Make and Tell Challenge, Day 156

To be honest, I didn't work on anything last night. I went to my parents' for dinner, then came home, watched Ugly Betty, and went to sleep. So tonight I was determined to finish the first coat of the Outrageous Owl Tote, which I did. I even forged ahead and started painting two of my tiny totes. With all the snow coming this weekend, I think I'll have lots of time to finish these projects and maybe even start some others.

Say It Ain't So: ABC Cancels Ugly Betty

I knew it was coming. Ever since the show got bumped from ABC's coveted Thursday night lineup this season. But, as is usually the case with these situations, I was still surprised to find my fears confirmed in this article while surfing the net. Only eight episodes remain, leading me to wonder if Betty will ride off into the sunset with Daniel, as she did in the original series (I've never seen that one, just heard about it). At any rate, the writer of this article captures the magic that is Betty, ahem, beautifully. Have a read.*

*Link deactivated.

Make and Tell Challenge, Day 141: Something Campy

Today, a little color for the first part of coat number one. Because no one likes campy fun more than me. (That's what Justin said on Ugly Betty tonight. He he.)

All About Clothes

A peek into my wardrobe. Frighteningly enough, this isn't all of it . . .

Every now and then I stumble upon someone who pushes the fashion envelope even further than I do, making my little Technicolor heart swell with pride. Katie of the blog "What Katie Wore" is one such fearless fashionista. During 2009, she wore a different (and may I add inspiring) outfit every day. Her boyfriend took the pictures and wrote the blog (what would we girls do without our bfs?). For the past week he's been posting pictures of their readers in - what else? - their favorite outfits. I'm honored to report that I was included, decked out in my Tote Trove finest. Check it out here (the pictures are in alphabetical order according to name):

http://www.whatkatiewore.com/2010/01/16/what-you-wore-the-sixth-installment/comment-page-1/#comment-7389

Looking at Katie's and the readers' outfits got me thinking about all the fictional characters who've rocked fierce fashion in recent years. Here are a few (in no particular order) who would shine on a blog like Katie's:

Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City
Fran Fine, The Nanny
Betty Saurez, Ugly Betty
Elle Woods, Legally Blonde
Rebecca Bloomwood, Confessions of a Shopaholic
Romy & Michelle (Who cares about their last names?), Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

Ugly Betty, Shoes, and Other Seriously Frivolous Things

For your viewing pleasure, another shoe montage. Some are old, others I bought not too long ago.

So, I was watching Ugly Betty last Wednesday night (can you believe that 10:00 time slot?!). It was a pretty dramatic episode. But the part that I'm going to talk about was kind of trivial. Wilhelmina (a.k.a Willy - how funny is that?) assigns Betty a story on the most comfortable stilettos. As usual, Betty is perturbed to be saddled with a fluff piece and pitches an "in her shoes" story idea about inspiring women and their footwear (think Habitat for Humanity builders wearing work boots). Willy rejects it and takes a jab at Betty by asking her to walk a mile in her stilettos, which she does, only to end up on crutches. So, why am I recapping this? Because I can't tell you how many TV shows and movies I've seen where the heroine is a magazine writer whining about how much she wants to write about something more important than shoes. I would kill to get paid to write about shoes! And I'm not even going to apologize for being shallow, because I don't think I am. Fashion is an art form. It's about experimentation and self expression and making otherwise dull days special. Ok, glad I got that out. Now, in all fairness, I've never worked at a fashion magazine. So for all I know they would destroy my quirky little shoe stories with their generic corporate stamp (remember when Carrie became a contributor for Vogue on Sex and the City? Sort of like that.) But that's a weightier issue for another post. Right now I'm just saying that writing about shoes or bags or jewelry for a living would be awesome. As for Betty, I didn't mean to attack her character. I think she's delightful. And I understand her struggle to raise an honest voice in a shallow world. I just think she should give shoes a chance. :)

Make and Tell Challenge, Day 96

Today I slept in, then settled in front of this week's episode of Ugly Betty on demand and made this Bright Birdcage Necklace. I was intrigued by the birdcage charm (check out the cute little bird inside!) and wanted to incorporate it into something colorful. These glass beads were perfect, and the sunny yellow ribbon was a nice finishing touch. This is also only the second necklace in which I used a toggle clasp. I dig its antiquey charm. Although I intended to keep this one for my very own, I sucked it up and posted it, along with some other favorites, in my Etsy shop. I've heard lots of artists and crafters say that one of the hardest parts of doing what they do is letting go of what they've made, and I agree. As for "Ugly Betty," it's getting really good. This week it was set in the Bahamas, so there was even more color-drenched fashion and intrigue than usual. It ended up with each character spending the night with someone unexpected, stirring up more drama for episodes to come. I kind of think this might be the last season and that Betty and Daniel are slowly making their way toward each other. That would be cool. But I also don't want the show to be cancelled. :(

Once the the necklace was done, I wrapped a bunch of Christmas gifts, some in fancy paper from Marshalls, some in medium-grade paper from Lowe's left over from last year, and some in some super cheap (but still fun) paper from A.C. Moore. Then I took off for A. C. Moore itself to purchase a few jewelry findings for a project I'm working on for someone. Next it was back to work. I painted this graphicy Guitar Tote for fellow Make and Teller Cassandra of Design by Cassandra. I like the way the silver outline design pops on the black background, almost like a tattoo.

There may be more projects in store for me before the night ends (I will, after all, be watching TV). But the truth is, I don't do my best blogging late at night and am trying to write a little earlier.

Make and Tell Challenge: Day 53

After splitting a pizza with the bf, I snuggled under a blanket on the couch and began work on more ribbon necklaces. After a long work week, there was something comforting about it. I kind of felt like one of those old fashioned women relaxing with her needlework at night after a day of plucking chickens and washing clothes by hand. Not that there's anything old fashioned about knitting. Oh, and I had the TV on (Ugly Betty, never to be missed). I suppose that wasn't exactly quaint either, not to mention incongruous with the chicken plucking and whatnot. But you know what I mean. So, on to the makes. I give you the Blue Paradise Ribbon Necklace and the Cute Critters Ribbon Necklace. While making them, I thought back to my other two ribbon necklaces, which I posted in my Etsy shop yesterday. I decided I wasn't at all happy with the photography. It was too plain, for lack of a better word, and not at all something to grab the shopper. With that in mind, I whipped out my Mr. Sketch smelly markers and drew some graphicy designs onto the corners of some ordinary white computer paper. Then I arranged the ribbon necklaces on the paper and began shooting away. It was definitely an improvement, and I shot today's makes the same way.

Make and Tell Challenge: Day 48

Tonight I added a second coat to the Beach Tropics tote while watching Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters, two of my favorite shows. The tote is finished except for the ironing, which I'll do when it's dry tomorrow. I usually don't enjoy doing the second coat because it feels redundant, but tonight I felt as though I were adding something that hadn't been there before. As for the shows, Desperate Housewives was okay, although overall I think it's kind of dull this season. The mysteries were so good the first two seasons, but then they sort of petered out into muddled and predictable nothing plots. The characters are interesting, though, so I still watch. Brothers and Sisters is the better show now, at least to me. The Walker clan seems to have an endless supply of skeletons in its proverbial closet. Yet oddly, the plot is never cheesy. Instead it's believable, probably because of the realistic family dynamics. Speaking of TV (and particularly ABC TV), I caught the season premiere of Ugly Betty on Friday, also while painting. This is a show I never watched from the beginning, dismissing it as shallow. But then my sister said I'd really like it, so I watched a couple of episodes. And she was right! So much so that I couldn't believe I hadn't been watching it all along. It had crazy clothes and zany characters all wrapped up in a timeless coming of age tale that should have been trite but instead always struck the right cord. The premiere didn't disappoint, although the move from the Thursday night lineup to Friday is a little foreboding (as in, I hope it's not on its way to being cancelled.) In the beginning of the premiere, Betty's sister presents her with a businesslike blazer to commemorate her promotion to editor. Betty doesn't want to wear it, saying it "isn't me." The two-hour episode continues with the usual ups and downs, one of which is Betty's discovery that some of her coworkers have been making fun of her outfits on a blog ever since she was hired. To make a long story short, Betty ends up wearing the blazer in the end. Mark snaps her picture with his camera phone for the blog, then murmurs, "Hmm. This one isn't so funny." I had mixed feelings about this. Obviously, the entire show centers around Betty's climb up the publishing ladder. She's supposed to change and grow. But I felt a pang when she abandoned her unpopular but original wardrobe (secretly love those getups!) for something more conventionally corporate. Oh well. Let's just say you won't see me wearing a blazer any time soon. Back in Tote Trove land, I've got lots of new tote ideas brewing. But I may take a break tomorrow to make another eraser necklace. My Friday afternoon trip to A.C. Moore netted me eight new Iwako (well, Iwako knock-offs; more on that later) erasers, and I've been itching to transform them into more kooky jewelry ever since. Until then.