Adam & Eve's Rib - Barbie Q

I got my baby back, baby back, baby back Chili’s baaaaby back ribs--no, just me?  Well, I’m sure that’s changed now. Moving along - it’s time for the annual Dallas Interfaith Barbecue Invitational and with a number of churches, and one often noted synagogue, lined up to fight the good fight, it wasn’t long before the battle moved from the front lines to home base. Drowning in pre-packaged meals, Sharon tried to keep their finances afloat while Zach found his inner Oprah and donated a car as the BBQ grand prize. Carlene mounted a chair and went head to head with Ripp over her grossly misguided "Condos for Christian Living" project, while Cricket played matchmaker for her horse, but found a stud of her own. And desperate to show her daughter that she can smoke all the meat her heart desires, Amanda rebelled against the Old Boys Club and formed her own BBQ team. Oh, and Heather picked herself up a butcher because, let’s face it--it’s always all about the meat.  

Smokin’ to Smoked
Amanda’s wardrobe usually leaves me less than underwhelmed so I was pleasantly surprised to see her trade all the black and white for this deep green shift dress.  The snakeskin clutch is a trendy, adult addition but the bow belt softens the look and lends some femininity. 

Unfortunately, that all that went up in flames and we were left with outfits as blah as barbeque not from Texas. Or Kansas City. Or North Carolina. Or...ok, you get the point.

Awesome Sauce
Cricket can do no wrong in my book; she is just constantly smothered in good taste the way ribs should be smothered in BBQ sauce.  She is absolutely spot on in this deep eggplant purple wrap dress and the silver detail at the waist cinches in all that fabric to create a flattering cut.  And all her statement silver pieces?  Just like her -- bold and a bit brassy.  Love!   

If I were at the Dallas Interfaith Barbecue Invitational, I’d be in jeans and two bibs.  All that sauce, you know.  But not our Cricket.  Her bib’s a gold bib necklace atop a full-skirted illusion dress.  The fullness of the skirt adds some unnecessary width to her hips, but that’s the only beef I have with this look.  Oh, and yes, pun most definitely intended.  

Eva Longoria v2 can’t go wrong in this bright saffron yellow Victoria Beckham dress.  The color is so complimentary and the fit is beyond body con.  The panel detail and the strong cap-sleeve add enough contrast and structure to the dress to save her from looking like a bottle of French’s yellow mustard.  And the best part?  VB’s signature full-length zipper along the back.  

It’s All About the Wood
At least, that’s what Amanda’s dad said.  About the barbecue, mind you.  I’m just really enjoying how well they mix and match colors and patterns here.  But as much as we can appreciate men in good suits... 

...it’s kind of hard to top men who cook.  In cowboy hats.  With kitschy aprons.    

Yee-haw indeed.

Fixins’
You can’t have a complete BBQ experience without your sides--the mac and cheese, the cornbread, the potatoes, the biscuits. It's just like (I’m pretty sure you know where I’m going with this) you can’t have a complete outfit without your accessories.  Or mac and cheese.  No?  Just me again, then, huh?  

If anyone knows her side dishes, it’s Gigi.  As if her sweater isn’t enough bling for the early side of noon, she’s a veritable buffet of all that is sparkly.  And on a midnight expedition through the Carruth-Riley thickets to steal some pecan tree wood, why would you need a flashlight when you have a sparkly spider brook the size of your fist and glittery earrings the size of baby-back ribs?  That snakeskin purse, however, we can do without.  It looks like it was a free gift with purchase with Amanda’s clutch.     

 I’m not one hundred percent sure what sort of catastrophe landed on Sharon’s usually vivaciously swathed form or what exactly has befallen her immaculately coiffed Farrah flyaways, but it’s not really that great.  A bit mumsy for someone whose personality is anything but that.  What I can get on board with, though (and only because everything has to be bigger in Texas) are the egg-sized pearls that are swinging about her neck and lobes.  That mousey handbag, though, has got to go.  

Her outfit might have been a big fail, but Sharon’s BBQ sauce sure was a hit since Spicy Racks took home the grand prize.  And in a stunning turn of events, May is allegedly National Barbecue Month.  Well, whaddaya know!  And want to know something else?  The gals head down to Mexico next week and check this out--May is also rumored to be National Salsa Month!  Will wonders ever cease?