Being a member of the Miami fashion press has its privileges.

In exactly one month from today I will be prancing around this very pool, enjoying all of the perks the hottest event in the IMG Fashion portfolio has to offer. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim 2014 returns for their ninth year (my 5th), and all of Miami's movers and shakers will congregate at the Raleigh Hotel poolside, to get a first look at all of the sexiest swimwear designs of the new season.

Designers from around the world will showcase their collections with a handful of my favorites making the roster including Mara Hoffman, L*Space by Monica Wise, Beach Bunny, Wildfox Swim, BCBG Max Azria, and others.

I can't wait to see/write about what everyone will be wearing to the pool party next summer. Now if the Miami Heat could just hurry up and win this championship, we'll be golden.

For my bachelorette party, one of my girlfriends gifted me with a delicate white and lacey bodysuit that I knew I couldn't wait to pack away for the honeymoon. To my surprise, it has become an underlying staple in my everyday wardrobe. It adds the perfect layer of protection under a sheer blouse, adds a flash of femininity when paired with jeans and a blazer, and obviously makes a sexy statement when worn solo. I've been on the hunt for a black one, and after a quick investigation I found a thrifty alternative to my favorite style for almost a quarter of the price. Wear it well.

Stretch Lace Bodysuit - American Apparel, $38
Sheer Lace Bodysuit - Forever21, $10.80

Happy Father's Day to all of the unsung heroes out there who can fight crime and change a dirty diaper in a single bound.


Photos: mattyphotography

I love it when I already know what I'm doing for the weekend by hump day. It goes back to the single girl's strategy of refusing to accept a date for Friday or Saturday night unless we've been asked out properly in advance. Sorry boys, we have to wash our hair.

Besides tackling the mundane list of weekly chores, I will:

*Take in Sofia Coppola's latest novel to film adaptation of The Bling Ring, featuring a privileged gang of kiddie kleptos led by the former Hermione Granger
*Tune in to HBO to catch up with my favorite vampy, fairy and wolvish friends for the sixth season premiere of True Blood
*Wish all the fab dads I know a very happy Father's Day
*Work in a little alfresco dining/wine drinking in between all of the above

Happy almost weekend.

I've received a few sweet pleas to keep my quickie weekly beauty tips in rotation, so here we are. One little change, I've decided to no longer limit myself to ten words or less because life is too short to follow rules. Without further ado:

Let's Talk Style Quick Tip of the Week, twenty something words or less...

Lips too intense? Skip the tissue and use a wet wipe to tone down color while adding a hint of moisture.

Photo: Terry Richardson

Yesterday was my dog's birthday, and I forgot.

I am a bad pet parent. I'm sure all day she was waiting for me to say/do something... a possible surprise party at the dog park, a juicy steak grilled up by her dad, a someecard. She let me sleep in on Mother's Day, and what did I give her in return? A possible Sam Baker à la Sixteen Candles complex where everyone in her family forgets her special day, only she didn't get to share a birthday cake and kiss with her hottie crush at the end.

Rather than beat myself up about it, I'm doing the next best thing I can think of. Looking for gifts to buy her love back. Here are my top stylish picks to spoil the favorite member of my pack.

I've been spotting so many pretty popsicle pics on pinterest, why shouldn't my pup get in on the fun? These DIY freezer treats are all-organic, yummy, icy, hydrating goodness, available in 4 gourmet flavors like white cheddar and sweet potato 'n' maple. Cool bones.

My dog enjoys the finer things in life, even when it comes to toys. She'll love dragging/tugging around one of these faux fur monkeys to incorporate a little posh into her playtime.

Let them eat cake. She can't stay angry at me forever, especially not after she sinks her canines into an all natural doggie birthday cake made with plenty of peanut butter.

Freezy Pups Kit, In the Company of Dogs, $19.95
West Paw Tango Dog Toy, dogIDS, $15
Doggie Birthday Cake recipe, here
Martha Stewart 3D dog cake decorating how-to seen above, here.

Confession readers: I have hit a writer's road block in my corner of the blogosphere.

Lately I've been whirling through a series of unfortunate emotions every time I venture into my Movable Type publishing platform. From feeling a tad depressed to giddy and guilty, insanely manic to raging and irreverent, I pirouette all across the page and then erase everything I've written down, only to find myself staring at a blinking cursor with a mind void of anything stylish to write about. I am in the blogger bell jar.

Photo: Rankin for Marie Claire

I visit other accomplished lifestyle blogs where the hostesses serve up beyond beautiful designer outfit posts mingled with amazing DIY crafting creations, delicious mouthwatering recipes to favor foodies of all preferences/dietary restrictions, all visualized in breathtaking photography. I want to go to there. I want to hop into all of my favorite blogs and curl up on their pretty white couches, play with their pets, wear the designer labels in their closets and eat their yummy gluten-free food...

And yet I am here, writing 10 word beauty tips, captioning model photos, dissing red carpet gowns and struggling to keep up with my insanely spammed comments section where immersed in between all of your lovely comments there are half a million links for penis enlargements.

Perhaps I'm having post nuptial/honeymoon blues. Perhaps I'm trying to rediscover my voice. Perhaps it's because my bday is a fortnight away and I'm getting older old. Whatever it is, I implore you to keep reading, keep commenting, keep asking Sammy questions... and if I don't post your comment(s) within 2 hours, send them here. I'm gong to try to make this blog I place that is more positive. A place where I want to live, and you all can come over and have slumber parties while playing with my dog Zoey and eating my delicious, healthy and savory salmon recipes {it's the only thing I really know how to make well}.

xoxo,
sammy

another pair of contacts bite the dust.

Let's Talk Style Quick Tip of the Week, 10 words or less:

Lip balm dabbed on inner corners of eyes = dewy highlighter.

*4 extra words of warning: Make sure it's plain!

The two most valuable pieces of fashion advice I have ever received are as follows:

1- Don't ever wear the belt that the dress came with
2- Don't go shopping without a list

I rarely head to Whole Foods without a post-it note filled with doodles of that evening's dinner ingredients/bread/toilet paper/etc, so it makes perfect sense to refrain from walking into a busy mall or logging into my favorite online shopping portal without a list of key pieces that I really want need.

My current list, for instance, reads as follows:

crisp, white skinny jeans
black strappy sandals
peasanty tunic blouse
a dress to wear to my husband's cousin's wedding
bright hued pencil skirt
ripped boyfriend jeans to replace my old Levi's that are now a size too big (thanks Jillian Michaels)!

This simple process keeps me from becoming overwhelmed and distracted by pretty mannequin displays and sales racks so that I can remain on track without succumbing to unnecessary impulse buys.

Try it next time and you might avoid coming home with 8 bottles of sundried tomato pesto and olive tapenade when you just needed milk.

Hi Sammy,

My work wardrobe is pretty boring -- all black,tan and gray trousers and pencil skirts with black/gray/white blouses. What's an easy and cheap way to make it less drab without having to buy a bunch of new pieces?

Thanks!!

-Margret
-----------------------------------------------

Hi Margret!

Don't fret. Black and gray neutrals aren't boring, they're classic basics that are office appropriate, built to last, and easy to mix and match with anything. Congratulations on having a solid foundation of workwear essentials. Now, the key to boosting any basic? Just add color.

You can:

1 - pick up a bunch of colorful solid springtime tees for next to nothing (not too sheer)
2 - adorn your neck with a multicolored statement necklace, or
3 - add an unexpected pop of color to your feet with a cool patterned pair of pumps.

A shoe whore at heart, I would opt for option 3. These Dango Pumps, for instance, are unchained at wait for it, $10.97. They'll look hot with a black or tan pencil skirt and totally cool peeking out from under a wide leg pant. You can get away with wearing the same shoes two times in a row and won't cause distractions by going against dress code, unless you work in a cube next to a strange dude with a shoe fetish.

Get yours now at Shiekh Shoes.

xoxo,
sammy

Having a fashion dilemma or crisis?

Need to know what top goes with what bottom?

Don't go it alone. Ask Sammy!

Let's Talk Style Quick Tip of the Week, 10 words or less.

Massage blotting papers into oily roots in lieu of shampoo.

My favorites:

Tatcha Original Aburatorigami Beauty Papers - Tatcha , $12
Eyetini Blotting Napkins - Beauty Bridge, $10
Sephora Blotting Papers - Sephora, $10

Happy Memorial Day weekend, friends and followers. Do, eat or wear something stylish.

xoxo,
sammy

Want a new red tank? Want to feel good about yourself?

Buy this cool Oklahoma benefit tank from the folks at Hello Apparel, and all $15 of the proceeds will benefit the Oklahoma Red Cross.

Just ordered mine...

hoping Oklahoma will be okay.*

My significant other made a simple, stoic statement over lunch and cocktails yesterday. "Shopping for you is hard". I second that emotion. Shopping for myself is hard. I often suffer from an eternal case of buyer's remorse, spending more time and energy returning my purchases than keeping them and giving them a good, loving home.

Lately, I have been enforcing a new technique. I add something to my Universal wish list, and if I still love it-want it-need it-have to have it one month later, then it shall be.

We are now 6 weeks shy of my next birthday, and one of the beautiful things about penning my own fashion blog is that I can fill it with subliminal hints, i.e. I want one or more of these pretty little above the knuckle rings that are made of real gold and won't turn my fingers black/green. It's been a month and I still love them-want them-need them-have to have them, so hopefully, then it shall be. A Catbird and/or Etsy gift card will do.

That wasn't so hard, was it?