What's New, Pussycat?

I had originally hoped this Lindy Bop dress would arrive in time for my birthday at the end of last month, but I procrastinated too long -- but it's not as if I can't come up with an occasion to wear a pretty dress!  I've had this Lazy Oaf jacket for quite some time, but had yet to wear it (I'm not sure why!).  It just seemed to pair really well with this dress (the pink thread is a precise match!), and the whole outfit is sort of Pink Ladies-inspired.  Oh, and I had to put my cat lady brooch on the lapel!

I took these photos before the cold weather really hit.  It's been SO cold this whole weekend, and we've been getting snow.  I just want to stay snuggled inside under layers and layers of blankets!  I'm getting excited for the holidays, actually.  I'm trying to get my holiday shopping done early.  I do the bulk of my shopping online anyway, and lots of retailers are offering a lot of discounts earlier than Black Friday (I assume because Thanksgiving is so late this year).  I think I may actually send out Christmas cards this year, too!

Outfit Details

Lindy Bop dress: Pollypop Boutique

Lazy Oaf cat jacket: Nasty Gal

Cat lady brooch: flapperdoodle

Saddle shoes: Payless

Petticoat & belt: eBay

Have a great Sunday!

xox Sammi

Friday Favorites #70

Happy Friday!  It feels like forever since I posted a Friday Favorites!  Here are some lovely little pieces that have caught my eye over the last couple of weeks...

I've found a few online retailers that carry these perfect cropped cardigans (i.e., ModCloth, Pinup Girl Clothing), but I've always found Trashy Diva to have the biggest selection of different colors.  I've blogged about these cardigans before, but when I recently visited the Trashy Diva site, I realized -- much to my utter delight -- that they now carry them in almost every color of the rainbow!  They're super-flattering, the perfect length to wear with dresses, and they're surprisingly warm.  You can find TD's current selection (which is gigantic) here!

Layering is now totally necessary here, which has amped up my coat obsession.  There is just something about a red coat, is there not?  I just love these three options.  I actually own the middle one in tan, and it's an absolutely stunning coat.  It's by Hell Bunny, and it's so flattering and well-made.  I adore the sweet little details on the other two coats, as well.

a   //   b   //   c

While we're on the subject of red... I've desperately tried (in vain) to find a suitable red velvet dress for winter.  I ordered this one from Aeropostale, of all places, but it was unfortunately too short for my 5'7" frame.  These two options from boohoo could be the answer to my problem:

a   //   b

How had I never noticed these adorable shoes before?  I don't especially like the shoe itself, but the heel is amazing!

I'm already a big fan of Voodoo Vixen, and this bowling pin print dress of theirs is just darling!

I'm not sure how good the quality of this lipstick is, but the case is lovely!

These shoes by Miss L-Fire are so sweet (and perfect for the holidays)!

a   //   b

CHRISTMAS CATS DRESS!

This is such a cute calendar:

I always have a hard time finding scarves I like, so maybe this mint stole would do nicely:

I enjoy anything associated with Bettie Page, and this light gold purse is pretty glam!

This fuzzy cardigan is perfect for any vintage enthusiast:

I just finished Twin Peaks and I am obsessed.  I want all of the Etsy merch that's associated with the show, but I especially love this brooch by Kate Rowland:

Aren't these lens caps adorable?  They'd make perfect stocking stuffers!

I definitely want to try this recipe for apple & tahini toast with honey and thyme!

(via)

Speaking of toast... this bread pillow is so cute!!

I really love the brand Book of Deer, and I think this dress of theirs is so pretty.  Sadly, it's not a good silhouette for my shape, so I'll just have to gaze wistfully at it.

I love these purses!

a   //   b   //   c

I wish this coat were warmer so I could justify purchasing it, because it's wonderful.  But then again, it's probably much better for my bank account.

And finally... I'm dying over these saddle shoes!  They're perfect!

Have a great Friday!

xox Sammi

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Woodland

This dress is probably one of the most-frequently-worn pieces in my wardrobe.  There are some dresses in my closet that I wear only every-so-often (depending on how quirky or loud they are), but this one gets a lot of wear.  Even though it has a rather bold print, the dress has a really classic shape, and the hemline is long enough to wear to work.  I like wearing it in the fall and spring, since the fabric is a good weight for those in-between seasons, and the print seems appropriate for both hibernating and rebirth.

I finally got around to buying this blogging calendar and organizing my blogging schedule for the next couple of months!  I've been posting a little less frequently lately (which is essentially attributed to working more often and crummier weather), but since I have some fun collaborations coming up and some outfits I'm dying to photograph, I needed to see everything laid out.  I'm very slowly crossing things off my to-do list.

Outfit Details

Dress: ModCloth

Bolero: old (similar)

Flats: ModCloth (similar)

Ring: Forever 21

Have a great Wednesday!

xox Sammi

Scallops & Gingham

Two of my favorite fashion elements are scalloped edges and gingham print.  Both are youthful, fun and nostalgic (which pretty much sums up my aesthetic to a t!).  Until now, I hadn't owned a dress that featured both!  This sweet dress was one of the pieces from the ModCloth + A Beautiful Mess collaboration, which I really loved (I still have my eyes peeled for this dress, in fact!).  Kate sent me a gigantic package of clothes in a closet clean-out, and this was one of the dresses I was delighted to find inside.  It's a different silhouette from what I normally wear, but it's really adorable -- and work-appropriate, which was fortunate, as I had to run off to the box office after snapping these photos!

Although I worked most of Saturday, I had a really nice Sunday.  I spent the day doing some shopping with my mom and visited with my friend, Wayne.  I'm not ready for snow yet (though we're supposed to be hit with a polar vortex in a few days -- eek!), but I am getting into the holiday spirit.  Finding gifts for people I love is one of my favorite things.  I have some fun posts and collaborations in the works over the next couple of months.  Oh, and I lost almost 3 pounds this past week!  I'm feeling very encouraged at the moment.  :)

Outfit Details

Dress: gift from Kate

Cropped cardigan: ModCloth

Heels: ModCloth (similar)

Have a great Monday!

xox Sammi

Edelweiss

These past couple of weeks have been kind of a blur.  I had planned to have a new Friday Favorites post up yesterday, but I've been working so much that I didn't have the time or energy to finish it.  I'll have a good one up next week, I promise.  I did manage to snap these photos earlier this week, though.  There was one day where the weather was unseasonably warm -- so much so that I didn't even need a coat! -- and I thought I'd grab the opportunity to wear my new Hell Bunny dress.  I'd been eyeing this dress for quite some time, but I couldn't decide on a color (it also comes in green and purple).  It seemed to disappear from Amazon and eBay, but I ended up finding it on the UK Amazon site for very cheap in this blue colorway, so I decided to go for it.  I wish I'd had it in time to do an Oktoberfest post (Novemberfest doesn't have the same ring to it), but I still had to style it with Heidi braids and my pretzel necklace!  (And yes, I know that those things are German and my post title is very much Austrian... but I had to take some creative license here... and make a musical theatre reference.)

As far as life updates: on a positive note, I've been doing pretty well on Weight Watchers this week.  Sometimes when I've tried to go back on it, it's been hard to commit, but I feel much more determined this time.  It's sort of weird how much more I appreciate food when I take the time to account for everything I put in my body.  Food just tastes better, somehow.  And then on a somewhat scary note, my dad was in a pretty bad car accident this week.  He's fine, luckily, but his van was pretty much totaled.  Some guy ran a red light and t-boned right into my dad.  Fortunately, it was on the passenger side (and no one else was in the car).  My road test is in less than 2 weeks, which is sort of ironic timing, since one of the main reasons I avoided driving for so long was because of car accidents.  But my dad is safe, and I know how to keep myself safe while driving, so it's not something that induces fear so much anymore.  So I guess I'm making progress all around!

Outfit Details

Hell Bunny Oktober Dress: Amazon UK

Pretzel necklace: ModCloth (similar)

White flats: YesStyle

Petticoat: eBay

Have a great Saturday!

xox Sammi

Autumn (+ giveaway winner!)

This photographic print dress is so pretty, isn't it?  Fall and spring are my two favorite seasons (I guess I love the equinoxes?), and I think both of them make for really stunning fashion inspiration; after all, they represent the most colorful times of the year!  The only problem with this dress (well, other than the fact that it's a bit too small for me right now) is that I don't feel right wearing it during other seasons -- it just seems out of place!  So it stays in my closet from December through August.  But it's easy to justify keeping it because it's so beautiful.

I still can hardly believe that it's November.  These past few months have gone by really quickly, and the holidays are going to be here before we know it.  I wasn't really ready before, but now I'm kind of looking forward to them.  Our holidays are usually pretty quiet and low-key, and that's okay with me right now.  I can feel my heart healing; it's gradual, but palpable.  I still get nostalgic, and sometimes I'm still sad about what I've lost (especially around the holidays), but I've been finding a lot of joy, too.  Being able to focus on the happiness I feel -- and the fact that I can both create and maintain it myself -- is an important step for me.  And it lets me know that I'm going to be okay.  I last wore this dress on Thanksgiving (see the post here), and though I was still reeling from my breakup, I made a list of all the things for which I was thankful.  The list still rings very true (though I have added lots of bullet points to it since), and reminds me that, though my heart may still be hurting, there is still much brightness to treasure.  Spring may be a more accepted season for renewal, but perhaps the fall is mine.

Outfit Details

Sights to Season Dress: ModCloth

AA Pettislip: Amazon

Brown bolero: old

Belt: Forever 21

Flats: similar

Oh, and the winner of my big birthday giveaway is...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to Sara, and thank you so much to all of you who entered!  I wish that everyone could win something!  I'm definitely going to try and incorporate giveaways more often though, so that'll be something to look forward to.  I'm thinking maybe something around Christmastime would be nice!  I'll have to think of something good.  :)

Have a great Wednesday!

xox Sammi