Friday Favorites #46

Boy, oh boy.  This week actually went by pretty quickly, since I had only a 3-day work week! My family celebrated Passover on Monday, and we'll celebrate Easter on Sunday (though, in the interest of full disclosure, our idea of Easter is limited to candy-filled baskets -- plus, my mom and I are seeing Phantom of the Opera on Sunday night, which is more than cause for celebration!). Something I am certainly not celebrating, though, is the death of my MacBook's hard-drive. This is the fourth time I've had my Mac's hard-drive die on me (the first time with my newer laptop, though), and it's always incredibly traumatic. The saving grace is that, even though I haven't backed up to my external hard-drive in over a year, I did manage to upload upcoming blog photos to Flickr, so I don't think I lost anything on that front, but I know I lost other stuff. I couldn't get an appointment with the Genius Bar until tomorrow, so I'm using my parents' old MacBook (c. 2007) to write this. It never fails -- my computer always dies as soon as I'm about to go out of town.  By the way, I'll be out of town next week with no Internet access (and now, no computer), but the blog will be in good hands!  Stay tuned for some fun posts from dear friends! 

But, I digress. On to my favorite finds of this week!  Since Easter is nearly here, I'm in a very bunny-like mood!  Here are some of my favorite rabbit-themed items:

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

In all honesty, my favorite part of Easter might just be Reese's peanut butter eggs.  I was in shock to find that Good Humor makes an ice cream version of them (a box of which are now in my freezer).  I have yet to try them, because I'm trying to be good... but it may be my Saturday night treat.

(via)

Speaking of sweet treats, I adore this cotton-candy-colored swimsuit (and '90s throwback lip balm to match)!  I like that Topshop tends to have good options for one-piece and high-waisted swimwear.

a // b

You can't mention sweet without talking about these bags from Lulu by Lulu Guinness.  I really love her designs (ASOS carries her more expensive main brand), and I think it's wonderful that JC Penney carries this more affordable brand.  Frankly, this line is sometimes way cuter than the other one!  I got a different daisy bag for my mom for her upcoming birthday (it's not a surprise, since she was there), and the Easter Bunny is apparently bringing me a different version of this ice cream bag in my basket.  :)

one // two

I'm actually not sure what I'm wearing for Easter (though I know there is no shortage of pastel prettiness from which to choose!), but I think these dresses are adorable options for Easter Sunday:

1 // 2 // 3

And while I hope it isn't cold or rainy on Sunday, either of these lovely pink jackets would brighten things up!

1 // 2

I'm not much one for shorts these days, but goodness, these pastel blue scalloped ones are beautiful.  

Though I have lots of love for the Easter Bunny, my mythological loyalty lies with unicorns and mermaids.  This series of mermaid-themed footwear is absolute perfection:

a // b // c

This mirror is so pretty and reminds me of my childhood:

Easter Bunnies aren't the only creatures I'm loving this week!  You can always count on me to find some good cat-centric pieces:

a // b

(via)

Either of these would convince me to wear sneakers way more often:

a // b

That being said, I'd probably rather have one of these pairs in my closet:

1 // 2

I would like one of these flower crowns, please.

1 // 2

Also, please feel free to make me a key lime marshmallow milkshake, while you're at it:

I have to take a moment and talk about Polka Dot Polly!  The lovely Amanda introduced me to this site yesterday, and oh my GOODNESS.  Not only do they have an extensive variety of retro-inspired silhouettes and prints -- all combined into high-quality garments -- but... YOU CAN DESIGN YOUR OWN DRESS.  You get to pick the type of bodice, skirt and fabric, plus you can add on extras (like boning, bows, ric rac trim and more) -- AND it will be custom-made with your own measurements!  They have some of the most amazing novelty prints I've seen (licorice all sorts, Care Bears, Curious George, you name it!), and they have beautiful "normal" fabric choices, too.  They're currently offering 15% off everything on their site, and this makes it all too-tempting to place an order from them.  Below are a few of my favorite pre-made designs from their shop.  How beautiful are these?!

a // sundae print dress

b // seaside scene dress

c // rose print dress

In closing... two links I loved this week:

23 Painfully True Lessons You Learn By Age 23 (I am still learning these -- slowly, but surely)

And finally, something I know *I've* been waiting for... a new trailer for season 2 of Orange Is The New Black.  Oh my godddddd.  So good.

That's all for this week.  Cross your fingers that some part of my hard-drive info is salvageable.

Have a great weekend!

xox Sammi

Let's do brunch

Outfit Details:

Breakfast print dress: Topb2c.cc

Boater hat: Generations Collective

Black cardigan: similar here

Shoes: BAIT Footwear

Necklace: ASOS (old)

Tea ring: find it here

White tights: Target

Red coat: eBay

I'm not sure why I thought of this dress as a summery dress.  I haven't worn it since last summer (see how I originally wore it here), but I actually like it way more with layers!  The breakfast novelty print is so charming.  Brunch is my absolute favorite of all meals (it encompasses all of the deliciousness to be had!), so this dress was a must-have.  I opted for more of a lolita look with this outfit, which suits the dress pretty well.  The only bad thing about this dress is that it makes me hungry!!

Isn't this hat the sweetest?  I already have a boater hat, but I couldn't resist this darling red ribbon.  By the way, if you're in the market for a boater, my other one is from River Island and they are carrying a wider brim version here, or this one from Forever 21 is pretty cute, too!  I actually was initially disappointed because this red ribbon boater was too small for my large head, but then I ended up pinning it to my hair and it sat on top pretty perfectly!  I was so happy that I was able to put it to good use, and not just for display!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

xox Sammi

High violet

Outfit Details:

Hell Bunny dress: ModCloth (get it here)

Cardigan: Forever 21 (similar here)

White flats: available here

Necklace: ASOS (old)

Petticoat: eBay

It is very weird to see myself without bangs.  I don't exactly hate it, but my forehead looks naked (and definitely felt it, when I took these photos)!  I guess it's nice to have the option, though.  Another nice thing is rediscovering forgotten dresses from last summer and realizing you like them more than you thought you did!  Hell Bunny is one of my favorite brands, but this dress was always a little weird on me.  The back comes down to a low V-shape, and busty gals like I often have trouble with button-down bodices.  I don't know why I had never worn a camisole underneath this dress before, but it eliminated a lot of the issues I had with it (no more gaping!  And I get to wear a supportive bra!  Praise be!).  So now I have a reaffirmed love for this lavender number, and I couldn't be happier about it.

I'm incredibly thankful for the warm weather... and yet, the forecast says it's supposed to be back down in the 30s tomorrow... typical spring weather here in Upstate New York... but still!  Not okay!  If it snows again, I am going to be the grumpiest girl on the planet.  I love seeing the little spring sprouts poking through the ground!  I know they're hearty, but I hate to think of them being covered by snow!

Have a lovely Monday!

xox Sammi

Little Queen

Outfit Details:

Black velvet dress: Urban Outfitters (similar here)

Flower crown: ASOS (similar here)

Pink denim jacket: Marshall's

Black tights: Urban Outfitters

Belt: from another dress

Necklace: Forever 21

Boots: ModCloth

I really hate overcast days -- for taking outfit photos and in general.  I realize that I am probably in the minority on this, but I usually try to avoid taking photos on cloudy days at all costs.  But I bit the bullet and took these photos last Thursday, when my mom and I went to see Heart in concert.  I was trying to find out a way to look rock-show-appropriate while not looking like a complete poseur.  I think I sort of managed to incorporate my girly, romantic aesthetic with some darker elements.  Also, I think this is one of the first times I've actually worn my hair in its more natural state on the blog (which meant much less work!).  It doesn't always look great with some of my outfits, but with an ensemble like this, I actually really like it.  (PS: can you tell how desperate I was for spring to arrive?)

The concert itself was really awesome.  I can't even remember the last time I had been to a rock concert, to be honest -- which is kind of crazy, considering my parents' chosen careers.  I also don't think I've ever been to a concert where I'm not 100% familiar with the artist's discography.  I really love Ann Wilson's voice, and know a bunch of Heart's songs, but certainly not all, so that was a new experience for me.  I didn't know what to expect going into it, since I had heard tell of Ann having some vocal damage, but she absolutely killed it.  I was totally blown away, and I loved that it was a more intimate show.  Someone once told me that I resemble a young Ann Wilson, which was one of the best compliments I've ever received (she was gorgeous then and still is); the only compliment that might be better would be if someone told me my voice sounds like hers.  The show also really made me want to be the front-woman in a band.  I not-so-secretly want to follow in my mom's footsteps.

It was also really nice to spend that time with my mom.  She is still obviously dealing with my grandma's passing, and I know she probably wasn't feeling like going.  But we had a delicious dinner at this little hole-in-the-wall Italian place (which reminded me a lot of my college days on Staten Island -- and I tried to ignore the fact that it was a 2-minute walk from my ex's former apartment), and we had amazing seats for the show (5th row from the stage!  My dad did very well on this Christmas present).  My mom and I have so much in common, and I was really glad we were able to share this experience.

Have a great Saturday!

xox Sammi