Checkmate (Flock Together)

Good morning!  I'm posting over on the Flock Together blog (for the first time in forever!) today, and I'm remixing this great black + white checked dress that I borrowed from Elana of Room 334!  Check out my full post (and see how Elana styled this adorable piece) here!

Have a great day!

xox Sammi

Saffron & Cinnamon: Flock Together

Good morning!  I'm over on the Flock Together blog today, remixing this great vintage dress from Katie of Butterfly Loves Snapdragons!  I had such a fun time styling this one.  Follow me over to Flock Together for all the details!

Have a great Monday!

xox Sammi

Once upon a time (Flock Together)

I'm posting over on the Flock Together blog today, where I'm styling Amy's beautiful rose print dress!  This print paired so well with my little book clutch that it got me thinking about fairytales -- and all of the ones that involve roses.  Follow me over to Flock Together to see more (and to see how Amy styled this lovely dress)!

Have a great day!

xox Sammi

Bicycle built for two (Flock Together)

Happy Wednesday, everyone!  I'm over on Flock Together today, wearing a delightful bicycle print dress that I borrowed from Marisa of The Shades of Monet Chronicles!  Check out how we both styled this darling dress here!

By the way, thank you for all of your thoughtful comments on yesterday's post.  Having your input definitely helped to put things in perspective.  I guess I should have been more clear about the fact that my number one priority for my blog is always to fulfill my own creative desires (rather than making decisions based on what other people will like).  Granted, I think everyone craves some kind of validation that what you're doing is in some way relevant and appealing, but at the end of the day, I am going to post what I want to post.  It can be a little hard to gauge reactions when you're on this end of the screen, so I appreciate all of the sentiments that echoed my own feelings on the topic so well.  Obviously, the bulk of my posts will always be outfit-related, because that's what I most enjoy, but I think it's just as important for me to not feel limited in what I do here.  I appreciate all of you who took the time to leave feedback on this subject, and if nothing else, it's so nice to be surrounded by such supportive people.  I feel very fortunate.

 

Have a great day!

xox Sammi

Pass the Popcorn (Flock Together)

Hello, all!  I'm over on the Flock Together blog today, remixing this beautiful dress I borrowed from Jana of small town, BIG SMILE!  I know some people associate red and white with Valentine's Day, but I think it's such a great color combination for summer!  It reminds me of carnivals, amusement parks, and drive-in movies!  Follow me over to Flock Together & see how I styled this fun little frock!

xox Sammi

Ice cream cones

Outfit Details

Ice cream dress: swap from Amy

Jelly wedges: get them here

Purse: Lulu by Lulu Guinness

Ring: Forever 21 (old)

Amy was kind enough to lend me this fun dress of hers.  This ice cream print is so darling, and I nearly squealed when I realized it went so perfectly with this Lulu Guinness tote that my mom the Easter Bunny got me this spring.  Since both pieces are on the eye-catching side, I decided to go simple on the accessories and the shoes.  I love these jelly wedges, and they're actually quite comfortable.  I don't wear them enough!

Not much else to say, except in case you missed it, I was featured on the ModCloth blog yesterday in a little interview I did about their Too Much Fun Dress in Plaid!  Check it out here!

Have a great Tuesday!

xox Sammi

Cake pop

Outfit Details

Dress: swap from Elana

Petticoat: similar here

Hair bow: Juicy Bows

Belt: from another dress

Cake ring: Le Petite Bonbon

BAIT Footwear spectators: ModCloth

This is not how I was initially thinking of styling this dress!  This little number of Elana's is so pretty (I especially love the polka dot panel on the top), and I had originally thought of taking a much simpler route with this dress.  But then it arrived at my house and all I kept thinking was how cute it would look with pink!  I'm still a little on the fence with some of the elements I had to use (I'd have preferred to have one uniform shade of light pink, instead of about 3 slightly different ones, plus I'd have preferred a plainer belt), but I think the idea of it is really fun.  It reminds me of a small sample of a birthday party -- hence the post title!   You can see how Elana styled this dress here.

 

Fun fact: this petticoat was actually something I used in the production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch I was in (and produced and costumed) a couple of years ago.  It's technically a much larger size than I'd normally need, but since it's a cheap, elastic-waist, Leg Avenue-type of crinoline, you can't even tell!  I also did a little doctoring of my hair bow; it was originally intended to be worn as a headband, and was attached to a strip of black elastic, so that the bow would sit straight up or to the side on one's head.  It's a large bow and looked a little too cartoon-ish for my taste, so I decided to get rid of the elastic and attach it with bobby pins, instead.  I may eventually put an alligator clip on it, but the pins worked in a pinch!  Moral of the story: elastic is a very versatile item.

 

Have a great Thursday!

xox Sammi 

You don't bring me flowers

Outfit Details:

Vintage floral dress: swap from Ashley

Hair flower & tulle underskirt: Forever 21

Pink heels: Marshall's 

Bracelet: old

I think most (if not all!) of us can agree that Ashley of Southern (California) Belle is one of the sweetest ladies around, with an even sweeter wardrobe.  Getting to know Ashley better through Flock Together has been an absolute delight, and I always love seeing how she remixes items.  From the moment I laid eyes on this vintage dress over on Ashley's blog, I was swooning.  Ashley wore this dress for the rehearsal dinner for her brother's wedding, and she was so incredibly kind to let me borrow it.  She managed to score this beauty for $29 on Etsy (which is amazing), and I told her that I had just one problem with it: namely, that I never wanted to take it off!  Ashley is much smaller than I am, but somehow, this dress fit me perfectly (sometimes I think of Flock Together like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, only with dresses).  This dress might be the dress of my dreams.

I'm also envious of Ashley's dreamy pink hair (especially because of pairs so beautifully with her wardrobe!).  She opted for a slightly more casual look, and styled this dress with a pretty aquamarine cardigan, belt and pink mermaid flats.  Ashley always looks like a mermaid to me!  <3   

Did you all have a nice Independence Day?  I went to see fireworks with my best friend, Wayne, and it was a lot of fun.  This year is proving really hard for me, and I feel like a lot of the important people in my life have quickly dissipated for one reason or another.  I'm thanking my lucky stars that I have Wayne.  It's imperative to find reasons to be thankful these days.  I know being thankful is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the 4th of July, but I am, nonetheless.  I'm thankful for fireworks and cotton candy, and also for friends and family and my health and to live in a country that allows me to make my own choices.  So maybe Independence Day is about being thankful, after all.

Have a great Saturday!

xox Sammi

Fireworks (Flock Together)

Happy (almost) 4th of July, everyone!  I'm posting over on the Flock Together blog today in an awesome Bernie Dexter dress that I borrowed from the lovely Jana!  Although the print is technically of rocket ships, I've decided they could also easily be bottle rockets -- and what could be more Independence-Day-appropriate than fireworks?!  Follow me over to Flock Together to get all the details & see how some of the other girls styled this lovely dress! 

 Have a happy and safe holiday!

xox Sammi

French Lavender (Flock Together)

 Hi, everyone!  First of all... HAPPY ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK DAY!!!  I will be busy binging my brains out over the next few days, I'm sure.  Secondly, I'm posting on Flock Together this morning, remixing this beautiful lilac dress from Hannah!  I really ended up loving this outfit (and it finally gave me a chance to wear my lady tie!).  Check out the rest of my photos and see how the other FT girls styled this dress here!  Thanks so much again to Hannah for letting me borrow this!

 

 

Have a fantastic Friday!

xox Sammi  

Spots and stripes (Flock Together)

Hi, guys!  I'm posting over at Flock Together today, remixing an awesome swapped dress from Elana of Room 334!  Check out my post (and see how Elana styled this herself) here!

Have a great Friday!

xox Sammi