Announcing...

Utah photo sessions!



I'm coming to Utah soon and have had several requests to take photos while I am in town. I decided to organize a few dates at different locations and the information is on the photography blog if you are interested. Feel free to pass the word along to anyone you might know who needs family pictures taken.

Senior Pictures

Yes, school just ended for us here in Massachusetts, but that means it's time to start thinking about senior pictures for the fall. I did a fun shoot the other day with Jason. We're sad his family is leaving for Georgia today, but I have such fun memories of the photo shoot and the time I got to spend with them.

To see more of Jason's shoot, click here.

Do you know this cute lady?

Then you should definitely click here.

SYTYCD - Top 16 Results

I love your comments on yesterday's show. I didn't get a chance to respond to them today, but I loved reading them. Keep them coming.

Fun Group number. Rain! Hip hop moves! Partner dancing! Fabulous entrance from Cat! TabNap (That would be Tabitha & Napoleon if you didn't know. :) ) choreography. Excellent.

RIP Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett & Michael Jackson. Classy to pay tribute to all three, Nigel. And I'm not going to lie, I have a couple tears in my eyes watching "Thriller" right now.

Results:
Asuka & Vitolio are...in the bottom 3. I'm not sad about this.
Brandon & Janette are...safe! I'm happy, yes I am.
Evan & Randi are...safe! Woo hoo!
Phillip & Jeanine are...safe! Excellent. I like Jeanine a lot.
Melissa & Ade are...safe. Fabulous. I think Melissa is just adorable and Ade is one of my faves.
Jonathan & Karla are in the bottom 3. They haven't even told us yet, but since there are three people on stage and we need some suspense...okay, they are officially in the bottom 3.
Kupono & Kayla are...safe.
Jason & Caitlin are...in the bottom 3. Bummer. I like them more than Kupono & Kayla.

The Rage Boys Crew!!! That little kid is the cutest thing I've EVER SEEN on this show. Though, I'm ready to punch the cameramen and director. Seriously, could you pan across any faster?!?! LOVED when they threw the tiny kid across the stage. Say what you will, I adore Cat and she's my favorite host on TV. She's adorable.

Solos:
Asuka (dancing to "Don't Trust Me") Amanda said, "Seriously? This song?" I have to agree. Great moves, no personality.
Vitolio - It felt a little frantic to me. Lots of jumping. Scary hip shaking at the end. I like him though. Let's keep him.
Karla - I lurve her. Can we please keep her? That was a quick, kind of crazy solo, but I like her.
Jonathan - GO HOME. Your tumbling can't save your lame moves between tumbling runs.
Caitlin (she danced to Que Sera Sera - I want this recording. I've never heard it sung at a slow tempo. I love it. That was beautiful.) Her solo was outstanding. She's a fabulous dancer. If they send her home, I will be angry.
Jason - Much more musical this time, still a bit frantic. But I like him and want to keep him too.

A scary girl with blonde hair and a scary girl with black hair are singing. Don't care. Boo Doop!

Results:
Caitlin is told she had the best solo and that she is safe. I agree. Karla is told her solo is desperate and that it wasn't good. It was a little frantic, but if she had maintained her center, I think it would have been great. But Asuka is going home. YES!!! Thank you!

Vitolio is told he needs to stretch. Jonathan is told he isn't dancing well enough to be America's Favorite Dancer (duh!) Jason is also told his solo is desperate. I'm not sure I agree, but relieved to hear Jason is safe. And they're keeping Vitolio. And Jonathan is going home! YES!!! Thank you! I love the judges this week. Good calls all around.

SYTYCD - Top 16 Performance Show

Much better dress tonight, Cat. Welcome back from the back surgery Nigel! Toni Basil is here. Diggity's snarky comment when she was introduced - "How many times are you going to talk about your projects instead of the dancers, Toni Basil?" We high fived when Cat asked her about Toni being honored with the "Super Supreme Creator of Hip Hop Dance" award. (That probably isn't the name, but you get the idea.) Surgery fun on the panel this week. We have Nigel recovering from his surgery, Mary with the Botox, and Toni with the unfortunate face lift. Sorry. That was my snarky comment.

Karla & Jonathan - Hip Hop (By My Side by Jadakiss, choreography by Dave Scott)
Not even watching Jonathan. Karla is great. Kind of redeemed himself with the flip-kicky thing. Now I feel sorry for Jonathan. He was awful. No connection with Karla, and I would say that he actually made her look worse. And I thought Karla was fabulous. Very sharp. They are universally panned by the judges. Nigel is a little bit mean - he's justified in his meanness, but he's still mean.

Mary quote - "We all know that I'm in touch with my inner gangster." (If you're a Mary fan and are on Facebook, you need to go check out Christopher Clark's group, The Hot Tamale Train. His recaps are just of Mary's parts of the show. It's pretty hilarious.)

Vitolio & Asuka - Jazz ("Heartbreaker" by Pat Bentar, choreography by Mandy Moore)
The package makes me think this is going to be rough. It's not too bad, but I don't love it. I appreciate Mandy Moore always using the 80s music. I think it's fun. They weren't together on a couple leaps, and as Amanda said, "Didn't she say this was supposed to be a fast dance?" Not so fast. Why is Nigel going first tonight? And he liked it. I didn't like it. Amanda didn't like it either. But Mary liked it and Toni liked it. Seriously - did we watch the same dance? And neither of us know what Toni just said to Vitolio.

Melissa & Ade - Rhumba ("Emotion" by Destiny's Child, choreography by Tony Meredith)
Melissa is a Pilates instructor. That explains a lot. I believe in Pilates. I need to practice it more. The piece of fabric they glued to Melissa as a dress is even more advertisement for the fabulousness of Pilates. LOOK at her BACK! Good grief. I liked it. I don't know much about the technique, but it seemed good. Nigel liked it and agreed on Melissa's back. Mary - Unbelievable and believable? The botox face makes it even funnier when she screams. She looks like a ventriloquist's dummy. 1-888-TEMPO-03

Jeannette & Brandon - Hip Hop ("What a World" by Common, choreography by Dave Scott)
Love the costumes. Love when she made him do a rock hand and they did air guitar together. Very fun routine. Her fishnets are awesome. They did a great job on that. Nigel likes it. Mary likes it. Anyone notice how Mary says something positive and then reaffirms it? Example - "I'm so proud of you, yes I am!" "You did it, yes you did!" Toni said something about juxtaposition and about street dancing having technique. Okay. 1-888-TEMPO-04

Kupono & Kayla - Viennese Waltz ("Sweet Dreams for You" by Jewel, chorography by Jean Marc Genereaux)
Are you allowed to do ballroom barefoot? Anybody know? Emily? That was a nice little piece. They did a good job with it from what I could tell. Very flowy and pretty and such. It lands in the middle for me. Not my favorite, not my least favorite.

NEW GLEE COMMERCIAL!!!

Evan & Randi - Contemporary (Koop Island Blues by Koop, choreography by Mia Michaels)
Wow. Those shoes! Wow. Those puns! Stop it cheeky monkeys! They really did dance that well for as simple as the idea and a lot of the movement was. It was one of the best numbers of the night - certainly one of the most memorable. Another double positive from Mary. 1-888-TEMPO-06

Caitlin & Jason - Paso Doble (Didn't catch the music, choreography by Jean Marc Genereaux)
Love it so far. I'm wondering about some of the technical stuff in the middle, but they seem to be surviving it. Especially for the first Paso Doble of the season. The opening was fantastic though. The judges seem to like it well enough.

Philip & Jeanine - Broadway ("Moses" from Singin' in the Rain, choreography by Tyce Diorio)
Is it just me, or is Tyce cranky this season? Cute routine. For once, I really liked a Tyce Broradway number. Instead of taking a Broadway song and putting his own story on top of it that didn't match, he just adapted some ideas from Singin' in the Rain. I liked it. Jeanine is really cute. Nigel liked it, but wants Philip to work harder. Mary likes it, especially Jeanine. And Mary does double negatives too - "I wasn't allergic to that routine, no I wasn't." Toni likes it. Evan and Randi would have kicked that routine's butt. I would have loved to see Evan dance that.

Liked it, yes I did:
Melissa & Ade
Janette & Brandon
Jeanine & Phillip
Randi & Evan

Meh:
Asuka & Vitolio
Kayla & Kupono
Caitlin & Jason

Not so good for me, dawg:
Karla & Jonathan

Bottom 3:
Karla & Jonathan
Caitlin & Jason
Kayla & Kupono

Going Home:
Jonathan & Caitlin or Jonathan & Karla

What did you think? Favorite routines? Favorite Mary quotes?

Dare to Dream - Guest Post

I wrote a guest post for my friend Whitney's fabulous blog Dare to Dream today. If you leave a comment at the end of my post (or any of the guest posts this month), you are eligible to win a spa gift certificate from Whitney.

In fact, while you're on Whitney's blog, you should read back through some of the guest posts. I've really enjoyed each and every one. There are such amazing women out there doing fabulous things - everything from running complex businesses to raising their children. Here are some of my favorite guest posts from the past month:

Alyson Jenkins: Be Your Own Batman
Aselin Maloney: Daddy's Little Girl
Saydi Eyre Shumway: The Snapshot that Changed My Life
Melissa Stanton: Don't Just Think It, Ink It
Athelia Wooley: Fortunate Frustrations
Rebecca Ellsworth Menzie: Memoirs of My Mother
Christine Vick: Simply Living

I also wrote a follow up post on my photography blog. A comment there makes you eligible to win a Basic Family Collection photo shoot. And if you don't live in Boston, I'll be in Utah in July and Washington D.C. in August, so go ahead and sign up if you live in those areas. Or if you know someone you can give it to as a gift.

P.S. I'm closing comments on this blog post so that your comments can go on my photography blog or on Whitney's blog to be eligible for the GIVEAWAYS!

Recipe Deliciousness Testing - Father's Day Edition

Normally I wouldn't post more recipes so soon, but really loved the dinner we had tonight. We had london broil, fresh corn, and these delicious potatoes


Found at this fabulous website.


For dessert, we had this new strawberry recipe - strawberries and dumplings


From this stellar food website.
Her recipes are fabulous and her photography is beautiful. I want to make every single recipe I see from her. And I am thrilled to have found a new strawberry recipe. You should make it. It's just delicious. We put my favorite homemade vanilla ice cream on top. (It's the last recipe in the post. I omitted the raspberries. Though it is delicious with the raspberries as well. If you have a large, old-fashioned ice cream maker, use this vanilla ice cream recipe.)

Yummy! Go try one of them! Let me know if you liked the results!

Children Will Listen: Reflections on Mothering - Utah Performance

I have the opportunity to perform my cabaret-style recital when I'm in Utah this summer. The performance is going to be on a Sunday evening - July 19. If you are going to be in the area and would like to attend, I would love to see you. If you aren't going to be in the area, but know someone that would like to attend, would you let them know? Thanks!

Recipe Deliciousness Testing - Cookie Edition

When Michal posts a recipe, I try it. Like all members of the Miner family, I know she doesn't make or serve anything that isn't delicious AND beautiful. So, when she talked about these cookies on her blog, I knew I had to try them. I've made them three or four times in as many weeks. I love them. The dough is delicious, the cookies are delicious, and they look great. Like Michal says, you have to use the good stuff with this recipe - real butter, vanilla extract and real milk chocolate (Guittard or Ghiradelli) chips. To quote her, "If you're going to substitute margerine or imitation vanilla or Nestle chocolate chips, then don't bother --just use the Toll House recipe."

She's right.

Get the recipe here. Seriously. It's worth the time to click over and see it.

SYTYCD - Top 18 Results

I'm interested to see our bottom three. This is what our friend Adam Shankman says:

FYI; I'm sick about tonight sytycd. I'm pretty sure I know the bottom three, and someone really good is goongvto have to go home... I'm so happy not to be there... Don't askk, because I won't respond

Sorry, but I couldn't change the spelling or punctuation. It's one of my favorite things about following his Twitter feed.

Opening Number:
I love this song. One of my favorites from Sir Stevie. I love the huge lights turning on. I love the face paint. I'm stoked and the dance hasn't even started yet. I want to punch the camera men right now. Mia's dances are so mathematical. I want to see the whole stage and all the formation changes. I like this dance. There is some kind of New Zealand Maori vs. business suit vibe going on. I heart Mia Michaels. That was great.

Cat is totally rocking a white suit tonight. Much better wardrobe choice than last night. Love the facial expressions package reacting to Lil' C's comments last night. That was hilarious. Also hilarious that he had a good attitude about being openly mocked.

First three couples are on the stage.
Ade & Melissa are...safe!
Phillip & Jeanine...safe!
Jason & Caitlin are...in the bottom 3.

Here's our second group:
Brandon & Jeanette are...safe!
Jonathan & Karla are...safe!
Ashley & Kupono are...in the bottom 3.

And I'm 2 for 2 with my picks. Woot!

Actually, I am 2 for 3 since I picked Phillip & Jeanine based on the tango being a technical hot mess. Poor judgement on my part. Since we're voting for America's FAVORITE dancer and Phillip has a huge fan base.

Evan's brother Ryan tried out for SYTYCD Season 6 in LA and made it straight through to Vegas. He's so cute. They totally saved him for ratings. Love that they surprised Evan onstage with the news. SO CUTE!

Here's our third group:
Evan & Randi...Man, they are short. If the two of them make it to the top 10 and have to start switching partners, they could have huge problems...oh, and they're safe.
Vitolio & Asuka are...safe. What?!? Tiny bit surprised between the two couples that are left.
Kayla & Max are...in the bottom 3.

Okay. This sucks for the girls. They're all great. I don't love any of these three boys, so I'm ambivilent about them. We had the opposite problem last year - I loved all the boys at this stage and didn't like the girls.

Our special dancer this week has a lovely name that I am not going to try and type. Can't tell if this is considered a Bollywood dance or not. Cat never told us. I like the little ankle bells, and that tiny foot stomping (don't know how else to describe it) section in the second half was so cool. That's some crazy rhythmic skill. Wow.

Solos!
Caitlin (dancing to "If You Could Feel My Love" by Adele) I didn't know Adele recorded this song. Lovely recording. That was a decent solo. I appreciate her integrating her tricks into the dance instead of adding dance steps around her tumbling.
Jason (dancing to "Superman" by Robin Thicke) Interesting music choice. It's not very a rhythmic, melodic song. I liked the steps. Jason is clearly a powerful and great dancer.
Ashley (dancing to "By Your Side" by Coco Rosie) I've never heard this song. I liked this solo. Very creative and percussive movement to match the music. I hate that these girls are the bottom 3.
Kupono (dancing to "Many Moons" by Janell Monae) Nope. Just nope. I'm not feeling that for me for him for me. (Sorry. Sometimes I miss Randy.)
Kayla (dancing to "Walking on Air by Kerli) No way they are sending her home. That was a great solo. She really performed well.
Max (dancing to "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins) Again, nope. Didn't look like he planned that much.

Yuck. I'm glad I'm not deciding. Though, based on a process of elimination and the way the solos went tonight, I would say it's Kupono or Max for the guys and Ashley or Caitlin for the girls. They seem to really love Kupono and Caitlin, so it could be Max and Ashley. I would be surprised to see them get rid of Max this early since they are so short on ballroomers this season, but his solo was horrid.

While the judges deliberate, someone with the last name DeBarge is lipsyncing with a lot of backup dancers dressed in 80's clothes. I think I have heard this. It samples that "Hey, Hey, Hey, Goodbye" song in the chorus. Catchy summer song. I'm sure it will be a raging success all summer.

The judges are not unanimous on either decision tonight. Girls are first. They liked Caitlin. Ashley had Hollywood glamour but no substance. Kayla's solo was "too crowded" with movement. I can see that. And Ashley is going home. Girly hugs and tears center stage. Bummer. I like her.

Now, for the boys. Jason is told his solo is the strongest so far this season. Kupono is also told his solo lacks substance, but that he can take on a character well. Max is praised for his work ethic and it is acknowledged that ballroomers are at a disadvantage with solos. (Though the solo they showed him doing in Vegas in his farewell package is far more interesting than what he did tonight.)

So, it's goodbye to Ashley & Max. New couple next week - Kayla & Kupono will be paired up next week. That could be good. Man, these eliminations are going to be rough this year.

See you next week everyone!

SYTYCD - Top 18 Performances

I'm not loving Cat's dress. It's a little bit like someone wrapped their shiny, red bed skirt around her.

I wish Cat still said "jidges." The audience doesn't do as well. Lil C is judging tonight. He is extremely insightful.

Randi & Evan - Jive ("Shake a Tail Feather" by Ray Charles, Louis Van Amstel choreography)
I love Evan & Randi. Love the "fun" counter in the rehearsal package. And it was a fun dance. I'm not sure about the but grabbing. I'm also not sure how good their footwork was, as I know nothing about jive, but their were some spots where I was wondering about the feet. It might be the smoothness that Evan dances with that I'm seeing. Mary says I'm right about the footwork. Huzzah. 1-888-TEMPO-01

Melissa & Ade - Jazz ("24 Hours" by Terry Poison, Sonya Tateh choreography)
Funky outfits. Very cool choreography. I'm often weirded out by Sonya's stuff, but I liked this. Lil C pronounces it "buck." Mary loves it. Nigel loves it. Love all around. 1-888-TEMPO-02

Jason & Caitlin - Hip Hop ("Missin You by Trey Songz, Shane Sparks choreography)
Jason's Michael Jackson video is about the cutest thing I've ever seen. I wanted to love this number a bit more. I like Shane Sparks and I'm glad he's back. The steps were fun. We could have used a bit more chemistry. I loved Kayla's walkover. It seems like it will be a forgettable one.

Jeannette & Brandon - Disco ("Loving Is Really My Game" by Brainstorm, Doriana Sanchez choreography) Holy crap. That was crazy. So cool. That shimmy down into the leg kick inside out turn thing was awesome. (And yes, Kristi, that is the technical term. :) )I love Lil C. His analogies are awesome. He cracks me up. I'm watching with our Robison cousins and friend Stacey - all of us decided that America is watching Mary's forehead every time she talks now. Especially when she gets excited. They deserve our votes, America. 1-888-TEMPO-04

Asuka & Vitolio - Waltz ("Dreams are More Precious" by Enya, Louis Van Amstel choreography)
Beautiful steps, and I thought Vitolio did a lovely job. He really laid it out there emotionally. Asuka was much better for me than last week. Those split steps into the lift - that was crazy cool and beautiful. Lovely dance. Louis gave them a great gift with that choreography. Not going to vote for it, because I'm still not an Asuka fan. Still can't tell you exactly why.

Max & Kayla - Jazz/Pop ("Hot Like Wow" by Nadia Oh, Brian Friedman choreography)
Interesting story to this one. Fun, fun costumes. Kayla really is good. I think the judges are a little too enamored with her, but she's great. Loved Nigel, "I think what Mary's saying in her own way is..." From @adammshankman, "Kayla smoked max."

Jonathan & Karla - Contemporary ("Falling Slowly" by The Frames, Stacey Tookey choreography)
A new choreographer from Canada. She must be on the Canadian version. That was a great routine and they danced very, very well. Jonathan was great. I wish he was older. It really does bother me that he looks 10 years old. Some really beautiful lifts and great movement. Liked it a lot. And how much do I love this song? SO MUCH!

Okay. I just watched that a second time and just saw so many moments in it that were just beautiful. We like Stacey Tookey. It WAS buck!

Phillip & Jeanine - Tango ("Violento" by Bailango!, Tony Meredith choreography)
This looks like it could be rough. And I did not find the teddy bear endearing. They tried really hard, but it just didn't look right. Especially after seeing the professional tango dancers last week. That walk from upstage down to the edge of the stage was awful. Their faces are good and I can tell Phillip is trying so hard to keep his frame, but I'm not sure he did. Mary was rough on them on the technique. Rightfully so. Poor guy.

Loved this quote from Lil C to Phillip -
"A lack of confidence is the heaviest anchor you can put on your creativity and on your art."

Ashley & Kupono - Hip Hop ("Imma Be" by Black Eyed Peas, Shane Sparks choreography)
Great concept. Love the shadow thing. Ashley was much better than Kupono. Especially in the fast part at the end.

-----------------------
Faves:
Evan & Randi
Melissa & Ade
Jonathan & Karla
Jeannette & Brandon

Bottom 3 Predictions (or the Hip-Hoppers/Hip-Hop Routines are in Trouble):
Phillip & Jeanine
Jason & Caitlin
Ashley & Kupono

Going Home:
Not sure. Phillip won't be going home. The solos tomorrow are going to be crazy. Based on tonight, I would say Caitlin and Kupono or Caitlin and Jason. I really like Caitlin. I just thought Jeanine and Ashley did a better job tonight.

Who were your favorites? Who do you think is going home?

Watching This:

I really need to finish my SYTYCD review, but I needed to review a number I didn't write about. Before watching it, I decided to make sure Chess recorded. I was going to "just watch one song," but they were on "Mountain Duet" when I turned it on and I'm still sitting here 20 minutes later. Josh Groban is singing "Anthem" with a full orchestra and chorus. You just can't turn that off. "One Night in Bangkok" is next, I believe. I'm gonna be here a while.

I adore this show and I was hoping it would be a good performance. It is. I'm buying the CD and the DVD. Oh yes.

You too can have Josh, Idina Menzel and Adam Pascal in your home singing one of the greatest musical theater scores EVER. Click here.

I ♥ Faces - Sepia

Kids entry - The sweet little flower girl at my stepson's wedding rehearsal last month. The light was coming through the window at a lovely angle as she waited for the rehearsal to end.

Adult Entry - I'm lucky to have a group of wonderful actor friends that are a joy to photograph. I took this shot in Wade's apartment lobby and really like the sepia tone and texture I added in the processing.

Head on over to I ♥ Faces and join in the fun! (www.iheartfaces.com)

On the Other Blog:

Some cute Robison kids. Check the rest out here.

SYTYCD - Top 20 Results

Excellent show last night. I feel badly for the judges tonight. I actually sent a message to Adam Shankman on Twitter earlier today telling him that I didn't envy them their job tonight. That's right. I sent a tweet to Adam. I know. We're tight.

Okay - here's the first group.
Max & Kayla are first. I'm sure they're safe. Evan & Randi's clip is shown. They're second in the group. Jeanine & Philip are out here too. I hope they're all safe. We're early enough in the show that all three of them could be safe.

Max & Kayla are...safe.
Evan & Randi are...safe.
Philip & Jeanine are safe too. I totally called it. Diggity gave me a half smile. I think he's a little impressed by my bold (and correct) prediction.

Second group -
Jason & Caitlin are...safe. Go Bollywood!
Melissa & Ade are...safe. Good. I was going to be angry on that one. Melissa's little toe shoe dance was cute.
Ashley & Kupono are...safe Tony & Paris should be in the bottom 3. And they are. Good job America.

Last group -
Two of these three couples are in the bottom 3.
Asuka & Vitolio are in the bottom 3. I agree. And I'm two for two so far.
Interesting, this last two. Both ballroom routines. Annie's hypothesis that the popular music wins might hold here. Nope. Jonathan & Karla are in the bottom three and Brandon & Jeannette are safe.

I'm three for three. I love it.

Special tango number. I'm glad they're doing this again this year where they expert dancers from around the world dancing in their style. Such a great showcase for the dancers and such a good thing for people to see. The music from Forever Tango is fabulous. That was a great routine.

Here are the solos:

Paris (dancing to "It Doesn't Hurt" by Katie Thompson! I love Katie! Go Katie!) She fell out of her pirouette at the beginning. Lovely steps, but her dancing wasn't as intense as the song. Just didn't match up.
Tony (dancing to "Early in the Morning" by The Gap Band) I don't find him to be very skilled or very interesting. He's here on personality and effort and that isn't going to cut it right now, I'm afraid.
Asuka (dancing to "Did Ya" by BoA) I hate ballroom solos. I also hate that I can see her ribs so well. Meh on the dancing.
Vitolio (dancing to "We Belong Together" by Gavin DeGraw) That opening jump was killer. Thanks for having some emotion. He's the first one to dance that I actually want to stay. Nice.
Karla (dancing to "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin) That was outstanding. That extension/bendy leg/extension thing was amazing.
Jonathan (dancing to "Krazy" by Pitbull feat. Lil Jon) Ummm...Nope. Made the girls scream with the gymnastics, but that was not good. Maybe I still hate ballroom solos, but I don't think he even planned that out before stepping on the stage.

Sean Kingston. Full disclosure - I am NOT a fan. Hate his chain. His dancers are lame. Trying to figure out what song he is sampling with the Jamaican beat. Never mind. Boo doop!

Wait....new "Glee" commercial. Okay. I laughed. It's over. Boo doop!

The jidges are back. Unanimous results for the girls. Carla is getting critiqued first. And she is safe. It's down to Paris and Asuka. Paris knows she's going home based on Nigel's speech about the types of dancers that are left. That was sad to watch her face as she listened to him.

Time for the guys. Also a unanimous decision. Vitolio is getting critiqued first. I'm sure he's safe. He had the best solo. He's warned about bringing his personality out in coming weeks, and he is safe. Jonathan is safe. It sounds like barely safe. Tony is going home. I completely agree. Their routine was the least interesting last night and neither he nor Paris did a good job on their solos.

Good week everyone. I love when we get it right. And I love the SYTYCD results shows. They go by so much faster than the AI results shows. See you next week!

IT'S HERE! SYTYCD Top 20!

Based on auditions, here is what I think before we start -

Early Favorites: Brandon, Evan, Melissa, Phillip, Tony, Randi (go Utah!)

Bugging me: Asuka. Don't know why. I think it is because she is freakishly skinny. The rest haven't registered on my radar yet. I'm interested to see the dances tonight.

I love Cat.

I also love Adam Shankman. Glad he's on the panel tonight. And brilliant to cast SYTYCD dancers in your new movie "Step Up 3D". :) By mentioning Twitch, Joshua, and Katee, you pretty much guaranteed that my BFF Dana and I will be there opening night.

Ok - Let's dance. (Sorry. You've got that Lady Gaga song stuck in your head now don't you?)

Jeanine & Phillip - Hip Hop ("Mad" by Ne-yo, Tabitha & Napoleon choreography)
High hopes for this! Fun one to start with. That was very, very cute. Jeanine really did a good job matching up with Phillip's skill and energy. Love that Tabitha & Napoleon incorporated some of Phillip's style into the choreography. Great compliment to Phillip from Adam about being a good partner - not many hip hop dancers make that transition very well. Mary - no more "gangster" hand gestures when we talk. Thanks.

Asuka & Vitolio - Broadway ("Hot Honey Rag" from Chicago, Tyce Diorio choreography & Lauren assisting)
I don't love this. Maybe because I have a really strong association with the music from the musical and I don't like the silent movie story Tyce laid on top of it. Good job with the steps, but no connection between the two of them for me. Adam is always very positive with the kids. I agree with Mary and Nigel though.

Karla & Jonathan - Cha Cha ("Poker Face" by Lady Gaga, Tony Meredith choreography)
Karla is adorable. I love a Broadway dancer. And that little Jonathan looks like he's 18. Just as cute as can be. They did a good job with that. Usually the first ballroom routine of the season is a bit dreadful, but that was great. Oh, Mary. TMI on the cha cha being rough. Thanks.

Randi & Evan - Jazz ("I Only Have Eyes For You" by Jamie Cullum, Tyce Diorio choreography)
Two of my favorites are dancing together!? Fab-u-lous! (They imported the rythym retarded audience from AI - stop swaying, people. They're supposed to dance, not you.) That was a great routine. I don't usually love it when Tyce does jazz, but that was very nice. They danced it very well, lovely extension from both of them - but, wow. They are short. Most dancers look short standing next to Cat, but they are little pocket people. Hilarious - I just typed that, and Cat talked about putting them in her pocket. I love you Cat. Let's vote for them, shall we? 1-888-TEMPO-04

Paris & Tony - Hip Hop ("Let the Beat Rock" by Black Eyed Peas, Tabitha & Napoleon again! Hurray!)
We learn Paris was in a car accident, Tony is our athlete turned dancer. I didn't love that routine. Not sure if it was the choreography or their personalities not bringing it to life as much as they could have. Adam is so good at giving specific feedback. That rebound comment he made about their hits was right on. Mary's right too - good doesn't cut it on this show anymore. I was just thinking that - usually there are a couple routines that are just awful. Glaringly awful. That doesn't happen now. The forgettable people are the ones that go home. Even if they danced well.

Caitlin & Jason - Bollywood ("Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire. How did I know? Totally missed the choreographer's name - Nikul? Not even going to attempt the last name.)
I love Caitlin. Forgot about her at the beginning when I mentioned audition favorites. She's adorable. That handstand was amazing. They're both doing well - especially Jason, from what I can tell - but I'm pretty sure their arms are supposed to be exactly the same. What do I know? It's fun to watch them and they have great energy. The costumes are stunning. Let's vote for them too. 1-888-TEMPO-06.

Jeanette & Brandon - Foxtrot ("Come Fly With Me" by Michael Buble, Louis Van Amstel choreography - DWTS crossover!)
I don't love her from the auditions. I wish Brandon was dancing with someone I like more. Foxtrot is not my favorite style, but they seem to be doing well. The choreography is very nice. Their lines and frame look good from the miniscule amount I know about ballroom. Adam loves it. Mary admits to botox treatment - she is crazy. Not Paula crazy, fun crazy. Holy cow.

Wade Robson routine after the break!!! YES!!!

Ashley & Kupono - Jazz ("Felt Mountain" by Goldfrapp, Wade Robson choreography)
Crash test dummies? I love Wade. He picks (or composes) amazing music, he helps design the costumes, he does the lighting. He's fabulous. That was a fun piece. Very conceptual, obviously. They danced beautifully in terms of technique and they really performed well. I liked it. I know some people won't, but like Nigel said, you'll remember it and talk about it.

Melissa & Ade - Contemporary ("Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx, Mandy Moore choreography)
This could be hit or miss. Her jazz is usually more consistently cool for me. I don't always love the contemporary stuff she does. I do like this one. Beautiful, beautiful lift in the middle where she twisted all around him. Great lifts throughout, actually. Loved the wind machine, loved her hair. Loved it. Her technique is fantastic. Great feet. We'll vote for them as well. 1-888-TEMPO-09.

I love the Glee commercials. I've stopped for both of them. Can't wait for it to start in the fall.

Kayla & Max - Samba ("Jum Bah Day" by House of Gypsies, Louis Van Amstel choreography)
Based on the rehearsals, this is going to be awesome. Plus, they got the last spot of the evening. And this music rocks. One of the things I really don't like about DWTS is the poor singers that have to sing contemporary music with a big band playing for them. It's awful and it drives me crazy. On SYTYCD, they use such great recordings. Love it. Buying this song. Max is fabulous. Kayla is doing a great job. Fun, fun, fun. The ballroom was really great tonight. I'm kind of surprised. I usually dread the ballroom stuff the first couple of weeks. Adam loves it. Mary's turn. Here comes the crazy. Love that Nigel put the earphones on. Our first big Hot Tamale Train of the season. The only downside of that whole thing? Kayla's extensions by the end of the judges comments. They don't quite blend. She's got thin hair. I'm just sayin'... We're still voting for them though 1-888-TEMPO-10.

Wow. Great first night.

Based completely on forgetability - not on skill - here are my bottom 3.
Asuka & Vitolio
Karla & Jonathan
Paris & Tony

Who did you like?

All Alone at the Prom

Even though he was dateless, he still wanted his picture taken with the balloon arch.

Poor Aaron was dateless for a time too.



His date did come back and we got an adorable picture. It was a really fun night. The rest of the girls' pictures are on the photography blog, if you're interested.

SYTYCD preview coming up later! Tomorrow's the big preview!

Breakfast Ruined - A Photo Essay

I wouldn't really call it an essay. Just trying to be a little bit fancy this morning.

I got a new flash (Nikon SB-600) and I have to say, there is a whole new learning curve involved in implementing this into my photography. I've got a lot of practicing to do - especially in terms of when and where and why to use it.

G-Man, as always, is my model for such experiments. Though based on his reaction to the pictures I took of him at breakfast the other morning, I may want to start using different models.

Click on the picture (or click here) to see why.

Why is G-Man Losing His Shorts?

Find out here.

I ♥ Faces - Fix it Friday #16

I haven't had a chance to work on a Fix It Friday photo for a few weeks. I had some time today after a busy week and thought I'd take a quick crack at this week's photo. Such an adorable boy!




I didn't do a good job of writing down specific steps on what I did to process these photos, but here's what I remember:

I opened the photo in Lightroom and did the following - Bump in exposure, decrease clarity, make duplicate of photo and apply Sesame Ellis preset "colorless kick" to B&W, Exported both copies to Photoshop. Individual actions for each photo are listed below.

Photoshop Color - increased blacks in levels layer, Pro Retouch & Eye Bump (Totally Rad), desaturated the red to get rid of some of the pink cast in the lips, ran Dfine 2.0 to decrease noise (I think I love this plug in. Still working with the demo version, but it is great.)

Photoshop B&W - Eye Bump, Bitchin B&W (70%), Cinnamon Toast (20%), Dfine 2.0 to decrease noise.

Do you love editing photos? Go over to I ♥ Faces to download and edit this week's photo. Or, check out the other submissions to get inspired with ideas.

I ♥ Faces - Happy Birthday & Pets

I wasn't planning to enter this week because I didn't think I had any photos that fit the categories. But Diggity is gone this week, and I had some time to kill and looked through my photo archives and found I do have photos to enter! Not only for the birthday category, but for the pet category as well!

Pets Entry:

Meet Mr. Toby. He belongs to my stepson and daughter-in-law. (Step-daughter-in-law? Wait - I have a daughter-in-law?!? :) She's fabulous. We're glad she's officially family now.) But, I digress. Here's Mr. Toby. He's part Chihuahua, part weenie dog. His ears kill me.

Happy Birthday Entry:

From G-Man's recent celebration. He was excited about the Elmo balloons, not so much about the hat. Or the cake. I'm not sure why he was so upset about the cake. He's a cake addict. We're staging an intervention soon. Maybe it is the hat that is the problem. We'll never know...

Dig through your pictures and join in the fun! Go over to iHeart Faces and participate in this week's contest. Or enter their giveaway for an awesome camera bag. Just go check them out!