Snow angel

Outfit Details:

Hypatia Dress: ever+mi.crush (50% off with NEWYEAR at checkout!)

Faux fur cape: Target (old, similar here)

Tights: ModCloth (old, similar here)

Dance Instead of Walking Heel in Cream: ModCloth

Ring & bracelet: old

Well, New Year's Eve Day is here... and I still have no idea what I'm doing tonight.  At this point, I think I'm going to end up having dinner with my parents and vegging out on the couch!  Not that this is a horrible way to spend the night or anything... it's just that I feel like that's every night for me these days, since I'm not in rehearsals for anything and don't have much going on at the moment.  I guess it's just weird that this'll be the first time in a long time that I'm not going out to dinner with someone, and that I won't be kissed at midnight.  I know it's dumb, but those are the kinds of things that still affect me a lot.  It's something I'll just have to get used to in time, like anything else.  But I'm definitely trying to look on the bright side: that this roller coaster of a year is finally coming to an end, and that maybe tomorrow, I can just start fresh -- at least a little bit.

I decided that if I were going out for New Year's Eve, I might just wear this dress.  I actually wore this on my birthday this year, so apparently it's a holiday dress for me or something.  Kate of Scathingly Brilliant designed this dress, and it's just so sweet and delicate -- and looks perfect against the snow.  I decided to pair it with this faux fur capelet (which I got from Target last year but never wore!), and they look like they were made to go together!  I never seem to incorporate any pops of color when I wear this dress, and I'm not exactly sure why.  Maybe because the soft gray and ivory are a statement in themselves, and it would take away from that if I added a color.

I just have to say that two things that have made the last few days of 2013 great are:

1) I came home to find my mom had rearranged my bedroom and had put some of my new (and formerly stored) furniture into my room!  I'm so in love with the way it looks, and I can't wait to make more headway on the room (I'm especially excited to paint)!

A work in progress!  I can't decide on whether I want lavender or mint for the walls.

My new gorgeous dresser from DSARTE!  They are TRULY wonderful.  They shipped this dresser all the way from Reno and were so professional.  The price was fantastic, too!

New lilac bedding (my favorite flower)!

My fairy desk is back!  I used it in my old apartment and it's been sitting down in the basement ever since!  It's made from an old sewing machine table, and I'm so in love with the fairy decoupage.  It's from OrWa Designs.

Someone approves of the makeover!

2) Yesterday, I uploaded a photo to Instagram that pertained to yesterday's post, which included an outfit from November that featured my Betsey Johnson phone bag.  The lovely Ashley from Southern (California) Belle was kind enough to alert me that BETSEY JOHNSON HERSELF tweeted that photo of me (and called me a babe -- pinch me!) soon after!!  It was just a really cool little thing, especially since my mom is SUCH a huge Betsey Johnson fan!!  I've gotten her Betsey Johnson jewelry for the past two Christmases, she has vintage Betsey Johnson pieces, and she just loves her aesthetic.  It definitely brightened up my day and made me feel special, and those are both things that I selfishly cherish these days.  She also requested to follow me on Twitter, which was neat.  :)

Oh, and one more thing that has made not only the the last few days, weeks and months pretty great: all of you!  I feel so privileged and lucky to get to know such wonderful, kind, creative people.  As cynical as I can sometimes be about technology actually making us be less connected to real life situations... it's truly amazing that I've gotten to know so many lovely people and feel emotionally close to them, despite having never met any of my blogger friends IRL (yet!).  Though I am glad to see this year end, I am overjoyed that this year has brought so many new and fantastic people into my life.

I hope you all have a spectacular and safe New Year's Eve!
xox Sammi

2013: a wrap up & send off

I can scarcely believe that 2013 is drawing to a close.  As many of you know, this year has been a pretty difficult one for me; not only am I still struggling to find my place in the world and some semblance of independence, but the break up of my nearly-3-year relationship really pulled the rug out from under me, and I'm still reeling from that a bit.  But this year has had some really great things, too.  I've been forced to re-evaluate my priorities (something with which I am still grappling), and find what truly makes me happy.  I have caring, loving, hilarious, creative people in my life.  I have taken stock of what I have (and what I haven't....... name that musical), and I know I am a very fortunate girl.  I have dealt with immense heartbreak, but I have been surprisingly resilient.  I am still able to find so much joy.  This blog is one of the things in my life that continues to bring me joy.  Although I have not been blogging for quite one year yet (that'll happen in February!), I still wanted to give a look back at some of my favorite outfit posts from 2013 (try not to cringe too much at the early photos!):

During the early stages of my blog, I was just starting to figure out my camera.  In February, I started my blog and wore the prettiest pink feather dress.  In March, I started workshopping a staged reading and wore a cat-themed newspaper print dress.  In April, I saw a lot of Shakespeare and wore a dress with the dreamiest collar in all of creation.

                                  February                            March                               April 

This summer was strewn with flowers, it seems.  In May, I wore a lilac dress to the Lilac Festival.  In June, I dressed up like a rose and reaffirmed my unapologetically-girly aesthetic.  In July, I frolicked amongst purple thistles in lavender garb.

                                     May                                 June                                   July

In August, I crammed in lots of summery things, started rehearsals for a show I loved, and vowed to wear more vintage.  In September, I endured tremendous heartbreak, but still managed to find some joy.  In October, I celebrated my birthday and Halloween, rehearsed for two shows at once and wore some of my favorite outfits to date.

                                 August                             September                           October

In November, I wore a Betsey Johnson bag, played a witch 24/7 in children's theatre shows and finally started feeling like myself again.  In December, I braved the snow and had lots of family time.

                                            November                                            December

I feel like I really hit my stride with my blogging this fall (ironically enough, since everything else in my life sort of fell apart), especially when I was asked to be a part of Flock Together.  In spite of what I went through, I did enjoy many aspects of 2013.  Nevertheless, I am glad to see it go, and I welcome whatever comes my way in 2014.  :) 

Have a wonderful Monday!

xox Sammi

I'll be home for Christmas

Outfit Details:

You've Got Skillshare Dress in Homes: ModCloth

Black button down shirt: Express (old)

Black sheer tights: Urban Outfitters

Lady in Rad Boots in Ink: ModCloth

Rocking horse ring: Hello Holiday

For the Winnipeg Coat: ModCloth

Belt: from another dress

This is the outfit I ended up wearing for Christmas Day!  Our Christmas Eve is usually a bit fancier than what we do on Christmas Day (see what I wore on Christmas Eve here, if you missed it), so I opted to wear this adorable house print dress as a jumper.  I'd been eyeing different incarnations of this dress for a while (it's by Nooworks, if you're interested), and although I really love this pink version, since this red one went on sale and it was so holiday-ish, I decided to go for this one.  It's really high quality, and the print is so charming!  It's just the sort of comforting thing I wanted to wear for the holidays.  I was also stoked that I re-discovered this black button down from years ago, and I was even more stoked that it fits beautifully (better than it did originally, which is really strange!).  

And of course, this coat was necessary for any and all holiday plans!  This was one of my birthday gifts from my mom, and I am sooo in love with it.  It's by Hell Bunny, which is one of my favorite vintage repro brands.  The shape doesn't necessarily make it the most flattering coat I own, but I am fully willing to overlook that because of all its darling details!  The pockets, the pom poms, the corseted back!  I can't get over it.  It practically screams Christmas (in the least-scary way)!  :)

On Christmas Day, we saw Saving Mr. Banks (which was BEAUTIFUL -- even more so than I'd expected it to be -- and I cried my eyes out!) and had a great meal at a newer Asian fusion restaurant near us.  We'd been planning on doing the cliché Chinese food thing, but they had so many great Thai and Indian dishes on the menu that we opted for those instead.  I had the best green papaya salad ever and some really great pad thai, so I was a happy girl.  Other than that, this week has been pretty low key, which has been nice.  There are a lot of things I need to get done, but I keep opting for lazing around whilst eating Christmas cookies.  Oops.  Hopefully I'll make some headway on my to-do list sometime this weekend.  I should probably try harder to accomplish some things, with the new year steadily approaching and all.  I should get a head start on resolutions.  :)

Have a wonderful Saturday! 

xox Sammi

Friday Favorites #34: New Year's Eve!

It's hard to believe that Christmas is already over, and that the next holiday is hot on its heels!  To me, New Year's Eve is filled with feathers, frills, faux fur, and everything festive and fun!  I don't even know what I'm doing this year, though I think it's going to be the first time in a while that I'm not going out for it.  New Year's Eve has romantic connotations for me (and for most people, probably), but I've had just as much fun with friends on NYE, and sometimes I miss the simplicity of that.  Whatever I end up doing, you can bet I'll still be dressed to the nines!  Here are some of my top pieces that are perfect for ringing in the new year, starting with the quintessential NYE hue: black!

a // b // c // d // e // f // g // h // i // j // k // l // m

I definitely want to have a masquerade party at some point (I thought about having one for my birthday this year, but NYE would be a perfect time!).  And that feathered capelet is everything.  I've worn black for nearly every New Year's Eve in the recent past, but last year, I wore a light gold brocade dress that I absolutely loved.  Gold is a wonderful option for this holiday, and I love it because there are so many different tones of gold to choose from!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 

7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13

I don't incorporate a ton of sparkle and glitter into what I normally wear, but I think it's perfect --  and sometimes necessary! -- for New Year's Eve!  Gold is definitely what I prefer, but I think silver can be a really pretty option, especially when it's snowy outside!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11

For some reason, I always opt for neutrals for this holiday, but I think these two brighter dresses would be divine for NYE festivities:

via ASOS

via Dolls Kill

I think pink is a wonderful idea for this holiday, and this beautiful blush color is a great way to make a basic have more pop!  These peachy pieces remind me of bubbly pink champagne!

a // b // c // d // e // f // g // h // i // j // k // l

And speaking of champagne, isn't this Bernie Dexter champagne print dress adorable?

After the partying is over, you remember that a whole new year has begun, and you think about all that the new year has in store.  I'm planning on doing a New Year's Eve outfit post and really reflect on my year in that, but I wanted to say that I really loved this list of blogging resolutions!  I have so many goals and resolutions I want to strive for this year.  In fact, the sheer amount of things I want to accomplish is a little overwhelming, but here is a sampling of my many New Year's resolutions:

* learn how to drive!!!

* create a budget & save at least one full paycheck per month

* organize my bedroom and do a full makeover

* clean out my closets (and listing many more pieces in my shop my closet store!)

* make headway on my website

* upload production videos to YouTube and start work on a reel

* make exercise a priority again

* be diligent about Weight Watchers

* make a blogging schedule calendar & work on other blogging goals from list

* start to figure out more long-term goals (where I want to live, how I'm going to go about it, etc.) -- this is definitely the most daunting one at this point!

* work harder, but remember to be kind to myself

 * be okay with being single & remember to always find the joy

What are some of your New Year's resolutions?  Do you end up keeping them?  I feel like my most meaningful goals and promises to myself didn't come from New Year's resolutions at all.  I don't think it's ever been enough to motivate me, frankly.  But I hope I'll do better with my goals this year!

Have a wonderful Friday!

xox Sammi