Author: hellosamanthadear

I began 2025 by starting a new book that swept me away within the pages to the coastal city of New Haven, Connecticut, shrouded in mystery and history. 💖

From the moment I began reading Skulls and Keys: The Hidden History of Yale’s Secret Societies, I’ve been hooked!

It’s a long read – 696 pages – but it’s such a page turner that I’m getting through it a little quicker than I anticipated. Plus, I’m in no hurry to finish it because it’s such a great book to get lost in, so I’m taking my sweet time!

David Alan Richards dives deep into the history of secret societies at Yale that started centuries ago: how they began and what their original intentions were (not at all what I imagined either; they were formed by college men to get away from the overbearing shadow of strict faculty and rules of the time!). There’s so much I didn’t know about and I’m eager to see how it unfolds into modern times (the chapter I’m currently in is in the 1800’s). 👀

It’s not a tell-all book or anything like that; the author focuses on the history of how these societies came to be and doesn’t give out any secrets other than what’s already publicly known. Which I like, because maintaining the mystery is what makes it all so fascinating! 🧐

Creatively, I let my current read influence my outfit of the day recently! I love this skull shirt so much, and I put it over a shirt I DIY-ed myself! Sewing a dark red bow in the front and a red “S” patch on the sleeve, it felt like a vintage collegiate look mixed with an edgy yet twee vibe. 💕

Personally, I love to mix fashion elements from different styles and blend it into a look that feels authentically me! I think this look especially conveys that, and I look forward to putting together future looks that involve a little DIY on my part. (P.S.: I also made the lace bow I’m wearing in the back of my hair out of leftover fabric scraps from my sewing drawer!)

Do you get fashion inspiration from unexpected places or things? Since I love learning about history and fashion history, it all intertwines into my style, it seems! 😉

For my mystery Christmas dessert I mentioned in my last post, it is…*drum roll* Watergate salad (also known as ambrosia or fluff salad)!!! ❤️💚

(Ingredients: pistachio pudding, whipped topping, marshmallows, and crushed pineapple) 

A 1970’s recipe my mom still has written on a yellowed paper, I decided to whip it up and see how it turned out. Deeeelicious! I made a big bowl of it for my mom, my sister, and myself to enjoy!

I hope you all are enjoying the holiday! Here’s my look of the day! I really love my socks paired with the boots, plaid, bows, and spiked collar; the socks are the second pair of Ralph Lauren bear socks that came in the pack I ordered, and I adore his winter outfit (his little pants are pressed, if you notice the line detail, LOL!).

Merry Christmas from Charlotte and Eugene, also. They didn’t want to miss out on the fun! 🎄💕

Admittedly, I wish I had bear ear clips for this outfit, but kitty ear clips will have to do (at least they match my shoes)! The pink pops with the lime green butterfly clips, so I’m happy with the outcome. 💚💕

A couple of weeks ago, I bought myself a pack of socks from a brand I never thought I’d own anything of (since it’s an expensive brand!). But through a BARGAIN steal-of-a-deal Christmas sale on Macy’s online store, I purchased Ralph Lauren socks with the adorable Ralph Lauren bear on them! 🧸

I absolutely adore them, and they’re so perfect for Christmas!

And soon it’ll be Christmas day, with another fun outfit I’m looking forward to, not to mention I’ll be making a Christmas dessert I’ve never made before – a recipe my mom found from the 1970’s! I’ll have photos and the outcome of how it turned out…a Christmas dessert mystery awaits! 👀🎄

It was 1998, and I was 11 years old when I last remember wearing my favorite ring, by the vintage brand Russ. 💕

Russ rings were very cute and fun rings for kids that had a variety of different characters on them – anything from Santa to random animals to Troll dolls! I owned a few different ones and still wear them to this day, but there was one that got away: the ballerina bunny ring.

It’s still a mystery as to what happened to it, but I suspect I may have lost it at school, perhaps on the playground or in the grassy green field during recess; maybe it’s buried somewhere under the soil at the school to this day, like some long lost relic waiting to be unearthed like a fossil?

For YEARS, I’ve scoured the internet like a devoted treasure hunter trying to find an identical ring. Since it’s from a long-ago brand that’s no longer around, you can only find a few Russ rings that people sell on platforms such as eBay, but none were the ballerina bunny ring.

But after 26 years, fate finally stepped in!!!!!!!!! 💓 Finally, finally someone posted an identical one for sale on eBay, so I bought it immediately (at a bargain deal, too – under $10!)

I honestly can’t believe I’m wearing it on my hand after 26 years. It feels sooooo surreal! I don’t know what it is about this ring, but it’s haunted me ever since I lost it. I never forgot what it looked like and always had a clear mental image of it. And now, it’s mine again!

I’m definitely going to wear it every day to make up for lost time! 😉 Do you have a certain accessory/toy/etc from your childhood that you’ve never forgotten? Do you still have it?

My mom and I normally walk Candy Cane Lane together each December, but this year, she hurt her foot recently and wasn’t able to join me. She was upset that she couldn’t go, and also didn’t like the idea of me going by myself (she worries easily). But I went anyhow and I had a blast!

My favorite decorations were these beautiful iridescent ones, which must be a new trend amongst Christmas decorations, because they were everywhere I looked! ❄️⛄️

On a related note of a party of one being just as fun, I also tackled a fresh new perspective on Christmas cards!

Normally, I see custom Christmas cards with a photo of a couple or a family on it…but this year, I came to the realization: I can do that too!

And here we have it, folks. My unique Christmas card – the first time ever that I put my face on it! (And Eugene’s, lol)

I also put up my Christmas tree, and the star ornament of the show is this Carl’s Jr. ornament from 1991! Does anyone remember when they gave these out around Christmas time back in the day?!

Lastly, a semi-Christmasy outfit because my legs remind me of candy canes! (I’ll have more Christmas-inspired looks to come!)

I’m thankful because as I get older, I’m way more comfortable doing stuff by myself! When I was younger, I wasn’t nearly as comfortable with it. So, I’m grateful that aging has gifted me with that confidence – and grateful that my inner child takes the wheel more so as I get older!

I hope you’re enjoying the month of December so far! ❤️💚

Don’t ya just love how awkward this first photo is?? What an epic way to start off the post! 💕

I thought it was a fitting pose to celebrate 37 years of zaniness I have exuded into the world! 🥳

Here are some birthday snapshots I took throughout the day, with my outfit and other fun randomness! 🍕🍩 (Shoutout to my mom and sister for the gifts, the morning donuts and pizza they had delivered for dinner!)

It was such a fun birthday!!! Cheers to 37 years! 🥳💖

I’ve wanted a red plaid skirt for sooooooo long, and thanks to this great find on SHEIN, I finally own one!

It’s SO comfortable and cozy; perfect for the cold winter days ahead! ❤️

Who else is a fan of plaid? ✋🏼❤️

Felt like being a cat today…

MEOW!!! 😸🐾

🍿 Major spoilers ahead!! 🍿

So, I decided to take myself on a movie date and see the new religious horror film with Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East: Heretic. I rarely ever go to the movies, but I felt drawn to see this one when I saw an ad for it on Youtube; in a nutshell, it’s about two young Mormon missionaries who knock on the door of Mr. Reed, a reclusive man who ends up embarking them on a dark journey within his home that tests their faith to the ultimate limits.

Why did I feel drawn to see this film? I actually went to a Mormon church for three years, from 2015-2018! My doorway into the religion was two young missionary women who I met on a walking trail in the spring of 2015. I’m pretty familiar with the Mormon religion, and while I didn’t continue going to church, I still feel I learned a lot of things that helped me spiritually in the long run! 💖

So, how did I feel watching this movie?

Psychologically and spiritually destroyed.

Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed is diabolical, methodical and maniacal. Truly.

Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton talk with Mr. Reed about their faith, and then slowly as the conversation continues, he completely disassembles religion as a whole, further emphasizing his point by throwing the Book of Mormon on the floor after comparing world religions to variations of the board game, Monopoly. You then realize the warm and fuzzies of faith have long left the building and you’re about to go through a maze of Hell.

The film’s tagline, Question Everything, is exactly what you do throughout the film. It makes you feel as if you’re going crazy, questioning each and every thing that occurs, and at one point, I wasn’t sure my mind could take it any more. But I held through!

This is no easy film to watch. If you have faith in a higher power, Mr. Reed dismantles it in a surprisingly effortless way with arguments that hit you in the face like a brick. The movie had me so shaken up that in one instance, I thought my seat was shaking, but it was actually my body trembling!

But, the unexpected thing about this film…is it actually embraces faith, in my opinion. There are little acts of warmth and kindness from the missionaries that give you hope and it feels so human.

A line by Sister Paxton stuck with me, and I’m just remembering it off the cuff here:

“We pray because it’s beautiful, even if it doesn’t work. Because we want to believe in something bigger than ourselves.”

No lie – when I got home and tried to explain the movie to my mom and sister, I ended up breaking down crying! I don’t think a movie has ever shaken me up so much. (No more scary movies for me!)

Later that afternoon, I went to the end of my apartment complex to take out the trash, still thinking about the movie. It’s a horror movie that makes you think long after it’s over. Another tagline for the movie poses the question, Do you still believe? Lost in my thoughts, I noticed a car was parked next to the dumpster, and my attention was caught by something in the passenger seat.

It was a seat cover with an image of Jesus Christ on it. Eyes closed, heavenly rays of light all around.

A line in the movie came to my mind as I stood there staring at it, feeling the chill of the autumn air around me. “If that’s not divine confirmation, I don’t know what is.”

As hard as it was to watch this movie, I’m glad I saw it, because it shook me to my core, and unexpectedly made me realize that I do, in fact, still believe. 🦋💖

Happy (almost!) Halloween!! What better way to celebrate the spooky season than by dedicating this post to my very own ventriloquist dummy, Eugene? ❤️

Remember how I made up the idea of him being haunted by the ghost of a Yale student from the 1950s who studied himself into an early grave? Too much time in the library with his nose buried in his law books was just too much for him.

But he’s got his ivy league groove back, let me tell you. Decked out in his fresh ball cap and Yale pin (an antique find from the 1920s/1930s!), he’s a brand new man. Er, ghost/dummy.

Also, Eugene’s discovered that his favorite movie is The Skulls (2000), with a fresh-faced cast of Joshua Jackson, Paul Walker, and Leslie Bibb. It’s not hard to guess why either; the storyline is about Caleb McNamara (Joshua Jackson) who gets accepted into a secret society at an Ivy League college (which is never given an actual name, but you do see the letter “Y” painted on the walls and plastered on athletic uniforms. Hint, hint!). All heck breaks loose once Caleb’s in this secret society called The Skulls (which is a nod to the actual secret society at Yale called Skull and Bones!).

I say it’s Eugene’s favorite movie, but it’s actually becoming one of mine! 😉 It’s action-packed and a real thriller, and an added bonus is that the music is a blast from the past (Collective Soul, Creed!). I was totally into it and watched it twice when I rented it on Amazon Prime!

And now here we are in a spooky photoshoot. Happy spooky season!! 🍂🎃

Today, I’m looking forward to going on an autumnal walk at a local park with my friend, and the outfit I picked for today felt spectacularly fall-like: a cardigan, chunky boots, and something new I’ve been trying – half of the back of my hair pulled up in a bun!

I don’t know why having the back of my hair pulled up half way into a bun feels like a fall style??? I don’t know, but it does! And I made sure my hair clips matched the My Melody Purse! 💝

Hoping everyone’s October is going well, and that you’re able to enjoy some fall scenery! 🍂 Time for me to go enjoy some nature! 🧡💛🤎

Stay tuned for my next post featuring Eugene, my ventriloquist dummy! 🎃