Fall Haul

Fall Haul

Over the last few weeks, I have been on quite a spending spree of all things fall themed. The stores are stocked to the brim with fall inspired gems that get me so excited and giddy for the upcoming season.

I thought I would share a few fun things I’ve purchased the last few weeks and maybe help spark your spirit. Warning: This is incredibly random


 

Treat yo self. I stopped at a brand new Nordstrom Rack that opened up by my house and picked up a few fun things (also threw in a Lush item). Not exactly sure who allowed this store to open up so close to me considering my will power is non existent, but nonetheless IT DID.

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♥ Mario Badescu rose water & aloe facial spray – heard amazing things and was so so excited to pick this lil guy up for just five dollars (reviews to come).

Rose Gold Stainless Steel Bottle (was able to find a link!!) Using this bad boy now for the first time and I am literally obsessed. I didn’t know a water bottle could put me in such a good mood but I guess it’s just the little things, ya know!? Keeps my water cold all day and there’s no sweating, not to mention its rose gold so…

♥ Anti Aging facial masks- really enjoyed my first time trying these out!

♥ Lush Honey Bee Bath Bomb- stopped in lush for the first time in what feels like ages and bought myself a little cute bath bomb. Honey is one of my favorite scents (honey I washed the kids soap is EVERYTHING) & was so excited to see they had this bath bomb. However, I was informed they are discontinuing this item *sheds real tears*


 

Going into fall I desperately needed a transition pair of shoes to help take me from birkenstocks to booties.  I knew immediately that slip ons were the answer, and went straight to the Vans store to pick up a pair. I’m obsessed and have worn them with every one of my outfits!

 

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*Blacks out and orders another pair of Vans*

TO MY DEFENSE… Urban Outfitters was having an extra 40% off on sale items and it would have been morally wrong if I didn’t get them. If I’m being honest, I really saw myself trotting around London in these and from there my debit card was just doomed. 

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*All the twinkle light everywhere* Nothing screams cozy quite like twinkle lights. Shoutout to my dad for buying these christmas lights that I have been on the search for. Quite a random haul item but I love the way they make my room look & feel. I don’t know what it is but they just shine bright like diamonds and make me feel some type of way. Definitely a fall necessity if I do say so myself. 

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Food, food, food! I stopped by Trader Joe’s (thank you Amanda for the inspo) for some basic pumpkin flavored necessities. Blacked out, once more. Two boxes of pumpkin macaroons, two bags of pumpkin flavored tortilla chips, and two boxes of pumpkin waffles later, Trader Joe’s did things to my soul. Go now. You will not regret it. You’ll just end up with doubles of everything in fear that you’ll never see it again. 

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Moral of the story is… pumpkin everything. 

Meet you here again soon,

Sami

 

Fall Fever With Wanderess World

Fall Fever With Wanderess World

Fall is in the air, or at least I thought it was before mother nature sprung 83 degrees our way. 

There are few things better than fall fashion, one of them being the infinite pumpkin flavored items that are stocked on every stores shelves (this was proven to be true when I tried pumpkin flavored tortilla chips and macaroons for the first time WOW). 

I find the best season to experiment with fashion ends up being the fall. The weather is just right and our favorite stores finally get their heads back in the game and hand us coveted trends on a silver platter. 

One of my favorite humans that I have mentioned too many times to count; Nicole, was dressed in the THE perfect fall outfit. OUTFIT OF THE DAY TIME LEZ DO IT.

CAUTION: PERFECT HUMAN AHEAD

For this look Nicole is wearing  ⇓⇓

Frayed & ripped skinny jeans, paired with an off the shoulder quarter sleeve top both from Urban Outfitters, open toed nude booties from Dolce Vita for Target, a patterned orange scarf from India, and all da jewels from Free People mixed with Urban.

 

 

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I mean…. need I say more???

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If you are unsure of how to handle fall fashion, have no fear. Finding the basics is the most important step, and then from there Zara is your playground. Having a good pair of ripped jeans can take you a really long way. Not to mention nude booties can take you from school, to dinner to a night out on the town. 

Being that fall fashion is my favorite, I am SO excited for future outfit posts. I haven’t been online shopping instead of sleeping just for shits and giggles ya know. 

Also, shout out to my badass blondie girlfrand Nicole for allowing me to take an aggressive amount of photos of her. Check out Nicole on her blog, Wanderess World as well as her Instagram

Meet you here again soon:)

Sami 

Feeling Zen

Feeling Zen

I know I know, it’s time I stop talking about chokers. Or is it? I just can’t help it, okay!?

When I come across a good deal on something I love, I feel the need to share it with others! I came across a brand called UltimateZen  via Instagram, and have been hooked ever since. 

UltimateZen sells their chokers and other products on Etsy which is a jewelry addicts dream, with unbeatable prices. 

I was given the opportunity to try out some of these chokers and I have been wearing them with almost every outfit. Take a look:

 

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Blush Velvet Choker 

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Blush Velvet Choker 

 

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Kimiko Petite Wrap Necklace

 

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Mini O Seiki Choker 

My favorite so far is the gold Mini O Seiki choker. One of my favorite things to do is layer dainty necklaces and this one is perfect for just that. The blush velvet choker is a must have as well and adds the perfect pop to a monochromatic or funky look. 

Check out some of these chokers if you want to add a little spunk to your fall wardrobe:)

Meet you here again soon,

Sami 

UltimateZen Etsy Shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/UltimateZen?ref=condensed_trust_header_icon_items

Lets talk: Colourpop

Lets talk: Colourpop

Well I finally did it. I let my will power (that I never really had to begin with) disappear into thin air as I placed my order with Colourpop #onlineshoppingaddictionstillgoingstrong.

 Quite frankly, I am not sure why it took me so long to do so!

I placed an order with Colourpop during their Labor Day promotion (if you spent a certain amount you would get a certain number of items free) and of course I spent the amount that allowed me to get all 5 items for free #prayforsami2016.

I was SO unbelievably excited to receive my order in the mail and it’s safe to say it completely exceeded my expectations. 

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Let’s get into what I purchased shall we?!


Eyeshadow:

Sequin, La La, Tang, Stereo, Nillionaire

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Swatches top to bottom: Flexitarian Face Highlighter, La La Eyeshadow, Sequin Eyeshadow

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Above NO FLASH, below FLASH

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Lips:


Lippie Stix top to bottom: Brink, Bound, Tootsi, Lumiere  

Ultra Matte Lip top to bottom: Viper, Love Bug, Time Square, Notion

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Ultra Matte Lip top to bottom: Times Square, Notion, Viper, Love Bug

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Let’s talk:

I have to say, after experimenting with some of these products I’M IN LOVE. I am not only blown away by the price (nothing was more than 8 dollars), but the quality compares and beats some of my higher end makeup. 

The Lippie Stix in particular are my favorites. I am not one to throw on a lip product and go on my merry way, mostly because I usually stop at chapstick. However, the Lippie Stix are incredibly light weight while giving you the perfect amount of color. Not to mention, they are so moisturizing. 

The eyeshadows and highlighter are so buttery and smooth and you couldn’t ask for better color pay off, especially at the price AM I RIGHT LADIES. 

If you are lacking in the eyeshadow, lip or highlighter department I would highly recommend checking out Colourpop! Just in time for fall ♥ 

Hope you enjoyed this post! Many more to come:)

Meet you here again soon,

Sami 

Sit Down With Sami Podcast ft. Nicole

Sit Down With Sami Podcast ft. Nicole

Shalom friends!

This past week for my journalism class, we were assigned something quite different. As an avid podcast listener I never pictured myself making one of my own, but I ended up doing just that! This week I sat down with my beautiful fashionista friend Nicole and chatted about all things fashion. 

We dove right into an article I found on Elle which displayed all of the hottest trends that are making their way from the runway to our coveted department stores. Lets just say… some of them should definitely stay there.

Check out my podcast and Sit Down Sami (ha! clever am I right?) Let me know your thoughts on these trends and if some of them hurt your soul just like they did mine.

 

 

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Don’t forget to check out Nicole on social media and over on her blog

 

Meet you here again soon,

Sami 

What’s In My Bag?

What’s In My Bag?

If you read one of my latest blog posts, you would know that I received a gorgeous Saint Laurent handbag for my birthday. (If you haven’t read it go check it out here). Being that I showed you the outside I thought it was only right to show you the inside as well.

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I am an avid watcher of Youtube, and one of my favorite videos to binge watch has always been “what’s in my bag” videos. There is just something about seeing what another girl keeps in her handbag that intrigues me. Plus, I’m nosy when it comes to this stuff and love getting ideas for myself.

Whenever I get a new bag, the first thing I want to do is organize it. In most circumstances it doesn’t remain that pristine for long, but this bag is WAY too special to me for me to allow it to get cluttered (if you opened up my suitcase sized Longchamp you would discover that I am in fact a hoarder). 

So what is in my bag you ask? Lets see!


 

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I like to keep a makeup bag to store all of those items we find ourselves needing throughout the day. I am THAT girl that has a life supply of Advil, floss, probably a first aid kit, 97 bandaids, probably a blow dryer and maybe even a game of Twister. Who knows man.

 

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In my makeup bag: spare contact case, eye drops, Advil, floss (not kidding I am literally a lunatic), First Aid Beauty Lip Therapy, mini Wet Brush, DKNY rollerball perfume, Burts Bees Chapstick, Pacifica Blood Orange hand lotion, Tarte large powder brush, Makeup Forever HD Matifying powder, Elf Blotting Sheets, Chanel Mascara, Sephora Mirror, Orbit gum, Colourpop Lippie Stix 

 

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My new little babes that I just found, from Forever 21. Mirrored lenses (that look black in this photo) with clear frames that I have been searching for for SO long.

 

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My personal “Oh Shit Kit” that has been the perfect storage for coupons, gift cards and receipts that I don’t want to lose! (Thank you Dara) (Purchased on Etsy)

 

Not shown: Wallet & phone, but those are a given! What do you keep in your bag? I hope you enjoyed♥

 

Meet you here again soon,

– Sami 

 

 

 

Let us snack: Graze

Let us snack: Graze

If you are a student, person on the go, or just an all around snack lover like myself, Graze is about to become your new best friend.

Living a healthy lifestyle is so incredibly important to me and keeping up with it while going from class to class tends to be a struggle that I’ve been working to fix. Not to mention, snacking can become quite dangerous if you’re not reaching for the right ones. 

Not only are these snacks portion controlled so you can’t over indulge like most of us do on a roll of Oreos, but the options are endless. When I say endless I mean over 100 snacks to choose from aka regardless if you have a sweet tooth or a salty tooth, you’re set. 

I was sent a box of amazing snacks from Graze to try, and spent this week doing just that! Let’s take a look:)


 

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ON TO THE SNACKS:

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1. Kettle Corn Kern Pops 2. Protein Cashew Kick 3. Zesty Lime & Red Pepper Salsa with Pita Chips 4. Cocoa & Vanilla Protein Flapjack

 

 

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5. Hazelnut, peanut, cranberry & raisin mix 6. Strawberries and Cream Granola Topper 7. Pumpkin & Sunflower Soy Roasted Seeds 8.Almond, Carrot & Apple mix

 

HOW good do these snacks look!? Like I said, this last week I spent time trying out these snacks for myself. So here are some of my favorites ↓

Cocoa & Vanilla Flapjack– SO good. The perfect pre workout snack and reminded me of cocoa krispies from my childhood days *sigh*

Protein Cashew Kick- If you like yourself a nice trail mix, you will definitely enjoy this one. The dried chickpeas were my favorite part not to mention it has got quite a kick to it if you like spicy food!

Kettle Corn Kern Pop– Need I say more?

Strawberries & Cream Protein Granola Topper- Great for on top of some yogurt, or by itself as a snack!

 

Those were just a few of my favorites out of this Graze box. Who doesn’t love snacking? Be sure to check out Graze and try out a box of your own!!

 

Meet you here again soon,

Sami 

Standouts of September

Standouts of September

It has been way too long since I’ve talked about my current favorites. So what better day than today!? I feel like I’ve dabbled quite a bit with some cool items and have accumulated a few new favs from fashion, to beauty to music that I would love to share! (Warning: these are incredibly random). 

Sidenote: You know it’s been a successful month when you discover a new podcast (In the Dark) and finally pick up a book after way too much time using Netflix as a time passer (this is what happens when you break the sound on your computer and have no other choice). 

On to the favorites ♥♥

 

TJ Maxx Rose Planner • Beauty Blender Duplicate (TJ Maxx) • Lululemon Align Crop Leggings Maybelline Better Skin Foundation • OPI Mod About You • Girl On The Train Book • Weekend- Mac Miller ft. Miguel • Cool Girl- Tove Lo • Bad Remix- Wale ft. Rihanna • Colourpop Lippie Stix • Conair Infiniti Curling Iron • In The Dark Podcast 


 

What are your current favs? Let a girl know! Also- on the search for my next book and podcast so if you have any suggestions I would love to hear it.

*EXTRA FAVORITE* 

This amazing little post from celebrity journalist Keltie Knight, on an article I had written for my internship with The Odyssey that is now posted on The Ladygang website:) High key one of the best moments ever. Check it out! ↓

http://theladygang.com/blog/2016/7/31/10-struggles-every-girl-has-had-when-applying-makeup

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Meet you here again soon,

-Sami 

Fringe Fever

Fringe Fever

Somehow almost a month ago I turned 21. What? How and why is time moving so quickly?! My birthday was nothing shy of amazing, however adjusting to the lifestyle of a 21 year old is definitely something my body has to work on. 

On this day that is August 18th, I also received the most amazing gift. It’s simply beautiful, breathtaking, amazing, perfectly cognac, and my new child. Yes, I am referring to a pocketbook.

 


 

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I cannot BEGIN to explain the emotions that came over me when I opened this gift. It is THE most perfect pocketbook that I have ever laid my eyes on, and took me 3 weeks to build up the courage to take out of the box and into the real world. (No, I am not stable).Everything about this Saint Laurent bag screams classic, everlasting, and transitional.

One of the biggest trends that has been lingering for years now, and will remain for many more years to come, is fringe. I absolutely love the look of fringe and was so excited to see the fringe detail on either side of the bag. I decided to take it for a walk on the streets and take some pictures and I have to say, it looks just as beautiful behind a camera. 

 

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One of my favorite parts of this bag is the fact it came with a crossbody strap. I LIVE for a crossbody bag and not having to carry the weight on my arm is something I am always on the hunt for. 

If you are in the market for a new bag, I highly recommend experimenting with fringe. It’s fun and adds some flare while still remaining sophisticated and simple. It’s the perfect enhancement on a bag without being too in your face. 

I found some amazing fringe bags that incorporate the fringe look for those gals out there looking for a new fall pocketbook. Take a look!

1. Free People Night Out Crossbody

 

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2. Ecote Fringe Bucket Bag

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3. Nasty Gal Leather Fringe Bag

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4. Dixie Fringe Suede Fringe Crossbody Bag *(On sale, and featured in one of my latest blog posts! Love this bag, amazing quality)*

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I love all of these bags not to mention their neutral colors that can go with any outfit you put on. Give them a look:)

Meet you here again soon,

Sami 

TREND ALERT: Chokers!?

TREND ALERT: Chokers!?

I think we can all agree that if anything has come back in style.. its chokers. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE and I love them. I’ve been finding that if my outfit is lacking in something, I can throw on a choker and it tops it off perfectly. 

Being that they are literally everywhere, it has become quite easy to find a million different styles that can accommodate any look. My collection has been growing slowly but surely and as it does I have been working to incorporate different versions of the classic choker look. 

Fortunately for fast fashion and our wallets, finding affordable chokers is so easy to do right now. You can go to Nordstrom and spend a pretty penny, or you can go the inexpensive route and buy a plethora. Which c’mon… who wouldn’t. 

I have gathered a list of my top 5 favorite chokers. Although I couldn’t find my exact ones, I have found similar and affordable versions that do the trick. In doing so, I may or may not have blacked out and purchased a few more. The world may never know. 

1. Classic Velour Choker  – A classic simple choker can take you a very very long way my friend. There are so many colors to chose from which is so fun, and they are so simple and easy to throw on with a busy outfit. Not to mention this one is under 5 dollars? Whattttt.

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2. Self Tie Velvet Choker – I’ve been seeing these everywhere, and love the way they look. It almost reminds me of a blouse that ties in the front. There is something so simple about this choker but it still adds a statement. Throw on a vneck tee with some ripped up jeans and you’ve got yourself a look girl. 

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3. Dainty Gold Choker  I LOVE layering necklaces, and there is nothing better than dainty chokers. I have quite a few of these and I am always layering them on top of one another. This one in particular is so dang cute and would be perfect layered with some other simple gold chains.

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4. Wide Jersey Choker– I just added the cutest red velour thick choker to my collection (thank you Tali) and I have worn it non stop. It definitely finishes off a look and creates a statement which is why I love it. I threw it on last night with a simple black tank and jeans and was the perfect accessory!

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5. Rhinestone ChokerIn addition to the dainty gold pieces, I love chokers with dangling charms. It adds a little spiciness to your look without much effort. Also- quick shout out to the fact that it is under 4 dollars.

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If you are questioning whether or not you should venture out and purchase a choker, I highly recommend it. I know they aren’t everyone’s taste, but for a few dollars you might as well try it out and see how you like it. In the meantime, thank you for reading & more posts to come so stay tuned folks. 

 

Meet you here again soon,

Sami