Tag: style

Band-Aid of Brothers: Brights vs. Pastels, the Battle

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I’ve mentioned it before on my blog, but to any new readers, Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose is one of my favorite books ever!! I first read it in high school as a freshman. Growing up without any kind of father figure/male role model around, this book was gold in my eyes; here were these men who were courageous enough to voluntarily parachute out of airplanes and straight into combat zones in World War II. I was HOOKED. 

I carried the book in my backpack as a freshman in high school. My name’s written in it, as I wanted to ensure that in case I ever misplaced it at school, it’d find its way back to me in the lost-and-found. By now, the pages are yellowed and there’s a section where the spine of the book is a little cracked. But I’ll never replace it for a newer copy! It has too much sentimental value. 

No lie, I still use these guys as inspiration for my own personal endurance. Such as, breaking into my new platform Mary Jane’s. I know I know…that’s no comparison to stuff that happened in WWII!!! But hear me out first. I went for a long walk in my new shoes recently, and dang, I really blistered up my feet. The trek back to my car was tough, but I kept telling myself, Men parachuted out of airplanes while bullets were firing at them from the ground!!! Men stormed the beaches of Normandy, while met by a hail of gunfire! You can handle the pain! You can slap a band-aid on all your blisters when you get home! Go go go!

So yeah, true story folks…that’s how I trek through the little uncomfortable things…and HEY! I did a photoshoot for my book because it’s pretty. 💕

And now for the battle. Okay, it’s not really a battle at all, so I’m sorry for the huge letdown, but I wanted there to be a nice flow to my blog title. One day this week I wore a bright outfit, and another day, soft pastels! I really can’t choose between the two because I love both brights and pastels. They’re both cool in their own ways, ya know? 😎

Flower brooch by the one…the only…THE TOTE TROVE!

I wore these cat hair clips that I made myself with the pastel outfit (they are kind of hard to see in the photos). 💖 Both heart rings in this post are made by me and available in my Etsy shop!

Also, any of y’all remember BEAR IN THE BIG BLUE HOUSE? That’s where my bear is from; I totally loved that show as a kid. Yep, I still sleep with the bear on my bed!

See ya next time!!! 🐱

Four Days of Easter-rific Outfits

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Easter is one of my favorite holidays!!! Happy Easter, folks! Honestly, it’s because of the pastel colors, Cadbury Eggs and hollow chocolate Easter bunnies. Yes, please! I also made sugar cookies, as you can see above!

This past week, I finally got my Etsy shop going again with new items! 💕 These are ring sets (in pairs of two). There’s the Rainbow Bright Set and the Pastel Dream Set. I’m super happy with how these turned out, and it feels great to be creating again. 💕

All of the Easter accessories I wore with these outfits (except for my rings) are from my childhood. I’m so glad I saved all of this stuff, seriously! Wearing things from when I was a kid helps me stay in touch with my inner child now as an adult. (“Stay in touch with”… who am I kidding, I’m still a woman child. I have no shame in that either!!)

I had a lot of fun coming up with these Easter-themed outfits. For a twist, I wore my spike collar, just to add something a bit ironic to the whole cutesy mix! I like the dichotomy! 🌷💜 For the orange and green ensemble, I was trying to look like A CARROT (note the carrot hair clips and necklace)!

Lastly, check out my new shoes from Dolls Kill!!! I love them sooooooooooo much!

Happy Easter to you!!! 🐰🌸

Samantha Goes Hawaiian and Finally Finds Her Creative Spark to Create New Jewelry

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Weeeeeee! I finally felt inspired to make some new RINGS! 💕 I’m so happy. These I made for myself, but I’ll make more in the near future to put on Etsy!

I haven’t made jewelry in at least a year; I’m not sure why I stopped, but sometimes my creativity comes to a standstill and I simply just be for a while. I’ve learned not to be too hard on myself for it either; I figure, it’s okay to just wait for creative inspiration to bloom, whenever that may be!

But I’m back at it, and it made me feel GREAT! So excited to make new stuff again.

The bunny ring is actually a cupcake topper, and I added the roses and the rhinestone eyeball! Right in time for upcoming Easter. 💖

Lastly, here’s my Hawaiian-themed look for the day. Hearing that it’s going to be in the 70’s for awhile apparently had a tropical influence over me!!! 😉 Also, I couldn’t decide between either yarn bows or butterfly clips so I wore both. *cue party music* I feel like a mildly edgier version of Gidget.

See ya next time!! 🌺

Mid-Century Vibes: My New Backyard Flamingos

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My backyard is complete with FLAMINGOS NOW!!!!! 💕 I have wanted some for a long time. I truly love my backyard, as it feels like a quirky little vacation spot for me to relax and enjoy nature!

My dress is from Jolly Vintage, and I did modify it by hemming it up shorter (it was originally past my knees). 💖

See ya next time!!

Taking a Magical Mystery Tour, Banay-Nay Frost in Hand

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Whenever I need a boost of cheer, I just reach for The Beatles’ 1967 album Magical Mystery Tour. It honestly lifts my spirits and feels like my soul went through the car wash. All sparkly clean afterwards!!

🎧 Roll uuuuuup…roll up for the Mystery Tour!!!
The Magical Mystery Tour is waiting to take you away…🎧

With such a peppy album opening as that, who wouldn’t be excited to hop on this tour bus? Also, flower-dotted fields and The Beatles in animal masks – where is this tour bus and why am I not on it?

In all seriousness, I really do love listening to this album because it feels like I’m in some kind of whimsical paradise that is both unfathomably beautiful and unsettlingly strange at the same time.

For example, my favorite song on the album is Strawberry Fields Forever. The first time I ever listened to it was in pitch-black darkness, late at night while lying in bed. I thought to myself, This is the most hauntingly beautiful song I’ve ever heard in my life…*tears fill eyes*. Then the song ended…well, I thought it ended.

There’s an end segment where the instruments gradually come back into earshot after you think the song’s over, but it sounds like it’s playing in reverse. John Lennon’s voice surfaces in the midst, but pitched lower, and he says either “Cranberry Sauce” or “I buried Paul” (it’s still debated on what he says – it kind of sounds like either phrase to me!)

Anyway, this unexpected assault on my eardrums made every hair on my arms stand up and I felt as if some invisible force was chasing me or something…I threw my headphones off and I could have PEED MY PANTS, I WAS SO TERRIFIED. I turned on all the lights in my bedroom and slept with them on, too.

See what I mean about both unfathomably beautiful and unsettlingly strange? Strawberry Fields Forever still remains one of my favorite songs of all time, because any song that can bring me to tears of pure joy and scare the pants off me deserves a standing ovation in my book!

My outfit looks like I’m ready to board the Magical Mystery Tour Bus. Also, I tried the BANAY-NAY FROST FROM DUTCH BROTHERS 🌷 …

Took that first sip and I swore I saw paradise. It is SO GOOOOOD…the flavor is banana and dark chocolate! Admittedly, I giggled when I said my order aloud. “Can I get a small Banay-nay Frost?” Tee heeeeee!

The Magical Mystery Tour album ends with All You Need Is Love, but I’d like to add, All You Need is Love and a Banay-Nay Frost. Just like the album, it’s paradise…paradise in a cup, that is.

See ya next time!!!

First Picnic of the Year – Thoughts Inside My Huge Hair Dome

Published on by hellosamanthadear10 Comments

I found my new favorite picnic spot!!! I went to Woodward Park and found a grassy hill that overlooks the valley. It was picturesque and I stayed here for a couple of hours. I foresee myself coming back to this spot regularly as the temperatures warm up! ❤️

Spring days are for wonder, daydreaming and reminiscing. As I grazed upon my homemade sandwich, carrots and raisins, my mind breezed back to fluffy feel-good memories of bygone times, like the best coffee drink I ever had (a Raspberry Kiss Mocha), long evening walks in the summer, or the time someone thought I was a Cuban boy. There’s something about spring that makes the mind wander and view everything through a dreamy lens…

I pop a couple of raisins in my mouth and chew, grinning to myself as I wonder, can I possibly remake that legendary raspberry mocha myself at home? The coffee shop I got it at ten years ago closed down. Darn it!!! Sometimes I dream of that coffee drink. In the soul-enriching sun rays of early spring, I believe anything is possible, even re-creating that dreamy coffee beverage myself.

Time for a bite of my egg sandwich. My mind wanders into a new thought aisle. The Cuban boy thing…that was probably the funniest thing I’ve ever been told in my entire life. It set the bar high; I never really cared that people thought I looked like a boy, but GOSH DANG it, it better at LEAST be a Cuban boy now. I close my eyes, listening to the sound of a squirrel running up a tree. If I were in Havana, would I give off Cuban boy vibes? As a geography nerd, I need to research more about the country, as my knowledge is limited. When I think of Cuba, I think of my celebrity forever-crush Desi Arnaz. Also, Cuban sandwiches.

Finally, I take a sip of my iced mocha, envisioning the future summer evening walks I have in store for myself. Many iced mochas will be drank, and I long for the feeling of heat on my skin. My eyes scan the flat, green horizon ahead of me, and just one lone thought now wanders into my head as the scent of blossoms fill my lungs. What exactly is a Cuban sandwich?

I smile to myself, further making passersby think I’m nuts. And gosh darn it, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

🌸🐝

Orange Bows, Orange Chairs, and Airplanes High Up in the Air

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The other day, I read a blog post over at The Tote Trove, and she mentioned the color orange. It got me thinking about how much I really love orange; it’s a color I think looks really nice on me and it makes me long for warmer days during this time of winter (I’m a heat gal; my favorite temperature range is 80 – 100 degrees). So I was inspired by her post and I wore bright orange today!

The yarn bows almost look red, but they’re actually neon orange! The second outfit is my new gingham dress that I recently purchased from H&M. 😃

On Thursday afternoon, I enjoyed a coffee treat at one of my favorite coffee shops, The Axis in Madera, CA. And one of my favorite things about this place are the ORANGE CHAIRS!!! Oh and of course, the amazing coffee!

There was rain expected later in the evening, so I watched the clouds roll in as I sat with my laptop and coffee drink that afternoon. I also enjoyed listening to the sounds of airplanes way up in the sky; not commercial planes, but those small planes. The sound of a passing small plane, where the engine sound gently fades away into the distance with a low hum, is one of my favorite sounds!! It always makes me think of WWII and airfields. Any time I hear it, I pause and really listen, letting my mind wander back in time.

So here’s to the little things we love, whether it’s a color, a coffee, watching the weather, or a certain sound that stirs up something within us. And in honor of Valentine’s Day, these are little things that really do make my heart soar. ❤️

‘Til next time!!

I’ll Take Two New Pairs of Socks and a Coke, Please

Published on by hellosamanthadear20 Comments

Hey, hey! ❤️ Finally I own a pair of black socks with white stripes; I have always wanted a pair like this! I have these and now, a burgundy pair of socks, which you’ll see in the second outfit. 😃

You can find these socks on Amazon, the striped ones here, and the burgundy ones here! I really love these outfits; they were fun to wear.

I have been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather here in Central California AND!!!!!!!!!!!! I TRIED THE NEW COFFEE-FLAVORED COCA COLA DRINK!

I enjoy a soda every now and then, and I knew I had to try this bad boy! (I was honestly pretty crazy-excited to try this).

There are three flavors: Vanilla, Dark Blend, and Caramel. I figured the Dark Blend would be too strong for me, and I don’t like Caramel. So Vanilla it was!!

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. That’s right, five stars! It has three layers of flavor you experience when you take a sip. First you taste Coke, then vanilla, and then after you’ve swallowed it, the coffee taste lingers on your tongue. An absolute joy! Drinking it was an experience and I savored each sip. ❤️

Boooom! See ya next time!

I Finally Own Yarn Hair Ribbons and Now I Feel Like I Can Take on Anything in Life

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Yarn hair ribbons…where do I even begin here? All I know is that I have been a fan of these super-cute retro hair accessories for as long as I can remember. They were actually kind of hard to find (I eventually found a pack on Amazon) because I specifically wanted thick ones, like back in the day. After some research, it seems they were most popular to wear during the 1960’s and 1970’s. Have I ever worn them myself? Nope – not until now, that is!! At last, it is my turn to wear these badges of retro honor.

A simple pack of bright yarn made me all kinds of happy; I’ll be wearing these incessantly, I’m betting. A new signature style for me, perhaps? I think yes!

So I’m bringing back yarn, and not for crafting, but for wearing proudly in my hair in all of its retro-quirky glory. Because I love to bring back old school things you’d see in a retro sitcom, like waving at my neighbors, smiling at strangers I pass by, and wearing hair yarn like I’m Cindy from The Brady Bunch. ❤️

Although, I’m like an extreme Cindy Brady with a creepy vibe who discovered heavy eye makeup and chokers.

I’m excited to wear all this brightly-colored yarn, honestly. I feel like it gives me superpowers (the superpower being confidence).

See ya next time!!!