American Idol TONIGHT

You know you love it!

AMERICAN IDOL starts tonight!

I always enjoy AI, but it hasn't been the same in the past few years.  With the addition of a 4th judge last year, things really started to change.  I have to stay, I don't care for Kara.  Nothing personal, but I just like the chemistry of the original 3 judges. 

Now, we know this is Simon's last year.  I think this is definitely the beginning of the end of Idol.  I don't want to be doom & gloom . . . everything runs its course eventually.  I'm going to enjoy this season and hope that Ellen brings a much needed freshness to the group!  She {along with the talent} may just save this season. 

Bring on the bloopers tonight.  Those are always good for the first few shows, but then I'm ready for some real talent!

Who's GOING TO HOLLYWOOD?

Friday FunDay : NanerPus

Have you seen this?!

I hadn't until a couple of nights ago when we were watching American Idol. I literally laughed until I cried. You know, one of those good laughs that make your sides hurt. A really good laugh. A much need laugh. :) Being the good hubby that he is, SewDaddy found the clip on YouTube for me. No wonder I love him.

Fair warning: Do not have coffee, coke or anything else in your mouth that you might spew on your computer monitor. I won't say "I told you so" but I'm just sayin; ;)

Without further delay; I give you . . . . . .

NanerPus

Weigh In

So, what did you think about Idol?

Weigh in here.

• Do you like having a 4th judge.?
• Do you like Kara, the new judge?
• What about Bikini Girl?
• Will the Oil Rig Worker do well in Hollywood?
• Was Pink Cowgirl really 16? {I think not}

It Starts Tonight

Idol is back; starting tonight.

Can I get a WOO HOO!

I know; the first few shows are filled with more poor singers than those who will make it to Hollywood, but c'mon . . . some of them are pretty funny. Those folks put themselves out there trying to be on TV; knowing they don't stand a chance. It's OK to laugh. :)


A new judge, Kara DioGuardi, will make her debut tonight. She is a singer/songwriter and apparently pretty fiesty. I'm interested in how this new dynamic will fit in with the other judges.

So, get ready, make a bowl of popcorn and LAUGH!

David WON

David Cook won American Idol

With 97 million votes cast, David Cook won by a margin of 12 million. It's hard to believe that almost 1 billion votes were cast between 2 contestants.

Last night's finale show was very entertaining, even right down to the commercials.

The David Cook/Risky Business/Guitar Hero commercial was the best, HANDS DOWN!!! Aruchuletta also did his version, but it showed after Cook's; plus Archletta sported boxers rather than the traditional whitey-tighties. Cook's version was perfect!

My other favorite part of the night, Gladys Knight and "The Pips". Jack Black makes me laugh anyway, but Jack Black as a Pip . . . . too good!!! Other Pips were another favorite funny guy, Ben Stiller and surprisingly Robert Downey, Jr.

Paula did look beautiful, but I was concerned about a wardrobe malfunction! That wouldn't be a good way to end the year for her!

Congratulations to David Cook!

A Tale of Two Davids

Who won?

The judges seemed to lean heavily toward Archuleta,

while Dial Idol predicts Cook to be the winner.

Who do YOU think will win American Idol?

P A R T Y ! ;-)

Party at Gina's! ;-)

Have you visited an unpink life yet? If you haven't, go check out Gina's blog! She is participating in the Mommyfest 2008 Blog Party and has been kind enough to include me in her "Support these WAHMs" list for her giveaway. I won't give away the details, Gina explains it all here.

Thank for spreadin' the Sew Gracious love, Gina!

And a note about Idol . . . I think everyone is ready for this season to end. ;-) I was a bit surprised at the contestant picks last night. With an opportunity to do any song they wanted, they each picked "the unexpected". That's not always a bad thing, but it was an chance to really shine and no one really took it. David A's version of the Billy Joel song was incredible. Syesha is gaining some confidence and is really doing much better here at the end. David C could have done the Aerosmith song justice if he had had more than 1:30 to do it.

Going home tonight . . . it's really a toss up at this point. ;-)

Love Me Tender : American Idol

There are certain artists who probably shouldn't be covered on American Idol. Elvis is the biggest name in music history. You have to be good to sing Elvis.

Last night, David Archuleta proved that HE is GOOD!!!

His version of "Love Me Tender" was, by far, the very best performance of the night and possibly David A's best all season! OUTSTANDING!

David Cook was rough on his first song ["Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran] He came back strong on "Baba O'Reilly" by The Who. Alot of people don't know the song title, per se; but everyone knows that song. It was a good pick to finish the evening for him.

Syesha is doing better. I had high hopes for "Proud Mary". Tina Turner is another artist who is almost untouchable, but Syesha gave it a shot. She looked great and sounded great, but her choreography didn't live up to her hype. Tina is 69 and could still dance Syesha [or anyone else] under the table. ;-) Her second song, "Change is Gonna Come" was very good . . . and very emotional for her. We are seeing her mature before our eyes.

Jason . . . pack your bags! Jason seems less interested each week. Of all the Bob Marley songs, he picks "I Shot the Sheriff" ??? What about "One Love" . . . the quintessential Marley song? His follow up, "Mr Tambourine Man" was pitiful. If your head is not in the game at this point, and you don't know the lyrics, it's time to go home. You're cute, Jason! Good Luck!

Diamond in the ROUGH : American Idol

R O U G H indeed!

Everything about last night's American Idol was rough! The performances were sub-par; from all contestants. There were a couple of highlights, but they were dimmed by the other distractions. (earth to Paula!)

American Idol's ratings have dropped considerably this year. Last night was an example of why they are dropping. I know that Neil Diamond is an icon on history of American music. Yes, he has written &/or sung some of the most well-known songs around. The problem is; he is not NOW. Some would say his music is timeless, but it does not appeal to the majority of the AI audience. It obviously didn't appeal to many of the contestants. Neil Diamond was on AI to promote HIS upcoming new album & tour.

If AI wants their ratings to increase, they need a wider variety of mentors. This years crop hasn't been that great. Yes, they are all extremely talented, but weren't contemporary.

• Dolly was fine and a positive influence, but her life performance was lacking.
• Mariah has re-invented herself yet again, but wasn't that "helpful" to the contestants
• Andrew Lloyd Webber was the best mentor of the season. He did what a mentor SHOULD do on this show; plus his songs truly are timeless
• Neil Diamond has been around forever. These kids don't like those songs but are forced to sing them

Last night's show was a trainwreck on so many other levels. Why try to cram 10 songs into a 1 hour show? Ryan set the tone right of the bat which seemed to put everyone on edge. I agree, the pace of the show should move along, but last night's show was better suited for 5 songs rather than 10.

Paula. PaulaPaulaPaula She was so bad that even Simon tried to pull her of the ditch. Maybe she was incredibly bored by ND songs too and just thought Jason sang two.

So, my pick for a ticket home tonight . . . . . Brooke White

And then there were 5 . . .

Carly is going home. No worries . . . she had a great ride and got lots of face time. She will do just fine!

I was surprised that she & Syesha were in the bottom 2. It should have been Brooke & Jason. I believe we are seeing the popularity contest (12 year old girls voting for Jason in big numbers) emerging.

Next week is Neil Diamond week. I'm not a huge ND fan so I hope that the contestants can bring some contemporary arrangments to the older songs.

Oh What A Night : American Idol

What a night it was on American Idol

I knew it had the potential to be fantastic. Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the most accomplished composers & has written some of the most notable music of our time. Only outstanding singers can perform his songs a they should be done. Some of our idols did and some missed the mark last night.

Carly was by far the best of the evening. Her redition of "Superstar" was outstanding! What an incredible voice! Lord Andrew was surely pleased! Loved the dress too . . . . very cute for a song from the 70s.

David A also did a wonderful contemporary version of "Think of Me" . Really . . . isn't any song from Phantom of the Opera wonderful? I think David's version of this song could be radio-ready.

Syesha finally found her niche! What an incredible performance of a not-so-well-known song, "One Rock & Roll Too Many" from Starlight Express. Musical theater of this style is where her money is. She definitely needs to put her cockiness aside (code for I wanna be like Whitney-Mariah-Beyonce) and go for Broadway.

Jason . . . please DON'T SPEAK! Granted, he's a cute as a button & has a beautiful smile, but doesn't interview well. Unfortunately, his performance "Memory" was SO pitiful. :-( Cats everywhere were crying.

Brooke, I believe, will be going home tonight. He nerves seem to be getting the better of her. She attempted "You Must Love Me" from Evita. I think her heart was in the song, but I think the stress of this competition, missing her sister's wedding, etc is about to take it's toll

David Cook . . . I was really starting to like him and still believe he has a wonderful talent. However, "Music of the Night" is probably the most well-known song from Phantom, and one of my favorites. Honestly, if you can't sing like Michael Crawford (the original Phantom) you probably don't need to do this song. David C missed the mark on this one. His heart and emotion were not in this song. I didn't "feel" it like I do when I hear a performance of Phantom.

Andrew Lloyd Webber with Michael Crawford (The Original Phantom)

The weather is beautiful; wish you were here :-)

Hello from the Beach!!!

As our family has always said, "A bad day at the beach is better than a good day at work."

It certainly hasn't been bad at the beach although we've had some cooler-than-normal temps. That combined with the wind has made it a bit chilly in the mornings. That's OK . . . we are at the beach. B L I S S !

I would love to share pics, but that will probably wait until I'm at home. I'm not used to using SewDaddy's laptop and hate to spend precious vacation time trying to figure out how to get pics off the camera onto the laptop so that I can post here. I guess the suspense will keep everyone tuning in! ;-)

I'll also share about my beach-read, which was wonderful!!! I finished it in about 3 days and was anxious to start my 2nd book.

The 2nd book, was not so good. Really . . . dropping the "f-bomb" about a dozen times in the first chapter is NOT necessary. I'm not a prude, but if an author cannot come up with another word and uses "that" word continuous, she is not a very good author, IMHO. I even ventured into the 2nd chapter; hoping that it would get better. NOT. Pitiful. I abandoned my 2nd beach book. :-(

All in all, it's been a great week so far; bringing needed rest & relaxation to the Gracious family. I have been checking email & Etsy occasionally. Thanks to all who have shopped with me on Etsy and the Website while I'm away! :-)

PS . . . THANK YOU, AMERICA!!! You did not vote for Kristy Lee Cook and she is finally going HOME from American Idol! The 2 Davids were by far the best this week!

This Time; It's Personal

Many people may think that because I make bags, I have a closet-full. Not so.

I get a new bag when I decide to keep one that didn't turn out quite right {an "oops" bag} or one, that for some incredibly strange reason, hasn't sold! ;-)

Today was different. We are getting ready to head out on Spring Break {WOO HOOO} and I desperately needed a new bag. My current bag was an old oops bag that I carried last winter and I was tired of it. It wasn't very beach-y . . at all. So, I decided to make a bag just for me; something I would buy if I were looking at websites or Etsy shops.

Here's what I came up with. My new favorite, natural linen, paired with a patchwork of some of my favorite fabrics; topped off with a band of brand new Amy Butler Midwest Modern pink floral. I've shown pics of both sides because they are different.

I'd love to have your comments on this bag. I'm going to set up a poll on the blog too. Please vote and let me know if you want more linen bags. I would love to make more if you like them.

More about spring break soon. ;-)

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And a note about Idol Gives Back:

• Biggest Surprise of the Night : HEART! Love ya, Ann & Nancy! I just hated that Ann apparently can't hit those high notes anymore; but Fergie did a great job
• Most Impressive Move of the Night : 2 one-handed front walkovers by Fergie! WOW
• GOING HOME TONIGHT: Syesha although Carly is low in the polls
  
  

American Idol Re-Cap

At this stage in the game, it gets harder to see contestants go home. It's time for everyone to bring their A-game . . and most did last night.

"Over the Rainbow" has been a defining song for Jason & also for Kat McPhee a few years ago. Each version was different, but each performer made a statement with their version. I really like Jason's version last night. He's growing on me . . . if he just doesn't speak! LOL

I just can't behind Kristy Lee. I think her song choice (especially the lyrics about "sing it anyway") was a thumb of her nose to the judges and the voting public. If I liked her, I'm sure I'd feel differently about her choice. She is safe this week though.

Carly has an amazing voice, but probably could have picked a different song. Queen is great, but we've been a little Queen-heavy this season. Her clothing fit better and she looked more fit than she has in recent weeks, but the stylists need to advise her more at this stage of the game. Her clothing needs to match her talent at this point.

David Cook was disappointing last night. Not a good song choice for him.

Michael Johns . . . still really cute, but the ascots need to go. He looks like he needs a pipe and a smoking jacket rather than a microphon. Dream On is one of my Aerosmith songs and I was surprised that Michael actually did the falsetto part. He did a pretty good job . . . good enough to stay around this week.

Brooke . . . she did ok but I wasn't surprised by her song choice.

David A . . . I LOVE HIM!!! What a talent!

Syesha . . . she's doing all the big-voice diva singers, but America is not behind her. I think she will be packing her bags on Thursday night.

Yes . . .we have to wait until Thursday for this week's results. Tonight, Idol Gives Back and the show starts earlier than normal. Look for lots of big-name talent including Miley Cyrus, past Idol contestants and keep a box is tissue handy.

Linen & Patchwork : Amy Butler, Heather Bailey & more

It's a hard combination to beat . . . linen, patchwork, Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, Anna Griffin Nice! :-)

This is my newest bag, now available in my Etsy shop. I used some of of my favorite fabrics from some of my favorite designers. Damask, Dots, Florals paired up for a fun casual, yet elegant bag. Wouldn't your Mom love this for Mother's Day? She would think you are the cat's meow! ;-)

Click the here or click the pics to go to the listing. Grab this one soon, if you love it or I may decide to keep it myself! ;-)




And, a note about American Idol . . . Farewell, Ramiele.

Dolly Good Show : American Idol

It's Dolly Parton week on American Idol. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. All of the contestants did well, even those who wouldn't be considered to be in the country music genre.

• The 2 Davids were outstanding and my favorite performances of the evening.


• BTW . . . David Cook was taken to the hospital after last nights performance because of heart palpitations and high blood pressure. He has been released and I hope he's OK


• Michael Johns wasn't bad either, but the ascot was kinda cheesy.


• Jolene was a great choice for Brooke White and I loved the ensemble of the fiddle, drum box, etc; but the tempo was just a tad too fast


• Carly did well, but I think her confidence is being shaken, by the media and comments like Simon made. I agree in part . . . at this point in the competition, the stylists should be making her look great every week. Her wardrobe last night . . . not so great


• Jason Castro is growing on me. Great performance last night. He's cute and has a winning smile, but he doesn't interview well


• Syesha . . . You knew she would sing I Have Always Loved You. I mean, Whitney made it a hit long after Dolly originally performed it years ago. Since Whitney did, Syesha had to do it too, right? Sorry . . . if you're gonna sing anything Whitney sang, you should be able to do it just as well or better. Syesha missed the marked BIG TIME last night.


• Country Music should have been right up Kristy Lee's alley, but she seems disconnected from her song, Coat of Many Colors.


• Ramiele . . . . :-(

My picks for the bottom 3 tonight: RAMIELE, KRISTY LEE & SYESHA

Etsy Additions : Amy Butler & more

This pretty handbag is made with Amy Butler fabric : Full Moon Dots, Gothic Rose & Pink Coriander! What a beautiful combination! If you simply must have this OOAK (one of a kind) bag, click the pic or click here to get it in my Etsy shop! Perfect for spring, summer and MOTHER'S DAY! :-)



So maybe pink is not your thing. That's OK. How about rich chocolate brown with cool spa blue? NICE! This lovely OOAK bag is made with fabric from Joel Dewberry & Anna Griffin . . . a perfect pair! Click the pic or click here to buy this bag for yourself . . . or your mom!

And a word about American Idol . . . farewell to Chikeze! :-)

Hands Down

Michael Johns gave his best performance ever on American Idol! WOW!! He obviously has a connection with Queen music. After Bohemian Rapsody and now We Are The Champions...he's found his niche. He needed a good week . . . he couldn't go on his handsome-ness forever.

David Cook . . . well, I'm afraid he stole the show. I WANT to like him, but there's something that keeps me from jumping on board completely. He does have a wonderful talent and an excellent voice. Like Daughtry, he will do well whether his wins this competition or not. Truthfully, people like David Cook do BETTER by not winning. They get the exposure they need, land a record deal, then can do the kind of music they WANT to do; rather than what the American Idol machine wants.

And . . . David Archuleta . . . I wish I had known that song. He is such a great singer, but it was hard for me to get into a song that I'd never heard.

My pick to go home tonight . . . . . RAMIELE

Wordless Wednesday : Watching for Spring

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Ok...not completely Wordless this Wednesday. I HAVE to comment on American Idol last night! Please, NO MORE BEATLES SONGS! Two weeks of this has been too much. I know, I'm probably in the minority, but I've never been a McCartney/Lennon/Beatles fan. The last 2 weeks reminded me why.

David Archuleta did shine again with The Long & Winding Road. He was one of the few highlights of the show. Even cutie, Michael Johns, faltered last night. :-( I've never heard the song Chikeze did and Kristy Lee really needs to go home tonight.

and now . . . back to Wordless Wednesday. ;-)

Perfectly Pink & Green Preppy

Pink & Green! If you love pink & green, Lilly P, all things posh & preppy . . . I've got a bag for you! :-)

My newest Etsy listing is a combination of pink & green floral piques with some polka dots thrown in for fun! A matching tissue case is also included! If you're preppy, you love to match!

Click the pic or click here to get this OOAK (one of a kind) bag all for yourself!

More NEW goodies are on the way in my Etsy shop. Stop by, heart me and keeping checking in. :-)

And a note on American Idol . . . 3 out of 4 of my picks did go home last night. I was surprised that Chikeze stayed and Diva Daniel went home!