At the zoo

"Someone told me it's all happening at the zoo..." I know it's not very politically correct to say, but I always really liked going to the zoo. I used to go all the time with my ex-boyfriend, but I hadn't gone back to one since we broke up. It used to be too painful, especially seeing the river otters (they were like, our "thing"). But I'm at the point now where I'm past all of that and can enjoy these types of activities again without feeling that pang of sadness. Noting that progress is important to me. Instead of being overwhelmed with memories from my previous relationship, I can momentarily acknowledge what I once shared with someone and still have a great time seeing animals I love.

I guess that sentiment's only partially true – not because of the ghosts of past relationships, but because even when the animals are well taken care of (like they are at the Seneca Park Zoo), I still don't love seeing animals being kept in captivity. Although it can be important in terms of conservation and education, I still can't imagine that lions and polar bears can both be totally at ease living in a zoo in Western NY. Of course, being able to see a gorgeous tiger in real life is pretty magnificent... but at the very least, visiting the zoo as an adult does make you think. Regardless, I still had a nice morning at the zoo with my best friend, Wayne – and I had to wear this adorable zoo-themed skirt from Bryony + Co. for the occasion! Unfortunately, I forgot my camera remote at home, so I didn't get any pictures of this outfit while we were actually at the zoo... but I snapped some outfit photos when I was back home in my own little jungle of a backyard.

I've admired Bryony + Co.'s themed collections for quite some time now, and their newest Zoo line is no exception. I own a couple of their older pieces (from back when the company was known as Poppy), and in my experience, the sizing has been a bit inconsistent from piece to piece. They do have detailed size charts on their site (which you'll need to convert from cm. to in. if you're US-based) for each item. I followed the size chart for the skirt I'm wearing here, the Elspeth Blue Zoo skirt, which told me I should size down to a UK 10. However, I definitely should have gotten my regular UK 12 size, as this skirt is too tight to be comfortable on me. The design is SO darling, but it's not an item I could wear all day long. If you're in doubt on your size after consulting the chart, I think it's better to be safe than sorry and order the larger size (so do as I say, not as I do!). I really like this outfit though, and the coordinating cardigan is of a nice quality as well – it's a great sweater for spring, and I love the different colored buttons! I also adore the fact that all of their items come with their own little illustrated storybook. It's charming details like these that make all the difference for me.

Outfit Details

Elspeth Blue Zoo Skirt: c/o Bryony + Co.

Women's Cardigan in Lemon: c/o Bryony + Co

Spectators: B.A.I.T. Footwear (similar)

Pink camisole: similar

Bryony + Co. was kind enough to offer an exclusive discount code for my readers! You can get 15% off all full-price items when you enter the code SOUBRETTE15 at checkout! :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

New York, New York

Although the temperatures are slooooowly warming up a bit, the snow here is still up to my knees (which makes it very difficult to take outdoor outfit photos)... so I thought this was as good a time as any to share some quick snaps from my weekend trip to New York!  If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably already seen a few of these, but I didn't post a lot of them.

When we arrived in the city, we checked into our hotel, ducked into a Scottish pub for a bite to eat (where I had one of the best crab cake sandwiches of my life), and made a quick stop at the Disney store in Times Square.  They had all of this gorgeous Cinderella merchandise out, in anticipation of the new movie (which I must see!).  After freshening up back in our room, we headed out to meet my roommate from college for Thai food and to see A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.  I'd been wanting to see it since I saw them perform a number on the Tony's last year, and we ended up getting $35 tickets up in the highest balcony.  The show was really clever and silly and fun, and it was wonderful to catch up with Caitlin.

The next morning, we met up with my cousin Madeline for a leisurely brunch at Sarabeth's.  Madeline is more like an aunt to me, and I hadn't seen her in quite some time, so being able to spend time with her (and feast on breakfast goodies) was a treat!

After brunch, we did some shopping!  One of the highlights was getting to visit the Tatyana store.  I have a few of their pieces, but it's such a lovely experience to shop with them in person.  I ended up getting a very pretty (albeit summery) polka dot dress that I'm excited to wear.  Spring, hurry up!

This dress is definitely on my wish list!

After shopping, we headed over to Dough (a donut shop I've followed on Instagram for quite some time) to indulge.  I was bummed that they didn't have any chocolate earl grey or blueberry donuts available, but I settled for lemon poppyseed and toasted coconut.  They were scrumptious and huge!

After picking out our donuts, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the trip's main purpose: to see John Cameron Mitchell in Hedwig and the Angry Inch!  Hedwig has been my favorite musical since I was in the 8th grade.  My only tattoo is taken from the movie, my senior thesis in college was centered around the show, and I played Yischak in a production I produced at the Rochester Fringe Festival a couple of years ago... so essentially, I'm a total Hedhead.  I was thrilled when I heard it was coming to Broadway last summer, but I told myself that I wasn't going to see it until John Cameron Mitchell (the creator/writer/originator) stepped into the role.  No offense to Neil Patrick Harris, Andrew Rannells or Michael C. Hall, but JCM is and always will be the definitive Hedwig to me.  My mom got us tickets as part of my Christmas present (seriously, how cool is my mom?), and I'd been counting down the days ever since.

I've seen productions of the show a few times (and I've seen the movie more times than I can count), but this was mind-blowingly incredible.  It's my absolute favorite theatrical experience, hands down, and I'm still thinking about it -- that's how good it was.  I went into it being very familiar with the material, but there were so many surprises, and I was just astounded by John Cameron Mitchell's talent, energy and honesty.  I'll never forget seeing it.  If you get the chance to go (especially before he leaves the show at the end of April), DO IT!   

Outfit Details:
cardigan: ModCloth // skirt: Kohl's // purse: Betsey Johnson // brooch: Tatty Devine // tights + hat: old
(I felt very clever with my (midnight) radio purse and Spinal Tap-inspired brooch!)

We flew back home the next afternoon, but before we left, we met up with my aunt and cousins (from the other side of my family) for tea at Alice's Tea Cup.  It was a bit chaotic, but so nice to catch up with them and to see my little cousin, who just turned two.  There was entirely too much food, but it was all lovely.

Outfit Details:
dress: Lady Vintage (similar) // cardigan: Trashy Diva // brooch: ModCloth

We fit a lot into just a few days, and it was definitely nice to get out of Rochester for a little while.  Even though it was cold in the city, they don't have mountains of snow like we do!  It's so easy to feel stuck in a rut in the wintertime, so shaking up my routine for a weekend was great, too.  Being in the city all the time is kind of stressful (my mom gets really anxious there, and I pick up on that very easily), and I'm still trying to figure out whether I want to move back (or live outside the city), or just go somewhere else completely.  I haven't decided yet, but it was nice to get back there again.  I have some time yet to figure it out.  Until then, visiting is always a fun option!

Have a great day!

xox Sammi

(Last) Saturday Adventuring

The pictures in this post are now a week old, but it was a big post and I wanted to wait til the weekend rolled back around to share these!  Last Saturday, I had an early morning rehearsal and then a break until our opening night.  It was a lovely day outside, and Steven was visiting, so when I got home, I told him the plan was to get frozen yogurt at a new (to me) place in Pittsford and to go see the animals at Powers Farm Market (which is a cute store with local produce, baked goods, a petting zoo, and a pumpkin patch in the fall).  We certainly took advantage of the nice weather, and had a great time.

Our first stop was Powers Farm Market, where we stopped to take some pictures of my outfit...

Outfit Details:

Bee My Honey Dress: ModCloth

White cropped cardigan: Forever 21

White peep toe ballet flats: ASOS

Heart necklace: ASOS (out of stock)

After that, we went to go make some new friends...

I love when animals sit like that.  Cats do it all the time, which is why Steven and I call cats "turkeys" (we think they look like Thanksgiving turkeys).  It's such a cute way to sit!

I love that they are looking at themselves in the mirror.

And then we met my favorite animal of the day, who has the sweetest face in the world...

I love this.

Touching noses!  She had the most velvet-y nose!

After receiving some alpaca kisses, we decided it was time to head over to Yotality for some yummy froyo!  I've been to a ton of frozen yogurt places (some self-serve and some not), and this is definitely one of the best I've been to -- and not just in this area.  The flavors are changing constantly (and every one I've tried so far has been delicious!), the fruit is incredibly fresh, and the place is clean and orderly.  It's quickly becoming a new favorite of mine!

We had a lovely outing.  :)  This weekend is supposed to be nice as well, so I hope I can enjoy some sunshine again today -- and I hope you can too!

xox Sammi