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Spec-tacular Night

If you haven't checked out my Elle Décor Party wrap-up on Blogging Top Design, click here.

Hmmmm. What do you think? Do we look like brothers? How do these Goil-glasses look on me?


I had a wonderful time in New York. I loved meeting all of the Top Design designers, carpenters, and judges. I also got a chance to meet up with the gayboys, Tom and Lorenzo. And of course, it was such a thrill to finally meet the fabulous Laura Bennett and family.

I also had a chance to meet the one and only Andy Cohen from Bravo. Thank you for the mention in your blog, Andy. It was great meeting you too.

It's Finale Here!

Well, I'm on my way to New York City today for the big Top Design finale. Hopefully, I can meet up with this angelic beauty when he, ahem, takes it all in the end.

I promise I'll take lots of photos.

Phaolo

Suite Dreams - Top Design Episode 8

It was late March and the field had just been narrowed down to four. This must be the madness they call the Final Four.


Or not.

The designers went to the Viceroy Hotel to meet up with Todd and Linda O'Keefe from Metropolitan Home magazine. Todd gave them their next task: design a luxury hotel suite based on one of the four basic elements: Earth, Air, Water and Fire. They had three days and a budget of $30,000 for furniture, $3,000 for linens, and $1,550 for lumber and supplies.

Matt lucked out. He got Water. His baby blue room with white and translucent accents looked very light and airy. No doubt he was going to win this challenge.


Carisa drew Air. She made it a point not to paint little birds or puffy clouds on her walls. Instead, she and her carpenter Carl constructed large, black screens that mimicked air vents.

I don't know about you but I had this feeling of being trapped inside a ventilation duct. You know, like from a bad episode of The Land of the Giants. I can picture myself huddling behind the sofa hoping the big, giant pussy wouldn't lunge at me. My life story I know, but I digress.


The element of Fire perplexed Goil. He finally settled on a Chinese lantern-inspired sunset running along the back walls.

Andrea also encountered some problems with her Earth element. She already did an earthy room for last week's challenge. But unlike Carisa (who kept giving us bold colors and stripes), Andrea was mindful not to repeat herself.

In the White Room, the judges gave Matt the win (no surprise there). They also liked Carisa's bold statement.


Once again, the judges accused Andrea of having a sad aesthetic. They didn't like her somber color choices.



The judges really appreciated Goil's effort to dress his room this time. But sadly, they had to let him go.

Goil, you should have gone with your first instinct - turning the suite into a disco. After all, the judges could afford to loosen up a bit, don't you think?

---

I'm sorry it took so long to do this recap of Episode 8. Our beautiful cat, Serenity (pictured above peering through the vents) passed away last Wednesday. This chocolate brown, long-haired siamese cat has been with us for more than 12-1/2 years. He'll definitely be missed.

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Pressure Cooker - Top Design Episode 7

In the boys' loft, Goil told Matt and Michael it was so painful being in the bottom position. Matt and Michael were both very familiar with this position.

Todd invited everyone to Norman's for lunch. There, he delivered the next challenge: design a chef's table for a mystery guest judge. They had two days and a budget of $2,000 for supplies and $40,000 for furniture.

Even with the limitless supply of energy drinks, Goil couldn't muster up the strength to move his floor panels. His carpenter, the Fabulous Sarah, came to the rescue.


Goil got even more frustrated. He wondered what could've happened to his fabulous super powers. Could it have been an act of sabotage? Or were his superhero tights giving him poor circulation problems?



Andrea used stone and suede for her walls. Michael wanted to put the focus on the food. Matt went with a dark woodsy feeling for his room. Goil tried to replicate the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Carisa admitted she's not the natural type. So that makes her the fakey type.


The next day, Carisa had an eerie premonition that her carpenter Carl would drop the ball - well, actually the beam. She uprooted her tree and moved it out of harm's way just in time.


In the White Room, Goil was able to put two and two together. He discovered the REAL reason behind his diminishing powers.


After a long deliberation process, the judges sent Michael home for his drabby room. They gave Andrea her much deserved due for creating a beautiful room.

Chef Tom Colicchio really liked Andrea's room. But secretly, he was rooting for Matt's leather room.

Thanks for the Nod, Andy

Andy, thank you for reading my question for Laura Bennett on your Watch What Happens! webcast last week. So you stumbled a bit on my name. At least you got "Blogging Project Runway, Blogging Top Design and Project Yawnur" correct.

Click here to view the video.

On The Rocks - Top Design Episode 6

The six remaining designers met up with Todd outside in the PDC Plaza. Todd did some quick math and realized the number six is not a prime number. So he divided the designers into two teams of three. Andrea, Goil and Erik on one team. Matt, Carisa and Michael on the other team.

The assignment: design a party for Bacardi Limon.


Goil was so happy he and Andrea were on the same team. He compared Andrea to a top-of-the-line R2 unit. To me, she's more like a highly-advanced Nexxus-6 replicant from Blade Runner. She's extemely intelligent and devastatingly beautiful. And with those long legs, I bet you she's kicked some major ass in her lifetime.


Carisa and Michael bickered from the get go. Good thing Matt is a father of a four year old. He's used to dealing with big crybabies throwing hissy fits and temper tantrums.

Team Andrea/Goil/Erik didn't quarrel as much, but they experienced one miscommunication after another.

Andrea and Erik wanted to play the lead roles. Goil wasn't happy being relegated to the supporting cast.

You know what? Goil is right yet again. I can't picture him as that ever-suffering Jan Brady. He's just too damn cute and adorable. The perfect person to take on the role of Cindy - the youngest one in curls.


Team Matt/Carisa/Michael created a black and white tent. Despite all of their in-fighting, the tent turned out pretty nice – albeit on the safe side.

Team Andrea/Goil/Erik pushed the envelope and went for a more avant-garde look. They didn't want to play it safe. And by doing so, they bruised each other's feelings.


The judges gave Team Matt/Carisa/Michael the win. Jonathan Adler wanted to pin Team Andrea/Goil/Erik's loss on one single designer. He asked them who was responsible for the overall vision of their tent. I was waiting for Carisa to jump in. You know how she likes to take credit for everything.

Well, Erik valiantly fell on his sword, telling the judges the overall vision was his. Bye-bye, Erik.

So what is up with the rivalry between Margaret and Kelly? Trying to one-up each other for extra camera time is getting a little old, don't you think?

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Garage Proposal - Top Design Episode 5

The seven remaining designers met up with their new client, the Bell family. The assignment: clean out the Bell's garage and design a multi-use space that could also accommodate their new GMC Acadia – a novel concept for a garage.

Part of the assignment was to build a maquette, a small preliminary model they would later use to present to the client.


News flash, Carisa. In the real world, designing women (and men) don't lounge around on the couch, eat bon-bons and gab with their friends all day. They roll up their sleeves, break a sweat and do their best to please the client.

The Bell family picked Andrea's design. She now has the arduous task of leading the design team. In return, she gets automatic immunity.

It's now time to divvy up the carpenters. Having won the last project, Carisa got first dibs. She picked Carl, Andrea picked Blair, Matt picked Ed, Goil picked Sarah, Ryan picked Robert, Michael picked Cary, and Erik picked Jared. It was kind of sad seeing some of my favorite carpenters get passed over.


Andrea assigned each designer a task they were most comfortable doing. Being the artist, Ryan was entrusted with painting the gray stripes on the concrete floor. Matt was good with organizing. Michael can do wonders with fabric and drapery. Erik helped out with some of the construction. And Carisa was used to being banished to another room.

Goil spent most of his time working on a dog bed – with wheels. I say if Goil had painted the dog bed red, that dog would be the envy of the neighborhood.


Now it's time for judging. Kelly Wearstler came back from her Trekkie convention just in time.


Even though the Bells liked their new garage, the judges weren't too thrilled. Because Ryan didn't turn the garage into the next Sistene Chapel, the judges sent his artsy-fartsy ass home.

You know what Goil? You are so right. If you take your glasses off and stand on some phone books, you really do look like Andrea Junior.


For the second week in a row, the judges made fun of Michael's fruity color choices. Michael, honey, if you're really fond of grapes and bananas, then I say just go for it. There's no shame in letting people know you covet the grapes and the bananas. Fine choices if you ask me.

Dubious Yawnur Awards

The much-anticipated First Annual Dubious Yawnur Awards were handed out last week at the beautiful downtown YMCA cafetorium. Many distinguished nominees and guests were in attendance.

The winner in the"In the Mood" category (for garments made out of traditional fabrics), as determined by the poll on Project Yawnur, was Angela Keslar. She won for the outfit she made for that ever-busy au pair art student who moonlights as both a dogwalker and a streetwalker.


Angela was so shocked that she won!


In the "Not in the Mood" poll (for garments made out of non-traditional materials), Vincent Libretti took home the top honors. His barely-walking art canvas edged out Wendy Pepper's candy and balloon bikini.


In his acceptance speech, Vincent said this award meant a lot to him. He can now list this accomplishment on his resume in hope that one day he could dress more wives of d-list nominees.


A dejected Santino Rice slinkered out of the cafetorium after finding out he didn't win. He came in a close second to Angela in the In the Mood category.

Congratulations, Angela and Vincent. Isn't it just kismet that brought you two back together again?

Junkyard Dawgs - Top Design Episode 4

Unlike the first few challenges, the designers got a chance to interview their clients before they started to design. Their clients knew a thing or two about design because they themselves are studying Interior Design.

Felicia was so happy she and her client, Mary, had similar design sensibilities. It was as if she'd found her own little Mini-Me.

Todd dropped by the lofts early the next morning to deliver a few dozen muffins and one teeny tiny twist. Instead of shopping for furniture and accessories at a store, they'll be hitting the garage sale circuit. With their morning java and $500 in hand, the designers went rummaging for design inspirations.

Goil stumbled upon a kilt that brought back some fond memories of the time he went on tour with the Riverdance troupe. (Is there anything this guy can't do?)

Back in the showroom, the designers reworked their newly acquired pieces, turning old junks into valuable treasures. They got a little help from their carpenters. The operative word being "little."


Andrea put things into neutral. Carisa gave her client some clean lines. Erik created a room splattered with scary paintings. Felicia stitched together a room complete with an afghan and a roadkill. Goil redefined hideaway beds. Matt created a tasteful Armani Casa-inspired room. Michael had fun playing with his banana and grapes. Ryan got all dark and brooding.

Some of these rooms were actually downright scary. They were creepy ... and they're kooky ... Mysterious ... and spooky ... They're all together ooky ... Oh well, you know what I mean.

Thing also came along. He got to hang out with Ryan in the confessionals. I don't know about you but I think Ryan can be a bad influence.


After a long deliberation process, the judges sent Felicia home for her mismatched room. Carisa won with her sparsely decorated dormroom. I don't know what was more shocking, giving Carisa the win or letting Felicia go after she made one misstep.

All of this craziness left Cousin Itt a bit frazzled.

Project: Vote - In the Mood Category

Here are your nominations for the Fugliest outfit on Project Runway that are made out of traditional fabric. Remember, you can only vote once a day. Polls will be open until next Wednesday at Noon Eastern.

Out of all of the challenges on Project Runway, which outfit was the Fugliest outfit made out of traditional fabric?
	S1 - Kevin's rock star outfit : Sarah Hudson Challenge
	S2 - Santino's lederhosen nightmare : Lingerie Challenge
	S2 - Santino's turkey explosion : Ice Skating Challenge
	S3 - Angela's hooker/dog walker : Dog Challenge
	S3 - Vincent's picnic with Twiggy : Iconic Challenge
	S3 - Jeffrey's mom-strosity : Everyday Women Challenge
Free polls from Pollhost.com

The Dubious Yawnur Awards Nominations

It's time to nominate the Fugliest clothes ever seen on any season of Project Runway in the "In the Mood" category. Unlike the first category, these clothes were made from fabrics either purchased at Mood or were provided to the designers by Banana Republic or Macy's.

The nominations will close on Wednesday (2/28) at Noon Eastern.

Don't forget, you can still vote in the first poll for the "Not in the Mood" category. That voting will also close on Wednesday (2/28) at Noon Eastern. (Click here to cast your vote in that category.) Later that afternoon, we will begin to vote on this new "In the Mood" category.

Beachy Attitudes - Top Design Episode 3

The nine remaining designers were divided into three teams of three. Team Tahiti consisted of Felicia, Andrea and Michael. Elizabeth, Erik and Matt made up Team Miami. And Goil, Ryan and Carisa formed Team St. Tropez. Their mission was to build a cabana inspired by their assigned resort destinations.

Ryan and Carisa began to butt heads immediately. Carisa thought she should've been the natural choice to go shopping at Pier 1. Instead she got stuck with fabric shopping. Ryan didn't like either roles, but felt more comfortable shopping for furniture and knick-knacks than frilly fabric.

Carisa had enough of Ryan's bad behavior.



Goil was too busy building the structure to play the role of the referee. He said he works best on individual challenges. I would too if I had to work with Ryan and Carisa. But you know what? He really CAN do everything. Although ... he can be a bit of a show-off at times.


The next morning, the designers had to construct, assemble and furnish their cabanas on-site at the beach. This was no day at the beach, though. Well, except for Carisa. She thought it would be more fun lathering up the hot-looking carpenters than doing the actual work. I don't blame her.

The judges arrived at the beach to evaluate the cabanas. We were introduced to the guest judge, Kathryn Ireland. First thought I had was, "Oh wow, a former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model judging a challenge on the beach. How appropriate." I was a bit disappointed, to say the least.


Back in the White Room, the judges awarded Team Tahiti the win - even though their cabana went topless. The winning team members get to spend a weekend at a spa to see what a real cabana should look like. They then singled out Elizabeth from Team Miami and blamed her for making bad color choices. Well, color me blue.

Project: Vote - Not in the Mood Category

Here are your nominations for the Fugliest outfit on Project Runway that are made out of non-traditional materials. Remember, you can only vote once a day. Polls will be open until next Wednesday at Noon Eastern, at which time the "In the Mood" poll (outfits made out of fabric bought at Mood or we're supplied to the designers by Banana Republic or Macy's) will begin.

Out of all of the challenges on Project Runway, which outfit was the Fugliest outfit made out of non-traditional materials?
	S1 - Starr's foil and bow : Supermarket Challenge
	S1 - Wendy's candy and rope : Supermarket Challenge
	S2 - Guadalupe's purple and patterns : COYB Challenge
	S2 - Zulema's gold sweater dress : COYB Challenge
	S3 - Vincent's basket hat : Wall-to-Wall Challenge
	S3 - Kayne's green dumpster diving : Recycling Challenge
	S3 - Vincent's art canvas : Recycling Challenge
Free polls from Pollhost.com

A Little Off the Top

The whole Brit-Brit meltdown got me thinking. Maybe the producers should've plied the TD designers with liquor then left an electric clipper somewhere in the house – just to watch what happens.

OK, so they did this with Top Chef 2 already. At least the viewers would've had something exciting to talk about until the next Kelly Wearstler outfit.

The Dubious Yawnur Awards Nominations

Since we're in the middle of the Awards Season, I thought I'd create an award for the Fugliest designs ever seen on all three seasons of Project Runway.

Introducing the 1st Annual Dubious Yawnur Awards.

To help compile this list of nominees, I'm going to need a little help from you.

Just to be fair to the designers, I am going to create two separate categories. I don't think you should compare making a dress out of recycled mylar with traditional fabric. That's why for the first week's nomination, we will only nominate outfits made out of non-traditional materials. Or what I would call the "Not in the Mood" category. This includes: Season 1's Innovation/Grocery Store Challenge, Season 1's Design a Collection/Modernistic Vintage Clothing Challenge, Season 2's Clothes Off Your Back Challenge, Season 2's Flower Power/Garden Party Challenge, Season 3's Innovation/Wall-to-Wall Challenge, and finally, Season 3's Waste Not/Recycling Challenge.

The nominations will be open until next Wednesday (2/21) at Noon Eastern. At that time, we will begin nominations for the "In the Mood" category. This category will cover all of the other challenges where the designers had control over the choice of fabrics that they either bought from Mood or were given to them by Banana Republic or Macy's.

Later that Wednesday afternoon, the voting for the first category, "Not in the Mood", will begin. The voting will continue until the following Wednesday (2/28) at Noon Eastern. That's also when the nominations for the second category, "In the Mood", will close. And we'll start to vote on that category.

I Kid. You Not. - TD Episode 2

For the second week in a row, we have a challenge designed around a mystery client– actually, ten mystery clients. But unlike last week's team challenge, the designers will work on their projects individually.

The remaining designers each received a dossier with their new clients' profile. Who knew in order to become a successful interior designer you needed to have some investigative and intuitive skills to help ID your client. Do they even offer a class in Forensic Science at the leading design schools?

The designers were given an initial budget of $8,000, hardwood flooring and $600 for hardware and supplies. Their mission was to construct a bedroom for their new client.

John was enraged that Felicia picked the hardwood sample he was eyeing. He decided to forego the free hardwood flooring. Instead, he told his carpenter to go buy some linoleum flooring.

Midway through the design process, Todd Oldham threw out a few curveballs.

He revealed the big twist: their clients were actually kids, around 10 years of age. Also, the beds they were building should accommodate a twin size mattress.

Andrea whipped together an ambitious bedroom that included a murphy's bed. Carisa transported her client to the Amazon jungles. Elizabeth had a ball building a soccer-themed room. Erik went overboard recreating a Pirate ship. Felicia created a stateroom for her young client. Goil built a clean, modern room with a bed on wheels. Matt turned the spotlight on his future Hollywood starlet. Ryan splashed some cool blue waves on the walls and accessorized the room in hot pink cat furniture.

Michael completed his room (installed the hardwood floor and painted the walls) all by himself. Too bad the room looked like it was designed for an elderly person.

John simply ran out of time. He also ran out of patience with his carpenter, who didn't come back from the hardware store with a floor.

Now it was time for lockdown. The designers lined up outside their sterile 12 x 12 cells awaiting the judges' arrival.

In the White Room, the designers were quizzed about the choices they made. Goil treated us to an impromptu lesson on the Theorem of Spatial Displacement.

The judges gave Erik the win and John the kiss off for his unfinished room. John tried his best to keep the raging testosterone beast in check.

So now we know the lead judge, Jonathan Adler, came up with the dreaded "See you later, decorator" phrase. He also described John as the "Mayor of Excuses Village." Note to Mr. Adler: coming up with cute little phrases only work if you're a six year old, for which you are not. For crying out loud, you're a middle-aged man. How about saying things in plain English. Don't try to outdo each other coming up with funny zingers and catchy soundbytes?

(Oh, how I miss my Project Runway.)

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Can Heather Pull a Franco?

Oh, Heather. It was so unfair when the judges latered you in Episode 1. Wasn't it nice to hear Todd Oldham say on Andy's "Watch What Happens" show that all of the judges loved you and wanted to find a way to bring you back?

Hey, maybe if this show gets picked up for Season 2, you can pull a Franco and audition again. They would love to see you back. And so would I.

Whatever you do, just make sure you follow your bliss!

Howdy, Partner - TD Episode 1

One by one, the designers entered their lofts. They checked out their competion and sized each other up.

All the usual suspects were there: the diva, the loud one, the prima donna, the ingenue, the villain, the pretty one, the bully, and the quiet one to watch out for.

The designers were summoned by Todd Oldham to meet up at the Pacific Design Center. Todd delivered their first challenge: in teams of two, they were to design a serene inner sanctum for the mystery judge. To clue them into who this mystery judge could be (or more importantly, what his or her taste would be like), Todd presented them with five funky objects that came from the mystery judge's home.

John and Michael clashed from the onset. John turned out to be an overbearing ogre who didn't want anything to do with his new partner. Try as he might, Michael kept getting the brush off. Even in the White Room, the judges could feel the tension between the two. I think ultimately this ogre will have a change of heart. As the fairy tale goes, we know the ogre will soon discover his fondness for the ass.

Lisa and Heather worked together on their room. I knew trouble was brewing when Lisa said she likes to be in control and she likes to work by herself. She's been in this business for quite some time so she knows exactly what she wanted.

Heather hasn't been doing this quite as long, but she seemed pretty eager to pitch in. But Lisa thought otherwise. She made sure Heather knew who was in charge. Lisa went on to create a zenful asian room centered around a huge Chinese wedding bed. How she arrived at that from those five funky objects? I'm not too sure.

Goil and Elizabeth created a fun swinging room. Carisa and Erik created a tasteful, albeit chunky, room with a long wooden fireplace and mantle. Ryan and Andrea went with a bright and funky dormroom. Felicia and Matt created an understated room using a neutral color palette.

The judges eliminated Lisa and Heather. They thought their room was too theme-y. Heather started to beat herself up wishing she could have voiced her objections louder to help steer them away from the Chinese restaurant theme room.

Goil and Elizabeth were named the winners for this week's competition. The judges thought their room was innovative and fresh. Well actually, Margaret Russell, judge and Elle Décor magazine's Editor in Chief, didn't really like it that much. She thought the sand and rake reminded her of the litterbox she had at home.

Meoooowwww!

I'm Back!!!

Thank you everyone for checking back in. I took a little siesta in January. But now I'm back well-rested and ready to start Yawnurizing Top Design and catching up with the Project Runway gang.

Don't know about you but I'm kinda glad I didn't blog Top Chef 2. While I did enjoy watching the first season, I thought season 2 got downright mean and nasty. Sure, Season 1 had Tiffany "the bitch" and Steven "the prima donna." But at least there were other enjoyable characters to root for: Leeanne, Harold and that emotional-wreck David.

On Season 2, I wanted Sam to win. I really can't stand Betty, Ilan, or Elia. Grow up, you guys! Sure, Marcel can be a pompous know-it-all at times but just worry about your own damn cooking. It was obvious the producers were more worried about the spiciness of the cast than the spiciness of the dishes.

Are they looking for the next Top Chef or the next Tough Chef? If that's the case, then why don't they go ahead and change the name of the network to Bravado TV.

Now onto Top Design. Being a part of Team BPR/BTD, I was greatful enough to get a sneak peak at the first episode. While nothing can compare to my number one show, Project Runway, Top Design does have potential. Compared to the HGTV show, Design Star, the contestants are waaaaay more qualified (case in point: scary art lady with the vacuum cleaner/art piece).

I also like a lot of the designers/contestants on Top Design. They're all crazy-talented - not just crazy. So sure, Todd Oldham and the judges are a little rough around the edges, but give them a little time to settle in and they'll be fine.

Hurry on back, Project Runway!

Phaolo

Say It Isn't So!

According to this Entertainment Weekly article, Tim Gunn has NOT YET been signed on for Season 4. Are the Producers crazy? They've secured the host Heidi Klum, and the two resident judges: Michael Kors, and Nina Garcia – but not Tim!

Along with Heidi, he IS the face of Project Runway. He's helped make this show an American institution and has become an icon, in his own right. He's also the heart and soul of the show.

I hope the Producers will live up to their words and invite "the whole team will be back." Including Tim Gunn.

Baby Boy for Laura and Peter

Congratulations, Laura and Peter!

The Sheltons welcomed their fifth son, Finn, into the world this past Friday morning.

Both Mother and Son are doing fabulously well.

Baby Boy for Heidi and Seal

Heidi Klum gave birth to a beautiful baby boy last Wednesday evening in Los Angeles. This is Heidi's third child, second with her husband, grammy-winning artist, Seal.

Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel weighed in at 8 pounds, 11 ounces and was said to look just like his mom. He joins his older brother Henry and older sister Leni.

By now, Heidi's amazing body should be back to its normal state.

Congratulations, Heidi and Seal!

Jubilee Jumbles

Guess who the mystery person is?

The Polls are Een

The results are in. With 483 votes, 42% of you agreed that Alison Kelly would have done a kick-ass job knocking out one of the remaining designers and then go on to have a great showing at OFW. Malan and Robert came in second and third, respectively. And, Keith brought up a sore rear. The best part of it all, not ONE single vote for Vincent.

Thank you for participating in this unscientific poll.

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Laura's Shower Door

(photo courtesy of Project Rungay)

You're fabulous and glamorous as ever, Laura! Thank you for this little shout out to Yawnur. It caught me by total surprise. (This multitasking image was from my Week 11 recap.)

Hope you and Baby Number 6 are doing OK.

And, thank you T&L for this great photo. You two are lucky little bitches indeed.