Tag: ootd

Barbie Love

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I know I know, Hello Kitty (Halloween edition) is on my shoulder, but I’m actually going to bring up Barbie later in this post! 💕 So stay TUNED!

I just couldn’t pass up the photo op, since the stuffed toy and I match.

It’s only July, but once I came upon this stuffed toy, it gave me a little itch for Halloween and thinking of what I’ll wear this year for the holiday! Halloween Hello Kitty has been in my life since many years ago when I used to work at a law firm, and during Halloween month, I’d place her next to the candy bowl I used to put on my receptionist’s desk.

I’m loving my new, ruffly scarf (well, it’s new to me, but it actually belonged to my mom and she gave me a lot of stuff she used to wear. Bring mE ALL THE OLD STUFF PLEEEEEASE). I figure, it’s never too soon to bring out the scarves, no? So long as it’s a thin scarf, since it’s summer and all. It certainly jazzed up my outfit in a visually intriguing way!

Now, onto Barbie!!! 💖

Not sure who remembers, but Barbie had her own comic book back in the day. They ran from (I believe) 1990 – 1996, give or take. I have around 8 comic books from when I was a kid, and now I added a few more to my collection, thanks to eBay! Being in my thirties, I’ve noticed I’ve become more appreciative of the things I enjoyed during my childhood years. In fact, it’s my own little secret to happiness: what did I love doing as a kid? What did I love to wear? No reason I can’t still enjoy it! Reading Barbie comics was one of those things I loved to do.

These are from 1990 and 1991. I can’t get over how cute these comic books are! The colors, the innocent dialogue, the FASHION, and even better, the BIG HAIR. Aaaahhh! 😍 Barbie will forever be one of my favorite fashion icons. 💕

Cheers to childhood treasures! See ya next time!! 💜 ✨

The Best Things

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I’ll just start off by saying this is one of my FAVORITE OUTFITS I’ve EVER put together (accessories included)!!! ❤️

Why? Because it’s SO RANDOM. Let’s take a closer look:

I have a My Little Pony necklace on and I’m sporting my new, custom-made Gene Simmons purse. I’m living it, breathing it, and loving it right now.

My Little Pony and Gene Simmons. ❤️ It’s such a random pairing, and I love bringing together things from opposite ends of the spectrum that seem to not make sense as a pair, tying it all together with a bow like a happy little outfit family. And it goes to show, that opposites can indeed work well together.

After taking these photos, a little while later I went to get my drive-thru Starbucks iced mocha and go for a walk. On these solo walks I’ve had plenty of time to think about life, and my mind wandered back to what my ultimate “favorite outfit ever AND best day ever” has been and the good memories attached to it.

It’d be this little red number (I call it the Kiss the Go-Goat Dress ), which I wore on September 13th, 2019 (Friday the 13th in fact, forever immortalized into a “Best Day Ever” for me:

The day I saw Ghost play live in concert in Bakersfield. ❤️ Seeing that I won’t be attending any concerts this year (due to COVID-19), I’ve been daydreaming about this last concert I went to.

I’ll always smile back on that concert and it still gives me the warm, fuzzy feelings. It was the first concert I ever went to by myself, so it was truly special and felt magical, along with the red dress I modified myself to get those groovy bell sleeves. I wrote this in my journal at the time:

✨ “There’s something magical about the moment the curtains part, you see your favorite band onstage and the lights and music take over your senses, surrounded by a sea of people who feel the same exhilaration you’re feeling. I sat there in my red dress, my eyes locked on the stage, completely enamored. I’ve seen them perform three times now, but there was something extra magical about that concert. Maybe because I was 100 miles away from home by myself seeing them play live, or that they were performing their two new songs for the first time live, or that it was the first concert kicking off the start of their tour. I think it was all of it combined that made it so magical.” ✨

These are the things I thought of as I took my walk, sipping my iced mocha with My Little Pony around my neck and Gene Simmons hanging off my shoulder. I looked around at the empty, silent street in both directions. The beginning of a new summer shimmered in the early evening air. I nonchalantly kicked a pebble on the sidewalk with a dopey grin on my face, remembering that epic September evening, Friday the 13th, 2019.

Perhaps it’s the sudden spike of COVID-19 cases skyrocketing in Fresno, or realizing it’s almost half way through the year already that’s making me reflect on happier things, like my best day ever, and the joys of a favorite outfit.

My Little Pony and Gene make any day better, too. ❤️

‘Til next time!!

Desert Time

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Not to be confused with dessert time, but it also applies to this post just the same because of my delicious FRAPPUCINO. ☕️💕

I googled whether or not the area of California I live in is considered somewhat of a desert and I learned: “The Central Valley has a hot Mediterranean climate in the north; the southerly parts of the region are dry and categorized as desert.” Well, I live in the CENTRAL Central Valley, so we get the best of both worlds: lush vegetation AND desert-like regions, depending on the time of year! 🌴🌺

Right now it’s very dry, and I love that. I’m drawn to the desert look, and I had the pleasure of walking around this beautiful new housing development called Tesoro Viejo on the outskirts of Fresno, equipped with a super cool coffee shop I’ve been to before and was excited to go back to with my friend!! This is my first time going to sit on a patio somewhere since the quarantine began, so I was quite happy. ☕️

I definitely frolicked around and I looked just like this happy puppy

This coffee shop, called Axis, is amazing with a beautiful patio area. I loved the see-through banners placed on the fence (my view from the table).

I definitely felt like I was in a desert, when I happened upon these little green bushes spaced out between each other on the ground. Something about the warm, dirt tones of a desert landscape ignites the imagination for me!

This fun skirt is actually my mom’s, handed down to me. I had it cut (it used to be ankle length) and hemmed. Yeah! 💜💕 I’m glad I wore this bright skirt, as it stood out against the scenery today.

See ya next time!

The Wanderers

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Ahoy!! ❤️

I brought my new-and-improved tripod with me to the park. Boooooooooooooooooom…

It was such a lovely day! I decided, let me pack up my purse with my new mini-tripod, get something to drink to bring along, and gooooooo…

I’ve been wanting new backdrops for my outfit photos, so I was hopeful I’d find somewhere at the park to set the tripod on and snap away. It was a little tricky at first; any time I thought I found the right cement table for it, there would be a couple nearby romantically gazing at each other and deep in their own private conversation, in which I didn’t want to disturb the lovey-dovey ambiance with my posing in front of a timed-camera nearby. So on I went, in search of the right spot.

And I found it!

Off ahead, I spotted a patch of trees, like a little tree island. All the tables nearby were empty, so I could easily set up my little tripod and get some outfit photos.

I wore my Ghost, Opus Eponymous album shirt with a bright, fun skirt. Definitely comfortable for wandering on a long walk!

Not a bad photo after getting chased by a bee (I think it thought my hair clips were real).

I love, love, love this skirt so much; I’d provide a link to where you could buy it, but it’s currently unavailable on Amazon now. Boo!

After my time at the park, I took yet another short drive out of the city and into the flat lands. Winds were coming in strong by that time and it turned the landscape dusty, which made for some great snapshots. I pulled off to the side of the road and got out!

This was definitely the best trip out here because two really interesting things happened: 1) I mentioned in my last post that I saw a raven perched on a fence, and I saw yet again a raven perched on a fence in the same area as I did last time!!! Maybe it hangs out there a lot? It seemed to be enjoying the sunset.

Annnnnnd… 2) I saw a COYOTE, literally two seconds after seeing the raven! It was wandering alongside a vineyard as I drove past it. It was really cute; I live in the city, so seeing a coyote is pretty dang exciting for me.

I started thinking: what do us three have in common? The raven, the coyote, and little ol’ me?

Technically, we were all doing the same thing in a way. I’d previously been wandering around a big park. The coyote was wandering around a vineyard. The raven was admiring the sunset – something I was doing when I pulled off to take pictures.

So what did I learn from this?

Yeah, you thought I was going to drop something all heavy and philosophical didn’t you. Truth is, I can’t really come up with a profound meaning behind it, but somehow I FELT like there was some kind of profound meaning behind it. I can only describe it as, a strong sense of connectedness… 💜

Here’s to raven and coyote sightings – preferably coyote sightings from a distance, as I don’t want to become a coyote’s new chew toy.

See ya next time!!!

These Shoes are Made for Walking (and Bird Watching)

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WELCOME BACK to another exciting tale of me going for walks and eating interesting things!!! In today’s post, they are macarons. Y’all probably know how much I love macarons, so this was a golden moment. LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY ARE…

What a tasty treat to accompany my coffee as I went for a late afternoon walk. ☕️💕 When I ordered a frappucino through the Rare Earth Coffee drive thru, I decided to LIVE ON THE EDGE and when the barista asked through the crackle of the speakers, “Is there a particular macaron flavor you’d like for each?” My reply was, “Surprise me…!” Boy did I luck out because these were top notch… I ate ’em while I walked. 😎🔥

Dusty pink and white outfit with fun puffy hair clips:

It got up to 107 degrees recently in good ol’ Fresno, California. 💕 Most residents absolutely loathe this characteristic of summer here in Central California, but I’m that weirdo who doesn’t mind triple digits. I don’t go walking when it gets deep into the 100’s though (excessive heat warnings and such), but this day it was a lovely 99 degrees. Noice!! 👍🏼

Fun fact: during my walk, I saw some vultures flying overhead.

Red, black and white outfit topped off with ladybug hair clips:

I definitely am a bird watcher. I remember the first time I saw a raven when I was visiting Southern California last year, and I was in awe of the strange sound it was making (at that point, I didn’t know what kind of bird it was). I was walking into a coffee shop when I saw it, so eventually I sat down, mocha frappucino in hand, and googled it – indeed, it was a raven, and I’ve seen a few since where I live (now that I can differentiate them from crows!!!)

So I took a drive out of the city to the countryside after my walk and was lucky enough to spot a raven sitting alone on a wire fence along the freeway as I drove by. ❤️ Made me smile!! I love all birds, however, I’m particularly drawn to the raven so I was extra happy about seeing one.

I also stopped and took a photo of distant rain clouds in the mountains:

Hooray for a Saturday full of macaron tasting, frappucino sipping, bird watching, exercising and admiring nature. Quite a day!!! 🌸 Do you have a favorite bird? Let me know in the comments!

See ya next time!!

A Picnic for One is a Picnic For Fun

Published on by hellosamanthadear6 Comments

Hey, y’all!! 💐 💕🌸

I finally fulfilled my dream of taking myself on a picnic. In this time of practicing social distancing, what a better way to practice it than by going on a solo picnic?! But honestly, I’ve wanted to do this for a long time, way before the Corona days.

First!!! Two outfits from this past week. 😃

Unicorn necklace made by the talented Tracy over at The Tote Trove!

I’m really into hair pom-poms lately. They’re just so funnnnn. 💜 Tee heeee…

So!!!!!! One of my favorite stores ever, World Market, has for awhile been temporarily closed like so many other places due to COVID-19. That’s my go-to place for foreign treats, and I’ve missed it!

It made me think about trying an international snack box. However, I didn’t want to commit to a subscription service to try some (just something I could treat myself to every so often, not monthly). Much to my happy surprise, I found snack boxes you could purchase individually for a great price on Amazon! I picked from the Amazon’s Choice snack boxes because they had great reviews. 👍🏽

I decided on the Turkish snack box for my first one (you can find it here on Amazon). I was really excited because I have always wanted to try Turkish sweets/snacks. I’ve tried a few so far, and they’re delicious! You get a lot in the box, so it’ll last a long time.

I took one of the snacks with me for my picnic (the brownie) as a dessert. 💕 Picnic time!!!

Amaaaaazing cherry brownie!!! 💕🍒

So yes, it was a grand ol’ time, and I went for a walk afterwards. I haven’t been on a picnic in forever!! Good times. ❤️

See ya next time!!

Cake Walk

Published on by hellosamanthadear14 Comments

Hello there!!! 💕

Ohhhhh how I love hot pink. 💖 I wore this soft blazer over a delft blue printed romper on a walk this past weekend!

I want to eventually get a couple more blazers in different colors (you can find these bad boys over on Amazon). They are super soft and comfortable! 😀 I highly recommend.

And here we have some new digital art! I created this after being inspired by my stargazing adventures in my backyard last week, using my Sky Guide app to locate things in space. I’ve always been interested in the Andromeda galaxy, so I named this one Visions of Andromeda. ⭐️💜

Now, join me on my walk!

This walk was different. There was something missing, and that was: my friend Sarah. She moved to South Carolina on Saturday; my walks are continuing, only solo now. It’s funny because I was always used to going for walks by myself, but during the quarantine, Sarah and I became walking buddies and we had a blast (even dancing around and skipping on our walks). 💜

So now I’m adjusting to solo walks again. That’s okay though, because I got back into it pretty quick!! I’ve always been blessed with the unfailing ability to entertain myself quite easily. Evidence: I played somewhat of a game in which I took photos of other solo things in nature along my route:

You have a street light, a twig and a rock. Fun fact, when I was a kid, I used to take photos of street lights and would name them. If you really look at street lights, most of them look different from each other. As a kid, I felt like they each had their own personalities, so I’d name them accordingly.

I liked this because it looked like a headstone. It has something to do with the street lights, however! Pretty cool. 💚

So in a nutshell, I remembered how much I love solo walks and how intrigued I am with everything. And hey, you’re never alone when you’re GETTING HARASSED BY BEES.

(Must bee my beehive hairdo.) 🐝

You got the walk – now for the cake!! I made my very first cake from scratch! I’m happy with how it turned out (even though the consistency was a bit thicker than cakes normally are…oh well!).

I got all fancy and drew little white roses around it. I’ve mastered my signature sugar cookies, but I wanted to try a cake. Not too bad for a first-timer! 👍🏽

See ya next time!!

A Very Brady Outfit

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Hey all!! ❤️💙

I mentioned in my last post that I’d been watching episodes of The Brady Bunch. I love the storyline and the wholesome nature of the show, however, another thing I love most about the show is the fashion!

I spotted this granny square vest on the episode My Fair Opponent (1972). Marcia gives the not-so-popular girl at school, Molly Webber, a makeover which included this adorable vest I instantly fell in love with.

And what did I do?? I hopped on Etsy, of course. A simple search brought many a granny square vest up in the results, and I found a very similar one like hers – who would have guessed I’d be so lucky?!?!

Can I get a heck yes for granny square vests please… and while we are on a 70’s roll here, I’ll gradually ease into the other goodies from this past week…

I was beyond happy to get the two CD’s I’ve wanted for some time now in the mail; it’s always nice to have some new tunes to play in the car while I drive! Another bonus from this past week are these new daisy hair clips I made. 🌸 They look ultra late 60’s/early 70’s.

Hotter Than Hell by KISS (1974). 💜 Definitely my favorite album of theirs, next to their debut album! I love the gritty-sounding production on this one.

This is my second Ace Frehley album!!!! I wrote awhile back in another blog post how much I loved his 1978 solo album. Fast forward forty-years later, and I love Spaceman (2018) just as much! Yet again, I’m enamored by the gritty, cosmic, rockin’ straight-shooter of an album this one is. My favorite line (because it makes me giggle) from my favorite song off this album (Bronx Boy):

Bronx boy,
Just trying to exist,
I never played with toys,
Don’t give me bullshit.

Maybe it’s just my sunny, rose-tinted-California-perspective that draws me to his rough-around-the-edges, no-nonsense approach??? I’ve never been to the Bronx, but he paints his childhood as a street kid (before he got famous in KISS) quite well through his no-fluff lyrics!

And as I loop this blog post around full circle, my new albums are definitely not as wholesome as The Brady Bunch and granny square vests. But what do they all have in common, in one way or another? The seventies, that’s what!

See you next time!! 💜

Quarantine Time Snapshots

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Hey hey!! I hope y’all have been doing well during these quarantine days. 💜 Life has been really quiet for the most part but I managed to collect some snapshots of what I’ve been up to. 😀

First off, I keep forgetting to blog about this (I don’t know how I forgot???) but I have really exciting news! Last month, I was notified that a logo I designed for a restaurant called Seafood Station in San Francisco was up on display and I was sent a photo of it!!!

This is definitely my happiest moment as a graphic designer!!!!!!! To see a logo I designed hanging up is so exciting. Creating it took a lot of hard work and hours to complete, but all of that hard work paid off seeing the final result. So a piece of me is in San Francisco!

The cool thing is that I have more logo design work coming up (the clients are all in the Bay Area). I’m used to designing graphics for Instagram business pages, so logo design is a challenging yet overall rewarding new experience! 👏

My backyard office space, which is perfect next to the little rose bush! I spotted a tiny bee-looking-fly hanging out on a leaf (photos below). Also, that hot pink rose on my planner is a paper weight I painted (it was quite windy when I took this photo).

I’ve been going for walks a few times a week with my friend Sarah, as I mentioned in my last blog post! It’s refreshing and I love looking at all the houses in the neighborhood. One of my favorite houses on our route is one that looks nearly identical to The Brady Bunch house (as a result, I’ve been watching several episodes of The Brady Bunch lately!)

I ended up going to the farmer’s market at a shopping center I frequent, which I hadn’t been to since the quarantine began. It was so crazy to see the parking lot empty, and also seeing my favorite Starbucks in this shopping center devoid of patio furniture and human beings:

Going to the farmer’s market was great because it felt familiar (I used to go sit with my friend at her vendor booth at farmer’s market nearly every Tuesday evening last spring/summer!). So it was really nice to go again; I got myself a Dalgona coffee and some sweets to take home. 💕 YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…

My outfit for the outing. 😁 Pattern mixing is so fun and for that extra flower power vibe, I sported my daisy hair clips (I’ll be making more of these soon!!! I ordered more daisy patches to make hair clips but in different colors. They will make any outfit I wear look ultra groovy).

🌸 See ya next time!! 🌸

Dance Off Under the Rain Clouds

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Hey, all!! 🌸

I’m sure by now it’s obvious how much I love flowers. So when my friend Sarah (who has been my walking-buddy during this quarantine, keeping a good distance as we stroll of course!) and I came upon this house with lush rose bushes in front, I had to stop to admire and get a photo with them.

Hanging out with the flowers.💕

The warm temps have been much welcomed for me, although on this day we walked, it cooled a little because there were rain clouds lingering. Everything felt damp and refreshing!

It started out as a normal walk (I led the way, as we always walk single-file at least six feet apart from each other), with the sun peeking through the rain clouds intermittently. We strolled through the affluent residential neighborhood, then down the long stretch of sidewalk lined with sweet-scented bushes and buzzin’ bees.

Then Sarah put on some oldies on her phone. It was at the climatic ending of Let’s Live for Today by The Grass Roots when I suddenly took off skipping full-speed down the sidewalk, like a crazed woman who suddenly let her inner child out.

Sha-la-la-la-la-la live for todaaay…and don’t worry ’bout tomorrow… as the song goes.

We kept on, Sarah being the DJ and taking requests. If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair…my song request by Scott McKenzie fluttered through the air like a butterfly. NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE…I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOOOOOOU, we sang along to Badfinger.

Our walk ended with us dancing around in the empty park until it got too chilly and the rain clouds took over.

Skipping and dancing – definitely not something I thought I’d find myself doing, and yet it was one of the most fun times I’ve had, and something I’ll always remember!

And what else did I learn??? That when it comes right down to it, my friend and I are two women in our thirties who just want to go outside and play, basically.

Rain clouds over the dance floor

See ya next time!! 💕