I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving!

Corey had to work so I spent the day reorganizing our bedroom closet and cleaning. When he got home my cousin Dean came over and we had dinner. Pretty low key but nice.

P.S. I made this in 2007, when Thanksgiving was still my favorite holiday.

Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper

My friend Angi insisted I borrow this book. I've had it for quite some time because I felt like it was too soon to read after Jersey died. If you've read enough pet stories you know how they always end, right?!

I chose this book for my TBR Challenge so I could force myself to finally read it and return it. She loaned it to me on October 14, 2009 after all. I'm so pleased that I did finally take her advice and read it because it's a real feel-good story.

Gwen rescues Homer as a kitten from a vet who's removed his eyes after the people who originally owned him were going to put him to sleep because he had an eye disease. It is amazing to read how easily he navigates through life and incredible to read all of the super-cool things he can do in spite of/because of his blindness.

There's also a chapter about September 11th. Gwen was living a few blocks from the World Trade Center when it happened. Reading about how she couldn't get back to her cats after the crisis is gut-wrenching.

If you like animal stories check it out!

I also noticed that I accidentally went from reading a story about a blind man named Homer straight to a story about a blind cat named Homer. Weird.

And here's a gratuitous Jersey cat picture, taken by my fabulous sister-in-law:

We still miss you Jersey!

Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow

I read City of God by E.L. Doctorow with my book club and didn't care for it. I had already bought Homer and Langley so I decided I better read it anyway. Luckily I did because it was so cool to read a story from a blind man's point of view.

Have you heard of the Collyer brothers? They were real people, known because they inherited a bunch of money from their parents and became reclusive hoarders. This is an almost completely fictionalized story about them; they live until the 1970s in the story instead of when they actually tragically died in the 1940s, and their birth order is reversed.

What E.L. does for us is take a fact, like that the chassis of a Model T was found in Homer and Langley's house after they died, and imagine the story of how it came to be there. We get to share in the glorious details of amassing a hoard. Ok, hoarding is an illness but in this story it doesn't seem so sad.

I love the characters and the journey we take with them through history. Fascinating story. E.L. Doctorow has been redeemed.

P.S. The Collyer Brothers is by James Lake.

P.P.S. This is 8th book out of 12 I've read for my TBR Challenge. It's been on my shelf since November 2, 2009, and it will remain on my shelf until someone borrows it.

Introducing...Stellaluna!

Once Corey got home and held this little dog he fell in love. He said, "'Looks like we've picked up another pathetic life form.'"

Since my school is not in the nicest neighborhood there are always strays running around. Most of the teachers have taken home dogs that we've caught on campus, a phenomenon known as "Crockett Dog." I've been at my school for 8 years and I've held out, but now I have my own.

Right now her name is Stellaluna, going with the bat theme and naming our pets after children's books. She has the bark of a big dog and loves following Corey and I around with her tail wagging. I think she weighs less than Strega Nona.

doggy?

After school today 2 of my books club buddies, Alana and Katie, told me to come to their offices because they had a dog for me. Yeah, right! They couldn't catch it so I decided to help them out.

I found a teensy chihuahua puppy shivering in the dead end alley which makes up their offices. When I tried to pet it I got a growl, so I went into the Cesar Milan sideways squat approach until I finally got to pick it up. I noticed it needed a nail trim and it was a boy. Katie said he looks like a bat and named him Bat. We tied a bow around his neck and tried to pawn him off on everyone still on campus. No luck. It was too late to call Animal Control so I thought we could ask our friends if they wanted him and if not I could call Animal Control tomorrow. I decided to bring him to my vet to see if he was microchipped.

The tech scanned him and found no microchip, and also informed me that he was a girl in heat! Discovery number 2: she's not a puppy but a fully grown adult! And she has a hernia (the painless kind) and her nails on her back paws were so long they were digging into the bottoms of her paw pads. The tech trimmed them because she felt so bad for her and wished me luck finding her a home.

Introductions to Captain Skippyjon Jones and Caprica Six went very smoothly. Caprica didn't even growl once! Maybe because Bat was so tiny she didn't feel insecure. Hard to imagine but our dogs look like giants next to her.

Corey and I have been texting all night and he's almost made up his mind to keep her sight unseen. Looks like we may have a new member of our pack.

Local Girls by Alice Hoffman

I read Local Girls for my To Be Read Challenge, since it's been on my shelf since July 2, 2008. I was really excited because Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors. Unfortunately I didn't feel like this book was as good as the others I've read by her.

The Local Girls must be Gretel, the main character, and her best friend, Jill. They are teenage neighbors who exact revenge with vandalism on people who have wronged them. Gretel's brother is a science genius in high school, but when he graduates he becomes a drug addict. Gretel's mom and her mom's cousin Margot are best friends who open a catering business together after they have both been left by their husbands for other women. Each character was really tragic but other than divorce I didn't see the cause for everyone's dysfunction. It was a really choppy, disjointed story.

My favorite character was Margot because she made fun for herself in creative ways.

I recommend skipping Local Girls and instead reading Alice Hoffman's superior novels, The Probable Future, The River King, The Story Sisters, or Practical Magic. If you decide to read Local Girls anyway, the good thing is that, "All author profits from this edition are being donated to breast cancer research and breast cancer care centers."

I really love the cover, which was illustrated by Maggie Taylor. I am thankful I read Local Girls because it introduced me to an amazing artist! Behold, Woman with a stone skirt:

Michael Kors Similes

Episode 12 (Finale Challenge)
It's the designers last chance to show the judges why they deserve to show a collection during New York Fashion Week at Bryant Park, i.e. It's Michael Kors second to last chance to describe designers outfits with similes.

Kimberly

This thing is like you tried to tailor a coat out of an orange paper towel. It's like the souflee collapsed. It's kind of disco Halloween.

Laura

(re: gown on left)
The gown could have been interesting but she looks like a fence walking.

(re: dress on right)
And then all of a sudden, what's her specialty is her flowy dress and it looks like a pillowcase.

(SPOILER ALERT!)
I was so sad that she got eliminated since showing at Bryant Park was her childhood dream.

Josh earned a description of himself with a simile!

I think you're a little bit of like a Magpie where the glitter and the shine is really turning you on.

Michael Kors Simile

Episode 11 (This Is for the Birds)
Designers, here is a bird. Create!



Josh M.

But then all of a sudden she had to get the I-was-drunk-in-the-Caribbean-at-a-party-corsage on her shoulder!

(Michael Kors liked the dress though. I liked the whole thing! How about you?)

Michael Kors Similes

Episode 10 (Sew 70s)
Gross, two 70s fashion challenges in a row and in this episode the designers had to make 2 ugly outfits. The 70s are probably my least favorite decade in fashion, but it was fun to see Bert lord his 70s experience over everyone.

Michael Kors, what do you have to say about it?

Laura

Talk about schizophrenic! We've got the ugly print skirt with the prison-striped halter top and then I go the other extreme and it's like taking three sleeping pills.

Anya

The top, it's like the color of Dentyne chewed gum on the bottom of your seat or something, but I like the work in the back of the top very much.

This is a SPOILER ALERT for anyone who hasn't watched the season finale yet!

This whole season I felt like it was so amazing how everyone helped out Anya so much. It made me feel like there is still hope for humanity. Anya lost her money during this challenge so her fellow competitors scrounged up $11 to give to her to buy fabric from Mood. Back at Parsons they gave her their castoff material. Wow, how sweet!

In other episodes fellow competitors helped her actually sew her outfits. Wow, generosity abounds!

But after watching Anya win this season I kind of felt bitter about all the help she received. Is it really fair for someone to win when they received so much help along the way? Why don't I just go try out for Project Runway then? And now that I feel bitter about Anya winning I feel like I'm part of the reason there is no hope for humanity.

But really I just liked Viktor's collection best.

Michael Kors Metaphors

Episode 9 (Image is Everything)
In this challenge designers were asked to create a new look for the band, The Sheepdogs. The band has a 70s rock sound, so designers were inspired to take the worst of 70s fashion and force these kind men to wear it.

Let the metaphors fly, Michael Kors.

Laura

I think it looks like he cut himself shaving. It's a little Sweeney Todd tie-dye.

Anya

I think he's like Reggae Jesus. He looks like he's got a suede lobster bib on. It's like a Brady Bunch dashiki. I don't know what else to say.

(after 3 consecutive similes I can understand why)

Anthony Ryan

It's kind of like a Golden Girl goes rock and roll moment. I mean he's literally missing a shoulder bag.

Kimberly

I think he looks like Peter Brady at an Autumn Harvest. It's a bowling shirt.

(note to future designers: never combine orange and brown or you will receive the dread Autumn Harvest comment)

And finally Viktor earned a simile as a compliment!

This is kind of like Mad Max meets Woodstock.

Halloween Memories 2011

Corey and I just wanted to thank everyone again for coming to our party and putting so much effort into your costumes! You characters made it a memorable night!

We were originally going to have everyone vote for the best costume but in the midst of introducing dogs and debating what to do with the fire pit we forgot! So we decided to honor your creativity here.

Best Costumes

Jon (Dr. Frank-N-Furter) and Joe (Anakin Skywalker)
For those of you who don't know, Jon sewed a large portion of their costumes! Awesome!

Most Creative

Chad and Michelle (Die Hard)
I wish I had taken more pictures of Chad's Bruce Willis costume. Not only was he barefoot, but he also had a gun taped to his back. We loved the attention to detail!

Most Artistic

Tanya (Dia de Los Muertos Chica)
She spent over and hour painting her face and she was amazing yet creepy!

Most Politically Incorrect Yet Completely Hysterical
Andrew (Not Pictured)
We love you!

Most Authentic

Dan (Blues Brother)
He actually played us a song on his harmonica at the end of the night! We love live music!

Coolest

Stephanie (Flapper)
I'm jealous of your beautiful costume and special pantyhose!

Soul Sisters


Raiven and Angi (Little Red Riding Hood)
I wish I had gotten a picture of you guys together!

Most Likely to Be an Actual Movie Stand-In

Bob (Indiana Jones)
Watch out Harrison Ford!

Cutest

Audrey, Alana, and Alicia (Butterflies and Witch)
We loved the glow-in-the-dark accessories, and the only costume from Etsy!

Sweetest

Kelly and Bella (Cop and Princess)
Bella was such a good girl and very soft!

Best Jack-o-Lantern

Donald (Stripper)
We love your demented mind!

Many thanks and lots of love! We'll have to do it again next year!

Jessie, Hunter, Banana, and Ram