Moments from the weekend

I've had a very enjoyable last few days.  The weather has finally been nice again, so I've been trying to take full advantage of it.  Instead of an outfit post today, I'm sharing a few photos from my weekend.  I've hopped on the Instagram train at the suggestion of my blogger friend, Rebecca of The Cinnamon Slipper (if you don't already follow her, you should do so immediately), and I'm making an effort to use it more.  I am enjoying the filters more than I probably should.

For instance, I'm so in love with this photo.

I have no pictures from Friday, but I reached a (very small) milestone and finally got my learner's permit!  I don't know if I've really talked about the fact that I do not (yet!) know how to drive... it's sort of an embarrassing thing to admit in many ways, because I don't like being dependent on people, and a girl who is nearly 25 should be able to drive herself around.  But at least I've taken the first step!  Now for the hard part.  I'm going to have to sign up for a driving school, because I don't think I'd handle learning from either of my parents very well; simply put, it's a situation that gives me a lot of anxiety, and I tend to lash out in those kinds of instances.  So I think it's better if I learn from someone I don't really know well and that I won't act like a crazy person around.

After going to the DMV (twice, because their website is - of course - so confusing that it's hard to find what documents you need to bring with you... and we left my birth certificate at home the first time out), my mom and I went out to run some fun errands.  I needed new BareMinerals makeup, and I ended up getting a new dress in the process, courtesy of my mama!  :)  You'll see that in tomorrow's outfit post.  After that, we got a ton of fabric flowers so that I can make my own flower crowns!  I'm super excited to do this.  I'm hoping to start this week, or maybe next.

After my shift at work on Saturday, my mom and I headed to a moving sale.  This sale was being held by my beloved former voice teacher, Cara, and oh my goodness, it was amazing.  My voice teacher has also directed countless productions and has often done her own costuming for her shows.  She's also a lover of all things vintage.  So there were countless beautiful finds at her sale!

Amazing beautiful hats.  I managed to snag four of these beauties!

Gorgeous lilac gown

Vintage nightgowns and wedding gowns

How I lamented that my feet are not size 5 and 1/2!  These were exquisite.  Look at the heel!

Amazing peachy pink gown with floral embellishments

Close-up of the hats - I especially loved that green one in the upper left corner!

This is now mine!  I have a smaller wicker purse, but this one's the real deal.

Cara also has several vintage magazines and fashion books.  This one was a style book for menswear (from 1905!!) that door-to-door salesmen would take to show styles and fabric samples.  The swatches were still intact!

This womenswear catalogue was so lovely, too.  I just love seeing all the old illustrations and styles from different eras.  This particular catalogue was from the mid-1930s!

After all was said and done, Cara gave me an incredibly generous deal on my haul, which consisted of that wicker handbag, four of her hats, two fur collars, and a vintage pink lace petticoat!  I was only sorry I couldn't spend all day looking through all of her pieces (and couldn't afford to buy them myself)!

Post-shopping, Steven and I went out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, a quasi-Vietnamese place, where we had our standby dishes: sweet and spicy rice with chicken and pineapple for me, and pho for him.  Afterwards, we went out to get Steven a new TV for his apartment.  It is huge and awesome.  I am currently watching Golden Girls, and Bea Arthur is absolutely enormous on this screen.

Yesterday, I was finally able to take new outfit photos because of the nice weather, and Steven and I went out to a Greek restaurant we love:

It was so nice to be able to sit outside (it's right along the Erie Canal) and eat.  We walked along the canal afterwards, and saw some bird friends...

I love that one goose with her neck outstretched!

... And then we went to get some frozen yogurt.  I'm obsessed with key lime pie flavored ANYTHING, but especially this froyo. 

And then we spent the rest of the night on his couch.  I have off of work for the next couple of days, but have a lot to do.  My grandma is coming to visit from Florida for the 4th of July, and there's a lot to do before then.  Sorry for the lack of outfit post today, but I figure that people might get tired of that all the time anyway.  At least it's something to break up the monotony.  :)

I think GFC is gone by now, yes?  Hopefully you can still import all of your blogs to Bloglovin'!  If you aren't following me there yet, I'd love it if you would!  

Have a great Monday! xox Sammi

The last few days...

The last few days have been absolutely nuts, so no new outfit photos yet.  :(  I've been busy helping Steven move into his new apartment here in Rochester(!), so I've barely had time for anything other than that.  But here are a few (bad iPhone quality) photos I've managed to snap over the past few days...

The outside of Steven's building

A mama bunny made a nest for her babies(!!!!) in our yard.  I took a peek at them - they were SO teeny tiny and soft!  I could barely believe how amazingly cute they were.  I left lettuce for the mama and covered them up (my dog had disturbed their little nest, and we were worried about the babies - otherwise, I wouldn't have gone near them), but we think the mama moved them during the night to a safer place, which I feel relieved about.  They're too tiny and delicate!

I bought my dream bicycle... and am waiting for it to ship.  I'm not sure what's taking so long, but I'm very impatient!  I'm going to get a different basket (a more charming one) for the front, I think.

And here is my kitty cat, inquisitive as always.  She can't understand why I'm allowed outside.

I'm writing this while at work, and I have tomorrow (which will actually be today when this is posted), so I'm hoping the weather holds up long enough for me to finally take some photos.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

xox Sammi

Kitty in the window

Everything is so delightfully green and lush these days.  It had been raining this day, but stopped long enough for me to head outside and enjoy the greenery.

Outfit Details:

T-shirt: Forever 21 (old)

Skirt: H&M (old)

Belt: from another dress

Flats: ASOS

This outfit was worn probably twice in college (when I was heavier), and I never really liked it much... but now I like it a lot more!  It's light and springy.

Good old girl.

I turned the corner and heard a pitiful mew... and I looked up and saw Pumpkin in the window!  She must have been wondering why I was outside without her.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

xox Sammi

"Baby, you can drive my car / Yes, I'm gonna be a star" (an outfit post)

I've mentioned this before, but I work in the box office for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.  I work with a bunch of other actors and musicians, and I actually like my job quite a bit; even though I have to deal with a lot of stupid or rude people on a daily basis (like any other customer service job), I actually enjoy working there the majority of the time.  In fact, I am writing this blog post at work; it's been really quiet here the past couple of days, so in an effort to do something productive (i.e., not spending money I shouldn't), here I am. 

Anyway, we ended up having a bowling night this past Sunday with everyone from the box office (Steven came along, too!), which was really fun.  I haven't gone bowling since my sophomore year of college, so I wasn't GREAT or anything (I got a couple of spares, but that was it - out of 3 games!), but I had a blast anyway.  Here's the outfit I wore to go bowling!  I thought a 1950s vibe was appropriate.

Outfit Details:

Cadillac Sweater: Forever 21

Black tank: dELiA*s (similar)

High-Waisted Black Jeans: Urban Outfitters

Black flats: jcpenny

These are the BEST flats! I also got them for like $12 in the store, as opposed to the $20+ price tag online, so try looking for them in person if you're interested!  Also, I highly recommend these black jeans from Urban if you're looking for high-waisted, skinny pants.  They can be dressed up or down, and most importantly, they are super slimming (so many high-waisted jeans emphasize the tummy area, rather than hide it, which is really annoying)!

She always looked perturbed in these pictures!

Have a lovely Thursday!
xox Sammi

Wrapped Up in Books (an outfit post)

I am a self-proclaimed bookworm (and I'm also Belle & Sebastian fan, for those who recognize the title of this post).  I have always loved to read and write, and for quite a while, I was convinced I was going to be an author when I grew up.  As an actor, I think it's pretty imperative to have a love for the written word, because you essentially become the vessel for the playwright's words -- the one who brings those ideas on the page to life -- and if you don't have an immense appreciation for language, I think you're missing a big piece of the puzzle. 

So, when I saw this lovely book-themed dress on ModCloth, I knew it needed to hang in my closet!  After ordering one in a size too big and exchanging, I finally got it right (or, as right as it can be).  Admittedly, it is not the BEST dress I've ever owned.  I had to remove the sash that came with it because it ended up looking silly, but luckily I can wear just about any belt with it.  And even though it's flattering, the top has some weird fit issues (the next size up was WAY too large everywhere, but this size cuts into my arms after wearing it all day, and the cap sleeves - though cute - look slightly strange without a sweater over it)... but I love the print so much that I couldn't bear to part with it.  Some of the book titles are hard to make out, but I did manage to find Gone With the Wind and Little Women on there!

Outfit details:

A Plot to Love Dress: ModCloth

The Dream of the Crop Cardigan in Black: ModCloth 

Black tights: Danskins (dance tights from college!)

Lady in Rad Boot in Camel: ModCloth

Black belt: from another dress

Clock Strikes 12 Watch: ASOS

I just realized I forgot to take off the little film protector!  Whoops!  But isn't this watch adorable?  I felt like a hybrid of Belle and Cinderella in this outfit (and loved every second of it)!  I also love this one, which is quite princess-y too! 

Meanwhile, this little princess decided it was time to clean herself at this precise moment...

Someone seems very curious back there...

These cropped cardigans from ModCloth are seriously the best cardigans I own.  They're stretchy, comfortable, warm (thicker than you'd expect) and immensely flattering for dresses.  They're also priced extremely well, especially for ModCloth, and come in a few different colors.  I wear a sweater with pretty much everything, and these are my go-tos!

I just love this picture.

Speaking of words and books, this brings me to a wonderful perfume I just purchased called Dead Writers (a name I ADORE)!  When I saw this scent featured in an article on The Frisky, I immediately headed over to Sweet Tea Apothecary on Etsy and bought my own little bottle.  I received it today and it's just as lovely as I'd hoped.  It contains notes of black tea, vetiver, clove, musk, vanilla, heliotrope and tobacco, which I think are all incredibly fitting for the name!

And look at the cute packaging!  The bottle was smaller than I'd anticipated (due to my own inability to recognize how big 15 mL is), but the scent is so lovely and a little of it really does go a long way (and lasts a long time).  Sweet Tea Apothecary also makes some other amazing-sounding perfumes, like one named for Thoreau (with notes of sandalwood, sage and bamboo).  I absolutely love scents that aren't so typically perfume-y (and can be worn by both genders, as this one can), so this is one of my new favorite sellers!  I also love that all of the items are historically-inspired.  As you might have guessed, I do love when something has a theme (case in point, this blog post)!

Have a wonderful, wordy Tuesday!!

xox Sammi

A purrrrr-fectly sunny Sunday (an outfit post)

Although it was gray and snowing earlier this morning, the skies are sunny and clear now for the first time in a number of days.  The appearance of sunshine really turns my mood around these days; I'm in such a funk when there's none to be seen.  Maybe I just have a Vitamin D deficiency?  

I just realized that this outfit is kind of symbolic of the weather today.  These pictures weren't taken today, but I thought they were fitting for the burst of sunshine coming through the gray!

Outfit details:
Start Spreading the Mews Dress: ModCloth

Mustard-colored cardigan: Forever 21 (at least 3 years ago - similar here)

Skinny black belt: from another dress

Storybook Of My Life (jelly!!) flats: ModCloth

Heart necklace: ASOS (out of stock)

Pumpkin was out of frame here, but she was looking at me and making the cutest face!

Isn't the print of this dress amazing?  It's fake cat-related news articles and headlines!  Purrfect for a cat lover like myself! :)

As you may have guessed, I am obsessed with jelly shoes, and I am thrilled they are making a comeback!  These ones are quite comfortable, and I love that they look like you are just wearing bows on your feet!

She does not look pleased, but I swear she was purring!

Yeah, perhaps purring out of annoyance then.

I wore this outfit outside to run a couple of errands, and I guess I was too eager for spring, since it was FAR too cold to not wear tights (which just looks silly with jelly flats, I think)... I'll have to try again with this one when the weather is warmer.  :)

Enjoy your Sunday!

xox Sammi