Chivalry didn't die, but he did just get eliminated.

Yep, it was a surprise for us, too.  For the record I agree that the wrong person went home. I'm aloud to disagree with the judges and this time i do.

Dan.  Oh, Dan.  There's a lot of splaining to do, I know. And i know you guys aren't seeing what some of us have done design-wise so i will break it down for you, designer by designer (at least on my team).  There are still 9 people in the game, so they can't go into detail on each one of us, there's just no time - but I can.  ALSO, WE STILL WORK IN TEAMS!!!!  so yes, its hard to have a breakout design when all the decisions are made together and they HAVE to be made together in order to create a pretty room.....

OK.  Flower district.  Fischer and Page, i've been there 4 trillion times and am actually pretty friendly with Chris the manager (btw, hey single ladies, if you want to meet a man that works hard, can lift heave stuff, knows what is pretty, and smells good all the time, go to the flower district - the guys that work there are all awesome and done with work at noon).

We didn't have the world of flowers to choose from, but even if we did I would've chosen a wildflower because I love them very very very much.  They grow anywhere, don't need any care, are effortless, loose, are always sculptural and under used.....oh....and super cheap.  wild and cheap.  like i like my men.

After getting our challenge, we all get our flowers and get into the van and start conceptualizing.  I wanted to do a billowing curtain around the bed to create romance.  Yes, Nina wanted to do fake applied....WAIT!!! WHY DIDN'T THEY STOP ME FROM CHEWING GUM IN THE VAN!!!!!  good lord that is not a good look for me.  how embarrassing.    Anyhoo, i'm not the biggest fake applied moulding fan, its a bit store display for me.  But whatever, it did add impact to the room.  Fact is that art (purchased) is not an option because of clearances, etc, so you have to do some sort of treatment on the walls or they will just be painted, then empty.  It was very very time consuming, however.

Ok, so back at the apartment we formulate the plan.  I'm going to make the room divider, Casey's going to do the wall treatment in the bedroom, Stacey is creating an office, and Nina is doing a coffee table and a piece of artwork.  Dan talked about logistics and how its all going to get done.

We start shopping.  We go to Bo concept, Zarin's fabric, a really good furny store downtown that i'm forgetting, and Gracious HOme (Dear gracious home, i love you, why can't all hardware/home stores have your selection of great things?...seriously, why?ooh, also if you want to sponsor my blog I would accept, it's about time i put it out there)  We get back to the space around 8:30 and start taping and painting.  Everybody is working together.  Dan helped me put up my rod for the room divider, which was necessary for everyone and for the room.  He volunteers to help because he is soooo much faster at everything so I agree to do clusters of pillows for him.  We are all just helping each other, worrying about our individual designs later.

We wake up the next day and I have  a bad feeling about Dan.  Dan and I had a conversation in the kitchen where we talk about the fact that he hasn't decided what is specifically 'his' design yet.  He keeps saying that all of it will play to his flower and that he's not worried about it -not in a cocky way, at all,  just in a 'guy-who-hasn't-gone-to-elimination-yet' way.  He hasn't been grilled by the judges yet on what he individually has or has not done, so he doesn't understand how important it is to make sure that you can defend yourself.  We tried to explain it to him and he might have thought we were being dramatic (which I would've too, i'm pretty sure we said that going to elimination is worse than sitting in friday night west to east traffic on the ten which is the 11th circle of hell, 15 miles that can take 2 hours).

Anyway, he helped sooooooooooooo much because he's got mad skills and is fast, efficient, works hard and is insanely pleasant to be around.  He's the most chivalrous guy i know,  and insisted on doing a lot of stuff that he knows how to do so well - the hot macho guy stuff (he's getting married in two weeks and i had the priviledge of meeting the lovely bride to be - more on that this week).

 Here's the deal, its hard to stand out on teams (unless you are a mural person) so you end up kinda falling back and doing what you know you are good at.  I know that i'm good at fabrics, textures, accessories and sewing- so i sew a lot of the accessories. is that a copout?  I dunno.  I'm not sure what i would've done different.  Dan knows that he is good at implementing designs (and YES, he is great great great) so i think that he stuck with that.  AH, i hate thinking about it.  When the judges came into the room they asked us each what our flower was and how we implemented it into the room.  That was our chance to sell our selves and our flower (yep, i guess i talk like this now) into the room.  Dan didn't really know, so I think it tipped the judges off that he might've not had much of an individual design concept.  Again, the judges don't know what we do during the challenges, they only see the result (which is good and bad).

 I can safely say that he is the one person that I was legitimately shocked and sad about.  Everyone else so far seemed like it was their time, but for Dan....it was too soon.

I have to go to work.  i would love to call in sick and blog about design star all day long.  but money doesn't make itself and mama wants a new pair of APC shoes, so i has to goes to works.

Because i'm a die-hard, frankly obsessed, Design Star fan I will be blogging about it everyday this week.  i'll explain what each of us did in the space, how we got along or didn't and why Dan ended up in the bottom two.

I'll also post all the behind the scene pics which i don't have time to down load right now.  I'll answer any and all requests for DS info so if there is something you are dying to know, ask it and i promise to address it.

I also promise to never ever ever EVER chew gum on national tv again.  It is not helping my hillbilly reputation (although I had sweet, minty-fresh breath, yes i did).

Tonight!!!!!

tonight tonight tonight tonight.

how do you all live without being able to see yourself on tv?  its like the whole tree-falls-in-a-forest-thing, i'm not totally sure that i'm alive until sunday nights at 7 or 10.  then i tune on to HGTV and.....

Ah, here I am.

Down to nine.  who do you guys want to go home?  who do you think is going home?
come back for the scoop tomorrow - or tuesday.  got an early call time tomorrow so not sure i'll be able to wrap my little foggy brain around it at 6am.

Design Star tomorrow night. we go to the flower market.

It's been way too long since the last Design Star.  I mean, how are you all getting along?  finally, my reality life can live again tomorrow night.  Meanwhile i've been watching to Top Chef and Work of Art and loving them per usual.  At the flea market last weekend I ran into  just-offed artist John Parot.

it's funny, if he was Ryan gosling, (my true obsession) or any other actor or musician i would never have come up to him, but Bethenny(RHONY) and Jeff Lewis should expect an invite to coffee from me.  I feel like reality show people volunteer for it, so its ok ish.

So i came up to him and was all, 'Hi, John?' and he said "You're Emily!' and we both just knew each other from the shows that we are on.  so weird.  we talked for 1/2 hour just about the whole experience, figuring out how to compete under pressure as creatives, etc.  it was weird 'cause i did feel like i knew him.  we actually do share a friend in common, who just had a baby, way to go Jen!  nice job making another human being.  still not sure how that is possible.  but, i made a throw pillow yesterday by the way. just sayin.

Watch Design Star sunday at 7pm and 10pm on HGTV.  It's challenge #4.  watch the preview here, if you want a sneaky peeky

my non-mood board.

working like a dawg.  sorry, this week is n.u.t.s.
here's my mood board right now, in case that is interesting to you.  it looks a lot happier than my exact mood right now, my new printer breaking is killing my morning organizational buzz.  i suppose i could call it my inspiration board, but that doesn't really sound like me.  maybe its just a 'cloth-covered-chuck-of-homosote-that-i-put-pretty-pretty-things-on-that-make-me-happy' board.

Its just a sheet of homosote from home depot wrapped in Navy Linen.  I change the linen every couple months.  It took me WAY too many years to figure out that Navy looks good on blondes, but once I did i haven't turned back.  Navy, I love you, you sophisticated color that works with anything, you.

My friend Terilyn Fisher took this photo when she was over the other day.  thanks Teri.

wait, i'm sorry. you didn't realize i model, too? so weird.

In honor of our upcoming holiday weekend here is a story from last year (wait, maybe two years ago, i forget) that my friend Jen shot (from ban-do. yes that Jen) for a Veggie times fourth of July picnic.  You might notice that i'm also a model.  Not sure if you knew that.  I don't go around bragging, nor do I so much get paid to do it, but most of the best models in the world don't get paid very much for editorial either.  (that's actually true, they do it for exposure/tear sheets and like $250/day).  

Anyhoo i first started my modeling career when i was in the background of a garnet hill catalogue, holding an umbrella.  Oh my god, you've seen it?  thank you so much.  I was 'magical' they said.  and blurry, actually.  but it takes natural talent to look blurry, have you ever seen Kate Moss be blurry in the background of a bedding catalogue? thought so.

Then Martha had me playing a 'mom' (when I was like 24) for an advertorial about some backache medicine. I had to look like i was in pain while i put together this wooden toybox in the most awkward position where i actually was in pain.  'oy, my back.  hurry Martha get me some pantone chip #256 color blue pain pills that happen to perfectly match my blouse, eyeshadow, toybox and rug.' 

oh yeah, and there were a lot of 'Emily and Brian's have fancy romantic dinner' shots during the summers where Cindy and I did the Martha Stewart for Kmart outdoor furniture catalogue.  Those were hilarious, i'll see if I can find them.  We would shoot at the most amazing houses all along the east coast, set up the furniture, prop it like a romantic dinner (or picnic, or dinner party, etc) and Brian and I would sit in it, cheers, laugh and look like the smug owners of mansions.  We were 26 and had 14 dollars in the bank, but apparently we invested that money well and bought this house in cape cod where we eat lobsters daily with huge bowls of lemons.  

(yes I have read the catalogue Living blog, and LOVE it - i'm going to do a 'in defense of catalogue stylist' post next week.  stay tuned.)  

 Actually the last two i got paid for, come to think of it.  And for Garnet Hill I got a free Eileen fisher 100% linen duvet, which lasted me until last year - highly recommend.  

Just in case you think i'm bragging, basically what happens is they realize the shot needs some 'life', aka a person.  or a dog. or a kite.  But we've shot too many dogs already and they didn't book any real models, so a stylist assistant might do.  i'm not kidding.  It makes sense that an assistant gets asked first (it would be kinda insulting if they asked the prop stylist to get in there).  They often don't want people that really look like models, just normal people that aren't totally disfigured.  So i fit the bill. The client wouldn't have to pay for travel or lodging when I was already assisting on set so they got a good deal and I got a double day rate.  Not bad for holding a plate of cupcakes while I sway back and forth for fifteen minutes way in the background.  (Subsequently Cindy kinda had to assist herself, sorry Cind - and she was the one that insisted i get paid). 

Anyway, for Veggie times (the story above) there was no budget for models.  And that was a problem.

You can't have a beach picnic without people.  It will look like the people drowned in the ocean or got kidnapped.  And that's not a very celebratory July 4th. 

Yes, that's Brian, wearing the hipster hat. its not his, i promise. 

episode 3. da boys.

Ah the boys.  ok, so here's the deal. you can rip it apart, sure.  I'll spare you because these are my friends.  But here's the deal, it's actually more interesting than the girls.  Sure, ours is pretty, but I do think that the boys had some exciting things going on. 
Let's start with Tom.  

I love me some Tom.  I'm not gonna down play it, Tom and had a pretty special relationship and throughout the competition got kinda close.  You know how he comes across really intense?  that's because he is, but he has a lighter side, a really joyful side that I love.  When I was really really really down on myself (aka, barely holding it together) after the first challenge (or 2), he gave me such a good pep-talk.  I'll spare you the sentimentality, but I just remember being so thankful to him. and   
Anyway back to his saxamaphone.  

I like this space, I do.  It looks like a weird person lives here, and I love me some weird people.  I can't believe that Tom and Alex built that daybed in one day, neither having much experience with construction.  Tom's philosophy throughout the competition was to try things that he doesn't do in his everyday life as a designer (he's corporate).  

Pulling back more you can feel that it's a little more disjointed, but I still kinda want to be there. 

This side i'm not totally opposed to either.  It just didn't work with the other side.  It kinda looks like a crazy person lives here, but again, i like crazy people and i can often say that about my own apartment.  

I don't totally understand the different levels, but it did make the space do something interesting.  That pouf is ridiculous.  I love. The faux finish?  i'm not on that bandwagon, but I actually don't mind it outside of all places (somewhere that actually could be aged).  




So Trent went home.  Let me say this: these designers have some of the biggest personalities that i've ever been around in my life. HUGE.  Not all of them, but a lot of them.  I thought I had a middle-sized personality, you know, i can hold my own, but compared to some others it's like the size of a potato bug, or a proton.  If you lose confidence and it takes a while to find footing again (me), or if you never find your footing (Trent) then you will just get steamrolled. And its nobody's fault, its just a consequence of being on a reality show with big personalities.  So don't underestimate Trent. I never worked with him so I don't really know what he's capable of.  But this wasn't his format.  He wasn't meant for reality TV and competing for his career, and that's not a bad thing.

OH and to address the criticism.  Yes, you want to see more designing, I get that.  BUT, this isn't just a design competition and seeing personalities, how people work together, general like-ability (or dislikeability) is actually a factor in this game.  Its' 3 days cut into 43 minutes, having to watch/show 9 different designers work.  As people dwindle down and get the boot, i'm sure we'll all see more of the designing.  Just keep watching.  Please.  There is gonna be some stuff that knocks your pradas off.

New Work. Pendleton.

New Work.  It's almost as if my life isn't just all about Design Star.  Almost. 

The Pendleton Catalogue finally dropped and I was supes excited to get it in the mail. So much work i've done lately either is not going to be published til next summer or is not stuff I really want in my book.  But this, i like.  This is just a sample from the first catalogue that I did.  More to come. 

Heres' how it went down, for those who are interested:

Maryalice gave me the art direction, where she wanted to play on the clothes conservative and classic nature.  So we did a throwback 1960's feel - when suits were suits and men were men.  

I figured everyone read national geographics a lot, loved pops of yellow and had loved all-things-circle back then, right? 

 So here's what I did:

I sourced the grasscloth and wallpaper down here, shipped it up to Portland.  Adhered it to the flats.  Chair railed one of them, painted the bottom semi-gloss (so it reflects).  Then I bought enough 8" pine planks (and cut them accordingly) to look like old wood flooring.  We stained them a trillion times so they would be dark, slapped on a coat of poly, then staggered them. 

  

 I rented that desk from The good mod (where I bought my sofa), it's amazing.  That topiary (top pic) was awesome.  HUGE.  and was a pretty penny from The Jealous Gardner.  The rest of the stuff I got at thrift stores, vintage stores, etc.  

Waddya think?  It was shot by Jose Martinez, with his crew Eric, Pat and Anton.