Sea Glass Christmas Trees

I made these Christmas trees by simply hot gluing pieces of green sea glass to a foam floral cone! If you don't have a huge supply of sea glass, you can buy imitation sea glass at a craft store... although I wouldn't necessarily approve! ;) Use bigger pieces at the bottom (you want flat edges along the bottom) and then work your way around and layer pieces, gradually going smaller. Then decorate your trees as you wish!

These floral cones actually have a flat top, so on the smaller one I just glued pieces of glass together to create a pointed edge. On the taller tree, I added clay to create a point (set with a heat gun then also hot glued to the top) and continued to attach my pieces of glass. If you have the supplies already, I'd recommend the clay method, but don't go out of your way to do it that way.

I love how these trees turned out and will definitely be making more before next Christmas! I want to try one with my white sea glass too.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

November Instagram Round-up!

Oh dear, I just realized I never posted my favorite November Instagram shots!

 My blinged out She-ra Funko Pop! So sparkly and pretty :)

I love my sea glass, and these beautiful green pieces went towards a project to be featured here soon. 

Hummingbird! So amazing!

Free Shipping!

In honor of Cyber Monday, get free shipping on any order at Lucy & Larry when you use code CYBER13, today through Friday! More items will be posted throughout the week!

Sand Dollar Necklaces

When I write, I don't really expect anybody to read it, so it blows my mind when a complete stranger will take the time to comment or send me an e-mail about one of my posts. I was recently contacted by a gentleman named Adrian who stumbled across my sand dollar tutorial from a couple of years ago. Oh, neat, I thought to myself. Someone saw my sand dollars! I decided to take a look at my stats.

My first sand dollar project from 2011

I don't remember the exact count, but I do remember my jaw dropping to the floor. Today, that tutorial has well over 5,100 views- which I'm sure is a drop in the hat for most bloggers, but huge for someone like me who writes a post and never thinks twice about how many people will actually read it. That is almost two thousand more views than my next most-read post (my antique printer tray jewelry display)- not to mention a hundred times more than most of my posts! As it turned out, a couple other blogs linked to my post and it was making the rounds on Pinterest. Cool!

But back to Adrian. He saw my old post, and wanted to know if I'd be able to make a couple of sand dollar necklaces for him as well. After my excitement wore off about how many people read my old post, I realized I would have to disappoint him. After all, it was a one-time project, and I didn't have any other sand dollars in my stash of jewelry supplies. And so I let him know, thinking that was it.

That wasn't it. Adrian let me know he had the sand dollars he wanted me to use. He explained to me that he had collected these shells over ten years ago, with this special friend he wanted to gift the necklace to this Christmas. I loved the story, and happily accepted the project.

I cleaned and protected the sand dollars the same way I outlined in my tutorial. The only adjustment I made was lessening the amount of bleach I used, as these two shells were much smaller and I was worried sick I would destroy them. Whew! I also used an organic cotton cord instead of the silver chain I used on my previous necklace, per Adrian's request that I use natural elements.

Adrian was so kind that he even included a couple extra sand dollars that he insisted I keep for myself. I haven't decided exactly what I want to do yet, but I love this piece and will wear it all next summer.

Thank you, Adrian, for not only allowing me to make such a special gift for you, but giving me a treasure of my own!

October Instagram Round-up!

Here are my favorite Instagram pics from the month of October!

That's almost a creepy amount of salmon in one place, right!?

I am obsessed with my custom-made Hello Kitty Minion Pop figure.

Larry had a close call with Freddy Krueger, but we made it through Halloween!

It's National Cat Day!

Thanks to Twitter, I learned this morning that today is National Cat Day. There are amazing things going on for this event, like kitten deliveries to workplaces. I thought this was a joke at first, but apparently it's a real thing. Amazing.

I am so mad at myself though, because I forgot to wear my kitty cat ring today. I'll have to mark it on my calendar for next year. There's time for you to stock up, too!


Lucy & Larry's kitty cat rings

Check out my Examiner article for some other feline finds to celebrate this special day.


Celebrating National Cat Day with Etsy

Halloween on Etsy!

Have you read my Halloween-themed articles for Examiner this month?

Halloween jewelry you can wear to the office

Halloween decor from Etsy

Check out my Halloween goodies in my Etsy shop too!

Available from Lucy & Larry!

August/September Instagram Round-up!

August got away from me with a somewhat unexpected move, so here are my favorite Instagram pics from the last couple of months.

This might be my all-time favorite picture. This is a weather vane I found on Etsy that I gave to my dad last Christmas in memory of our family dog, Jet. She's still watching over us!

Part of my Funko Batgirl collection, including two customs and two prototypes.

The way the colors pop in this photo just make me very happy (and of course, it's Good Luck Bear!).

SYTYCD Season 10 Recap: And the winners are...

The bad news is that this incredible season of So You Think You Can Dance is coming to an end. :( The good news? It has been renewed for Season 11! :) And even better news- Shankman's here!!! :D (Hey... why didn't Jade dance in the intro with Malece??)

Paula's choice: 

"Edge of Glory" with Makenzie & Paul (Mandy Moore, contemporary)

• What I wrote on August 6: My favorites. These two are so pretty together. And I loved the choice of using the live version of "The Edge of Glory"- it was so organic, honest, impassioned.
• Tonight: I'm not sure if it was quite as good as it was the first time, but I still got goosies and still love these two!

Jasmine's choice: 

"Blurred Lines" with All-Star Marko (Ray Leeper, jazz)

• What I wrote on August 13: Wow, I thought I was joking about all the standing ovations, but apparently not. I'm not sure this was quite as incredible as they made it out to be- individually they were great, but they weren't really as together as I thought they should be. But, it doesn't really matter. Jasmine's pretty much a lock for the finale.
• Tonight: I was right about her being a lock, wasn't I? Not that I'm patting myself on the back for that, it was pretty obvious. I think these two were actually better tonight! I felt like they were actually in sync this time.

Adam's choice: 

"Hello Good Morning (remix)" with Fik-Shun with All-Star Twitch (Luther Brown, hip-hop)

• What I wrote last week: As great and as fun as this was, it was still only the second-best hip-hop performance of the night (who run the world? girls!). I could watch these two dance together all day, though, honestly.
• Tonight: Is it just me? As I much as I love these guys, I'm still not blown away by this number. I mean, it's fun, but my socks are still on my feet, if you know what I'm saying.

Nigel's choice: 

"You Really Did It" with Alexis, Aaron & Curtis (Anthony Morigerato, tap)

• I did not write about the performances that introduced us to the top 20 way back on June 20th and I am delighted that Nigel picked this. It was so great to see three tap dancers on the show this season (more specifically, it was great to see tap DANCING!) and I hope they add it as a style next season.

Twitch's choice: 

"Kiss of the Spider Woman" with Hayley & Nico (Sean Cheesman, Broadway)

• What I wrote on August 6: I did NOT recognize Nico!!! I was wondering who that random guy on stage with Hayley was. This really seemed like a Broadway-level performance- and even though I think these two are my least favorite pair, they are still pretty amazing. Those lifts- that crazy thing with Hayley's leg!? And oh, I guess now I do understand what the judges see in Nico. Touché, judges. Touché.
• Tonight: Kind of the same as Makenzie & Paul- just not quite as sharp as the first time (I think Nico fumbled one lift a little bit), but still pretty amazing. That crazy thing with Hayley's leg was still crazy.

Aaron's choice: 

"Kissing You" with All-Star Kathryn (Stacey Tookey, contemporary)

• What I wrote on August 13: Wow. Aaron just went to a whole different level. So beautiful, and I love the way Kathryn looked at him at the end. I really don't have anything else to say. Amazing!
• Tonight: Ditto.

Cat's choice: 

"Run the World" with Jasmine & All-Star Comfort (Tabitha & Napoleon, hip-hop)

• What I wrote last week: I don't know if Jasmine knew she'd get to work with Comfort and Nappytabs if she picked hip-hop, but if she did, she definitely made a smart decision. This was exactly the kind of performance people love to vote for. Amy has a lot of ground to make up.
• Tonight: I stand by that! She has this performance to thank when she gets announced as the winner tonight.

Mary's choice: 

"Medicine" with Tucker & All-Star Robert (Travis Wall, contemporary)

• What I wrote on August 13: Umm, serious goosies. This was a very special performance. I don't really know the story behind Travis and his brother Danny, and I only vaguely recall hearing about Robert being in a car accident but didn't realize how serious it was. Robert has been in some very special dances on this show. This standing ovation was certainly well-deserved and there is no way the judges can send Tucker home now. I hope he thanks Travis and Robert for making sure he sticks around at least another week.
• Tonight: No magic lost with this one tonight. Still amazing.

Nobody's choice in particular but had to be performed again tonight: 

"I Am The Best" with Jenna & All-Star Mark (Mark Kanemura, contemporary-ish)

• What I wrote on August 21: How deliciously weird is Mark?! I love this quote: "I want to pull inspiration from so many different places that it's just an explosion of (pause) my head." And it absolutely was. Wow. I'm so glad he and Lady Gaga found each other. I hope he just saved Jenna. She deserves it, you guys!!!
• Tonight: OMG still love this. Still bummed Jenna didn't make it through this week.

Amy's choice: 

"After Party" with Fik-Shun (Tabitha & Napoleon, hip-hop)

• What I wrote on July 2: That was a super fun little dance. I will try to get over my inclination to fight Nigel on calling Amy "the beast" (she's still not my favorite!) but I will admit I liked her very much here. Both dancers gave energetic and entertaining performances without coming off over-the-top. But here's my small issue- last week, they danced in Amy's style. This week, Fik-Shun's style. I want to see them do something completely out of both of their comfort zones next week... please.
• Tonight: I'm over my issues with Amy (he stopped calling her "the beast" didn't he?) and was able to just enjoy this cute little dance.

OK, I haven't been writing about most of the other stuff filling the program tonight, but I LOVED Mary & Nigel's version of Amy & Fik-Shun's diner dance. So cute. Bonus points for Adam Shankman!

Voter's choice (between two Travis Wall dances): 

"Wicked Game" with Amy & All-Star Travis (Travis Wall, contemporary)

• What I wrote on August 21: We already know Travis Wall is a beautiful choreographer, so it was fun to see him dance again for a change! And was it just me or was he channeling Ryan Atwood tonight? I was pretending they were Ryan Atwood & Marissa Cooper. And I mean this all in an amazing way. This was beautiful.
• Tonight: OK, maybe I was pushing the comparison to The O.C. (although I still think Travis looks like Ryan Atwood) but beautiful, regardless!

Top 10 & All-Stars: I enjoyed this zany beach number enough to make note of it. I enjoy any opportunity to see Neil, in particular.

America's favorite male dancer is... Fik-Shun!

Wow! I'm a little surprised that he beat out Aaron. America rallied for him after he showed some weaknesses last week.

America's favorite female dancer (and overall top vote getter) is... AMY!?

TWO surprises tonight!? Don't get me wrong, I am happy for Amy. I just thought Jasmine played her cards right and had this one in the bag! Wow. I consider this an upset.

Congratulations to Amy & Fik-Shun and thank you to the entire cast of Season 10 for such a fun year of dance! Can't wait for Season 11!

SYTYCD Season 10: Top 4 Recap!

Well, we're almost at the end of the road, and what an incredible season it has been. I'm not sure I'm quite ready for it to all end next week!

I forgot that Paula Abdul was back as a judge again, along with Gabby Douglas, which is an interesting choice. I hope that she has more to offer than Carly Rae Jepsen (and I think that she might, but she is so young!). I would have loved to see one of SYTYCD's big name choreographers on the panel for such an important show... like Adam Shankman! I didn't get enough Shankman this season.

I am trying to keep my thoughts brief, since there are so many performances to get through tonight.

Amy & Aaron - Jazz (Ray Leeper)
I thoroughly enjoyed this high-energy, athletic performance.

Jasmine & Fik-Shun - Contemporary (Travis Wall)
Mary Murphy loved this one a lot more than I did, that's for sure. I thought Jasmine was beautiful, but Fik-Shun was weak.

Aaron & All-Star Melinda - Tap (Anthony Morigerato)
How fun was that!? Finally, finally a tap performance! I never would have thought you could tap to a Bruno Mars song, but apparently you can.

Jasmine & All-Star Comfort - Hip-hop (Tabitha & Napoleon)
I don't know if Jasmine knew she'd get to work with Comfort and Nappytabs if she picked hip-hop, but if she did, she definitely made a smart decision. This was exactly the kind of performance people love to vote for. Amy has a lot of ground to make up.

Fik-Shun & Amy - Tango (Miriam & Leonardo)
A couple of tough draws for Fik-Shun so far tonight. Amy was solid, but in stark contrast to Jasmine's performance immediately before this one, it was not something that gets people picking up the phone. Tough luck here, kids.

Jasmine - Solo
I was happy for Jasmine after learning she turned down an opportunity to tour with Ciara to stay on the show- and became even MORE happy for her after Uncle Nigel shared that she wouldn't have made the Top 20 if Cat Deeley of all people hadn't pushed hard for her. Bless you, Cat Deeley.

Jasmine & Aaron - Samba (Dmitry Chaplin)
I hoped for a little more with these two dancing together again- but I suppose with five dances, something was going to slip. I don't think it'll hurt them. I still expect these two to win, especially if they finish strong.

Fik-Shun - Solo
His take on Gangnam Style was adorable. Last week's incredible solo was still his best ever, but his solos are so entertaining that he could (but shouldn't) win on them alone.

Amy - Solo
This girl knows how to bring the high drama in her dance! Paula is right on about her solos- she always has so much passion. You could never question that she was dancing for her life.

Fik-Shun & All-Star Twitch - Hip-hop (Luther Brown)
As great and as fun as this was, it was still only the second-best hip-hop performance of the night (who run the world? girls!). I could watch these two dance together all day, though, honestly.

Aaron - Solo
I'm still kind of mad at him for his baditude after getting cut at Green Mile, although I suppose I can understand going into a bad place in a moment of deep disappointment. Hard to imagine this season without Aaron! He definitely deserves to win.

Amy & All-Star Robert - Contemporary (Stacey Tookey)
I find myself agreeing with Paula a lot tonight. This might have been my favorite of the night. I loved the story, I love Robert, and Amy is SO GOOD at this emotional type of dancing. I still think Jasmine's strategic move of picking hip-hop is going to pay off for her, but this was truly beautiful.

Fik-Shun & Aaron - Broadway (Tyce Diorio)
What a great number for these boys to end the night on. They were both able to showcase their abilities- Aaron with his superior technicality, Fik-Shun with his bright personality.

Jasmine & Amy - Jazz (Mark Kanemura)
Weird Mark!!! Siamese twins from the fierce jungles of Saturn? But of course. And to a song called "The Diva Dance." Lady Gaga must love Mark so much. Honestly. These gals are both so talented.

I think I might have said this last time Paula was a guest judge, but I find her so endearing in these guest judge spots (a little goes a long way). She really wasn't so bad tonight, either. And Gabby was charming- you could tell she was so excited to be there and was a bundle of positive (but genuine!) energy. That girl's going to do something big with her life one day. (I kid, I kid). Seriously, I am so impressed with her.

Who Should Win:
I'm sticking with Aaron and Jasmine, although Amy did a really good job of almost changing my mind tonight. Looking forward to next week's finale!

SYTYCD Season 10: Top 6 Recap (Final 4 Announced!)

Forgive me, friends. Moving has taken up most of my time and all of my energy over the past several days, so I only have a short recap in me tonight. Each remaining competitor is dancing three times tonight: with an all-star, with a fellow competitor, and their solo. Here are my rankings for each type of dance tonight!

All-Star Performances:

1. Jasmine & All-Star Neil - Contemporary (Tyce Diorio)
2. Paul & All-Star Kathryn - Jazz (Tyce Diorio)
3. Amy & All-Star Alex - Bollywood (Nakul Dev Mahajan)
4. Aaron & All-Star Melanie - Broadway (Spencer Liff)
5. Fik-Shun & All-Star Witney - Foxtrot (Jonathan Roberts)
6. Hayley & All-Star Joshua - Hip-hop (Tabitha & Napoleon)

Solos:

1. Fik-Shun (I had almost forgotton how amazing he is in his style!!)
2. Aaron
3. Jasmine
4. Paul
5. Amy
6. Hayley

The Top 6 Pair Up!:

1. Paul & Hayley - Contemporary (Dee Caspery)
   Fik-Shun & Amy - Hip-hop (Dave Scott)
   Aaron & Jasmine - African Jazz (Sean Cheesman) (Umm, did her legs just go 270 degrees?! Seriously!?!?!?)

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttt.

They were all amazing. I can't choose between them! And now the moment we've been waiting for...

Top 4 Dancers:

• Amy
• Jasmine
• Aaron
• Fik-Shun

Paul :( :( :(

Prediction:
Aaron and Jasmine will be Season 10 champs.

Quote of the Night:
"I'm going to keep this Carly Rae Jepsen short- it was amazing." - Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Same goes for this recap!

SYTYCD Season 10: Top 8 Recap (Top 6 Announced!)

Tonight's guest judge is Jenna Elfman- I didn't understand at first, but had no idea she was quite the dancer! How about that. This week, the All-Stars choreographed their performances, which makes me both excited (to see their talent) and nervous (because Uncle Nigel is sometimes hard on choreographers).

You can count on wardrobe & makeup to mess with Cat Deeley at least once during the season, and tonight's the night. I am not liking her slicked back hair, heavy eye makeup (she is too pretty for all that) and the weird pantsuit thing.

Not a suprise to see Hayley in the bottom for the first time, as she was completely overshadowed by Twitch last week. But man, I guess people really don't like Jenna. Poor girl. She's just misunderstood! Girl brought it home with her solo though, so it'll be interesting to see if the judges pick the dancer who keeps ending up in the bottom or the one there for the first time. I am a surprised to see Tucker in the bottom two after that special dance last week, but overall probably deserves to be there, as does Fik-Shun. 

How much is there to say about these dancers at this point? They are all amazing, any single one of them could win it all.

Aaron & All-Star Chelsie - Jive

Chelsie Hightower! She's a bigger star now than most (all?) of the winners, isn't she? Anyway, was it technically perfect for Aaron? I guess not, although I didn't notice quite as many things wrong as the judges did. I thought he was great as usual and should have no problem making it to the finale.

Fik-Shun & All-Star Allison - Contemporary

Part of me wishes we would have seen Allison partnered with a stronger contemporary dancer, because she is so amazing. But, she proved to be a smart choreographer and let Fik-Shun show off his strengths within the style.

Tucker & All-Star Courtney - Jazz

I love Courtney for incorporating all those lifts and tosses! I can't believe she's able to dance like that with MS. I'm not sure it was enough to save Tucker, but at least he'll always have that moment with Robert from last week.

Paul & All-Star Comfort - Hip-hop

This seemed like a really odd pairing and I was honestly worried for Paul- but I should have had more faith! I love this kid.

Hayley & All-Star Dmitry - Rumba

I enjoyed this, but was there really a whole lot of rumba-ing in this rumba? Oh. Apparently there was, and I don't really know what the international something or other rumba is. Dmitry Hayley looked incredible. 

Jenna & All-Star Mark - Jazz

How deliciously weird is Mark?! I love this quote: "I want to pull inspiration from so many different places that it's just an explosion of (pause) my head." And it absolutely was. Wow. I'm so glad he and Lady Gaga found each other. I hope he just saved Jenna. She deserves it, you guys!!!

Jasmine & All-Star Twitch - Hip-hop

A superhero dance! Of course I love it. Although, I don't love it more than the weird Mark dance. It wasn't a standout moment necessarily, but Jasmine will sail through to the finale so no worries there.

Amy & All-Star Travis - Contemporary

We already know Travis Wall is a beautiful choreographer, so it was fun to see him dance again for a change! And was it just me or was he channeling Ryan Atwood tonight? I was pretending they were Ryan Atwood & Marissa Cooper. And I mean this all in an amazing way. This was beautiful.

In case anyone is wondering, only two standing ovations tonight (Jenna & Mark, Amy & Travis).

The Elimination:

I'm bummed that the judges didn't save Jenna again- I thought her solo and the weird Mark dance would have done it for her- but I get it. And sending Tucker home over Fik-Shun isn't surprising either. I get both decisions. It's just an all around bummer at this point.

Favorite Performance:

I'm a sucker for superheroes and loved the Ryan & Marissa nostalgia (was it all in my head?), but I gotta give it to Jenna and Mark and all that amazing weirdness.

The Girls:

1. Jasmine Harper
2. Amy Yakima
3. Hayley Erbert

The Boys:

1. Paul Karmiryan
2. Aaron Turner
3. Fik-Shun

Who Should Go Home:
The easiest call of the last few weeks- Hayley and Fik-Shun. Jasmine, Amy, Paul and Aaron deserve to be in the finale.

SYTYCD Season 10 Recap: Top 10 Becomes 8, Now With All-Stars!

Cat's hair is perfection tonight. It looks amazing. You know what's not so amazing? That Makenzie and Jenna are the bottom two girls, along with Tucker and Nico. I am sad that one of my favorite ladies will be going home, but I did see that coming last week. Sniff. It figures that Nico would end up in the bottom when I finally come around on him and stop picking him to go home. However, we are skipping solos and going on with the show! I wouldn't have minded seeing all four perform individually, but YES! Bring on the All-Stars!

Amy & All-Star Brandon - Disco (Doriana Sanchez)
Disco is always so much fun, and this was no exception- between the lifts and that crazy drop where Amy ended up half a millimeter from the ground (I mean seriously, yowzas!), and of course, all the sequins, sparkles and glitter! I do think she was missing a little something that she had with Fik-Shun. That and the leadoff spot could mean she ends up in the bottom next week.

Aaron & All-Star Kathryn - Contemporary (Stacey Tookey)

Wow. Aaron just went to a whole different level. So beautiful, and I love the way Kathryn looked at him at the end. I really don't have anything else to say. Amazing!

Fik-Shun & All-Star Melanie - Jazz (Mandy Moore)
I understood the standing ovation for Aaron and Kathryn, and not that Fik-Shun and Melanie weren't great- they were- but I just don't think they (he) deserved one as well. Melanie, obviously, is amazing. She can do no wrong. I thought that Mandy Moore did the smart thing in putting most of the attention on Melanie. Fik-Shun has to go home sometime.

Paul & All-Star Witney - Cha cha (Jean-Marc Généreux)
I guess we're handing out standing ovations to everyone tonight, not that they didn't deserve it this time... if the last performance earned one, this one definitely does, but seriously, you can't just hand out standing o's like candy! Witney was one of my favorites last season and she made Paul dazzle too. I adore Paul and I hope this is still a standout performance by the end of the night.

Hayley & All-Star Twitch - Hip-hop (Christopher Scott)
I hate to say it but I was disappointed here. There was nothing bad about it, but with Twitch and Christopher Scott involved, I was holding my breath for a MOMENT that never arrived. I think Uncle Nigel might have jinxed her with that comment about her never being in the bottom- at this point in the competition, I just don't think there was enough here tonight.

Jenna & All-Star Neil - Contemporary (Mandy Moore)
OMG Neil! My favorite of favorites! Jenna got a great draw here. So great, it resulted in standing ovation #4! If she's safe tonight, I don't think she'll be in the bottom next week. We still have Makenzie coming up, but I have the feeling the judges will save Jenna. By the way, I love Neil.

Jasmine & All-Star Marko - Jazz (Ray Leeper)
Wow, I thought I was joking about all the standing ovations, but apparently not. I'm not sure this was quite as incredible as they made it out to be- individually they were great, but they weren't really as together as I thought they should be. But, it doesn't really matter. Jasmine's pretty much a lock for the finale.

Makenzie & All-Star Jakob - Broadway (Spencer Liff)
Beautiful, beautiful Makenzie. Why does America hate you!? :( Spencer Liff is becoming one of my favorite choreographers. And oh yes, another standing ovation. Now I just feel awkward for Amy and Hayley. Even if she's safe tonight, I'm afraid she'd undeservedly end up right back in the bottom again. I don't get it!

Nico & All-Star Comfort - Hip-hop (Tabitha & Napoleon)
Well, the judges stayed seated for Nico, but I actually really enjoyed seeing this other side of Nico. I didn't know he had this in him! I thought he might be horrible at this kind of hip-hop dancing, and he wasn't. But why don't the judges praise that as much as they would, for example, Fik-Shun dancing contemporary or ballrooom?

Tucker & All-Star Robert - Contemporary (Travis Wall)
Umm, serious goosies. This was a very special performance. I don't really know the story behind Travis and his brother Danny, and I only vaguely recall hearing about Robert being in a car accident but didn't realize how serious it was. Robert has been in some very special dances on this show. This standing ovation was certainly well-deserved and there is no way the judges can send Tucker home now. I hope he thanks Travis and Robert for making sure he sticks around at least another week.

The Elimination:
I'm with you, Uncle Nigel. I'm puzzled as to how my favorite girls end up in the bottom every week. I am super bummed that Makenzie is off the show, although I am happy for Jenna. Tucker over Nico, like I just said, was a pretty obvious selection at this point.

Favorite Performance:
Absolutely, Tucker and Robert.


The Girls:

1. Jenna Johnson
2. Jasmine Harper
3. Amy Yakima
4. Hayley Erbert

The Boys:

1. Paul Karmiryan
2. Aaron Turner
3. Tucker Knox
4. Fik-Shun

Who Should Go Home:
I'm going with the two gals who failed to get standing ovations: Amy and Hayley. For the boys, Fik-Shun and... sigh. I guess Paul might be the forgotten one out of the other three. Hayley and Fik-Shun will go home.

SYTYCD Season 10: Top 12 Recap (Top 10 Announced!)

The recap of last week has reminded me of how much I adore Anna Kendrick. It saddens me that she isn't back tonight. No offense, Kenny Ortega. He's alright.

The results include one big surprise, with Amy in the bottom six along with Malece and Jenna. The boys in the bottom are revealed to be Nico, Tucker, and Alan... hey! I guessed five out of six right (although my guesses for is actually going home are wrong, naturally). As much as I like Jenna, I am surprised that she is sent into the Top 10 ahead of Amy. I have to think Malece's run is over, and I wouldn't be mad about that at all (plus, Amy's solo was kind of great). I like both of these boys, though, and still wonder what the judges see in Nico that these two don't have. My guess here is that Tucker will be going home.

Hayley & Nico - Broadway (Sean Cheesman)
I did NOT recognize Nico!!! I was wondering who that random guy on stage with Hayley was. This really seemed like a Broadway-level performance- and even though I think these two are my least favorite pair, they are still pretty amazing. Those lifts- that crazy thing with Hayley's leg!? And oh, I guess now I do understand what the judges see in Nico. Touché, judges. Touché.

Malece & Alan - Jazz (Mandy Moore)
Oh, Alan. I just enjoy this big, dorky, emotional kid. I'm going to give Malece a compliment! The old Hollywood look is great on her. But, as a pair, something was a little off. I don't think Anna Kendrick would be telling them they should make a baby this week. Maybe she made things awkward for them?

Jenna & Alex Freakin' Wong! - Pasa Doble (Jean-Marc Généreux)
So happy for Jenna right now. This makes me so excited for the All-Stars to return next week! I'm a little sad for Tucker that he couldn't make Jenna look this good, and so maybe I am rooting for Alan to be safe over him. Jenna needed this moment going into next week... and I hope we see more of Alex!

Makenzie & Paul - Contemporary (Mandy Moore)
My favorites. These two are so pretty together. And I loved the choice of using the live version of "The Edge of Glory"- it was so organic, honest, impassioned.

Amy & Fik-shun - Viennese Waltz (Jean-Marc Généreux)
Remember last week when I said, and I quote myself, "Time for them to do something way different next week! How about the waltz or something?" Yes, I will pat myself on the back. Also, I love Cat's line: "Let's hope you end up like Bella and Edward, and not like Rob and Kristen." This also reminds me that I haven't watched Breaking Dawn Part 2 yet. Fik-shun's flaws couldn't totally be hidden this time, but he still had a couple of nice moments, like that lift at the end. Amy really is just stunning. There's no way she goes home over Malece.

Jasmine & Aaron - Hip-hop (Tabitha & Napoleon)
And we have the third standing ovation of the night! This partnership of dancers and choreographers had "awesome" written all over it before it even started. Definitely the best hip-hop number of the season. They're going to have fun doing that one all across the country on tour.

The Guys (minus Tucker) - Lyrical Hip-hop (Tabitha & Napoleon)
I didn't know NappyTabs did choreography like this! Aaron and Paul were standouts for me. Alan might have been the weakest link.

The Ladies - Contemporary (Stacey Tookey)
Seriously, these girls are amazing. There were no standouts because they are all stunning! Totally beside the point, I kind of chuckled at the end when they were all standing in a row, as Cat looked like a giant, just towering over them. Tall girls are funny.

The Elimination:
Awww. Poor Alan. I guess he had a little bit of a rough night, but I still didn't think they'd save the guy who couldn't dance over him. But, I understand. Malece was, unfortunately, doomed from the beginning of the night.

Favorite Performance:
Standing by my faves!


With the exception of the two heading home, my rankings don't change this week. For the record, all five of these girls would go ahead of boy #3 if I were to do an overall ranking.

The Girls:

1. Makenzie Dustman
2. Jasmine Harper
3. Jenna Johnson
4. Amy Yakima
5. Hayley Erbert

The Boys:

1. Paul Karmiryan
2. Aaron Turner
3. Fik-Shun
4. Tucker Knox
5. Nico Greetham

Who Should Go Home:

Bottom four next week... gotta guess Amy, Jenna, Tucker, Fik-Shun. Jenna and Fik-Shun go home!? I really don't think Jenna deserves it but that's what I'm seeing right now!?!? I don't like it. That can't be right. Hayley instead of Jenna? My girl Makenzie again? I don't know. There's no right answer. But I AM SO EXCITED for the return of the All-Stars!

July Instagram Round-up!

Apparently, I THINK I take a lot more pictures than I actually do. How do I only have ten Instagram photos to choose from in July when I had a super awesome vacation in San Diego which included Disneyland and Comic-con!? I suppose I had my real camera with me, but I am still highly disappointed in myself.

This month's theme is spectacular views!

This photo was taken on my birthday from my favorite restaurant, Marination Ma Kai. No filters, people. Nothing beats Seattle on a sunny day.

There were some pretty incredible mountain views on my flights between Seattle and San Diego.

The iconic Disneyland castle, all lit up at night after an amazing fireworks show. Stunning!

My goal for August? Have more than ten photos to choose from.

SYTYCD Season 10: Top 14 Recap

Finally a guest judge I can get excited about- Anna Kendrick! <3 I just know she is going to be fantastic. I also really need to watch Pitch Perfect again (again).

The bottom six dancers are revealed to be Nico, Curtis, Alan, Alexis, MAKENZIE, and JASMINE!? Nigel lets the boys go without any solos (which really makes it seem like the injured Curtis will be heading home), but I'm more surprised that Makenzie was sent back to safety and while Jasmine was actually asked for a solo, along with Alexis. This should be an easy one to call. I'm pretty confident I guessed these results correctly.

Jenna & Tucker - Hip-hop (Luther Brown)
I hate that these two are the first to go. This was definitely a more hard-hitting piece than the jazzy hip-hop they did a couple of weeks ago. It was better than I expected it to be, although it didn't seem to be the most challenging choreography (easy for me to say). I do worry that the combination of going first and lackluster feedback will have both Jenna and Tucker in the bottom next week.

Alexis & Nico - Contemporary (Sonya Tayeh)
I kind of liked these two for the first time tonight- definitely their strongest performance on the show, by far (except for Alexis in the tap dancing number during "meet the top 20" week)- although I still don't think I liked it as much as everybody else. I have no reason to believe this wasn't Alexis' last dance on the show (over Jasmine Harper, when she already knocked out Jasmine Mason? NO FREAKING WAY) but I'm happy for her that she'll end her run on a high note. Also, Anna Kendrick has already provided more value in her comments than Carly Rae Jepsen did the entire time last week.

Hayley & Curtis - Argentine Tango (Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin)
Hayley might have really lucked out here having a professional dancer partner instead of Curtis on this tango! I can't imagine Curtis handling that series of lifts at the end of this performance. She was definitely amazing. But do people vote for this type of performance? Maybe not.

Makenzie & Paul - Jazz (Sonya Tayeh)
These two just became my favorites. They've been growing on me week after week and I am finally ready to put them at the top of my list. I don't understand why Makenzie keeps ending up in the bottom. Sigh... I might have to start voting. OK, I did it. Love, love, love both Makenzie and Paul.

Jasmine & Aaron - Contemporary (Justin Giles)
I still love these two, but I am feeling good about my decision to put Makenzie and Paul at the top of my favorites. I loved this choreography and I was nervously watching the apple the entire time. I hope Anna gets her piggyback ride later... Aaron should take full advantage of this opportunity. And hey, I realize Jasmine was supposed to be a tree, but I'm going to pretend they took my note from last week that she looks amazing in green.

Amy & Fik-shun - Hip-hop (Christopher Scott)
I was just about to write that these two always play the same characters (except for pasa doble week, I suppose) when Uncle Nigel stole my thunder. Time for them to do something way different next week! How about the waltz or something?

Malece & Alan - Salsa (Jonathan Platero)
Perhaps I'm sipping on the Malece haterade (I am), but I really felt like Alan managed to outshine her tonight. Naturally, the judges don't make an issue of that. It was so great to see Alan really enjoying himself! All those lifts- Jonathan really took advantage of having a big strong guy and tiny 80 pound girl as his dancers. OH did Anna Kendrick just say these two should make a baby!? Hilarious. I love her.

Both group numbers were great, in completely different ways. Spencer Liff's pool hall dance was so much fun (and loved seeing him perform, too!), while Bonnie Story's anti-bullying number was so timely and powerful.

But back to my favorite Anna Kendrick. She is amazing, isn't she? I hope they bring her back. I hope they put her on American Idol. I hope she hosts the Oscars (that'll never happen). I hope they put her on everything. Have I mentioned I love her? I would really like to go back and rank my favorite comments that she made, but I should probably go to bed soon.

The Elimination:
Well, that was straight to the point, and no surprises here. I finally guessed right. See ya Alexis and Curtis.

Favorite Performance:
Spencer Liff's group performance was a close second, but I had to go with what cemented my decision about who my favorite dancers are this season.


The Girls:

1. Makenzie Dustman
2. Jasmine Harper
3. Jenna Johnson
4. Amy Yakima
5. Hayley Erbert
6. Malece Miller 

The Boys:

1. Paul Karmiryan
2. Aaron Turner
3. Alan Bersten
4. Fik-Shun
5. Tucker Knox
6. Nico Greetham

Who Should Go Home:

Yikes... this is getting really hard, guys. I guess I said that last week, but I really mean it this week. The bottom three gals will be Jenna, Hayley and Malece, and the bottom three guys will be Nico, Tucker and Alan. I have no idea who will go home. I'm not guessing. Do I have to guess? Hayley and Nico. But I have no idea.

SYTYCD Season 10: From 16 to 14

These past two weeks have been so long, I had to re-read my recap to remember who I thought would be in danger tonight. I'm a little skeptical of Carly Rae Jepsen as a guest judge. They really couldn't find anyone who is more relevant in, like, dance? Also, I'm not going to link a video because I would feel a little too mean, but did everybody see her horrible first pitch? Poor girl. I've seen my fair share of first pitches gone wrong but this one probably tops the list. Sorry Carly. :(

Tough bottom three for the girls, as I really like them all: Mariah, Makenzie, and Jenna (who is saved immediately). I'm a little surprised the judges didn't send Alan back to safety right away, as I expect the decision to come down to BluPrint or Curtis. I did guess last week two weeks ago that BluPrint would be done if he was in the bottom again, and I still feel like this may be the case unless he just blows us away.

Alexis & Nico - Jive (Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin)
I was hoping that Alexis would make me glad the judges saved her over Jasmine Mason. She did not. But I did figure out who she reminds me of! Since not being great (or as great as everybody else, anyway) isn't enough to get these two kicked off the show, hopefully going first will be. I really don't want to see any other more deserving dancers eliminated before them!!!

Jenna & Tucker - Contemporary (Travis Wall)
Oooh. Travis Wall with these two? This could be the moment I've been waiting for! And it is!!! No wonder the judges saved Jenna immediately at the top of the show. I am so happy for them to finally have been able to break through. Hopefully, the votes come through for Jenna this week. I loved this performance.

Mariah & BluPrint - Jazz (Brian Friedman)
I think the music and lights made this number, at first, feel more exciting than it actually was. It was pretty clumsy, particularly the lift at the end. I'm surprised neither Nigel or Mary mentioned a single word about BluPrint's continued lack of facial expressions, especially in comparison to how much Mariah gives through her face. In fact, I feel like the judges took it really easy on them. Suspiciously easy. Hmmm.

Malece & Alan - Hip-hop (Dave Scott)
Poor Alan. He tried so hard but this just was not his thing. While I think he'll get a free pass from the judges this week, I think he might be back in the bottom again next week. I see Carly got the memo about over-hyping Malece, as she continued to be drowned in praise. I continue to just not get it.

Hayley & Curtis - Contemporary (Dee Caspery)
Well I'll be darned. I was about to call Carly out for saying she has never seen more chemistry than between than these two in this dance, but hold the phone! They are dating!? She was right!?!? This blows my mind. The criticism unleashed upon Curtis from Nigel and Mary makes it seem like he is going to be eliminated tonight, which in turn makes me think he will be safe. #reversepsychology

Amy & Fik-shun - Jazz (Tyce Diorio)
Why are these two always so great? They really are. I give up. I feel that they've lucked out with choreography, but then again, maybe it's these two dancers that make the choreographers so great. I'm curious to see how they'll do when they dance with other partners.

Makenzie & Paul - Hip-hop (Dave Scott)
Yowza! I am liking these two more and more every week- especially Paul (even though I don't see James Franco in him at all). I'm a little worried about Makenzie on the chopping block tonight, only because of all the other contemporary dancers this season, but there's no way she deserves to go. She is fantastic. I'm really beginning to think the judges took it easy on Mariah and BluPrint earlier because they're the ones heading home.

Jasmine & Aaron - Quickstep (Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin)
Somebody has to do the quickstep, you might as well give it to the couple who has zero chance of going home, especially when you give them the pimp spot! But, the thing is, they did it really well. Jasmine also looked amazing in emerald green and should probably wear that color all the time. These two, like Amy and Fik-shun, can do no wrong.

So, I'm sorry, but there is something I have to say before we move on to the elimination. Not only does Carly Rae Jepsen own the worst first pitch ever, but she might have also been the worst guest judge ever. I don't think she said a single thing that added value (other than "outing" Hayley and Curtis as a maybe-couple). She was like Joe Jonas on American Idol a few seasons ago, minus all the thumbs-ups. Why is FOX obsessed with her?

The Elimination:
I was surprised to hear Uncle Nigel's claim that the decision about the boys was more difficult than picking between the girls, as BluPrint seemed like the obvious choice. I do think the judges tipped their hand by going easy on both BluPrint and Mariah during their critique. I am bummed that Mariah is off the show, but I would have been even more sad if Makenzie had gone. Lose-lose situation with the girls tonight.

Favorite Performance:
They didn't let velcro problems get in their way!

The Girls:

1. Jasmine Harper
2. Jenna Johnson
3. Makenzie Dustman
4. Amy Yakima
5. Hayley Erbert
6. Malece Miller 
7. Alexis Juliano

The Boys:

1. Aaron Turner
2. Paul Karmiryan
3. Fik-Shun
4. Alan Bersten
5. Tucker Knox
6. Curtis Holland 
7. Nico Greetham

Who Should Go Home:

This whole bottom six thing is getting really hard. For the girls, I'm going to stick with Hayley and Alexis in the bottom... and maybe, just maybe, Malece will finally join them!? I don't think Alan helped his case much today and will be in the bottom again, along with Curtis (again) and probably, finally, Nico. Alexis and Curtis will be going home.

SYTYCD Season 10: From 18 to 16

SO MUCH INFORMATION before the competition starts! So I'm being a little dramatic, but first, it's unfortunate that Jade suffered an injury that forces him to leave the show, but more unfortunate that it didn't happen a week earlier and possibly spare Carlos. (What?) Second, I love that Nigel listened to everybody who was unhappy with the format and was brave enough to accept the feedback and make a change! You can thank the social media era for that. And third... Paula Abdul! I am actually looking forward to her delightful babbling. But Erin Andrews? We'll see. I'll reserve judgment for now.

Seriously though, I am really glad they moved the eliminations to the end, but- HOW... what!? I cannot believe Jasmine Mason is in the bottom three. Jenna doesn't deserve it, but doesn't surprise me as much since she hasn't been given much of an opportunity to shine yet. It HAS to be Alexis. Blu-Print and Curtis luck out from Jade's injury, but I have to think he would have been asked to leave anyway.

The Performances:

Amy & Fik-Shun - Paso Doble (Jean-Marc Généreux)
So we finally see these two both out of their element. Fik-Shun had a little more trouble with the style than Amy, who apparently has no problems with anything ever at all. I keep waiting for her to slip up, since there are other dancers I like better than her for intangible reasons, but gosh dang she's good.

Jasmine H. & Aaron - Broadway (Spencer Liff)
I really don't have much else to add to what I said about this pair last week- they are ready for the big stage now. They just melt into the characters they are asked to play and have such incredible stage presence. Give them something super crazy hard already so we can give them a standing ovation!

Makenzie & Paul - Contemporary (Lindsay Nelko)
Wow. So you start with a story about a couple being torn apart by a terminal illness, pick an acoustic, emotion-driven song, and add in a flowy white dress... this pretty much guaranteed two things: tears from Mary Murphy and goosies (thanks again to J-Lo for giving me that term). This was a special performance, but I worry it'll get overlooked- especially with Makenzie already showing up in the bottom three once before. These two are really growing on me.

Jasmine M. & Alan - Jazz (Sean Cheesman)
I am liking Alan more and more every week. I agree that a little more quirk from the dancers would have been great, but Jasmine better be safe tonight and she better be safe next week. And Alan. Shoot, now I'm worried about Alan.

Jenna & Tucker - Hip-hop (Keoni & Mari Madrid)
Hmmm. This seemed more jazz than hip-hop to me? OK, so it wasn't just me. Hip-jazz! And Paula FTW- I loved her point that MJ often borrowed from the jazz world (since it was, after all, a MJ song). I think she's doing great as a judge on this show! In any case, I really feel like Jenna & Tucker keep drawing the short straw. Give them a chance!

Malece - Contemporary (Sonya Tayeh)
Really? A standing ovation? I don't know about that. (But yay, Marco! Love!) But seriously, I don't know about the heaps of praise being thrown at Malece right now. It's a little too much, right? I'm confused!?

Hayley & Curtis - Samba (Jean-Marc Généreux)
One pair has to be the weakest of the night, and this looks like it'll be the one. And it's mostly Curtis, who looks completely overwhelmed, which could be expected. He seemed hesitant and unsure of himself for the first time this season- and as I've been saying, both of these dancers just come across so young compared to some of the other acts. I'm curious how Hayley would do with another partner- one of the All-Stars, in particular- if she makes it to that point.

Alexis & Nico - Jazz (Spencer Liff)
I'll be honest, I was distracted during this performance (chatting with a BFF about vacation plans! can you blame me?), but I didn't feel like going back and watching it over. From what I saw, this might have been their best effort yet, but there is just something missing here from both dancers. They just don't seem to be at the same level as the others. I am giving up on guessing Nico to be the one to go home, though.

Mariah & BluPrint - Hip-hop (Luther Brown)
These two get paired up AND they get hip-hop?! Could they possibly get that lucky? Mariah definitely had a new life in her performance and I am so thrilled to see her have a great week. I knew I liked her! The judges' comments made it pretty clear that if BluPrint somehow ends up in the bottom again next week, he'll be going home.

That would be the number for Mariah at the top.
My bad, no it's not, she voted for BluPrint!

The Elimination:
I'm a little dumbfounded that Jasmine Mason was sent home over Alexis. We just haven't seen that much out of Alexis, and Jasmine has been one of the top dancers each week. What am I missing?

And Erin Andrews wasn't bad. Not my favorite guest judge of all time or anything, but she held her own.

Favorite Performance:

There wasn't a clear-cut winner this week, in my opinion, so I'll give the edge to my favorite pair: Jasmine and Aaron.

The Girls:

1. Jasmine Harper
2. Jenna Johnson
3. Mariah Spears 
4. Makenzie Dustman
5. Amy Yakima
6. Hayley Erbert
7. Malece Miller 
8. Alexis Juliano

The Boys:

1. Aaron Turner
2. Alan Bersten
3. Fik-Shun
4. Paul Karmiryan
5. Tucker Knox
6. Curtis Holland 
7. Nico Greetham
8. BluPrint

Who Should Go Home:

I haven't been doing too well this season! My guesses for next week's bottom six are: Hayley, Makenzie (over the over-hyped Malece), Alexis, Tucker, Curtis, and Alan (over BluPrint, who voters will rally for tonight). Alexis and Curtis will go home. Wow, really? I didn't know where I was going with this and I ended up picking Curtis. I seriously doubt Uncle Nigel will allow for two tappers to go home the same week, but I'll stick with it. However, if I'm wrong about BluPrint and he ends up in the bottom again, he's out for sure.

June Instagram Round-up

Here are my favorite Instagram photos from June!

This Hello Kitty figure used to look like this. With a little clay, paint, and lots of patience, I turned her into a member of the Fightin' Irish football squad.

As I've mentioned before, I love She-ra. Her Pop prototype was the first one I purchased, on a whim, when first dove into collecting Funko and didn't really know what I was doing. I am SO glad I pulled the trigger on it- I would have really been kicking myself now if I hadn't. I love how her production piece turned out too. I might have to get another to bling out!

One of my favorite summer traditions is picking fresh strawberries and raspberries. YUM. Nothing better.