One of my guilty TV pleasures

I LOVE Project Runway! I've watch all four seasons faithfully. I admit that I don't always watch it at it's scheduled time. Thanks goodness for the weekend marathons and DVR so I can get caught up. Tonight was the season finale... and I'm not real happy with the outcome.

The finalists were Christian, Jillian, and Rami. All three had beautiful collections.

Rami and Jillian were both my picks to win. I would have been happy if either of them had won. I think their designs are more commercially viable. But Christian won. His clothes are beautiful and artsy, but they don't translate to everyday life. I live vicariously through this show.

Does anyone remember "Fashion Plates?" It was probably my favorite toy growing up. Of course, my sister and I had to share it. But I would spend hours coming up with different combinations. We would both get so excited when the Easter Bunny or Santa would bring up a new set to mix things up. We discovered that really sharp colored pencils worked best for coloring. We loved experimenting with patterns on the dresses or stockings. I think we both figured we'd be fashion designers some day. I used to try to make clothes for my Barbies too. Those never turned out very well.

But I've always wanted to live in New York City, so I get an NYC fix, as well as a fashion fix by watching this show. I just love how catty the designers sometimes get. And I love the dramatic personalities. Now I'm looking forward to "Top Chef: Chicago." Chicago is my favorite city in America. I'm not from there, but when I'm standing in Downtown Chicago, I feel like I'm home. And I love to cook, so this show should be great!