Bereavement group

I think this bereavement group is going to work out for me. It's for people who've had loved ones commit suicide, leaving them to deal with tramuatic grief. Dealing with the grief suicide is different than dealing with the grief from an expected death. Both are hard but when a death is expected the person left can do some pre-grieving and letting go instead of being shocked into it.

The person leading the group is very good at getting people to talk and taking their experience and bringing out a main point to it. You know how, in a group, someone will invariably end up talking about something that seems totally random? Well, when that happened, the group leader was able to take that and relate it to the discussion at hand, bringing out an essential point and giving me "aha" moments. Not many people have that kind of talent.

I'll have a red carpet post up for you tomorrow. I've got the pics up but there's still work to do.

It's been three years already?

My dad died three years ago yesterday. I realized this as I was writing my blog, that it was February 13, and it was the anniversary of my dad's death. I feel so sad and I've been up and down all day. It didn't help that I had my counseling appointment this afternoon. 

We're doing some adult attachment thingy in my individual counseling, where we're trying to find out how attached I was to my parents when I was growing up. The way this is done is the interviewer asks questions about the childhood to evoke those memories and feelings, and then the interviewer asks for five adjectives each that describe the mother and father and justifications for each adjective. From there the interviewer should be able to figure out whether there were attachment problems.

Going back to my early childhood (what I remember of it) isn't easy. My dad drank heavily until I was in my teens and my mom was left taking care of three little kids. Those three little kids - my sisters and I - ended up a bit neglected and wanting attention. Remembering all of this as well as some of the things I did when I was growing up was really hard. As an adult looking back, I can see and understand how hard it was for my parents but that little girl I became this afternoon didn't understand that.

Things were bad when I was growing up but they got better as I got older. I had a relationship with my parents and I got to know them as people, not just as my parents. And because my parents were so close to my thoughts, my dad's death feels like it happened just yesterday. I miss him so very much. I wish he was still here.

Even though today's counseling session was hard, it's worthwhile. Knowing where I've come from instead of ignoring it is a good thing. I just wish my daddy was here to see me. I hope that wherever he is, he's content.

Grammy night

The Grammys were on tonight! Of course I watched the show. I love the variety of musical performances. it's as much a celebration of the diversity of music as it is an award show. Plus you never really know what's going to happen or how the show will go.

Heck, just seeing Lady Gaga's many costume changes makes watching the Grammys worthwhile, for me :) She showed up on the red carpet (and on stage) being carried in an egg-like thing. Apparently she was incubating in preparation for tonight's performance, as perhaps a priestess would before an important ritual. The outfit she wore onstage also ended up a little sheerer than perhaps she'd planned - those stage lights are very bright. How is this not entertaining? :)

I enjoyed this award show and actually made it all the way through, at least until bedtime. Muse performed, as well as Lady Gaga, Mumford & Sons, The Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan, Cee Lo Green (looking and surrounded by muppets, including a puppy muppet!), Katy Perry, Eminem with Rihanna, Skylar Grey - who outperformed Rihanna, possibly because Rihanna was sick - and Dr. Dre, Mick Jagger, Barbara Streisand, Arcade Fire, and more. How awesome is that? Well, ok, I was bored while Barbara Streisand sang, and I didn't really like the first Arcade Fire song, but I enjoyed the rest.

One thing that surprised me was the number of non-musical television stars announcing performers. Eva Longoria, for example, presented the Biebs and Usher and she's not a musicians or in any way connected to music as far as I know. Each of these non-musical performers (including Neil Patrick Harris) were great famous and lovely eye-candy, of course, so I guess that's enough.

As an aside, I still don't consider the Biebs an actor. Never Say Never is a biography and how much acting does someone have to do to play themselves? His "movie" is the ultimate in capitalistic endeavours: the kid is 16 and his life is ahead of him, but there are buckets of money to be made right now by shooting a biography (that could have been a segment on Born to Be) in unnecessary 3-D.

Back to the Grammys. The only thing I didn't really like was that there were a lot of commercials: one after every live performance. I know they need time to set up the stage for the next act, but at times it felt like there were at least as many, if not more, commercials than show, and I don't like that.

I also watched quite a bit of the red carpet coverage and I'll have a red carpet post up in a couple of days. This award show isn't as stuffy as the other major award shows and it's also not as casual as the MTV Video Music Awards. The people on the red carpet tend to take more chances with their outfits: safe is not the way to go on this red carpet. I loved that Katy Perry brought her grandmother as her escort and had her grandmother's cane bedazzled, making it a fitting, sparkly accessory on the red carpet. There's nothing safe about a bedazzled cane.

New camera!

We bought our camera today... a Canon Rebel T2i digital SLR plus a macro lens and telephoto lens, a tripod, and a couple of bags. We also bought a book on how to really use the camera. It came to more than we spent on the chair! Still, it's money well-spent, as they say. The battery is charging up now and we can hardly wait to try it out. I'd like to take photos of the things I've made in my metalsmithing class, for example, and we want to try taking pictures of the birds outside. And when my glasses come in, we'll take a picture of me wearing them.

While we wait for the battery to charge, we're taking it easy. Ian ended up being woken in the middle of the night for work and he's having a nap to catch up on sleep. Tonight we'll watch tv unless Ian goes to work to play video games (some people are getting together) or has to work from home.

Yep, our life is pretty boring. That's a good thing, though, right?

We need a cleaner

Ian and I are looking for a cleaning service. I'd wanted to clean the house myself but it's just not happening. I'm not a housewife, it turns out. Yes, I can get a dinner together, and yes, I can clean, but if there's anything else that I can do I'll do that instead.

We're not really sure how to find someone to clean for us. We could go with a big company but I've heard that they don't always pay their people that well and that's not something I can support. At the same time, how do we find an individual (or a smaller company)?

Someone told me about Cleaning for a Reason, a group that partners with cleaning services across Canada and the US to provide four free monthly general cleanings to people undergoing active cancer treatment. I guess I could qualify for that but since we can pay for it I'd rather do that. A local branch of Merry Maids is one of the partners with that group so we could hire them as a way of showing our support for Cleaning for a Reason, maybe. I don't know. Does anyone know anything about Merry Maids and how they pay their employees?

A complicating factor is that most cleaners use their own products but we're sensitive to scents and chemicals. Do cleaning services have unscented products? Can we request that they use them?

If anyone has any recommendations for a specific service in Kitchener/Waterloo or on how to find and hire a cleaning service, I'd love to hear them.

Metalsmithing class (and oncologist)

Oh, I do love my metalsmithing class! I figured out what was causing me to break so many saw blades last week: I wasn't firmly holding down the piece so it would move, snapping the blade.

Last night we learned how to anneal (soften) the copper sheet and to roll a texture onto the annealed sheet through a steel roller (like a pasta maker). You can roll wire textures, sandpaper cut-outs, fabric... just about anything onto the sheet. I'm thinking that it would be interesting to see if I could get some knit textures onto a sheet although I don't know what I'd do with it.

I got great results with some neat fabric that I have as well as with a free-form wire flower thing I made. The wire flower-things will be earrings once they're cut out. I traced a circle around one of them and and when I finished sawing around the circle I thought it might be better if it had more of a free-form shape to match the free-form flower. I'll have to think about it.

We also learned how to make earwires including making the ball headpins ourselves. Next week we're going to be learning how to solder sheets together to create depth to the cut-outs. I'm learning exactly the things that I wanted to learn and I'm so excited about all of the designs I'll be able to make.

Oh - I saw my oncologist today. My tumour markers are at 35 (yay!). My annual CT scan will be scheduled for next month and she'll see me again in two months. I like these easy appointments :)

Heart in concert

Tonight we saw Heart perform at Centre in the Square here in Kitchener. The Centre is an auditorium and has great acoustics; it's also a bit smaller of a venue than, say, a stadium. We still got a stadium show that left everyone, including us, a bit deaf. I'm trying not to shout when I talk but it's not that easy.

Heart have been around for about 35 years and they're still amazing performers. They didn't change outfits a kabillion times and they didn't have a dance choreography and their light show was simple yet interesting; they just got up and played and sang and had a good time. Now *that's* a proper concert.

They haven't lost any of their vocal talent and they didn't forget the words to their songs (I saw Chris de Burgh in concert once and he did forget words to at least one song). Their performance was powerful and energetic and engaging and the songs they performed were as good or better than their studio albums. They sang old favourites (there's a lot of those!) as well as a few songs from their new album.

The only thing I didn't like was that the speakers in the auditorium weren't quite powerful enough for the amplified sound and so occasionally the highest and lowest notes sounded a bit muddy. It was worst at the beginning of the concert and got better through the show. This was really the only flaw I saw and since ours was the second show of the tour it's possible that they'll smooth that out over time.

The opening act was Carmen Townsend, a Cape Breton singer who stood up and sang with only her guitar for company. She had a great voice but we didn't love the way she sang: she does a lot of stuff with her voice (sudden changes in volume, pitch, etc) that we didn't like so much. If she'd just sing without all those tricks we'd have liked the act better.

Before the concert we had dinner at a new-to-me restaurant: The 41. It was delicious! I had the burger with sharp cheddar and bacon and it was wonderful. I wish we'd had time for dessert because the selection looked especially yummy. Ian's been there once before and was happy to go back. I'd like to go back to try some other things on the menu and to work my way through the desserts.

It was definitely a great night all around. If you get a chance to see Heart on their Canadian tour this month, it's well worth your time.

The other chair is here!

Our other chair arrived today! It's the leather one that we ordered months ago. I love it! It's not as squooshy as the one in the store but this one is new and the foam inside is still full-sized. They were supposed to deliver the chair this afternoon but Ian called me around 11:30am to tell me that they were on their way.

It's a good thing he called, too, because I was asleep. Normally I'm up around 10 or 10:30am but I had a really hard time falling asleep last night and didn't actually get to sleep until about 6am this morning. I was very careful to avoid caffeine yesterday afternoon and evening but I did eat a lot bit by bit through the evening. Some of what I ate had chocolate in it so it's possible that the chocolate - or the volume of food - kept me awake.

Of course I'm very tired today and didn't get much done.  Receiving the chair didn't require a lot of effort on my part and that's just as well because I don't have that much. Hopefully I'll get a decent amount of sleep tonight and will have some energy tomorrow.

Superbowl XLV

Friends of ours make a bunch of chili and desserts and have friends over to watch the Superbowl and eat all the food they made. We've been going for a few years so of course we were there tonight. At first I didn't really pay attention to the game because I don't know much of anything about football. Lots of people watch the game for the commercials but here in Canada we don't get to see them live (you can see them online here, if you want).

Still, there's something compelling about watching the best people/teams in their field compete, so I've started sort of watching the game when I'm there. I cheer the good moves and lament the fumbles and mistakes... it's kind of fun. Tonight's game was slow in the first half and quite interesting in the second half.

The halftime show was the Black Eyed Peas with special guests Slash and Usher. I liked the Black Eyed Peas' first album but I'm not a fan of their later albums or hits. I like Slash (who was playing while Fergie sang Sweet Child o' Mine, a Guns 'n Roses song - I wonder how they managed to get the rights to that, since Slash doesn't own those songs) and I have a lot of respect for Usher because he's a great performer while he sings. And he's taken the Biebs under his wing so that the kid doesn't end up going wild with all of the sudden fame and money... so he can't be all bad, right?

One thing I particularly liked about the staging was that instead of having fans go on the field, they had dancers there. They were wearing rope lights and so glowed different colours, adding a new dimension to the performance. I imagine that it was great for security, too - no one has to worry about fans getting too close to the performers or anything like that.

The only thing that I didn't like so much tonight was my own fault... I knew I was having problems with my pain patches and I thought I had some percocet with me to keep me out of withdrawl until we got home, but it turns out I didn't have any in my purse. I was a bit uncomfortable with the chills and sweating and slight nausea but I wanted to stay. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to Ian to make him come home when he was having fun just because I hadn't prepared properly, right? Right. Of course as soon as I got home we changed my patch and I'm feeling better now.

Delayed shopping gratification

I love shopping, not just because I like to spend money but I enjoy the thrill of the hunt to find the perfect item. I also like to be able to look at the things I buy and gloat over my purchases.

We went and chose new glasses frames for me today. My eyesight has changed a bit and so I'm having trouble seeing street signs when I'm driving. My current glasses are also reddish-coloured, which was fine when I was dyeing my hair but which don't really work with my natural ashy haircolour. The frames we chose have horizontal bands of dark and light grey on the front and dark grey temples. I haven't had plastic frames in quite a few years because when I was growing up that's ALL I could get.

Because I get the super-high index lenses where the optics are flattened out (giving more equal vision over the whole lens and flattening out the lenses), I can't get my glasses right away. They're sent out and will come back in about a week or so.

We also went out and chose a digital SLR camera. We wanted a proper camera for my jewelry pictures and to take pictures of the birds and wildlife around us. Ian couldn't just buy any old camera because we want me to use it, too, and we want a camera that I can hold in my child-sized hands. So we settled on a camera... which wasn't in stock at that store.

After spending all that fun time shopping, we came home empty-handed. That's not all bad except for the fact that I'm an instant-gratification kind of person and I wanted to play with my new toys today. At least they'll arrive soonish.

Snowpocalypse averted

The weather people issued dire warnings for yesterday. There will be a Snowpocalype! Snow like you've never seen before! The world is coming to end! Schools were closed, classes were canceled, and everyone hunkered down in preparation for the huge storm.

And then nothing happened. Oh yeah, it snowed, but it wasn't that bad. It was cold, but people weren't stuck in their cars with snow burying the cars, like they were in Chicago. It wasn't even as bad as that snowstorm in Edmonton the weekend before I came home, where cars were stuck and there was a 72-hour wait for the automobile association to come and help.

Because of all the hype and fear of the snow, my metalsmithing course was canceled yesterday. I had been really excited about going to class because I wanted to learn the new things like making headpins and earwires and stamping metals and I wanted to finish my piece from last week.

I looked around the interweb and found a place in Toronto that carries tools and supplies for a reasonable price... and I bought myself a saw, some blades, a bench pin (it has a V in it so small pieces are supported on both sides when sawing), and a 12"x12" sheet of 20g copper. I could have purchased a lot more blades of different sizes and other sheets but I didn't want to go overboard.

The best part of buying this stuff yesterday afternoon was that it arrived today. Clearly the weather didn't stop them from delivering my order to me quickly :) If I'm happy with the things I've bought and actually use them, I'll most likely end up buying additional supplies there.

I figure that if I practice what I learned, I can decide whether I like doing it. There won't be a chance to practice in class so I have to make time to do it. And if Snowpocalypse actually happens here, I'll be ready with an at-home activity to keep me occupied until I can leave the house.

SAG Awards 2011 Red Carpet

I didn't actually watch this award show but that shouldn't stop me from commenting on the red carpet styles! This award show is the second chance celebrities have to get their red carpet looks right in preparation for the  upcoming Oscars.

Style-wise, most of the dresses were strapless and/or belted muu muus which don't work well for most people. For some reason, most of the hair was down and kind of straggly and messy. There was a lot of black, nude/white, shades of red, and shades of blue. There were even a few prints!

Speaking of prints, let's look at them first:

January Jones in Carolina Herrera

 I love love love love this - in fact, I'm one of the few who does as this dress was pretty well panned by everyone else. I think the colours, style, and silhouette all work perfectly on her. It's a comparatively simple silhouette and idea - taking 18" gold-on-black chantilly lace and applying it to black tulle to create that banding, almost symmetrical effect - but the overall effect is stunning. Her hair and makeup add to the look. 

Hailee Steinfeld in Prada

This is completely opposite to the dress she wore for the Golden Globes. Here she looks like a tomboy who's been forced to wear a dress.

Mila Kunis in Alexander McQueen

I like this dress although the train looks a bit like a limp sack there. The colours work really well on her and I like the scattered ombre effect going down the dress. I would have put a black belt on this dress instead of the lighter-coloured chiffon. 

Julia Stiles in Monique Lhullier

I like the navy against her colouring but I'm not wild about the ombre colour or the style of this strapless, empire-waisted, muu muu.

Claire Danes in Louis Vuitton

A strapless, belted, muu-muu. I love the colours in the print and that she's wearing a black belt. I don't like the buckle on the belt, however, and I'm not sure about the dangling strap. 

Wendie Malick

For a strapless dress, this one isn't too bad. I love the way the designer used the print on the bodice to create a trim effect at the top. The colour is fabulous for her and I love her hair and makeup.

Next up, the black dresses. There are a lot of them.

Amy Poehler

A little black dress - even a cute one, which this is not - isn't suitable for the red carpet. It doesn't even fit her properly and the colour is much too harsh for her.

Amber Riley in Anne Barge

I love how happy and confident she looks! I also love how form-fitting the dress is; it showcases her curves and gives her an hourglass figure. I could do without the poufy flower things on the shoulder and skirt but the rest of it looks good. Her hair and makeup are perfect. 

Julie Bowen in Catherine Malandrino

Pants on the red carpet!!! It's about time! This particular pantsuit looks great; her hair, makeup, accessories, and the daring neckline with a hint of sparkle really work for her. 

Kyra Sedgwick in vintage Thierry Muglur couture

Perfect. The silhouette is fabulous - I especially love the way the edges of the bodice turn up into pointy things. Her hair look amazing with this dress.

Nicole Kidman in Nina Ricci

Normally black is a safe choice on the red carpet but this... this isn't good. The bodice cups look weird with the sleeves and the design lines on the lace look strange. I sort of like the neckline but the necklace she's wearing completely detract from it. Her makeup is ok but her hair looks all messy and I don't think it's supposed to look like that.

Diana Agron in Chanel

Except for the eye makeup, this look is amazing. I love the blue accents with the black metallic lace dress. The length and silhouette are so 50s and everything about it suits her.

Christina Hendricks in L'Wren Scott

I don't understand why she's wearing her dressing gown. Did she just run screaming from hair and makeup because she saw that they're so awful and didn't stop to change? Oh, wait. That IS her dress. 

Barbara Hershey in Ali Rahimi

Lovely dress, if a bit like a nightgown. Awful hair. Why is it that so many people showed up on the red carpet with straggly hair? There's no excuse for that.

Helena Bonham Carter in Marc Jacobs

She looks great! I know her hair is crazy but she always does crazy hair as part of her look. This dress is much less over-the-top than the one she wore at the Golden Globes and she looks gorgeous. I love it.

Julia Ormond in Joanna Johnson

I know the neckline is low, but that doesn't mean that she couldn't wear a bra. If the girls were in the right place this dress would be a knockout. Her face is so pretty; shame about the dress.

Kelly Macdonald in Reem Acra

She must have running late because it looks like she didn't have time to do her hair and she didn't choose a particularly flattering dress to wear. The colour is too harsh for her and the silhouette doesn't work.

Angela Kinsey in Jovani

I love it! The hair, the makeup, the dress - everything works together here. She looks sophisticated and stylish. I especially like the rhinestone/sparkle design on this dress.

There are at least as many dresses in white/nude/silver shade than there were in black.

Natalie Portman in Azzaro

There's some creasing underneath her belly where she was sitting but I don't think that can be avoided. I like the sparkly banding at the top of the dress because it adds interest. The dress fits her well and looks quite comfortable to wear - of course all muu muus are comfortable, aren't they? Edited: it is a form-fitting dress, not a muu muu, and it still looks comfortable. Her makeup is lovely and her hair is ok but it creates a strange shape around her head. Overall, she looks put-together, comfortable, and radiant.

Winona Ryder in Alberta Ferretti

Is she scared or did she just have a little accident while standing there? The dress and accessories are a disaster but that doesn't explain the expression on her face.

Amy Adams in Herve Leroux

This colour isn't quite right for her and the strap is too heavy for her neck. This should work and look amazing but it doesn't. Her hair is also a bit too severe for this look.

Eva Longoria in Georges Hobeika

She looks like a kid dressing up in her mom's clothes with her overdone makeup and too-long dress. The bodice is too long on her - that waist band is supposed to be at her waist, right? - and that then makes the hips look strange.

Ariel Winter

This is a pretty dress for a teenager on the red carpet. It's refreshing to see a teenager who isn't dressing like a sexy adult. The neckline doesn't suit her but the colour is ok. Love the black accessories.

Heather Morris in Romona Keveza

Ethereal and elegant. The colour suits her and the silhouette works perfectly with her hair and makeup. Sher looks amazing.

Rosario Dawson in J. Mendel

Love the colour on her. The dress itself makes her look like a rectangle with no waist. The black shoes are too heavy both in colour and style for this dress.

Lea Michele in Oscar de la Renta

She looks like she's surveying her minions to make sure that they're all properly adoring her. Oh, right, I'm supposed to be looking at her dress and hair. It's fine. The colour is good for her, the silhouette works (limp train notwithstanding), and her makeup is ok. Dislike the messy hair. 

Melissa Leo in Randi Rahm

Love the 30s-style silhouette but this dress is WAY too tight around her midsection. I'm a sucker for silver fabric but it shows off ever lump and bump, especially when it's too tight. Her hair is too messy.

Jane Leeves in Jean Fares Couture

I think I love the bottom and and the neckline. And the silver against her skin. And her hair. Now if only all that stuff in the middle worked for her.

Jane Krakowski in Badgley Mischka

This dress is almost ok except that for the sleeve, which is a weird length. Elbow-length sleeves look matronly and dowdy in general and it takes this dress from fabulous to frumpy.

Annette Bening in Tony Ward

Fabulous! The bodice is unusual and eye-catching. I love the colour on her as it highlights that gorgeous smile. WAY better than her Golden Globes dress.

Naya Rivera in Aurelio Costarella

A lovely silhouette: sleek and elegant, especially with her hair behind her shoulders and not straggly-looking. The whole look would be perfect except for the embellishment on the bodice which make her boobs like they're heading outward. 

Kate Mara in Herve Leger

This looks like a bad student design project that desperately needed editing. There's just too much texture in a bland colour that doesn't suit her. 

Hilary Swank in Versace

Is she standing straight up? I can't tell. I like the lines of the dress with its ruching and draping, and the gold bands add interest. The colour is ok on her but matches her skin a little too closely. 

Jenna Ushkowitz in Badgely Mischka

All I see is a gold necklace against an expanse of flesh colour because that gold is the wrong gold. What's the point of the ruffles?

Fortunately, there was some colour on the red carpet - it wasn't all black or neutral. It was mostly red and it's various shades.

Jayma Mays in Jenny Packham

I like the skirt with its 30s feel (even though it's long) but the bodice and sleeves are droopy. The colour is ok but is a little close to her skin colour and doesn't look great on her.

Sarah Hyland in Max Mara

Yet another strapless gown and long straggly hair. At least the knot detail at the waist adds interest and her makeup looks good.

Tina Fey in Oscar de la Renta

This silhouette and colour really work for her. This orangey colour is tricky to wear, as-is this textured lace, but she pulls it off. She still sucks at posing, however.

Katrina Bowden in Max Azria

I like the waist brooch and drape... and that's it. This is just another strapless dress and straggly hair. The colour is a bit orange for her and her makeup is too much.

Christine Baranski

Reviewers are split on whether they like this dress or not. I thought this was Joan Rivers at first because of her hair and makeup and that can't be good. The colour isn't quite right for her - it's a bit too orange - but the style is flattering.

Edie Falco in Bottega Veneta

Mmph. The colour is ok but the dress makes her look hippy. Her hair isn't doing anything for her, either.

Julianna Margulies in Yves Saint Laurent

Another strapless dress. I don't like the cups or the seam running down the center of the dress. The skirt looks a bit sheer as well, but at least the bodice is opaque! The colour is amazing and her hair and makeup look polished.

Valerie Bertinelli

What's up with her hair? I know she's short but she should know by now that tall hair won't make her look taller; all that hair does is emphasize the fact that her boobs are trying to escape the confines of the dress. The colour is great on her but the dress doesn't show off her shape. I like the drapey things.

Paz de la Huerta in Twenty Cluny

I almost like this dress. The long sleeves and high neckline are demure but the body-conscious fit and sequins are sexy. However, the front hem looks ridiculous and her makeup - especially her lipstick - is too harsh.

Angie Harmon in Monique Lhullier

The sheer corset top with feathery cups and skirt are tacky, tacky, tacky bridal. At least the colour suits her.

Jennifer Lawrence in Oscar de la Renta

Ick. The straps don't work, the black accents don't work, the dress is too tight across the hips, and the colour overwhelms her. Her hair and makeup are fine but not enough to save this dress. 

The other main colour was in the purple/blue spectrum. This was a nice contrast to the reds.

Kim Kardashian in Marchesa

The silhouette works on her, as does the colour. Her makeup and hair really make the overall look work. She's not model-thin and she's short but she looks like she has the figure of a skinny actress in this dress. The sparkly bits are a bit over the top, of course, but that's Marchesa.

Susan Sarandon in Nicole Miller

Now this is how to dress a curvy figure. The silhouette, colour, hair, and makeup are perfect. I do wish that there weren't wrinkles across her hips from when she was sitting in the car, but the rest is so fabulous that I'll ignore that.

Jane Lynch in Ali Rahimi

Great colour, nice bodice, horrible skirt. This prom dress makes her head look tiny and her bottom half look HUGE.

Jenna Fischer in Fendi

This looks so sad. Her pose is sad, her expression is sad, the sleeves are sad, her boobs are sad, the accessories are black and heavy and sad. Even though the colour is perfect for her and her hair looks nice, it's too sad to work.

Mariska Hargitay in Isaac Mizrahi

The colour is fantastic, as are the hair and makeup. The silhouette is sort of interesting with the train but it's sort of weird at the same time. I think I'm tired of strapless dresses.

Sofia Vergara in Roberto Cavalli

Wowie zowie, she looks hot! I love the ruching over the torso and the colour is perfect for her. The dress looks to be squashing her boobs down a bit but I think that's hard to avoid. I wish her hair was pulled to the back instead of draped over her front. 

Cara Buono in J. Mendel

If it weren't for the rumpled bits thickening up her waist and the weird sheerness on the bodice, this dress would be amazing. The colour is beautiful and the silhouette (except for the aforementioned waist) works on her.