Author: hellosamanthadear

Who knew as I drove around town, blissfully unaware, that major auto repairs were festering like an active volcano beneath my little feet?

This whole story is basically a huge stereotype brought to life! 😄 I bring my car into the shop because it was overheating if I turned on the AC…and what do ya know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Suddenly there are like 8 zillion other issues brought to my attention – including a major one besides the overheating – an OIL LEAK.

Unbeknownst to me, a Hollywood-mansion-pool-size oil leak was seeping on some stuff under the car. Never noticed any oil dots on the asphalt when I parked, though – however! They did show me the actual leak itself, and I got to stand underneath my floating car and see the leak in all its glistening glory (which was actually cool!) Basically, it looked like my car peed its pants.

Also didn’t realize when I turned on the AC, hot air was blowing from the passenger side (it blew fairly cold air from my side, though.) I had a total Cher-from-Clueless moment when I told the mechanics, “Oh!! But like, no one is ever in my passenger seat, so I didn’t know the air was blowing hot?” That triggered some laughter on their part, as I think I gave away more about my personal life than I’d intended (translating to: I’m literally the only person ever in my car, hahaaaa!)

Once I found out the price of all this, my eyeballs nearly flew out of my head at lightning speed. WORD OF ADVICE: GET A TUNE-UP AT RECOMMENDED INTERVALS (IF YOU ARE ABLE TO), PEEPS! Find out if you, too, have an active volcano festering under your feet when you drive, far below the abyss of the brake pedals. As a social media marketing manager for several auto shops, I have no excuse to have not gotten a tune-up long ago! I write content about this stuff for work alllll the time, and yet I didn’t take my own advice! That way little problems can be caught early.

Anyway, moving on! Here’s a fun outfit as of recently…because fashion always makes life more fun, even during the rollercoaster times! 😁😁😁

And that’s your auto lesson for the day! See ya next time folks! Vroooooom! 🚗💨

Ahhhh, this pixelated heart gives me all the feelings!! It has that computerized look, and paired with a vintage-looking red velvet bow, it’s a fun mashup of old meets new.

Aaaaaand, cat ears. Like you didn’t already know? 💗

I received a coupon from Princeton University Press in the mail recently, and having just finished re-reading Stover At Yale for a second time, it was the perfect opportunity for a new read! I chose a topic that I really know next to nothing about.

We all use money, but I have zero idea of how monetary policy works, what the Federal Reserve actually does, what central banking is, let alone private banking!! I’m always up for a brain challenge, so I’ve just started reading this informative book by Leah Downey. So far, I’m impressed by how easily I’m able to follow along, and the author explains things thoroughly while leaving me wanting to learn more with each passing chapter.

I hope to be a more informed citizen by the end of the book! 📖

When I ordered this purse on sale from Hot Topic, I had in mind the EXACT skirt I wanted to wear it with!! I’m sure you can guess, too: my butterfly skirt. 🦋

I’ve wanted a butterfly purse for a long time, but I just never found one that I really wanted. This one was an instant love!

I love how it coordinated with my outfit, both in theme and color:

Since my outfit had neutral tones, I wanted my hair clips to extra pop, so the pink and lime green was the perfect touch! 💗💚

Next, I was sporting the pink and purple look here to stand out among the dark tones of my outfit. I added a chain necklace to my belt for an extra PUNCH!!

Lastly, I wanted to show the hardcover edition of Stover at Yale by Owen Johnson I found for a steal of a deal on Thriftbooks online! I know I just recently did a review on it a few posts back, but I had a strong desire to re-read the book since I fell in love with it. 💓

This quickly became one of my favorite books (my other favorite book being Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose). Retrospectively, it’s kind of funny to notice that my two favorite books both have the theme of brotherhood and camaraderie!

I’m so honored to own this edition! I’m excitedly re-reading it and loving every moment of it.

Here’s to finding books (and outfits) that we fall in love with. 🦋

You know by now how much I love boots with skirts – oh, and florals and bows!! The contrast is awesome, in my personal opinion! So these two looks encompass that fun mix. 😁🎀🖤

Remember recently how I mentioned I want to wear more cat ears this year? I’m crushing that goal! 😺✔️ I’ve been wearing cat ear hair clips pretty much every day and it’s made my outfits feel more fun and whimsical wearing them! I love the look. And it gives me an extra mood boost, to boot!

Shoutout to my vintage doll, Charlotte, who wanted to make a cameo in this post!

Here’s to finding accessories that make you shine not only from the outside, but from the inside, too! ✨

Springy days call for some green!! With Easter on my mind coming up, I pulled out my bunny purse to complete the look.

Oh, and pink cat ears. Because bunnies (I’m sure) don’t mind sharing the spotlight!

On a last note, I tried the Original Blended Mocha at The Coffee Bean this week when I met up to have coffee with my friend, and man oh man was it good!!! It was the perfect way to spend a beautiful spring day. 💕🌱

See ya soon!!

This tree in my backyard is full of fresh new leaves for the spring season, and it makes for quite the picturesque place to sit and read under! 📖🌿

I just finished up a book called Stover At Yale by Owen Johnson. I learned of this book from my previous read, Skulls and Keys, because it was referenced many times in the book. Stover At Yale was published in 1912! (I kept thinking: oh my gosh, it came out the year the Titanic sank). A work of fiction, F. Scott Fitzgerald described this book as “the textbook of his generation.” It follows the main character, Dink Stover, who is fresh off the train arriving in New Haven, Connecticut to attend Yale. Coming from a prestigious prep school in Andover, Massachusetts, Stover is excited and nervous for his college years to come.

Initially, Stover is determined to do everything right – play football, eventually make the rowing team, and hopefully be top choice for a secret society by the time he reaches the end of his junior year. But as his college years unfold, he begins to question everything – is striving for perfection and conformity really the way to broaden his mind, or is it the very thing holding him back from becoming an individual?

I truly enjoyed watching Dink Stover bloom into his own person, and the most heartfelt part is that the very individualistic traits he fears will drive his college friends away, end up being the very traits that draw them all to him with glowing admiration. Another thing I absolutely LOVED about this book is the camaraderie amongst him and his college buddies! The silly antics and banter within the pages prove that the comical whims of teenage boys becoming young men are timeless.

The ending was truly a gem; much to Stover’s surprise, he ends up being the last man tapped for Skull and Bones on Tap Day – something he thought wasn’t in the cards for him. But alas, the smack on the shoulder and the loud command of “Go to your room!” changes everything in a glorious instant, and draws the book to a satisfying close knowing Stover became a Bonesman after all.

I loved the book! It felt like Dink Stover wasn’t just a character in a book, but a jovial spirit of a bygone era. I would actually re-read this in the future, I enjoyed it that much! ❤️

Fashion-wise, I was inspired to create a springy look based around my “preppy” sweater I DIY-ed!

See you next time!! 💛🧡

When I recently spotted the totally cool and colorful Tracy over at The Tote Trove wearing a stunning black top with ribbons down the front, I remembered that I owned a very similar top. I hadn’t put together an outfit around it yet, so I figured it was the perfect time to do so!

Pairing it with my new iridescent seashell purse I got off of Poshmark, I thought it turned out to be a very fun look with my orange cat ear clips and frilly white socks! I’m enamored with the beautiful shades of colors in the purse. 😍

Is it just me, or do cat ears just make any outfit instantly quirky?!

I’m thinking I’ll wear cat ear clips a little more in the future (I have them in different colors), because they’re just too darn fun! 😻

I am actually sad to say that I finished Skulls and Keys, because I enjoyed it SO much that I didn’t want it to end!!

Informative yet still maintaining its bewitching mysteries, Richards went above and beyond in his research for this 696 page book filled with so many things I never knew existed. It almost felt like stepping into a hidden world – a world filled with prestige and tradition that began as far back as the 1700s.

It was amazing to see the transition from how Yale’s secret societies first began to its modern day existence. I especially loved the eyebrow-raising drama that stirred up between and within the societies, down to how they got their names and how they inspired the formation of newer societies. For me, it created a landscape of mystery that I never knew existed in New Haven, Connecticut!

With that said, my completion of reading this book inspired me to write a poem! I wanted to capture the essence of mystery, so with some creativity, I managed to name a few of the secret societies towards the end of the poem without blatantly writing their official titles. 😉 Finally, I typed it up into a nice visual!  

On a different note, I feel like this outfit I recently wore fits with the ambiance of the poem – the white flower hair clips remind me of bright moonlight, while the blue and black reminds me of night time, and the letterman sweater has that old-fashion collegiate feel to it! 🖤 (Of course, I had to make it whimsical with the socks 😉)

May you find creative inspiration in the most unexpected places! 🌙✨📖

Spring is definitely my favorite season, and while I know it’s not officially spring yet, the weather has been acting very spring-like this week where I live!! The essence of spring made its way into this outfit I put together, with lots of yellow tones!

Now, feast your eyes upon some spring photos I took during an afternoon walk this week!

Signs of spring always puts me in an extra happy mood, so I enjoyed every moment of it! And if you’re seeing signs of spring where you live, I hope you’re enjoying it too! 🦋

Happy Valentine’s Day!!! ❤️ It’s been a fun week of baking sugar cookies, trying a new Starbucks Valentine’s drink, and going with a purple theme for my Valentine’s Day look!

One of the reasons I love Valentine’s Day is because it inspires me to reflect on all the little things I love in life – even things as simple as watching the breeze rustle through the tree leaves, hearing the sound of a distant airplane high above in the sky, to enjoying my first sip of coffee at the start of each day. 🥰

Here we go!

I still can’t believe my mom gifted me this adorable doll purse for Valentine’s Day!! It’s so perfect and fits my style really well, and thankfully it will go with so many outfits!

I hope you enjoy your Valentine’s Day! ❤️🩷