Switchboard operator

Outfit Details:

Worn With Aplomb Dress: ModCloth

Upper West Stride Hat: ModCloth

Betsey Johnson Collect Calls Bag: ModCloth*

(Available in two colors directly from Betsey Johnson) 

Doo Bee Doo Bee Shoe Heels: ModCloth (similar here)

Seamed stockings: American Apparel (similar here)

Quote Me Ring: ModCloth

Red necklace: Target (old)

Red coat: eBay

*a birthday gift from my mama!

I guess red has become my go-to color for this season.  I didn't think I owned a whole lot of it (I always gravitate towards cooler colors), but apparently I do now!  I love this little red hat (which I first wore on my blog here), and it goes perfectly with this dress, which I've had for quite a while.  And can we take a minute to talk about this bag??  I practically begged for it for my birthday, and my mom can evidently take a not-so-subtle hint.  :)  It's truly fantastic.  I featured it on my Friday Favorites a few weeks ago, but that didn't do it justice.  I love the rotary dial interface on the front, and the most fun part is that the phone earpiece can plug into your mobile phone as a headset!  So you can keep your real phone tucked away and answer your calls with the purse phone set!  I haven't tried it out yet, but even if it wasn't functional, I would have wanted it.  My mom is a huge Betsey Johnson fan, so I knew she would understand my obsession with this bag!  It's smaller than I'd thought, but even cuter in person.

These photos were taken before our first snowfall... I can't believe winter's on its way already.  Just like I can't believe November is half over already!  Time seems to be moving so fast lately (which is strange, because with everything that's happened in my personal life, you'd think time would feel like it was creeping by).  It's interesting how your perspective of time changes as you grow older.  Summertime used to last forever when I was a kid, and now it absolutely flies by.  I think this is because you have more time to compare it to, but it's still a strange phenomenon.  Although fall is my favorite season, in a way, I'm glad it's going by quickly.  It's been an emotional time for me, and I think next time it comes around, I'll be able to appreciate it more.  At least I've made it through in one piece (thus far, anyway)!  And I do hope it lasts a little while longer, because up here, winter seems to go on forever, and it'd be nice to delay its start for even just a bit.

Have a terrific Thursday!

xox Sammi

A certain shade of green

Outfit Details:

High-waisted plaid trousers: Pinup Girl Clothing

Plaid collar bolero: Pinup Girl Clothing

Black leotard: dance store

Black flats: jcpenney

Bow ring: Urban Outfitters

Let it be known that this is living proof that I actually wear something other than dresses sometimes.  :)  The weather's getting really cold these days, so I thought it was high time that I wear these plaid taffeta trousers.  They've been sitting in my closet since the spring, I think (I got both of these pieces on sale, though they're up to normal price again... and there is even a matching dress and skirt in this line - both are to die for!).  I wish these pants were slightly less cropped, since they can't really be worn in the winter, but they are incredibly cute, and this ensemble reminds me of something my mom would have wanted when she was younger.  I take after her in the matchy-matchy department.

This past weekend, I went to hear my friend Aaron's band play with my friend Kim... I went to see a fantastic show, The 39 Steps,  directed by my friend/former director, Sean (and got half price tickets, thanks to my dear friend Mary!) with Wayne... I had 2 shows (oh, and the skirt of my costume FELL OFF during our last performance... in front of 600+ people... I handled it pretty well, but god, that's something straight out of an actor's nightmare!!) and caught up on sleep... and I had a great time at our cast party and laughed until my voice almost gave out.  My shows are over now, and I don't have another project lined up until February, so I want to keep busy as much as I can.  But I don't want to keep distracting myself, because I think that's sort of just sweeping how I feel under the rug.  I'm starting to feel okay about taking time for myself, to more or less be my own person again.  Acceptance is a really difficult thing, especially when we are all so resistant to change.  But I'm getting there.

Have a great Tuesday!

xox Sammi

Bow by bow (Flock Together)

Hi, guys!  I'm blogging over at Flock Together today, and it's my very first outfit swap post!  I'm wearing an adorable dress from the lovely Elana of Room 334 -- and lucky me, she asked me if I wanted to just keep this dress, since she wasn't getting use out of it!  So now this cute little number is hanging in my own closet (though I'd still gladly send it out for swaps!).  I'd love it if you'd check out my post and see how I styled it!  :)

Have a great Monday!

xox Sammi

She's a full-on Monet

Outfit Details:

Best of My Love Dress: ModCloth (no longer available, similar here)

Clueless sweatshirt: Forever 21 (old, similar here)

White heels: jcpenney (similar here)

Heart ring: Urban Outfitters (similar here)

White belt: eBay

Petticoat: eBay

Ever since I was asked to be a part of Flock Together, I've been challenging myself to wear my existing pieces in new ways.  I bought this Bernie Dexter dress during one of ModCloth's big 70% off sales, after eyeing it for a long time, and I'm glad I did.  I've become enchanted with the color pink lately, and I love the collar and matching belt it came with (not pictured).  However, it's a really light, summery dress, and I wanted to figure out a way to transition it into cooler weather.  I'd seen some other bloggers layer sweaters over dresses (and thus turn the dresses into skirts), which I think is a fantastic idea -- especially since I actually don't have that many skirts in my wardrobe.  

I decided to try out the idea with this fantastic Clueless sweatshirt I snagged from Forever 21 a couple of summers ago; it's a size small, which I NEVER wear at F21, but it was the only size they had left... and it was $10(!!)... and it's one of my favorite movies... so I'd ordered it and prayed that it would miraculously fit me... and it did!  And I love this sweatshirt even better with a skirt/dress than with jeans.  This outfit is one of the few times that I've conceptualized an outfit in my head and it works just as well in real life.  With the addition of a petticoat, I felt like a 1950s version of Carrie Bradshaw!  :)

This definitely makes me want to do more of the turning-dresses-into-skirts layering trend.  I have a bunch of sweaters that are a little too short to wear with pants, so this might just be the perfect way to make use of them.  Would you try out this idea for yourself?

Have a lovely Saturday!

xox Sammi

25% off side-wide at eShakti -- plus a $30 off promo code!!

Hello, everyone!  I'm sorry for having two similar sale posts this week, but since I didn't have a post planned for today, I wanted to make sure to let you all know about the terrific 25% off sale going on at eShakti!  eShakti is not just any online clothing store; the wonderful thing about eShakti is that they provide an incredible amount of customization -- everything from hemlines to exact measurements!  You can basically have a dress custom made for your body, which is truly a great thing when we don't have standardized sizing in this country (I know that I often fall between sizes!).  Even if you don't have to provide your exact measurements for a custom dress, eShakti's size chart is super detailed and specific to each piece, which I really appreciate, and their garments are incredibly high-quality.  You can also customize things like sleeves, pockets, and hemline -- which is super helpful for gals who need pieces for an office environment, as one of the complaints I hear most from people who shop online is that it's very hard to tell the length of dresses from a website.  eShakti's dresses are totally classy and well-made, and are staple pieces that will last for a long time.  And although I'm always drawn to their dresses, their tops, skirts and sweaters are all great, too!   I've blogged about their online store before, and I'm the lucky owner of two of their dresses (seen here and here), but I couldn't resist posting about this sale, and a special deal in addition!  :) 

These are just a few of my favorite dresses on the site right now:

left // center // right

So here's the scoop: everything on the site is already marked down by 25%, which is a great deal.  BUT I also happen to have a referral code for *new eShakti customers* which can be used on TOP of this sale and will get you $30 off your total purchase!!!  This is a crazy good bargain, and just in time for cold winter and holiday shopping.  Just enter referral code SAMANTHAZ7DX at checkout to redeem (and please send me an e-mail if this code fails to work for some reason -- I'll personally send you a new one!).  Make sure to enter it in the box that says "GIFT COUPON / REFERRAL CODE," and please note that this code will work only for NEW eShakti customers.

Happy shopping!

xox Sammi

One lump or two?

Outfit Details:

Teapot print square dance dress: soulrust (similar here)

Red bolero: Pinup Girl Clothing

Red belt: Pinup Girl Clothing

Doo Bee Doo Bee Shoe Heels: ModCloth (similar here)

Upper West Stride Hat: ModCloth

Petticoat: eBay

I ended up wearing this rather whimsical outfit last Sunday, when I went out for tea with my mom and grandma.  We had a nice time, but it seems like our teahouse is struggling a bit financially, and has had to cut some corners... which means that the food wasn't quite what we had remembered and hoped it'd be, so that was a little bit of a bummer.  I think next time I get the urge for a tea party, I'm just going to throw one myself and invite some stylish lady friends over (and require them to dress up, obviously).  That way, we can have all the things we love and I won't get weird looks for wearing a petticoat.

I first wore this dress on the blog over the summer (sans petticoat), and I was happy to see that it totally works for the cooler months.  You know that's a little difficult though?  Trying to find a coat that can work with a petticoat.  I think I need a knee-length coat that has a nice flare to it, so it would glide out right on top of a full skirt.  But maybe I'm just coming up with excuses to buy new coats... very likely.  I got this beautiful red and black coat for my birthday (made by Hell Bunny, one of my favorite labels) that I can't wait to wear, but it's definitely more of a winter coat than a fall one, so I'm still on the hunt. 

This week is the last week for both of the shows I'm doing, which means it's the last week where I'll feel like a "real actor" for a while, and I'll be back to the grind soon.  That has its perks in some ways, but I'm worried about having too much idle time on my hands to dwell and think about things.  I'll have to direct my focus elsewhere -- towards redoing my room, for starters, and I'm excited about that.  I also need to get back to doing my driving lessons, which is a bit more difficult for me, because that activity is kind of emotionally-screwy for me.  It was already a tough thing for me to face my fears in that regard, and because Steven was helping to teach me how to drive, there's now a whole other layer to it.  But I am more resilient than I give myself credit for, and I can't stay in a safety bubble forever.  So here's to facing our fears, and not backing down from a challenge.

Have a great Wednesday!

xox Sammi