Giverny

Outfit Details:

Watercolor vintage dress: Cricket Capers

Gray cardigan: dELiA*s

Spectators: BAIT Footwear

Daisy ring: Mom's

I decided it was time for some color!  It's so easy to be sucked in to a bevy of neutrals and earth tones during the winter -- and though I love these, sometimes it just becomes boring after a while!  Since the snow thawed a bit this week (it got up to like, 50 degrees on Thursday) and it actually felt springlike, I decided it'd be a good time to wear this lovely vintage find.  I love the color and pattern of this dress (it doesn't really remind me of Monet, but I had the same visceral reaction to it as when I look at his paintings, hence the blog post title), and I do love any vintage dress that comes with a matching belt!

I had yesterday off, and had planned to work some more on my room... but I ended up kind of wasting the day.  I really want to get a little bistro cafe table to paint, but I'm not sure where to find one.  I've looked on Etsy, so probably my best bet is a thrift, antique or estate sale shop.  I wish the weather were nicer so there would be garage sales!  I guess it'll just have to be a work in progress until I find one.  Maybe I can convince my mom to take a trip out to this antique co-op on the other side of town... they have tons and tons of stores, and I've found some real gems there before.  It's a little ways to drive, but it could be worth it!

Enjoy your Saturday!

xox Sammi

Friday Favorites #31: Holiday Wishes

Today's Friday Favorites is a little more condensed than normal, and I'm featuring some things that make an appearance on my (admittedly ever-growing) holiday gift wish list!  Somehow, almost all of my picks ended up within the same color family... I guess I just know what I like! :)

1. Coincidence & Chance Polka Dot Mesh Dress || 2. Melissa Explains It All: Tales from My Abnormally Normal Life || 3. U is For Unicorn Print || 4. Downton Abbey wall calendar || 5. Bow Accent Platform Pumps || 6. Assembly Home Kitty Pillow || 7. Candy Kickline Heel in Bubblegum || 8. Fairyland Charm Neckalce || 9. Carousel Ruffled Lace Dress || 10. It by Alexa Chung || 11. Kitty Cat Gel Sticker Sheet ||12. Artisanal Macarons Dress || 13. The Vintage Sweets Book || 14. Coral Gables Days One Piece ||15. Cartoon Clock Shoulder Bag || 16. Hop, Snip, and a Jump Flat

Lots of quirky, girly items (and really, would you expect anything less?)

A couple of other things I'm lusting after this holiday season...

- Lalamagic is having a 50% off EVERYTHING sale until December 7th!  Use code happyholidays at checkout to apply the discount.  Personally, I have my eye on this adorable kitty ring:

- Right on the heels of all the Black Friday sales, ModCloth is having a 30% off mystery sale on tons of great items on the site!  Here are a few of my favorite pieces that are marked down until Dec. 9th:

a // b // c // d // e // f // g // h 

  

So ya know, if any of these showed up under the tree this Christmas... I certainly wouldn't hate it... (hint-hint to Mom, if she's reading this!)  I'm definitely tempted by the red house print dress!  Might be perfect for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day... :)

Have a wonderful Friday!!

xox Sammi

Let a smile be your umbrella

Outfit Details:

Dream of the Crop Cardigan in Mint: ModCloth (other colors here)

Umbrella print skirt: dELiA*s (old)

Black sheer tights: Urban Outfitters

Lady in Rad Boot in Ink: ModCloth

Black camisole & hat: Target

These photos are actually from a few weeks ago, before our first big snowfall hit, but I totally forgot to post them!  This is one of the few skirts I own, and I like that despite its quirky pattern, it's kind of subtle and has the ability to be dressed down a little bit.  And I essentially live in these cropped cardigans.  I want one in every color, and it annoys me that they're clearly a wholesale item and I can't get them anywhere else!  They're warm, the perfect length and come in the prettiest colors.

I actually drove this week for the first time in like, two months.  I had been taking driving lessons (and need to get back to that), but with everything that had been happening (and the fact that my now-ex had been helping with teaching me how to drive), I just kind of needed to take a little hiatus.  I still have a lot of anxiety about driving in general, but I grew a pair and faced my fears -- and discovered what I always discover: that it's never nearly as bad as you anticipate it'll be.  Plus, a trip to Home Depot (for paint samples) and Panera was a good motivator.  :) 

Have a great Thursday!

xox Sammi

Hibernation

Outfit Details:

Knitted Dove squirrel cardigan: ModCloth (similar here and here)

Black dress: ModCloth (similar here and here)

Lady in Rad Boot in Ink: ModCloth

Squirrel ring: Forever 21 (similar here)

Belt: from another dress
Tights: dance tights

Today's post will be a little short, since I don't have as many photos as I normally do (which is probably a good thing, since I usually have way too many).  I have the day off, and it's supposed to warm up a little over the course of the next couple of days, so I'm hoping I can take some photos in between errands and such.  I have to get to the post office at some point, and I'd love to go with my mom to look at paint samples (as well as some spray paint) for room-related things!  I also got the majority of my holiday shopping done last night, amazingly.  I was feeling really stumped about what to get my parents, but I think I found some good things.  I love giving people presents!  I'm an only child, so receiving them has always been a big deal to me too (haha), but I get a lot of joy out of picking out *just* the right thing for someone.  :)

Have a great Tuesday!

xox Sammi

Prima ballerina

Outfit Details:

Nishe ballerina dress: ASOS (found one on eBay here)

Black sheer tights: Urban Outfitters

Lady in Rad Boot in Ink: ModCloth

Pink heart ring: Urban Outfitters (old)

Pink coat: Tulle

This weekend was Nutcracker weekend for the orchestra I work for (they do a co-production with Rochester City Ballet every year), and it always proves to be kind of exhausting.  It's nice because it gets you into the holiday spirit, but it is a lot to handle.  I worked all day on Friday and came home incredibly sore, just from sitting in a chair for 7+ hours.  I actually took a bath for the first time since I was probably 8 or so, and it was awesome.  Baths are highly underrated, I think.  Saturday was a little easier; despite the fact that I was on the schedule for both concerts, I ended up getting a nice break in between... during which, my dad and I took a trip to Best Buy... and I AM SO EXCITED because I am getting a wonderful, blog-related present for Christmas (hint: it starts with a "c" and rhymes with "ramera")!!!!  I am going to have to act very surprised.  Needless to say, my parents are really great and I feel sort of undeserving these days.

This dress is from one of my favorite brands, Nishe (I thought it was all too appropriate for my work weekend!).  I've worn a bunch of their pieces on my blog before (including this hot air balloon dress, this fruit dress, this heart romper, this mermaid dress, and the cupcake dress I wore for Halloween!).  I'm so pleased that ASOS carries so many of their pieces.  ModCloth carries a few of them, but ASOS seems to carry a much larger representation of their current lines.  If you're not familiar with this label, go check out their section at ASOS.  I don't like as many of the pieces in their current fall/winter line, but I'm excited to see what their spring line will look like!

I'm excited to make some progress on my room makeover!  My mom had been looking for a long, low dresser (and sometimes she doesn't really quite know my taste), and we found one on Etsy for FAR less than she'd originally thought she'd have to pay... so we bought it!  It's goooorgeous, and it's painted white and mint already (I posted a photo of it on my instagram, if you want to see!).  I want to go shopping for paint and such!  My room has french doors that go into the guest room (where I actually sleep), and one room is already a minty color, so we are probably just going to paint that a slightly more pastel mint... and then I'm not sure whether I want to go with the same thing in the other room, or a pastel lavender.  I'm leaning towards the lavender right now.  I also need to paint my set of ice cream parlor chairs -- and find a table to go with them!  One room is going to be for some of my furniture (I have a bunch from my old apartment in New York City, and some new that I'd gathered for my future plans with my now-ex... I refuse to not put them to good use!), clothing racks, a place I can take indoor photos... and then the other one will be a normal bedroom, but with more updates and with my aesthetic.  I'm excited to get started and feel like I actually have a space that is my style.  :)

Hope you have a great Monday!

xox Sammi

Air of December: an autumnal wrap-up

I absolutely cannot believe that it's December 1st today.  I know winter doesn't technically start 'til much later in the month, but I essentially consider Dec. 1 to be the start of the season.  It's weird, because summer doesn't feel like it was that long ago to me, and I guess the fall was kind of a blur.  I want to start documenting my outfits in a wrap-up post; I thought about doing it monthly, but I kind of like the idea of a seasonal one better.  It's something a tiny bit different, at least!  So here is a sampling of my favorite outfits from each month of the fall (feel free to tell me which one you liked best!):

September

(From upper left: Easy as pie // Meow mix
Heartbreak Hotel // Forever Autumn)

October

(From upper left: Red October // Pale Blue Dot // BOOO-OOOOOK!
snuggle bunny // Milkshakes and Amaretto Sours // Pumpkin spice
Sweets for the sweet // Hey, cupcake! // High school hellcat)

November

(From upper left: A whiter shade of pale // One lump or two? // Roses Blue
A certain shade of green // Suzy Snowflake // Violet mints
She's a full-on Monet // Switchboard operator // Fairisle)

As emotionally-difficult as this whole season has been for me, I feel like I've also kind of found my stride in certain ways.  I'm still struggling and consistency is kind of a foreign concept at this point, but I am a strong person -- or at least, I'm trying to be.  This blog (not to mention all of the lovely friends I've made and comments you all leave me) has brought me a lot of joy, and that's always important -- but it's meant so much to me during these last few months.  My goal is to continue moving forward; learning not to dwell and to simply live in the present is difficult, but all I can do is trust that it will eventually be alright.  In the meantime, I will continue to do what makes me happy (I obviously have other, specific goals too, but they all fall under that umbrella). So thank you all for being a part of that! 

Happy December and have a great Sunday!

xox Sammi