2019 Recap

It's hard to believe that 2019 is coming to a close. This year was incredibly difficult and came with a lot of (very necessary) changes. But I feel emotionally stronger and more optimistic than I have in a while. And while I don't post on my blog as frequently as I once did, I think it's a really good exercise to look back on the last 12 months and appreciate how far I've really come in such a short time... and appreciate all of the outfits I've worn!

In January, I was still reeling from my recent breakup and contracted food poisoning from one of my all-time favorite restaurants. Talk about betrayal. I didn't post a whole lot. But I did celebrate my blog's sixth birthday in February and my mom made breakfast for dinner for us on Valentine's Day. Emma and I did a couple of fun shoots and I savored the flowers at the Dutch Connection exhibit. I spent a lot of time yearning for warm weather. Emma and I also made a big decision to rent a studio for our photography projects (though we didn't tell many people until months later)!

By April, I started to feel reinvigorated. Spring blossoms started to emerge. I saw Hamilton and started posting more frequently again. In May, my mom and I had Mother's Day tea at Sonnenberg Gardens. In June, we saw Waitress. Emma and I started creating content to promote the studio and I started feeling more confident again. I also came to terms with a really painful end. My mom and I spent a weekend in Skaneateles, followed by many excursions to different orchards and farms.

In July, I went to the NY Lavender Festival with friends and hunted for antiques. I found my collection of bathing suits that I thought I had lost three years prior. I didn't want summer to end. In August, Emma and I officially launched Dear Blossom Studios. We picked a lot of fruit, made our annual excursion to the sunflower fields, and went on a picnic. By the time September rolled around, I signed up for a flower share, pushed myself to take photos in public places, and took in the wonderful wackiness of the Fringe.

October was filled with spooky outfits, boudoir sessions, and birthday fun. I officially lost 50 pounds just in time to turn 31. November was slightly somber and nostalgic, but I also started rehearsals for "Winnie the Pooh." I received a promotion at work for a position I helped to develop and started feeling a lot more positive about my professional aspirations. And in December, I felt joyful in partaking in activities (aside from being involved in a car accident, that is) and putting together seasonal outfits.

This year might not have turned out the way I thought it would – and I still have a long way to go – but I am glad to be where I am now. What are you proud of accomplishing in the past year? Be sure to check out my post on Instagram later today to see my last outfit photo of 2019!

See you next year!

2018 Outfit Round-Up

At the end of every year, it's customary for me (and many other bloggers I know) to put together an outfit round-up post. It's a fun way to look back at my fashion choices from the past 12 months and reflect on how things have changed during that time.

Normally, I have a lot of outfits to choose from. But this year, it's dawned on me just how little I blogged during 2018. I published blogs only about once a month until more recently. At the time, I chalked it up to being too busy and too tired. Those things were certainly true, but I also think I was spending a lot of time being worried and worn out emotionally and giving too much of myself in situations that were probably unhealthy. When I looked back on some of these photos, I remembered quite vividly how sad or anxious or stressed or mad I was about situations I really didn't have much control over. There were some very bad days happening behind the scenes. It's amazing how we can rationalize a really messed up version of what "normal" is when we're in the midst of it. I didn't even get a chance to publish a lot of the photos that I took – and when I did, they were often delayed so long that they were out of season once I put together the posts. Sometimes I didn't post anything because I just wanted to enjoy the experiences that were truly good because they had been so rare. It wasn't until late summer and early fall that I felt like I was finding my stride again, and I know that timing isn't coincidental. It was when I finally started to feel like myself again and like I had some semblance of control over my life.

The truth is that this year has been really hard. I don't think I realized (or admitted) just how hard until now. I know that a lot of people are finding themselves in much more trying situations that mine. But I also don't want to minimize what I'm going through, either. It makes me sad to know I didn't have the energy to put into my blog last year. It's disappointing I felt so drained that my creative outlet felt like too much work. That happens, I suppose. But I'm hoping that in 2019, my spirit will be a bit renewed. Isn't that we all hope for?

Without any further ado, let's take a little look back at some of my posts from the past year. Which one was your favorite? What do you hope to see more of here in the coming year? 

January   ||   February   ||   March

April   ||   May   ||   June

July   ||   August   ||   September

October   ||   November   ||   December

Sending love and light to you for the rest of this year and into the next.

2016 Outfit Round-up + New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year's Eve-Eve! I can scarcely believe that this year has come to a close. In many ways, this year has been incredibly difficult. But in other ways, it's been a really pivotal one that involved a lot of personal growth. I traditionally like to take a look back at the last 12 months with a little year-end outfit round-up. I enjoyed a lot of my outfit posts this year, but these were some of my all-time favorites. Which one did you like best?

January     ||     February     ||     March

Winter... brought a couple of fun shows and the ability to start trusting, letting go, and taking things as they come. For the first time, I felt okay with just allowing things to pan out. Although a lot of aspects of my life were in limbo, I think that's always been an important step in finding my way.

April     ||     May     ||     June

Spring... brought a few adventures and a really fun role in a really fun show. But I also started to feel overwhelmed with anxiety around this time. The pressure to find a new job and move out was mounting, and the physical demands of the show I was in resulted in a couple of injuries. I knew I needed to make some major changes but all I wanted to do was hide under the covers. And yet, when everything seemed to be falling apart, I got off my butt and made some things happen. I feel proud of myself for that.

July     ||     August     ||     September

Summer... was hard. I went through an unofficial breakup of sorts. My best friend was hours away in Boston awaiting a kidney transplant, and the person I spent most of my free time with wasn't talking to me anymore. I suddenly felt very lonely and tried to stay busy as a result. I started working at a job I hated, but it did allow me to find a lovely apartment. I lost ten pounds, but only because I was sad and depressed and needed to do something physical to relieve my anxiety. Basically, it was a season of growing pains. In retrospect, I know I am much better and stronger for having gone through them.

October     ||     November     ||     December

Autumn... was when I finally found my footing. I was hired as a content writer (a dream job I never knew I wanted!) at the end of August, and I started feeling more confident about where my life was heading. That same month, I reconnected with the guy I'm dating now, and we made our relationship *~*official*~* by fall. Things are a lot different now, for the most part. My priorities may have changed a lot in the last few years, but for the first time, my perspective has changed, too. I don't look at those shifts with regret. I may be stressed and drained of energy, but I'm not wishing for other sources of fulfillment. I still love performing, but I'm not currently yearning for much more than I have. And although I always want to keep learning and evolving, I feel pretty content with the way my life is right now.

That being said, I still have a few resolutions for the new year. 

• For the first time ever, I have a health insurance plan through my place of employment – which means I can afford a gym membership! This year, I want to make my health a priority and make regular exercise a part of my routine. It's a definitely necessity for me right now both physically and emotionally.
  
  
• I'm planning on going back on Weight Watchers as well. This isn't because I have a certain weight loss goal in mind, but because I generally feel a lot better when I eat healthy foods. Plus, there are a lot of clothes I'm not wearing because they don't fit or I don't feel confident due to how I look in them. That's really the main thing I want to accomplish here: to feel great about the way I look.
  
  
• I want to keep my place a lot cleaner and stay on top of household duties. When I get lazy, I end up feeling a lot more anxious due to the mess. I want to feel refreshed and relaxed when I walk into a room rather than overwhelmed.
  
  
• Other things I'd like to do: learn how to sew, take a trip with Ashley, improve my photography, do some more writing on the side, be in a show I've been dying to do, go away for a weekend, read at least six books, and as always, remember to be grateful and to find the joy.

Did you make any resolutions this year? What about your NYE plans? I'm not sure how I'll be spending my New Year's Eve yet, but I'm hoping for something cozy. I may love getting dolled up, but I'd much rather snuggle up with my honey than guzzle champagne. Whatever you do tonight, I hope you have fun – and have a safe and happy 2017!

2015 outfit round-up

Happy 2016! In lieu of a Friday Favorites post, I'm taking a look back at the last 12 months in outfits. It was definitely hard to choose just 12 (I had to leave out some of my favorites, like my Halloween posts), but I thought this was a good representation of how my style has evolved since the start of my blog. Click the links underneath to be taken to each chosen post. Did you have a favorite post from this year (maybe one I didn't pick)?

January   ||   February   ||   March

April   ||   May   ||   June

July   ||   August   ||   September

October   ||   November   ||   December

I was lucky enough to have some great opportunities basically fall into my lap this year. I filmed my first commercial, was featured in a Buzzfeed article, collaborated with some amazing companies, visited friends, went to California, did a lot of fruit-picking, performed a lot, started seeing someone, saw some great movies, and tried to challenge myself to try new things (even when they're a little bit scary). I'm going to carry that last bit into 2016 – as Amy Poehler said, "great people do things before they're ready," and that's the only way I'll continue to grow. In terms of my blog, I want to continue to improve my photography and have more of a variety in my posts... what would you like to see more of here in 2016?

Have a great start to your year & weekend!

Springtime outfit round-up

Since tomorrow marks the first official day of summer, it's time for another seasonal outfit round-up! I enjoy looking back at my outfits from the past season and picking my favorites to highlight here. There were a bunch of outfits that I'd totally forgotten about (and I'd also managed to block out the fact that the wintery weather lasted into April this year)! Here are the ones that stood out this spring:

March

Cutie π  ||  Enchantment under the sea  ||  Chamomile

Spring fever  ||  Skyliner diner  ||  Eucalyptus

In March, I ventured beyond my own (freezing cold and snowy) backyard for certain posts – and was joined by my sweet and stylish friend, Henry! I think my favorite post was my 50's diner post, wherein Henry and I visited the Strong National Museum of Play, and I wore one of my favorite Bernie Dexter dresses and brand new Erstwilder brooch.

April

Easter bunny  ||  Mint julep  ||  Really good hair club

Some other spring  ||  Dahlias + leopard spots  ||  Indigo

There was still snow on the ground throughout much of April, but not even that could dampen my spirits when I found out I'd be a part of the Unique Vintage Style Society! My term with the Style Society will be up at the end of June, and I've so enjoyed the time I've spent working with this company. My favorite post from April was probably my first Style Society post, featuring the dreamiest, mintiest dress in all of creation.

May

Puppy love  ||  Cherry pink & apple blossom white  ||  Orange crush

I've got no strings  ||  Hydrangeas  ||  Tick tock

Thankfully, the weather finally started to warm up in May! May also features some of my favorite outfits in this whole post, which made it very hard to choose my favorite, but I think I'd have to pick my cherry blossom post in Highland Park. My best friend and I visited at precisely the right time, so all of the flowering trees were beautifully in bloom, and I thought my outfit was the epitome of spring.

Spring never lasts nearly as long as I'd like, so I enjoyed looking back through my outfit posts! Which outfit was your favorite? Let me know in the comments!

Winter round-up

Now that it's officially spring(!), it's time for a seasonal outfit round-up to say goodbye to winter!  I'm definitely eager to bid adieu to the cold and snow, but I did manage to post some fun ensembles during the past few months.  Here are a few of my favorite wintertime posts:

December

Winter Wonderland // Santa Baby

Thought I was a donut // Chocolate with nut(cracker)s

January

Ice princess // A sea of snow

Bear hug // Hang on little tomato

February

Balloons & Blogiversaries // Sweetheart

Sugar sugar // Strawberry phosphate

I think February was probably my favorite month of outfits overall, but my favorite outfit of the season was definitely my Christmas Eve outfit.  The winter holidays are always fun to dress up for, but I'm looking forward to what I'll wear during the warmer months!  Did you have a favorite post from this season?

Have a wonderful Sunday!

xox Sammi

Autumnal Round-Up (+ giveaway winner!)

Happy Sunday!  It's become a bit of a tradition for me to do a round-up post of all my outfits from the past season.  We're officially heading into winter today, but here are some of my favorite ensembles from this past fall:

September

Fairground & Flowers  //  Daffa down dilly  //  Bad in Plaid

Junebug Wedding  //  Eden  //  In Apple Blossom Time

October

Tudor Rose  //  Cake and presents  //  Think happy thoughts

Doodlebug  //  Baby's in Black  //  Daisy Bell

November

...About this pie  //  What's New, Pussycat?  //  Schoolyard Crush

Autumn  //  Woodland  //  Edelweiss

Which of these outfits was your favorite?

Oh, and thank you so much to everyone who entered my giveaway!  The lucky winner is...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations, Angel!  I'll be sending your prizes out to you tomorrow!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

xox Sammi

Summertime Round-Up

I guess it's finally time to face facts: summer has come to an end.  Although I've always loved autumn, I'm still not quite ready to bid farewell to bare legs in favor of bundling up.  But I don't have much choice in the matter (unless I want to freeze!), so I'll have to make do with revisiting some of my favorite ensembles from summertime.

June

Ice cream social  //  Playing house  //  I never promised you a rose garden

Sideshow  //  Cherry picked  //  Minnie

A little too late for lilacs  //  Nifty fifties  //  French lavender

Favorite outfit: Cherry picked

Runner-up: Playing house

Highlight: a brand new blog layout

July

Fireworks  //  You don't bring me flowers  //  Beehive

It's not easy being green  //  Shutterbug  //  You're the cat's meow

My heart beats true for the red, white and blue //  You are a garden rose // Pink flamingo

Favorite outfit: You don't bring me flowers

Runner-up: Beehive

Highlight: Being featured on the ModCloth blog

August

Toadstool  //  All in the golden afternoon  //  Garden song

Sugar rush  //  On the radio  //  Gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle

Blossom dearie  //  Tease  //  Summertime Blues

Favorite outfit: Gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle
Runner-up: Tease

Highlight: Brooklyn blogger meet-up

and being featured in the Sunglass Warehouse Lookbook

Despite the fact that I felt like the summer flew by without getting to do many summery things, at least I wore some good, summery ensembles!  Which one was your favorite?

Have a happy first day of fall!

xox Sammi

Springtime Round-up

Happy Saturday and Happy Summer!  I've gotten into the habit of doing seasonal round-ups of my favorite ensembles, so here are my favorite outfits from this spring:

March

Hello, Little Girl // Popcorn and ice cream // Pink plaid

Shamrock shake // It's a jungle out there // Mint condition

April

High violet // A taste of honey // Let's do brunch

C'est magnifique // Little queen // Starlight, sweetheart, melody

May

Come back as a flower // Spots and stripes // Magnolia

Telephone hour // Wedding Bell Blues // Chicory

I think my collection of outfits from May is my favorite out of the three, but I like being able to look back on everything and remember ensembles that I particularly liked!  Which post was your favorite?

I actually have some time off this weekend (normally, I work on Saturdays), which is great, because I have a lot to get done around here.  FYI, my blog is going to be set to private late Sunday night to do some fun revamping... I'm excited!  I hope you all like what I have planned as much as I do!  :)  Be sure to check back on Monday morning for some fun new things!

Have a wonderful weekend!

xox Sammi

Wintertime Round-Up

It's the first day of Spring!  Back in December, I started did a round-up post with all of my autumnal outfits.  Now that the vernal equinox is upon us, I decided to bid adieu to winter with a round-up that features my favorite outfits from the past few months.  Here's hoping that warmer weather is on its way!

December

Giverny || Hibernation || I just called to say I love you

Under the pink || Haul out the holly || No bake cookies

White Christmas || I'll be home for Christmas || Snow angel

December Favorite: Haul out the holly

Runner-up: White Christmas

January

Sock hop || Auld Lang Syne || Lilacs and daisies

Lemon pies || Mint marshmallows || Coffee and tea and the java and me

Faith, trust and pixie dust || Mountain laurel || Out on the lanai

January Favorite: Coffee and tea and the java and me

Runner-up: Out on the lanai

February

Cabarnet sauvignon || Pop goes my heart || Bonbons and cupcakes

Little Red || Valentine || Baby Be Mine

Peach tea || Honey Pie || Hooray for Hollywood

February Favorite: Valentine

Runner-up: Baby Be Mine

This winter was the first time I braved the icy temperatures and snow drifts and took photos outside, and one thing's for certain: I'll be overjoyed to not have to incorporate boots into my outfits anymore!  I think I managed to do pretty well in terms of posting actively, despite the less-than-perfect Upstate weather.  I was also ecstatic to be able to escape to Florida for a week on vacation, which allowed for both flats and a welcome change in scenery (and temperature).  This winter welcomed new followers, new friends, and a new boy in my life.  Despite having a rough autumn, I'm finding my stride and my strength again, and although there are things that scare me about the not-to-distant future, I'm excited to see where things are headed.  I always remind myself to find the joy in life, and there's nothing more representative of that to me than spring being on its way! 

I hope you have a wonderful first day of spring!

xox Sammi