Sammi's Not-So-Scary Merry 30th Unbirthday Giveaway! [CLOSED]

Tomorrow, I'm off to Walt Disney World to celebrate my 30th birthday in the most magical way. But every year, I like to make my birthday something to celebrate for my lovely readers and followers, too. So for this milestone birthday, I'm putting together a Mickey-approved prize package of goodies that any Disney fan would wish for! There's a bit of mystery to this year's giveaway, since I'll be choosing some of the prizes myself from what's available at the parks... but doesn't that make it even more exciting? I personally can't wait to see what I find. Read on to see what I'm planning to give away!

One (1) lucky winner will receive:

• Happy Haunts button duo from Kate Gabrielle
• Mystery pair of Mickey ears
• Surprise Disney trading pin
• Small Disney plush
• Other assorted goodies!

Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. This giveaway is open worldwide and will run from now until 11:59 pm EST on Wednesday, October 31 (the last minute of Halloween!). You must leave a blog post comment to be eligible to win. All other entries are optional (but will increase your chances of winning!). One (1) winner will receive all of the prizes listed above. Please note that while I will make every effort to include in-demand items, prizes are subject to availability at the parks. Other than the Kate Gabrielle pin duo, there are no guarantees for specific items and I will make comparable substitutions as needed. The winner will be contacted via e-mail (be sure to provide a valid e-mail address!) and must respond within 48 hours within being contacted. If no response has been received at that time, a new winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced via this widget after the winner has been confirmed. Thank you for entering! Your support means so much and I wish I could give a prize to each one of my followers.

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Best of luck and be sure to follow along with me on Instagram during my trip – you might see some sneak peeks of prizes (and other fun adventures, of course)! See you soon, mouseketeers!

Lady and the Tramp

My search for the elusive and highly coveted vintage Lady and the Tramp skirt may never truly end, but at least I finally have this wonderful reproduction version! I hinted in a post a few weeks ago that I'd soon be styling this creation from Vintage Inspired by Jackie, and I ended up loving this entire outfit. It's almost a Disney-bound, actually (if only I lived closer to Disney World or Disneyland!). 

I've always really identified with the character of Lady for some reason, and I bought this brooch from Lillian Madison designs a while back just in case I'd ever find my own matching skirt. The movie's become even more symbolic because I recently learned my boyfriend's favorite Disney film is Lady and the Tramp (which is funny because I've always thought of him as the Tramp to my Lady!). After going through months of trying to get a skirt like this from a different seller (who, unbeknownst to me, made it a habit of stealing other peoples' designs and taking money without fulfilling orders), Jackie saved the day with this one! The design is absolutely spot-on. While I do wish the fabric were a bit thicker and softer to the touch, I'm so glad a skirt like this is mine now! This skirt isn't currently listed in her shop, but Jackie regularly takes on custom orders. Be sure to message her if there's something you're dreaming of!

Outfit Details

Novelty Dogs Border Print Skirt: Vintage Inspired by Jackie

Cardigan with Faux Fur Collar: eBay (similar)

Lady Brooch: Lillian Madison Designs

Belt: from another dress (similar)

Heels: similar

The snow is gone here for now (fingers crossed that it stays that way), but I don't think spring will arrive for a while yet. At least it's sunny outside today! I always forget how much that impacts my mood. I hope you have a great start to your week!

Siamese (If You Please)

Like many women, I'm in love with those vintage Lady and the Tramp skirts... but since they sell for $700+, I've resigned myself to the fact I'll never get my hands on one. There's another one inspired by the movie that's referred to as the "Si & Am" print, though the cats on it don't really look like the Siamese cats in the film. This Vintage Inspired By Jackie dress, however, looks exactly like those bad kitties!

After playing a cat in my last show, I'm really glad to have some free time back. As much as I love doing children's theatre (and believe me, interacting with kids was a blessing during this emotionally trying time), I've learned that I don't do well when I don't have ample time to recharge. When I was younger, I wasn't working full-time and would do as many shows as possible in order to stay physically active and creative. But now that I work 40 hours a week at a job that's both demanding and creative, I need downtime to prevent burnout. Suffice it to say, although I enjoyed being a cat for a bit, I'm glad that now I can just wear dresses with cats on them instead. :)

While Jackie made this print into a dress for me, it can also be ordered as a skirt (in several different colors!). Just send her a message – she can make you almost anything! Although I wear skirts a lot more now, I do like a lot of the details of this design. It's made of 100% cotton and keeps its shape without the use of a voluminous petticoat. Personally, I wish the fabric were a bit softer to the touch, but it's not something I notice much when wearing it. Since it's a relatively new design, I made a couple of suggestions to Jackie about fit for the future, which she was gracious enough to implement. One thing to note: this fabric has no stretch whatsoever, so I'd strongly recommend making sure you have ample room to breathe. If in doubt, give yourself at least an extra 1/2 inch. I'll be debuting another design Jackie made for me very soon, and I can't wait to style it.

Outfit Details

Cat border print dress: c/o Vintage Inspired By Jackie

Cropped cardigan: available at Trashy Diva

Black flats: similar

PS: Have you entered my 4-year blogiversary/Valentine's giveaway yet?! I'm giving away an adorable prize package of sweet treats! Get all the details and enter here through Saturday!

Wonderland

Oh, how I've been waiting to get to this post! I had been planning for these photos for quite some time, and all of the elements finally came together for me to take them. When I found out the sky blue Jenny dress was coming back at Pinup Girl Clothing, I knew I wanted to showcase it in an Alice-inspired post. I thought that the grounds at the George Eastman Museum (which I visited before in this post) would be an idyllic setting, and after a delicious breakfast at The Mad Hatter (you know I love a good themed outing!), we headed over to the gardens.

The Mad Hatter also serves high tea on Saturdays, and their menu looks incredible! It's a definite on my to-do list.

When I was looking for accessories to go with this dress, I came across the most perfect book brooch from Tangerine Menagerie. The little details on Julia's work are absolutely incredible (look at the little "A" and adorable White Rabbit!), and this brooch is so well-made and was clearly produced with a lot of care and love. I feel pleased as punch that I was finally able to add one of her beautiful pieces to my pin collection. Her brooches often sell out lightning-fast, so if you've got your eye on one, it's best not to dawdle! She's always adding new designs, so be sure to follow her shop!

It's not often I spend an exorbitant amount on shoes, but when you can't get a particularly special pair out of your mind, you sometimes have to bite the bullet and make a frivolous purchase. I watched for my size in these beauties like a hawk, and I ordered them as soon as they arrived. The "All in the Golden Afternoon" scene is one of my favorites from the film, and the intricacy of this design is really incredible. This post is actually good timing; although these particular heels don't seem to be available anymore, Irregular Choice just released a second Alice in Wonderland range with some really adorable pairs of shoes – including another version of the ones I'm wearing in ballet flat form! You can see the full second installment of this delightful Disney collection here.

Outfit Details

Jenny Dress in Sky Blue: Pinup Girl Clothing

Alice in Wonderland book brooch: c/o Tangerine Menagerie

Flowers Can't Talk Heels: Irregular Choice (similar here)

Belt: available here  ||  Petticoat: available here

Have a "wonder"-ful start to your week! ;)

Junebugs and Georgia Peaches: Disney Stowaway

Happy Saturday!  I'm posting over at Junebugs and Georgia Peaches today while June + Amelia are off in warmer, Disney-filled climates.  I've been suffering from Disney Fever lately, so I'm highlighting some of my Disney-worthy ensembles (and sharing some pieces from my wish [upon a star] list), like this Minnie-esque outfit below!  Follow me over to Junebugs and Georgia Peaches to read the full post!  <3

a  //  b  //  c  //  d  //  e  //  f

Have a wonderful weekend!
xox Sammi

Second star to the right

Outfit Details:

Neverland print dress: Pinup Girl Clothing

Dream of the Crop Cardigan: ModCloth

Belt: from another dress

Necklace: Forever 21

Flats: jcpenney

Time for more Florida pictures!  Amidst all the snow and cold, I felt it was time to feature some more photos from my vacation.  When we booked our trip to Disney World, I knew that I would have to pack this Peter Pan print dress from Pinup Girl Clothing.  I bought it the very first day it went live on their website, and I couldn't be more glad.  The pink is so perfect, and I can't wait to wear it with a petticoat and pink spectator pumps.  I actually intended to bring a petticoat on the trip, but then the logistics of that got to be too much (wearing one on an airplane or on a ride could prove problematic).  I wore this dress when we went to Magic Kingdom (because duh), which was especially fun when we went on the Peter Pan ride!  :)  

I apologize for not writing more, but I'm in the midst of of an out-of-town adventure for the weekend!  I hope your weekends are lovely (and hopefully filled with at least a little bit of sunshine -- these photos are making me yearn for warmth!).

xox Sammi 

Peach tea (+ giveaway winner!)

Outfit Details:

Nishe handbag & shoe dress: ASOS

Cardigan: ModCloth (similar here)

Tea ring: find it at SheInside

Bow headband: Forever 21

White t-strap flats: Urban Outfitters (similar here)

Oh, how I love this dress.  Nishe is one of my all-time favorite labels anyway, but this particular frock had been calling my name for quite some time before I finally snatched it up.  It was one of two Black Friday purchases, and I think it was money well-spent.  Peach is such a perfect color for Florida (and I always associate one with the other because peach is my grandma's favorite color, and she has lived in Florida my entire life), and I knew I had to pack this dress for our Disney trip.  When we decided to have tea at the Grand Floridian, I thought this outfit would be an excellent choice (I kind of ended up matching the hotel decor, actually).  Nishe always has the most charming embroidery on their clothes, but there is something about the darling shoes and handbags on this one that just tickle me!  It's the kind of dress that my Barbie dolls would have had, and I would have given anything to have one in my size -- so now I can, albeit a few years late! 

This day was the warmest day we were there (though I still had to wear tights and a jacket), and after we had our tea, we took the boat over to the Magic Kingdom to see the Electrical Light Parade (which was magical and I got to see my friend Brett -- who performs in many of the parades -- go right by me!) and Wishes (the fireworks show with Tinkerbell).  We had a very late dinner at the California Grill in the Contemporary Hotel, which was sadly sort of disappointing.  We've gone there in the past, and their menu was always on the upscale side, but now it's a little too high brow for my taste.  Kind of pretentious.  But we had so many great meals on our trip that it didn't dampen our spirits much.

Mom's banana trifle from our tea

Beautiful boat ride scenery

I'm kicking myself for not getting this purse!

Since coming back from Disney World, I feel like I've been in a very strange tug-of-war; on the one hand, I feel really sluggish and not very motivated to do things I should (though that is not an especially new development), but on the other, I feel renewed and happy about certain things.  Hopeful, I guess.  I feel very fortunate that my blogiversary giveaway has resulted in some new followers (thank you and welcome to those who fall into this category!!), and I hope very much that these newcomers will stick around after this giveaway is announced!  I haven't done giveaways very often in the past, but I am quickly realizing that they can play an important part in terms of increasing readership and drumming up interest of current followers.  I'd never want to be solely driven by these things, mind you, but as blogging has steadily become even more meaningful in my life in recent months, it's something to consider.  Since this giveaway was funded out of my own pocket, I think bigger giveaways like this are going to be reserved for once or twice a year, but I'm really happy when things I decide to do resonate with people (to which most people can relate, I'm sure), and I have been thinking a lot about new ideas for content and posts for my second year of blogging.  It's difficult to start new things in the winter, I think, but the wheels in my head are definitely turning!  One more reason I can't wait for spring.  :)

So, without further delay, I am pleased to announce the winner of my 1-year blogiversary giveaway (who will receive a $50 gift certificate to ModCloth and a whole bunch of goodies from ASOS and Forever 21) is Rebecca T. of The Cinnamon Slipper!!!  Congratulations, my kindred spirit in style, and I hope you enjoy your prizes!  <3

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Have a beautiful Monday, and a huge thank you to all who entered my giveaway!!  :)

xox Sammi