Friday Favorites #43

Happy Friday, friends!  This week has been a long one, and I definitely need a weekend pick-me-up.  This week's picks are putting a smile on my face!  :)  First up are these two gorgeous, floral frocks.  I don't normally gravitate towards traditional florals, but these are anything but.  I love the delicate nature of the first one, and the rich, photographic poppy print on the second.

A // B

I also like these two printed dresses, both of which are a take on floral (or at least vegetative) prints.  I adore anything with sunflowers, and the second is a lemon print (which matches a lemon print swimsuit I have).  I'm a sucker for anything sunny or citrus-y!

one // two

A grapefruit print romper and a fruit bracelet!  So yummy!

1 // 2

I already have this red Coco Fennell dress with ant detailing, but I am very tempted to add this picnic-worthy piece to my wardrobe (despite the fact I hate bugs)!  I especially love the strawberry buttons!

Speaking of Coco Fennell, I love these two pieces from her new collection!

a // b

I'm not sure why I didn't know that Bettie Page (which is now called Tatyana, except the brand is still listed as Bettie Page almost everywhere it's carried) made shoes, but I'm glad I know now!  All four of these pairs are from Bettie Page, and I adore them all.  They come in more colors, too!

a // b // c // d

Kristina from Twee Valley High did a bumper bangs tutorial for xojane this week, and I'm dying to try it out!  I'm not sure how well it will work on me, since I have real bangs, but I definitely want to give it an attempt!

Loving this greaser print set from Lazy Oaf!

(top // skirt)

These little beach radios are darling!  They make me want to have a beach party.

The girl who made the "What languages sound like to foreigners" video also made this "1 girl, 14 genres" video.  She's pretty incredible, and it's obvious she has a great ear.  Dialects are something in which I sort of specialize, and this further cements the idea I have that the better ear you have for pitch and adapting to stylistic elements, the better ear you have for dialects.  It's probably all related to the ability to mimic.  I find this subject so interesting, and it's this kind of thing that pushes me to challenge myself.

These circus clothespins are the cutest!  I wish I had a use for them!

I sort of had to buy these knee socks.  I have no idea what I'm going to wear them with, but they have Flora, Fauna and Merryweather on them!  Hot Topic has the weirdest selection of Disney merchandise.

This pink dress is so pretty, and I love the girl silhouettes all over!

Bunny tights!  How perfect are these for Easter?!

And speaking of Easter... here are all the Easter-ish pastels for this week:

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

The cutest, comfiest-looking pastel sweatshirt!

I love the look of these vinyl skirts:

1 // 2

I'm so smitten with this pastel cloud print dress!

And finally, I wish I had a place of my own so I could decorate with these:

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7

Have a fantastic Friday!

xox Sammi

Dot com

Outfit Details:

Polka dot dress: Urban Outfitters (similar here)

Cardigan: dELiA*s (similar here)

Black heels: ModCloth (similar here)

Belt: from another dress

I always forget how short this dress is until I take photos in it.  It also could be a much more versatile piece for me, if I let it, but I always seem to gravitate towards simple black and white pairings for it.  The one other time I wore this on the blog, it was with a black and white combination.  I could definitely wear it as a skirt underneath a brighter sweater, though.  Maybe next time.  

Pumpkin was not pleased with me.

Although I've been feeling a little emotionally overwhelmed the past couple of days, I did get a boost of inspiration on Monday.  I've been talking to some blogger friends about noticing an influx of negative, trolling comments.  Constructive criticism can be an incredibly helpful thing -- even though I take any type of criticism FAR too personally -- but I think the internet can provide a mask of relative anonymity for people to hide behind in order to simply bully others.  I don't like confrontation, and I know there's no way that we can control what other people do or choose to say.  But what we can do is band together and provide a forum of positivity, kindness and creative collaboration for each other.  I've been lucky enough to not have experienced too many unkind comments (though I know that could always change, and probably will, at some point!), but I know that I'm one of many bloggers who identify as Highly Sensitive People, and I know that when/if it does occur, I need to make sure that I have a blogging support system in place.  I've always believed in the power of supporting each other within creative communities, and I think there needs to be more of that.  So we've formed a little network of sweet lady bloggers who want to act as a positive sounding board for each other, and I'm really excited about that.  It's truly wonderful to know that amongst all the negativity that can be found in the blogosphere, there are a ton of really great girls (whom I feel honored to call friends) who radiate positive energy and who want to be a constant source of inspiration for each other.  :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

xox Sammi

PS: if you're a blogger who's interested in joining our little group, send me a message on Facebook!

Pink plaid

Outfit Details:

Vintage plaid dress: Cricket Capers

Pink coat: ASOS (similar here)

BAIT pink spectators: ModCloth

Daisy brooch & ring: Mom's

Petticoat: eBay

I have a weakness for vintage dresses that come with matching belts.  Not only does it make things easier, but it always looks so put together, especially when it's made out of the same fabric.  This dress is so pretty, and I was almost afraid that it was too big for me at first, but I'm incredibly glad I gave it another shot.  I had to poke an extra hole in the belt (I know, I know... I hated to do it, but I hated to not be able to use the belt more!  And you can't really tell!), and there's definitely some extra fabric, but it's not as noticeable as I initially thought.  The great thing about this dress is that it fits well in the bust, which is no small feat for frocks with a button-down front!  I also like the fact that it has longer sleeves, so there's no need for a cardigan.  Spring is definitely en route, but it's still pretty chilly!

This week is tech. week for the production of My Son Pinocchio I'm in, and that means a lot of long nights.  I'm excited to finally get the show on its feet (we'll be in the actual theatre space for the first time tonight -- kinda crazy we couldn't be in there until now, but it couldn't be helped).  My costume isn't what the costume designer initially pitched to me, but the dress is actually really beautiful (albeit much more traditional), and it'll be a fun show.  Some of the kids really show a lot of promise, and it makes all the difference when they actually want to be there and have fun with their roles.  I used to work as a camp counselor for another children's theatre's summer camp, and it was always very apparent (and frustrating) when kids were dumped there against their will by their parents.  It's refreshing to see kids making strong acting choices and using their imaginations.  Makes me remember the reasons why I do what I do (and why I like working in children's theatre) in the first place.

Have a great Monday!

xox Sammi

Insta-updates

Sorry for the lack of outfit posts this weekend!  I had to work both nights at the box office, and was catching up on some other things this weekend.  We're heading into tech. week for the children's theatre show I'm doing, so this week's going to be a busy one.  I have outfit posts already planned, but I thought today would be a good time to recap some recent highlights, via my Instagram snaps.  Please feel free to follow me there, if you're not already doing so!  Here's what I've been up to lately:

Yesterday, I ended up going out to an antique co-op with my mom and out to dinner.  I got a few fun things for my room -- a couple of vinyl records, a mini mint classic VW bug, and two little fake donuts!  Lots of fun things to see, including this dresser:

We went to one of our favorite Asian fusion restaurants afterwards, before I had to go to work:

Thai iced tea and pineapple fried rice!

I got a wonderful package this week from Kate -- I ordered 2 dresses from her shop my closet update (both of which fit perfectly!), and she included this awesome Lisa Frank postcard and a little cherry pie ring she made for me!  So sweet!

I found this awesome sign for $10 at Homegoods last weekend!

Tikka Masala and naan heaven.

My little castle ring came in the mail!  So cute!

I have made a promise to my bicycle that I will use her this year!

I got my Shamrock Shake fix (and immediately regretted it -- I am in denial of my lactose intolerance)!

Adorable new phone cases!  I'm so in love with the Little Twin Stars one!

Girl Scout Cookies cure all ills.

I can't wait to wear this cherry fascinator hat that Polly sent me!

The self-satisfaction brought on by organizing my shoe collection is unparalleled. 

I'm spending as much time as possible with this little muffin.

Speaking of muffins... aren't these cupcake plates darling?!  Not sure how I'll use them yet...

I love this.

I am quickly accumulating a ton of pastel knick-knacks and I couldn't be happier.

I am also making it my mission to have a large collection of Disney records.  Robin Hood is my favorite Disney movie, so it's only fitting I have this one.

New purse #1 -- it's shaped like a house and made of wood!

New purse #2 -- of course, I needed a teacup bag!

I'll be back to outfit posting tomorrow!  In the meantime, you can check out a new post over at Flock Together -- we're talking about the monochrome trend today!  

Have a wonderful Sunday!

xox Sammi