dinner at hogwarts

Every year the theatre department has a senior dinner to honor the graduating seniors.  This year, if you can believe my luck, was Harry Potter-themed.  I was also fortunate enough to be a part of the planning.  As a member of the food committee, I made some killer lemon bars (they were a hit!) and mini pumpkin pies.  Of course there were also chocolate frogs, amongst other sweets.  It was my idea to have a dessert trolley!  Everyone loved that, especially when we got the theatre department secretary (an adorable old lady) to cart it onto the stage.  Ted, being the sweetheart he is, also helped out with food and chopped 234302095 mushrooms and onions for the shepard pies.  Just because!  He couldn't resist being a part of the magic, I suppose.  

Obviously, the "set" was pretty awesome.  Everything was on the mainstage--there were the four house tables, a forbidden forest, a potions "dudgeon," a common room (my favorite), and other various props like broomsticks and mirrors.  The mini stage for the skit and speakers was a quidditch field.  Of course!

I was Professor Umbridge, marking the first time I've dressed up as a Harry Potter villan.  It was pretty funny.  I borrowed the hat, skirt, and jacket from the costume shop, but everything else was mine--including the schnauzer brooch (Umbridge was a cat lover, but I didn't want to spend money/search endlessly for a cat brooch)!  I added pink tulle bows to my loafers.  Ted was originally going to be a Gryffindor student, until I got the brilliant idea that he could go as schoolboy Hagrid.  So he roughed his look up a bit and we found him a giant fluffy spider from a costume store to be Aragog.  It was pretty adorable.  

Another great thing: two of the professors (and one of the professor's husband) formed a band and played a set for us.  One of the seniors (who I worked in the costume shop with) played a SAW for one of the songs.  Classic Lewis & Clark moment right here.  

The night was magical, and reminded me why I am a theatre major--we're creative, fun people that know how to throw a themed party.  What's not to love?

life lately

It's been very pretty on campus lately--even lovelier than usual (and that's saying a lot since my college is consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful campuses).  Spring is such a treat, especially in the northwest.  Finally, all the rain seems worth it, as the flowers come to life.  This week has started out very hopefully--sun all day!  If only it could be this wonderful without the 24/7 rain the majority of the time.  It's a trade off, I suppose.  

Other things:

♥  My team (me and two of my coworkers from the costume shop) won second place at my school's "Historical Project Runway."  It was a blast!  They made it as much like the real show as they could (with obvious amendments, like only being given 15 safety pins, a pair of scissors, and some tape), with hilariously spot-on comments from the judges and "Tim Gunn"... We chose the Industrial Revolution for our inspiration.  The skirt was made with a yellow table cloth, water, coffee, sugar, and dirt.  The two "surprise challenge" items that I grabbed from the pile:  a lampshade (used as a petticoat) and a swatch of fabric (used as waistband).  We "thoughtfully" used the accessory wall by adding the brown belt.  It was pretty great.

♥  This week is my last full week of school before finals fun.  Almost two years of college down, two to go.  And 1/4 of that will be spent in London!





































♥ Yesterday was Izzy's 5th birthday.  My mom and sister sang to her and sent me a video, and later we Facetimed.  What a dog!  She is too cute for words.





































♥  My cute little sister made this of me on an app.

♥  This week is tech and dress rehearsal for the senior thesis show I helped costume.


♥  I wore these adorable tights from my mom for the first time today!


Happy Earth Day!  Hope your week is lovely.

american girls for life

When I got dressed today, I looked in the mirror and was reminded of my American Girl doll Kit Kittredge...  And when Claire visited me outside the theatre for the costume sale, I dressed her up as my other historical doll, Kirsten Larson.  All of this made me extremely happy, because I love the magical and nostalgic world of American Girl.

take back the past: victorian era

As a lover of fashion and history, I decided to start a new series about looking to the past for fashion inspiration.  See the first post here.  

Today it's the Victorian Era (1837-1901).  I never really thought about it until now, but Victorian-inspired fashion is EVERYWHERE.  It's such an accessible "look" that you can embody any day, even if it's just through a lacy top, cameo necklace, jeans, and lace up boots.

Above:  Dress, necklace, shoes, laptop case

The Victorian era lasted under Queen Victoria's rule.  The fashions went through the following trends:

• 1840's/50's - Full skirts supported by petticoats made of horse hair, off the shoulder bodices, skirts full of flounces (frills), 
• 1850's/60's -Hoop skirts (eek!), jacket bodices,  gored skirts.  Less flounces during Civil War due to decline in fabrics.
• 1870's - Hoop skirts replaced by the "bustle" (more fullness in the back), bell shaped sleeves for daytime, small decorated sleeves for evening, polonaise (bodice and overskirt in one piece) bodices.
• 1870's/80's - Bustles were abandoned for a more natural silhouette, more conservative necklines, slim skirts, asymmetrical details.
• 1880's - The bustle is back-this time with the slim skirt front, draping became more complicated, high necklines.

Accessories:  Bonnets, cameos, fans, heeled boots.

Sources: Truly Victorian
Pictures: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 (my favorite!)

I'm really enjoying this series... I hope it interests someone other than myself.  Either way--It's been a fun way to learn more about fashion history.  Next up, the Edwardian era!  I just started watching Downton Abbey, so that should be exciting.

take back the past: regency era

As a lover of fashion and history, I decided to start a new series about looking to the past for fashion inspiration.  First up:  Regency Era Fashion (1795-1837) 

Above: Dress, shoes, hair comb, shawl, clutch, illustration.

Here are a few distinctions from this time (found here and here):

• hoop skirts were shed for more delicate silhouettes in plain cottons
• high hair and hair powder were abandoned for more natural hairstyles 
• extravagant jewelry and general extravagance were now garish
• the Empire waist became the most popular style
• usually made from white lawn, muslin or batiste, Empire-style dresses were named after their influence from flowing Grecian robes
• white evening gowns were a sign of social status, while pastels were reserved for daytime
• Grecian and Egyptian-like trim patterns
• popular accessories were shawls, caps, bonnets, hair combs, reticule handbags, muffs, gloves, cloaks, and flat footwear sometimes adorned with bows

Inspiring at all?  In my book, a little romance while getting dressed is never a bad idea, so I love getting inspiration from films like Pride & Prejudice and Bright Star.  

focus: moonrise kingdom

It doesn't take much for me to become instantly inspired and obsessed with a movie.  After seeing Moonrise Kingdom for the second time, I decided I needed to blog about how much I am in love with it.  Everyone keeps telling me, "It's such a Kaylie movie!"  To this, I say, "Thank you!!!!!" because it is really just the greatest compliment ever when something like a Wes Anderson film or macarons remind someone of me.

The thing I most admire about Wes Anderson is his attention to detail and color.  The props, costumes, landscape, music, and cinematography are all uniquely him.  It's undeniable when you're watching one of his films.

Costume-wise, I find his characters presented almost cartoon-like, as if each of his films is a live-action replication of a cherished storybook tale.  Most of the characters have one set "uniform" or color scheme that they stick to.  For instance, Suzy wears basically the same outfit the entire film, even when the color changes a couple of times. My favorite detail about Suzy's wardrobe was that she always wore a piece of ribbon around her waist.  In my mind, this means she wants to add a more grown-up shape to her "girl dress," much like she wears blue eyeshadow (which she totally rocked, by the way) and her mother's perfume.

The caricature-like aspect of the characters and their surroundings was even more evident in Moonrise since it was set in 1965.  We look at everything from the past as "precious" and Wes doesn't shy away from this--he encourages it and uses it to create a adventure dreamland that reminded me of a little kid version of a French New Wave film.  Also, I couldn't help but think of Anna Karina (in this scene in Pierrot le Fou) during the "fight" scene when Suzy uses her scissors to defend herself.

The plot itself is genius, in a simple, yet clever way.  I love action-packed craziness as much as the next person, but even more I appreciate the simplicity of a well-made feel-good movie like The Artist, When Harry Met Sally (RIP Nora Ephron), or THE MUPPETS, GOSH DARNIT!

Moral of Story:

• Wes Anderson makes dreamy color-coordinated wonderlands.
• Well-told love stories are timeless.
• Go see Moonrise Kingdom ASAP.

i'm seeing a pattern here

Love this!  Also, it reminds me of the play that I saw tonight at my school.  For The Increased Difficulty of Concentration (translated from Czech by the professor who directed the show), the costume shop built five costumes out of the same bonkers patterned material.  It was so fun to see all of them on stage at the same time turning a particularly chaotic hallucinatory sequence.  The play itself is a farce, so of course it was completely crazy, not in chronological order, a blur of orange set and turquoise/brown/green costumes, and lots of door-slamming and calculated noise.  Overall, it was pretty hilarious and only a little confusing.

betty draper

betty draper by kayliemarissahatos featuring pearl jewelry

60's chic

60's chic by kayliemarissahatos featuring high heels

movie addiction is an understatement

So I've kind of been avoiding "movie reviews" on my blog for a while because of the sheer amount of movies I watch.  (And it's an obscene amount.  If I wasn't 100% I'm going to end up working in the entertainment business, I would be completely embarrassed to admit I've watched over 25 movies already this summer.  I really could start a movie blog, but then...that would take away from my movie-watching.)

However, I have to share with you two movies that I've seen this summer that I am absolutely in love with.

For starters, Midnight in Paris, which I refuse to say anything about, because it's the kind of movie you'd want to see for yourself.  And that I've done... Twice this summer.  Just as lovely both times around, I assure you.  If it's not a "Kaylie" movie, nothing is.

Also, I have just finished watching Pirate Radio for the first time.  I remember seeing the trailer for it in theaters and wanting to see it.  Well, I'm glad I've waited so long to get around to it, because thanks to my recent spike in interest in British television, I recognized more actors than I would have and it deepened my love for Chris O'Dowd (I daresay even Darren Criss is on the back burner now).  Also, I'm a big believer in things coming around when it's the right time, and this movie was the perfect summer night movie.  The cast was terrific, the music was killer, and the costumes/scenery made me incredibly happy in a way only a period movie set in the 60's could.