Oscars 2012 Red Carpet Liveblog

Dresses! Hair! Pretty people making tragic choices! The wine is poured, so here we go.

Once again, I have been tasked with grabbing food to sustain us through the ceremony (as a result of being the most fully dressed in non-pajama clothes), so Brian will be guest-blogging until I return triumphantly bearing tikka masala and nan.

Brian says:

• some 11 year-old kid from the descendants. haven't seen the movie, but it seems depressing.
• this commentator guy named ross is wearing a big red bowtie...and he sounds like a eunuch.
• titanic 3d commercial. i saw that movie in theaters when i was in 5th grade...with my mom, sister, aunt, and great grandmother. awkward to say the least.
• my favorite betting props for the oscars - will the winner for best actress cry (yes -145, no +100);  and over/under for mentions of Rooney Mara's nipple piercing. i'm setting it at 1.5, and going with the over. betting can help increase interest in almost anything...the potential to win $80 in my office pool will have me locked in.

Aaaand I'm back. Penny is rolling around on the floor and we are rolling around in Indian food. (Story of our lives).

5:53 – Someone from The Artist is wearing something eco-friendly. Last year we had seen pretty much all of the major nominated movies, but this year we are sorely lacking, especially since The Artist is supposed to win everything and we haven't seen it. Womp.

5:55 – Brian just said George Clooney has already been mentioned like ten times. If only we had made a bet on that.

(commercial/food break)

6:00 – It looks like there are glittery pineapples coming out of Giuliana's boobs.

6:06 – Wolfgang Puck is explaining the 12 dishes served to the guests. I want to go to there. Also, it's a little bit ridiculous that there will be so much food and 90% of the women there won't be able to breathe, much less eat. If I ever make it to the Oscars, remind me to wear something comfy so I can eat that shiz.

6:09 – Rose Byrne is wearing something black and sparkly. She has a bob and semi-severe bangs, which, okay, she can pull anything off, but I miss her gorgeous long(er) locks. Also I have recently become obsessed with Damages, which she is fabulous in. Also, can we talk about how TINY her ears are? Seriously, look at anyone else's ears and then look at hers. MICROSCOPIC.

6:12 – Now several of the Bridesmaids ladies are making their way through. I want to be friends with them. Ellie Kemper is wearing a great copper color.

6:19 – Ahh, Clooney has been sighted. Expect Ryan and Giuliana to start manic name-dropping any minute now. Also, thank you Tom and Lorenzo, because I recognized what Clooney's gal pal Stacy Keibler was wearing without anyone saying anything.

6:21 – Ooooh! My other girlcrush Jessica Chastain is looking fabulous in something black and gold. Her lil red head looks so good.

6:22 – Shailene Woodley is apparently studying to be an herbalist. Huh?

6:36 – Took a quick break for a wedding-related call and I came back to people talking about flasks. Approve.

6:42 – Viola Davis is stunning (but her dress, despite it's gorgeous color, does not fit as well as it should). She just said, "Hair by Mae Alice Davis, my momma" and pointed to her au natural hair. Love it.

6:43 – Her voice sounds SO different from the voice she used as Abileen.

6:46 – Right now the camera is lingering on Puff Daddy/P. Diddy/Diddy/Sean "Puffy" Combs and some dude who is vigorously lint-rolling his tux. I like to imagine it's because shortly before leaving he picked up his cat (who in my imagination is just like Penny) and gave her a thorough hug/petting. Note: I don't actually know if Diddy has a cat.

6:48 – More Kelly/Giuliana inanity.

6:49 – Also Giuliana just said that it is amazing that Rooney Mara is wearing white because she "never wears white." I beg to differ. [Insert smug sound here.]

6:54 – My Week with Marilyn is another movie I haven't seen yet, to my utter disappointment. I'm liking Michelle Williams so much this awards season. Not so much what she is wearing (although sometimes she can knock it out of the park) but just her grace and personality.

6:59 – Octavia Spencer! Mmmmhmmm. That is all.

7:00 – Okay, that's not all. She looks incredible.

7:02 – Wine. That is all.

7:04 – Maya Rudolph! She was hilarious hosting SNL last week. They are discussing the skit where she and my other other girlcrush Kristin Wiig just could NOT hold it together. It. Was. Glorious.


7:11 – Speaking of Kristin Wiig! She and co-writer Annie are pimping Bridesmaids with Ryan. Every time he asks a guest "are you excited?" or "how excited are you?" or some variation thereof, I die a little inside.

7:15 – Original girlcrush Emma Stone glimpsed in something red! Ooooh!

7:16 – Someone tweeted, RE: Sacha Baron Cohen in full Dictator costume and persona, "the Lady Gaga of film and TV." Truth.

7:17 – Ryan looks utterly pissed off after SBC dumped fake ash on him. I also love that Giuliana and Kelly adamantly refuse to let him go to break, which is clearly all he wants to do.

7:24 – This is going to make Ryan even MORE annoying for the rest of the night as he feels obligated to tell everyone what happened. Hi Tina Fey!

7:28 – Emma! I adore her raspy voice. "There was a lot of bourbon on the set... It hurt by 5:00." This is why I want to be friends with you.

7:39 – If I was playing a drinking game (with myself, since Brian abandoned me until the real show starts) where I took a sip every time I felt the urge to roll my eyes at something an E! correspondent said, I would be SLOSHED already.

7:40 – I switched over to ABC just in time to hear Tim Gunn and Tina Fey discussing Bossypants and Tina's past tendency to wear giant t-shirts and fanny packs. All these things are good.

7:42 – Some British lady is now interviewing Colin Firth. All these things are good. Note: We did actually see Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy but of course its barely nominated for anything.

7:53 – I don't know who either of these people are, but this British chick and this grizzly white-haired man cannot understand a word of each other and it is absurd. (Update: Apparently it is Louise Roe and Nick Nolte?)

7:55 – Tim Gunn always sounds so upbeat and respectful. Also, the word "ravishing" should be used more.

8:00 – Cameron Diaz really should NOT have that haircut. It worked on her about ten years ago, but now she needs a little more length.

8:04 – Bradley Cooper is being interviewed. He is great usually but A) The Hangover 3 is a TERRIBLE idea, particularly after The Hangover 2 was so disappointing, and B) Limitless was THE WORST movie we saw all year. Seriously, it was SO BAD. SO, SO BAD.

8:07 – How awkwardly nerdy and nerdily awkward are the guys carrying in the briefcases containing the winners' envelopes? Adorbz.

(commercial/wine refill/Penny petting break)

8:12 – Ahhhh the immortal question, "What are you wearing?" My answer: tshirt by Hanes, pants by the acclaimed collaboration between Jansport and Millsaps College, puma socks (shoeless is the new stiletto) and jewelry by Brian*.

8:24 – This is the portion of the show where they fill random amounts of time with backstage tours and interviews with producers. Meh.

8:26 – Chris Rock was a super random last guest. That's it for the pre-show! Time to see who the big winners are! (In Brian's office pool, obviously. We could win 75 bucks!)


* Given by Brian, not made by him. Obviously.

Emmys 2011 Red Carpet Liveblog

Hello friends! It's award season again and I'm going to liveblog it! I'd say it's because I believe my opinions need to be heard on this vitally important matter... but really it's so I can have an excuse to drink mass quantities of wine and talk about pretty dresses. I'm decked out in my very best duds (red norts and a brand new large Hanes v-neck T, obviously) and ready to go!

I am running out to get sustenance for us, so Brian will be taking notes until my return. Here are his thoughts on the red carpet goings-on at E!:

Nina Dobrey(sp?) from the Vampire Diaries is ssssmokin’. She “owns nothing she is wearing”. Some sort of rumor about her and some guy – status = who knows. She “would be his arm candy” if she was walking with him. She’s dumb. 

Pennycat looks like she’s been on a diet. That chica licks herself so much – no one else could pull that off in public…especially with such a fluffy figure.

Colby someone looks good in a blue dress according to Ozzie Osbourne’s daughter with spiky hair.

Kathleen looks super sexy tonight. She’s wearing Walt Disney’s “hottest new piece”, the Mickey Mouse classics sweatshirt. Looks super comfy. It just screams “I want to lounge around the house, yet I’m here to party”…a la the tuxedo t-shirt. Totes fab. 

WHOA! I thought a woman was speaking... and then the lady’s voice was coming from a man in a tuxedo. No shit. Maybe someone is pitching that voice? Dubbing it in? Freaky. The guy is not Ryan Seacrest, because I just saw him and his voice sounded burly, comparatively.

6:17 – Aaaaaaaaand here I am, bearing Thai AND sushi – that's right, we don't skimp when it comes to award show food around here. Let's dive right in. Apparently I just missed Lea Michelle but saw something backless and red as they cut away. Now Sarah Hyland (who looks like the mini version of girlcrush Mila Kunis) is talking about some drama involving Lea Michelle? Apparently she was being interviewed by Joan Rivers and imitating how Lea poses and then Lea got all offended over it? I’m not sure. But I do know that Sarah Hyland is adorable and is so over the drama which makes me want to be her friend.

6:20 – Literally the second E! went to commercial Brian called, “Channel recall!” so it’s over to NFL for a few.

6:24 – Yay Jane Lynch! She is hilarious. And NOT wearing a lesbian power suit for once!! She looks good.

6:26 – Apparently the opening sequence will be “epic.” We’ll see, Lynch, we’ll see.

6:30 – Paula Abdul blah blah I really couldn't care less. Time to shove some edemame in my face.

6:35 – Kaley Cuoco just (sarcastically) said, "I'm just so chic, you don't know." And also her dad is her date. New girlcrush brewing? Possibly.

6:37 – Okay finally got Lea Michelle in the 360 cam. She really does pose so over-the-top with this shit. Okay now she really IS posing on the carpet like she's on ANTM. Girl. Also she is wearing Marchesa and Marchesa agreed that they would dress her and her alone for the Emmys and you KNOW she is eating that shit up.

I also got a peek at Nina Dobrev (see Brian's comments above), also in red. She is so pretty, y'all. And her dress is so pretty.

6:42 – Another commercial break = crab rangoon break. Brian just said, "When does the actual show start?" He can't believe there is another hour and 15 minutes of this.

6:42 – I'm not sure if I'm going to watch the new Charlie's Angels, but they are real pretty, so there's that. I like the blond one's sassy bob haircut.

6:46 – Julianna Margulies looks kind of like a skyscraper, but not in a bad way?

6:48 – Christina Hendricks!! Your boobs look normal for once!!! (I.e. not like this.) Also Jesus Christ what I would give to know the secrets of having that exact hair color. She's so hot. It pains me that she often dresses so unfortunately, but today she really does look beautiful.

6:50 – Time for some "exclusive 90 second film" by/about Dior? Whatevz.

(90 seconds later) I can sum up that "film" in three words: gold, naked, breathy. That's all you need to know.

6:53 – There is a "super new" show on E! called Dirty Soap. Yep, that sounds about right.

6:54 – Tracy Jordan/Morgan! Brian (who had retreated into the bedroom) heard his voice and came in to remind me of the best thing Tracy Morgan has ever created.

7:01 – Lots is happening, but I'm eating. I'll get back to you.

7:02 – Steve Carell and wife. Both look good. Let's get some trainwrecks up in here, huh?

7:03 – Joel McHale gets on my nerves in The Soup, which is why I never watch it, but I keep hearing how hilarious Community is. Also, he is wearing a white tuxedo jacket and looks somewhat like a fancy waiter, but he's definitely pulling it off.

7:08 – More things are happening, more people look good... blah blah blah. TRAINWRECKS, where are you?

7:10 – Oooooooh Elizabeth Moss says she is wearing Marchesa. I wonder if Lea Michelle is going to run up behind her and attack her for raining on her "I'm the only one wearing Marchesa" parade? That would be awesome.

7:20 – We went back to NFL for a bit, then came back to see Julie Bowen talking about her son projectile vomiting. We also got some shot of the woman that plays Robin on How I Met Your Mother in a really nice blue color and Naya Riviera wearing black. Sass.

7:27 – And now Will Arnett is interviewing Amy Poehler. "I heard [your dress is] made out of 100 dollar bills, is that true?"

7:29 – Aaaaaaand Gwyneth Paltrow – whose name I spell as "Gwenyth" literally EVERY single time – is wearing a belly shirt? Or maybe that's illusion netting? Also it's real sheer pretty much everywhere with lots of beading covering the bits. It... is almost a good look. But in the end, almost still = girl, WHAT. But I think your shoes are cute, G!

7:32 – I should take this moment to clarify that when I say I'm wearing norts, I mean Nike shorts... not the other thing urbandictionary defines "norts" as.

7:35 – Heidi is wearing a Christian Siriano dress with an awesome giant ballerina puff skirt (check out THOSE fashion buzzwords). I love that she wears Project Runway winners' stuff. She knows where her bread is buttered. I'm pretty sure I just butchered that phrase.

7:40 – Someone I don't recognize is wearing something in the best green color ever. More please.

7:41 – Diana Agron is wearing something blue with a very demure neckline. Her hair is very Jackie O. These interviews are always SO AWKWARD. She's doing that thing where she's trying to walk away but he says one more thing and she kind of fake laughs and talks as she's leaving. Awk.

7:42 – Ole Hammbone. Giuliana just said to Jon Hamm's wife longtime girlfriend, "Sorry Jennifer, we're going to pretend you're not here for a minute." You wish, G. YOU WISH.
P.s. Come back, Mad Men!

7:50 – Ryan and Giuliana are seriously fawning over Julianne Hough (did I spell that right?). She... doesn't look as good they are saying she is. Oh I think she and Ryan are dating... that makes more sense. But her dress washes her out, while also making me say, "meh" in a really bad way. "You look like an angel," Giuliana said. Oh God.

7:53 – Kristin Wiig as a palate cleanser thank God. She is brunette! And hot. And funny. I love her.

7:54 – They are heading to commercial with "more!" promised, but I need to pop open that wine (I can't believe I've waited this long), so I'm going to switch over to Fox to await the beginning.

7:55 – OF COURSE before I got to the remote they announced, "There are weddings. And then there are weddings of KARDASHIAN PROPORTIONS." Good lord. Peace out, E!

Oscars 2011 Red Carpet Liveblog

With absolutely no ado, here we go!

6:05 – Choice between TV Guide and E! for the red carpet. Going with E! for now. Ryan Seacrest asks terrible questions but at least there isn't that annoying scrolling part at the bottom.

6:11 – It is absurd how LITTLE Melissa Leo looks like her character from The Fighter in real life. I still have nightmares about that hair.

6:13 – Hello Mila Kunis' boobs! I love her. I want to see more of her dress, because it looks like there is a high likelihood of nip-slippage.

6:20 – Penny has decided that she needs to be on my lap (but under the quilt, she’s so weird) which, while deliciously warm and snuggly, is making typing more difficult.

6:23 – I LOVE HAILEE STEINFELD.

6:24 – She looks really cute too. And age appropriate. And her responses are great. UGH I love her.

6:26 – Okay it looks like there are some lacey nip covers on Mila Kunis.

6:27 – Brief glimpse of Amy Adams. Give me your hair, girl.

6:28 – I almost didn’t recognize Mandy Moore. She looks GOOOOD. I love the dress. But I am secretly a magpie and therefore covet anything sparkly.

6:32 – Not loving the giant Christmas ball ornaments Mandy is wearing for earrings though.

6:32 – Oh what it must be like to be Russell Brand’s mom.

6:33 – HA. “Perhaps I’ll kiss you.” Russell is so weird.

6:34 – Kelly Osbourne literally could have an entire beehive under that hairdo. I… don’t hate it?

6:35 – Michelle Williams always seem a little sad. But pretty. And her hair rocks. Does she sound a bit British or is it just me? I need a sandwich… That was one of the most awk interviews yet.

6:38 – Amy Adams just told Seacrest, “It’s not that hard for me to find the feistiness.” REDHEADS FOR THE WIN. Also her character was my favorite part of The Fighter.

6:41 – @TheOnion and @tomandlorenzo – best Oscar tweets to follow, for totally different reasons.

6:43 – Back to Amy Adams. I really really love the dress (SPARKLYYYYY), but I’m not loving the necklace.

6:47 – Penny has moved back down to my feet, making typing about 124% easier but keeping me from making myself a sandwich during the commercials.

6:50 – Kelly and Giuliana are a super odd couple.

6:52 – Giuliana just sounded SO judgy about Florence Welsh and her dress. Florence has more talent in her bangs than you do in your whole, overly tanned body, G. Chill.

6:56 – I need a sandwich break, but I don’t want to miss anything good. Especially if it involves a closeup of Cate Blanchett’s dress.

7:03 – Turkey sandwich, cool ranch Doritos and a whiskey/7up. Oscar dinner of champions… [cracks knuckles] Let’s do this.

7:04 – Don’t worry, I ran in and saw Cate’s dress. And then I read a tweet that said, “Cate Blanchett's boobs are wearing a picture frame. God love her. I know I do.” YES. (tweet by @fuggirls)

7:06 – Penny is now trying to eat my sandwich. I can’t shoo you off and type at the same time, kitten! Watch the pretty dresses.

7:07 – Twilight. Musical. Moment. Not okay.

7:09 – Okay, now I just read something that said, “CATE BLANCHETT, WHY ARE YOU WEARING A PORTHOLE ON YOUR CHEST?” Cate’s dress is already the best thing happening tonight. (via Una LaMarche’s Huffington Post liveblog)

7:10 – E! desperately needs some less annoying and less judgmental hosts. Kelly can stay but Giuliana and Ryan gots to go. Hire me, E!

7:15 – I just found a picture of Scarlett Johansson’s dress and it kind of reminds me of this wallpaper in the Art of the Americas wing at the Museum of Fine Arts here in Boston. That's not really a bad thing. It's just a thing.

7:18 – “I missed it because I had to take my children to school.” Helena Bonham Carter says this like she’s not talking about the moment her movie became the BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR.

7:21 – Ugh rambling interview between Seacrest and Hillary Swank. Move on and show me something – like COLIN on the premises!!! Hello Colin!

7:22 – I don’t know who Jennifer Lawrence is, but I kind of like her easy breezy red dress. Although it looks like she’s sucking it in the whole walk down the carpet. Also, it reminds me of Emma Stone’s sherbet Calvin Klein dress, which I LOOOVED. So in comparison this just seems… less. But still good.

7:24 – CELINE!! She looks awesome. Just the other day Brian and I had a conversation about Celine Dion and how her power ballads will NEVER go out of style (well that was my point, he had a different view). Also, why is Celine here but didn’t show up at the Olympics in Canada last year? I kept waiting for her…

7:27 – Halle Berry: a) can’t walk in that dress, b) appears as though an angry cat got to the skirt, and c) meh.

7:29 – I already need to outlaw the word “awesome” from this liveblog.

7:30 – Reece Witherspoon’s hair looks like a) some clip on extensions I had in middle school, b) a Barbie’s and c) GREAT.

7:31 – I normally don’t care much for Penelope Cruz or what she wears, but that dress is fabulous. Red AND sparkly. Also, boobs.

7:37 – Christian Bale was incredible in The Fighter but his beard tonight is less so. He totally sounds like his British accent is fake, because I’m so used to him playing Americans.

7:41 – I like Gwyneth’s dress, except for the weird belt bit. I clearly need to pay more attention to Calvin Klein.

7:50 – Mark Wahlberg just said, “The movie will walk away with at least two.” That seems pretty cocky. Right? Also he referred to his wife as the “statue” he’s “already won.” No thank you.

7:57 – Natalie Portman seems like she is choosing her words carefully, perhaps in order to prevent another crazy laugh heard round the world? Or maybe she took a bunch of Benadryl before hitting the carpet. Probably not though, she’s pretty pregs. I am becoming less enchanted with her as time goes on. The color of her dress is pretty though.

8:00 – Alright, peace E! Over to Tim Gunn, who I love way more than anyone on E! There are less shots of the dresses on ABC though… and are the colors off? Natalie Portman’s dress looks a totally different color here. Ooooh! I just noticed her tassle earrings. Approve. She still seems super out of it though.

8:06 – Brian just brought me chips and dips. I knew there was a reason I love him.

8:08 – Brian also just emailed me an article entitled, “Cats Adore, Manipulate Women.”

8:14: They are talking to all the same people as E!, so here’s some random notes I couldn’t type fast enough the last two hours: 1) I hope my boobs look as awesome as Helen Mirren’s do when I’m her age. Also, I hope I have the brass to show them off when I’m her age. 2) I haven’t gotten to see a closeup of Anne Hathaway or Annette Benning yet, but both look beautiful from afar. 3) I don't think Jesse Eisenberg will ever not look 16 years old. 4) I STILL love Hailee Steinfeld.

8:24 - Why is Halle Berry talking like that?!!?

8:29 - My tentative Best Dressed list (until I see all the dresses in all their glory and/or shame tomorrow): Mila Kunis, Hailee Steinfeld, Cate Blanchett, Mandy Moore and Colin Firth (of course).

Here we gooooooooo!

in a sartorial rut

I would like to think I have some amount of style.

When I was little, I even convinced myself that I would make a great fashion designer and created sketchbooks of patchwork jeans and one-shoulder tops and whatever else was popular in 1998.

But lately I have been in a huge rut, wearing the same jeans with a BU sweatshirt or one of three nearly identical (but different color) blouses. And the same boots. And the same cardigans. And when all that fails, the same large white T. And in the past few weeks it has just started to feel so blahhhhhhh.

Part of it is that the fun dressing up events from college don't exist here in grad school. No swaps or theme parties to create some elaborate costume for, no semiformals to get excited about buying a new dress for, not even pin attire to motivate me to dress well. It was fun to put together cute (and sometimes ridiculous) outfits at Millsaps because a) everyone knows everyone on campus and no one wants to be known as the girl that dresses like a hobo/colorblind epileptic/desperate D-list celebrity*, b) there was a 87% chance I would be photographed any given day and therefore that outfit would live on forever, and c) I hadn't a care in the world - seriously, the most important decisions of the day were typically what to wear, whether to eat in the Caf' or Kava House, and whether I should do my reading tonight or in the morning.

Part of it is the weather. Knowing I will be wearing the same (very bulky and warm) coat every day, piling on hats and scarves and gloves and god know what else to make the trek without frostbite somewhat limits my options (and my motivation).

Part of it is also that being an adult costs money. Money that used to be spent on beautiful clothes is now extracted mercilessly by my apartment rental office, one painful dollar at a time.

Part of it is, despite the aforementioned soul-sucking rent, our closet is fairly wee and my side of it is so piled high with clothes, shoes, scarves/gloves/hats/tights, suitcases, an extra comforter, towels, cleaning supplies, unused frames and other random knickknacks that it is almost impossible to navigate, so I usually just end up reaching for the same things over and over again.

In any case, my rut sucks. I read a lot of blogs out there in the interwebs, including several fashion blogs, and I keep getting partially inspired and partially depressed by what some of the internet fashionistas are putting together out there. They are so creative with their pairings of new and vintage pieces, funky jewelry, use of color and, best of all, a lot of them get FREE CLOTHES because they blog about them!

But unfortunately I believe that dressing well and cultivating style, no matter who you are, inevitably takes time and money, two things that are scarce in grad school.

What I REALLY want is for Real Simple to come organize my closet, a personal shopper to load me up with beautiful unique vintage pieces, several Etsy artists to send me jewelry/hair pieces/funky tidbits and all the stores on Newbury street to open their doors to me... for free.

I mean, really, is that too much to ask??

* No offense intended toward hoboes, colorblind epileptics or desperate D-list celebrities.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

six fanny packs for your head!

Few know this about me, but I am an ardent supporter of the fanny pack. Life would be so much easier if fanny packs were socially acceptable. I think about this all the time. So imagine my surprise and joy the day I discovered THESE exist. The "cap sac." Tagline? A fanny pack for your head.

Yes, that's right. A fanny pack for your head.

Doesn't it sound just glorious?

So if you haven't figured it out, the front there unzips to hold cell phones, money, cameras... Anything you'd need at DisneyWorld, basically. And check out how many colors there are! I already got one for all the members of my zexy sistah family (spoiler alert!) and there's still like NINE more colors available.

I can't wait to carry my important items around in a sassy red fanny pack... FOR MY HEAD. 

...FIVE POTTER PRESENTS

four snuggie knockoffs

three Ed Hardy hookahs

two handerpants

and an ornament of yummy sushi

 Category(s): AWESOME

(Find it HERE)

Project Crackway

I, like everyone else in the world*, am appalled at the outcome of the latest Project Runway. Specifically appalled that the judges were smoking crack the level of which made them name Gretchen, not Mondo, the winner. Not because I think Gretchen is a bitch (I mean, I don't not think it, but that's not why I'm appalled), or because she is a terrible designer... It's because LOOK AT THESE CLOTHES:

 

 

Mondo, you fabulous little sprite. I would wear any of these clothes and probably anything else you put your genius hands to. Gorgeous. Love the shapes, loooove the black and white patterns, love the sparing use of color. I even love the hair and makeup (those lashes!!). 

Now look at THESE clothes. Gretchen made what looks, to me, like pajamas. 

jammies

ugly jammies

jammies with a jacket on top

I would love to lay around the apartment eating Chex Mix and watching Jeopardy in these, but I would never wear them in public anywhere. The only look of Gretchen's I reeeeallly like is this one:

But I would like it even better in a graphic, black and white print... aka Mondo-ized. (Also, give me that model's hair).

So yes, Gretchen's clothes were well made and I wish the best for her, but they were in no way exciting and breathtaking and wearable and clever and fun the way Mondo's were. The judges had decided before the runway shows who was going to win, and they argued themselves in circles trying to make it work. The shit they said in praise of the winning line were things that were criticisms in almost every previous season. A lot of people in the blogosphere have been shouting that they will NEVER WATCH THE SHOW AGAIN!!!!! I'm not saying that, but I do think the things that made Project Runway great in its beginning seasons are being smothered by producer interference and shoddy, inconsistent judging. Please put the drugs down, PR, and maybe I'll tune back in. 

* Everyone else who watches Project Runway and has taste, that is.

(All photos stolen from courtesy of Tom and Lorenzo.)