Strawberry phosphate

Fair warning: you're going to see a lot of pink on the blog this week!  I originally intended to wear this Lindy Bop dress for my birthday back in October, but it ended up coming on my birthday, so I had to wear something else.  Luckily, it's a great Valentine's Day dress.  I love the unique cut-out detail with the peter pan collar!

This vintage milkshake brooch is one of my absolute favorites.  I stumbled across it one day on Etsy and took it as a sign that I needed to own it.  Etsy is one of my go-to resources for a lot of things, but it's especially great for finding kitschy vintage items (like novelty brooches).  I'm always on the look-out for new additions to my collection, and fortunately for my pocketbook, there are usually lots of inexpensive listings.

Outfit Details

Lindy Bop dress: available here

Brooch: Good Goody Girls Jewels

Petticoat and belt: eBay

White heels: similar

I don't think I've mentioned that I'm in a show right now called The Hit Factory, which opened this weekend.  It's an original musical revue of sorts and has a ton of great music from the 1950s and '60s.  Revues and jukebox musicals aren't typically my favorite shows to be in, but this one has surprisingly been a lot of fun.  My friend Henry (who will eventually be featured here on my blog -- he has such a great eye and sense of style, and I've been dying to take photos with him forever) drew these awesome caricatures of the whole cast!

(via Henry DuRocher)

Have a great rest of your weekend and don't forget: you have until midnight (EST) tonight to enter my 2-year blogiversary giveaway!  Prizes include gift cards to Modern Pinup and Braided Bandit Vintage, plus a huge prize package of retro goodies!  You don't want to miss out, so be sure to enter here!  

xox Sammi

Meow mix

Outfit Details:

Start Spreading the Mews Dress: ModCloth

The Dream of the Crop Cardigan in Pink: ModCloth
Hot air balloon necklace: Sweet and Lovely

Black belt: from another dress

Black flats: JC Penney

I have a backlog of photos I took before my breakup occurred, and since I have been incredibly busy and haven't been in the best mindset to take new outfit photos since then, I decided to go ahead and use some for this post.  I really want to thank each and every person who commented with such kind, supportive things on my last post.  It means the world to me that so many people -- whom I've never even met -- care enough to reach out with such sweet sentiments.  I have been trying to stay distracted, but I'm afraid that this has caused me to sweep things under the rug a little bit; I feel like I'm more in denial about the situation, rather than accepting it and trying to move on from it.  But I guess the stages of grief don't really happen in a linear fashion, so I can't fault myself for the way I'm dealing with it.

In non-heartbreak news, my show opens tonight as part of the Rochester Fringe Festival.  I've been dealt a kind of rough hand, after coming down with a pretty significant cold on Sunday night, but I'm still determined to power through.  Luckily, we get a little bit of a break between our opening night and our second show, so hopefully what's left of my sickness will be gone for our last two shows.  We were featured on the local news this week with a little interview and performance clip.  If you're interested in taking a look, you can see the segment here!

I was also cast in a production of a musical called My Son Pinocchio (based on Disney's Pinocchio and on this weird movie called Gepetto that starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Drew Carey, of all people) with a local children's theatre.  I'll be playing the part of the Blue Fairy, which will be really fun.  I love playing magical characters, and it'll be nice to go from playing an evil witch this fall to a well-meaning fairy this spring.

I'm trying to focus on the positive things in my life right now, and not dwell on the stuff with which I'm struggling.  The early mornings and late evenings are the hardest.  I still can't really believe that my relationship is over.  However, even I'm surprised at how resilient I've proved to be thus far.  Yes, things affect me in different ways now, and I can get choked up at the drop of a hat.  But I think I have managed to stay pretty strong, in spite of how vulnerable I feel.

Again, I hope you all know how much I appreciate your support and kindness.  Knowing that there are such wonderful people in this blogosphere is a very comforting thought.

xox Sammi    

Shop my closet!

Hello, all!  I have some exciting news (well, it's exciting to me, at least) to share with you today!  After months of looking at a garment rack full of extraneous clothes from my overflowing closet... I have finally opened my shop my closet store on Storenvy!!!

On A Clear Day Dress

Top Banana Romper

As Thousands Cheer Dress

Flower Drum Song Dress

This first update doesn't even include all of the pieces I want to sell (some are currently out of season, and I'm still going through others and trying to figure out what I want to keep and what I know I won't wear - it's hard to let go of clothes for me!).  The vast majority are items that have never even been worn!  A few have been worn just once, and I think there's only one item that has been worn multiple times (but is still in fantastic condition).   

A Lovely Night Dress

Secret Garden Dress

A Catered Affair Dress

Although I initially wanted to open up a shop my closet store to make some extra revenue to help make up for all the money I've spent on my ever-expanding wardrobe, I ended up deciding to keep my prices low, for the sake of getting them out of my closet and into the closet of someone who will love and appreciate these pieces.  All of these items are listed for at least 50% off of the original purchase price (and in some cases, it's probably closer to 75% off), so I'm certainly not making a profit on anything.  It's far more about being able to get these lovely items to people who will wear the hell out of them; these clothes deserve to be worn!  :)

Promises, Promises Dress

Disco Inferno Dress

Sophisticated Ladies Peplum Dress

I'd Rather Be Sailing Skirt

Think Pink Peplum Top

Starlight Express Peplum Top

I'd love it if you'd check out my store -- and let me know what you think!  If you have questions (especially about measurements and fit), please don't hesitate to reach out to me!  I'm more than happy to take exact measurements for you.  And if you think that any of these prices are unreasonable, please let me know!  I'm a total newbie to this, so any feedback is greatly appreciated.  You can reach out using the feedback form in my shop, or feel free to e-mail me!

State Fair Dress

House of Flowers Romper

Ain't Misbehavin' Top

Grizabella the Glamour Skirt

Red, Hot and Blue Dress

Dance At The Gym Dress

I did something totally theatre-nerd-y and gave all of the pieces names that are references to musicals.  I just couldn't help myself.  I don't talk a ton about theatre on here (I kind of wanted my blog to be mostly a separate creative outlet, though I wasn't going to hide that very important part of my life, either), so this was my chance to have fun and pretend I am a ModCloth copy writer. 

Some of the brands in the store so far include Forever 21, ASOS, Lulu*s, Urban Outfitters and River Island.  I will be adding more items to my store in the very near future!  I know for sure that I'll be adding a a Nishe dress and a Sugarhill Boutique dress (!!) to this lot, along with other great pieces, so stay tuned for updates!  :)  

Have a wonderful Saturday!

xox Sammi