Author: hellosamanthadear

I feel like every year Valentine’s month approaches, I’m reminded why Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays!! The reason is pretty simple, too: red and pink together as an aesthetic, chocolate, and baking themed cookies to share. I love the joy that Valentine’s month brings me when I see things decorated in cute hearts!

With that said, I put together two Valentine-inspired outfits at the end of January! ❤️💖

Look #1 – Vintage Valentine Vibes 🌸

Look #2 – Cherry Letterman Outfit 🍒🖤

And to end on a sweet note – that’s a homemade iced mocha, decorated with red and pink sprinkles! As you can see, I’m diving into Valentine’s month. 😍

When it came time to decide which socks I wanted to wear with this outfit, I couldn’t decide between the stripes and the pink ones. And that’s how you got this final outcome: I wore one of each!

Back in elementary school, I went through a phase when I would wear two different socks with my outfits. Specifically with my jelly shoes; I had a few pairs in an array of colors. So, I felt like I was channeling my inner child with this sock decision, and any time I decide on something with my inner child in mind, it always ends up being a choice I’m happy with!

On another note, I made two new necklaces for my Etsy shop and I’m very happy with how they turned out! 🖤🦄

I’ll definitely try wearing two different sock colors again sometime, because it was fun! Because sometimes, both choices are the answer. Just like skull and bones and Hello Kitty. ☠️💕

You all know I love dolls, and I own a few vintage ones, so I thought it would be fun to include my doll Charlotte in this outfit post!! I think she is from the 1930’s or 1940’s.

Black and purple is such a striking combination, I think. 💜🖤 I played up the purple with my pink-and-purple butterfly hair clips and purple rose barrette I wore in the back of my hair!

And to add to the doll theme, I wore my doll purse with the outfit. 💓

I’ve been cruising down childhood nostalgia lane and am currently re-reading the FIRST EVER Goosebumps book, Welcome To Dead House (1992)!

It’s been so long since I read this that I totally forgot the plot, so it’s literally like reading a new book for me. Honestly, it’s very eerie and dark!! But it’s creepy cool and most definitely a page-turner. I wanted to start the year off reading some Goosebumps books!

It’s just the kind of book that’s perfect for a cold January day, exploring the dark secrets of the town the main characters have moved to – Dark Falls. Fitting name!

I’ve been bit by the creativity bug and am itching to create some new jewelry this weekend, so that’s what I’ll be doing. Stay tuned for some new jewelry designs! 💖 It’s been awhile since I’ve made anything new. Woo!

For the last day of the year yesterday, I treated myself to a special kind of mocha; I added Starbucks’ sugar cookie cold foam on top. And it was deliiiiiicious! 💖

It was a rainy day, but I got to enjoy the damp patio view from the comfort and warmth of my indoor table. I tinkered around on my laptop and also took some time to read. Watching people come and go with coffees in-hand caught my attention intermittently, as did a massive flock of seagulls accumulating in the distant field outside. 🌧️

I also realized, upon seeing my reflection in my laptop screen, that a few pieces of my bun on the back of my head were sticking straight up. Yeah, like pointed straight upward on the top of my head, waving to the world. SCORE!!!!!

And all that to say – it was the perfect way to close out the year! Why, you may ask? Because no matter how much I have spent my life trying to prevent the awkward and cringe moments that never fail to find me on a regular basis, I want to prove to myself that I can still rock the blunders. I like to think that my cringey quirks make me more endearing (albeit, to no one else but myself.)

Because trying to do things perfectly is but an illusion.

I’ll take that little epiphanic wisdom straight into 2026! 😉

💕 Black and Pink Floral Outfit! 💕

Cheers to 2026 ahead!! 🥂

It’s almost Christmas!! Where did the time go?!

It’s been fun taking in all the holiday cheer this month. I’ve also enjoyed many a peppermint mocha and a couple of Starbucks Snowman cookies, to boot! ⛄️

With that, I have this wintry outfit to showcase; I wore with it, for the first time, my winter-themed bow I made! 🖤 And the combination of hot pink with gingerbread men – ahhh, I just love it. 💖

I wish you a very Merry Christmas and all the holiday cheer this week!! ❄️

Look at that Christmas tree!! 💜 Isn’t it simply gorgeous?

That photo was taken at Coffee Bean, where I enjoyed a delicious Iced Tiramisu Latte yesterday, and as a bonus, got to enjoy the festive Christmas decorations throughout the store. Even the windows had a snowy scene painted on them! ☃️

The latte was sooooo good. And seeing all of the festiveness had me digging through my accessory inventory to see what I had that I could wear to display the Christmas spirit. That’s where Rudolph and Clarice come in!

I gotta say, I totally dug this outfit!!! And to pair with my Smashing Pumpkins top, I’ve been listening to this album of theirs, Earphoria (1994), that finally made its way into my collection. (And can I just say, I absolutely LOVE the album cover!) It’s one that I see as a hidden gem in their discography, as it features gritty live performances and even some songs that never made their way onto any official albums. I’m glad to finally own it!

In conclusion? I’d say the Christmas spirit and rock music can easily coexist into a unique fashion statement! ❤️

Guess what? I sprouted butterfly wings when I woke up today and turned 38!!!!!!!!!!! Was it the collaboration with Thanksgiving that brought on this miracle metamorphosis?

Alright, not really. But!!!! Earlier this week, when I went for a lovely afternoon walk with my friend at a local park, I saw that they had installed beautiful sculptures in the art garden for various photo ops! I couldn’t resist taking a photo in front of the monarch butterfly wings. Because if you’ve been around my blog for long enough, you know that not a day goes by when I’m not wearing something butterfly-themed in my outfits – whether it be a barrette or a ring! 🦋

I LOVE IT when my birthday falls on Thanksgiving every few years! It feels like an extra celebration with a delicious meal (tofurky for me!) and seeing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on television. So, a big shoutout to this awesome holiday that, fortunately for me, falls on my birthday this year!

And I can’t resist having my birthday cake be pumpkin pie when this happens! 🧡

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!! 🤎

Anytime I feel like an outfit is missing something, I always check first to make sure I have some kind of pink accent in my accessories. And ‘lo and behold, if I feel like something’s missing, it’s usually because I forgot to wear something pink in my hair or around my wrist, or at least some rings!

With this black and white look, pink accents were the perfect touch! 🖤🩷🤍 Two outfits worn differently: one has a more romantic feel with the lace and ribbon top, while the second one has a more sporty feel with the letterman top.

I love this accessory cluster shot in the last photo! That bracelet is my favorite bracelet, too; pink jewels are my favorite style!

Do you have a particular color that you’re especially attached to? Let me know! 🖤🩷🤍

This past week was a great start to November; I met my friend for coffee at a French bakery and got to enjoy the beautiful weather and fall leaves everywhere!! 🌤️🍂

It was a great time catching up, enjoying an iced mocha and a lemon macaron… 😍 Also, I really liked my outfit with its jewel tones and letterman pullover sweater!

A theme going on with these two outfits are the retro purses I’m using – both from the ’80s!

Another outfit from this past week was bear-themed: hair clips and a ring to match! 🐻🎀

It’s such a pretty time of year, and I feel myself wanting to be outdoors a lot to enjoy the cooler air, the bright blue skies and the foliage vibrantly etched against it! I also feel like I take things even slower than I normally do, taking an extra moment to enjoy the sound of leaves rolling across the pavement or noticing the different color palettes nature creates depending on the time of day.

I’ve been in an extra nostalgic music mood lately (but honestly, when am I not!?) and I’ve been revisiting Third Eye Blind’s Blue album from 1999! 💙 This is one of those bands that takes me way back. Somehow, the album feels like it pairs well with the fall foliage around me. I bought the CD used well over a decade ago, hence the sticky sticker residue on the top right corner!

Does anyone else totally love CD booklets and album art?!?! I always have, since they tend to fit the concept and overall feel of the album. 💿

My favorite songs on here are Anything, 10 Days Late, Never Let You Go, 1000 Julys, and An Ode To Maybe. Totally love rocking out to this album from start to finish!

See ya next time! I hope you’re enjoying the start of November! 💕

Happy Halloween!!! 🎃💕👻

Today, I’ll be enjoying some treats at home and spending a cozy evening watching Scream and enjoying the smell of a scented pumpkin candle! I went for traditional Halloween colors for my outfit and wore a Halloween necklace I made for my Etsy shop!

Wishing you a fun-filled day, no matter how you spend it! 🖤💜🧡