Sami's Shenanigans: September 2012

Friday, September 28, 2012

Friday's Letters

TGIF friends!

I'm so excited about the positive response that came from my giveaway yesterday. I honestly picked things that I really loved, and I'm so glad that so many of you were excited about it!

If you haven't entered, don't forget to do so here.. it will be open for the week!

Dear New Girl,

You just might be my new favorite show, inching your way in front of Modern Family. The season premiere on Tuesday had me laughing so hard that tears were streaming down my face. I can't get enough of Schmidt and his one liners, they truly make the show!

Dear Oklahoma Friends,

This email got me even more excited for my trip. In just one month we will all be reunited and I honestly can't wait. There is nothing better than Stillwater, Oklahoma on a gameday and I've been missing it something fierce. I'll be counting down the days until I leave! Bestie time in the works.. yes please! Also, I am hoping to meet some of my fave bloggers and I can't wait.

Dear Dad,

Your birthday is tomorrow but your shoutout will be today. Happy Birthday! I couldn't ask for a better Dad and I don't know what I'd do without you. I owe my love of football to you ;) Can't wait to celebrate this weekend even though you don't like celebrating your birthday. I love you!

Dear Ashton and Mila,

I seriously think ya'll are an adorable couple! So much more natural than his ex-wife, not naming any names ~~Demi~~. I think we all saw this one coming ever since you were Kelso and Jackie, am I right? Oh, and the matching shirts? I die.

Dear Glitter Booties,

Thanks to Shanna, you are on your way to me for the lovely price of $50, instead of the $120 I was going to pay. I can't wait to rock you with pride! My feet will be looking good for Fall. Now I'm off to dream up all of the outfits I can wear you with!

Dear Loaner Car,

I miss you already. We had a great 24 hours together and then you were returned. My little Suzuki feels very unloved. I had seriously considered keeping you, but I didn't feel like tripling my car payment at this point in time. Let's hope we meet again in the future!

Dear Dana,

Words can not explain how excited I am to visit your beloved city of Chicago and have a girls weekend! Can't wait to turn this bloggy bff friendship into a real life one. I also can't wait to see that adorable son of yours.. he better be excited to meet his au pair/favorite faux aunt Sami. Oh, and I can't wait to run around Target like a maniac with you when we go to the Neiman Marcus collaboration release.

Pssst.. Chris and Steph, can't wait to see you two as well :)

Linking up with Miss Ashley here.

Have a fabulous weekend friends!

See you Monday for ~~This Weekend I...~~ Weekend Update.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Sami's Favorite Things- a GIVEAWAY!

Hello Lovies!

I have a little surprise for you all today!

How about a giveaway..

of some of my favorite things?!

Most of you probably don't know this, but back when I reached 100 followers I did a super fun giveaway with my girl, Dana. We picked out the winning prizes, Dana shopped, and we split the cost down the middle. I loved it and it made me so happy to giveaway something that I truly loved. Well, in honor of reaching 500 followers I am going to do that again.

one. Target Extra Large Boyfriend Watch

I've had this watch for a few weeks and I love it so much! It goes with everything and I've been wearing it more than both my Michael Kors and my Timex. It's going to be a great piece for Fall with all of my new gold jewelry!

two. She's The Man on DVD

Ya'll this is movie is in my top 5 favorite movies! I always watch it when I need to laugh because it just cracks me up. Plus, Channing Tatum? Enough said. Also, I'd like to point out that at this time Amanda Bynes was making funny movies and not acting like a crazy person.

three. Revlon ColorBurst Lip gloss in "Fire"

If you really knew me, you would know I hate lipstick but I love wearing color on my lips. Insert this amazing lip gloss.. it gives a gorgeous pop of red color in lip gloss form and I love it. Plus it stays on your lips pretty much all day long. A win, win in my book!

four. Derng Bricke in Gold & Silver

Derng was one of the very first Etsy shops I ever purchased from and now they've expanded to their own website, and they still make amazing jewelry. This was the very first thing I purchased and I wear these almost every day. What's great is you can wear them together or one at a time! They are the perfect chain link bracelet.

five. Essie "Skirting the Issue"

I've only had this polish for a month and I already know it will be my go to Fall color. It is the most gorgeous deep red "oxblood" color and it is perfect! It looks stunning by itself, but I've also paired it with rose gold for a french mani and it was just as perfect.

six. Candy Corn

How could I have a giveaway during this time of year and not include candy corn? Not only are they great for decor, but they are so delicious! These really don't need an explanation.

But wait.. that's not all ;)

Two fabulous bloggers and talented friends have offered to giveaway two items that I have and love:

Dana from five30three
A gorgeous one-of-a-kind bracelet that she made me for my birthday.
Yes, that means the winner and I will be bracelet twins ;)

Kelly from Keeping Up with Kelly & Co.
A coffee cozy of your choice from her Etsy shop Cedar Street Creatives.
I'm partial to the Oklahoma State one of course, but they are all super cute!

So there ya go, 8 fun prizes that I actually own and adore and want you to do the same.

One winner takes all and the giveaway will be open until next Thursday at 12am.

Enter below and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

September Birchbox Review

Hi Friends!

I planned on doing my Birchbox review today, and I still am but I had a big fat blogger fail and forgot to take pictures of my box so I'll be using pictures from the Birchbox website. Oh well, they take better pictures than I do anyways!

This month's theme was

The September Issue

I thought it was a really cute play on the fashion magazines and September being their most important month. They included a "beauty mag" of tips and tricks as well as a coupon to Madewell so they did a good job of keeping with the theme!

What's in the box?

one. LiQWd Voluminizing Shampoo and Conditioner

I haven't had a chance to use these yet, but it's for good reason. You see.. I have thin hair but a lot of it and it's got a lot of volume. In fact, most of the time I use products to make it sleeker. This product is formulated to make each strand appear fuller so I'm not sure how that's going to work with my hair. I'll use it when I don't have plans to go anywhere and report back! Let's hope I don't look like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket.

two. LiQWd Voluminizing Catalyst

So I haven't used this product yet either, but I'm more excited to try this one than the shampoo and conditioner. It's supposed to be a heat protecting spray that doesn't weigh hair down and I like the sound of that. I only use heat products on my hair every 3 days, but I still want to protect it when I do and this sounds perfect! Stay tuned for my thoughts.

three. Bvlgari Mon Jasmin Noir perfume

I am SO sick of perfume samples. Every once in a while I get them and love them but I don't love getting one in every single box. I can go to the mall and get these samples for free so please stop sending them in my box! This one smells nice but it's crazy expensive so.. no thanks.

four. Dr. Jart Water Fuse Beauty Balm

Ehhh, not a fan! This product is great for someone with dry or sensitive skin but it's not good for my extremely oily skin. It slides right off and that ain't cute. I have heard really good things about the Dr. Jart Premium Beauty Balm and I'm dying to try that one! I had already used this product from my Mom's Birchbox a few months ago so if anyone wants this full, unused sample, let me know!

five. Color Club "Insta-this" Nail polish

Color Club and Birchbox came out with this adorable line together and I was so excited to get this color because it's my favorite of the four they came out with! I had been eyeing a Butter London royal blue color so this was perfect. Then the worst happened.. as I was unwrapping it from the tissue paper, I dropped it and it shattered all over my kitchen floor. I never even got to use it! I'm probably going to use my Birchbox points to buy a new bottle :(

six. Twistband Lace print hair tie

I LOVE twistband hair ties and Birchbox can send them to me anytime they want! I've recently been inspired to make my own, but that would require me to go and get the materials to make them and who knows when that will happen. Until then, I will continue to love these and how they don't pull or snag on my luscious locks. Plus they look cute on your wrist!

In previous months I was going back and forth on keeping my subscription and for the time being I'm loving Birchbox and planning on keeping it. My mom gets Glossy Box and while it's prettier than Birchbox, I just don't see enough difference to pay the extra $11. I was also really impressed with Birchbox when I went in to Sephora and saw them selling quite a few of the brands from the last couple of boxes. I have to remember that just because I don't automatically recognize a brand name, doesn't mean it's not a great brand.

Do you get a Birchbox?

If not and you're interest, join here!

Ps. Tomorrow I am launching a really fun giveaway to celebrate 500 followers and it features 8 prizes all going to one lucky gal! Be sure to check back and enter :)

Have a great Wednesday!

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Fashions Hits & Misses- Emmy's

Hello Lovelies!

I have a lot of get into today so we better jump right in..

The 64th Annual Primetime Emmy's

HITS

Tina Fey in Vivienne Westwood

I could not love this dress more. This is the best Tina has ever looked and this shape is killer on her body! I also love the use of Fall's biggest color "Ox blood". Snaps for you girl! The hair and makeup is also really working on her.

Zooey Deschanel in Reem Acra

I about fell out of my chair when I saw this! So proud of Zooey for doing something so lady like and pretty, and NOT wearing tights. Love this color, and her hair and makeup are flawless. She's so pretty and delicate!

Kerry Washington in Vivienne Westwood

Ohh girl, this is how you do a sequin on the red carpet! I wish I could see this dress in person, it is just so gorgeous. Kerry is very good about picking dresses that work on her body and skin tone. Also, I am so excited for Scandal to come back on because I love that show! You go girl.

Jane Levy in Pamela Roland

I was really shocked when this didn't show up on any Best Dressed lists and it's probably because she isn't very well known. Do you watch Suburgatory? It's pretty funny! This royal blue works amazingly well with her hair and skin tone and this fit is perfection! Totall gorgeous on her, love it.

Sofia Vergara in Zuhair Murad

This dress got some loves and some hates but I love it! Sofia has an amazing body and if I had one like it, I too would always wear a form fitting gown. If she wore something different or loose, everyone would complain that it wasn't flattering. I have no idea how old she is but it's clear she doesn't age! Plus that engagement ring is to die. Again, you go girl!

Ginnifer Goodwin in Monique Lhullier

Again, either you loved or you hated it and I say yes, love! This could have been bad had it not been styled correctly, but from the shoes to the hair and makeup.. the whole thing just really works for me. It's different, but that color is going to be huge for fall and I love a good embellishment so I'm all for it! Plus, is she not the cutest thing ever?

MISSES

Julianne Hough in Georges Hobeika

A lot of people really liked this dress and yes, everyone's entitled to an opinion.. but I hated it. While the color is pretty, this is too beauty queen gone wrong for me. The top has the pleats and piping and the bottom has the scales. It's just too much mermaid for me and I'm not a fan of her hair. Not the best she's ever looked in my opinion.

Julianna Margulies in Giambattista Valli

Again, this was well liked but I didn't care for it. I don't think floral has a place on the red carpet because it's too matronly and too grandma. Imagine this dress in a bold jewel tone. Much better right? The hair was boring and the lack of jewelry makes her look very bare. She's a gorgeous woman and this does nothing for her.

Kristen Wiig in Balenciaga

You're killing me Kristen! She's so pretty but she picks the most out there outfits that just don't make any sense. How does this dress even come close to being red carpet appropriate? It's too 70's boho chic for me. When in doubt.. always go with formal girl! Loving this hair color on her though.

Elizabeth Moss in Dolce & Gabbana

Again with the floral and then add in a mullet and some ruffles? I think not. Pretty girl in a very unfortunate dress. Her hair does nothing for me either. Too much going on and she would have looked much better in something simple.

Portia de Rossi in Valentino

What in the actual you know what is going on here? I don't have any words for this. Yep, you're right. For the first time in my life.. I'm speechless. Ellen why'd you let your woman out of the house in this? Eeeeek.

Ashley Judd in Carolina Herrera

No, no, no, no! This is all wrong, from the scary hair to the satin atrocity below. It's really a shame because Ashley is so pretty but this does not even come close to working on her, or anyone for that matter. She should probably take some tips from Kate Walsh! They are similar age and Kate always rocks it and looks glowing.

MARCHESA

Sarah Hyland
I think this dress is gorgeous, but I would have loved to see it in a different color. Her and Georgina designed it especially for the Emmy's which explains why it wasn't from the runway, but how gorgeous would it have been in that magenta color? This just doesn't do a lot for her and she's so pretty. Loving her hair though!

Hayden Panettiere
I absolutely adored this dress on the runway (you can see my NYFW post here for a glimpse) but I don't love it on Hayden. You know who this dress would have been perfect on? Heidi Klum. She's more statuesque and it would have been more age appropriate. I also wish Hayden's bun would have had more volume? It just fell short.

Sort of a disappointing turn out for Marchesa but I'm sure they will redeem themselves come the Golden Globes and the Oscars!

Did you watch the Emmy's?
What were your hits & misses?
Leave them in the comments!

Monday, September 24, 2012

Weekend Update Blog Hop

Hello Lovers!

It's that time again..

Weekend Update Blog Hop!

Here's the deal:

Write a post about your weekend

Grab our button

Link-up

Meet new friends!

Sounds like fun right?

*All we ask is that you add our button or include a link-back to us.*

We do go through and read/comment on all of the posts so unfortunately,

if you don't give us any credit we will have to delete your submission!

We don't want to do that though, so please play by the rules :)

a. You won't catch me drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte but I do love a good Pumpkin Wheat! Very fitting for the first weekend of Fall. b. My Friday night. Pizza, Beer, and What to Expect When You're Expecting. I thought it was a cute movie but not my fave, loved Chace Crawford though! c. Lily doesn't like it when I get up from our cuddling sessions without her permission. d. Gorgeous sunset!

a. Accidental froyo overdose! b. Saw these boots at Aldo and couldn't stop thinking about them. A poll on Instagram said I should definitely buy them so I might be going back to snag them in the next couple of days. They are so perfect how could I say no? c. Finds from a Saturday shopping trip. Love these orange necklaces from Francesca's. I've been looking everywhere for the right color and these are perfect! d. Matzo ball soup helps soothe a tough football loss for the Denver Broncos!

OOTD for the Denver Broncos game Nordstrom shirt, Francesca's necklace, Target watch, Derng bracelet, Alex and Ani bracelet, BaubleBar bracelet, and gold sparkle Toms.

Dad and I at the game! It was so hot, but our seats were awesome. The outcome of the game wasn't ideal but we still had a great time! What did you do this weekend? Link-up and share!

Friday, September 21, 2012

Friday Favorites

Hey girls hey!

We've made it to Friday yet again! Get I get an AMEN?!

This week was certainly not my favorite but the great news is that once it's over..

a new one starts that is bound to be better!

Thank god for that, right?

Today I am linking up with my favorite Vegas living vixen who I hope returns to the blogosphere soon.. Lindsey aka Miss Bargain Blonde! We miss you lady!

Favorite Blogger

Whitney @ I Wore Yoga Pants Oh goodness, I'm quite sure that you'll be sick of me talking about this lady here in about a month but guess what? You can thank me later! This girl is funny, witty, and adorable. She has managed to crack me up all week and we've even got something up our sleeves for you wonderful readers. Stay tuned! Oh, and while you're waiting.. go check her out! Favorite Weekend Plan

This weekend I am headed to the Denver Broncos game with my Dad to watch them beat the Houston Texans ;) Just kidding, I hope they win but I'm not betting on it. I'm just excited to spend time with my Dad, doing one of my favorite things! The weather should be gorgeous and it's going to be a blast. Don't let me down Peyton! Favorite Purchase

Ann Taylor LOFT Pleated Color Pop Skirt I decided to wander into Ann Taylor LOFT last weekend since they were having a 40% off Sale. It's usually very hit or miss for me in there, but luckily I was able to find a few things. This little number was my favorite find. I absolutely cannot wait to rock this little number with a black and white sweater and tights when I head to Stillwater next month! Ps. It's showing up as $54.99 online but I purchased it for $14.99 so I would suggest going into the store to look for it. Favorite Song

Glee- Artie and Blane Boys/Boyfriend Last night was the Britney 2.0 episode of Glee and I loved every second of it. I have and always will be a Britney fan so I loved that they did some of her older music and lesser known songs. "Boys" happens to be one of my all-time favorites and I loved the mash-up they created with Justin Beiber's "Boyfriend". Plus Artie and Blane? Love them and their voices. I downloaded the whole episode playlist and will be jamming at work today. Favorite Show

I know I'm a little late to the club but I am loving Parenthood! I just started watching the first season last weekend and now I'm hooked. While I don't love that I find myself tearing up every 10 minutes, I love the cast and the story line. It's great! Don't be surprised if I spend all day Saturday watching it on Netflix ;) What were your favorites this week? Link-up and share! Have a fabulous weekend and see you Monday for Weekend Update!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

I Believe In..

Hey lovelies!

I'm so excited about today's post!
Erin over at Living in Yellow announced she was doing a link-up called "I Believe In.." and I just couldn't say no. I decided to keep mine on the fun side, but I threw in a couple serious ones too. Enjoy! Oh and remember.. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all :)

Source: via on

I believe in.. laughing until your stomach hurts.

I believe in.. saying I love you, everyday.

I believe in.. wearing leopard as a neutral.

I believe in.. rescuing animals.

I believe in.. being able to marry the person you love whether it's a man or woman.

I believe in.. taking personal days.

I believe in.. being silly.

I believe in.. a great oufit's way of giving you confidence.

I believe in.. the Oklahoma State Cowboys!

I believe in.. standing up for yourself.

I believe in.. long-distance frienships.

I believe in.. everyone's ability to change the world.

Source: weheartit.com via on

I believe in.. sparkles making everything better.

I believe in.. always having my nails painted.

I believe in.. baking and it's calming abilities.

I believe in.. fate.

I believe in.. my family.

I believe in.. shopping, often.

I believe in.. karma, and she's a real bitch.

I believe in.. accepting others and their differences.

I believe in.. sleeping in on the weekends.

I believe in.. doing what makes you happy.

I believe in.. car dance parties.

I believe in.. blogging.

I believe in.. MYSELF.

Source: via on

What do you believe in?

Link-up with Living in Yellow and share!

Have a great day!

She Gonna Party Like it's Her Birthday

Hey Ya'll!

It's about time I recap my birthday shenanigans, seeing as how it's been over a week since all of the fun went down. It's not ideal to have a weekday birthday but don't you worry I made the best of it!

My day started early at work, but my free birthday Starbucks made the morning a little better. My coworkers brought in bagels and lemon cheesecake and we also had Maggiano's (for another co worker's anniversary) catered in for lunch. It was delicious!

At 3:30 on the dot, I skipped out of work and went to meet my girl Grace so we could head to Downtown Denver and kickoff the fun! We headed to few bars before the game to get drinks and chit chat. Around 6:30 we headed to Coors Field and it started RAINING! Boo Colorado weather. We still sat in our awesome seats and unfortunately watched the Rockies lose to the Giants :(

Ps. I love me some Moscow Mules but when I order one and it shows up as vodka and hard apple cider, I will not be happy! Ginger beer or nothing, duh!

Grace and I at the game. We made sure to wear purple to be festive, of course! In case you weren't aware, I am not the biggest baseball fan but I like to go for the whole experience. You know the beer, hot dogs, ~~boys in tight pants,~~ and fun! We were laughing and cracking jokes the whole time and the people around us were either totally annoyed or genuinely amused. We will never know.

Let's talk presents. Can I just say that I was completely spoiled?

a. Jewelry from Leeann, Dana, Rachel, and Grace. I was cracking up because I am a silver girl like 95% of the time but looks like I have to be a gold girl now! I love all of it and I'm so glad those sweet girls pushed me out my comfort zone.

b. Birthday cards are the best. Dana and Rachel got me the same one, which is about drinking daily which I found so hilarious! Not to be biased but the one on the bottom is probably my favorite. My sweet 5 year old cousin drew us together and it's the cutest thing ever!

c. My amazing parents got me a beautiful and huge flat screen HD TV and my sweet aunt and uncle got me an awesome wireless blu-ray player! I feel like such an adult with nice things like this ;)

d. My besties Katie and Alex sent me this adorable Maybook. Since my Erin Condren goes through December I am trying to hold off on using it, but it's hard because I like it so much more!

Sadly, it came to an end.. like all birthdays do.

Cheers to 23! I can already tell it's going to be a great year.

Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Let's talk Runway- NYFW Spring 2013

Hello Lovies!

First things first..

This happened yesterday and it made my whole day!

It's hard to believe that just 9 months ago I started this blog and now we're here.

I can't thank you guys enough, truly.

Now onto the good stuff..

FASHION.

If I discussed all of my favorite lines from NYFW we would be here all day,

so I'll stick to my two go-to faves.. Marchesa and Zac Posen.

What can I say? I just adore a good American fashion designer.

Marchesa

Ya'll know I live and die for Marchesa, and I think Keren and Georgina can work wonders with fabric and a dress form. If I'm being completely honest though, this wasn't my favorite collection. They still have all of that incredible detail and sparkle, but there just wasn't enough drama for me. One of my favorite techniques that they do is texture and volume and there was hardly any to be seen. I missed the big ball gown moment. Below, are the five looks I did love. I would live in those sparkle leggings and I adore the pink and blue tones. So gorgeous! The lace and draping were incredible, as usual.

Zac Posen

I know it's silly but part of what makes me love Zac Posen so much, is how darn cute he is! I just want to be friends with him so bad. That aside, this collection was pure glamour. There was obvious retro inspiration, but the whole thing was beautiful and there were such great pieces. I loved the fabrics, I couldn't get enough of the shimmering satin, delicate tulle and the floral patterns. He did some truly amazing work with lines and it made each piece really stand out. I am completely obsessed with the cream corset. Oh, and Coco Rocha in the final gown? Breathtaking.