The Fashion Show

Finally a replacement to fill the void left by Project Runway! The Fashion Show is Bravo's new fashion design show now that Lifetime network snatched away Project Runway. However, why Lifetime can't seem to churn out a new season of Project Runway while Bravo issues a brand new show is a mystery!

I had planned to remain faithful to Project Runway, but I watched the first episode of Bravo's new show online today and I have to say that I don't really miss the old show (especially after being kept waiting so long). A few things are different--less focus on the models for example. However, the parts that are absent are not parts I cared about anyway! I do miss Tim Gunn, but you can't have everything.

The Fashion Show airs Thursday's at 10:00 pm or you can watch full-length episodes on the bravotv.com website.

Crazy Talk

CrazyTalk v5.1 from Reallusion is the greatest piece of software ever. Within 5 minutes (literally!) I was able to create this avi of our Puggottie Otto as a talking puppy! With a little more effort the possibilities are endless.

Only $49.95 for a dowloadable version it's a bargain! Create videos of your friends, family (babies!) and pets to send as e-cards, post to your website or load onto your cell phone. So intuitive and easy to use. Import your photos, line-up the eye and mouth guides and you are ready to create animations. It's really that easy.

You can record your own audio or use the text to audio feature to get a computer generated voice to speak whatever text you type in. I used one of the sample audio files that come with the program to create the video of Otto, but can't wait to experiment with my own audio files.

Look out for more Otto video in the near future!

Têtes à Claques

I'm so excited that these great animated shorts from Quebec are now available in English! The relaunched website is tac.tv. Unfortunately, not all of same videos that are available on the French site are available in English. However, there is still a decent selection up there in English.

I have to say that even though it's nice to have them in English, for some reason the French versions are funnier to me. If (like me) you know French, but may not know all of the colloquialisms of Canadian French or be able to keep up with the speed of the dialogue, you can also get subtitles of the French videos in "International French". Now I've been able to go back and watch the French versions and make sure I didn't miss anything.

My Favorite Serial Killer

My sister kept insisting that I should check out the Showtime series Dexter. However, I didn't get around to watching any of it until this summer. It took a few episodes, but then I was hooked.

Michael C. Hall does an amazing job as a forensics blood spatter specialist who moonlights as a serial killer. He manages to make his character likable, funny and believable which is really the key to the succcess of this series. In general this series is very well acted and written and I love the fact that there are multiple story lines to follow.

Season 1 has been available on DVD ($22) and now Season 2 has just come out as well. Or, you can download individual episodes ($1.99) from either Amazon or iTunes. I'm not sure if this is available in all areas, but Comcast cable offers season 2 in their "On Demand" lineup. I'm still working through the season 2 episodes trying to drag them out until the next season starts.

The Season 3 premier is Sunday, September 28th at 9pm. The countdown begins!

So Fierce!

Project Runway

Season 5 of the US version of Project Runway is underway right now. This is without a doubt my favorite show on tv. Each week a group of aspiring fashion designers designs an outfit based on a particular theme or challenge and the resulting designs are judged during a runway show.

I could not get the current episodes while I was in Canada, but luckily these are posted on YouTube within a few days of airing. The key to searching for episodes on YouTube is to use the format of S##E##. So, to view this season's episodes do a search on "project runway s05e01". I highly recommend you go back and watch season's 3 and 4 as well.

Project Runway Canada

There has been one season of Project Runway in Canada so far. This version is hosted by Iman, but is otherwise very similar. The great thing about the Canadian version is that all of the episodes are posted on the website. I definitely recommend watching season 1 online.

Where are They Now?

Christian Siriano, who was the winner of US Season 4 and brought the expression "fierce" into everyday vernacular, now has his line on BlueFly.

(Note: Christian was spotted during our stay in Montreal walking down the street. We managed not to yell out "Fierce!" as we drove by).

Jeffrey Sebilia, winner of Season 3, has a company called Cosa Nostra. His line is available at BlueBee and Revolve Clothing.

Don't Try this at Home

Inspired by Project Runway, I've decided to teach myself to sew this year. I've dabbled in sewing for years, making my daughter's Halloween costumes, and doing small projects like pillows or curtains. However, now I want to REALLY learn how to do things the right way.

I just picked up Diana Rupp's Sew Everything Workshop book and am going to try a few projects in there for my Fall wardrobe. This book really breaks down and explains terminology, how to read a pattern and all the basics of sewing.