Le Tour de France, Project Runway and a Pork Shoulder

Yesterday's stage of Le Tour de France was full of surprises and quite fun, and I hope you had a chance to catch Wednesday's hilly stage because that one was exciting. We have a final hill/mountain stage coming up tomorrow before the ride into Paris and the final sprint on Sunday when it all wraps up. Since I have Peacock again on my equipment, I set up the tablet and worked at the computer at the shop while watching Le Tour, then switched to The Open golf tournament. Finally, toward the latter portion of the afternoon, I did a bit of searching and found Season 20 of Project Runway! Yippee!! I've started watching that and it's SO MUCH FUN. 

Tomorrow we'll have some pretty decent mountains again, 
but today is a lot of up and down terrain. Hilly - but not 
super steep. A challenge nonetheless because the boys 
are tired and their legs are tired. Tomorrow's stage will 
be true mountains for one last shot before Paris. 

On Season 20 they invited specific previous participants from the prior 19 seasons to compete one more time. Not all seasons are represented. Some, such as Season 1, have more than one person in the current competition. The judges are the same - Nina Garcia, Elaine Welteroth and Brandon Maxwell, and Christian Seriano is once again the mentor. This is going to be great, and since it already aired, I can binge on episodes, skip commercials, and pause when needed. Perfect! I'm diving back into fashion and divas and couldn't be more pleased. 

The twelve designers invited back for a second try at 
Project Runway are a varied bunch from Season 1 
through Season 18. Christian Seriano's roommate from 
Season 5 is one of those who were invited to participate. 
It's a great mix of people, many of whom have been 
quite successful in fashion since their appearance on 
the show the first time. 

DH attempted to use the invoice I designed for him, and got all frustrated with it. I growled at him because he has the patience of a gnat, and told him I'd write him a set of directions today, so that's one more thing I have to add to my day. I'll also be busy in the kitchen - I have a bunch of food I bought on Wednesday that needs to be made into something, then either frozen or used within a reasonable time. DH bought a pork shoulder roast yesterday. Apparently he loved the last time I cooked it so much, he wants it again on Sunday. I'll have to find that recipe again today so that I'm sure I have all of the ingredients on hand for the marinade. I also have to make my next four portions of Ogre Juice. I've already warned DH that I'll have to use one night next week (probably Friday) to make my Ogre Juice for the coming week. With Chickie leaving for Montana on Sunday, I will be solo at the shop for a week plus a couple of days, and won't be home to work in the kitchen. Thus - the cooking spree. 

I cooked one of these earlier this year and it was 
fantastic. I'm looking forward to cooking it again. It 
was easy and extremely tasty and turned out beautifully. 

So, I'm off to the pool again. Since it was storming on Wednesday, I had to push everything out by a day, and I need my third day in the pool. I hope you have a wonderful Friday, enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Olympic Opening Ceremonies and a New Dish Drainer

So what's with the Olympic "flame"? There isn't any cauldron or rush of flame this time. Instead, China decided to use the occasion for propaganda about how they actually aren't prosecuting "minority" races in their nation. So, one of those "minority" peoples shared carrying the final torch. Then, instead of lighting a cauldron, the actual torch was placed in the center of a huge filigree snowflake composed of the 91 nations listed in English and Chinese, each name centered in a smaller snowflake. 

The two red/white "flames" in the center are actually the 
final two athletes to carry the Olympic Torch to the 
giant snowflake. You honestly can't see the actual torch 
at all - like you can barely see a lit match from across 
a ballroom. Each of the middle filigree snowflakes 
feature the name of a participating nation in 
English and Chinese. 

The Opening Ceremonies themselves were quite nice, and China brought their technology to the forefront. Their use of the LED floor of the stadium (a HUGE floor) and lasers were very effective and quite beautiful. My Assistant Manager thought the "grass" was outstanding, I enjoyed the children singing and joining together into a giant heart, lit by lighted dove images carried by each child. 

The grass was quite amazing. Fashioned from laser lights, 
it grew, swayed, moved with and against the "wind", and 
patterned. It was stunning. 

I spent a couple of hours watching the finale of Season 19 of Project Runway. The person I thought would win, did, so I was pleased, but I was quite surprised at the Runway shows of the other contestants. Such an amazing array of talent, and in very different directions. It was a great season and a delight to watch. Last night I caught up with Christian Seriano's "After the Runway" so I'm wrapped up with Season 19. I'm not telling you who won or lost - all four final designers had winning runway shows, but I did agree with the judges on this one. As far as putting together a commercially viable collection, I think the winner can do that the best and appeal to the largest audience. 

The final designers on the runway of New York Fashion 
Week. The guest judge was Tommy Hilfiger - iconic and 
very commercially successful. From L-R - Kristina, 
Shantall, Chasity and Coral. Each designer had a unique 
viewpoint and collection, and they were all strong. It was 
really a pleasure to watch this season and I can hardly 
wait for Season 20. 

I took a quick trip to Target yesterday and purchased two different dish drainers that might work for my kitchen. The larger one, when I fit it into the sink, was too large. Immediate disqualification. But the smaller one, I really liked. I got it set up and had it ready for DH to look at when he got home and ... he LOVED it! He said I had done really well, even without his "help". Well, duh! I actually had something in mind, knew Target had it available, and made it happen. I'll return the larger one next week on my "day off". 

So here's my sink with my new dish drainer. We're keeping 
it pretty clean - just silverware, since DH hates to rummage 
in the silverware drawer to find a teaspoon or knife. I have 
my travel mug drying at the back since I just washed it 
just before I took the photo. It's not fancy, but it's 
exactly what I was looking for. 

I currently have ski jumping and one of the final runs of mogul skiing on in the background while I write this. It's a pleasure to have the Olympics on in the very early morning hours again. That's the one good thing about being someone who gets up long before dawn with the Games taking place on the opposite side of the world. I get an opportunity to actually watch the events live, not in re-runs later in the day. 

The Winter Olympics Begins and Project Runway Season 19 Ends

Yesterday night was the final episode of Season 19 Project Runway. I'll be watching it later today on Peacock, so I don't know who won yet. It should be a fun watch, though. There are some very talented ladies who went into the Final Four. 

The final four designers in Project Runway Season 19 - 
left to right - Coral, Shantall, Chasity and Katrina. Of 
them, Katrina is the weakest, Coral might surprise everyone 
if she allows herself to actually be creative and bring in 
her cultural heritage, but I think it will come down to a 
design battle between Shantall and Chasity. Both of those 
women are Fierce! 

It's also Winter Olympics time - so I was able to listen to some of the curling yesterday (yes, I love curling - it's a rather ridiculous game which requires an amazing level of skill to do well). I'll watch the Opening Ceremony in a few minutes, 5:30 am in my time zone. It might be a rebroadcast, but could be live, I have no idea - Beijing, China is a LONG way from the Frozen Northlands.  

I'm sure the Winter Olympics will be fun to watch, and 
the buildings are spectacular, but China is a problem, 
and Covid is still in the world. There are definitely 
some problems that will be coming out for these Olympics. 

Speaking of Frozen Northlands - yesterday was VILE! Sub-zero all day until late night when it finally crept up to 3 F. Today is a bit better. Instead of yesterday's -11 F, it's actually at 0. A serious improvement. I don't think I need to go anywhere, but I'm going to Target to see about a dish drainer. We do need one (we've been washing and drying, but there are some things we want accessible (daily coffee cup, a knife, spoon and fork for each of us) without rummaging in a cupboard or a drawer. I would like a small drainer - one that wouldn't take up the entire sink. I'll have to take a look. I'll probably buy a couple of choices and see which one I like better. 

I'm thinking something similar to this, but I don't want 
to spend a lot on it. Some of the drainers I've looked at 
are more than $50! That's totally ridiculous for a dish 
drainer. I'm shooting more for the $10 range - LOL. 

Jack, (our plumber), had wanted to return yesterday to take care of the faucets on our laundry sink. The faucets are ancient and don't turn well. They also require a pliers to turn off completely. I hate them, so DH asked if he could do anything about them and Jack agreed. But ... he wanted to come over yesterday and DH had a mid-day doctor appointment, so they've scheduled for an unknown date and time instead. I'm not in a rush on that project, and will remind DH that Jack was also supposed to correct the improper installation of a water line to our refrigerator that the installers did. I'd like both items taken care of in the single trip, if possible. 

The Olympics got started yesterday, before the Opening 
Ceremony (which I'm watching now, live). The US did 
quite well, and there was a throw by the Italian woman 
that was absolutely AMAZING. 

So that's the status of my life right now - a lot of things on hold. I'm going to enjoy watching Project Runway today and work fairly intensively on my listings for Etsy. My goal is to have things up by the end of next week - about two weeks later than originally planned, but not too bad, as schedules go. I need to make a few more photos also, but I have all of the materials here do to that, so it shouldn't be too difficult. I'll be working my poor laptop to death today - LOL. Have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Yesterday Was a VERY Busy Day - Photoshop and Ogre Juice

I spent yesterday spending a lot of time with my laptop, working on the multiple detail photos I want for each of the items I'll be putting up on Etsy. I finally finished the last of the photos at 5:45 pm, just in time to make my salad for dinner and put a portion of chili into a pan on the stove. It was a lot of photos - 63 of them to be exact, and each one had to be opened, downloaded, resized, enhanced, renamed and saved to the appropriate computer folder. I was working with the laptop, but saving it to a file that could be accessed by either the laptop or the desktop. Yesterday was VooDoo's 1st anniversary and I can't imagine my life without my it - it's been a great laptop and I use it almost every day. 

Taking a closer look at the Mali Wedding Beads strand 
I posted a week or so ago, this is the first of the 
five detail pictures I have of that strand. I may still go 
back and work on this one a bit more, to make it brighter 
and easier to see, but it still gives a much better look at the 
beads and their variety and shape. 

It was my first experience using the more up-to-date Photoshop version that I have on the laptop, and I rather liked it, although it was a bit challenging at first. I use Photoshop every day - I'm always pulling in photos and resizing or massaging them (or both). First thing in the morning, I'm doing it for my blog, and I've used the version on my desktop for years and years. VooDoo, however, came with a much newer version of Adobe Photoshop, and it has some nice features. I had to drill down a bit, however, to find what they were calling this or that feature and under which tab they had decided to put it. 

I have Photoshop on my main computer and Photoshop 
Elements on my laptop. (Photoshop is left, Elements 
is right in this comparison). The menus are completely 
different, and the program can do a lot more things 
automatically (if you allow it to do them). They're 
quite different, so there was a definite learning curve. 

My photos aren't fabulous, but they're really not too bad. I've certainly found worse in the photos I've looked at on-line. DH's photos for the items he'll be putting up on Ebay aren't great, and he's not even resizing them (which he really should do, and I suspect he'll have some uploading issues if he doesn't). He has a bootleg version of Photoshop that he's using, but it works for him (when he's inclined to actually use it). If Dale is ever able to finish making him a new computer (computer chips are impossible to get right now), we'll make sure to get him a new version of Photoshop, probably the Elements version. DH will complain, but what else is new? LOL

At least I know where my photos are stored 
now (I had a bit of a hunt to find the files I 
had downloaded from my phone). I can 
pull them back out and massage them some 
more at the shop today, if I can manage the 
time. 

I spent an enjoyable hour+ watching the stream of Project Runway. I loved the outfits that each designer made, and the decision of the judges didn't surprise me at all. We're almost at the end of this season and I'll be sorry to see it end, but it's been so much fun to have a Runway again. 

For the first time in Project Runway history, it was an 
all female final challenge to determine who would get 
the opportunity to show a 10-outfit collection at New 
York Fashion Week. L-R - Coral, Shantall, Kristina 
and Chasity - all strong designers with very different 
clothing viewpoints. Although any one of them could 
pull off the win, I think it more than likely it will come 
down to Shantall and Chasity. 

I succeeded in the challenge of making my Ogre Juice without a kitchen sink. I won't say it was easy - but it was achievable. The next time I need to make a batch will be Wednesday, and the sink will (hopefully) be repaired by Thursday night. So I have one more "challenge" ahead of me. It wasn't a super major problem, though. I put on headphones, listened to one of my Spotify playlists, danced around the kitchen and back and forth from the bathroom sink, and made sure all "detritus" that I hadn't managed to swipe up with toweling, went into the toilet, not down the bathroom sink. There's nothing quite like having green and red peppers, jalapeno peppers, cucumber, zucchini, fresh green beans and parsley sitting on a cutting board next to the bathroom sink, waiting to be washed before getting cut up and used. Talk about a small counter ... I guess my kitchen counter isn't so small after all - LOL. 

Try to do a random act of kindness 
this weekend. The positive waves one 
kindness can prompt are astounding 
and can impact many more people 
through a single act. 

On that note, I'm out of here. Have an absolutely fabulous and wonderful weekend. We're actually above zero today already, so it's going to be a good day. I can just feel it! Please, if you can, do an unexpected kindness for someone else today to brighten their day. I'll be back on Monday. 

Cooking, Project Runway and A One-Year Anniversary - Life Is Good

Yes, it's cold, -12 F (-24.4 C) as I type this, but that doesn't matter at all. I've already set up my laptop for today's cooking class - no forgetting or missing the time today. The class starts at 10:00 am and I think it's scheduled for an hour. I'm just going to watch and take copious notes, and I hope there will be a full recipe to print out afterward. My pork tenderloin is in the refrigerator defrosting. I'd like to make the dish later today, but I don't want to try to cook at the same time as watching. I know I'm slow in the kitchen, and I want to make sure I have the recipe correct before trying it. 

Today's cooking class is Harissa Lamb Kebob with Ratatouille, 
something totally new for me. I'm looking forward to it. I adore 
cooking shows in general, but they usually aren't detailed 
enough to actually take notes. I'm hoping there will be an 
actual recipe to download, and that if I take good notes, I 
can make this (although I'm using pork instead of lamb). 
At any rate, it looks tasty.  

It's also Friday, so I'll be watching the replay of last night's "Project Runway". It's down to five designers now, and they're all quite talented, and very different in vision and technique. It's been a wonderful season thus far, and I'm very grateful for Peacock because watching it on Fridays on Peacock has been an excellent option. 

I've been a Project Runway addict for many years now, and 
this season is no exception. No doubt that Christian Siriano 
is the most successful of the winners, but several other winners 
and some competitors, are actually doing fairly well in the 
fashion industry. I love the challenge of the whole thing. I 
admire the skills that each of the competitors have. There's 
no way I could put something beautiful together and have it 
fit wonderfully in the time frame they have for each challenge. 

It occurred to me last night, that I've had VooDoo for almost a year now. It might be a few more days before the actual anniversary, but it's pretty darned close. I can't imagine being without it now. I have no camera on my desktop computer, and the thought of having to have done WildFit or other Zoom calls with only my phone available is horrific. I like the larger screen and the built-in camera on VooDoo. I could improve things by having an external camera, but really - I don't think it's necessary at all. Perhaps I should buy it a cupcake with a candle and sing "Happy Birthday"? LOL

Last year, and continuing on into this year, has been a 
year of self-improvement and exploration. MindValley has 
been instrumental in this quest, and I'm happy to have 
found them. I'm in my second year of membership 
now, and there are more classes I want to take. I'm behind 
on almost every class, but the most important one - 
WildFit - has changed my life forever, so it's a total win 
for me. 

What an eventful year it has been! I started by getting VooDoo, then I joined MindValley. Through MindValley I found WildFit, and then, at the end of the year, the swimming pool finally reopened and I got back into the pool. I was able to go to the State Fair once again, and see my dear high school friend and sister Sharon back in her room down my hallway. I attended the Renaissance Festival's belated 50th Anniversary and finally got a new corset - something that's been on my list for more than three years. I got my tattoo - my Winged Scarab and Solar Disc featuring the Eye of Horus. I also made broad steps into closing the store later this year (at least, I'm leaving the store at the end of August, if all things work out). DH might stay another few months to get more things cleared out before locking the doors for good. 

It looks as if I got VooDoo right around 
the 25th of January last year. So yes, 
it's almost a year. I can't imagine being 
without it now. It's been a wonderful 
laptop to have and has fulfilled my 
expectations. 

I'm going to try my best to enjoy today despite the cold. I have a lot of things on my agenda besides the two computer sessions, so I won't be bored at all. Have a truly excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. Try to be kind, think before you speak, and spread love. We all need more love in our lives. 

Toasters, Schedules, Snow and Petra - All In All, A Good Day

Yesterday was a series of events, mixed with three inches of snow that was falling continuously from early morning until late afternoon. I ended up shoveling the driveway and walkways three separate times, but I got my exercise. I wish it had been a bit warmer - it was the cold that was hard to deal with, not the snow itself. But the storm has left us behind and is on its' way to bother people southeast of us. It's a massive storm system and I'm sorry for anyone who will be impacted by this one. 

So, after the two slots on the right suddenly didn't 
work properly, I thought for $30, it wasn't worth 
dealing with repairs, so I purchased a new one. 
DH is welcome to fuss with the old one, and we'll 
keep it for a year in case the new one breaks and 
we need to send it out for warranty repair. We need 
a toaster - we use it every day. 

Yesterday morning the left two slots of our 4-slot toaster suddenly couldn't be locked into an "on" position. Quite odd. We tried to figure out what was wrong, but DH finally had to go to work and I had to go to the grocery store, so we left it for later. 

I was panicked, I was so tied up with Customer Service 
that I couldn't start my cooking live class on time. BUT ... 
 I was panicked for no reason. After hunting for the link 
for what seemed like forever, I read the class description 
more carefully and realized that it is scheduled for next 
Friday, the 21st, not the 14th. "Whew", a bit of breathing 
space after all. 

After returning from the grocer, I started looking at the user's manual and finally called Customer Service, who weren't very helpful either. My chat with the Customer Service rep pulled me well into the time when I was supposed to be doing my cook-along, so I panicked a bit, left the issue unresolved for the moment, and searched for my class ... only to find that it wasn't for the 14th, but for the 21st! Oy! I put the pork tenderloin into the freezer for the week, used some of the veggies for the current batch of "Ogre Juice" which I was making in the afternoon, and generally apportioned the perishables, ready to purchase new closer to the actual class date. I hope I won't be quite as busy next week, and that I'll actually remember to join the call in a timely fashion. 

Precious Lee is a stunning plus-sized model who walks 
the runways of the top designers including Versace and 
Christian Seriano. Her outfit for Project Runway was 
quite revealing and over the top, but it suited her, and 
she looked stunning in it. She's obviously body proud, 
and deserves to be. She's quite beautiful. 

I gave up on the toaster, checked Target for another one, and when I found out it was only $30, I bought one on-line for pickup an hour or so later. Then I settled down to watch Project Runway. A fun challenge this time, and even though I was sorry to see who was sent home, it was absolutely justified. My PR Facebook group was harsh on the judges for their decision, and equally harsh on the guest judge's outfit. Precious Lee wore a translucent mesh top with a black corset and leggings. It was a stunning outfit on a stunning young woman who obviously is extremely self-confident. It had a lovely "Dominatrix" vibe, although she was holding a score card instead of a whip - LOL. 

We were down to the final six designers before this 
week's episode (now we're at five). L-R Kristina, 
Bonz, Aaron, Coral, Chasity and Shantall. There are 
some very strong designers in the group, but I'm putting 
my money on Chasity or Shantall - both extremely 
talented designers. 

I enjoyed the episode, agreed with the judges despite my liking the person eliminated, and headed to Target to pick up my new toaster. I shoveled the driveway (#2 of the three for the day), and headed indoors to set up the new toaster, file the appropriate documentation, and continue with my rather broken day. Around 5:00 pm I shoveled one more time, then called it done for the day. It had stopped snowing and I was hopeful I could leave it alone from then on. 

I have now successfully walked the 40 miles to
Petra in Jordan, learned a great deal about the 
area surrounding the site, and really enjoyed 
the process and the daily positives of seeing 
my mileage accumulate. On to Giza and Egypt! 

Later in the night, I entered my steps for the day into my Conqueror Challenge app and voila! I have now successfully reached Petra and have completed my first challenge. It took me 11 days to walk the 40 miles to Petra, so not too bad. I should be receiving my medal soon and I'm looking forward to it. Now to start my next challenge - the Giza Plateau in Egypt. I'm already looking forward to it. Have an excellent Saturday and weekend, and I'll be back on Monday. Be kind, help those in need, and have fun - life is the best ride in the universe. 

Snow and Cooking and Shoveling and Errands - Busy ... Yeah, Busy

Today is turning into a very busy day, and we'll have snow to add to it all, so I'll be shoveling the driveway at least once this afternoon, and maybe more than once (all depending on how much snow we're getting from this storm front). The bulk of the storm is southerly, heading across toward Tennessee, and on the northern part of the Cities, we're not expected to get as much as places south of us. Still, even though 1-2 inches is better than 3-4, it will require me to grab my shovel and clear things out. 

My Alkagizers never look quite this green, although 
fresh veggies are what it consists of. It's a mix of 
lots of green veggies (variety is important), some fresh 
lime juice, an avocado or two, peppers - mild and hot - 
and whatever looks good. I love my "Ogre Juice" and 
usually have it five days a week. 

I'll be starting my day by dropping a couple of Priority Mail packages at the Post Office, and then getting to the grocery store. I forgot to get a white onion for today's "cook along", and I also have decided to make another batch of "Ogre Juice" today to eliminate the problem of being one day short before my next batch on Wednesday. "Ogre Juice" takes 1-1/2 hours to make. I've got it down to a science, but there's always some prep work that has to happen. Prep work takes time. 

I've been watching "Next Level Chef" and 
it's got possibilities. Fifteen contestants all 
vying to be the winner, three professional chefs 
to mentor them (five amateurs for each chef's 
team), and a bizarre 3-level kitchen that will 
test their ability to cook under any conditions. 

When I watch cooking shows and they give the cooks 1/2 hour or less to create something amazing from scratch, I'm always amazed that it's possible at all. Prep work is so time consuming, I simply don't understand how they could possible get everything cut up and cooked and plated within the appropriate time frame. I guess that's why they aspire to be professional cooks, and why I absolutely and positively DO NOT. LOL

I adore "Project Runway" as my long-time readers know 
well. I could care less that we don't have Karlie Kloss 
this year. We have the important people - Christian, Elaine, 
Nina and Brandon. We're getting down now, and everyone 
not eliminated is talented and putting out good work. Now 
it's a good and fun competition - LOL. 

I also want to make sure I catch up on Project Runway today. Now that "Battlebots" is back on Thursday nights (so happy about that!), my Thursday night is booked. I prefer to catch "Project Runway" via Peacock on Fridays anyway, I avoid most of the advertisements that way, and can pause the replay if I need to make an interruption. 

DH and I have been "Battlebots" fans for years. Having it 
back on TV again is so much fun! 

So today will be shopping and chopping, blending and watching, and generally doing some catch-up work. It's going to be a very busy, but rather fun day (except for the snow). I hope your day is wonderful and filled with joy. I'll be back tomorrow. 

I'm Cold, I Want Breakfast, and It's a Saturday - I Suppose Things Could Be Worse

Tomorrow will be our final open Sunday at the shop. I can't wait for it to be over. I truly dislike working on a day off, it messes with my entire schedule. We do bring in some money, though, and it's a convenience for our customers, so that's why we do it. 

We might have one more vibratory tumbler 
on the breezeway in my jewelry area. DH 
said it was on the bottom shelf under the 
solder bench. I didn't bother climbing under 
because he said he didn't need it, that he 
would hand-polish instead. 

DH had no luck with the vibratory tumblers yesterday - two are broken and the third only was working at half-speed. He ended up hand-polishing the two or three necklaces he had brought with him. He wanted to have a few to have available for sale before today, so I assume they are in a case now, waiting for a buyer. 

Something like this, properly polished and 
presented, should bring upwards of $500, 
but not if it looks horrible. DH spent yesterday 
hand-polishing three strands of Navajo 
Pearls for our jewelry cases. They're always 
lovely to have, and we have several really 
nice strands to put out for sale (not all with 
the stamped designs, but all hand-made beads). 

I had the final Zoom call on my "Limiting Beliefs" course yesterday - incredibly valuable. All in all, I liked most of the course. I could have done without Day 4's speaker - Jason Sisneros. I found him to be rather a waste of my time and he didn't really address the topic we had been told he would discuss. But the other four days were fabulous and I'll be watching them again to get the tenets into my system.

It's not always easy to turn your back on limiting 
beliefs, but they hold you back when you buy 
into them. I found the five-day course by Eric 
Edmeades to be extremely valuable, with the 
exception of Day 4. 

After my Zoom call, I decided I wanted to make a seven-bean and hamburger chili for dinner. I set the beans to soaking and headed back to my laptop to catch up on the week's "Project Runway" show. It was the "unconventional materials" challenge, and it was exceptional. The winning outfit was beyond belief, and it was totally sewn - no hot glue at all! It was a masterpiece. The other final challengers also had some amazing outfits. I love catching PR on my Fridays - it's so much easier (and a bit less time) to just stream it on PeacockTV than actually watch it on Bravo on Thursday nights. I'm not sacrificing any sleep that way too, a true plus. Shantall ended up with the win - take a look at her dress. 

Shantall's dress was amazing. It was structured, 
it fit perfectly, it looked almost like armor. It 
was totally constructed from black straws sewn 
together. She said she had spent 15 hours at 
the sewing machine to construct it. You can't 
see from this angle, but the other side has a full 
sleeve from shoulder to wrist. The oblique 
angles and the construction made this dress 
a total show-stopper. 

So, on that note, I'm out of here. I'm cold, and I want something to eat. Breakfast is calling. Have an excellent weekend and I'll be back on Monday. 

What a Busy Friday and Second Call-Out For Cards

Today is a busy "day off", starting with the swimming pool, then home, then an appointment with my Dermatologist, then a couple of errands, and finally home again to get some intense work done on my Holiday Cards (while watching Project Runway on Peacock). Since it's a heavy cards day, it's time for my second "Call Out For Cards". 

(BTW - I would be posting about Project Runway as intensively as I've done in the past, but I can't get photos of the outfits to share with all of you. It's no fun to chat about it if we can't talk about how good or horrible this or that outfit was, so I'm stymied. Sorry!) 

Message me if you want one of this 
year's Holiday Cards. This is the 
Second Call-Out for Cards and I 
only do three, so get in gear and 
get into contact with me. 

Those of you who are long-time e-friends know that I make a total of 50 cards for the holiday season each year. They are different every year. I send a lot of them to my various nieces and nephews and long-time friends, but I always have some open for my e-friends - no matter where they live. The number is firm, and it's a first-come first-serve basis. The only way to make sure you get one is to message me in DW or LJ with your address and your real name (it would seem rather silly to address a card to PookyBear, after all). I ask for nothing in return, although a return card would be delightful and appreciated. 

Hearing from you makes my day. Don't 
assume that because you got a card in the 
past, you'll get one this year. I need to hear 
from you to get you onto the final list. 

I send my cards all over the world. Most do go to friends in the USA, but I also send them to India, South Africa, and various places in Europe. Where you live isn't the problem, I love sending them to my friends. Long-time friends, now's your time to speak up. I caught several of you on the First Call for Cards, but don't wait until the Third Call-Out. The list fills quickly and I'd rather not miss you because you didn't contact me. 

I was using my die cutter in the early morning 
yesterday, but switched to cutting out the 200 
pieces of paper I needed for most of the afternoon. 
I actually managed to get all of those cut out, 
though, so that part is ready to go. Progress! 

I spent most of yesterday working on my cards. Our customers seemed to all come at once, yesterday afternoon, and the rest of the day was quiet, so I got quite a lot done. There's still a lot to do, though. I'll be working on them for quite a while longer. They're fun this year. Labor intensive and fairly complex, although each element is pretty easy. It's a very time-consuming card, and I'm having a lot of fun seeing come to life. It's a total blast. 

I'll have to text my oldest niece later today and make sure 
that none of the assorted nieces and nephews have moved 
to new addresses since last year. I don't always hear about 
moves and changes, but she's always on top of it. 

Have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. One of the things I'm doing today (among many others) is pulling the slip cover off the couch and folding it. I'm going to return it to Amazon. I'm not happy with the fit, so I'll have to live without it. At least all of the other dust covers recommended by my allergist fit properly and work for their purpose. But the couch cover just isn't working well, so it goes "Bye-Bye" today. Remember to message me for your Holiday Card and have a wonderful Friday. 

Project Runway Enters Season 19 on Bravo - I'm SO Happy. Here Are the Designers

I'm actually late for this post, so bad on me. Long-time readers of my blog know I'm a "Project Runway" fangirl, and Project Runway's 19th season started on October 14th. The lovely thing about this season is that episodes are rebroadcast on Peacock beginning the following day, so I caught up with the second episode while at work yesterday afternoon. It was a total delight to get into the spirit of fashion design under pressure and the interchanges of personality. 

Notice anyone missing from the above? Yes, we have 
returning judges Brandon Maxwell, Elaine Welteroth, and 
Nina Garcia, and mentor Christian Seriano, but where 
is Karlie Kloss? As it turns out, she had a baby about 
a week before filming was due to start (which never 
happened because Covid came along). She'll appear 
now and then this season, but she's not a regular part 
of the cast. 

This episode might have been subtitled "The lady both protest too much, methinks," a line from Shakespeare's "Hamlet". It was an episode tied up in pride of race and identification of race, with a bit of heavy-handed "thank me because I'm doing you a favor" attitude thrown in. I guess nobody ever taught people that silence is golden in Tulsa, Oklahoma, because the lynchpin, the "lady" in this instance, just couldn't shut up. 

I'm going to introduce you to the designers, and I'll try to do some outfits in a second post a bit later in the week. I'll catch up early next week and we'll be on-time. More or less - LOL. Being able to stream the episodes will make things a lot easier on me time-wise, and won't crunch me too much for photos. Let's meet the designers. 

Octavio Aguilar is from Miami, Florida. He 
has worked as a designer for many years and specializes 
in streetwear. Originally Puerto Rican, he was raised in New 
Jersey and works in Florida. His clothing lines are represented 
in New York City. 

Darren Apolonio is originally from the Philippines, raised by 
a single mother. He has three sisters. After graduation from 
SCAD, he moved to New York City where he has interned 
for several years. His designs are eponymous in nature. 

Kenneth Barlis (from San Diego, CA) is another person 
originally from the Philippines who is making good in 
the USA. He's a prolific designer who has never-ending 
energy and has trained and mentored hundreds of people 
within fashion over the past 10 years. 

Caycee Black is from Brooklyn, New York. 
Don't fall too much in love with her, she was the very 
first person voted off in what was a team competition 
(team competitions are always difficult for such 
individualized viewpoints). 

Coral Castillo is from Los Angeles. Originally from 
Mexico City, she's the daughter of a dressmaker, so she 
should be good at making things on the fly. She's a single 
mother with the determination to show her son how 
hard work can succeed. 

Meagan Ferguson is from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Both of her 
grandmothers were involved in design and clothing, one 
as a seamstress, one running a children's clothing store. 
She worked with Walt Disney World for a time, learning 
costuming, and traveled the world making unique 
costumes for multiple venues and groups. 

Prajje Oscar Jean-Baptists is originally from Haiti, 
currently residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He 
moved to the US when he was 14. He was known for 
gowns and evening dresses before Covid, but switched 
his designs to leisurewear. He has a daughter in Haiti. 

Brian 'Bones' Jones is a fascinatiing designer. A trained and 
successful professional dancer in jazz, modern and ballet, 
he worked in that profession for many years as a 
background dancer or even in the front lines of Broadway
and off-Broadway. But he was pulled back to his roots. 
His grandmother sewed for her church - fancy hats and
formal wear. She gave him his first sewing machine
when he was 16. He finally decided to concentrate
on fashion, launching his line HOB (House of Bones),
featuring unisex fashion. 

Kristina Kharlashkina grew up in Russia and currently 
lives in New York City. Her father was a Rocket Scientist 
and her mother, a teacher. She trained and competed as a 
ballroom dancer, so understands how costumes can 
be used to enhance a performance. She has a firm background 
in fashion, having worked for Carolina Herrera, Tom 
Ford, Celine and Dolce & Gabbana. I'm looking forward 
to what she created for the Runway. 

Katie Kortman is married to a military OB-GYN doctor
and has four children. She's lived in several places,
including Bahrain (where she honed her sewing skills). 
They are currently based in Japan.  

Shantall Lacayo calls Miami, Florida home. She's originally 
from Nicaragua, and was taught to sew at age 4 by her 
grandmother. She used to sew shirts that she sold for 
$2 to help her mother with the bills. Three years ago, 
her husband and her left Nicaragua because it had become 
dangerous to live there, and through great difficulties, 
ended up in Miami, Florida where they started over again. 
She was the runner-up in Project Runway Argentina 
in 2010 and is determined to pull off the win this time. 

Chastity Sereal calls Houston, Texas her home base. A lifelong 
Texan, she designed prom dresses as a Junior in High 
School. Her father died when she was 12 years old. Two 
of her collections have been shown at New York Fashion 
Week. She's a mother of two daughters. 

Zayden Skipper is from Atlanta, Georgia. He was raised 
in Chicago by a group of women who taught him to be 
strong and how to sew. After college, he moved to 
Atlanta where he started out as homeless and ended up 
as the only Black man to graduate from the Savannah 
College of Art and Design. His personal specialty is 
Urban Avant-Garde Streetwear. He's made quite a spash 
in fashion in a very short time. He's going to be fun 
to watch. 

Sabrina Spanta calls Bloomfield, Michigan home. Originally 
from Afghanistan, her family fled in the late 1990's to a 
refugee camp in Pakistan. Her mother died there, and her 
father cared for her and her siblings. In 2000, Sabrina 
and her sister were adopted by their great Aunt whom 
she refers to as her "true Mother". Her father had worked 
as a tailor, so she learned sewing and design from him 
as a child. She has a passion for patterns and embroidery. 

Aaron Michael Steach grew up in West Virginia but currently 
calls Jackson, Mississippi home. He was raised by his 
grandparents after his mother's death. He is a self-taught 
designer who mainly designed for drag shows and 
performers at the only gay bar in central Mississippi. He 
has designed for contestants on "Rupaul's Drag Race", various 
theatrical productions, and national pageant winners. 

Anna Zhou is from San Francisco, California. Her father 
was a sculptor, so she thinks she inherited his artistry. 
She grew up in Shanghai, China, but thinks she came 
into her own when she moved to the US where she 
received a degree in fashion design. She has had two 
collections featured in "Women's Wear Daily". 

So there you have it - the contestants for this year's Project Runway. I'm thrilled that it's back on the air, and even happier that I don't have to stay up late, but can catch it on replay on Peacock. It's so much easier to just watch it on my phone when I have a few minutes available. Call me happy! 

Have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow.