C'est magnifique

Outfit Details:

Bernie Dexter Paris print dress: eBay

Necklace & coat: ASOS (old)

Spectators: BAIT Footwear (similar)

Whew!  It feels so good to be back home and blogging again.  Getting away was nice, but I was starting to go stir-crazy.  I probably should have taken the opportunity to completely unplug from technology (as much as possible, that is), but instead I just cursed my iPhone's horrible battery life and watched more Boy Meets World in a 3-day span than I'd ever thought possible.  I'm so grateful to my guest blogging gal pals, who took such good care of my blog while I was away!  That sort of sounds psychotic, like my blog is a living, breathing entity -- but actually, I sort of believe that about most creative sources, so maybe it's not so crazy.  At any rate, thank you for bearing with me during my little vacation!  I'm back now and it's spring (ignore the snow in these photos!  They're from before my computer died!), and I couldn't be happier to get back in the swing of things.

This dress was a lucky eBay snag (from Bernie herself, no less!).  I'd purchased a different version of this dress on ModCloth (it had thin straps and more of a shelf-type bodice), but the unfortunately, the sizing was wonky and I had to return it.  I've gotten pretty good at knowing my size in Bernie Dexter's dresses, and for whatever reason, that dress simply missed the mark (pretty much across the board, according to the reviews).  To my joy, I found that Bernie was selling some of her pieces on eBay (she still does this from time to time, which is wonderful!), and I was able to grab this lovely version in my size.  I love the little sailor bow on the neckline, and there are puff sleeves, too!  The combination of this dress and coat remind me of Funny Face -- one of my favorite movie musicals.  Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire are a delightful duo, to be sure, but Kay Thompson steals the show for me.  I read her biography a few years back, and she was such an intriguing figure.  She sings a song called "Think Pink" at the beginning of the film, and then the three stars sing "Bonjour, Paris!" about halfway through; this outfit is kind of a hybrid of those two ditties, I think!  If you've never seen the film, you should.  It's so visually stunning, and the performances are wonderful!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

xox Sammi

Starlight, sweetheart, melody

Outfit Details:

Iron Fist My Little Pony dress: eBay (available here)

Embellished cardigan: Storenvy

BAIT Footwear spectators: ModCloth

Lavender hair bow: Clip a Bow Boutique

Goodness gracious, do I love this dress!  I'd seen a blouse version of this dress in a couple of places, but I'm not exactly a blouse girl.  If it comes in a dress, I'd always rather have that!  This dress was carried by Hot Topic over a year ago, so I thought I'd missed out, but then it dawned on me to check eBay!  I had a lucky guess on sizing (juniors sizing is always a mystery to me) and it shipped incredibly quickly -- and fit perfectly!  The top of this dress is actually really flattering, but I felt a little too bare without a sweater.  I wish I had a plain cardigan that looked right with this dress, but this embellished one was the only one that hit at the right length.  The back heart patch is very My Little Pony. but I fear the combination is a little much.

I'm also thrilled that this design involves the classic My Little Pony cartoon.  I absolutely hate the style of the reboot version; it has none of the charm of the original, and this is how MLP should be.  I grew up watching the show and had a bunch of the ponies (inherited from a family friend's daughter), so I couldn't pass this dress up once I found it!  It's loud, to be sure, but a totally necessary addition to my closet. 

I had planned on posting something else for Easter, but since my hard-drive bit the dust on Thursday night, I had to amend my plans.  Still, this is pretty Easter-appropriate, I think.  I'm going out of town for a week starting on Monday, but I'm leaving my blog in very capable hands!  I can't wait for you to see what some lovely friends of mine have in store during my absence!  Stay tuned!

Have a super Saturday!

xox Sammi

Let's do brunch

Outfit Details:

Breakfast print dress: Topb2c.cc

Boater hat: Generations Collective

Black cardigan: similar here

Shoes: BAIT Footwear

Necklace: ASOS (old)

Tea ring: find it here

White tights: Target

Red coat: eBay

I'm not sure why I thought of this dress as a summery dress.  I haven't worn it since last summer (see how I originally wore it here), but I actually like it way more with layers!  The breakfast novelty print is so charming.  Brunch is my absolute favorite of all meals (it encompasses all of the deliciousness to be had!), so this dress was a must-have.  I opted for more of a lolita look with this outfit, which suits the dress pretty well.  The only bad thing about this dress is that it makes me hungry!!

Isn't this hat the sweetest?  I already have a boater hat, but I couldn't resist this darling red ribbon.  By the way, if you're in the market for a boater, my other one is from River Island and they are carrying a wider brim version here, or this one from Forever 21 is pretty cute, too!  I actually was initially disappointed because this red ribbon boater was too small for my large head, but then I ended up pinning it to my hair and it sat on top pretty perfectly!  I was so happy that I was able to put it to good use, and not just for display!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

xox Sammi

A taste of honey

Outfit Details:

Bee My Honey Dress: ModCloth (similar here)

Cardigan: Old Navy (similar here)

Jelly flats: ModCloth (similar here)

Hair bow: American Apparel

Belt: from another dress

Spoon ring: Mom's

I haven't worn this dress in a year. I wore it only once last spring, during an outing with my then-boyfriend.  The zipper broke that day, and then soon after, so did our relationship. I've been thinking about it a lot lately (the relationship, not the zipper). I'm not sure whether it's because I'm seeing someone new, or because I'm rehashing things with a mutual friend (and other friends as well), or because the reality of the situation is still settling in for me. It's probably a combination of all three. I yo-yo between seeing everything very clearly in hindsight (as one is wont to do) and being grateful that I'm no longer in that situation, and then missing aspects of our relationship and wondering if I was in the wrong. I caught up with an old friend yesterday, and we talked about how you can come to rationalize just about anything in a relationship. I did a lot of that. My ex probably did, too. We convinced ourselves that we were supposed to spend our lives together, and I really never questioned it. There's a small part of me that still wonders about it. I know ultimately that I am better off now, but I have been thinking a lot about whether or not there is even someone out there who is better-suited for me.

I have never wanted to be cynical; I believe in vulnerability and beauty and true love and joy. I think I need to stop sweeping my feelings under the rug, and just allow myself to feel the way I do. Avoidance helps for a while, but you can't live your life that way. Long story short, this is why I decided to wear this dress again. Yes, it's associated with my lost love... yes, it's painful to think about the fact that he is not in my life anymore... but I will never get to a better place with any of this if I don't challenge myself. I want to move forward in my life. It's strange that a piece of clothing could symbolize that for me... but then again, maybe it's not so strange. Though I didn't manage to mend the relationship, I did mend the zipper by myself. And it's also up to me to mend my heart. No one else can do that for me. I've never been good at letting go of situations or people. But I'm tired of carrying it around with me. I guess admitting all this is the first step to freeing myself of it. I consider myself to be a genuinely happy person, most of the time, but like I said in my last post, I would say that I'm struggling a bit at the moment. Thank you all for allowing me to express this, and for listening. I want my blog to be a positive place, but even more than that, I want it to be an honest one. I do love a healthy dose of fantasy in both my sense of style and my chosen career, but I can't play pretend all the time. I know this isn't the typical escapist copy that I write, so I truly appreciate anyone who has actually read all this, and those who are willing to keep reading. 

In closing, I am hopeful. I know I'll figure it out eventually. It's just going to take some time.

Have a beautiful Monday.

xox Sammi