Ouch!

I burned my finger with hot glue this morning. It hurts.

TV Style: So You Think You Can Dance, Top 8

This week was kind of short on cool costumes, but it was heavy on amazing dancing - which is what the show is about, no matter how much I pretend otherwise.

Everyone's probably talking about Tyce Diorio's choreography for Melissa and Ade, about a woman with cancer; it was a beautiful dance that deserved the praise it received. It was probably the best dance of the night, but there were several really amazing "second places":

• Brandon and Jeanine's "Battlefield" pop jazz was awesome, with it's precise, big movement - I'm excited to see more from the choreographer, Laurie Ann Gibson
• Evan and Janette did a jazz number by the reliably awesome Sonya Tayeh - it had a few dead-drops in it that were pretty jaw-dropping. The song was pretty great, too ("Move" by CSS).
• Jason and Kayla did a fun Shane Sparks hip-hop zombie dance - I'm wondering if Shane choreographed this for the MJ tribute that didn't work out (poor form, Sony, not giving out the music rights). Anyway, it was a really great routine and J&K seemed to have a lot of fun getting into the dance.
• I nearly forgot to mention the AWESOME opening group number, choreographed by Travis Wall. It was super-duper awesome, with the shiny, futuristic costumes that lit up like it was a rave in 1997.
  

As far as costumes . . .


I loved the flappery look of Kayla's gold dress for her Broadway number with Jason. The cut is really interesting and I liked the mix of gold and black fringe on the skirt.

Jeanine and Brandon - waltz:

The costuming department hasn't disappointed me yet with their collection of ballroomy waltz dresses - Jeanine's lovely yellow frock included. It's such a gorgeous color and it suited her perfectly! (Being a pale blonde, I can't really get away with yellow, so I'm jealous!)


And finally, the Strictly Ballroom costume award for this week goes to Melissa and Ade's cha-cha get-ups:
So very much fringe.

And now, What Cat Wore

Cat looked great this week in her rad gold halter dress - the draping (Project Runway word!) on the skirt was fab! Her shoes - also gold - were fabulous. I wish I had a reason to own a pair of embellished spiky heels like that! Our girl was really working the slicked-back ponytail, too. I like that they kept her hair/makeup simple and natural - it played well with the more dramatic metallic of her frock. Another winner!

Short respite

*hanging out in the blue room at Grandma's

I've been at Grandma's house for the past week and have been too busy reading, napping, and chatting to do any blogging.

But, I'm back now and ready for a new week of SYTYCD, ect!

xx, Maren

I kinda want to keep it . . .

It took me quite a long time to get this one right:


Earlier this week, I decided to unpick this rosette . . .


. . .so I could use the ribbon differently. I wasn't completely satisfied with the rosette - it was one of the first I'd made - so it wasn't too big a deal to say goodbye to it (I kept the seam binding-leaves, though!).

I'm really happy with the results: I was able to use some of the peachy pleated ribbon I've had forever and some of the beautiful purple "grunge ribbons" I bought from MaryNotMartha (whose Etsy shop is so gorgeous!).


I haven't decided what I'm going to do with it yet - headband or hairclip? I'm leaning toward hair clip, but please let me know your opinion!

TV Style: So You Think You Can Dance, episode 14

It was double the dances last night, which means double the costumes (yay!)!

There were so many great performances, but I thought Jeanette and Brandon really stood out this week. Their first dance was the Argentine tango, which was fantastic - they really had the attitude down and Jeanette's footwork was amazing. Their second dance closed out the night - it was choreographed by my favorite, Wade Robson, and it was about jewel thiefs:

I loved this dance - Wade described the movement as cartoony, and it was cartoony in the best way. There was a lot of exaggerated tip-toeing and herky-jerky movements - it was so stylish! And that brings me to the costume: it was perfect! I loved the mod look - white sunglasses, striped shirt, high-waisted pants. It was completely adorable . . . I wouldn't mind owning that shirt, with it's cute black ruffle around the collar.

Melissa and Ade have been my favorite couple from the beginning - they did really well last night. One of their dances was a waltz, which had one of my favorite dresses of the night:


I liked that this dress was cut a bit looser - it made it more flowy while Melissa danced. Plus, the detail at the shoulder was beautiful: silk rosettes with a long trail of fabric streaming down. It was really the perfect dress for a waltz.

Last one: Kayla and Kupono did a love-at-first sight Broadway dance, inspired by West Side Story. I loved Kayla's dress:

The pink floral is so cute, but the layered crinoline makes it. It was so cute and flippy whenever Kayla did a kick or turn.

And finally . . .

What Cat Wore
Our girl was pretty subdued this week, but pretty nonetheless. Cat was really rocking the 1940s glam look - the bows at her sleeves were sweet but still elegant and the cut of the dress was lovely. I loved her sparkly accessories - this picture doesn't show it, but her hair was pinned up all fancy with a cool filligreed floral hair clip. Her hair was my favorite part of the whole look, with the pin-curl waves in front and the classy 40's updo in the back. Cat looked gorgeous, as usual!

Happy July 4!

TV Style: So You Think You Can Dance, episode 12

Both Karla and Vitolio were kicked off So You Think You Can Dance this week, but I think they went out on a high note (kick?). They danced the quickstep; the choreography was very lighthearted and fun and it seemed like each of them got into the spirit of the dance. They both looked fantastic - Vitolio as a dandy and Karla as the lovely lady he twirls around the dance floor.

As much as I enjoyed the dancing, the most memorable part of the number was Karla's MAGICAL DRESS, which changed from a polka-dotty shift to a flowy sunset-colored ballgown.



Here's a link to the video - it's totally amazing. I've watched it in slow motion a few times, trying to figure out the mechanics of it. I think it must be velcroed at the shoulders or something. Anyway, AWESOME!!

Sorry you had to go home, Karla, but at least you got to wear a magic dress!

And now . . . .

What Cat Wore:
I adore this outfit - the color, the belt, the pockets - it's all gorgeous!


And I think I'll take this moment to state my opinion: all dresses should have pockets, from now on. Seriously. It seems like dresses with pockets have only been around the last few years, but they should exist forever. I know the pleaty, structurey thing will go away eventually and pockets won't work quite so well, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts!