KITT SERVES TEA

In time gone by, when the semester was still young and finals felt like a lifetime away, when hope was high and life worth living, I dreamed a dream that I would host a thoroughly British Tea Party to celebrate the end of my second year of University. I dreamed that my energy wouldn't die, that my profs would be forgiving. Then I was young and unafraid and blog posts were made and study time wasted. But the finals came at last with their ridiculously-long-essay-questions soft as thunder, and they (almost) tore my hope apart and (almost) turned my dream of a thoroughly British Tea Part to shame. 

I am happy to announce that my exams and last minute assignments did NOT kill the dream I dreamed: at the end of a rather busy semester I summoned to strength to channel my inner hostess-with-the-mostest, pull out the fine china and sashay in the kitchen to the crooning voices of Perry Como and Doris Day. There was a 1950's English Tea Party to host, and this little lady - tired as she might be - was up to the challenge.

When I first had the idea of putting together this little shindig a couple of ago, I had very modest plans. A teapot, a few teacups, a cake, friends. Maybe a table cloth for the occasion, you know? And then Uni got to me. You see, I cope with stress by looking forward to things. Whether it be a new book, a trip to the cinema, or a day out, I like to have a little silver-lining to focus on or an incentive to encourage me when I am feeling worn down. Well, this past semester was pretty darn good at wearing me down. It was my least favourite term so far, I had some classes I was not enjoying, I was having to prepare for the intensity that is third year Fine Art classes - I was altogether lacking in the motivation department. So, when life sends you Shakespeare essays and Psychology exams and mammoth Printing projects, plan a Tea Party. Seriously. Sat in a three-hour night-time Psychology lecture with a rear that's growing increasingly numb? Mentally construct a menu full of the best British sweet treats. Revising in your bedroom for a looming Literature exam? Look up from those notes and imagine the perfect vintage display of your retro bits and bobs. By the time the day of the Tea Party arrived, I had planned a monster of an event that took my family and I a whole day to set up for. 

I invited a small group of my Fine Arts friends from Uni with the request that they get their vintage glad rags on and bring their own teacups. I Union-Jacked the dining area up as much as I could and dug up old photographs of my Grandparents in the 1950's to stick on the walls. I gathered together all of the old British tins and memorabilia I could find and arranged them on the piano in a sort of shrine to the Motherland. My lovely family united to do all of the baking (I am afraid my only contribution was the cupcakes and they were a tad overdone). I found a fifties playlist on YouTube and pressed play, whipped out the red lipstick (hello again, Marilyn!) and with some housewife pearls round my neck, I was ready to go!

At the end of the day, I just enjoyed being with my friends. I feel very blessed to have come to know these lovely ladies this year at Uni. From stressing over deadlines with them to walking through the streets of Manhattan together, these girls have made my University experience so much better. Onwards and upwards into third year, ladies! Hurrah!

~ Menu ~

Victoria Sponge Cake

English Trifle

Scottish Shortbread

English Scones with Whipped Cream and Strawberry Jam

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Chocolate Cupcakes and Fairy Cakes

Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Sandwiches 

Cucumber Sandwiches

Fresh Strawberries

A selection of British Teas for the tea-drinkers and Caf-Lib for moi

Fizzy Pink Lemonade

Good Friends

Joyous and Long-Awaited Relief from Schoolwork

Dream the Dream. Host a Tea Party.

Kitty x

(Thank you to Breanna for some of the photographs!)

HAVING A MARILYN MOMENT

Last night I watched My Week With Marilyn. Yesterday afternoon I browsed the new Mad Men Collection at Banana Republic. Last week I looked through Vintage Vogue dress patterns. Last week I borrowed my friend's book on 20th Century style. Last month I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's. 

The Vintage Vibes have been bubbling away inside of me, and today they came to the surface with two dashes of Va and an awful lot of VOOM. Today I gave myself the Marilyn touch, and I'm telling you, it felt GOOD. 

This past week I bought myself a navy boat neck jumper on sale for $7 at Gap. I also noticed my bright green A&F trousers (also a bargain - reduced from $78 down to $12) in my chest of drawers. A navy and green dress in Banana Republic caught my eye and got me thinking... and voila, my outfit was born. Watching Michelle Williams shimmy across the screen in My Week With Marilyn certainly got me in the mood to do some shimmying of my own, and to shimmy like Marilyn, I needed flicks of cat-eye liner, lashings of red lipstick and a back-combed, hairspray-ed do. So I got to work, only to find out that before there could be any photographic evidence of my Marilyn Moment, I had to go out with the family. Reader, I am proud to say I did it. Minus the lipstick, I went out all retro-ed up and it felt pretty darn good. May have looked like I walked off a Mad Men set but hey, as my Dad told me: I'm young and I'm an art student and I can get away with being a little eccentric. 

When I finally got behind that camera, posing has never come so naturally. I thought of Michelle William's Marilyn cheekily asking, "Shall I be her?", and then, with a pout, I decided I would. 

Verdict? This may not be the end of red lipstick and big hair...

Kitty x

{Jumper: Gap; Trousers: A&F; Black Sunglasses: Forever 21; Red Sunglasses: New Look; Purple Scarf c/o of my Grandma; Red Scarf and Leather Jacket c/o my sister; Navy Coat: Miss Selfridge; Pearl Necklace and Black Ballet Flats: Joe Fresh; Leopard Print Heels: ASOS; Purse: Chapters.}

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

 Yesterday I had a complete hair change and I froze to death in the park wearing my Dad's old jumper. Oh, and I remembered (too late) that hair does a really good job of keeping the neck warm. No matter, though - I love my new hair. In these pics, I've yet to make it 'me' though - ever notice that the hairdresser always blow dries and combs and fixes things in ways you never ever do yourself? Some people love having their hair styled by the folks at the salon, but I always prefer my own, ritualised little ways of getting my hair how I want it. In my experience, I never fully get the feel of a new haircut until I have to wash and style it myself. Today was my own little adventure of wash, blow and style.

On very cold, overcast days, the first thing I want to grab is an over-sized and over-aged thick jumper. The second thing I want to pull on is a pair of pj's, but I could never let myself leave the house in those, so a jumper will have to do. This old-school beauty was made by my Auntie for my Dad way back in the Eighties. Somehow, my Auntie managed to knit my Dad's signature into the pattern, which is the red scrawly writing smack bang in the middle of the jumper. It takes the idea of having a 'signature' item of clothing to a whole new level! I'm no knitter, but even I can see that the result is pretty pro. I discovered this vintage find (can something my Dad wore in the Eighties be considered vintage yet?) only recently, and I am rather attached to it already. With the winter landscape, the new short hair, and a baggy homemade jumper, I felt a little like one of the siblings in the Home Alone series.

Old wool, new 'do' - good combination, I think.

Kitty x

Before the chop - farewell for now, bun!