Bored by Dance

Ok, I'm never actually bored by dance.  But I caught an episode of Paula Abdul's "Live to Dance" show On Demand, and wow oh wow is it bad.  Some of the acts look so under-rehearsed, ill-prepared, and sloppy they'd never make it past the first round of SYTYCD.  And even some of the talented acts come off as overly competition-oriented (shiny, sparkly, cheesy).

That being said (and despite their costumes), I kind of dig this group "Twitch" from Florida:

And this sweet ballet duo from San Francisco called "White Tree Fine Art":

Yes, the red Christo-meets-Cirque-du-Soleil thing is distracting and stupid, but if you can get past that, the dancing is quite lovely.  (Click here for the HD version that CBS won't let me embed.)

Have you seen "Live to Dance"?  What do you think?

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Oh, it's on bitches.

Glee + Jon Hamm + Tina Fey + Joel McHale?  And Springsteen?  Awesome.

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Living Room Eclectic (on TV!)

Just caught Secrets From a Stylist, the new show from Emily Henderson of Design Star and the Brass Petal blog, and I have to say that I adore the living room she designed.  Of course, she had a gorgeous space to work with -- I'd take those built-in bookcases to dinner, buy them roses, and take them home to meet my mom -- but her eclectic, warm, and quirky style totally makes the room.  (I will even excuse her for that god-awful set of antlers mounted to the bookshelf.  And you know how I feel about animal heads and antlers.)

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Emily's design gives me much-needed courage to try out some of my crazy ideas for our living room.  I mean, if she can make "FDR chic," "British mod," and "Backpacker" work together so beautifully, I might have a chance of melding mid-century modern, rustic, and chinoiserie, right?  (Then again, I have neither a hot carpenter, an industrious seamstress, nor a team of painters who don't seem at all pissed off to have to paint and repaint the bookshelves over and over again.)

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Anyhoo, I'm just curious: if you had to pick three terms to describe your design aesthetic or style, what would they be?

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Own a piece of Sterling Cooper

Forget the Don Draper doll.  What I want is Don Draper's credenza.

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And if I had the resources to outbid all the rabid fans of Mad Men on eBay, I can have it.  For charity, a number of items from the defunct offices of Sterling Cooper are on auction.

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Here are the items I have my eye on:

• A gold three-headed lamp from Lane's office
• The aforementioned credenza from Don's office
• Joan Holloway's green dress from the Christmas party episode (it's all fun and games until someone gets run over by a tractor)
• The sofa from Don's office (it's supported Don Draper's butt, amongst other things, for many a season)

My birthday is in May.  Please start bidding and send the goods over to my place when you win.

Remember, it's for charity.  And me.

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Have a gleeful Sunday!

A brilliant Lea Michele, the entire cast of "Glee," Michelle Obama rocking out (slightly offbeat) in the front row . . . what could be better?

Except "Glee" returning on Tuesday, of course!

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Am I too old to play with dolls?

I hope not, because I need these.

Image Source: NY Times

According to the New York Times, these "Mad Men" Barbie dolls are coming out in July.  I could do without the male dolls -- is it just me, or does Roger Sterling look like an overly shoulder-padded Jay Manuel? -- but Barbie Joan Holloway, with her sassy bouffant, must come home with me.

Image Source: BarbieCollector.com

She's going to share shelf space with my Hitchcock "The Birds" Barbie.  (Yes, it came with the birds attached -- brilliant.)  I think Joanie and Tippi are going to love each other's fashion sense.

And if Barbie Betty Draper wants to take a break from her sad life of dependence and ennui to come along too, I'm sure the other ladies can show her a thing or two.

Image Source: BarbieCollector.com

Tippi's getting a bit lonely anyway, since her only companion at this point is my "Legally Blonde" Barbie.*

Yikes.  I think I'm oversharing at this point.  I'm coming across as a deranged, pathetic creature who collects dolls. You're thinking: "You start out with a few Barbies, and next thing you know you're pushing a pram down Centre Street cooing to a 'reborn baby.'"

Yeah, I'm a bit scared myself.  So let's make a deal: if I start blogging about my love for Precious Moments figurines or Madame Alexander dolls, you have the right duty to stage an intervention.

Until then, admit it: you want a Barbie Joan Holloway of your own, don't you? And yes, Jezebel, I will be on the lookout for a mini Martini glass and cigarette holder for her.


* I should clarify that I did not purchase my Elle Woods Barbie.  It was a charming little gag gift from the attorney I was working for the summer after my first year of law school.  

Because I used to carry Jellyby around in a bag.  

Before she -- and I -- decided that it was undignified.

Shikes.  I think I just embarrassed myself even more.

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Runway on the Cheap

I just finished watching the trainwreck that was this week's episode of Project Runway.  Spastastic Ping, with her "oh shoooz!" and her loopy Statue of Liberty toga dress, got auf'd. I'm going to miss her special Asian brand of crazy.  

Single tear.

Anyhoo, in honor of this week's challenge, in which the designers have to design a high-end signature look and an affordable derivation of another team's signature look, I thought I'd pull together a few low-budget versions of previous Project Runway looks.

Image Sources: NY Mag and ModCloth

Modcloth's "Leanne" skirt is reminiscent of the designer's Bryant Park collection.  But much more affordable at $49.99.

Image Sources: My Lifetime and Forever 21

Forever 21's summery little number reminds me of a sad-sack version of Amy's genius burlap dress, with its handkerchief-like layers.

Image Sources: NY Mag and Forever 21

At first blush, this indigo Forever 21 skirt has nothing to do with Irina's severe knits collection, but the overlapping flounces of the skirt echoes Irina's armor-inspired piece.

Image Sources: Examiner and Modcloth

This is a bit meta, since Jesus's and Amy's MC Hammer does the Twenties look is "derived" from Ping and Jesses's buddhist monk dress.  The Modcloth dress takes the best part of the four designers' design -- the noir lace -- and leaves out the zaniness of J&A's harem pants and P&J's toga.

Have any of the Project Runway creations inspired you when shopping, whether in a store or in your closet? 

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Making It Work on Etsy

Project Runway's back! Back in New York. Back at the original Mood. Back at Atlas. Hooray!

If only it were back on Bravo . . . .

In honor of its return, I thought I'd pick out a few of my favorite Etsy items from past and current Project Runway designers.

Alison Dahl

Back in Season 3, I was convinced that Alison Kelly would make it to Bryant Park. Alas, she was auf'd during the recycling challenge (remember when they used to have awesome challenges like that?). This sweet little number totally captures the clean, slightly quirky yet tailored look I adored from her challenges.

Carol Hannah Whitfield

Project Runway Season 6 was a total yawner (poor Tim Gunn -- I still think he had his famous hissy fit out of sheer boredom), but Carol Hannah's designs, while not Christian Siriano-quality, are adorable and quite wearable. The berry-colored dress has a Leanne Marshall vibe to it. And since Leanne's shop is empty except for custom orders, Carol Hannah's might be the place to go for the drapey and flowy things for now.

Louise Black

Louise Black was also on Season Snooze 6. Her Victorian Gothic/Steampunk aesthetic is intriguing to look at, but where am I going to wear a corset with a skeleton cameo? That said, I do think this LBD would be a fab outfit for cocktails with Miss Havisham or a night out with Dorian Grey. Very fin-de-siecle chic.

Janeane Marie

And then there's this season . . . Janeane Marie has already achieved notoriety on season 7 by weeping her way through the entire first challenge. From the looks of her Etsy collection, though, she seems capable of producing some lovely, well-finished dresses when she's not in tears. I wasn't wowed by the LBD she created during the first challenge, but I would rock any of the dresses in her Etsy store.

Any of these items or those from other talented Etsy designers catch your eye?

Happy shopping! Happy watching!

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