TCM Film Festival - Part 2

This is basically the only shot of my outfit from the first official day of the festival -- wearing my beloved bait footwear shoes. I have so many pictures of my feet with stars on the walk of fame -- it was like playing an instagram version of "I Spy" with classic film star names.

I got a decent amount of sight-seeing done on this trip, so I'm looking forward to concentrating a bit more on the actual festival when I go back next year. I saw eight films total which I think is pretty pale in comparison to most festival-goers. I think even all of my friends saw more movies than I did (I can't blame sight-seeing for that though, I just overslept every morning. And skipped one movie for a mid-day nap. oops!)



The first movie that I saw at the festival was The World of Henry Orient with Paula Prentiss in attendance! I've seen it before but I don't remember finding it as funny as I did this time. The film is about two teenagers who stalk a pianist around New York City. The teen girls have a very Mary Clancy-Rachel Devery dynamic, with one kooky adventurous troublemaker and her slightly-less kooky stooge. The pianist was played by Peter Sellers. If you think he's usually too over-the-top, in this movie he is not. If you think he's perfectly lovely in his other movies, in this one he's just as awesome but a little toned down. Either way, he's brilliant. And his love interest is a nervous, paranoid married lady played by Paula Prentiss.

Do you ever think that somebody's acting is just SO funny that laughing doesn't seem like a sufficent expression of how joyful they make you feel? I wanted to invent a new form of comedic appreciation for how funny Paula Prentiss was in this movie.  The movie is available on amazon instant watch here.



This is just an awesome mural that I saw on Hollywood Blvd. 

The second movie that I saw was Invasion of the Body Snatchers. My dad is a big fan of 1950's science fiction movies so I knew he'd disown me if I didn't go see it, lol ;) In all seriousness, though, I love me a 50's sci-fi too, and I was pretty excited about seeing this one on the big screen!

I've been to quite a few classic film screenings at repertory theaters and so many times I've been disappointed and annoyed by how many people in the audience laugh at things that aren't funny. I assumed that most people coming to this festival would probably be more respectful, but I was still very apprehensive seeing a movie like this in a theater. Thankfully, the audience was amazing. Nobody laughed, except at lines that were obviously intended to trigger a giggle. The credits were met with applause, and you could hear a pin drop when the movie was playing, it was so quiet. I wish that every movie-going experience could be like this one! The movie is available on amazon instant watch here.

The next movie that I saw was a midnight screening of David Lynch's Eraserhead.



This is me, Millie and Sarah pre-Eraserhead.



This is Sarah, Millie and me post-Eraserhead.

I'm a big fan of Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet so I thought -- yay! David Lynch! I'm in! But this was much more disturbing than I could have imagined. I don't even know how David Lynch imagined it. I'm not sure I can even really describe it? It starts out having a semblance of a plot -- a man finds out his girlfriend is having a baby and they get married. At dinner with his girlfriend's parents he cuts into a cornish hen and the little chicken starts convulsing and oozing a thick liquid. Later on, the baby (which looks kind of like an alien/hairless horse hybrid?) is just constantly crying, in a pitch that lies somewhere on the border between a human infant and a velociraptor. Large worms shaped like pieces of funnel cake start falling from the sky and slithering around. A head explodes.

I'm sure that its reputation as a cinematic masterpiece is apt and I'm just missing something -- I generally try to have an open mind about movies, even disturbing ones, but I just didn't get it. I had a lot of fun attending the midnight screening with my friends, though, and it's going to be a lifelong memory, for sure. Not my favorite movie of the festival though, ha! It's available on amazon instant watch here.

TCM Film Festival - Part 1

I didn't mean to abandon my blog while I was on vacation... oops! I was just having so much fun!! I think I only got to take two proper outfit posts, too! Yikes! Touristy snapshots will just have to suffice for now. I was really happy with all of my outfits so I need to share them anyway :)

The first day was pretty amazing. My friends and I have known each other for five years but this was our first time getting together as a group. We've been discussing it ever since we met, dreaming about our "five year epic meetup" but I think all of us were doubtful that it would ever actually happen. We all have busy lives and the thought that everyone would be able to drop what they're doing for a week to meet at the same time seemed so unlikely! But when the TCM Film Festival idea came up, we all jumped on board. We originally met through our classic film blogs (I used to blog regularly at Silents & Talkies before I started Scathingly Brilliant) and it was just SO fitting.



Left to right: Millie, Me, Nicole, Sarah, Casey

On our first day we went out to eat at a cute little restaurant and then split up temporarily. Casey got to go to a really cool TCM social networking party, and the rest of us played typical tourists on Hollywood Blvd. I majorly freaked out at Grauman's Chinese Theater. I've been dreaming about seeing Frank Sinatra's handprints since I was thirteen, so that was beyond exciting for me. (That's me with Frank's prints in the picture at the top.)

Some of the highlights of the trip were seeing Alec Baldwin in person (Jack Donaghy!) falling in love with The Beatles at the Hard Day's Night screening, seeing my all time favorite movie, Sunday in New York, on the big screen (I wept with happiness, omg!), two midnight screenings (I've been trying to get people to go to midnight movies with me forever and nobody ever wants to do it with me!), late night chats with Millie, and I finally got to go to Disneyland!! At the end of the trip I also got to meet up with Danielle and Diana, too! All in all this was one of the best weeks of my whole life. I can't possibly fit everything in one post so I'm going to break it up by day, with some non-vacation posts in between so you don't get sick of it too quickly ;)

dress - red velvet (by elsie from a beautiful mess) | shoes - c/o bait footwear

at the boardwalk

Yesterday we went to Downtown Disney and had lunch at the House of Blues (my first time back there since they added cheese and jalapeno peppers to their don't-mess-with-perfection amazing cornbread. I was quite sad) then we wandered around the Boardwalk resort before going to Hollywood Studios for the rest of the day. No super amazing food yesterday (partially because my old favorite cornbread no longer exists) but something pretty awesome happened when we got back to our hotel.

I should probably add here that I've gotten sort of obsessed with arcade basketball games lately. There's one at our movie theater, and I've been challenging my dad every time we go. I've been beating him too, which isn't half bad considering he's a foot taller than me and used to coach basketball when he was younger!

Anyway, there's an arcade in our resort and the basketball game there is one of those full-scale super tall ones that's incredibly intimidating when you're only 5' tall. I got like 4 points the first few times I played, and I was getting pretty discouraged, but then I became filled with an all-consuming determination to beat the high score on the machine.

AND I DID!! eep! And, get this, there are two machines in our arcade and I beat the high score on BOTH. I was pleased as punch, let me tell you! I called my dad to gloat and then went to sleep a happy camper :)

shirt, cardigan and shorts - forever 21 | Sneakers - asos | Sunglasses - sweet and lovely

such a wholesome place

One of the highlights of the trip so far was finding out that our hotel was 101 Dalmatians-themed! We're staying at the All Star Movies resort, and you're assigned to one of 5 different movie themed sections. I wanted this one SO badly, but I didn't find out that we had it until we checked in. They have two massive Pongo and Perdita statues in front of each building, and some of the walls are painted with dalmatian spots. It's my favorite Disney movie so I'm basically in heaven.

Also, yesterday I had the best meal of the trip. I know I said this in my last post, but really this trip is all about the food. I was flipping though the photos on my phone last night and noticed like 99% of them are pictures of my meals, lol! But anyway, yesterday we ate lunch at Seasons in Epcot and they had vegan orange sesame chik'n. I almost died when I saw it on the menu... a lot of the counter service restaurants here have a limited selection for vegetarians (lots of veggie burgers and PB&J sandwiches) so this was quite a treat! And it was absolutely delicious. I'm going back today, and basically as often as possible while I'm here! 

Well we're heading out for another magical day! Be back soon :)

Shirt and backpack - h&m | Sneakers and shorts - asos | Tights - target

Cardigan - forever 21 | Sweater clips - sweet and lovely

Greetings from Animal Kingdom!

On Wednesday we went to the Animal Kingdom, and this is what I wore! I've been wearing the shorts-and-tights combo every day so far. It's really comfy and I don't feel frumpy :) Well, how could anyone ever feel frumpy with these sneakers!? lol! They're so fun!! And really, really comfortable. We're doing a lot of walking and they're holding up well so far.

I got these iphone cases for me and my mom, so it would be easier to take pictures on our phones. Last year I kept mine in my purse in its silicon case, and it was just too much of a hassle to take a quick snapshot. These are perfect, but a little stupidly designed. The strap connects to the top part, which can snap off way too easily. One jostle on the strap, and your iphone could go tumbling to the ground. Luckily I had done research about this before buying the cases and knew it was an issue, so I got heavy duty black rubber bands to keep the top part connected to the bottom. It's working wonderfully, and you can't really tell that it isn't a part of the case unless you look hard :)

We're just having SO much fun! I think the nicest thing about being on vacation is never having to cook or clean up, lol! I've been having so many scrumptious meals (my favorites so far were the fried green beans and the beef and broccoli (minus the beef) at the Yak and Yeti They were really accommodating for my vegetarian diet there.) It really beats heating up day-old spaghetti on a regular basis at home, haha! :D

Well we're off to Epcot today! ttfn! (That's Tigger speak for "ta ta for now!")

Shirt- urbanog | Shorts - emerging thoughts | Sneakers and belt - asos

Lady tie - flapper girl | iphone case - amazon | Sunglasses - sweet and lovely

I did it!!

Well, my first airplane ride is officially behind me! Phew!! :D

I was a nervous wreck (and I may or may not have cried during take-off and also when I felt the plane touch back on earth) but I'm so glad I finally did it. It took 26 years, but I finally did it :) I think I'll need more practice before I'm able to do an international flight, but at least the more terrifying part is over.

Yesterday me and my mom went to the Magic Kingdom, and we had SO much fun!! We ate dinner at Cinderella's Castle! And the best part is that the new Fantasyland (which includes the Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid attractions) had a dress rehearsal while we were there! Those are my two favorite Disney princess movies (favorite Disney movie goes to 101 Dalmatians) so I was ridiculously elated. Again, I may or may not have cried. I was a little emotional yesterday lol :) The Little Mermaid ride is INCREDIBLE! We went on it three times and if it's open again today, I'm sure that tally will at least double. My mom and I ended up singing Under the Sea and Part of Your World as we wandered around the park for the rest of the night.

Well we're going to go grab some breakfast and head over to The Animal Kingdom now! I hope everyone else is having a magical week too :)

Disney: part 1

First, the obligatory castle photo. I probably could have sat myself down on a bench and just stared at the castle for my entire trip. It's so magical!

For some reason I burst into giggles *a lot* when we're taking pictures on vacation! So most photos of me end up like this, lol.. We took the picture in front of a fence they have up in front of construction work. In 2012 they're opening a Beauty and the Beast restaurant where you can dine in the Beast's castle!

I was determined to collect pins this time around, and as soon as I saw this Mary Poppins one I knew it had to be my first! But it also ended up being my last, lol... I never ended up finding any others that I really wanted. Despite a fervent quest throughout the whole trip, I couldn't find a single one for 101 Dalmatians, which is probably my favorite Disney cartoon :p

For dinner on the first night we ate in Cinderella's Castle! It was SO magical! And they had an amazing vegetarian meal which, trust me, was rare (I practically lived on a steady diet of so-so veggie burgers and fries for our entire trip). It was a mix of beans, zucchini and tomatoes in a really hearty tomato broth. Absolutely scrumptious!

The firework celebration took place during our meal, so we got to see it right outside our window from within the castle! I can't even describe how amazing that was. I was gaping! Absolutely breathtaking! I didn't get any photos of it, but I did get video so I'll post that later this week.

Kyle took this amazing photo of the castle lit up at night. Isn't it stunning? At the end of the night we were walking backwards out of the Magic Kingdom because we wanted to keep staring at the castle.

It was raining and really cold that night, so (being ill-prepared for the weather) we bought matching brother-sister sweatshirts. We're total dorks.

On Day 2 we went to Epcot. In Japan they have a HUGE selection of Hello Kitty stuff. Look at the giant chococat pillow up in the top right corner! <3

We brought some photos from previous Disney trips, and then took pictures holding the photos in the same locations. This one is a photo of me and Kyle from 2002 standing in England. Also it was raining and really humid so my bangs took on a life of their own ;p

Me taking a picture in a mirror in Morocco with my new Hello Kitty iphone case that I picked up in the Japan pavilion.

I'll post more pictures tomorrow! I also have a trip video if anyone would want to see it? It's like 10 minutes long, but it's set to music and edited so it's not like a normal home video. You could always fast forward to the fireworks parts lol ;D

I'm back, and I'm 25.

I had so much fun in Disney World! If my cats and parents weren't waiting for me at home, I seriously would not have wanted to come back. It was just so magical. On our first night we ate dinner in Cinderella's Castle, and we didn't realize until we were seated that we had scheduled our meal to coincide with the fireworks. We had a window seat and got to watch the fireworks from inside the castle! It was so amazing I can't even find the words to describe it.

The whole trip was just absolutely wonderful. I'm still winding down so this is just a quick post to say "hello, I'm back!" and let you know how the trip went! :) Today I'm spending the day in Princeton with my family celebrating my birthday, and tomorrow I'll share some more of the details and photos!

Turning 25 wasn't as bad as I expected (my birthday was Saturday) ... but we celebrate the exact time in my family (I was born at 5:42PM) and when I saw the number light up on the clock my heart did sink a bit, and I had to bite my lip to keep from crying. It's weird to think I've been around for a quarter century now. I don't feel like it at all! Oh well. We're celebrating my great aunt's 100th birthday next month, so it gives me hope that I still have 3 more quarter centuries to go ... which means a LOT more trips to Disney World ;)

Finally, a HUGE thank you to all of my guest bloggers for DIY-sney week! If you haven't had a chance to look at all of the phenomenal DIY projects yet, you can view them here. Also, I did a guest post for Lauren while she's recovering from surgery (get well soon!!!) which you can check out here!

Wednesday in New York

Yesterday me and my brother Kyle hopped a train to New York City for a day trip! I had such a fantastic day! The main reason we went was because I desperately wanted to see two Dirk Bogarde movies that are only available to view at The Paley Center for Media (blogged about those here.)

The day began with a rough start. My brother is a big railfan and insisted that we sit on the right side of the train so that he could have a better view of the rail freight yards (???) that we'd pass on the way to New York. The train was already crowded by the time we boarded, but there were still plenty of open seats for us to choose from. Despite my protesting that we should sit on the left side where the benches seat two, he dragged us into a three seater and assured me that my giant pocketbook in the third seat would ward off any new passengers who wanted to squeeze in next to me.

I should add here that I have a weird, strange phobia about sitting next to strangers. At the movies, on trains and buses, in cars, anywhere.. I really can't stand having to sit next to a stranger. Anyway, so there I was positioned between my brother and my giant purse, headphones on and reading The Bell Jar. Things were going smoothly. Then at the very next stop, not even ten minutes after we got on the train, this old lady comes over and hovers above me, staring at the third seat with a "MOVE THE PURSE" glare on her face. I gave my brother a cold look, moved my bag and then discreetly inched as far away from her as I could.

For the next sixty minutes I did all that I could to not notice her reusing the soiled tissues she had crammed up her coat sleeves. It didn't help that the train tracks to New York seem to be on a leftward leaning slope, so I spent the entire trip with my leg muscles contracted and feet planted so firmly on the train floor that I'm surprised I didn't leave footprints. I was not going to slide into her and her used tissues.

When we finally arrived in New York, I heaved a huge sigh of relief, informed Kyle that I will never EVER, for the rest of my life, ride in a three seater when two seaters are available, and went upstairs into Penn Station.

The rest of the trip went much smoother than the train ride, thankfully! To make up for the tissue-lady situation, Kyle let me spend almost a whole hour in H&M shopping -- only mentioning once (a new record) that there was a McDonalds next door, and he wanted a coke. (Even when we are nowhere near a McDonalds, he brings this up at least twice per hour.) I finally found red tights, which I've been lusting after ever since I saw Anna Karina wearing them in A Woman is a Woman. And only $5! Score!! I also got two really cute dresses and a new pair of sunglasses. All in all, though, I was overwhelmingly disappointed by the fact that the 80's and 90's had thrown up all over the store. Seriously, who thought that neon lace leggings and gold sequined shoulder pads deserved a comeback??

After H&M (and McDonalds) we stopped by the Empire State Building, snapped a few photos (okay, I took a few and Kyle took 400) and then headed for Rockefeller Center. I've been there before, but not since Sunday in New York became one of my favorite movies of all time and I've been dying to get back there ever since. You know, Rod Taylor and Jane Fonda meet when she goes to the skating rink to find her brother. I had no clue that it was a 16 block trek from the station -- if I had, I probably would have called a cab -- but nevertheless we made it there in one piece, took some pictures (I took a few, Kyle took 400) and then we grabbed lunch. I had originally thought it might be fun to go to the 21 Club (when in Rome..) but gee whiz, they charge $30 for a hamburger! There didn't seem to be any vegetarian options either, except for a mushroom thing that I wouldn't eat anyway. So we just grabbed sandwiches and pasta at a little cafe across from The Paley Center before heading in for the movies.

I had e-mailed beforehand to make sure that the two programs I wanted to see were, in fact, available, and also to ask how I could see three hours worth of film with a one hour ticket. I guess this is a rare request because when I got up to the viewing room the guy enthusiastically asked "Are you Kate?!" I replied, totally unsure of how they knew who I was since I had paid with cash. "You want to see Blithe Spirit and Little Moon of Alban!! Come over here and we'll set you up!!" He was really excited -- either he's a huge Dirk Bogarde fan or he just really loves his job.

For more about the movies and my mini Dirk Bogarde marathon, click here to read the post on my Discovering Dirk Bogarde blog.

After we were done with the movies, I thought it would be neat to continue my Sunday in New York on a Wednesday adventure and go back to Rockefeller Center to eat at the cafe that Jane & Rod ate at in the movie! Things have changed since the 60's. When Jane Fonda and Rod Taylor ordered simple toast and coffee, I don't remember the waiter glaring at them with the same hateful intensity that we received when we ordered coke and fries. Okay, Waiter! So the cafe is obviously a little more high-falutin' than it was when the movie was made, but that's no reason to look at us as if you wished you were shoving the utensils down our obviously-going-to-leave-a-small-tip throats.

Me and Kyle got a kick out of our surly waiter and continued to make fun of him whenever he left our table. We must have looked hilarious though; most of the people in the restaurant had on suits and here was Kyle with a "Hi! I'm a tourist!" backpack, baseball cap and jeans. I, of course, didn't look much better but at least I didn't have the backpack making me stick out like a sore thumb ;-)

After we finished our "meal" (and left a rather good tip considering our waiter's crummy attitude) we stopped by the NBC shop (why do they sell so many golf balls??? It was weird!) to get our dad a birthday present. Then we started the long trek back to Penn Station, stopping at every vendor along the way, on the lookout for a pair of mirrored aviator sunglasses for Kyle that my parents had instructed me not to let him buy, but I did. (That turned out well.)

We managed to find a two seater on the train, though it was unfortunately situated in the same car as a hoard of senior citizens on some kind of group trip. It looked like we had walked into the grocery store on a Tuesday afternoon. Luckily they kept to themselves (albeit loudly) and I enjoyed a nice peaceful ride home while Kyle took pictures of whatever was outside the train window.

The peon (with awful wind-blown bangs) eating with the well-to-do

Me and Kyle at the Empire State Building
(note to self: pin back bangs next time you go out on a windy day)

Cafe from the outside (would have looked better if the rink was there)