We've reached the second-to-last episode—time for the last four designers to journey home and make their final runway collections. Join us in the comments while we live-blog the action—and while you're at it, you can help us play the Tim Gunn Home Visit Drinking Game!

How do I do these things, I hear some of you ask? Well, the first thing—live-blogging the episode with us—is easy: Just settle down in front of the TV with your computer handy, watch tonight's episode (which airs on Lifetime at 9 pm Eastern), and join the rest of us as we post a running commentary on the show in the comments section below this post.

The second thing—the Tim Gun Home Visit Drinking Game-is something I just made it up, so it's kind of a work in progress. It's designed to happen during the traditional part of the show when Tim visits the designers' homes to check on the collections they're making for the season-ending runway show. The rules I've come up with so far are to drink whenever:

  • Tim is compelled to do something undignified, such as wear a floral apron or bounce on a trampoline.
  • We see any designer childhood photographs, which are always fun. Remember Mondo the Matador?
  • Tim uses the word "concerned," "vision," "editing," "wow," or "mess" when commenting on in-progress collections.
  • We get a "coming out to family members" back story.
  • Tim appears in uncharacteristically informal attire—a distinct possibility, since he'll probably be visiting Anya in her home country of Trinidad during the sweltering tropical summer. Drink once if he appears without a tie, twice if he appears jacket-less, and three times if he actually appears in shorts.

So that's a start, anyway—but I'm sure the rest of you will come up with some even better rules for this game before tonight's episode starts. I know this because the live-bloggers here are such a clever and creative bunch! As evidence of that, I've assembled a collection of some the wittiest comments posted during last week's live blog.

As for what else is in store tonight, the formula for these penultimate Project Runway episodes is pretty standard so we already know a lot of what to expect: After learning how much time and money they'll get for their collections, the designers will head home to create them—and, as discussed above, Tim will visit. And when the designers return New York, they will act shocked—shocked!—to learn that they'll have to make an extra "bonus look" at the last minute, even though this happens every season. I'm thinking that there must be a "feign surprise at predictable twist" requirement in the contestants' contracts for this show—probably right under the "appear thrilled to see B-actress guest judge" stipulation.

Anyway, whatever happens, we'll have a great time live-blogging it together, because we always do! So let's get to it. I'll see you down in the comments!

[Image via Flickr]