katilda.com: 2012

look, when someone offers you a ride to the great white snowy north and you have many long-lost friends in the great white snowy north, it's probably worth it to hop in said car and JUST GO.

fact: i spent last new year's hiking in a tank top then lying by my pool in the sun.

but snow? ice? 20 degrees say whaaa? sure. why not.

excuse me while i dig out old boxes of warm clothing from 4 years of college.

i'll probably impress my friends by partying in an outfit like this...

[via]

...but only if i can add sequins somewhere, because what's a new year's party without at least a little bit of sequins going on?

what are YOU doing for new year's eve?

i hope it is the happiest of happy (and sequined) times.

be back in one piece unless i freeze my tongue to a pole or something,

katilda

Friday, December 28, 2012

how to dress for mars ▲

have you ever studied the planet mars in school? i remember learning that the temperatures are so extreme that you can boil on the side facing the sun and freeze to death on the other side.

the desert is a funny thing.

i know i'm weak when it comes to cold temps (cold being anything below 55) but arizona has a special way of making you need a wool coat when it's dark and then demanding t-shirts and sandals all afternoon.

here's how i've been handling this interplanetary season in the wardrobe department:

boots, striped tee & cardi: target // dark skinnies: no idea // head wrap: burlington // mittens: gift

red heels: target // color block accordion skirt: F21 // polka-dot silk button-up: ross

boots: target // gray spants: walmart // striped cardi: gift // scarf: tilly's

boots & red sweater: target // jeans: downeast // bubble necklace: sassy steals

black boots: target // red floral skirt: F21 // blue tee: walmart // necklace: roommate

fringe mocs & green skinnies: jc penney's // blue plaid button-up: walmart // black infinity scarf: no idea

brown oxfords: payless // pink tights: gift // gray dress: thrifted // green scarf: fry's (yes the food store)

boots & green sweater: target // gray spants: walmart // white scarf: payless

boots: target // beige skirt: my sister // red plaid: random store in CA // green scarf: fry's

gray maxi & purple cardi: target // floral tank: pac sun

brown boots: target // beige skirt: my sister // blue turtleneck: no idea // necklace: roommate

...and the entire outfit on the right is my "i'm playing frisbee at night and it's freezing" look.

xoxo from marsizona,

Thursday, December 27, 2012

movie review: les miserables 2012

i was so excited to see this movie that i couldn't wait until opening day.

so on christmas eve when we discovered a 10pm showing, off i went with my sistren!

i've seen the musical 4 times on stage, grew up watching the 10th anniversary edition on VHS and probably can't quantify the number of hours i've spent playing/singing the songs on my parents' piano...so you might say i have a slight emotional attachment.

and to everyone who has complained that it has "too much singing"...

seriously, be gone from me.

my overall opinion? i loved it.

i knew going into this one that it would be different than the stage version, less broadway singing and more raw acting, which is exactly what it was. so while some of the singing could have been better, overall it was good for what i expected. i loved seeing the characters up close and the scenery was gorgeous, which are both advantages over the stage version.

let's do this character by character...

jean valjean

hugh jackman

he nails the raw emotion and acting. definitely could have done with more falsetto on "bring him home," because those final notes should not be belted in such a manner. i think he captures the desperation of the character quite perfectly, and really hits the bitterness-to-gentle-soul switch.

[via]

javert

russell crowe

i feel like i want to give this guy a pat on the back because i know no one else will, but....yeah, could've used a whole lot more out of this character.

[via]

fantine

anne hathaway

same as valjean, nails the raw emotion and acting. i actually liked this character very much versus the usual operatic version -- it made her suffering seem more real. "i dreamed a dream" was nothing short of fantastic.

[via]

cosette

amanda seyfried

my best answer is probably "mehhh" but i always feel kind of "mehhh" about cosette so i wouldn't blame that on amanda seyfried necessarily. she nails the whole doe-eyed love-struck thing though, which makes sense because she seems to play the same character in all movies.

[via]

thenardier & wife

sacha baron cohen & helena bonham carter

given the actors (and the fact that i will perpetually picture carter as a harry potter villainess), i think i expected something nastier out of them. definitely quieter than the typical raucous stage version, but still, i think they did an acceptable job.

[via]

marius

eddie redmayne

be. still. my. heart. you know, it could be hormones talking (or my undying love of freckles) (which would still be hormones i guess) but i really think he nailed the vocals. actually, "empty chairs at empty tables" was maybe my favorite in the show. if only we could get him to stop shaking so much when vibrato kicks in.

[via]

enjolras

aaron tveit

same as marius, this guy rocked the vocals. one of my favorites in the cast and, yeah, homeboy can sing. i loved the chance to see this character up close, since i've never quite connected with him in the stage version.

[via]

eponine

samantha barks

admittedly, i expected more out of this one because i know she's been in the stage version. seems like she held back from belting it all out, but since that's the overall style of the movie maybe she was instructed to do it that way...? still, i liked her.

[via]

...and let's not forget that colm wilkinson, the original valjean actor, showed up as the bishop in this film. love that little treat!

aaaand that's a wrap!

have you seen it?

have you seen the stage version? thoughts?

RED the color of the raspberries in my oatmeal!

BLACK the color of the banana because i dropped it yesterday and bruised it!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

let your heart be light

some festive pictures and tales of christmas past...aka yesterday:

les miserables: SO GOOD...full review to come soon.

the guitar: my pops hand-painted this for my mama when they were dating in 1978, and i gave it new pegs and strings for christmas.

pink polka-dot tights: at the grocery store on saturday an old lady noticed my pink polka dot tights and informed me i have spots on my legs. she then hung out by me in the checkout line and asked me if I was contagious (garnering hesitant looks from the other shoppers). she also suggested they would look better with a white dress, but that it's "pretty cute" the way I wore them. and finally, she decided my groceries cost too much and handed me a $10 coupon. i think it was a christmas miracle.

the fathead nickname: i'm not sure how this happened, but it happened freshman year of college and i'm still getting mail from certain friends with the nickname in all its glory.

...and what is christmas without matching striped pajamas? also, i got to play ultimate frisbee twice this weekend. so all in all, it was a loverly holiday.

you?

from now on our troubles will be out of sight.

Friday, December 21, 2012

why i have high expectations for love (and so should you)

I recently had a chat with a girl who spoke to my soul.

She is an OBGYN, and said when she was in med school a lot of guys were intimidated by her. She said, "They always wanted me to be less than I was." And then she met her husband and said, "He made me feel like i could fly."

YES.

Guys and girls alike, we should be everything we have the capability of being. We should cut ourselves loose and sail away and stretch as far as we can. Dream big, aim high, talk big talks and plan big plans and don't be afraid of them.

I know there is something to be said for seeing potential in other people and being patient as people figure themselves out without being unfairly demanding. I get that, I do.

BUT...

We also have every right to expect that, when we are trying our hardest, we deserve to be with someone else who is also trying as hard as we are. I'm not talking about perfection. Obviously, no one is perfect. But we can and should allow ourselves to aim high, live life to the fullest and be ambitious without worrying if it'll intimidate anyone or narrow the playing field. I feel like no one says that to each other enough.

Dear you, I'm saying it to you.

Why would you want to be with someone who only fits you best when you're playing small? I want someone who finds me when my wings are spread as far as they can be and still fits me perfectly just the same because he's reaching just as far. We ALL deserve that!

My advice: Find what makes YOU happy before you try and pair that with anyone else. (More thoughts on that here.)

Because here's the honest truth: I'd rather be my best self and single than tone myself down to make love happen. And it took me awhile to figure that out but i mean every word.

p.s. read my initial inspiration for this post here.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

checking in on my famous olivia twin ▲

remember that time when olivia thirlby stole my face?

well, seeing as how she's running around hollywood looking like me and stuff, i figure i should check in on her now and again.

[via] and [via]

imdb has informed me that olivia has several movies in the works.

....but liv, we need to talk about this.

i mean, one of the films is simply called "the movie" and the entire plot summary consists of "the story of a young man in los angeles." and that other one? "mystery white boy"? i mean, even imdb put a a bunch of question marks next to the title.

miss thirlby, our reputation is at stake!
but you know what? ima choose to trust your judgment.

and have you noticed all those foreign men always commenting on your facebook fan page telling you how sexy and talented you are? good work.

also, i dig your jewelry selections:

[via] and [via]

go get 'em liv and look good doing it,

katilda

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

party like it's the end of the world

note: i do not actually believe the world is ending this friday.

but if it was...what would i do with myself?

here are a few whimsical things i would squeeze in before it's all ashes and hellfire around these parts.

which sounds like july in arizona anyway.

1. go to europe

i'd stop shuffling my feet, hop on a jet plane and spend my last hours with some gelato in cinque terre or bicycling along an irish cliffside.

[via]

2. say any "i love you" i never said

i'm usually good at being brave and just putting it all out there, the confessions and apologies and whatnot.

but, admittedly, there's a few i should have told that i never told and what better time to tell someone you've probably always loved them than when the world is about to end?

[via]

3. wear and hear and eat all my favorites

there would be a feast of tacos and fudgsicles, with all my favorite music playing, all while wearing an assortment of my favorite shoes and scarves and plaid shirts and sequin skirts all mismatched and wonderful. so basically i'd fulfill my life dream of being an eccentric old woman.

[via]

4. kiss somebody with reckless abandon

haven't you always wanted to do this, like in the movies? just grab someone and not worry about what it might mean or what you might have to explain or if the relationship is going to work out or blah blah blah? it should probably be raining when this happens, and i'll have my fancy sequins on.

[via]

5. give goods to people who need goods

i have a serious squishy spot for the poor, the needy, the sick, the lonely, the lost, etc.

if it was the end of the world, i'd rally all the business owners and hotels and say IT'S TIME! and then i'd fling the doors wide open and invite all the lost people in for food and love and comfort.

and there would be tacos.

[via]

what about you?

what would you do if the world was ending? where would you go? say? see?

and why aren't you already doing it now?

Monday, December 17, 2012

he told me i was hotter than the sun

so i've officially been exploring this whole online dating thing for a week now.

and what has come of it?

several odd people, a couple normal people, and many laughable moments.

...so, pretty much what i expected!

[via]

favorite moments of the week:

1. the artist who told me i'm stunning and asked if he could paint me.

2. the 40-yr-old man who said i'm hot enough to make the sun jealous.

3. the guy who told me i'm beautiful and we'd have beautiful children together.

kudos to them all for the ballsy approaches, eh?

i'm confident they will each find a lady who wants what they have to offer.

but i'm probably not that girl.

fail of the week:

the fella who said my bachelor's degree (family & human development) sounded like the kind of degree girls go to school for because they aren't married yet.

mmmmmscuse me?

i have had a couple normal encounters, on a better note.

i might even meet one of them in person soon.

you know, safely in a public place because that's how this is done.

and yes my palms are already sweating but ima be brave because that's what i do.

a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils,