Enchantment Under the Sea

I'm so glad to be surrounded by balloons (40,000 of them, in fact!) instead of snow for today's post!  Every year, the Rochester-based balloon folding artists known as Airigami put together an amazing exhibition called Balloon Manor, and this year, it's all ocean-themed!  They're even holding an event on Friday that's based off of the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance from Back to the Future.  Since I can't attend the dance (which is a shame, since there's even going to be a vintage costume contest!), I was able to convince my friend Henry to take some prom-inspired photos with me during the day, when Balloon Manor is open to the public. 

The artistry of Airgami's work is truly astounding.  They make everything from epic scale sculptures to wearable balloon dresses!  I don't have a balloon print dress (shocking, I know), so I opted to wear my Nishe seashell dress and add some vintage accessories.  Henry is a vintage fiend, so I knew he would be the perfect partner for these shots (and he kindly did my hair for the occasion, too!).  

 Outfit Details

Dress: ModCloth (old)

Hat: vintage (Etsy)

Pearls: similar

Clutch: old

Shoes: ModCloth

 Have a wonderful Wednesday!

xox Sammi

Sweetheart

Even though I have spent the majority of my Valentine's Days as a single gal, I've always sort of liked this holiday.  I mean, any excuse to eat candy and wear pink sort of has my name written all over it.  I stayed really busy last year (and I was quasi-dating someone at the time), so I wasn't all that bummed out.  But I've been very aware of it this year.  It's made me sadder than I care to admit.  I experienced some really nice Valentine's Days in my last relationship, and if I'm being honest, it's still a little bit hard to accept that that particular chapter in my life is over.  I know there will be a point where I'm with someone way better for me and will forget all about February 14ths of relationships past... but for now, I'm still kind of nostalgic for them and feel a little blue this Valentine's Day.  Which is why I'm very glad that ice cream was invented.

I mentioned in my last post that you would be seeing my other pink coat today.  I'm a total coat fanatic, but this one is definitely one of my favorites.  It's so warm and cute!  It's probably not as flattering as some of my other coats, but feeling like a pink ball of fluff is never a bad thing (in my opinion, anyway).  I couldn't figure out what to wear with this coat at first because it's such a statement piece, but then I remembered I hadn't worn this Nishe dress since the summertime, and I liked the idea of incorporating red, pink and white into my outfit for today.

I'm thankful that I won't have a ton of time to dwell on my stint in singledom today, since I have to work and have a performance of my show tonight.  In other circumstances, that might be a total bummer, but I definitely need something to occupy my mind (and keep me from eating my weight in Reese's peanut butter hearts).  Our shows have gone well so far and the response has been overwhelmingly positive, and I've really enjoyed working on music that isn't so typically musical-theatre-y.  I love that too, of course, but a change does a person good.  I need to remember that.

Outfit Details

Hell Bunny coat: Beserk (no longer available)

Nishe dress: ModCloth

Belt: from another dress
Purse: ALDO (old)

Boots: eBay

Have a sweet Valentine's Day!

xox Sammi

Thought I was a donut

There is definitely a donut obsession happening in our culture these days, and I am in no way immune.  I think the cupcake craze gave way to rounder, flatter cakes at some point, and even though the shape, frying and lack of frosting makes up for most of the difference, I'd definitely rather treat myself with a donut than a cupcake.  I guess this trend is true in my clothing, too; I have pieces with cupcakes on them, but I love the ones with donuts even more.

This pink donut "skirt" is actually a dress by Nishe, and although you can't really tell in these photos, the material is boiled wool, which makes it super warm and cozy.  I decided to try layering this fun sweater from Target over the top and tucking it into a belt.  It doesn't totally work, because the sweater is just a little too long and the belt isn't thick enough, but I liked the look of it in the photos.  Amazingly, I don't own any donut jewelry(!?), but I had to incorporate my New Look donut clutch!

Outfit Details

Donut dress (worn as a skirt): ASOS (on sale!)

Donut clutch: available at ASOS

Donut sweater: Target (on sale!)

Flats: ModCloth (similar)

Belt: ASOS

Don't forget: you still have time to enter my Etsy Wintery Wonders giveaway!  One lucky winner will receive an adorable accessory set of wintertime goodies.  The giveaway is open through Friday at midnight, and you can enter right here!  :)

Have a great day!

xox Sammi

Modern day mermaid

I had sort of accepted that I was unlucky when it came to giveaways, so I was ridiculously excited when I ended up winning a giveaway from I Love Crafty a few months ago.  I love all of Laura's creations (her donut line is to die for!), but I've always been very partial to her mermaid line -- and I ended up winning a wonderful set of sea-siren-inspired pieces!  I decided to remix my Nishe seashell dress (see another way I wore it here) for the cooler weather and utilize my ASOS seashell purses and Pinup Girl Clothing jelly wedges (because if mermaids had feet, they'd probably wear jelly shoes, amirite?).  

I also happened to luck out with the weather when I took these photos.  It's been cold this week (though not much snow in sight!), but it was nice to not have to wear heavy tights with this dress -- or make my way through the snow!  I dislike most of my shoe options for winter, as most of my practical boots don't look right with dresses.  I haven't had to worry too much about that as of yet, but we have 3+ more months of wintery weather to look forward to here.  I'm happy with having snow from the week before Christmas through New Year's Day... but in upstate New York, winter can last 'til April!  I guess I'll have to enjoy the lack of snow while I still can.

Outfit Details

Seashell We Dance? Dress: ModCloth (similar)

Mermaid necklace & ring: c/o I Love Crafty

Cardigan: Storevny (available here)

Jelly wedges: Pinup Girl Clothing

Shell purse: ASOS (similar)

Have a great Saturday!

xox Sammi

Label Love: Nishe

Happy Tuesday, everyone!  I'm making an attempt to brighten up the start of the week with this post -- my second (and probably my favorite) in this little "Label Love" series.  Today's installment focuses on one of my all-time favorite brands, and it's one that manages to encompass almost everything I love in terms of style.  It's none other than Nishe!

My three favorite Nishe dresses!
1  //  2  //  3

For those not overly-familiar with this dreamy brand, Nishe was founded by Polly Siu, an Australian designer based in Hong Kong, back in 2008.  Since then, her pieces have been carried by online retailers like ModCloth and ASOS (and are also available through Nishe's own website).  Polly's designs are undoubtedly girly and a little quirky (the best combination!), and there are definitive elements of sweet lolita and kawaii culture thrown in.  According to the brand's philosophy, Nishe is for anyone who is a lover, a dreamer, or young at heart.  All in all, Polly's pieces always make me feel like I'm a character in my very own storybook, and they never fail to make me feel beautiful and special.

I even pretended to be a mermaid last summer in this Nishe dress!

Almost all of the Nishe pieces I own are characterized by the distinctive (and totally charming) embroidery.  Though some of Polly's more recent pieces utilize printed fabrics, I'd say that the embroidery is thought to be Nishe's calling card, and it absolutely sets her line apart.  In addition, her pieces are of very high quality, and are usually fully-lined.  Even though many of her pieces contain synthetic fabrics, these dresses feel quite expensive.  Nishe pieces can be on the pricier side (they run anywhere from $65-$250, depending on the retailer), but in my opinion, that's a testament to the craftsmanship.  These pieces are unique and eye-catching, and I'd rather pay a little more for something distinctive and well-made.  In addition, you can find good deals on Nishe pieces all the time; ASOS and ModCloth put Nishe on sale regularly, and pieces are often available on eBay.

I also love that my Nishe dresses can be worn all year long!

My favorite Nishe dresses have a fit-and-flare silhouette with an organza-like skirt (like the three in the first photo of this post), but I own a few pieces made in other styles.  Most of her dresses contain hidden back or side zippers, and many have fun details like detachable or eye-catching collars.  I've found that Nishe's sizing is quite consistent across the board, and it runs very true-to-size for me.  Nishe pieces are usually listed with UK sizing, and the general rule is that your UK numbered size is two sizes up from your normal US size (i.e., for me, I wear a UK 12/US 8).  The fabrics do not usually provide stretch, so you should keep that in mind when ordering.  But you can expect a healthy dose of charm, fantasy and sweetness -- which is just how I like my clothes!

4  //  5  //  6

7  //  8  //  9

What about you?  Are you enamored by Nishe, or are the designs just a little too much for you?  How would you style these fantastical frocks?  Let me know in the comments!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

xox Sammi

Cherry picked

Outfit Details:

Best Birthday Ever Dress: ModCloth (on sale!)

Mel by Melissa wedges: Urban Outfitters (available here)

Cherry fascinator hat: c/o Paulie Antiques

Cherry pie ring: gift from Kate

Frilly socks: similar here

Oh Nishe, how I love thee!  It seems like each Nishe dress I acquire is better than the last!  This one definitely takes the cake, and I can see why ModCloth decided to name it the "Best Birthday Ever" dress; I'm pretty sure I'll be wearing it on my birthday next year.  It's just that sort of dress.  It's so gorgeous and has so many details I love: scallops, polka dots, a peter pan collar.  It somehow manages to encompass both a retro and a twee aesthetic, which sort of perfectly describes my style.  It also reminded me of Mary Poppins!  It'd be perfect for a Disney trip.  This dress has quickly earned a spot amongst my all-time favorite frocks.  Oh, and it's on sale at ModCloth now, too!

These accessories were patiently waiting for the perfect outfit to come along.  I scored these Mel by Melissa wedges from Urban Outfitters on sale (they're sold out there now, but are still available on Amazon!), though I will say that the sizing was a little different than I'd expected.  I'm usually a pretty solid size 9 US (sometimes an 8.5 in flats), and since Mel shoes don't come in half sizes, I thought I'd be safe with the 9.  They were huge on me, and even though they have ankle straps, I didn't trust that they'd stay on.  I ended up exchanging for a size 8, which fits much better but is actually a tiny bit too tight in the toes.  If they made half sizes, it would have been a perfect fit!  All in all though, they're such darling shoes (and they remind me of Minnie Mouse!) and they're really comfy, despite the toe issue, so I can't complain too much.

I feel very lucky to have such kind, creative friends in the blogging world.  This fascinator was a gift to me from my friend Polly, who blogs over at Paulie Antiques and runs a fabulous vintage shop of the same name.  I was actually planning on buying this fascinator myself, but she wouldn't hear of it, and ended up sending it to me for a Christmas gift.  I was so incredibly touched by her sweetness, and I am so thankful to have her as a friend.  This cherry pie ring was a surprise gift from Kate, who sent it to me along with a couple of pieces I purchased from her "shop my closet" section of her shop.  I'd mentioned wanting a pie ring a while back (to go with my pie dress), and I was so shocked that she even remembered, much less made one to send to me!  I really believe that one of the best parts of blogging has been getting to know wonderful bloggers -- they've truly touched my heart.

Have a super Saturday!

xox Sammi