buttermilk

I love a good font. I also love Jessica Hische's work. So imagine my delight when I discovered that she now has her very own font for sale. Readers, meet Buttermilk.

Isn't she ever so delightfully pretty? Say it together with me... "Oooooooooh..."

If you're impressed, check out some of Jessica's other work; the type is positively drool-inducing.

plasticville

Nick and I have not yet deleted from our DVR Justin Timberlake's last hosting stint on SNL. Even Nick, a non-JT fan, had to admit that he is simply hilarious. We particularly love the "Plasticville" skit and have watched it numerous times.

YouTube won't let me embed the video... so go here to watch!

etsy shop progress

Just wanted to share a few of the customized photo booth poster designs I've sold through my Etsy shop recently! There have been two completely custom designs, and the rest have all been based on the "classic vintage" design... but each has its own personality with custom colors and varying sizes (depending on what kind of booth couples rented).

Be sure to check out my shop if you're interested in a custom photo booth poster for your wedding or party!

SYTYCD | week 5 elimination

What an opening number! "Seven Nation Army" choreographed by NappyTabs (wow, really??) was really unique and I thought it was pretty awesome. Very un-NappyTabs but very cool. And although he often irks me, Nigel looks pretty good for 60, I gotta say. Happy birthday, English Muffin.

Wowsers, surprised (but not upset) that Caitlin and Jason are in the bottom three. Although I thought they gave strong performances this week, I still don't think they're close to being the strongest couple, and of all the girls I think Caitlin is the weakest. I just didn't realize America would agree with me. Hmm.

Bummed that Jeanine and Phillip are in the bottom, but I saw it coming after that weird-ass Russian folk dance. Please don't send Jeanine home.... please don't send Jeanine home.... I was right about Melissa and Ade, as well. And I have to agree with Tyce (he actually said something that wasn't fluff) that Ade dropped the ball this week.

Uhhhhh the previews for season 6 coming in the fall just got my heart racing... So. EXCITED!

Of the solos, I felt like Caitlin's was lacking any emotion and Jason's seemed spastic and desperate, while the rest were very strong.... so I'm not surprised Caitlin was sent home, but it's funny that this is the first week that I kind of started to like her a little bit. Just a little. But I think the judges made the right decision. And as for the guys, not completely surprised that Phillip got the boot even though his solo was phenomenal (as usual). He just hasn't been strong enough throughout the season to stick around amongst more seasoned dancers, but it's been nice to see him really grow as a dancer.

It's a nice bonus for Caitlyn and Phillip that they'll be going on the tour, as Nigel announced after these two were eliminated. I don't think they could have done a tour without Phillip's insane moves!

Next week, bring on the top 10!!

SYTYCD | top 12

I was chomping at the bit at work today knowing that last night's So You Think You Can Dance was awaiting me on my DVR. I heard some rumors about a fab Mia Michaels number, so I'm glad to be able to see it for myself. Shall we dance?

As always, Cat is looking spectacular. LOVE her hair. Very chic! It's getting down the the wire as the dancers in the top 10 are guaranteed a spot on this year's tour. Each couple is performing TWICE tonight so I'll recap each number together by couple.

Melissa and Ade
dance 1: Disco | "Move On Up"
The disco numbers are always so fun when done well. These two work so well together and were very convincing in this style. Keeping up with the pace of these speedy dances is always tough for the dancers but they really pulled it off... bummer about that slip at the end, though :-(
dance 2: Waltz | "A Natural Woman"
I'm gonna miss these two dancing together next week when the couples split off. What a contrast this was from the disco; Melissa did a great job, but Ade seemed a bit stiff and amateur with some of his movements — he looked uncomfortable and it became a tiny bit boring at times. And, um, Mary called Nigel "English Muffin." Brilliant.

Kayla and Kupono
dance 1: Contemporary | "Gravity"
I know now why I heard so much about this number after the show aired last night. I got chills from the very beginning. Completely incredible choreography and performance from these two. Just stunning. I got a little teary at parts, even. This is going to be one of those memorable numbers like the bench routine and the "Bleeding Love." But yes, let's give Kayla a barette, please?
dance 2: Broadway | "The Dance at The Gym"
This was a nice contrast from the emotional contemporary routine. No surprise that I loved this, being that it involved my fave Kayla AND I'm a musical theatre nerd. The choreography was great and theatrical without being unchallenging (which sometimes the B'way routines appear). I didn't feel as strongly about their "character" as the judges seemed to.

Caitlin and Jason
dance 1: Fox Trot | "Minnie the Moocher"
Well. You all know how I feel about Caitlin. So you know I mean it when I say that she was actually quite good in this number. Jason did a really nice job. Overall, an entertaining routine from these two.
dance 2: Lyrical Jazz | "Show Me Heaven"
I always really love how Mandy Moore plays off of the music so well. I thought this was a beautiful number (yes, that's right, I again have nothing negative to say about Caitlin). I agree with Nigel that there was a bit of chemistry lacking, but in terms of the dancing, it was well done.

Jeanine and Phillip
dance 1: Kalinka | "Kalinka"
Wow. Russian folk dancing? Really? Considering that this may have been an odd choice for a new genre in the competition, it was... okay? Phillip just looked goofy and his timing seemed off. Jeanine was adorable and did a great job of not making it seem super cheesy. She seemed a little dizzy by the end, though, and who could blame her with all those spins!
dance 2: Jive | "Stuff Like That There"
These two got dealt a difficult hand this week, but fortunately they brought back the excitement with this number. I LOVE this song and think Phillip brought it a lot more than I expected him to. Jeanine was stunning as always and I felt like this one was of their strongest partnering numbers. Sidenote: I have a total girl-crush on her. She's amazing!

Randi and Evan
dance 1: Hip Hop | "Halo"
Come on NappyTabs, bring it on. I really enjoyed this number — it was pretty standard NappyTabs choreography, but one of their stronger numbers. I'm glad that for once Evan isn't drowning in his costume and these two are just so cute together. They don't have that "hip hop" vibe so much but they pulled it off quite well. That crazy lift at the end was amazing!
dance 2: Samba | "Ritmo De Bom Bom"
So happy to see Pasha and Anya again! It's so nice when former competitors come back to choreograph. Evan looked a tad goofy in his facial expressions (and got whacked in the face once!) , and I felt like parts of the number seemed a little disjointed. They just didn't seem to "get it" and I think it came across that they were not comfortable with this number. I think this will put them in the bottom 3.

Janette and Brandon
dance 1: Argentine Tango | "Libertango"
Day-um. These two have some Chemistry with a capital C. Spectacular performance — Janette's legs were insane when she did those little mini kicky things! (Technical term.) Brandon was a solid partner and they both kept character flawlessly. Standing ovation, indeed, Nigel.
dance 2: Jazz | "Ruby Blue"
Woot woot Wade Robson! Man do I love that man. Dance genius, right there. I have never met a Wade Robson number I didn't love. But enough about him. This number was simply spectacular, executed flawlessly by Janette and Brandon. Wade has a penchant for Roisin Murphy songs and they go so well with his style. This piece had gobs of personality. Abso. Lutely. Loved it.

Competition is obviously pretty fierce at this point, but half of these dancers will still ultimately end up dancing for their lives...

Predictions for the bottom 3 couples:
Randi and Evan
Melissa and Ade
Jeanine and Phillip

Who I think should go home tomorrow night (er, tonight):
I don't wanna pick. Caitlin's still my least favorite girl but I don't see her being in the bottom 3. I think Ade was the weakest guy this week, but still love him, too. Sigh.

reMade bags

I know what you're thinking — "another post about bags? This chick is obsessed!" — but I just couldn't resist after I saw this company mentioned on my brother's Facebook page. His good friend, Shannon South, started reMade USA as a way to "upcycle" used materials (namely leather) to make beautiful, one-of-a-kind bags. The company's mission "is to create beautiful, long-lasting, well-made products that positively impact the environment, our users and our makers. All products are hand-crafted in Potrero Hill, San Francisco, California."

Just check out some of these beautiful creations:

Check out more fabulousness here!

a little delay...

My apologies if you came here this morning looking for my SYTYCD recap... Nick and I took in our first Phillies game of the season last night (which they won, thanks to my boyfriend, Shane Victorino — a.k.a. "the Flyin' Hawaiian") so I won't be able to watch the performances of the top 12 until tonight!
Believe me, the suspense is killing me.... I promise to have a recap up as soon as I watch :-)

SYTYCD | week 4 elimination

Awww, I enjoyed the opening number from "The Wiz." Nice little shout-out to MJ without being an all-out obvious "tribute." Those were some crazy costumes... why did they decide to make Kayla look naked? Moving on...

This week's bottom three were Karla and Vitolio (called it), Kayla and Kupono (srsly??), and Jeanine and Phillip (say what?). I guess I've lost my prediction mojo... or maybe I should have actually called in and voted for my faves. Hmph.

I am starting to love Jeanine and I'm kind of glad she got to perform her solo to remind us all of why she is here. She's quite spunky. I agree with the judges that Kayla's solo was a little erratic, but I also agree with their decision to send Karla home. It was definitely her time — I have been on the fence with her since the beginning and now that it's getting closer to the top 10, she just couldn't compete with the other girls.

Phillip's solo was crazy awesome, and I know he's definitely not the greatest dancer of the guys, but I'm glad he's sticking around. It's nice to see him learning and growing, and I just love his personality. Kupono's solo was definitely questionable, but he has clearly done an amazing job so far in his previous performances so I'm glad he's sticking around. Not surprised that Vitolio got sent home... he started to rub me the wrong way this week and I think he was losing popularity with the viewers.

Coming up next week: the top 12 perform! Oh boy oh boy oh boy...

PS- Kelly Clarkson sounded good, no? I admit to highly enjoying her new songs... so damn catchy.

she's all mine.

I finally got my hands on a made by hank original. Of course, a glamour shoot was in order.

I was so excited to get the cute little package... and brownie points to Katie Henry, the artist, for also having cool handwriting. Why can't my name look that cute when I write it?

I love when a package arrives with a personalized touch. I guess that's part of the Etsy charm and appeal — handmade=personal connection with customers. Not only did I get a handwritten note, but Katie also included a little coin purse as a bonus gift. How sweet!

I love my new clutch and it's the perfect size to hold my iPhone, some makeup, cash, and my camera.

Any other made by hank stalkers out there? I'm sure this won't be my last hank purchase!

nesting bookcases

While reading one of my favorite blogs, Unclutterer (it actually calms me... is that weird?), I came across this great nesting bookcase from Dror. It can be used in whatever way suits you best, with as many stacks as you want to add, and you could even arrange the individual pieces to be end tables. If you find yourself moving from apartment to apartment often, these would also be easy to pack up and transport to a new place.

These are available at Target (but currently out of stock); four open shelves are included in each package.

SYTYCD | top 14

Is anyone actually interested in these recaps? Let me know... I'll keep writing 'em if you keep reading 'em!

Quick sidenote: last week while in Austin, TX, would you believe that I saw Ryan Kasprzak, brother of Evan who is currently in the competition? You remember him from Vegas, right?


We were standing outside of our hotel watching the bats (eww) and a group of people attending a wedding at the hotel had come outside to watch, as well. I looked over and who did I see standing maybe 3 feet away from me but Ryan, wearing a tux — I guess he was a groomsman. I did a double-take, and then I turned downright stalkerish and kept looking at him to make sure it was really him. I think he saw me and probably wondered why this crazy girl was staring at him, haha. I wimped out and didn't say anything to him, but it was most definitely him — I felt starstruck. I'm so excited that he'll be back on the show in Vegas next season and I hope he makes it to the top 20!

Now, let's get into the show, shall we? Why, hello, Cat Deeley! My favorite tv host in the history of ever. Looking splendid as always. While Mia Michaels drives me insane sometimes, I LOVE when she is a judge on the show. She is, perhaps, clinically insane herself, and she always has such melodramatic feedback. Now let's see what these dancers have in store for the evening.

Janette and Brandon | Cha Cha | "Hush Hush"
Okay Jean Marc and France — enough of your gross inuendos. Anyway... Janette and Brandon have a great energy and are always so in sync with their choreography. This number was incredibly fast-paced and they knocked it straight out of the park. I'm glad Mia finally lightened up and realized Brandon is a stunning dancer... I got a little verklempt when he started to cry.

Kayla and Kupono | Contemporary | "Eyes on Fire"
Loving these two as a couple. And SO glad they get to rock it with one of Sonya's routines — she never disappoints. Kayla's strength is ridiculous and the whole number felt so powerful; they never lost momentum or got out of sync with each other, and they really tell a story with their movement. (Sidenote: I am hearing that some people are being rubbed the wrong way with Kayla. How do you feel about her? I think she's amazing and not at all cocky.)

Randi and Evan | Broadway | "Rich Man's Frug"
Is Joey Dowling new? I can't seem to remember her from past seasons... Anywho, these two are just so cute on stage together, and I loved this choreography. Quite different from the usual dances on this show, but I loved the bit of Fosse thrown in there. I definitely watched Randi more and agree with Nigel that Evan's performance was lacking a tad bit, but I feel almost like it is because he's a small guy and he's wearing somewhat baggy costumes lately? Maybe that's just me, but his costume last week bugged me, too.

Caitlin and Jason | Pop Jazz | "Creator"
Happy to see Brian Friedman again, with an especially weird number. I'm still not entirely sure why Caitlin remains in the competition; in the past few weeks I haven't been impressed with her partnering and I think her timing has often been off, but I have to say I liked her a little more (or, rather, disliked her a little less) this week. Maybe it's because not all of the movements were meant to be matchy-matchy with her partner so that weakness didn't show as much. She and Jason did a decent job... kind of on the fence with the number overall, though.

Jeanine and Phillip | Hip Hop | "Love Lockdown"
Oh Nappy Tabs (aka Napoleon and Tabitha). They're hit or miss choreographers for me. I have to say, though, that this was one of their hits and I think it was executed amazingly well. Phillip definitely lucked out getting hip hop this week, but Jeanine is equally impressive. The concept was crazy but it worked because they did it so well. I disagree with Mia that there was anything sloppy about it — I think, considering they were chained together, the focus remained on the dancing. Oh, and Nigel, never, ever say TMI again. You're old.

Melissa and Ade | Pas de Deux | "Romeo and Juliet"
Alright, so it can't be a coincidence that the ballerina got the pas de deux... I thought the routines are "picked out of a hat," but what would they have done if a non-ballerina would have gotten it? They couldn't have put her in pointe shoes for the first time, and it wouldn't be a traditional pas de deux if the female weren't on pointe. But I digress. These two are definitely becoming a favorite couple of mine. I felt like I was at the ballet and Melissa was the stunning Juliet lead. Ade's performance wasn't perfect, yet it was well done and he stayed in character so well.

Karla and Vitolio | Quick Step | "Puttin' On The Ritz"
Can we talk for a second about that amazing costume change for Karla? I want the number for that seamstress! However, Karla's moves did not leave me with the same feeling of amazement. I think Vitolio held this number together more, and Karla looked very amateur to me. Particularly her arms when they did the Charleston. Very dance-recital-ish. I'm surprised that the judges didn't have more criticism for Karla and I'm guessing these two will be in the bottom three tomorrow night.

It's becoming a lot more difficult to predict who may be in the bottom three couples, because there are so many amazing performances, but it's gotta be someone.

Predictions for the bottom three couples:
Caitlin and Jason
Randi and Evan
Karla and Vitolio

Who I think should go home tomorrow night:
Karla and Vitolio

Tonight, the Dizzy Feet Foundation was also introduced — ten scholarships will be given to under-priveleged dancers to assist them in continuing to pursue their dreams and become better dancers. I'm glad that some young people will have the opportunity to get a dance education they might not have otherwise.

need a giggle?

I love finding a website that makes me laugh so hard that I have tears coming out of my eyes. I found Happiest People Ever the other day via A Blog About Things. It illustrates "what happens when photographers forget to tell people to say cheeeeeeese." We all have these photos stashed away somewhere. Just check out some of these extremely happy people:

If you're not laughing, something is wrong with you!

Check out more here.