to see list

Well, this looks overwhelmingly adorable.  I expect no less from Belle & Sebastian.

Goofy, I know. BUT I MISS LONDON AND I PRETTY MUCH START JUMPING UP AND DOWN WHEN I SEE THIS TRAILER IN THEATERS BECAUSE LONDONNNNNNN.  Also, Hugh Bonneville from Downton Abbey.  Dreaming of Paddington Station already.

I read The Giver back in elementary school, and I'm excited to be reintroduced into its world through the movie.  It's a shame it took so long for it to become a movie (it came out the year I was born--21 years ago), but I guess it's a dystopian wonderland in Hollywood right now, so the time was finally right.

Any other upcoming movies I should know about?

what if

It's late. I should be convincing myself to go to sleep, but I'm hyped up on an episode of Gilmore Girls and the fact that I managed to organize my sewing class fabric perfectly into my picnic basket/suitcase, so I thought I'd share this adorable trailer for What If I just came across.  As a huge Harry Potter fan, I'm always happy to see Daniel Radcliffe's face, but this is the first post-Potter movie of his that I've actually felt like I need to see.  You could say I'm a sucker for a sweet Rom Com. You could say that quite loudly...because it's very true. I've seen Zoe Kazan on screen only twice--in Ruby Sparks, which I just watched last summer while alone in Portland and enjoyed, and in It's Complicated, which I've seen a few times because it seems to be on TV often (or used to, at least) and it's just one of those cozy movies that always seem okay to leave on while baking or whatnot.  The two of them appear to make an almost unbearably cute pair, and I can't wait to see this with a girl friend, or Ted.  In theaters August 1st.

Also, there's this.  I need to read the book this summer, obviously.  And yes, I am currently deprived of movie-going. Or shall I say, going to the cinema.

today i am thankful for...movie dates

Especially when they remind you you're going to be in London in less than two months with one of your favorite human beings in the world.  About time!

But really, About Time is a fantastic movie.  We both loved it so much.  There's nothing better than a sweet British rom com on a cold Fall night.

fashion on film: ginger rogers in top hat (1935)

The other night, I watched Top Hat for the first time.  I absolutely adored it.  Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are a dream together.  I can't believe how long it took me to watch this delightful film!  Ginger Rogers totally charmed me the first she came onto screen in her luxurious silk night gown.  The epitome of Art Deco glamour.  I thought it would be fun to channel a few of Ginger's more casual looks and find modern-day answers to her iconic style.

Resort wear: romper // belt // wedges // purse

Equestrian-inspired outfit: blazer // blouse // pants // boots // hat

just a quote

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.

11 things that make me happy

These adorable New Girl pictures.

AVOCADOS ALL DAY EVERY DAY. (I have to try this!!!!)

Waiting for Wes Anderson's new film.

When my friends dress up as Glee characters with me (Klaine forever) for my finale party.

Adorable proposals.

Having a yummy lunch & shopping date with my stylish grandma.

Daydreaming about having long hair again.

Hanging out with Izzy in my room.

This awesome typography channel on Vimeo.

The fact that I will get to see this silly bear in less than two weeks. (Sad face=this vintage blazer doesn't fit me.)

This part from the second to last episode of Glee.  How can you not be happy after you watch this?  Happy tears for days.

What's making you happy this weekend?

valentine's day eve

Spending the night eating the last of the heart macarons Ted gave me the other night (ordered from here), watching Love in the Afternoon (a hearts day tradition), and doing some last minute crafting (because silly school has been getting in the way of my holiday craftiness--an absolute disgrace!!) 

Also, this weekend I received a beautiful Valentine's Day package from my grandparents and oodles of candies/cookies from my other grandparents and aunts visiting.  Life is pretty sweet.

Remember to share the love tomorrow!

for your information

I saw The Muppets over Thanksgiving break and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  Go see it and smile for 98 glorious minutes.

today i am thankful for... Audrey Hepburn

Last night I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's for the 34923495823th time and realized I have the entire movie memorized.  I am very thankful to have grown up with my love of Audrey Hepburn, because she is one classy lady!

So my daily "today i am thankful for..." posts have been completely lacking this November (see last year's here)...  Actually, pretty nonexistent.  I will make an effort to start up again, but the truth is, life is busy.  But more importantly, life is good.

Mostly today I am thankful for... being so happily busy that I don't even have time to keep up with my blog.

ten years in the making

DO NOT READ THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE!  I AM WARNING YOU!!!!!

Yesterday my wonderful friends joined me in watching movies 5-7, eating Harry Potter-themed treats, waiting in line for six hours, and waiting in the theatre (in our awesome seats) for two more.

Luna Lovegood (Emily), Moaning Myrtle (Dahlya), and Mrs. Weasley.

Erin made golden snitch cake pops!  I can't bring myself to get rid of the quidditch field.  I think it might stay in my room forever...

I made butterbeer cupcakes.

Melanie made cookie pops!  Props to this Only a Fan of the Movies girl, but SHE STILL NEEDS TO READ THEM!  So does Erin, as a matter of fact.

Emily made Dirigible Plum pudding!  Yes, in fact she is one of the coolest people ever.

Kate helped me make pretzel wands.

The tickets!

Gildroy Lockhart (Denton) and Hogwarts student (Eric).

Harry (Domenico) and Ginny (Erin).

Death Eater (Rylee).

Gryffindor cuties (Rachel and Spencer).

Harry's Patronus (Kate) and dementor (Ken).

Thirteen-year-old girl who wouldn't stop talking to us/photobombing, Bill Weasley (Heston), Chrookshanks (Tab), and Tonks (Kiko).

Ken hadn't seen the sixth and seventh movies, so we made sure he watched both of them before the eighth film.  Luckily, we had the time.

Professor Trelawney (Megan)!

Shannon is a muggle, but we let her join the magic anyway.

That'll be Dobby (Nick) on the left.

Oh my goodness, THAT GIRL!  SHE DOESN'T EVEN GO HERE!

Guess who Sarah was!

Everyone keeps asking me, "Is it everything you hoped for?"  

The short answer is... Yes.   

The long answer is... Mostly yes.  I've always made excuses for why they left out parts of the books in previous films, but for the first time it felt like a personal blow, especially because I thought that they would try their best to include everything because it was their last chance to and had the least amount of chapters they've ever had to work with.  Dumbledore's story just completely got the back-burner.  However, I understand why they made the cuts and alterations, so I can't keep a grudge against the people who brought to life the books that define my childhood and made the magic last this much longer.  In the end, the books will always be richer and have more depth.  There's no argument there.  On the whole, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was awesome, magical, emotional, wonderful, scary, beautiful, and unlike any other movie I've ever seen.

The thing that I think they did really well, much more than any other film, was create an atmosphere of complete terror.  A movie has never made me felt so terrified and queasy.  This isn't a kids movie, I can tell you that.  When Harry Imperiuses the goblin at Gringotts, I think the dopey expression on his face was supposed to be funny, but I found it really scary.  The Imperius curse is horrifying to me--being under the control of someone else is a frightening thought.  But I guess that's why it's a Unforgivable Curse!  The sprawled-out goblins as well...  Awful.  VOLDEMORT IS SO BAD.  So much blood is spilled, and so much slaughter takes place.  It's horrible.  Just horrible.  It was completely weird and unnerving seeing the students of Hogwarts in an atmosphere of such blatant murder and death.  However, I was holding up pretty well until it cut to a scene of Fenir Greyback biting and killing Lavendar Brown.  That just made me so sick.  From then on, I was a wreck.  When they showed Snape with Voldemort, I was immediately beside myself with tears.  Then his death and the pensieve flashbacks...  MERLIN'S PANTS!  I had to try to keep my sobbing quiet for the sake of the people around me, but when Dumbledore says, "After all this time?" and Snape replies, "Always"... Well, I let escape a little noise typical of hysteric crying.  Alan Rickman played the perfect Snape these past ten years.  I just want to hug him.  Always. 

Another thing they somehow magically managed to do was inject humor into the bleak events.  I found myself laughing at countless one-liners from everyone from Professor McGonnagall to Neville to...well, Voldemort.  The Dark Lord seemed to be comic relief at times, which I am not sure was fully intended.  His weird little noises and part in the Most Awkward Hug to Ever be Captured on Film left the entire theatre in a fit of giggles.  Having to hug Voldemort is reason enough to not join the dark side.

A few more thoughts:  The Hermione/Ron kiss was awesome, but I think I prefer the sweetness of the book version.  I was beyond confused when Neville announced his love for Luna, but I can't be too angry about it, because I always wanted Luna to end up with Harry or Neville in the books.  Seeing Fred, Tonks, and Lupin was devastating.  We clapped and cheered when Mrs. Weasley killed Bellatrix and Neville killed Nagini.  I thought it was kind of hilarious that not one person clapped or cheered when Voldemort was killed, but whatevs.  I myself felt quite victorious when it happened.  The epilogue was great.  It could've been super cheesy, but they did it well.

And then it ended.  There were hugs.  When Erin and Domenico drove me home, I made them put on Voldemort is Going Down.  When I got out of the car, they thanked me for planning the party and as I usually say, I replied, "Anytime," but being the drama queen I truly am deep inside, I went on, "except actually not, because this is never going to happen ever again."  And then I walked to my door like a big baby.

Of course I couldn't go to sleep yet, so I cleaned up and read "Harry Potter: The Ultimate Movie Celebration" insert from Empire, which went through each of the eight films with interviews and pictures, while listening to Maggie's aptly titled mix CD, "Post-Potter Depression" that I conveniently got in my fantastic blogger swap package earlier in the day.  Tears were involved, but mostly I realized how incredibly lucky I am to have been a part of such a monumental thing.  When the CD ended, I placed my Harry Potter wand on my nightstand and went to sleep with at least some sense of closure.

One of my favorite parts in the final film was when Harry talks to Dumbledore at King's Cross (and not just because Daniel Radcliffe looks mighty fine in gray and I got to see Dumbledore).  I think they did so well with this scene, which makes me infinitely happy.  The scene perfectly sums up the whole Harry Potter business to me:  


When Dumbledore said, "Words are our most inexhaustible source of magic," I immediately thought of the magic JK Rowling has provided to my very, very fortunate generation and how I am going to share the magic with my children someday.  Thank you, Jo, for making my childhood the most magical it could possibly be.  You are literally the coolest person alive.


When Dumbledore said, "Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love," I thought about how Harry Potter is the ultimate story of love conquering all.
  
When Dumbledore said, "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?", I thought about how just because the magical world of Harry Potter is in our imaginations, doesn't mean that it is any less real to us.  


All was well.