Eden

I thought fall was here to stay, but it seems as if we're in the midst of Indian summer here.  I'm excited for sunshine, but I was in such an autumnal state of mind that I'm kind of over the heat.  I'm eager to remix my outfits with tights and cardigans, but I figured I should take advantage of the nice weather while it lasts.  I've styled this dress on the blog before, but I felt like styling it again because it's one of my favorites.  It was a lucky eBay snag, and I love the off-the-shoulder style and built-in crinoline.  It's so flirty and fun!  I have a dress (which I used to wear all the time for auditions in college) that has a similar top, and when I lost weight, it no longer fit, which was so upsetting.  But this dress is even better, I think.  The print is so pretty and lush, and it reminds me of the Garden of Eden.  I found it dress on eBay once prior (and I think I either lost it in an auction or it wasn't my right size), but finding it again was really serendipitous.

In other news, the Fringe Festival is over.  There were such great offerings this year, and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to be a part of it in multiple facets.  I have a meeting this week for the children's theatre company I've worked with in the past, and hopefully that will mean being involved in some school touring again this year.  It'd be ideal if I could do that, work in the box office the rest of the time, and supplement with princess parties on the weekends -- fingers crossed.

Speaking of fingers crossed... I found out that my best friend Wayne had to have emergency surgery this weekend, and is currently in the ICU.  He has a long history of health problems (which I won't get into here), but this was particularly scary.  As of right now, it seems like he will recover, but will be in the hospital for a few weeks.  This year has been such a rough one, and I'm honestly not sure what I would do if I lost him.  I'm not a religious person these days, but I would be thankful if you'd keep him in your thoughts.

Outfit Details

Dress: eBay (originally from ModCloth)

Wedges: Urban Outfitters (available here)

Heart necklace: ASOS (similar)

Belt: from another dress

xox Sammi

Misty Blue

I was so eager to try on this dress that I ended up wearing it straight out of the box for these photos -- so I'm sorry for the wrinkles!  I was in a bit of a rush, since I took these right before I had to head to the theatre for the staged reading I did last week.  I played Nellie Bly in the reading (if you're familiar with female journalists, you probably know who she was), so I kind of needed to wear my hair up, which always feels weird to me.  But I sort of ended up liking it in these photos!  Plus, this dress is so fluffy and pretty that I still managed to feel very feminine.

I'm glad I was able to get this dress when it went on sale, since I'd been eyeing it forever.  I wish that ModCloth would specify brands on every piece they carry though, because this dress is actually made by the same company as this other dress -- which I absolutely love, but they have similar sizing issues.  The skirts of both dresses are incredibly full, and both of their tops very snug.  I'd definitely recommend sizing up on this one, since I could barely zip it up while wearing a bra.  Both of these dresses are so gorgeous that I have to keep them, but I can't help thinking that if ModCloth explicitly stated the brand, I would have felt more secure about my sizing choice.

 Outfit Details

Blue Ribbon Baker Dress: ModCloth (no longer available)

White Mary Janes: estate sale store

Bracelet & ring: old

Have a superb Saturday!

xox Sammi

Friday Favorites #65

I may have officially gone coat-crazy this week.  It's so hard not to when all of the gorgeous fall and winter coats are arriving!  There are tons of jackets in this week's post, but I've also included some beautiful dresses and fun picks for Halloween!

a   //   b   //   c   //   d   //   e

These pink coats are everything -- especially the one in the middle!  I was swooning so hard over it that I found a 15% off coupon and ordered it on the spot.  I hope it's as wonderful in person!

I know these mints don't match 100% exactly, but this dress and coat make a pretty good pair, and they're both so adorable.

a   //   b

These pastel cuties just arrived at Hello Holiday:

1   //   2

I'm still on the prowl for a perfect white coat!  I do love these three, though:

1   //   2   //   3

This vintage-inspired purse from Collectif would be a great complement to any of these coats!

I know not everyone is into the pastel coat trend, so I picked out these three coats, which are incredibly special & glamorous:

a   //   b   //   c

Speaking of glamorous, I think I might need at least one of these for the chillier months!  I love little hats and fascinators in general, but I would love one that's more neutral, like these.

a   //   b

Oh, and faux fur is always fun -- especially in wild colors and styles!

1   //   2   //   3

Plaid is the most wonderful print for autumn, so if you're seeking a plaid coat, I've found a bunch of cute ones!  

a   //   b   //   c

1   //   2   //   3   //   4   //   5

Plus, there are tons of adorable plaid dresses around right now... like this new version of the Coach Tour Dress:

And these pretty fall dresses:

1   //   2   //   3

I think this grass green coat is so darling!

I'm so happy that velvet made a comeback last year.  This plum-colored velvet dress would be an excellent fall-winter transition piece, and it's so lush-looking & classic!

I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to summer, but knowing there might be a way to make flower crowns work for cold weather makes me happy!  These two would be great for the fall and winter holidays!

one   //   two

While we're on the subject of holidays... in my opinion, you can never have too much Halloween garb, so I've found some more spooky stuff this week.  My favorite might be the tights with glow-in-the-dark ghosts on them!!

a   //   b   //   c   //   d   //   e   //   f

And I love these pumpkin rings from Rockafrilly!

I'm dying to make these pumpkin & spiced chai sugar donuts from the I Love Crafty blog:

(via)

I'm still trying to decide what to be for Halloween.  I was a cupcake last year.  Maybe I should just be a donut this year, or some sort of dessert.  I could use these sweet pieces!

a   //   b   //   c   //   d   //   e

And finally... I just really want Andrea Martin's new book, because she's wonderful and I love her.  How can you not??  There are so many good books by awesome women coming out this fall!

Whew, that was a long post!  Have a great Friday!

xox Sammi

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Junebug Wedding: What I'd Wear for Amanda's Big Day!

Good morning!  I'm doing a special guest post today over at Junebugs and Georgia Peaches!  Junebug Amanda is in the midst of the countdown to her wedding, so she asked if I'd be able to do a guest post for her.  Since she and Katie are two of my favorite bloggers, I didn't even hesitate for a second!  Amanda was sweet enough to actually invite me to her wedding, so I decided it might be fun to do a post about what I would wear for her big day (had I been able to jet off to Georgia)!  Follow me over to Junebugs and Georgia Peaches to see my full post -- which features a gorgeous dress that really reminds me of these Southern beauties.

Have a great day!

xox Sammi

Summertime Round-Up

I guess it's finally time to face facts: summer has come to an end.  Although I've always loved autumn, I'm still not quite ready to bid farewell to bare legs in favor of bundling up.  But I don't have much choice in the matter (unless I want to freeze!), so I'll have to make do with revisiting some of my favorite ensembles from summertime.

June

Ice cream social  //  Playing house  //  I never promised you a rose garden

Sideshow  //  Cherry picked  //  Minnie

A little too late for lilacs  //  Nifty fifties  //  French lavender

Favorite outfit: Cherry picked

Runner-up: Playing house

Highlight: a brand new blog layout

July

Fireworks  //  You don't bring me flowers  //  Beehive

It's not easy being green  //  Shutterbug  //  You're the cat's meow

My heart beats true for the red, white and blue //  You are a garden rose // Pink flamingo

Favorite outfit: You don't bring me flowers

Runner-up: Beehive

Highlight: Being featured on the ModCloth blog

August

Toadstool  //  All in the golden afternoon  //  Garden song

Sugar rush  //  On the radio  //  Gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle

Blossom dearie  //  Tease  //  Summertime Blues

Favorite outfit: Gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle
Runner-up: Tease

Highlight: Brooklyn blogger meet-up

and being featured in the Sunglass Warehouse Lookbook

Despite the fact that I felt like the summer flew by without getting to do many summery things, at least I wore some good, summery ensembles!  Which one was your favorite?

Have a happy first day of fall!

xox Sammi

In Apple Blossom Time

It's sort of ridiculous how happy this dress makes me feel (and I've definitely needed that this week).  I'd been searching for it for a long time, and thank goodness for ever-observant -- and fellow Bernie lover -- Ashley, who pointed me in the direction of another girl who was looking to swap this dress for something else.  I ended up buying it from her, and I am so incredibly thrilled that it's now mine.  I had a bit of a panicked moment when I received it and realized that this dress is a size smaller than I normally wear -- but luckily, this style must run a little big, because the medium fits really well.  Although this dress is no longer available, it does come in separates on Bernie Dexter's website!

This print is an absolute dream.  I went much simpler on the styling, because with a print like this, you have to let it be the star.  I know it's more apropos for springtime (and that they're probably cherry blossoms, not apple blossoms), but I couldn't wait until then to wear this beauty.  It was actually quite warm when I took these photos (autumn came out of nowhere!), so it feels weird to be posting these now, but I actually have quite a few sets of photos I have yet to post, so I'm playing a little game of catch-up.  I hope you won't mind seeing summery photos for the next couple of weeks!

This week has been crazy, and it's not going to let up until after next weekend.  I'm in a reading tonight as part of the Fringe Festival (it's about female reporters, and I'm playing Nellie Bly, which is pretty neat), and I'm in the midst of blogging for the Fringe, as well.  It's really nice to be recognized a little bit for being a blogger, since I don't really feel connected to the "Rochester blogging scene;" I know there must be one, but I really know nothing about it.  I tend to downplay my blog as being a little silly and superficial (and I'm sure some people would agree), but it's kind of gratifying to know that people trust me to write about something in addition to my personal fashion choices.  Of course, I love doing that too, but since I've always been a strong writer, it's lovely to be able to brand out a bit in this way -- especially within the confines of a festival with which I feel so connected.

Outfit Details

Bernie Dexter dress: swap (similar here + here)

BAIT Footwear spectators: ModCloth

American Apparel pettislip: Amazon

Have a happy Saturday!

xox Sammi