The Healing Powers of Hepburn

Art by Cecila Sanchez

 When I say Hepburn I refer to Audrey Hepburn first and Katharine second. Both of them are my imaginary best friends in their unique ways though truly Audrey was my first love. When I was younger I watched her movies over and over in an almost religious fashion. And over five years ago when I went through my first heartbreak over my first love I probably watched Breakfast at Tiffany's at least four times a week. Even if I was sometimes awoken by the party scene when Audrey yells "TIMBERRR!" as Mag Wildwood drunkenly falls to the floor with a resounding thunk, the melodies of Henry Mancini lulled me to sleep and comforted me. Something about Audrey Hepburn being graceful and beautiful and silly. Her simple glamour, her spirit. This legendary woman I never met who lived through WWII as a child and transported messages to the Allies and ate bread made of grass and studied ballet but became a movie star. She was famous but she seemed like a friend. A beautiful friend who picked me up and told me to walk out the door looking fabulous and somehow everything would be okay. Strange that a movie star, portraying a character in a movie, could somehow cheer me up the way people I knew in real life couldn't.

And today, when I didn't want to get out of bed, I put on Breakfast at Tiffany's again. The notes of Moon River, her back to the camera, her giant hair. Givenchy. One of the most beautiful dresses ever designed. This beautiful woman. This imperfect character, all alone, eating a Danish. And suddenly, again, I know everything's going to be all right. Somehow. It's a piece of art. A piece of fiction. It's Hollywood and it's "just" a movie...but something about it is my gospel, and I am forever thankful for the fantasies that get me out of bed each day. I'm going to go put on some make up and go to work. I hope whoever reads this is having a lovely day. I'm going to be okay, and so are you.

In which we try to inspire ourselves via Audrey Hepburn

I've been doing a lot of this lately...

I feel a little bad for not writing in this at ALL. I suppose few people read it and my silly little thoughts aren't that important to the internet at large, but I like keeping this blog kind of the way I like to keep diaries. The last year has seen me really move away from both of those hobbies and I'm not exactly sure why. I've been busy? Yes but usually I always found time in the past to come back and write or post ideas, etc. Maybe plays and school have sucked all my inspirational energy? Shrug. Anyway, on the note of school (graduation ceremony is in EXACTLY two months!!!!!!!!!!!^$^#%($#&@) I think I shall post some self-indulgent goals in order to pass all my classes, keep calm, cool, collected, and send good vibes out and all that jazz.

RULE 1

I will abstain from marathoning television series when I should be doing homework, etc.

-------I recently finished the second season of Doctor Who and I could start season three but the fear is that instead of letting it just be background, I'll end up watching it, and then suddenly days have passed and I keep clicking "play next episode."

RULE 2

I will do my math homework on campus after classes EVERY DAY.

RULE 3

I will NEVER skip class.....unless I am maybe out of town (whoops).

RULE 4

I will study for any and ALL tests beginning at MINIMUM two days in advance.

RULE 5

I will keep my room tidy so I may feel at one with the universe.

RULE 6

Yoga at least twice a week.

RULE 7

Imagine the best possible future...ie. great affordable apartment, job and maybe even a cat and a chaise longue-why not? It's my imagination. You never know what'll happen.

So I've got a lot of this to do...

Funny....I was just imagining my dream apartment and (I'm such a nostalgia-nerd) I was thinking about vintage refrigerators and how cute they are, and ice boxes, and then about how nowadays most people have huge fridges and it's normal. You really don't NEED that huge of a fridge unless you hunt game or buy everything at Costco.... la la la I'll shut up now.

But maybe after I graduate and become a real-life grown up,

I'll get myself a bathtub sofa!!!

Dream apartment idea...lifted from here

Let's talk about Bangs, Baby.

Yeah, that's right. A month has passed and I'm still talking about hair. I could write a blog post about misogyny and sexism and female stereotypes in film....but I don't feel like it...and sometimes I think to myself, "people are smart enough to figure these things out themselves, and why should I rant about it online and potentially come off as preachy?" SO. Let's talk about something we can ALL agree on. And that is.....the immortal perfection that is the style, icon and being of Audrey Hepburn. Ok. She was human. So SHE wasn't perfect no matter how much we adore her. BUT her STYLE? Goes without saying. Goes without whispering.

So now...let us observe the many hair styles (bangs/fringe in Particular) of Audrey... You see I am thinking about getting bangs and Hepburn had such a lovely, wide array of hairstyles...I feel like no one else would be quite as splendid an inspiration.





God, she does amazing things for the side-fringe phenomenon, doesn't she?? All of the sudden I want to chop all my hair off and pretend to date Peter O'Toole in the sixties.... But I let my hair grow finally, and I do enjoy styling it....and up-dos. Sigh. The grass is always greener on the other hair length.

Do I have enough forehead? Hmmmmmmmm.... The philosophical queries of a young and fertile mind...

“People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.” Audrey Hepburn

Recently re-watched "Two for the Road" and "Charade". I think Audrey Hepburn is like The Beatles in that I enjoy both at every time in their careers, at every time of my life. All right, I am probably in the first third of my life, at least, but still... What I mean is both are absolutely timeless and fabulous and pricelessly unique. What's more, I think Audrey Hepburn had a beautiful outlook on life. I so respect and admire her. Gush gush gush.

Welcome to my life.

I was going to go to bed three hours ago. But my mind was racing due to an unwanted telephone call, so I ate half a loaf of sourdough, with boursin, drank ginger ale and watched Audrey Hepburn interviews on youtube.





Check out her outfit! Stunning. Audrey really is such a lovely role model for young women. Maybe it's silly to be annoyed that she's become "over" popularized/marketed to the point where it seems prosaic to say you adore her. Maybe it's absolutely ridiculous to turn away "Pseudo-Audrey Fans." There's room for everybody in the Hepburn Worship Circle. Okay, maybe "worship" is a bit over the top. You know what I mean.

Clothing Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

I know that "Breakfast at Tiffany's" has become such a female favorite that it Almost seems Old, over hyped.  SOO many posters of Audrey with the cigarette holder.  But sometimes a thing is popular simply because it's that damn fabulous and nobody can deny it.   

I have a crazed confession.  I have seen the film countless times and the thing that brings me back isn't just the young, crazy girl living this glamorous, bittersweet life, who finally finds a meaningful relationship and a sense of self.  It's also the clothes and the music and, well, Audrey making the clothes look better than anyone else.  For Some time now, I have thought how I would LOVE to own every single item she wears in the film.  The tuxedo shirt nightgown, the blue eye mask, the earring-like earplugs, the beige/off-white trench with matching scarf and shoes.  The pink dress, the Black Dress, the toga-style dress, the orange (but the Nice orange) mod coat.  Absolutely everything is divine.  She makes a beehive look like the only nice hairdo there is.  A Beehive, people.

Recently I had a very devilish thought: I may not be able to get my hands on the exact replicas of her Givenchy wardrobe, but wouldn't it be fun to find sneakily similar vintage and thrift finds to all her outfits in the movie?  I know.  I am not made of money. I should save save save.  But alas...I did happen upon a similar khaki trench and laid out the dough.  And I did Also happen upon some off white heels, and laid down the dough.  I may have even bid on a white, toga style, sixties dress on Ebay.  To tell the truth I was a little relieved someone outbid me once I got to forty-eight dollars.  

None of these, mind you, are Distinctly mirror-ish of the original costumes from the film, but they're in the same vein.  The trench and shoes don't match perfectly as I would've preferred, but who knows? Maybe one day everything will come together.