually I'm a little more practical about such things. But because our downstairs is so long, narrow, and undivided, organizing the cookbooks helped the dining area to look a bit more organized.

Fourth: I've been able to get creative in the kitchen again! My favorite recent project was a plate of grilled eggplant topped with yogurt-tahini sauce and spiced, toasted chickpeas, with Greek-style lamb meatballs on the side.


The scent of the lamb meatballs in the oven was indescribably amazing. I'd originally hoped to grill the meatballs, but in the move our grilling tools went AWOL, and the meatballs were so wet they kinda began to sink through the grate.

So oven it was.

Fifth, because the weather's nice, it was time to do something pretty in the yard! I love flowers but gardening and working in the ground has never (ever) been my thing. This hanging petunia is pretty much perfect for us!


And sixth - working on the third book, Table for Two! I loved the way Reservations for Two ended, which left me excited about all of the things coming up in Table for Two. There are so many twists coming up!

That's it for me - what are you up to now that it's summer? Share in the comments what recipes you're thinking of and projects you're planning!



Adventures with Cherries!

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I picked up a pound of gorgeous Rainier cherries not very long ago at the grocery store, but I didn't know what I wanted to do with them.


I considered making a tart, or baking them into a buckle, but frankly these sounded more labor-intensive than I was willing to go for as yet.

So the cherries remained. I pitted them, photographed them, and set them back in my fridge.

As I was browsing Pinterest I saw a Cherry & Ricotta Crostini pin which sparked my interest. I mean - it's fruit and toast with spreadable cheese, what could go wrong?



Lemon Thyme


I did pin the pin, but I wasn't interested in that recipe as much as my own interpretation. At the grocery store I picked up a baguette and some ricotta, but I also wanted an herb, so I sniffed the lemon thyme before tossing it into my cart.

Mascarpone + Spoon










Also, I had an untouched tub of mascarpone in my fridge and a fresh lemon. So this afternoon I set out a totally scientific experiment (and by totally scientific I mean hardly scientific at all) to discover which combination I liked better.









I sliced and set the bread to toast first, which was silly - in the future, seriously, mix the cheese spread first. Into each bowl of cheese I stirred honey (about 1 tablespoon), lemon zest (1 tsp), and a pinch salt.


I tasted, adjusted the flavors - the mascarpone needed more sweet and my honey was starting to sputter, so I put in about a half teaspoon of sugar - and then set to work to make these:


Aren't they pretty? So from right to left, there's the mascarpone, the ricotta, the mascarpone with thyme, the ricotta with thyme, and I just buttered the last slice and called it a "control" for the sake of science.

This is all for the sake of science.

And then because it was lunchtime, I ate them all. And then made up a second of the winner to photograph...

...and then ate that too. Are you ready? The winner is -


This was SO GOOD, YOU GUYS. As in, if you make this soon, you won't regret it. The hot toasted bread with the creamy lemony cheese with the fresh herbs and the juicy cherries - so, so good. The ricotta was good too, and if you have some already lurking around, go ahead and use it. For me, though, the creaminess of of the mascarpone took it from delicious to swoony. 

Give it a try and tell me what you think! If you tweaked the recipe, what would you do?



Q&A Tuesday with Becky Wade + Giveaway!

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Delighted to have Becky Wade on the blog today! I've enjoyed getting to know Becky over the last couple months, partly because of her books, and partly because, well  you'll figure it out when you get there. And stay tuned for the giveaway below!

 Hillary Lodge: Thanks for joining in on the blog today, Becky! Share with us about your most recent release, Meant to be Mine.

Becky Wade:Meant to Be Mine is a secret baby story. Yay! I've been wanting to write one for a long time.

Ty and Celia marry in a Las Vegas wedding chapel after a whirlwind romance. He
realizes the next morning that he's made a mistake. They part ways. The story picks up more than five years later, when Ty tracks Celia down in search of a divorce. He discovers that he  they  have a child he knew nothing about.

Like all my books, Meant to Be Mine is a wry, modern (hopefully heartwarming) love story with a faith story woven through.



HL: In Meant to Be Mine, Celia dreams of owning a pastry shop. What inspired her love for baking?

BW: My love for pastry. Unlike Celia, I'm not a very good cook or baker. Even so, I have a tremendous sweet tooth. My sisters and husband make fun of me because I'm always willing to splurge on desserts. My thinking goes something like, "We had frozen yogurt a whole hour ago. I think enough time has passed to treat ourselves to cookies!" or "Oh! A bakery! I’m suddenly hungry for a scone."

HL: I cannot relate to the at all. At. All. (Brushes crumbs off self.) What was your favorite part of Ty and Celia's journey?

BW: Something painful happens to Ty more than a third of the way into the story. My favorite part: the conversation he has with Celia afterward, when he realizes that she brings him calm and peace.

HL: Most of your books have some sort of sports element - bull riding, horse racing, hockey. What elements of professional sports to you feel you're drawn to?

BW: In general, I'm drawn to larger than life characters. In all my books, one of my characters is larger than life. Matt (from My Stubborn Heart) was a great pro hockey player. Meg (from Undeniably Yours) was an heiress who inherited a mind-boggling fortune. Ty (from Meant to Be Mine) was a famous bull rider. The manuscript I'll be starting this fall will star a pro football player.

I'm fascinated by people who are different in extraordinary ways. I'm interested in giving those people challenges and flaws and discovering how they handle them. Plus, it's fun for me as a writer to live in the shoes of someone who is amazingly talented, or famous, or wealthy. It's enjoyable to 'be them' in my imagination.

Athletes are especially attractive to me, and not just because of their fitness or
physical abilities (though those two things don't hurt). To become one of the best in the world at a sport you have to possess uncommon drive, focus, and competitiveness. Athletes are disciplined. They're willing to push their bodies through pain and I'm somewhat in awe of that.

HL: You've written for both the General and Christian markets. Other than the inclusion of faith elements in CBA, what other differences have you observed?

BW: Regarding CBA books: They're more likely to be set in small town America. Many of the novels are for an older reader. Many feature Amish characters. Many have a sort of slow sweetness to them, whereas ABA books (even straight romances without suspense) tend to be more fast-paced. The characters in CBA tend to be less flawed. Contemporary romance and speculative romance are both a smaller part of the market in the CBA than the ABA.

Regarding CBA publishers: I've only worked with one ABA publisher and one CBA publisher. I've found Bethany House to be very nurturing and supportive of their authors. When I first signed with Bethany, they flew me to their headquarters to meet the staff face-to-face!

HL: Let's chat writing process - what time of day do you write?

BW: I most like to write in the mid-morning when my kids are in school. The house is quiet and organized and I can concentrate! Creatively, late afternoon is also a good time for me. Typically, though, I'm carting my kids around town in the afternoon, which isn't ever-so-conducive to penning novels.

HL: What aspect of the publishing process do you find the most challenging?

BW: Writing the first one hundred pages of a new book. Even though I've done all kinds of character work by the time I begin Chapter One, I'm still getting to know each character's point of view for the first one hundred pages and so we feel a bit like strangers.

HL: What do you find the most rewarding?

BW: The writing of the final few chapters. By then, I'm completely immersed in the characters and their emotions. The stakes are high. Their love for each other is heady.

HL: Rumor has it your next book features Jake Porter. What can you tell readers about his story?

BW: My next book, A Love Like Ours, does indeed feature Jake Porter. (For those who haven't read my Porter books, Jake is a former Marine who struggles with PTSD. He's also a Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.)

A Love Like Ours begins when Lyndie James, the best friend of Jake's childhood, moves back to town. She's just as brave and optimistic as she ever was. Her way with horses is unchanged and so Jake hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds.

Like a lot of my readers, I'm a sucker for a wounded, brooding hero. Jake is definitely that and I did my best to squeeze every drop of angst and drama and love out of him that I could.

HL: SO. Let's chat dogs. My readers on this blog are very familiar with my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Shiloh. Can you share about your Cavy?

BW: I adore sharing about my Cavy! His name is Sam and he's a four year old male Tri-Color. He's unbelievably sweet, mellow, obedient, and affectionate. Before Sam, we'd only owned cats. My kids begged for a dog for years and my husband and I finally relented. Since I knew I'd be the dog's main caregiver, I figured I might as well get the kind of dog I wanted, so I got a Cavalier.

The kids are crazy about Sam, but to my surprise, I'm the one who loves him the most. He's my company and my writing companion and the one I cuddle with when I'm watching TV.

HL: He's adorable! I think Sam has more of a snout than Shiloh. I love the shot of Sam on the bed  I've seen Shiloh with that pose and expression often!

Thanks for stopping by, Becky, and for sharing photos of Sam!

~ Leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of Meant to Be Mine! Just mention your favorite baked good in the text of your comment. ~


Becky makes her home in Dallas, Texas with her husband, three children, and one adoring (and adored) cavalier spaniel. Her CBA debut, My Stubborn Heart, was a finalist in both the RITA and INSPY awards. Undeniably Yours kicked off her Texas-set Porter Family series and has received Inspirational Reader's Choice and Carol nominations. Her newest contemporary romance, Meant to Be Mine, released in May. To connect with Becky via social media and find out more about her books, visit beckywade.com.



Happy Anniversary, Us - Part VII

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Leaving the wedding, 7/7/07
Seven years and seven days ago, I married my best friend.

Every previous year for our anniversary, I've written my annual essay about love and marriage. This year, however, we mixed it up - Danny and I took a vacation.

It's been an eventful year, to say the least. And after that year, it became very clear that we needed a break. Danny was tired, and I'd reached a level of anxious twitchiness that wasn't doing anybody any good.

So we booked a B&B, made ferry reservations, and planned our vacation to Victoria, B.C. This was a big deal - we haven't taken a real vacation, one that lasted for longer than two days, with a location not chosen by work, for four years.

It was time.



We read and snoozed our way through the ferry ride...

View from the ferry

...before arriving at our bed & breakfast. Which was not ideal, to the point that we made reservations at the Marriott at 11pm that evening and checked out the next morning. Sometimes, you have to course correct. We did, and carried on.

Monday morning we drove west along the coast, stopping at French Beach to explore and walk near the water. We enjoyed the light breeze, calm waves, and shimmering pyrite in the sand. Danny particularly enjoyed the opportunity to climb rocks.

Danny atop rocks at French Beach

While we were out, the clouds parted and we had nothing but sunshine for the rest of the trip - both literally and figuratively. We even extended our trip by a day, giving us extra time to explore and relax.

My favorite meal and dessert (though enjoyed at two separate times) came from 10 Acre, which boasts fresh produce from its 10 acre farm. I had the tagliatelle with wild mushrooms and seasonal vegetables with roast chicken, which had the perfect ratio of veggies to chicken to pasta. And their loganberry pie still makes me happy, just thinking about it.

Loganberry Pie, with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream

I need to figure out how to recreate the recipe! What was amazing was how contained the filling remained inside the lattice pastry. The square of chocolate was gilding the lily - I didn't eat it, didn't need it.

Craigdarroch Castle

We explored the Craigdarroch Castle, which we found fascinating not only for the woodwork and design, but because we discovered the architect, Warren Heywood Williams, was a Portland-based architect. When Danny looked him up later, we discovered that he also designed Villard and Deady Halls at the University of Oregon, as well as Portland's Calvary Presbyterian Church, known locally as "The Old Church."

We enjoyed the Parliament Building during the day as well as at night, in particular a secluded rose garden that few of the tourists seemed to find.

Parliament Building, from the west side

Miniature roses
Parliament Building at night

And we visited the Butchart Gardens twice. Fun fact: after you pay the large entrance fee the first time, you can return the first day for free, or the second day for, like, $3 per person. So the first day, we enjoyed afternoon tea and a bright daylight walk, then returned the following evening at twilight to enjoy the the softer light, followed by the evening lights.

Waiting for tea, Danny had fun with his phone.
All in all, it was a really lovely time to slow down, enjoy each other, and laugh together. It's been a busy year, and when the stress crowds in, laughter can be one of the first casualties. So slowing down and enjoying gelato in the gardens, the lights at night, or taking in the views from the top of the Craigdarroch - all much needed.

Waterlily at the Butchart Gardens

Rose archway at the Butchart Gardens

The cove at the Butchart Gardens

We had a lovely time, and I'm so glad we stayed the extra day. If that past seven years have been any indication, this next year will be eventful - we haven't managed a quiet year once. But I hope we'll laugh through it together. 

Yeah...I'll probably send this out with our Christmas cards.

Preferably, with cake.

Once more - for the parents.

Shiloh Friday

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Because it's Friday, because I got a couple particularly hilarious shots of Shiloh this week, and because I wrote this guest blog involving Strawberry Basil Hand Pies (so, so, so good), today is "Let's look at cute puppy pictures" day.


This. I love everything about this. The expression, the tuft of hair on top of his head - kills me, every time.



This is Shiloh upon his return to the house (he stayed with my parents while we were out). He made a couple happy loops around the living room before flopping onto his back for a belly rub.



You'll have to imagine the snoring that accompanied this one.



He doesn't actually sleep all of the time.



Though I know that's hard to believe.



Shiloh and his tongue, his favorite method of greeting. 



Shiloh of the flowing ears...



 See? Not sleeping...yet.

Have a great weekend! Let me know if you decide to give the hand pies a try!


Birthday Giveaway!

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Because it's my birthday, because I got to go see the awesome Tuileries Garden Exhibit at the Portland Art Museum on Saturday, because Saint Cupcake is again open for business, and because I want you to have nice things, there's a giveaway on the blog today!


The Prize: One signed copy of A Table by the Window, and one super adorable booklet of Paris-themed post-it notes.


 Note: cupcake for staging purposes only. Very soon, it shall no longer be with us.


Just kidding. It's all gone.

To enter: Please leave your name and a fascimile of your email in your comment, as well as your favorite thing to eat on your birthday. Winner will be chosen at random.

Best of luck! Off to celebrate with Danny.


Kindle vs. Overdrive vs. Oyster - an E-reader Roundup

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Shiloh the Cavalier King Charles with Book, by Hillary Manton Lodge
He's an accomplished reader, Shiloh.

I don't know that I've mentioned this on the blog or not, but I'm a complete e-book convert, and have been ever since we left Eugene.

When we moved, packed the books I couldn't live without and hauled them with me to Portland, to Memphis, to the corporate apartment in Richland. I got to reunite with my full library once we moved into the Richland house, but by then we'd been moving and traveling for nearly a full year.

By then, the full practicality of the ebook had set in. I loved having a library on my phone, a book that lit itself, a volume I couldn't lose my place in.

Once we settled in Richland, I got a library card and tried my hand at library downloads. I swapped between the library and Kindle books, sometimes buying books I'd gotten through the library loan because I'd highlighted so many things (Anna Quindlen's Still Life in Breadcrumbs). Between the lack of late fees and the end of hunting down stray library volumes, library ebooks found their place in rotation.

But I still bumped up against the limits of the two - sometimes libraries wouldn't have anything I was interested in, but didn't want to spend the money for a Kindle book as fast as I could read.

Enter Oyster.

And technically, enter Kindle Unlimited. Priced the same, same concept - a library of books to choose from with a single monthly fee. No wait times, no check outs, no expiration dates.

Since the price for both is roughly the same as the average Kindle book, I figured if I got two solid reads out of it per month, a book subscription service would make sense. So I checked out the offerings.

While things may improve, the Kindle Unlimited selection is thin. I looked up authors I enjoyed, and they were either missing or only containing volumes I'd already purchased.

Oyster on the other hand had a wider range of books I'd recognized and meant to read over the years - but hadn't. So - now that I'm using three fairly different reading apparatuses, here are my thoughts - 



Kindle:

Kindle App Screen
Simple to navigate, thoughtful design, and lots of features. You can organize your books into collections, search within books, bookmark, highlight, and look up unfamiliar words.

It's simple to move books in and out of your carousel, though getting a book permanently off requires some work on Amazon.

Really, it's the slickest of the three, and it makes sense why - you're paying for the content. Sure, you can stick to the free and discounted books, but otherwise it can add up quickly.

But if you're dying to read Rainbow Rowell's latest? Kindle is there for you.




Overdrive:

Overdrive App Screen
There's a lot to like about library ebooks. First, it's free. Secondly, the catalog changes, and thirdly, you'll also find audiobooks.

So that's fun. It also includes many of the same features as Kindle, such as the ability to highlight text and change the page layout. And while most libraries put limits on the amount of books checked out, you do have the option of returning books early to make room for more.

The downside is that sometimes the library selection can be spotty, or you'll find yourself waiting an age for something that's new and popular.

Also, the app itself is occasionally buggy. Sometimes it'll forget which book you're reading, or start over in the same spot repeatedly, never mind where you actually left off.

But - it's free. So as long as you take the time to look through the catalog and get yourself on the right waiting lists, you'll have a long (but not too long) list of books to choose from.


Oyster:

Oyster App Screen
Don't get me wrong, there are major changes that need to happen. First, the search is clunky. If you're using "Paris" as a search term, there's no way to differentiate between title, author, or subject. 

Also, if you're searching through books for a while, there's no good way to get back to the original screen other than to page back several times.

Books you've been reading are kept in a separate list from the books to your Booklist pile, but there's no way to remove a book. So if you start it and hate it, you still have to look at the cover until it gets bumped far enough down the timeline.

In their promotions, Oyster talks a lot about its aesthetic appeal. And it's true - the navigation pages as well as the reader itself are all very nice to look at - colorful and crisp. But navigating within the book is clunky - you can skip from chapter to chapter, but you can't search for text within the book, or for a specific location or page number.

All of those issues aside, I'm still using it. The catalogue is varied with a nice selection of popular and literary fiction, as well as a number of non-fiction volumes. I admit I haven't explored them much, but I have been impressed with the number of cookbooks I've seen.

I reasoned that it was worth the subscription if I read two solid books a month, and so far I'm averaging three or four.

Overall? I'm using Oyster a lot, and enjoyed using it to read The Hundred-Foot Journey (QUITE different from the film, but certainly worth the read). The library is nice but takes more work, although I'm on the wait list for Gone Girl. And I'm mainly using Kindle to read previously purchased titles, but as soon as the new Susanna Kearsley comes out, you can be sure I'll be glued to it for a few days!


Cavalier King Charles Spaniel sleeping book
Shiloh, at rest. On my book.


What about you? What's your favorite method of reading? Do you prefer paper or electronic versions?

Kitchen Questions: Getting Comfortable Cooking with Meats

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Last week I had the pleasure of chatting with Sarah Varland, author of Treasure Point Secrets. The conversation ranged over all the things (Sarah's super easy to talk to) before it turned to the kitchen. Sarah mentioned that she struggled with preparing meats. Either she worried that they were underdone, or cooked them until they'd turned to leather. 

I totally understood because as much as I enjoy eating meat, I reeeeeaaaaaally don't like preparing it.

How much? Let's see. I've never cooked chicken that I've not worried about it
having gone bad. Pork is probably the easiest for me, but I'm often at sea with most cuts of beef because I cook it so infrequently.

But over the years as I've continued to cook, I've picked up a few tricks to help prepare meats that are both safe and tasty.

1. A meat thermometer! I can't live without one. Danny gave me a digital one for Christmas (because he knows me), and I've used it often. You'll want to get a read from the center of the thickest portion, and most thermometers come with a sheath that will tell you the safe temperatures for a wide variety of meats, poultry, and seafood.



2. Use a slow-cooker. The long-cooking method will ensure that your meat will be both done and tender. One of my favorite recipes right now is this one from TheKitchn - pork shoulder is a fairly inexpensive cut, you wind up with a lot of meat, and it's very hands-off.

Also, it's extremely versatile. You can make tacos, or eat it over black beans topped with shredded cabbage, chopped radishes, salsa, and avocados. You could add barbeque sauce and make a really delicious sandwich with it. Did I mention you can freeze it in portions? So many options.

3.) Even out the width. Chicken breasts, in particular, can be a pain because of their uneven width - half of it can wind up dry, the other half underdone, and none of it appetizing. To make it easier, you could place the cut between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound it flat with a meat mallet or a household hammer. This is also a great way to get the most servings out of your chicken! Another, faster method is to simply cut the chicken in half laterally, with the thin side on one and the thick on the other. The thick cuts will take longer, of course, but at least they'll be even.

4. Make it small. With small portions of meat - like kabobs or meatballs - it takes very little time to cook through. With kabobs, by the time the meat browns, they're usually done just fine. And, if you use a metal skewer, the heat from the metal will help it cook from the inside too.


Meatballs are fun to make by hand too, even though the rolling part is a time investment. Whether you brown them on the stove first or simply bake them, they cook up quickly and evenly, and the binding ingredients help prevent them from drying out. I'd still take a quick read with the meat thermometer at the end, just to be sure. Meatballs are another great item to prepare and freeze for later.

5.) Have fun with it. True story: to get through the process of dressing a chicken, I narrate the whole process in my best Julia Child voice. It takes the edge off, and we get a roast chicken in the end!

6.) Freeze it. If you're not sure when you're going to cook up the meat, throw it straight in the freezer until you're ready for it. Thaw it in warm water or in a microwave before cooking unless you're planning to cook it in liquid - if that's the case, just add more cooking time and go for it. That way, you'll spend less time worrying if your meat's too far gone.

Those are my tips - what are yours? Do you have any Kitchen Questions you'd like answered? Be sure to leave a comment!




Q&A Friday with Betsy St. Amant + Giveaway!

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All's Fair in Love and Cupcakes Betsy St. Amant Zondervan

So excited to have Betsy St. Amant on the blog today! I knew I wanted to have her stop by when I first heard about her latest release, All's Fair in Love and Cupcakes  but was even more delighted to get to meet her at the ACFW conference this last week. Note: she wore really terrific, sparkly shoes to the gala!


Hillary Lodge: Thanks for joining in on the blog! Share with us about your inspiration for the book. 


Betsy St. Amant: The inspiration was simply…cupcakes! I personally love cupcakes  prefer them on my birthday to a real cake! There was a time recently when my sister and I would frequent a local cupcake gallery here in town, and treat ourselves after a bad day (or bad days!). It turned into a background theme for my next story. And besides, who doesn’t love cupcakes? Seemed like a recipe for fun!

Hillary Lodge: I love that it grew out of your sister time! Tell us about Kat - how did she start baking? 

     Betsy St. Amant: Kat grew up baking. She just always felt at home in the kitchen, and found her niche there. She even contributed baked goods to fundraiser for local charities or missions. That was how she served her church and others, through baking. Cupcakes became her favorite because that was the opportunity she was given through her great aunt’s shop. She began experimenting with different fun, outrageous flavors, and got addicted. Unfortunately, she was limited in opportunities to show the world  or even her hometown  what she could do, because of her aunt’s shop rules.

Hillary Lodge: You’ve set the story in Bayou Bend, Lousiana. What does Kat like about it? What are the challenges? 

Saint Cupcake CupcakesBetsy St. Amant: Kat doesn’t like a whole lot about Bayou Bend at the beginning of the story. She needs a perspective change, as most of us do at times. She saw Bayou Bend as the place where she was a misfit, where everyone had their place but her. She wanted to break out and show the world what she could do through her baking, but at the same time, feared having to prove herself. While Bayou Bend was stifling, it was also safe. Too safe, perhaps.

     Hillary Lodge: Tell us about Lucas. How did he and Kat meet? How have they managed to stay in friend territory for so long? 

     Betsy St. Amant: Kat and Lucas have been friends since before high school. They managed to stay in friend territory for so long because of both valuing the friendship so deeply and because of being afraid to risk it for the attempt at more. Also, Kat was involved in a serious relationship for years that kept Lucas at bay in that regard. Yet her heart was always drawn to him, whether she was willing to admit it or not!

 

Champagne CupcakesHillary Lodge: That's so sweet! What element of the story do you love the most? 

Betsy St. Amant: I think my favorite part is the best friends to lovers theme. I think the best love stories start on the foundation of friendship. Most happy marriages today seem to start with the same opening line “We were best friends first!” I wanted to explore that for Lucas and Kat.

Hillary Lodge: I love that! Now - let’s talk cupcakes! What cake/frosting flavor combination is your favorite? 

Betsy St. Amant: Oh, that’s such a hard question! No fair! When it comes down to the basics, I prefer vanilla over chocolate. When it comes to more gourmet flavors, I love anything cheesecake or pumpkin or strawberry or citrus. My mom makes a pink lemonade cupcake that is fabulous! Growing up for my birthdays, I always enjoyed the box mix of “Funfetti” cake, where there were sprinkles of color baked into the actual batter. The more colors and sprinkles, the better!

Hillary Lodge: If you could visit one cupcake bakery anywhere in the country, which one would you choose? 

Betsy St. Amant: Georgetown Cupcakes in Washington, from the show, DC Cupcakes with the two sister chefs. Such a fun show, and their cakes look delicious!

Hillary Lodge: Tell us about your writing process. What do you do when you get stuck? 

red velvet cupcake
Betsy St. Amant: Ummm, I eat cupcakes, of course!  No, seriously, I try to do something to obtain some endorphins, like exercise or take a walk. Or I might read a fiction book for fun to jumpstart my creativity and back off that pressure that I put on myself to create. And there is usually a Starbucks white chocolate mocha involved somewhere in that process!

Hillary Lodge: What do you enjoy most about publishing? What do you find most challenging?  

Betsy St. Amant: I think the best part about publishing is the relationship I get to build with my editorial and marketing team. They are just SO fun and I love them all to death. Getting to celebrate each new release or new contract is such a joy. Perhaps the most challenging part about being a published author is finding the time to write and write well. I’m the single mom to a six-year-old girl, work full time outside of my writing, and also freelance for my local newspaper and list hostess for the ACFW writer’s group. I am never, ever, EVER bored!  But writing is my passion and I can’t imagine NOT making it work somehow. God always provides what I need when I need it, be it financially or creatively or emotionally or mentally or spiritually.

Hillary Lodge: Tell us about your next project! What’s next for you? 

candied banana cupcakes


Betsy St. Amant: Next is the sequel to All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes, titled Love Arrives in Pieces, and is set for an early summer 2015 release. It’s Kat’s sister’s story, Stella, and will be a doozy!  And of course, Kat and Lucas will make many appearances in the next book, with a few surprises of their own.

Hillary Lodge: That sounds great, Betsy! Thanks for stopping by the blog!

Betsy St. Amant has a heart for three things – chocolate, new shoes and sharing the amazing news of God’s grace through her novels. She lives in Louisiana with her adorable story-telling young daughter, a collection of Austen novels, and an impressive stash of Pickle Pringles. A freelance journalist and fiction author, Betsy is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and is multi-published in Contemporary Romance. Her ninth Love Inspired novel released in January 2014, while her first romance with Zondervan Publishers comes out September 2014. When she’s not reading, writing, or singing along to the Tangled soundtrack with her daughter, Betsy enjoys inspirational speaking and teaching on the craft of writing, and can usually be found somewhere in the vicinity of a white-chocolate mocha.

Enter to win a copy of All's Fair in Love and Cupcakes for your very own below!Rafflecopter giveaway 


  


What I've Learned about Writing from Project Runway

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Project Runway's 13th season wrapped last week - and I was glued. Even more glued that usual. And I started to think about all the reasons why I love the show.

I mean, the fashion can be great- and hilariously awful - but what I think I love is watching the creative process happen on screen. And if you're looking, there are all kinds of parallels for writers. Here are some of the ones I notice most often -



1. Not everybody will get you.

I'm always amazed how much disparity there can be between the looks the judges love and the looks the other designers love. Different people will see different things in any piece of creativity, and will be looking for different things as well. So while there's value in receiving critique and input, don't expect everyone to share your vision.


2. You have the power to Make It Work.

Tim's "Make It Work" is, of course, legendary.  But what I love about it is that your power to make it work is implied. It's your vision. Not only are you capable of making it work, but it's your responsibility to see it through.


3. Sometimes you have to start over.

Sometimes your vision just doesn't pan out, for one big reason for a dozen tiny ones. So having the wisdom to know when to scrap it is a good place to be.


4. Edgy is not a word to aim for.

So many people throw the word "edgy" around that it's lost any relevance. Is it supposed to mean that it's dark? Progressive? Subversive? I suppose it's accurate if your story is set on a cliff, but otherwise choose a description with more heft. Better yet, commit to your story and vision without worrying about being perceived as cool.


5. Execution is important.

Seems, sentences, hems and chapter endings - these are things worth getting right. A lot of small details make a huge difference in the final product.


6. Voice is even more important.

Voice is hard. I don't think you can teach it so much as find it and learn to trust it. Voice requires a strong sense of self, and a fearlessness to do things differently.


7. Editing matters.

Voice without editing will come out as noise, at worst, and merely cluttered at best. What I really loved about watching Season 13 was the importance of editing among the designers. Sandhya Garg had a very specific voice and point of view - there was no denying that she had plenty to say. But as the show filmed, it became clear that she hadn't yet learned to take criticism or self-edit.

In contrast, Amanda Valentine listened to her critiques - and then parsed through what ideas and feedback would be utilized.

I hope we see more of Sandhya, I really do. But I was devastated when Amanda didn't win, because I have so much respect for her process and creativity.


8. Focus on your own work.

The designers who spend more time on their own garments and less time creating drama with their peers? Yeah, they do better. Don't let jealousy or insecurity distract you from your work. Neither emotion will make you better at finishing a zipper or completing a chapter.

That's all I've got for now, though I may think of more during the upcoming season of All Stars. I'm super excited for the All Stars, partly because I'm very interested in a number of the returning designers. But ALSO excited because author Allison Pittman and I will be recapping the season together! So check back Saturday Monday - the first installment will be right here! Come for the fashion commentary, stay for the snark.

And...just because it was one of the major moments of the season, here's the Rainway Show, for your enjoyment -



What did you think about the last season of Project Runway? Are you planning to tune into All Stars? Did you forget to DVR the first episode like I did? Sound off in the comments below!

Project Runway All Stars: Made in Manhattan, the Recap

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Project Runway All Stars Season 4
Welcome Readers!! I'm so excited for you to join Allison Pittman and I in our enjoyment, conversation, and critique of Project Runway All Stars, Season 4.

This is new ground for both Allison and me - the recapping, not the watching. We're veteran viewers, and we've got thoughts. That said, here are the ground rules:

1. Everybody is up for discussion. This includes Host Alyssa Milano, judges Isaac Mizrahi and Georgina Chapman, as well as the Randomly Chosen Guest Judge (seriously - do they use the button bag? Discuss).

2. Designers will be judged regarding their past work, as well as the current season.

3. Awkward reaction shots will be encouraged.

4. The snark shall be reasoned and tempered with kindness.

Allison here…  5. We will choose our accessories wisely and thoughtfully.


LOL - let's get started!

This, the premier episode, hits the ground with boots on. Truly - the episode zips along in a fast-paced hour. We begin with Alexandria, whose pants from Season 12 remained burned into my brain, and not in a good way.

I don’t know what it is about her, but I feel like if there’s ever a season of “American Horror Story: Fashion Show” she would be a character. I find her equally fascinating and frightening.

Alexandria von Bromssen Project Runway
Also, the show warms us that there be language ahead! Which...means that hopefully all of the necessary bits will be covered up in the workroom and the runway. Sometimes, you know, that doesn't quite happen.

Next up we've got Justin, who's mostly memorable for being hearing impaired. His clothes never did very much for me, but maybe he'll surprise us this go-round.

I always liked  his clothing, except for one really “naked” piece. I remember loving the fact that he could just turn off his hearing aid and make all the chatter disappear.

Justin LeBlanc Project Runway

There's Helen Castillo, whose nameplate zipped by before I could get a shot.

Helen Castillo Project Runway

She's still young, she's still intense, and she's not excited to see Alexandria. Fair enough.

She also has my favorite tattoo, ever.

Which one? The scissors?

The scissors going through her neck. I always have to pause and look at it for a minute

Chris is next, sharing about what he's done since Season 4.

Chris March Project Runway
This is my guy! I love Chris March, mostly because he looks like every other guy I see at the little restaurant where I just picked up breakfast tacos. But, I also like when PR has one or two, let’s say, experienced designers who have carved out a career in fashion. They seem to understand the work that is involved, not pepper all of their conversations with “my point-of-view” and “my aesthetic.”

Jay from Season 7, I don't remember the way I wish I did. I think he was good? I think his later work was underwhelming? Somebody, refresh my memory.

Nothing to refresh. He’ll be consistently safe while they whittle away at the weaker designer. Jay is fodder.

Jay Sario Project Runway All Stars

And then there's Kate.

Kate Pankoke Project Runway All Stars

Yeah, I know Kate. You're back. You've been removed from two seasons and you're still back for more. The producers are really into the pageant-adjacent dresses? Or did they need a requisite ginger? I don't know.


Project Runway All Stars Samantha Black recap

Sorry Samantha. I don't remember you, but I admire your yellow blouse. She mentions she never got out of the Team Challenges bit of Season 11 (Team Challenge Season = BAD IDEA), so maybe that's it? The structure of that season made it difficult to differentiate individuals in general and their clothes in particular.

Samantha is sassy fodder.

I can appreciate the sassy.

Benjamin March Project Runway All Stars

Benjamin! I don't remember much except that I think I liked his clothes? Season 11 wasn't that long ago, but I'm going to blame Book Brain.

I remember Benjamin! Really, really liked him, so I hope he does well. I’m excited to see several second chances for those who were victims of the team challenge season.

Patricia Michaels Project Runway All Stars

This isn't the most flattering shot of Patricia, but 1.) it's the shot with her nameplate, and 2.) it shows her deep in explanation, which...is Patricia. I know she's controversial, but I'm a fan of her work when she's at her best. I love the way she thinks, and I really want her to be friends with my cousin, Melissa Darby.

Fabio Costa Project Runway All Stars

Fabio emerges next, and I detect middle child syndrome? He stands with Helen and Alexandria, ready to serve as a be-skirted buffer if need be. During his intro, he reminds us that he was runner up to Dmitry, and that losing sucked.

Gunnar Deatherage Project Runway All Stars

Gunnar is...still Gunnar. He punctuated a statement with a SPOKEN comma, which killed me. But, you know, points if we get a spoken semi-colon out of him.

Sonjia Williams Project Runway All Stars

Last up! Sonjia! I think I liked her clothes? I liked the way Tim Gunn said her name? She's fearless when it comes to lipstick (there's blue later on).

Ah, I remember her! Such a fresh voice, I really wanted to see her go to the final runway, and hated the fact that she went home on a look that Heidi called “stunning.” That green dress. Loved.

The designers gather to meet with host Alyssa Milano at Union Station. And Alyssa, whose highlights we'll discuss momentarily, announces in Project Runway form that there's a surprise! Past winners Dmitry and Michelle will be joining us!

Two of my favorites!But, like some of the contestants, I’m a little divided about whether or not they should be able to compete at this level. We’ve had enough seasons, now, to do a full on Championship series. Or, bring past winners in to lead actual teams through competition.

Dmitry Sholokhov Project Runway All Stars

I am thrilled (though it wasn't a secret if you'd read any of the promo materials for the show), though Fabio was not.

And Michelle?

Michelle Lesniak Project Runway All Stars

She's from Portland. She's fearless, she's classy, she does a KILLER impersonation of Nina Garcia, she clawed her way to a win in Season 11 - yeah. I'm a fan.

“Clawed” -- is right. Always such a stand-out in her group. However comma she does sport my least favorite tattoos in the large, black circles.

It’s a very Portland tattoo.

Project Runway All Stars Helen Castillo Kate Pankoke Chris March Sonjia Williams Fabio Costa Benjamin March
Sonjia is heavenly as she listens to Alyssa explain the first week's challenge.

The designers will be broken into two groups - men and women. One will design for the Uptown Manhattan woman, the other will design for the Downtown Manhattan woman. The budget is $1,500 per team, divided at the discretion of the group. No leaders, no twists.

Project Runway All Stars Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Milano is Significantly Pregnant, which should mean that she should be given good things. You know, a good wardrobe, and good highlights. These highlights? They're circa 2003. They're the highlights my friend Liz and I tried to create in the bathroom at my parents' house (hint: dismal failure and an emergency trip for a box of brown haircolor to cover the peach patches and zebra stripes).

She is so very pregnant. I’m thinking we need to bring Sean and his dye-packs back, in case her water breaks on the runway.

Dmitry Sholokhov Project Runway All Stars

Dmitry, in this fantastic shot (my phone just caught the instant the frame changed, but I kinda love it. Very LOTR), is tasked with choosing what color he prefers from the subway token. The token is flipped, Dmitry chooses to design for the Downtown Woman on behalf of the men. The women get the Uptown woman, to the disappointment of Samantha in particular.

This picture deserves its own theme music.

There's discussion… translation
Kate: Hey, you know what I think? Girls? Girls! Hey, you know what-- I think...girls?
Melissa: So, if nobody has any other ideas, let’s go.
Kate: Hey, so...girls...

HA! I love how they’re all turned away from her. Nobody’s listening Kate, stop talking.

Once they stop talking and admiring Samantha's pattered pants, they sketch and conceptualize their looks.

You know what I would love to see? I think it would be cool to have a split-screen shot at runway time, showing the initial sketch next to the finished product. I find this whole process so fascinating--I really don’t get how their brains work to bring the sketches to life.

I agree! It would highlight the fact that it’s supposed to be a design show (supposed to be).
Michelle Lesniak Project Runway All Stars sketch Episode 1
The men do likewise, arguing over what is and isn't Downtown, and what is and isn't a cliche. Chris and Benjamin aren't making friends.

And then off to Mood!
Lots of frantic running…

Kate: Follow me!
Nobody follows Kate.
...and Patricia shows us her sketch. She isn't making her own textile, but there are some interesting details. Enough that I'm waiting for her to change directions in the workroom and begin to make her own textile.

The men pick their fabrics...

...and everyone finishes choosing, rings up, and wishes farewell to a tuckered Swatch.

Project Runway All Stars Mood Swatch
Back at the workroom, we have the first bit of drama: one of Fabrio's fabrics didn't make it back from Mood. He doesn't know what happened, but decides to carry on.
Yada yada critiques and stuff and Zanna Roberts is FINE but she's not Tim and she's not Joanna Coles (whom EW writer Stephan Lee likened to a pterodactyl, not unfairly, and who frequently asked designers how a woman might wear a bra with a potential design. These things matter).

Skip to the Runway!!

Alyssa Milano deserves better, y'all. This look is not good. A high-necked, sleeveless shift is no friend to the curvy woman, and this one is not only doing her no favors, but showing her support garment beneath.

One word, Show Stylists: be kind to her and give her sleeves. They can be small sleeves. Sleeves and a v-neck and you'll be nominated for sainthood.

One of my greatest challenges this week was explaining to my Mikey why Alyssa Milano is the host of this show.

There’s no reason known to mankind. None.

Here's Georgina, whose dress we'll see more of shortly (hint: it's molting).

Here's Isaac, who's considered "iconic," which I think is code for "made famous by his long-running Target line."

Isaac: Hello, darlings.

Here's another shot of Alyssa's dress doing her no favors. And that necklace? I swear to you the stylist thinks that necklace is helping draw attention away from her pregnant belly. Note to stylist: stop.

The wall was not used thoughtfully.
IT WAS NOT.

And this week's guest judge - Ivanka Trump! I'm actually in favor of this choice - she's smart, savvy, and crazy stylish (see here and here for pertinent highlights).

The designers wait in anticipation…
Another great picture, with the essence of Gunnar floating above their head

And Michelle kicks off!

I know the detail on these photos aren't great, but feel free to go to the internet for more pics. However...this is Michelle...so there's a closeup.


It's super cute, well-cut - I wish the model were wearing a bra? I don't care if they're flat chested, bras matter. I really liked this one, too, and was surprised at the judge’s negative feedback.

Whither the Patricia detail? There was the glimmer of an idea here, but it didn't happen in the way that it could.
I have never been a Patricia fan, even when she does well. I understand artist and craftsman mentality, but this is a mess.

Sonjia's - it was fine. I wouldn't write a poem about it. The fabric was shimmery and cool. 

That last bit sounds like a poem, actually. Like, if William Carlos Williams wrote fashion commentary.

Samantha's I liked from afar, until I saw the bust -

You know? I don't care if they're flat, you shouldn't disrespect a model's boobs.

There is so much, so wrong. It’s like a toothless muppet mouth.

Allison, your similes are soothing the loss of Michael Kors as a judge.


Alexandria's ensemble I would have been able to pick out as hers from a police lineup of misbehaving fashion.
And the back is pretty naked.

Helen's looks fine from afar -

- but the nude fabric looked cheap up close. Also: nipples.


I hate Kate's. With a burning passion.

I hate the seashell bust. It looks cheap and cheesy, ill-fitting, and not unlike something that would have been worn for one by one of Don Draper's Female Companions for Hire.

I kept thinking of the older sister in Dirty Dancing--in that final number.


Chris's grunge kilt - I get where he's going, but it doesn't mean I want to be there. Also, I hated the fit of the bralette/corset top and the line of the belt below. The whole skirt just sat wrong for me.

Disagree here...and not just because I loves me some Chris March. I love the waist of the skirt--the whole nod to tying the flannel shirt around the waist. With the tights and the boots, I think he used the accessory wall thoughtfully. Also, for him, this is very understated. I believe we will see Fabio wearing this next week.

Maybe it the top were better fitted or higher? I do appreciate the idea of the tied shirt.

I think he would have been better off whipping up a cute, simple t-shirt.

I think you're right. 

Justin's was...fine. He liked it.
But the back of the shorts couldn't have looked any cheaper.

Jay's look had some visual interest to it, but the whole harness thing has been at fashion week for the last few seasons (Jason Wu and Tom Ford are the shows that come to mind).

I have never worn a harness.

I have, but I went down a zipline shortly after.

I was relieved when the next dress came down. It's Gunnar's with another Exploration of Midriff, but at least the juxtaposition with the tweedy plaid made it more interesting.

I always like the high-waisted midriff. I thought this was adorable, actually.

Benjamin's dress floated down the runway. he'd been criticized by both his team as well as Zanna that his original design wasn't downtown enough. He listened, chopping off a good portion of the right side. The asymmetry works really nicely.

And the back - 

I loved this dress. And then, his whole explanation about the flat circle...Geometry stuff...

And then Fabio's jumpsuit came through. It was beautifully cut (not that you can tell from this shot), but I really didn't care for the pink tie. It created a visual break nearish to her lady parts, which I didn't consider a great idea.

Maybe if it had been shorter? Or a sash?

Is that her belly button peeking through? I didn’t notice that on the show.

I looked closer - I don’t think it’s navel, I think it’s a bit of motion blur with the pink against the black. But I was very frightened for a moment.

The back was really gorgeous, though.

Here's Dmitry's dress, which, for me, was the very worst of the bunch altogether.


That is a horror. That's a black dress with a braided collar thingy made from Baba Yaga's yarn stash. I have another shot but I'm going to shield y'all.

Ack! I liked this one, too. Maybe for the sheer gutsiness of having a skirt length parallel to the sleeve length. I wondered, though, about leaving the dress with the plunging neckline, and turning the Baba Yaga around to have it as a collar in the front, and a detail in the back.

I think we’re going to have to respectfully and lovingly agree to disagree, here.

I’ll admit to being blinded by my love of Dmitry.



Alyssa is not a fan of the Sexy Baba Yaga Halloween costume. But all told, the men win the challenge, the ladies lose. Members of Team Safety this week are Alexandria, Dmitry, Gunnar, Helen, Jay, Justin, Sam, and Sonjia.

Because the men won, that put Bejamin, Chris, and Fabio in the top, with Kate, Michelle, and Patricia in the bottom. The models marched out for the judges critique -

On the winning/chopping block but safe:

Michelle's dress, which divided the judges. Ivanka liked it, while Isaac didn't care for the green fabric in the back.


Michelle, always game, covered it up for his benefit. I think Georgina was perplexed by the fabric, a perforated bovine suede. Alyssa thought the fabric looked like a car seat (to which Michelle fanned her face, see above, and pointing out that those would be very expensive car seats).

But she's safe, THOUGH JUST BARELY, as Alyssa intoned, trying and failing for Heidi's German severity. 

Yeah, what was with that? “just barely…” How could that be if one of the judges clearly liked the garment?

Also safe: Chris March, who was both loved and critiqued by the judges for some of the same reasons that I couldn't with his outfit.  

See? We were meant to blog together!

Kate: who's dress showed a lack of taste and fit.

Benjamin: whose dress was much admired. Georgina called it "much considered," which would carry more weight if she hadn't had a hand in this.

The winner: Fabio, for the beloved jumpsuit, which Ivanka promises she'll wear (and unlike other guest judges who promise to wear garments, I suspect Ivanka has a stronger sense of follow-through). 

And, I think it’s a safe bet that, although she critiqued with “I want this on my body,” it’s a safe bet we won’t see it on Alyssa any time soon.

Especially since I'm not convinced of the practicality of jumpsuits for expectant women. Either way, Fabio is delighted.

The not-winner: I can't call her a loser, because I like Patricia too much. She's her own person, Patricia. But I can't fault the judges because of Dart-gate:


You can't tell, but I'm physically recoiling. But she's certainly capable of better, and I'm sad we couldn't have seen her at her best at least once.

Cindy-lou Who boobs.


Also, I'm going to put Georgina's dress in the not-winner category:


The swathes of netting were not good. Not even her perfect, patrician bone structure can sell that.


Isaac agrees. And while I have no beef with Alyssa Milano personally, I'm just not sure this job is a great fit for her. But you know who would be?

I mean, she's poised, articulate, has flawless fashion sense and even better stage presence. She's got the gravitas that Alyssa lacks but Heidi manages, against the odds, because of the German thing.

Truly, Ivanka could host anything and make it classy. Storage Wars. Toddlers and Tiaras. Looking at her makes me feel happy; listening to her makes me feel smart.

In so many ways, All Stars feels like the awkward, perfunctory version of Project Runway, designed to give Mondo a chance to triumph on national television. But four seasons in, the growing pains are evident. I think switching hosts might help, as well as integrating some of the better PR policies, like having the judges actually see the garments up close before making decisions.

What did you think of the episode? Share in the comments below - and make sure to stop by next Monday to find out if Gunnar said something catty, if Kate designs something twee, or if Georgina judges wearing something overly netted, overly fringed, or otherwise ill-considered.

All in all? With this group of designers, I think we're in for a great ride.


Project Runway All Stars: The Art of Construction, the Recap (Epiosde 4.2)

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Hey, everybody! Allison Pittman here, and so excited to get to take the lead on the post about the first unconventional challenge. It’s not only a favorite of mine, but a fan favorite, according to Alyssa—it’s like she’s in my head.

We open with a shot of street construction, and the designers pounding on a giant roller door, which opens to reveal, according to Benjamin, a “massive vacuous warehouse.” But, this isn’t any ol’ vacuous warehouse. It’s Skylight at Moynihan Station. Someday, this will be a cutting edge fashion show venue. Right now it’s a hot mess of building supplies and nervous construction workers.
Jay and Sam both won their season’s unconventional challenge. OK. Helen and Kate were the sombrero dress dream team. So it’s Unconventional All Stars within Project Runway All Stars.

The designers are told they can take anything in the warehouse back with them to the work room. Shot to construction workers, followed by Jay launching into a song that includes lyrics about a “work bus.” I don’t know what that means, but if Michelle is worried about losing a finger, those workers seem to be worried about losing so much more.



contruction workers.jpg


Anyhoo, craziness ensues, as our fearless designers throw caution, manners, and hard hats to the floor and wheel-barrow over each other in a race to get the most of the masculine materials in order to create the most feminine of dresses. Not surprisingly, Alexandria von Bromssen (a name that doesn’t sound at all like a good choice for an unforgiving, cruel matron in a secluded Victorian girls’ school) is unapologetic for her reckless pursuit of goods.


“Hey this is Project Runway All Stars. This isn’t kiddie camp.” And she should know, because she runs a children’s fashion camp. Camp Couture. Let’s just hold on that image a little longer. Alexandria von Bromssen’s fashion camp for children. So much black.


Hillary: I’m always taken about when her Camp Couture comes up. The internet informs me that part of the Camp Couture offerings include Birthday Parties. Alexandria: always the festive choice for your special day.

dmitry cat shirt.jpg


Let’s pause for just a moment to reflect on two of my favorite garments and accessories of the episode. I mean, of course, Dmitry’s cat t-shirt, and Bens tiny-scissors pin, which kind of looks like a Hunger Games Mockingjay.





Hillary: I do enjoy them both, the scissor pin in particular. Is there a ceremonial whistle for fallen designers?

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Before we continue, I’d like to give an honorable mention to the criminal genius who dressed the exceedingly pregnant Alyssa Milano in a denim jumpsuit. Well played, you sly sartorialist. She does indeed look like a couture teletubby. Carry on.


In the workroom, Kate is making (shocker!) a wedding dress; Benjamin and Justin are working with similar fabrics and quite possibly similar concepts. Jay tears into some blue tarp—literally, shredding it in a way to make a “blue feathery thing.” Gunnar declares the noise of this action to be the most obnoxious sound he’s ever heard, which I find hard to believe, unless Gunnar is immune to the sound of his own voice.


Hillary: I am without comment.


Michelle and Sonjia launch into a fabulous Tina Turner routine in honor of Michelle’s chevron-patterned dress, and Chris looks ready to go all Ike on Dmitry for stealing his bungee-boob dress idea.


Zanna comes in for critique, and we learn that she loves a corset and hates mummies, trash bags, and those curtains that separate a room in a cheap bar. Now I officially want to hang out with Zanna. People are knitting, people are quilting, people are ignoring the CAUTION warning on their yellow dresses.


Favorite exchange:
Zanna: Aren’t you worried it’s a bit “sporty?” (pronounced “spoh-ty”)
Michelle: I’m a bit (pause) “spoh-ty.”


Hillary: My girl-crush on Michelle continues. Will Michelle ever worry about any of her pieces being too sporty? No. She will not.


Work, work, work. Hair. Make-up. Accessories?

alyssa cupcake.jpg
On the runway, Alyssa comes out looking like she’s wearing every doily your grandmother ever created, then molded around a ginormous lampshade and plopped over her head. Really, I appreciate the fruitful beauty of a pregnant woman, but this is even too much of La Mess for Lamaze. Hillary, I echo your plea for a stylist intervention. Elizabella Dylan deserves better.


Hillary: For the uninitiated, Elizabella Dylan is the moniker given to the bun in Alyssa’s oven. Alyssa’s dress - somewhere, her stylist is clinking a champagne glass over a job well done and an (apparent) revenge completed. This goes beyond “can’t dress a pregnant woman,” oh no. Someone decided she should pay.


The judges:
Georgina is wearing another bird dress. Are we sensing a theme? Alyssa is nesting, and Georgina’s the nest?


Hillary: I got “festive yeti” from Georgina’s dress. I’m not convinced it was “considered.” But I am prepared to accept your nest metaphor.


Iconic Isaac says, “Hello kids,” oblivious to the fact that Alexandria von Brossem has declared this not to be a kiddie camp.


Hillary: And never mind they’re all of voting age. Isaac wears me out.


Our first two guest judges have simply become pop culture phenomena, according to our pop-n-fresh host. “From the Jersey Shore to the Red Carpets of Hollywood, both have taken their popularity and turned them into major brands.” Um, OK. They have their show names and their real names and I refuse to give over any of my brain cells to faithfully recording them here, so we’re just going to go with Snoocole and Jennywow.

elie jwow.jpg


And, while I’m sure we’ll never see this exact moment, I’m pretty sure when Elie Tahari settled down in his little judge’s chair, he looked to his left and wondered just what fashion gods he’d offended to bring him to this unholy place where his opinion is valued less than that of two girls known for pantiless puking. Stay tuned: we might see him get his revenge by designing Alyssa’s dress next week.


Hillary: Oh Elie, you are the kindest, the most gracious, and the most long-suffering. There was never a moment when Snoocole and Jennywow were talking and it wasn’t a complete embarrassment for everyone involved. P.S. Alyssa needs feathers, don't you think?


The Runway…


Along with the usual self-congratulatory gushing, a few phrases stand out: Geisha warrior. Perfect. The Hard; The Soft. It doesn’t look like tarp. Absolutely adorable. Supercool and futuristic. Walking like Beyonce. Chains are slappin’ the floor.


Benjamin and Sonjia are guarded, with Benjamin saying, “I feel like my chances could be good,” and Sonjia just “hoping that I’m safe.” Those attitudes will never win blue ribbons at Alexandria von Brossem’s Couture Camp, kids.


However we cannot ignore the fact that Chris and Dmitry sent down nearly identical dresses. Dmitry’s dress literally fell apart, causing him to mutter “Butt cheek,” as said cheek earned its cellulite-free close-up on national television.


Hillary: I’m going to dispute this. Dmitry sent down a dress that, yes, had some left cheek hanging out, but the whole dress was made of rope and actually looked quite cool.


(In all senses, I suppose, because: breeze).


Chris’s dress - he made a top and a suggestion of a skirt. Literally - it suggested the idea of a skirt. Never mind Dmitry’s accidental exploration of Left Cheek, if it weren’t for the model’s tights, Chris’s look would have been breezier still.


Allison: True, but Chris’ breeziness was intentional. I admit, I like Chris’ look more for an avant garde challenge, rather than “feminine.” And, I did like Dmitry’s dress--very happy he was “safe” and that the judge’s didn’t penalize him for the malfunction.


In a fun twist, Chris chose to express his disappointment with his final look by saying he was “bummed out.”

Turns out he should be, because his look lands him on the bottom (see? See what happened there?), along with Michelle and Alexandria von Bromssen. I have declared Michelle’s dress too boring to warrant a photograph. 

chriss dress.jpg


alexandrias dress.jpg
Hillary: Michelle made stripes. It wasn’t her most ambitious work, and frankly something black and fringey at the bottom might have helped. But I rather liked her chevron dress, and it didn’t deserve a slot at the bottom.







Allison: I don’t think it deserved the bottom, either. It was miles better than Sonjia’s Caution Tape dress. Michelle should have been perfectly safe.


On the top are Kate (who, according to Isaac, used the back of what tiles are on to make a soufflé? Hillary, you must explain this to me…).


Hillary: I...just...no. But Snoocole wants to wear it, so clearly into the wastebin it must go.


Elie doesn’t like it, but what does he know? He probably won’t even be invited to Snoocole’s wedding.


Hillary: Pity, that.


justins dress.jpg

Justin, who has created perfection despite the boob fat.

jay nailed it.jpgAnd Jay, who made a fabulous garbage bag dress. Alyssa loves the necklace, and I’m terrified she’s going to wear it sometime, bend over, and little Elizabella Dylan will be transported from a cozy uterus to some medieval torture device.



Hillary: I love when Georgina declared the tarp looked not like tarp, but of “lacquered tweed.”


There’s a lot of mixed reviews, so the judges have a lot to talk about. During the conversation, we get a beautiful reminder of why Thanksgiving Dinners come with kiddie tables, where Uncle Isaac and Auntie Georgiana pretended to be interested in lil’ J-Wow and Snookie’s school projects.

jwow tacky.jpg
oh you jersey girs.jpg

justin thinking.jpg
Finally, justice comes to Project Runway as Justin wins his first challenge. Ever. And I think we all join him in saying, “Finally.” Here you can see that he, too, is picturing Jennifer Lawrence wearing his dress, and tripping on the Red Carpet.
Hillary: Why was everyone fixated on Jennifer tripping in his dress? In her defense, she tripped in a HUGE, floor-length pink Dior that ought to have been hemmed. I think she’d be safe in Justin’s dress.


And, in a stunning move nobody saw coming, especially since she clearly said she intended to win the competition, Alexandria is sent home. That’s right. Alexandria von Bromssen is now free to resume her role as counselor at Camp Couture. Hold your babies a little tighter, because I’m pretty sure she’s bringing that cage of a dress with her.


Hillary: Auf wiedersehen, Alexandria. Be kind to the little children, and do not lead them to the ways of the tarp.

That's it for this week! You can find last week's installment here, if you missed it or want to indulge in the goodness all over again. What do you think next week will bring? I'm going on a limb and saying "Kate's going to make another dress, and it'll probably be white." Check back in Monday for next week's recap!

Project Runway All Stars: Something Wicked This Way Comes (Episode 4.3)

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Hello Designer-Watchers, Hillary here! This week's Project Runway All Stars opens with the designers walking/skipping down Broadway towards their latest challenge.


They stop at the Gershwin theater, and their excitement grows once they figure out that that whatever they're doing has a link to Wicked. 

Allison here: just chiming in to say this is a much better fit for the show than last season’s Red Robin tie-in.

Agreed!



The designers walk onstage, which is all lit up with the smoke machine running at full blast. Benjamin is content to play in the smoke, but soon enough the designers lift their eyes to the heavens in time to see Alyssa Milano descending from above.

In a cutaway interview, Kate shares her thoughts on the sight of Alyssa's descent via bubble. "What could be better?" She asks.

I don't know. Puppies? Cake? L'il Sebastian? Here's something on topic - IDINAMENZEL?

But sure, teacher's pet Kate. You can go with Alyssa for now.

We are going to loop back to the producer's a.) lack of imagination and/or b.) lack of ability to make things happen, but first we're going to discuss the crown jewel of Alyssa Milano's Hosting Wardrobe.

LAVENDER. DOILY. TENT. When I saw it for the first time, I gasped and recoiled. No joke. And the length is terrible.

Not to mention, it’s just not a dress to be viewed from below. She is a one-woman lollipop guild.

She introduces the show's current stars, Christine Dwyer and Jenni Barber, who get to explain the Challenge of the Week. Inspired by Susan Hilferty's Tony-winning designs, the designers are paired into face-off teams.


One designer will create a "Good" gown, the other a "Wicked" gown, and these assignments will be chosen via the Sorting Hat!


So who's doing what?

There's Fabio and Justin, With Fabio tackling Good and Justin designing Evil.

I was in love with this pairing, especially since Fabio had such a Justin fan-boy moment last week.

Dmitry is not concerned. "Obviously he's going to lose the challenge to me," he informs the camera. "There's not even a question about that." 

He’s only saying what we’re all thinking.


Kate's determined to tap into her "naughty side," which is not something I'm terribly interested in seeing televised.

Jay doesn't really want to face off against Samantha. Glinda is not impressed. 

Because, like so many in the audience, she has no idea who these people are.

And as if the producers were listening to something, they've paired my favorite (Michelle) with Allison's favorite (Chris).  

And I knew, right then...this would not end well.


And we wrap with Helen and Benjamin.

Alyssa assigns them to sketch before their trip to Mood, where they'll have $250 to spend on a couture look. They'll have two days to work on it - both of these numbers are low, for what they're asking for. But the winning design will be displayed at the theater, which has the designers filled with delight. 

This - this is where I had a bit of a conundrum with the show’s challenge. Displayed, to me, means that you want something more dramatic. If it’s not going to be worn. I dunno, maybe I’m still just in denial.

The designers zip through Mood. Michelle comes in 21 cents over budget, Gunnar is happy to spot her. Back at the workroom, everyone works in proximity to their competition. Gunnar talks about himself in third person, Dmitry asks who Gunnar is (I love Dmitry - every time I record his lines, it sounds made up).

Zanna comes in, says nothing of note, and departs. Tim Gunn replacement she is not.

On to the runway!

Alyssa walks out wearing a.) the largest peplum I've ever seen, and b.) maybe the best outfit we've seen? 

Yes, to both. It’s time to put the baby-doll dresses away, until the actual baby-doll arrives. I thought this looked quite nice. Still, a bit shiny.

And surprise! It's pants! 

Personally, I think she initially intended to wear the blue as a dress, but smarter heads prevailed...

Not super, but compared to Doily Tent, it's a revelation. She introduces the judges, explaining that Georgina Chapman is very sorry she's unable to join them that day. Really? She made it through Jersey Shore week but couldn't clear her schedule for Broadway week?

Huh. I'm blaming a combination of PTSD and poor timing.

Isaac waggles his fingers at the "kids."

And Betsey Johnson's arrived to play.

Really. She's here to play. Honestly, though, she's delightfully nuts.

And the random judge of the week is Modern Family's Ariel Winter.

Now, I have no beef with Ariel, but this choice is...baffling. If you're a producer, and you've got a Broadway challenge, can't you find a Broadway star somewhere willing to sit in the chair and offer thoughts on fast-track couture? 

The last Broadway challenge, back in Season 1, featured Sutton Foster. So if you've got a Wicked themed challenge, couldn't they - just spitballing here - call up Idina Menzel? How about Kristin Chenoweth? Or Neil Patrick Harris, or Lea Michelle, or BERNADETTE PETERS - basically, I'd have a long list of people I'd go through before landing on sweet little Ariel.

First face off! Gunnar and Dmitry. Gunnar loved his dress, though it was shortish, which could have been fixed if he'd used the accessories wall more carefully (the model stomped down the runway in some seriously tall white platforms). 

Gunnar’s dress was terrible.

Dmitry's dress, as Michelle accurately noted, was very true to his Ballroom background (oh yes, Dmitry was a competitive ballroom dancer, because he's committed to being the best character presented by the franchise). It moved nicely down the runway but that slit was approaching Black Box territory. Runway highlight: Dmitry whispering "Work it" while nodding toward his model like a stage mom.

He's my favorite Belarusian ever.


I liked Helen's original sketch, but I don't think the ruffle detail - ten yards of silk organza, did for her what she needed it to do for her. Maybe if the ruffles were longer and had more flow? I actually rather liked Benjamin's dress, and the back looked nice.


Sonjia worked smart. She chose a fabric - that lace - that already had a lot of interest to it, and simply created a design that highlighted it. Considering the time constraint, it gave her a lot of look for the time provided.

Kate's look...how do you make something that looks both overwrought and "meh" at the same time? She managed. 

Even her naughty side is boring.

So true.

Michelle's gown...well, the model didn't love it. Clearly. It's quite plain from the front and the styling is BAD. Michelle loves it. I love Michelle. I'm not a fan of the dress.

The back is better? 

No.

I...yeah. Hm.


Chris's dress is...not ideal. It looks like a Halloween costume. The hair looks like Halloween hair. I know he's supposed to be Wicked but I'm not feeling it for couture. A lot of work went into the ruffles but it still looks cheap. 

I do not understand this at all. It seemed like self-sabatoge. I think he never fully recovered from having to explain nipple coverage to Snooki.

And that's fair, really. I was definitely getting the feeling that he was over being one of the "kids."

The models are not amused.

Nope. Still not amused.

Fabio - so his original plan was to do pants because he figured no one else would. It's an amusing choice, since he spent most of his season in a skirt, but certainly bold.  I had a hard time getting a shot of the abstract floral pants in the back, but they exist. As it comes down the runway he says he could see Tilda Swinton in it, but I find the look less Tilda-y and more reminiscent of Emma Watson's Golden Globes ensemble. The front is well cut, but I think the Couture Pants could have been executed differently.

Justin's dress moved fine, but I wasn't a fan of the bust detail. Otherwise, not notable.


Jay went with pants too, with a side of Bust Fringe. Samantha's last minute dress actually looks quite nice, though I'm still not sure what exactly is going on with that hem.

Benjamin, Gunnar, Justin, Kate, and Michelle are safe and dismissed to the Room of Stress.


High Score: Dmitry

Of course he beat Gunnar. The judges thought that maybe it didn't look wicked enough? Isaac thought it needed more skin, though where that was supposed to happen AND be appropriate for basic cable, I am not sure. Betsy thought it floated, and demonstrated.

The judges managed to praise it and talk themselves out of it all at the same time.

In Jeopardy: Helen

Here's a closer look at some of the detail work. There are some good ideas and fibers here.

But the execution...

Betsy points out the ruffles could function not just as an armrest but as a drink cooler. Props to the model for resting her arm as requested, but still making it look like a fashion pose.

High Score: Sonjia

So smart with the fabric. 

And, I love Sonjia’s dress--as a dress. But for a display? To me, it lacks standing drama.

Legs.

The cutaway back looked chic, and the judges praised the skirt. I found the skirt underwhelming, but I'm wondering if it looked better in person than film.

In Jeopardy: Chris

Oh Chris. 

See? He knows. He knows...I think he and Georgina had this planned right after Snooki-gate. They were like, Hey! Blow off the next challenge and we’ll spend the night drinking. Trying to forget.

I mean...it's not ideal. (Also - you can see the pants on Fabio's model in this shot)

High Score: Samantha 

Which totally, totally shocked me. I thought this looked terrible, cheap, unfinished, tacky...

I think the sequins carry this one. Samantha scrapped Dress A and sent this, Dress B, down the runway. The judges thought it looked raw and loved it (unlike the days they find things "unfinished" and hate it). And again, I didn't get the hem. Isaac found the back overlooked, but Ariel liked it, not that anybody cared.

In Jeopardy: Fabio


He got a lot of near-eye-rolling from pant-wearing Alyssa Milano over his pants. Here's the back:

I mean...it was apron-adjacent, but the neck was high enough in the front that I didn't find it "kitchen-y" the way Ariel did. I mean, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, but I don't wear white shiny aprons because I'm not an idiot.

SO MUCH SUSPENSE.
The Winner: Sonjia! 

Yay!!


Good on her. I agree, her look was the strongest. It was outside of her style comfort-zone, but I think she's smart with good taste, so this could give her some momentum in the competition.


No Longer With Us: Chris 

(sadness…)

I'm so sorry, Allison. But at least there was a terrific group hug send-off!


Overall: this week was kind of a weak filler episode, which is lame considering BROADWAY. Next week, however? Marie Claire Fashion Director Nina Garcia will be with us! And she's ready to argue with Isaac.

I can't wait.

What did you think? Will Nina have any patience with Kate? Will Gunnar continue to speak to himself in third person? Will we ever see Dmitry twirl??

Missed an installment? Read last week's post here.

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